free pass
長い間ブログに投稿せず申し訳ありませんでした。定期演奏会があったためです。今日から気持ちを切り替えて、ブログへの投稿を再開します。
The Japan News（12月26日付）の長嶋茂雄氏のインタビュー記事から、free passという表現を取り上げます。
The day Oh became king
In 1977, the all-time home run record of 755 was held by Hank Aaron, the slugger for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves.
Sadaharu Oh, known for his distinctive “flamingo” style of batting, did not think the home run that put him past Aaron was anything special.
“There could not have been a 100th home without there being a No. 1, you know, and then there is the 700th, the 754th, the 756th, to me, it’s nothing special. The home runs just piled up one by one.”
On that night in Korakuen Stadium, Oh was playing in his 19th season. In the third inning against the Yakult Swallows, Oh blasted the sixth pitch from Koji Suzuki into the right field stands for home run No. 756, the defining moment that made him “home run king of the world.”
“As expectations had been so strong, I failed to homer in two straight games, then finally hit one in the third game. It was a big relief to finally get it,” he said.
Oh also became Japan baseball’s all-time leader in walks, and as he approached the record, crowds had no pity on a pitcher who issued the slugger a free pass.
ここのfree passは「無料乗車券」ではありません。『スーパーアンカー英和辞典』第４版（学研教育出版）には，passの項に「フォアボール、四球」という意味がありました。 (Kawada)
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001816053
