What Ochiai said has some truth in it about the team's state of mind if furuya doesn't get the ace number but has Ochiai already forgotten that Sawamura is great at influencing his teammates? And the fact that he is saying that makes me feel how little he underestimate the team's mentality.
But at this point I believe Sawamura has what is takes to handle the pressure of the ace considering what he has gone through and has shown to the team at present.
If we look back to their game against inashiro, sawamura realized the pressure of what would happen if they lost the game and because of that pressure he collapsed and gave a dead ball. Sure he may have fallen through pressure but it's thanks to that incident that we as the readers got to see how Sawamura grew and deal with the consequences/pressure that could affect a pitcher and how he got back up and was all the more determine as a pitcher.
But with this said it all comes down to what Kataoka wants in the end.
┑(￣Д ￣)┍ a team who seems to need furuya as the ace to be emotionally stabled as a whole or a pitcher who showed his determination to make not lose a point.
Nah.. wat kind of team would need a specific person to be ace. Not one team would be that sensitive esp all athletes hates losing.
It's more of the positions Eijun and Furuya have as a pitcher that makes it a bit risky cuz worse senario they'll have a short slump on the pitcher area (well there are other pitchers too but they wouldn't keep using the two if they're not good)
You have a point though... Eijun had a lot of downs and he has matured not only as a pitcher but importantly as an athlete. As for Furuya if he does crash it's fine let him. He'll stand up and be better. As a player he had a long way to go to have high school baseball to determine his life.
Ochiai is just being too negative but I hope he has other reasons though... not giving it to Sawamura based on Furuya's stability is very sad reason. And honestly if I were Furuya and hear wat he said I would be VERY insulted. To think this monkey thinks I need a number to be a better athlete.
All in all I feel that if the coach feels that Sawamura deserves the ace no due to his performance then he should have it but if he feels it's Furuya then to him. But if he thinks both deserves it then I wish we could just burn that shirt no
It would be sad if they don't give it to Sawamura if he is actually delivering on role of an ace and Furuya is not...
People are gonna hate me but Ochiai is right though... we all know how unstable Furuya can be... plus we don't know if Sawamura can handle the pressure of having that ace number... Worst case senario 2 pitchers are going to be mentally unstable or one beaksdown. In the end baseball is a team sport and the overall effect of the team should always be on top of the list.
But at the same time. I want my Eijun to feel a bit of recognition for the hard work he's done. Besides it could be a good senario where Furuya is going to be pumped up to get the number back while Eijun gets pumped up too cuz he has that responsibility.
As a player Kataoka would sympathize with who he thinks deserves it. But as a coach I wouldn't want to be in his shoe. Does he uses logic and not change the status quo just to maintain state of mind or would he trust his players to pull through their demons and improve under any circumstances (assuming he thinks Eijun should hav it)