Nothing quite so dramatic this week as poor Taiga’s crying jag after losing in Koshien, but a fairly solid episode.  Attention shifts back to America, where ballplayers call each other by their last name and owners threaten managers after every loss.  The focus this time is on Dunstan, a “lifer” who’s scuffling at the plate and facing a benching, or even a trade.  Goro reflects on how Sawamura placed his hopes on Goro’s shoulders after an injured knee ended his football (soccer) dreams.  Soon after Dunstan, playing out of position in CF, accidentally blows out the cleanup hitter Greene’s (great name, lose the third “e”) knee in a collision and must reflect on Goro’s words.


Overall, S6 continues to be a solid effort, the best overall since S1 in my view.  While I enjoy the cutaway visits to check on the gang in Japan – especially the Shimizu sibs – the eps focused on Goro’s teammates are somewhat less interesting.  Now that the central drama of the first arc – Goro’s struggles against his own demons – seems to have resolved itself with Goro’s return to form, it will be interesting to see where the dramatic tension comes from.  A Shimizu return to the USA for a summer visit?  The pennant chase?  Looks from the preview like we’re going to be introduced to a new – and obnoxious – teammate who looks suspiciously like Manny Ramirez…