Big Windup!

Ookiku Furikabutte isn't just a baseball manga. It's the story of a timid young man who was made an ace pitcher in middle school because of family connections. Now he's in high school and it's his time to shine as an ace in his own right. Won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for best creative work in 2006 Won the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga in 2007. Note: Discrepancy in chapter numbering (mag vs. tank), there are no chapters missing inbetween 25.2 and 53.