<figure id="attachment_451208" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451208" style="width: 2237px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d37551a4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/daef8d32e3ac520e8efa71f629ef408c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451208" class="wp-caption-text">The moment he hit his second home run. The body&#8217;s axis is not shaking at all, and the ball is caught with a sharp look in his eyes.</figcaption></figure>
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<h2> The BEST 12 &#8220;Decisive Moments&#8221; ① Shohei Ohtani (31)</h2>
<h3> Shohei Ohtani (31) <br>
October 17: Three homers and 10 strikeouts in one game in the league championship series</h3>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The ultimate &#8220;self-support&#8221; that propelled the team to the top of the world.</span></p>
<p> Shohei Ohtani (31), who started Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers, struck out 10 and allowed no runs in 6 innings, while hitting 3 home runs, including a home run off the leadoff batter.</p>
<p> After the game, our hero, who showed the world the best performance in post-season history, showed no signs of lingering emotion and tightened his helmet, saying, &#8220;I want to do my best to win the next four games.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> I was most surprised by the second home run. Chad Patrick (27) threw a cut ball to the inside corner that, from my perspective as a pitcher, had an ideal trajectory. It was a first-class pitch that would normally have only two options: to be called a foul or to be thrown out on an infield ground ball.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> However, Ohtani sent it flying about 143 meters. No wonder his colleague Freddie Freeman (36) was scratching his head on the bench. Even a top-notch hitter like Freddie Freeman (36) would not have been able to bat like that. And such superhuman batting brought good rhythm to Ohtani, the pitcher. It is truly the ultimate &#8220;self-support,&#8221; according to baseball commentator Keiichi Yabu.</span></span></p>
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<p> Even with all this success, Ohtani must already be training hard with his sights set on winning his third consecutive World Series title.</p>
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<h3> Ichiro (52) <br>
Inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame on January 21.</h3>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In July, he and his wife Yumiko will go to a parade to celebrate.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_451209" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451209" style="width: 2324px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="158483f7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/8c187e81c7355343adb22e467c022e80.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451209" class="wp-caption-text"> With his wife Yumiko (right)</figcaption></figure>
<p> Ichiro, 52, became the first Asian to be inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2013, becoming the 10th consecutive 200-hit hitter and the most in history with 4,367 hits in Japan and the U.S. Tomoya Satozaki, who played in the WBC with Ichiro, said that his induction was a &#8220;natural result.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> There is no doubt that he is a pioneer in Major League Baseball as a fielder. I think he is the best player who created hope that a Japanese player could play in the Majors and gave younger players a goal to aim for.</span></span></p>
<p> Ichiro Suzuki is now the pride of the world.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" There were many more joyous moments in the world of baseball."></div>
<h3>Okinawa Shogaku High School <br>
August 23 &#8211; Okinawa&#8217;s First Koshien Championship in 15 Years</h3>
<figure id="attachment_451210" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451210" style="width: 1868px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e81b5b97"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/f31aefb68e0d0dca86dd0323cefb90b5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451210" class="wp-caption-text"> The Kounan Nine excited about their victory.</figcaption></figure>
<p> Okinawa Shogaku&#8217;s sophomore duo led their team to the top of Japan. The team&#8217;s second-year duo led the Okinawa Shogaku team to its first Koshien championship in 15 years.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> Ryojo Sueyoshi on the left and Yugen Aragaki on the right are both top-notch pitchers. Their presence creates a good sense of tension in the team. In particular, Sueyoshi&#8217;s 150 km/h straight line and sharply curved slider exceed those of his junior year self.</span></span></p>
<p> The two aces are aiming for back-to-back championships.</p>
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<h3> Hanshin Tigers <br>
September 7: Fastest league championship in history</h3>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Fujikawa&#8217;s mentor reveals &#8220;the key to winning back-to-back championships and regaining the top spot in Japan</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_451223" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451223" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dc12e031"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/12/0a6a8db49593ad08d3e0b1875c0cf0aa.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-451223" class="wp-caption-text"> The Hanshin Tigers won the league championship with a 2.21 team batting average, the best among the 12 teams, 7 Best Nine selections, and 7 pitching and batting titles.</figcaption></figure>
<p> It was a game that summed up the season. With the magic number one run in the game against Hiroshima, Hanshin&#8217;s top relievers, including starter Hiroto Saiki (27), held the team&#8217;s two runs scored by sacrifice flies, and manager Kyuji Fujikawa (45) flew up in the air five times.</p>
<p> Osami Ueda, a former teacher of the Johoku Junior High School baseball team and manager of the Kochi Sho baseball team, looked on.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> When I said &#8216;Congratulations&#8217; to the players at the fall camp, he said, &#8216;What? He had already changed his mind. They had already switched. In camp, they spent a lot of time practicing bunting. During the season, there were many times when I wished I could have sent them off. Like Takumu Nakano (29), players who are good at bunting are also good hitters, and their batting average is good after they decide to bunt. The ballplayers knew this. The young Junya Nishi (24) is also good at bunting. I think he will come out.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> We will have a head coach for the second year, but I can&#8217;t tell you the details, but there were reasons that made sense there, too.&#8221;</span></span></p>
<p> The team is in good shape to achieve their long-cherished goal of back-to-back championships and Japan&#8217;s No. 1 ranking.</p>
<p> From the January 2, 9, and 16, 2026 issue of FRIDAY</p>
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 AFLO (Otani, Ichiro, Okinawa Shogaku) Jiji Press (Hanshin)

 Special "Year-End and New Year's Eve and New Year's Day" program! (1) Shohei Otani hits 3 homers and steals 10 bases in one game in the League Championship Series, Ichiro is inducted into the Ichiro Hall of Fame, and the Hanshin Tigers win the Koshien championship and become the fastest league champions in history.

The “2025 Decisive Moments in Sports” – The famous games and heart-warming scenes that changed the course of history!

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