One time, we were playing the Nankai Hawks, and we had bases loaded with one away. There was a full count on the batter, and our manager Yamauchi put on the squeeze play – with a full count and one out! I was on third base, and I saw the squeeze sign so I was thinking, “Should I break, or should I wait?” If the next pitch was ball four, then I could walk home, but if he bunted it, and it wasn’t a good bunt, then I’d be out. I decided to break off the base. The pitcher went into a stretch, and I got my lead. As he threw, I broke toward home plate. Well, their catcher stood up, and the Nankai Hawks have called a pitchout! It’s a full count, right. A pitchout is ball four! But our catcher, Hiroshi Takahashi, who was a thirty-eight-year-old veteran, followed Japanese directions to the max and tried to bunt it! So it became strike three, and they tagged me out to complete the double play! I just stood on the third baseline and Leon brought my glove out. I said, “Leon, did you see that? What you think just happened?” He said, “I don’t know.” I said, “Well, I’ll tell you. Their manager just outdumbed our manager!”

“Their manager just outdumbed our manager!” is my new favorite quote, I think.