Episode 13 | Jersey Number 13 × Hitoki Iwase

——“The etiquette of the 9th inning.” A number that brings the probability of failure closer to 0.

Jersey number 13 is neither ominous nor lucky.
It is a number for “dominating the final inning through protocol.” A closer who spent his entire 20-year career from 1999 to 2018 with the Chunichi Dragons pitching his way to a total of 407 saves (1st in NPB history), 1,002 career appearances (the most in NPB history)—Hitoki Iwase. His back won not through raw power, but through reproducibility. The Japan Times+1

STORY | Closing out games with “protocol, not raw speed”

■ From setup man to closer—a redesign of roles

After playing for the corporate team NTT Tokai, he joined Chunichi as the 2nd pick in the 1998 draft after joining the team, he rose to prominence mainly as a middle reliever, and made a full transition to closer under manager Hiromitsu Ochiai in 2004. In 2005, he set the then- 46 saves as the NPB single-season record (later broken by Dennis Sarfate with 54 in 2017; however, it still stands as the Central League record). Japanese Baseball Cards+1

■ November 1, 2007: The three outs in the 9th that concluded the series

Game 5 of the Japan Series. Daisuke Yamai had a perfect game through 8 innings—Manager Ochiai sent Iwase to the mound for the 9th. He closed it out with three up, three down, and Chunichi won their first Japan Series title in 53 years since 1954. This game is passed down as a “perfect game by relief pitching” (NPB does not officially recognize it as a “perfect game” / WBSC recognizes it). The Japan Times+1

■ The pain of the Olympics—Beijing 2008

While he won a bronze medal in Athens in 2004, he struggled in Beijing in 2008, giving up decisive hits against South Korea (in the qualifiers and semifinals). Though he became a target of criticism, he calmly returned to the relief mound in the years that followed. WBSC+1

■ The Result of Accumulation: All-time Leader in Saves and Appearances

In 2011, he set a new record for career saves, and in later years, also became the all-time leader in appearances. Although he sat out the entire 2015 season, he returned to reach 1,000 appearances before retiring in 2018. In 2025, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Japan Times+4The Japan Times+4imagelinkglobal.com+4

METHOD | Visualizing the “Ritual of the 9th Inning”

1. First-pitch protocol
   Take the judgment of the pitch location on the first pitch (to “share” the width of the strike zone with the umpire). → Subsequent pitch calling becomes statistically easier.NPB Tracker

2. “Placement” over velocity
   For fastballs, focus on extension at the release point / command, and for the put-away pitch, use the low slider. Minimize the margin for error by repeating the same form.NPB Tracker

3. Information asymmetry
   In the 9th inning with a 1-run lead, the batter's “expected pitches” are limited. Therefore, template the reverse-engineered pitch calling. (The high volume of saves in 2005 matches the perfection of this template.)Wikipedia

4. Separation of Psychology and Procedure
   He himself says, "I don't want to pitch every time." That is precisely why heroutinizes it andblocks out the influence of emotions. Shueisha Sportiva Official Site web Sportiva

VOICE | Words from the Subject (Summary and Source Included)

• "It was an incredible amount of pressure" — Looking back at the 9th inning of Game 5 of the 2007 Japan Series. Number Web - Number

• "I didn't always want to pitch" — The true feelings behind 1,002 appearances. Shueisha Sportiva Official Site web Sportiva

• "If Iwase gets hit and we lose, then so be it" — Ochiai's way of delegating. Management that eliminates hesitation in the field. Number Web - Number

INSIGHT | "#13 = Final Process Protocol" for Business

1. Manage the final decision with "Procedure × Reproducibility"
The final inning isprocedure, not emotion. — Fix the presentation's "closing script" into3 steps (Agreement on initial steps → Organizing conditions → Commitment to next action).

2. KPI is not "hits" but "suppression of failure probability"
The closer's KPI is toget as close to zero as possible. — Create a checklist toeliminate in advance the "list of pitfalls in decision-making".

3. Feed the memory of failure back into "business operations"
The pain in Beijing led to an update of the surgical procedure (protocol). — Turnnotes on redesigning after a lost order into a template.

④ People are not always "motivated every time"
That is whyroutine. ——Mandate a standardized warm-up (reading through and anticipated Q&A) for all cases, starting 5 minutes in.

SIGNATURE LINE | A line that hits home

"It wasn't a power arm. The procedure was my fastball."

Today's Memo (Things you can do in 1 minute after reading)

• 3 closing moves written one line at a time for yourself

• Failure checklist with only 5 items

• Script the first pitch (first 30 seconds) of a business negotiation

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW | Episode 14 | Eiji Sawamura (Jersey Number 14)

——Not a "legend," but the intersection of technology and the era. We trace number 14 as the original image of modern pitching through data and testimonies in baseball history.

Main References

• Hall of Fame/Career Records (407S/1002 appearances): The Japan Times (2025/1/16). The Japan Times+1

• 2007 Japan Series "Combined Perfect Game": The Japan Times (2007/11/2) / NPB certification status (difference in opinion with WBSC). The Japan Times+1

• 2005 46S (NPB record at the time → updated in 2017): Profile/Chronology. Wikipedia

• Pitch types/Style (FB/SL/Shoot, control-oriented): NPB Tracker (2008). NPB Tracker

• Poor performance at the Beijing Olympics (including giving up a home run against South Korea) / Athens Bronze: Player page, Olympic data.Wikipedia+1

• Retirement press conference / Reaching 1,000 appearances: Nikkan Sports (2018/10/2, 10/3).nikkansports.com+1

• Words from the person himself / the parties involved (Recollections of the pressure / "I don't want to pitch every time"): Number Web (2007 retrospective) / Sportiva (2025/1/30).Number Web - Number+1