関東地区で３７・８％もの平均視聴率を記録した
ワールド・ベースボール・クラシック（WBC）
「サムライジャパン」と呼ばれる日本チームは
WBC大会の２連覇を目指して大活躍中です。
皆様、試合はご覧になられましたか？
カナダ出身のJonathan講師も、大の野球ファンで、
WBCでのカナダの活躍をとても楽しみにしていたのですが
第１ラウンドで敗退となり、大変落ち込んでいます。
本日は、そんなJonathan講師がご説明する
WBC EditionのWeekly Workplace Word Wisdom(W.W.W.W.)
全５回シリーズの第一回をご紹介いたします。
実は野球に関するイディオムは沢山あり、
ビジネスの場でも多用されていますので
５回シリーズで可能なかぎりご紹介させていただきます。
野球ファンの方も、そうでない方も必読です。
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Baseball and Business
by Jonathan Allen
I am a baseball fan. Traditionally I would be enjoying spring training and getting ready for the start of the season but with the advent of the World Baseball Classic, Spring baseball has taken on a much more competitive and serious air.
The WBC is a nod to the fact that baseball is an international game and I think it demonstrates the fact that baseball has global ambitions. The recent loss of status as an Olympic sport has made the WBC even more important as it is now the only true showcase of professional baseball's global appeal.
The tournament is comprised of 16 teams that are divided into 4 Pools of 4. Japan is part of Pool A along with China, Chinese Taipei and Korea. My home country is in Pool C along with the United States, Italy and Venezuela. The early favourites to win were the United States, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Olympic Gold medalists from Korea and of course the defending WBC champions; Japan.
This past weekend saw the completion of the first round games in Pool A with Japan winning their first two games before losing the final game to the arch-rivals from Korea. This final game was to decide the seeding for the next round as both team had already qualified. Japan will now face the top seed from Pool B (Cuba, Australia, Mexico and South Africa) with the favourite being the vaunted Cuban National team.
In the other pools, Puerto Rico has qualified for the second round and will play the winner of the game between the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands. This is a rematch of an earlier game which saw the Netherlands shock the Dominicans which features a roster of MLB all-stars including David Ortiz (Red Sox), Miguel Tejada (Astros), Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) and Jose Reyes (Mets).
As the tournament progresses I will update results as well as introduce some useful baseball idioms that have become commonplace in Business English. If you like baseball and do business in a baseball loving country there is a very good chance that you will hear some of these.
in the ballpark or a ballpark figure（予想の範囲内で、おおよその見当がついて）
Used to describe an approximate number or estimate.
“Can you give me a ball park figure of how many pieces you will need next year?”
batting 1000 or batting a thousand (1.000)（完ぺきな結果を残す）
When a hitter has a hit in every at bat. This is often used in a sarcastic fashion to describe when we have done everything wrong.
“I am really batting a thousand today.”
big league（【名】トップレベル、第一線 【形】トップレベルの、第一線の）
Used as a noun or an adjective.
“You're in the big leagues now.”(noun)
“big-league lawyer”(adjective)
bush league（〔同業界の〕二流どころ）
Amateurish, unsophisticated, unprofessional. From the baseball term for a second-rate baseball league and therefore its players.
“The HR policies at that company are really bush league.”
“He is very bush league.”
Enjoy the rest of the tournament and I will be pulling for Samurai Japan!
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＜本日の単語＞
advent 【名】出現、到来
arch- 【連結】主要な、主～、大～
vaunted 【形】誇示されている、大げさに称賛されている
＜本日のイディオム＞
be comprised of ～から成っている
pull for ～を応援する
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第二回をお楽しみに！
事務局・山口