By Saruwatari Tsuyoshi, Kyoto Shimbun News

August 8, 2014: Toyama, Japan – The date was June 28^th. Nobody ever saw anything like it before. They all said so after they saw it. Then they saw the replay on the Castle Of Cagliostro scoreboard.  Two months later, the Battousai point to it as the moment the club turned things around.

Edo SP Manabu Taniguchi gave up a single to load the bases. Kenko Nakamura called time and strode purposely to the mound as Taniguchi’s eyes glazed over, a stunned pall enveloping his face. Then it happened. The catcher hit him in the heart hard. The pitcher stood motionless for a moment, then dropped to the mound on one knee, apparently convulsing.

Stunned looks appeared on the faces of all the visiting Battousai. Did that really just happen? Taniguchi looked oddly at ease as he rose back up and delivered the next pitch, which Lupin 3B Orlando Escamilla turned into a go-ahead double, giving the Cliff Hangers the win.

I asked SP Cris Reyes, the leader of the young staff, how one of his guys could get assaulted in mid game and nothing come of it? Reyes face grew red as he burst into laughter. “That’s hilarious! Kenko didn’t hurt him at all.” He beckoned to Tanaguchi, who proceeded to fill me in on the tale.

“We were pitching badly” Tanaguchi related. “Really stinking. That was the low point of the game. Nothing was working. I was in a daze. When Kenko came out, I was numb. I just knew he was going to lay into me. He raises up, looks me in the eye dead serious, then wham! he nails me in the chest, pauses with a slight grin – never losing eye contact – and says, ‘Chuck Norris once punched a man in the soul.’ After a moment, it all processes and I fall to my knees cause I’m laughing so hard. Then he struts back to the plate. Of course I lost the game on the next batter, but after I told the guys, it loosened up the whole crew. Then we started pitching better. Now the whole club’s doing it.”

Sure enough, fits of laughter break out when “Chuck Norris” is overheard in our interview. Morihiro Nakamura walks up to us and says deadpan, “Chuck Norris can squeeze orange juice from a banana.” Then he bursts out laughing. Pretty soon, I start hearing, “Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door!” “Chuck Norris can build a snowman out of rain!” Everyone is laughing.

Obviously, this interview is ended. On the way out, I stop by the general manager’s office and catch the end of a conversation. “…how can he ask for so much when he’s got no at bats this season? Seriously, you want me to sign him? He’s got nothing this year, nothing, zero! What am I, a doormat?” The reply comes quickly. “Chuck Norris can divide by zero!” Then laughter, and the door is closed as I am discovered eavesdropping. I duck out quietly to get the article to press.

And that is how Chuck Norris saved Edo’s season.