SoftBank Manager Impressed by Young Rival Player
Hiroki Kokubo is the manager of the SoftBank Hawks baseball team.
He watched a player from another team.
This player is only 19 or 20 years old.
Kokubo was very surprised by the player.
He said the player did not play like a young person.
He said, "He does not look like 19 or 20 years old."
This shows the player has great skill.
SoftBank could not get this player before.
Now Kokubo sees how good the player is.
In other baseball news, a manager from another team also spoke.
His name is Shinjo, and he is the manager of Nippon-Ham.
A young player named Shibata got his first hit as a professional.
Shinjo was happy for Shibata and his family.
Shinjo said the young player's performance was good.
Vocabulary15 words
- manager
- the person who leads a sports team
- skill
- the ability to do something well
- professional
- someone who plays sports for money as a job
- performance
- how well someone plays or does something
- surprised
- feeling shock about something you did not expect
- opposing team
- the other team you play against
- talent
- a natural ability to do something well
- rival
- a person or team that competes against you
- hit
- when a batter hits the ball well in baseball
- praise
- to say good things about someone
- young
- not old; early in life
- team
- a group of players who play together
- baseball
- a sport played with a bat and ball
- impressed
- feeling admiration for something good
- comment
- something someone says about a topic
Quiz
Answer key
1. A team manager 2. 19 or 20 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Hiroki Kokubo is the _____ of the SoftBank Hawks baseball team.
He watched a player from another _____.
This player is only 19 or 20 years _____.
Kokubo was very _____ by the player.
He said the player did not play like a young _____.
This shows the player has great _____.
SoftBank could not _____ this player before.
In other baseball news, a manager from another team also _____.
His name is Shinjo, and he is the manager of Nippon-_____.
A young player named Shibata got his first _____ as a professional.
Shinjo was _____ for Shibata and his family.