Video: Amazing Japanese Highlights

I can count on one hand how many times I’ve watched a 10-minute video on YouTube. The answer is four. I know what you’re thinking: “Hey, Dan, how do you know that, do you have a spreadsheet or a notepad or another medium to keep track of these things?” I don’t. The answer is four, and I know that because I just watched this video four times. It’s amazing. It’s got everything you want in a video: happiness, sadness, highs, lows, laughs, broken hearts, great plays, great music, great fans. Just everything. Here are a couple of my favorite things in no particular order. Please don’t ask me which is ranked #1. That’s like asking a parent who their favorite kid is. Can’t do it.

The Backswings

First things first, I hope no catchers were harmed in the making of this video. Sure, injuries are part of the game, but you never want to see any player get hurt. But, when you sit down to make a highlight tape for baseball, this might be the last thing you think of to put in there. Every time it happens, it makes you flinch and I don’t know about you, but my palms got clammy* too.

*Just realized, clammy is my least favorite word in the English language.

The Shovel Pass

Look, it took me a while to think of a name for this play, so please don’t make fun of me. They’re on dirt (kind of) and the player used his glove like a shovel to push it to his teammate. Shovel push sounded weird. The push pass is a solid backup, I guess. How do you name something you haven’t seen before? Anyway, moving on. I like this play a lot. I imagine the second baseman saying (or screaming), “JUST TAKE IT, TAKE THE BALL," before pushing it to his teammate. Plus, I’ve never seen the dirt-only-around-the-bases thing. I didn’t want to try to think of a name for that, nobody has that much time on their hands.

The Coach Swinging In the Dugout

If you watch baseball players in the field or dugout or wherever, they always do this. Shadowing their swing, shadowing a throw. Maybe not so much in the Bigs, but definitely in high school, college, etc. I had a roommate who would do his windup in the kitchen for minutes on end. It’s just a habit that players form. Plus, if you speed up the GIF, it looks like he’s dancing.

I could go on and on over this. The fans in Japan are amazing. The umpire that started to call the guy out and changed his mind. The WBC. San Francisco. It’s just an awesome, awesome video. Plus, I know what you’re thinking and I thought about it too: That song at the end is a jam. And don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Game changing.