Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 53

#52. Is He Even Human?

Among older baseball figures, you’ll often hear sayings like:

‘Pour your soul into each pitch. A pitcher’s throw must contain their soul.’

It’s a good saying. You might think it’s a bit old-fashioned, but it’s worth pondering.

However, these words are sometimes used in a different sense.

There’s an anecdote about Mutsuo Minagawa, a legendary pitcher in Japanese professional baseball, who protested a ball call as a rookie. The umpire told him, ‘It’s a ball because it doesn’t contain your soul.’

Well, that’s typical of a country that casually uses words like spirit and soul.

Anyway, the story ends with Minagawa supposedly awakening after hearing those words and becoming a great pitcher.

But that’s nonsense. Ball calls should be as accurate as a computer; what does the soul have to do with it?

I’m digressing a bit, but a pitcher’s throw inevitably carries more than just their soul.

A pitcher’s pride, the self-esteem earned from over a decade of playing baseball, sometimes the loan interest due by the end of the month, or even their kid’s tuition fees.

When a ball filled with such meaning is hit by a batter and disappears into the distance, there’s no need to ask what the pitcher is thinking.

“Nice one, Soo-hyuk!”

“Good job! You really got him!”

Based on my extensive experience, the reactions of pitchers who have been blasted with a massive home run fall into one of two categories.

Like Choi Kyung-jae from Suwon before, they become so intimidated that they can’t even make eye contact with me, or…

“Jun-young is really fired up. Hehe.”

“Yeah, he’s got an insane competitive spirit.”

“Soo-hyuk, if you happen to hit another one out of the park in the next at-bat, give us a proper bat flip. We need to crush Jun-young’s mentality to hit his pitches today.”

“…I thought you were close with Jun-young, *sunbae* [senior]?”

“Being close is one thing. Hehe, he’s not the type to throw a beanball at a junior for a bat flip, so go ahead and do it. But you’re having a drink with Jun-young after the game. Since you don’t drink, you can have sparkling water.”

Like Lim Jun-young, that type of person burns even brighter.

* * *

In the top of the 2nd inning, Incheon’s offense ended without a score, and the Warriors’ offense resumed in the bottom of the 2nd.

Cho Sung-oh, who was the lead-off hitter, was out on a ground ball to the second baseman in just three pitches, and he returned to the dugout with a hollow laugh.

“His pitches are even crazier today.”

“Seriously, isn’t he going to explode into the major leagues at this rate?”

Lim Jun-young’s face on the mound was flushed red, as if he had had a drink.

It’s because the afterimage of the massive home run he conceded to me in the first inning still lingers.

To be honest, the home run I hit in the first at-bat was a bit lucky.

The moment the bat went out, I felt like it was going to be a glancing blow, but the end of the ball connected better than I thought, so it became a solid hit. Of course, even I didn’t think it would go out of the park.

Why didn’t a pitcher like that challenge the big leagues before my regression?

Lim Jun-young, whom I played with just once on the national team, was wearing an Incheon uniform.

Did he have nowhere to return because the Warriors were disbanded?

So, did he just give up and settle in Incheon? Or did Incheon give him an amount of money he couldn’t refuse?

I have no way of knowing the reason.

But what’s clear is that if he can freely control that 154 km/h [96 mph] low fastball that he just threw me, he can definitely make it in the major leagues.

Anyway.

That’s not what’s important right now.

Ha.

They let go of a pitcher like that just to get Song Ki-tae and Hwang Sung-min?

What the hell is my half-brother doing?

This is the last year of his contract with Incheon… If he gives up on the big leagues and asks him to come back to our team, how will he react? Will he tell me to stop talking nonsense and get lost?

To recruit a pitcher like that, you need not only financial resources but also the work to win his heart. And luck must follow.

If an offer comes from the big leagues, and all 10 domestic clubs rush in, the price could skyrocket.

Hmm.

Let’s finish the game first and then think about it.

If I’m not careful, the home run I hit today might be the last run.

“Alright, let’s go defend.”

“Jun-young is really burning up. Full power from the 2nd inning.”

“That guy was born with a great shoulder. He can throw like that and still pitch more than 7 innings. Alright, Brooks. I’m counting on you today. Trust you. Very very good pitching. Move move!”

While I was lost in thought, Lim Jun-young struck out Ahn Chi-wook, number 6, and Kang Jin-seok, number 7, in succession after Cho Sung-oh.

Even after that, he’s stomping back to the Incheon dugout as if he’s not satisfied.

Hmm.

His presence is no joke.

The more I see him, the more I want him.

I want him so badly.

How much would it take, huh? How much would it take?

* * *

“…*Sunbae-nim* [Senior], here, have this.”

“Huh? Ah, yeah. Thanks.”

Lim Jun-young gave up a solo home run to Han Soo-hyuk in the first inning, but he struck out the side in the bottom of the second.

Even so, he sat on the bench with a scowl on his face, as if something didn’t sit right with him, and none of the Incheon players could bring themselves to talk to him.

Starting pitchers are sensitive enough as it is, and Lim Jun-young, in particular, has a strong ego, so even the catcher who forms the battery with him usually doesn’t talk to him at times like this.

Except for one person, the young middle relief pitcher with the youthful face who is handing him an ion drink right now.

“*Sunbae-nim* [Senior], your pitches seem even better today.”

“Better? I got hit with a home run right from the start.”

“That’s…….”

The words ‘Isn’t that because Han Soo-hyuk is such a monster?’ came up to his throat but went right back down.

He had a feeling that those words wouldn’t be comforting.

Kim Yong-jae, the junior whom Lim Jun-young cherishes the most in the team and who is playing a solid role as a middle relief pitcher, chose other words instead of the ones in his heart.

“In my opinion, that guy was lucky. It wasn’t a pitch that should have been hit for a home run.”

“It’s over. Baseball is about results. I lost.”

It was just a few simple words.

But the moment he spat out those words, Lim Jun-young felt his heart ease without even realizing it. He felt something that had been pressing down on his chest disappear.

Yes, he lost. He definitely lost in the first at-bat.

He never imagined that he would hit that.

He is one of the top pitchers in the national team, which is full of pitchers representing the country.

And to be honest, he prides himself on having the best fastball velocity.

And the control was perfect.

It’s really difficult for a right-handed batter to hit a fastball that a right-handed pitcher throws low and close to the body.

But that crazy junior, Han Soo-hyuk, did it.

The moment that guy almost knelt on his right knee and forcibly scooped up the low course fastball, he was reminded of the home run he was hit in the quarter-final match against the US team at the Olympics last year.

That’s a swing that can’t be done without tremendous core strength and bat control.

He never thought there would be a batter in Korea who could swing like that.

“Hehe.”

“…*Sunbae-nim* [Senior]?”

“Yong-jae, what do you think of that guy, Han Soo-hyuk? As a pitcher, I mean.”

“I think he’s an opponent I’d like to face.”

“Really? Then should I make it bases loaded with no outs and ask to be replaced by you in Han Soo-hyuk’s at-bat?”

“…That’s.”

“I’m kidding. Anyway, Yong-jae.”

“Yes, *Sunbae-nim* [Senior].”

“I told you to call me *hyung* [older brother].”

“I understand, *Hyung-nim* [Older brother]. I often forget.”

“Okay, keep an eye on that guy, Han Soo-hyuk. That guy will soon dominate the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].”

“…….”

“You’ll be meeting that guy a lot in important moments from now on. So, watch me compete well.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m not kidding. I’m already excited to face that guy in the next at-bat.”

Kim Yong-jae’s gaze turned to Lim Jun-young, the *sunbae* [senior] he respected the most.

His eyes were burning more fiercely than ever.

He knows when Lim Jun-young makes those eyes.

Kim Yong-jae realized that Lim Jun-young, one of the best pitchers representing the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], recognized Han Soo-hyuk as a perfect rival and competitor.

The moment he realized that, Kim Yong-jae felt strangely envious of Han Soo-hyuk.

* * *

Incheon Rangers (Away) VS Seoul Warriors (Home)

Score 0 : 1 No Outs

Rangers Pitcher Lim Jun-young

Bottom of the 4th – Seoul Warriors Offense

2nd Batter Choi Min-seok

1st Pitch Strike

2nd Pitch Ball

3rd Pitch Strike

4th Pitch

Hit by Pitch

Out to 1st Base

└What I’ve been feeling lately is that they brought in Choi Min-seok really well

└Yeah, if they gave Song Ki-tae and got Choi Min-seok, it’s a real steal

└ㅋㅋㅋ Lim Jun-young is pissed

└Honestly, he could have avoided that last one if he wanted to. Choi Min-seok is good at those sly things

└By the way, what is Song Ki-tae doing these days?

└After the last bench-clearing brawl, his batting average plummeted to the 10% range and he went to the minors

└Jung Ki-ho is also stuck in the minors. In the end, both of the guys who went from our team are in the minors? ㅋㅋㅋ

└Mag) You son of a bitch, give back the trade scam

└Mag) Where did you throw away a waste like Song Ki-tae and take Choi Min-seok? Give it back, give it back

└Why are the Magicians popping up when they’re playing against our Incheon?

└Get lost, when our starting shortstop wrecked his knee riding a motorcycle and we had to bring in Song Ki-tae

└Honestly, if Choi Min-seok had stayed with the Magicians, he would have just been posting his dance videos on SNS and acting like an attention whore. He came to his senses after coming to the Warriors

└That’s right, his career batting average with the Magicians is like 0.210

└The escape effect is amazing

└Mag) You guys can’t even go to the postseason for the 4th year in a row

└Yeah, 32 years without a Korean Series title

3rd Batter Han Soo-hyuk

└Why is Lim Jun-young sweating so much? It’s not even summer yet

└Did he meet an enemy or something? Why does he have that look in his eyes?

└He doesn’t usually express his emotions well

└Was he too shocked by the home run he was hit in the first at-bat? ㅋㅋㅋ

1st Pitch Ball

2nd Pitch Strike

3rd Pitch Ball

└Is Lim Jun-young playing the WBC [World Baseball Classic] final by himself?

└He’s so focused… Why is he like that? It’s scary

└Is that what a soul-filled pitch is like?

4th Pitch Hit

2-Run Home Run to Right Field (Distance 125M)

Runner on 1st Base Scores

Hitter Scores

Incheon Rangers 0 : Seoul Warriors 3

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└It exploded!

└So refreshing

└Wow, really… Wow… That’s…

└This is definitely the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], but why does it feel like I’m watching the major leagues?

└Didn’t he almost hit that with one hand?

└That’s right, he let go of one hand on the outside and just swung it

└Crazy… Is that really possible?

└Rang) Hey, you sons of bitches, let’s do it without Han Soo-hyuk if you have any conscience

└Rang) Is that a human being? Huh? Is hitting a home run with one hand human?

└Rang) We need to drug test him no matter what

└Get lost, you sick bastards. Because of guys like you, our Soo-hyuk is forced to donate blood every other day

└I’m still pissed about taking Lim Jun-young, so don’t you dare talk in front of us

└I’m serious, I’m going to drive a truck to the front gate of the Incheon stadium, so don’t talk nonsense

└Rang) These guys are really savage;;; Hey, we bought Lim Jun-young fairly with FA [Free Agent]. Don’t get me wrong

└That’s why I’m even more pissed, anyway, don’t act up. We have nothing to lose

* * *

“Commissioner Go Dong-shik. What did you think of Han Soo-hyuk’s home run just now?”

“I saw it very well with both eyes.”

“No, not that.”

“Hmm, that was my own joke. I’m sorry. It wasn’t funny at all. Back to the point, I want to evaluate Han Soo-hyuk’s hit just now as the best home run that combines power and skill.”

After sucking up to Han Soo-hyuk on the last special broadcast, Commissioner Go Dong-shik, whose number of SNS [Social Networking Service] followers skyrocketed and requests for various broadcast appearances increased, was now ready to do anything for Han Soo-hyuk.

“Can you give us a more detailed explanation?”

“Yes, let’s look at the screen. The ball coming into the center suddenly breaks to the outside, right? That’s Lim Jun-young’s signature cut fastball. Usually, when a ball like that comes in, it hits the end of the bat and becomes a routine ground ball 99% of the time.”

“99%?”

“Yes, 99%. Maybe even 100%. Anyway, when he first started his swing, it was clearly matched to the trajectory of the fastball. But the moment he realized it was a cut fastball, he slightly let go of his left hand and corrected the direction of the swing with his right hand. The ball that hit the center of the bat flew over the right fence.”

“That sounds very profound.”

“Of course. In fact, these kinds of home runs don’t come out easily even in the major leagues. Instant judgment, skill, and tremendous wrist strength must be combined. I haven’t measured it myself, but I’m sure Han Soo-hyuk’s wrist strength is the best even among major league players.”

“Haha… The best in the world, just hearing it makes me feel good. By the way, Lim Jun-young has allowed Han Soo-hyuk 2 home runs today.”

“Yes, but Lim Jun-young doesn’t seem to be in bad condition. He’s the same national team starting pitcher Lim Jun-young we know.”

“Well, that’s why Lim Jun-young, who is like that, challenged Han Soo-hyuk, who the recent pitchers are avoiding.”

“Of course. He has pride as an ace. In addition, Lim Jun-young may feel a strange emotion towards Han Soo-hyuk.”

“What kind of emotion?”

“Lim Jun-young’s former team is the Warriors, right? As Lim Jun-young, who supported the team as an ace while the team was going through a dark period, he is now a young junior who has just joined the Warriors and is burning with passion, so I think he will have complicated feelings in many ways.”

“Well, Lim Jun-young was really sad when he left the Warriors.”

“Yes, thinking about that time really breaks my heart… Anyway, the pitcher-batter match between the Warriors’ ace and the current Warriors’ ace is currently overwhelmingly ahead of Han Soo-hyuk.