Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 64

#63. Intra-Team Position Competition

[Luck stems from planning]

These are the words of Wesley Branch Rickey, who debuted as a player in St. Louis in the early 1900s, became the team’s manager, and eventually rose to the position of general manager.

He is an indispensable figure in the history of Major League Baseball, having conceived the now-commonplace concept of spring training and the farm system consisting of minor league teams.

Furthermore, he is credited with essentially completing the modern Major League Baseball by assisting Jackie Robinson’s debut as the first African-American player in the Major League.

In any case, the gist of his words is this:

Luck may follow when you make a plan and execute it, but you should not make a rough plan from the beginning, believing that luck will follow.

These are the thoughts of a man who moved under thorough planning throughout his life and laid the foundation for Major League Baseball, a man who was said to have become president if he hadn’t been so obsessed with baseball.

While not quite on the level of Branch Rickey, Warriors’ manager Lee Dae-jun was also a person who meticulously planned and acted accordingly, contrary to his outward appearance.

A seemingly relaxed demeanor.

That is, treating players in a friendly manner, granting autonomy during games, and giving coaches as much authority as possible were also included in Lee Dae-jun’s plan.

Manager Lee Dae-jun, who won the second game against the Falcons thanks to Jang Deok-soo’s unexpected home run, had to stay up all night to write the lineup for the next game.

A left-handed lineup in the heart of the batting order consisting of Jo Sung-oh, Max Walker, and Ahn Chi-wook.

To offset the weakness of the batting order, which is excessively inflexible in certain situations, a right-handed slugger was needed.

In the meantime, Jang Deok-soo, who had newly equipped himself with glasses, hit a tremendous home run.

It may have been a coincidence. But Lee Dae-jun’s intuition told him that Jang Deok-soo’s momentum would not be easily broken.

He wrote and erased Jang Deok-soo’s name on the lineup sheet dozens of times.

Should I put Jang Deok-soo in the lineup? Is that the right thing to do?

Could it be that I’m hoping for a fluke right now? Am I wavering without realizing it because I need a right-handed hitter to hold the center so badly?

Even after asking himself dozens of times, he couldn’t find an answer. And it wasn’t a question he could ask anyone.

Because he, the boss, is the one who must take responsibility for this team’s fate.

In the end, it was only around dawn that manager Lee Dae-jun was able to decide on the players who would play in the third game against Daejeon.

The name ‘catcher Jang Deok-soo’ was clearly engraved in the 6th batter position on the lineup sheet he wrote last.

* * *

Seoul Warriors (Away) VS Daejeon Falcons (Home) Game 3

Score 2:1

Falcons pitcher Rafael Blanco

Top of the 4th inning – Seoul Warriors attack

3rd batter Han Su-hyeok

First pitch hit

Single in front of the left fielder

Runner advances to 1st base

└ Ryu Han-gyeol isn’t the ace, Rafael is

└ What?

└ He didn’t get a home run against Han Su-hyeok and stopped him with a single, so he’s the ace

└ lol

4th batter Jo Sung-oh

1st pitch strike

2nd pitch strike

└ Get your act together, there’s no special treatment for being the captain

└ Take it easy. Han Su-hyeok and the captain are the best hitters among our guys these days

└ You’ll curse as soon as he strikes out anyway, lol

3rd pitch hit, ground ball in front of the first baseman

1st base runner advances to 2nd base

Hitter out at 1st base

One out, runner on 2nd base

└ Good, not bad. An advancement hit is okay too

└ Okay my ass, you crazy bastards. The 4th batter needs a hit… (Removed by the manager)

└ They’re cracking down hard here these days. You get kicked out right away for cursing

└ Yeah, the manager openly said to get lost to the gallery if you want to curse

5th batter Max Walker

1st pitch ball

2nd pitch ball

3rd pitch strike

4th pitch strike

└ Am I the only one who feels like his swing is getting bigger these days?

└ No, you’re right. He seems a little impatient because he’s not hitting home runs

└ Getting his 4th batter spot taken by the captain probably plays a part too

└ We don’t need home runs, just hit a timely hit, you foreign bastard

5th pitch swing

Strike out

Two outs, runner on 2nd base

└ lol seriously, this is ridiculous

└ No, no, Daejeon’s foreign player’s pitch was good just now

└ Agreed. It looks like a circle changeup, the angle is crazy

└ No runners on base to runner on 2nd with two outs after two batters… ha…

6th batter Jang Deok-soo

└ He hit one home run yesterday and he’s already up from 8th to 6th? Is Lee Dae-jun crazy?

└ Jang Deok-soo’s career batting average is… 0.225, batting average in scoring position 0.241… lol

└ Lee Dae-jun is definitely good, but you can see the rookie manager in situations like this

1st pitch hit

└ Double to the left fielder

└ 2nd base runner scores

└ Hitter makes it to 2nd base

Seoul Warriors 3: Daejeon Falcons 1

└????

└ Everyone who cursed at God Deok-soo just now, come out and bow your heads

└ Who cursed at God Deok-soo? Are there still morons like that alive?

└ Don’t forget God Dae-jun, either. It’s his insight

└ Wow… that was amazing. He hit a ball that was completely stuck to his body like that?

└ lol it really looks like he just tapped it, but it hits the fence on a one-bounce…

└ His power is really something

└ Are we finally adding a right-handed hitter to the heart of our lineup?

└ Don’t get ahead of yourself

* * *

“Deok-soo senior, nice!”

“Good job, Deok-soo.”

Compliments poured out from teammates towards Jang Deok-soo, who hit a timely hit with one RBI [Run Batted In] in the previous inning and was heading back to the ground for defense.

Senior Jang Deok-soo, who hit a home run wearing the temporary glasses he had hastily prepared in front of the stadium the day before, is wearing those glasses again today.

The temporary glasses seem a bit uncomfortable, but he seems very satisfied because he saw such a great effect on his hitting.

It would be helpful to prepare special goggles that fit his eyesight.

More than that, what’s really interesting is manager Lee Dae-jun’s bold player usage.

Even if Senior Jang Deok-soo hit a home run the day before, and even if the focusing problem was improved by taking out the lenses and wearing glasses.

To boldly place a hitter with a batting average of 0.236, 2 home runs, and 17 RBIs in the 6th spot until the day before.

Today, manager Lee Dae-jun’s chosen lineup was like this.

1st batter 2nd baseman Lee Chang-mo (R)

2nd batter 3rd baseman Ahn Chi-wook (L)

3rd batter Shortstop Han Su-hyeok (R)

4th batter 1st baseman Jo Sung-oh (L)

5th batter Right fielder Max Walker (L)

6th batter Catcher Jang Deok-soo (R)

7th batter Center fielder Choi Min-seok (R)

8th batter Designated hitter Kang Jin-seok (R)

9th batter Left fielder Kim Su-hak (R)

There was a time when three left-handed hitters were in a row in the 4th, 5th, and 6th batting order right behind me.

The teams we faced must have found it very easy to manage their pitchers. After facing me, they could immediately bring in a left-handed specialist reliever.

However, with the addition of Jang Deok-soo, a right-handed hitter with power, the lineup became much richer.

First of all, the 1st batter is still Senior Lee Chang-mo.

Although he has no mobility at all, the manager is using Lee Chang-mo, who has a high on-base percentage based on his excellent eye for the ball, in a slightly different way from typical 1st batters.

Ahn Chi-wook is in the 2nd batting order right behind Senior Lee Chang-mo.

The judgment is that he can hit at least an advancement hit because most of his hits go between 1st and 2nd base. Of course, the problem is that a defensive shift may be applied in that direction as the season progresses…….

There are two solutions.

Ahn Chi-wook either breaks the shift with his power, or Senior Lee Chang-mo, who is on 1st base, makes a play that prevents the shift from being applied carelessly.

Both are difficult problems at the moment, but let’s move on. Manager Lee Dae-jun must have a plan.

Then, I, a right-handed hitter, in 3rd, Senior Jo Sung-oh, a left-handed hitter who is currently hitting the best on the team, in 4th, and Max Walker, a left-handed hitter, in 5th, and Jang Deok-soo, a right-handed hitter, again in 6th…….

The right-handed lineup has become so rich that I’m worried about having only right-handed hitters in the bottom of the lineup.

Hm.

If this happens, Senior Kang Jin-seok will have to be nervous.

Since it’s a designated hitter position that only looks at hitting, he could lose his spot as soon as a decent left-handed hitter comes out.

Our team, which was struggling to fill the lineup at the beginning of the season, is now in a better situation where we have to compete for positions.

Yes, if only Director Park Jae-cheol’s ongoing plan succeeds.

If we can bring that guy to our team.

We might really surprise everyone this season.

* * *

– Hello, this is Sports Invitation. It’s already been a month since the professional baseball season opened. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the new faces that are attracting fans’ attention in the early season. Next to me is commentator Go Dong-sik, who is here again today.

– Hello, this is Go Dong-sik.

– Commentator, let’s get straight to the point. Before looking at individual players, let’s take a look at the team rankings. From 1st place Incheon to last place Daegu, how do you see the early season landscape?

– First of all, most of the other teams are showing similar results to what was expected before the season, but the performance of the Seoul Warriors, who are in 3rd place, and the Daejeon Falcons, who are in 6th place, stands out.

– I’m reminded of the three-game series between the Warriors and the Falcons that ended yesterday. In the first game, Warriors’ 5th starter Jung Tae-ho caught Daejeon’s ace Ryu Han-gyeol, and in the second and third games, the Warriors won three games in a row thanks to Jang Deok-soo’s performance.

– Yes, Daejeon has dropped one place to 6th because of that, but Changwon, who is in 5th place, hasn’t been doing well lately either. Therefore, Daejeon’s challenge for the fall baseball season is still ongoing.

– Good. Then let’s take a look at the players who are performing well in the early season. We’ll postpone talking about ‘that player’ until the very end because we have a lot to say about him, and let’s look at the other players first. Who should we look at first?

– First of all, we need to pay attention to Warriors’ 4th starter Cheon Sang-jin and 5th starter Jung Tae-ho.

– Um… commentator, how about some players from other teams too.

– Oh, I’m sorry. We can’t leave out Daejeon’s starting catcher Ahn Cheol-yong and 4th batter Yang Seung-jun either, right?

– Thank you. Then let’s take a look at the Warriors’ two starting pitchers first.

– First of all, to define Jung Tae-ho in one word, I would say he’s a Daejeon killer, that one word is enough. Overall, he’s showing mediocre performance as a 5th starter, but when he’s on the mound against Daejeon, he becomes an ace. Perhaps he could be the biggest obstacle to the Falcons aiming for 5th place this season.

– How about Cheon Sang-jin, who has won his 2nd win? Some say it’s too early to evaluate him, that it’s a fluke.

– That’s what people who don’t know much about baseball say. The reason why that’s being said is because this player looks ordinary on the outside. His physique is ordinary, his speed is ordinary, and the angle of his breaking ball is ordinary. Oh, he’s really handsome, but that has nothing to do with his baseball skills.

– And?

– I met the batters who faced Cheon Sang-jin. They said something like this. It’s like he went inside them and came out. When they try to win, he magically takes the ball out, and when they try to watch patiently, he immediately comes in for a win.

– That’s amazing. I heard that the dugout also leaves the signs to the battery [pitcher and catcher] as much as possible on the days when Cheon Sang-jin pitches. Is that the reason?

– Yes, we still need to watch a little more, but one thing is for sure, Cheon Sang-jin is a really good pitcher. The Warriors have found a good starter.

– Good. Next, let’s take a look at the Daejeon players.

– Ahn Cheol-yong and Yang Seung-jun are just good in one word. They were decent players until last season, but their hitting potential exploded this year. The two players have the biggest stake in Daejeon’s dream of advancing to the fall baseball season for the first time in 9 years.

– Is that all?

– Is that all?

– …I see. Then finally, let’s talk about Warriors’ Han Su-hyeok. You must have a lot to say. Please take it one step at a time.

– Finally…….

– Yes?

– No, it’s nothing. First, let’s take a look at Han Su-hyeok’s performance. He has started as a shortstop in all 24 games except for the 4 games he missed due to suspension in 28 games this season. He briefly pitched as a pitcher in the game against the Magicians, but let’s leave that aside for now.

– Ah, I remember that too. It was a shocking 1-inning pitch, wasn’t it?

– Yes, it wasn’t even human. Anyway, let’s talk about the pitcher later when Han Su-hyeok officially stands on the mound, and if we only look at his hitting, his current record is a batting average of 0.423, an on-base percentage of 0.525, a slugging percentage of 0.999, 18 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases.

– To be honest, it’s a record that doesn’t feel real.

– That’s right. Of course, the speed of adding home runs is decreasing as the other 9 clubs’ checks have become more severe recently, and the indicators are gradually decreasing as he inevitably swings at bad balls, but it’s still amazing.

– Um, I don’t know if it’s appropriate to ask this question here, but one of the things that baseball fans are curious about is what kind of performance Han Su-hyeok would have had if he had really joined Seattle. What do you think, commentator?

– Minimum Rookie of the Year, maximum MVP [Most Valuable Player].

– Yes?

– That’s exactly what it is. There are variables such as the timing of the Big League call-up and player usage issues. Still, winning the Rookie of the Year is a sure thing, and he could even win the MVP if he does well.

– Commentator, there’s a comment in the chat room saying that’s too much national뽕 [a Korean slang term for excessive national pride or hype]…….

– Not at all. It’s not about national뽕, it’s about facing reality. Of course, his performance would have been worse than it is now if he had gone straight to the Big League. How much worse would it have been? Even if his batting average of 0.423 dropped by 10%, it would still be 0.323. What about his on-base percentage? Let’s cut that by 10% too. It’s 0.425. Good. To be honest, I don’t think it would drop that much, but let’s just say it does.

– Um.

– What about the number of home runs? He hit 18 in just 24 games, but even if he only hit half of that, it would be 9. The Major League plays 162 games per season, so if you simply calculate it, that’s a pace of 60 home runs. Even if he only hits half of what he’s hitting now.

– That’s kind of convincing.

– Convincing? Ha, Big League scouts all gathered at the Daejeon stadium last time. Of course, they were there to see Ryu Han-gyeol. But after that game, the scouts said this. Why did a player like Han Su-hyeok stay in Korea instead of coming to the United States?

– I’ve heard that too.

– So, this is what I want to say. I heard that there are still people who oppose putting Han Su-hyeok’s name on the WBC [World Baseball Classic] national team roster. I’d like to say one thing to those people. I don’t know who you’re trying to put in the place of Han Su-hyeok…….

– I would like to reiterate that the above statement is the commentator’s personal opinion and does not coincide with our broadcasting station’s editing direction. We will conclude Sports Invitation here. Thank you.