Moshidora (TV)

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by ipodi

I find it difficult to argue over whether integrity is fundamental to successful management considering that you did not offer any supporting evidence that it should not be. If you have refreshing perspective on why lying and deceit should be used in top management, or that integrity could actually cripple an organization, then I'd like to hear it and we would have something to go on.

I don't know about private companies, but for governments... if lying and deceit weren't indispensable, why would all our politicians use them?

[Deconstructor]

I decided to watch up to episode 2 in order to see whether I would have the desire to continue watching Moshidora, a daily anime. In short, I do. In 1000 words...

Episode 1 pretty much questioned itself as to whether such an unlikely and unorthodox premise would succeed. A girl who hates baseball and knows nothing about management, applying business strategy to a baseball team? Actually, I'm glad episode 1 dealt with the initial disbelief by openly admitting it exists. The chances of this happening are very low. But hey, since we're here anyway... let's enjoy the ride.

I don't buy the idea someone needs to be an "expert" to enjoy how the ideas of business management link together with baseball management. In fact, Drucker's ideas seem very simple and straightforward. Personally, I can make the connections from theoretical to practical rather quickly. When Minami questioned who the customers of a baseball team were - the consumers of an organization not really selling any products - I predicted immediately it would be the team members themselves. Turns out Minami and Yuki also believe so in episode 2.

At first, I was displeased. Drucker's idea of integrity was left hanging off a cliff. What role does integrity actually play in building a successful company? According to that glasses-wearing player, baseball is just a stepping stone on the pathway to becoming successful. But then he talks about how playing baseball builds his integrity. Hmm... coming from a bench-warmer, I don't really see how the key to success is integrity. Apparently, neither does Minami; she thinks about integrity for a while, and then moves on. Minami also learns about "defining" the team, but she doesn't get very far in doing so. I suppose these ideas will be addressed later, but it was disappointing to have them introduced without any practical applications. How does integrity help the team?

Then, the ideas started taking solid form. Everyone has different reasons for playing baseball. In order for a team to play at their full potential, they need to be sold the expectation of success. Yet success varies for different people; for the player wearing glasses, success is the building of integrity. For Ayano, success is making friends. For Yuki, success is feeling the rush of excitement. That's why the crafting of an environment dealing with so many individual intentions is crucial to the collective success of the team. Let me step back here for a second and note how seamlessly Drucker's idea of marketing sows in with a baseball team. I genuinely believe addressing everyone's different needs would improve the performance of the team as a whole.

But what really surprised me in episode 2? Translation. I would have thought coach Makoto would be the one who needed an interpreter, given his complex jargon (the man cited Cicero! CICERO!!!). Turns out, ace pitcher Asano is the one who needs someone to express his feelings. Why? Asano is afraid of hurting his team members. He doesn't want to say everyone else sucks, especially the freckled redhead who can't pick up a grounder. Instead, Asano pushes himself harder and harder to make up for their weaknesses. And the person who best understands this is coach Makoto. So I was very happy to see Makoto throw away all the large words, and passionately explain how Asano really feels inside. Really, you can't ask more from a coach, someone who must understand how his players feel and express them so everyone can understand.

Final verdict: A lot of thought has been put into fusing business theory and baseball management. And the fusion actually makes sense - I believe these ideas work together. My head might hurt a little (or a lot!) but I'm eager to watch some more Moshidora. With some caution...

[Major1138]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Why? I found it interesting to have different clubs cooperating. Nice for the school spirit. Interesting synergies. Though I didn't really get the connection between pitching and judo.

I think it was more about teaching the pitchers about how improved lower body strength would help them stay on their feet and maintain their balance when they pitched - less energy wasted trying to remain balanced throughout the pitching motion means more effort can be focused on actually throwing the ball. The track team captain alluded to this as well when she said the players shouldn't clench their fists when they run - tenses muscles unnecessarily and wastes energy.

[DragoonKain3]

Awesome! While episode 3 was lacking in JirouXMinami moments (though osananajimi radar is going haywire with Yunosuke and Hanae), episode 4 had that cute hand slap + pouting Minami, while episode 5 was almost as good as it can be with half the episode dedicated to the two together. And how the two look when Yuki asked them how they came together... d'awww. ^_^

Just too bad episode 6 doesn't seem to have any of them together...


What's that? Baseball? Management? Drucker? I'm afraid I don't see any of those having any relevance in this anime.

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Vexx

This is what we call "modern project manager hell" .... Project managers *used* to own their assets for the duration of the project. But after the "matrix management turf wars" the old department hierarchy re-asserted itself and these days a project manager is a glorified whining pleading secretary GANTT-chart maker who gets hung when things don't happen.
(all the responsibility, none of the authority)

I agree, but the problem is hardly lack of authority, rather they are expected to make decisions requiring technical understanding and occasionally expertise that they neither have nor are willing to get. Same issue is true for HR, that's one of the reasons outsourcing is promoted, and technical personnel is reduced.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Why? I found it interesting to have different clubs cooperating. Nice for the school spirit. Interesting synergies. Though I didn't really get the connection between pitching and judo.

For the most part they don't or is circumstantial. That's part of the issue I that really annoys me, it was an one-sided presentation, based on a fictional depiction.

Originally Posted by ipodi

I find it difficult to argue over whether integrity is fundamental to successful management considering that you did not offer any supporting evidence that it should not be. If you have refreshing perspective on why lying and deceit should be used in top management, or that integrity could actually cripple an organization, then I'd like to hear it and we would have something to go on.

I want to refrain from drawing examples from a fictional work of art to support or refute methodologies for facing real problems. The presentation in the anime is one-sided, because it shows imaginary benefits, and ignores realistic problems

Originally Posted by ipodi

And the claim that you find the concept that organizations cannot achieve success without inputs and help from interested stakeholders to be "worthless", and that such act of cooperation is "depressing," is nothing short of bewildering.

Sorry mate, technical jargon just doubled the intensity of my headache

[wontaek]

I saw ep 5, and I am beginning to doubt how much the author really knows about baseball. If your opponent in down by many points, you DO NOT expect them to bunt, not even in Japan. Even if you think they will want a point to avoid shut out, the common strategy is trying to get on base no matter what and not get out. There was ample reason for the players to not suspect a bunt. For some reason, starting from ep 3., Moshidora do very good job for majority of the episode except for 1 issue every episode that I find myself saying 'That's bull****!', usually at the end of the episode. It could be that author's mind got clouded by desire to force the lesson upon the reader/viewer , thus unnatural development sneaks in hear and there. I still have good hope for the series and hopefully this series will improve and be a commercial success .

[Anh_Minh]

My interpretation of the strategy: demotivate the opponents by giving them a 30 points lead, at which point they won't feel like trying very hard against you.

I have to ask: if Freckles is interested in Yuki, what's his relationship with Longhair?

[Guardian Enzo]

In terms of the bunt strategy in episode 5, my interpretation is that the college guys knew the game was over and the boys never had a prayer, and they would try to salvage a run to save their pride a little. Needless to say, 35-0 scores are uncommon enough in baseball that there really isn't a "book" for what you do in that situation. Since no matter what strategy Hodo applied they obviously weren't going to come back, the college catcher assumed they'd bunt to try and achieve a realistic goal - avoid a shutout. As a baseball lifer, I took that as realistic.

Incidentally, I wonder of the Ibaraki coach who instituted "free baseball" and won the Koshien that the Hodo coach mentioned in ep 4 really exists. I tried googling the coach and the HS and found no mention of either. I hope it's true - it would be nice to think that somewhere, once, Japanese high-schoolers were allowed to play the game with a little joy.

[Kanon]

Does that no bunt, not ball strategy sucks balls or am I missing something? Their aim seems to be to keep the pitcher fresh, which is a perfectly fine idea. However, what's the point if the rest of the team tires out while trying to make up for all the hits he gives up? Not to mention, the opposing team can score tons of runs in the process...

I don't get it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Fielders getting tired isn't really a problem - fielding batted balls is many orders of magnitude less stressful on the body than pitching. A much bigger issue is the simple fact that if the opposing team can basically assume the pitcher is trying to throw a strike on every pitch, their job as a hitter just got a lot easier.

While the notion of avoiding wear and tear and holding pitch counts down for young arms is a noble one, there's probably a reason why this particular strategy has never been employed. Pitching to contact is a smart strategy, especially for kids - always pitching to contact probably isn't.

[ipodi]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Does that no bunt, not ball strategy sucks balls or am I missing something? Their aim seems to be to keep the pitcher fresh, which is a perfectly fine idea. However, what's the point if the rest of the team tires out while trying to make up for all the hits he gives up? Not to mention, the opposing team can score tons of runs in the process...

I don't get it.

It's a partially correct strategy. Sabermetrics (statistical analysis of baseball) has long held that both bunts and base on balls are essentially wastes. In the case of bunting, because outs are capped at 3 (3 outs per inning), and bunting usually results in an easy out, it's almost always more advantageous to hit the ball, even if bunting advances the runner. And as Enzo has already mentioned, fielders rarely get tired. The problem with the no-balls strategy is that you have essentially taken the uncertainty away from opposing hitters, and you don't want that to happen. But this is an anime after all...

If your opponent in down by many points, you DO NOT expect them to bunt, not even in Japan.

Not if your goal is to simply score a run, but not to win the game. If you are down by, say, 5 runs, then, yes, you would hit the ball. But if your aim is to just score a run, then, it's perfectly reasonable to expect a player to bunt.

[sikvod00]

It's easy to feel sorry for Minami and how she grew to "hate" baseball (I don't think she really does). I have a sister who experienced something similar. When she was little, basketball was her whole life. She would always play with the other boys in the park and at school, and was better than most by a long shot. But as time passed, and puberty hit everyone, things changed. They got a lot better than her by virtue of the fact that they were male, and inevitably she couldn't keep up. Sure, she was a great player on the girl's basketball team, but that's not the same as being on the boy's team. It's considered inferior by all measures, and everyone knew this except her.

This is a fact of life for any "tomboy" who plays sports religiously: enjoy being equally good or better than your male counterparts, because it will not last, and no amount of practice or hard work will change that.

[Guardian Enzo]

Plus, contractually speaking it appears as if every baseball anime or manga is required to have a tomboy girl who had to give up the game.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Plus, contractually speaking it appears as if every baseball anime or manga is required to have a tomboy girl who had to give up the game.

Wouldn't it be awesome if there was a spin-off made where they all joined to make a team that could kick everyones asses?

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Haak

Wouldn't it be awesome if there was a spin-off made where they all joined to make a team that could kick everyones asses?

LOL! Aoba at pitcher, Shimizu Kaoru at catcher... The battery of the century!

That sounds like something that could easily be put together for the PSP or similar...

[JagdPanther]

So, just watched the first episode to decide if I liked this enough... and I am marginally disturbed by the fact that the episode sounds like a lecture from my MBA program (just finishing my first year of the program at Penn State).

But, it is also amusing at the same time that someone decided to spin anime and an MBA-level lecture together, so why the hell not keep watching?

[Kanon]

Thanks for the replies. I was under the impression fielders eventually got tired in this particular scenario, since they seemed more active than in a regular match.

That makes a bit more sense to me now, although it appears it's still not a very good strategy unless you have a godly pitcher. Can they really make that work...?

[ars89]

I was wary of the coaches strategy at first, but i guess it has it's advantages. Still don't know how they were able to get an exhibition with a college team. Glad Yuki's surgery went well. Main thing we learned was about Minami's past about why she hates basebal.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by ars89

I was wary of the coaches strategy at first, but i guess it has it's advantages.

I wouldn't know about that. Didn't Asano end up pitching a lot because he couldn't strike out players? Though I guess if the fielders get better, that might change.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I wouldn't know about that. Didn't Asano end up pitching a lot because he couldn't strike out players? Though I guess if the fielders get better, that might change.

His pitch count did decrease gradually over the course of the game, to the point where in the 7th it was about half of what it was in the 1st inning. This is the fundamental flaw of the strategy of course - if the other team gets enough hits the pitcher will still throw a lot of pitches, even without walks.