Oh, I've seen it a lot? Let's start looking for the culprit! Director → 'No hit in 13 at-bats' Kondo → 'Thrirunpo dedication' criticized Hiromi for 'explosion'

*This content was translated by AI.

The Japanese national baseball team, which was the defending champion of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), bowed its head after an unexpected shock loss. The Japanese archipelago, which expected to be on a roll for its second consecutive WBC bid, quickly cooled down, and criticism is pouring in on the day that it holds responsibility for the defeat. It is a prelude to the familiar "finding criminals" that seems to have been seen somewhere.

The Japanese national baseball team, led by coach Hirokazu Ibata (51), lost to Venezuela 5-8 in the 2026 WBC quarterfinals at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the 15th (Korea time). Japan, which made it 0-1 to 1-1, went 5-2 but fell to their knees, allowing a comeback.

The defeat destroyed Japan's second consecutive tournament, and it suffered the humiliation of not reaching the semifinals for the first time since its establishment at the WBC in 2006. It ended the tournament with the lowest record ever.

The first place the arrow headed is toward the head coach, Ibata. After the game, SNS and portal site comment windows in Japan were plastered with complaints about the manager's timing to replace pitchers and the appointment of substitutes.

In particular, when relievers Chihiro Sumida (Seibu Lions) and Hiromi Ito (Nipponham Fighters) came up with foot-and-mouth runs from the lead situation, Japanese fans are targeting the manager's lack of competence, saying, "I called out anger with complacent pitcher management." All of them are the first and second pre-issuance resources in their teams, but they are used as bullpens in the national team.

As painful as the collapse of the mound was the lack of concentration of the batters. In particular, the slump of Kensuke Kondo (Softbank Hawks), the best hitter in the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) and the epitome of sophistication, was truly fatal. Kondo, an outstanding hitter with a batting average of 0.301 (77 hits in 256 at-bats) and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.903 days in the NPB this season, left an unbelievable report card of no hits in 13 at-bats until the limited quarterfinals of this tournament. He had no hits in 12 at-bats before the game, but ended the tournament with no hits in 13 at-bats when he struck out a rookie in the ninth inning, trailing 5-8.

Kondo was at-bat at every opportunity from the first round, but his unique pioneering plan at Softbank was nowhere to be found and he stopped the flow of pursuit by stepping down with a lethargic bum. Fans' anger intensified when they came out of a losing situation. Japanese fans are disappointed, saying, "Can the best hitter in the league be so silent at a decisive moment in the international competition?" The criticism pouring on Kondo is coming out as much as his share of the team.

Hiromi Ito, who provided an excuse for the reversal in the top of the sixth inning, is also at the peak of criticism. Ito, who took the mound with Japan leading 5-4, was shaken without overwhelming the Venezuelan lineup, and eventually allowed a painful come-from-behind three-run home run that turned the game around. It was a fatal slump leading to a hit-hit-hit-hit-run.

As soon as one real pitch crossed the fence, Japan's ticket to the semifinals also flew away. Some pointed out that the restraint was lowered. Ito appeared to blame himself immediately after the end of the game without raising his head, but it was not enough to turn public opinion in Japan, which was already branded as the "original cause of defeat." The ace's prowess shown by his team Nippon Ham went nowhere, and he will remain the main character of the most painful scene of this tournament.

Some fans point out that it is a frog in a well. In the first round held in Japan, Japan won, but there are sharp criticisms that promising players in their early 20s like South Korea and Taiwan are not seen in the national team. Japanese baseball, which has exposed the overall system maintenance of the league, including NPB official balls, from manager Ibata's leadership to the sluggishness of veterans and the limitations of bullpen management, is expected to suffer from a strong backlash for the time being.

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*This content was translated by AI.