Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 73

#72. Decision

Senior Lee Man-shik achieved his first career no-hitter, and we swept the Jamsil rival Magicians.

Since that game concluded the three-game series, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t properly address the Magicians’ breach of baseball’s unwritten rules. We’ll have to remember that for when we face them next time.

Looking back, I think I handled that situation well by not letting my emotions dictate my actions.

I couldn’t risk ruining what might be Lee Man-shik’s first and last no-hitter because of an emotional outburst.

Feeling positive in many respects, we headed back to Busan for a three-game series against the Titans.

The Titans, perpetually stuck at the bottom of the league, versus our team’s rising momentum.

Everyone predicted the Warriors would dominate.

But as is often the case, good fortune is followed by misfortune, and success by trials.

From the very beginning of the first game in Busan, something felt off.

Senior Jung Tae-ho, usually a reliable fifth starter especially on the Daejeon mound, gave up 4 runs in the blink of an eye, thanks to two two-run home runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Meanwhile, our team failed to score, squandering opportunities with the bases loaded in the first inning and runners on first and second in the second inning.

It’s incredibly difficult to maintain momentum. Sustaining a winning streak is a real challenge.

The team atmosphere plummeted instantly, and I was up to bat as the lead hitter in the top of the third.

Trailing by four runs, we didn’t need a grand slam; we needed to get runners on base.

I was more selective than usual, carefully watching each pitch.

“Ball.”

“Hmm…….”

“Oh? I told the pitcher to throw it right down the middle… Su-hyeok, you trust your *hyung* [older brother/male friend], right?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Hehe.”

Listening to catcher Goo Jae-hyun’s usual smooth-talking, I advanced to first base with a walk.

He’s an interesting character. He reminds me of Suwon’s catcher, Jung Dae-han, but with a different vibe.

They’re both friendly, but this guy feels more like a tipsy *ajeossi* [middle-aged man].

In the past, even getting on base like this made me uneasy.

That’s because my trust in the batters behind me was practically nonexistent.

But things are different now. Senior Jo Sung-oh, who’s been on a hot streak lately, is up next.

His batting average, which was in the mid-.200s at the start of the season, has climbed to the .300s and shows no signs of slowing down.

He diligently follows the post-game extra training program that Jacob *jjajun* [designed/created], not every day, but he has become a hitter who can be expected to hit 30 home runs with a .20 average.

*Ttaak!* [sound of a bat hitting a ball]

Senior Jo Sung-oh didn’t disappoint.

A clean hit that landed right in front of the right fielder.

I took off running as soon as I heard the crack of the bat, easily reaching third base, creating a situation with runners on first and third with no outs.

With a chance to close the 4-0 gap, our team’s foreign hitter, Max Walker, stepped up to the plate.

“Play!”

At the beginning of the season, he was quite cheerful.

He followed me around during spring training, mimicking my batting stance, and sometimes he hung out with Ahn Chi-wook and went out for steak.

But lately, he seems preoccupied.

He’s been quieter, and I’ve noticed his expression darken a few times after talking to his family.

“Strike!”

“Ball!”

“Strike!”

In an instant, the count was one ball and two strikes. Today, the Titans’ starting pitcher seemed determined to secure a quick win.

The Titans’ pitcher, with a determined look, powerfully hurled the ball towards Max.

*Ttaaak!* [sound of a bat hitting a ball]

Max connected with the two-seam fastball that was tailing into his body.

The batted ball headed towards the right fielder, but it didn’t have enough power to clear the fence.

“Out!”

As soon as the right fielder caught the ball, I tagged up and headed home in textbook fashion (*jeongseokdaero*).

A clean one-RBI sacrifice fly.

Although he doesn’t hit towering home runs like other teams’ foreign hitters, Max is still a valuable player, consistently delivering RBIs in clutch situations.

But he doesn’t seem to recognize that as his strength.

After touching home plate and scoring a run, I approached Max, who was already in the dugout, and asked.

“Hey, Max. You got an RBI, why so gloomy?”

“Oh, friend. It’s nothing. I’m just a little down.”

“Down? About what?”

“It seems my parents’ illness is getting worse. The hospital bills are going to be very high.”

“Hmm.”

This was unexpected. But it’s not something I can directly influence.

Even if I’m the owner, I’m not a philanthropist.

It’s unfortunate, but I can’t make everyone happy.

And his salary of $500,000 is substantial, especially considering the economic situation in Venezuela, his home country.

“Is that all?”

“Um, there’s that, and… how do I put it? I’m worried about losing my job next year.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, look at that muscle-bound guy from the Titans over there. He already has nine home runs. That bald guy from the Magicians has great power too. Compared to them, I…….”

“Hmm.”

This is probably the core issue. He has plenty of money now, but his contract renewal next year is uncertain.

Replacing a foreign player… it’s a possibility, but not a certainty.

It would be great if he could hit home runs like that Titans’ foreign player with impressive arm muscles, but I’m not envious of that guy.

Even though I wasn’t interested in Korean baseball in my previous life, I remember that guy’s name.

How could I forget the guy who threw his bat into the stands after arguing with his own team’s fans?

Maybe that hasn’t happened yet? Maybe that history won’t repeat itself this time.

Regardless, I wouldn’t take a guy like that even if he were free. I absolutely don’t want a player on our team who disrespects the fans.

In that regard, Max Walker’s personality is nearly perfect.

It would be fantastic if his batting power increased a bit.

“Max.”

“Yeah?”

I can’t afford to invest in a foreign hitter who might leave the team at any time, training him extensively like Ahn Chi-wook.

A few words of advice are all I can offer.

“Don’t focus on hitting home runs. We have other hitters on this team who can provide the power. Instead, try to raise your batting average a little more… yeah, that would be more beneficial for your contract renewal, right?”

“Really?”

Of course, there’s no guaranteed answer.

Currently, the team’s offensive balance is maintained by the home runs of Senior Jo Sung-oh and Senior Jang Deok-soo, but if that trend doesn’t continue, we might have to replace Max with a foreign player with more power.

I just hope things don’t come to that.

“That’s right. So, don’t focus too much on hitting home runs and concentrate on what you do best.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Max’s expression brightened slightly at my words.

Let’s monitor the foreign player situation closely. It doesn’t seem like the right time to consider a replacement yet.

Anyway, we lost that day’s game 6-8.

Max Walker contributed two RBIs with a sacrifice fly and one hit, and I belatedly added a solo home run, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 4-run deficit from the first inning.

Senior Jung Tae-ho, who was pulled from the mound before completing 5 innings again, mumbled something with a pale face.

“Daejeon is comfortable… I should only pitch in Daejeon…….”

I pretended not to hear him. His thoughts are his own, and his confidence seems shattered.

[Warriors’ Loss Due to Lack of Firepower, Need to Strengthen Lineup Concentration]

[Warriors’ Foreign Player Only Managed Sacrifice Flies in Two 1st and 3rd Base Chances, Controversy Over Qualifications?]

[Daejeon Stadium ERA in the 1-Point Range, 5-Point Range in Other Stadiums, What is Jung Tae-ho’s Problem?]

After the game, the media criticized Max and Senior Jung Tae-ho.

Saying he only managed sacrifice flies with runners on first and third sounds negative, but saying he scored RBIs with sacrifice flies in those situations sounds completely different.

It’s meaningless. The reporter is just sensationalizing to get more clicks.

But Max looked even more dejected after reading the article through an interpreter.

[Warriors Suffer Shocking Two-Game Losing Streak to Busan Titans]

[Warriors Exhausted After No-Hitter Victory Against Magicians, Kneel in Busan]

And the next day, we lost the second game against the Titans.

I recorded two hits and played my best, but the other hitters were shut down by the opposing foreign pitcher.

It’s a two-game losing streak.

The Magicians closed in, trailing us by half a game and threatening our third-place position.

But that’s not the immediate concern.

[Warriors Center Fielder Choi Min-seok Injured Ankle During Game… Out for At Least 2 Weeks?]

[Warriors Lack Outfield Backup, How Will They Overcome This Crisis?]

In the bottom of the 8th inning, starting outfielder Senior Choi Min-seok injured his ankle.

We had some bad luck. The grass was slippery from a light rain before the game, and he twisted his ankle while sprinting to catch a long fly ball.

Injuries to starting players, and their subsequent absence, were inevitable. Our coaching staff had some contingency plans.

A new lineup was *jjayeojyeotda* [arranged/organized], excluding Senior Choi Min-seok.

The third game against the Titans was the next day.

Senior Kang Jin-seok, who had been playing as a designated hitter, moved to left field, and Senior Kim Su-hak, who had been in left field, shifted to center field to fill his friend’s position.

I expected that to solve all the problems. Or, at least, I hoped it would.

But fate had another challenge in store for the Warriors.

[Warriors Suffer Three-Game Losing Streak in Busan… Second Baseman Lee Chang-mo Injured After Center Fielder Choi Min-seok]

[Chronic Knee Injury Reoccurs? Warriors Side Says, “Need to Get a Detailed Examination”]

[Warriors Lose Starting Center Fielder and Second Baseman, Do They Have a Plan?]

[Warriors Drop to 4th Place, Giving Up 3rd Place to Magicians]

Temporarily losing third place wasn’t a major issue. The Magicians’ recent performance hadn’t been great either, so we could reclaim it once we regained our strength.

The real problem was the injury to another starting hitter.

Following Senior Choi Min-seok, Senior Lee Chang-mo’s knee flared up.

It wasn’t a severe injury; he could recover with a week of rest and treatment without being placed on the injured list. But an injury is still an injury.

We lost our starting center fielder and second baseman, and our 1st and 9th hitters were out of the lineup.

The Warriors’ players fell silent.

And I had to make the decision I’d been avoiding.

“*Hyung* [older brother/male friend], I should get the approval right away and send him to the Falcons. It’s not the time to hoard draft picks.”

“Okay, I’ll tell General Manager Park Jae-cheol to get the approval immediately.”