Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 90

#89. Grand Slam

There are several factors that determine a pitcher’s skill.

Stuff, which includes the velocity and spin rate of the fastball, the break of the breaking ball, control to throw where you want, and the mentality to enable your pitching regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

The common thing about these three is that they can be shaken at any time in every game, or even during the game.

Because pitchers are such sensitive creatures.

So, which of these is the hardest to recover from once it’s shaken?

Stuff? Control? Mentality?

Of course, it’s mentality.

Stuff or control can be compensated to some extent through repeated training, but it is not easy to train a natural mentality.

Once it starts to shake, the damage is great. And it takes a long time to recover.

There’s a reason why they say once a closer blows a save, they keep blowing saves.

Anyway.

The opposing pitcher, rattled by consecutive hits from the first and second batters and the subsequent taunt, glares at me with a reddened face.

I think I know how he feels.

He probably wants to give up on baseball and hole up in a bar to get drunk.

While blaming himself for why he chose this shitty baseball as a career.

But it’s just a vain hope.

Once you set foot on this ground, there’s nowhere to run unless the manager takes you out.

“Play!”

A bases-loaded situation with no outs starting from the first inning. On top of that, a fast runner on third base who can run home with just a short fly ball.

It’s the worst situation a pitcher can imagine.

In this case, there’s no need to rush the game.

It’s important to get a hit and score a point right away, but it’s also a chance to completely crush the opposing team’s ace, who they brought in by moving up their rest day.

We might face Changwon in the Korean Series [the final championship series in Korean baseball] instead of Daejeon.

I’ll step on them firmly this time. Changwon as a team, and their ace as well.

“Ball.”

A power curve that comes deep inside and then sharply breaks into the zone.

It’s a good pitch. To be able to throw this kind of pitch even with a shaken mentality.

I really need to crush him this time.

“Swing!”

The bat followed the slider that was flowing outside but stopped, but the first base umpire called it a swing.

I can’t help but sigh.

In fact, after playing in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], the biggest reverse culture shock for me wasn’t the cramped and old locker room environment or the poor team support.

The level of the umpires bothers me the most.

I understand. It would be unreasonable to simply compare the umpires in the United States, who have a huge infrastructure from amateur to minor to major leagues, with the level of umpires in this small country.

But isn’t there a limit? Was that really a swing just now?

Shake my head.

Seeing me with a dissatisfied expression, Ahn Chi-wook, who was on first base, shakes his head left and right with a serious face.

What, am I being lectured by that kid right now?

Hehe.

Okay, let’s just play baseball like that kid said.

The opposing pitcher’s expression brightened slightly, having gained a ball count advantage unexpectedly.

The secret to Lucas Bennett being Changwon’s ace, receiving an annual salary of over $1 million every year, is that: the ability to hold onto a shaken mentality and keep pitching.

But I can’t just let that happen.

Thwack!

“Foul!”

I pulled the fastball coming into the low inside course with all my might, but unfortunately, it became a foul homerun that slightly crossed the left foul pole.

The pitcher’s face turned white again.

Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from the away cheering section. I turned my head and saw Min Ye-rin sticking to the safety net, gathering the voices of the crowd into one.

“We need to give Han Su-hyeok strength! You all know that, right?”

“Yes!”

“Okay! Then let’s all blow it away!”

“Blow it away!”

“Next, crush it!”

“Crush it!”

“Okay, kill it!”

“…Kill it.”

Hmm.

She’s a woman who easily says things like killing.

I wonder if she can really continue her entertainment career like that?

“Play!”

Ball count one ball two strikes.

Generally, any pitcher would throw a ball or two here.

But one of the characteristics of Lucas Bennett is that he competes aggressively regardless of the ball count. Like the fastball he threw to me just now.

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t succeed in the big leagues. Unlike Korean hitters who can be suppressed by power, a quick match in the United States would have led to extra-base hits.

If so, I’ll aim for it once. Even if I don’t like it completely, I’ll hit it if it comes into the zone.

Set the hitting zone a little wider, raise the position of the grip slightly to prepare for accurate hitting rather than big hits, and slightly open the stance to prepare for inside pitches.

Whoosh

Thwack!

I pushed the fastball that was coming in on the lowest outside course as is.

The moment the batted ball passed over the first baseman’s head, Seo Hyeong-joo, who was on third base, almost walked home, and Ahn Chi-wook, who was on first base, ran like crazy towards third base, leading his huge body.

First run, score 1 to 0, and again no outs on second and third.

Seo Hyeong-joo, who stepped on home plate, shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know what was going on.

Some of the Changwon players’ expressions changed drastically at that sight, but Seo Hyeong-joo immediately ran into our dugout and hugged Jo Seong-oh.

Even I think he’s really annoying.

I’m worried that he might get hit, but, well…

Senior Jang Deok-soo is there, so I think we can get through it somehow?

[4th batter 1st baseman Jo Seong-oh]

Lucas Bennett’s mentality, which he was barely holding onto, was driven to the brink of sinking by my double and Seo Hyeong-joo’s taunt.

“Ball.”

Senior Jo Seong-oh’s bat, which would unconditionally follow similar pitches even at the beginning of the season, doesn’t budge.

Senior Jo Seong-oh succeeded in picking out all four consecutive balls.

Bases loaded with no outs.

And our team’s new foreign player, Walter Smith, stepped into the plate.

* * *

The game was temporarily suspended at Changwon’s request.

The opposing pitching coach, interpreter, and catcher went up to the mound, and Walter Smith, who had stepped into the plate, stepped back again and pondered something.

Bases loaded with no outs.

As usual, he would unconditionally swing fully here.

But there was a possibility that a strong batted ball would go straight to the infielder and result in a double play, but Walter didn’t have such a thing as lightly hitting the ball to make an outfield fly.

However, after his contract was terminated at the end of last season and he was unemployed for a while, his beliefs were gradually wavering.

He had already studied enough about the baseball methods of Japan and Korea, Asia.

They said that in this situation, they encourage lightly tapping the ball to make an outfield fly.

Should I really do that?

Suddenly, what that kid named Han Su-hyeok said before today’s game came to mind.

‘Walter, when you get a chance, don’t hesitate and swing your swing.’

‘Call me Mr. Smith. And what makes you say that?’

‘You don’t need to worry about such trivial things, anyway, swing your swing. Whatever the result, no one will blame Walter.’

It was an arrogant story. Regardless of the age difference, it wasn’t something a kid should say to a veteran who had been active for nearly 10 years.

But the problem was that the content was too sweet.

Because it was a story that perfectly matched his baseball philosophy.

Whoosh

I swing the bat once.

The pain in my knees and elbows that had been bothering him until last season is hardly felt.

It feels like I’m back in my early 20s. It was so okay that it was strange.

Whoosh

I swung the bat once again like that. And Walter made a decision.

I’m not following the kid’s words. I just want to show what I can do best.

Walter Smith, who barely had a batting average of over .200 in the big leagues but was confident in his slugging ability.

“Play!”

The game started again while he was organizing his thoughts.

And the first pitch of the opposing pitcher, who had recovered his mentality noticeably, flew in.

Whoosh

A heavy fastball coming into the low inside course.

Walter’s bat swung powerfully towards that ball, which was difficult to hit due to a knee injury until last season, but now he can pull it without any burden.

That bat and ball met at one point.

Thwack!

– He hit it! Oh! This is big! It’s big! Will it go over! Will it go! Home run! It’s a home run! Warrior’s new foreign player Walter Smith’s batted ball is lodged in the top of the stands!
He hits a grand slam in his debut at-bat in Korean baseball!

– What an amazing power. Look. This is Walter Smith’s data from last season. His batting average for low inside courses is only 0.121? But just now, he perfectly connected with that course’s ball. Ah, it’s really refreshing! It’s an amazing home run that reminds me of Han Su-hyeok’s batted ball!

– Walter Smith, who hit a home run, is returning home. Amazing! I still have to watch a little more, but he might be the player who will solve the crisis that has come to the Warriors!

– Haha, he seems to have a good relationship with his teammates for a player who just joined the team. The teammates who entered home first are really welcoming him.

– Han Su-hyeok is almost hugging him from behind? I think it’s the first time I’ve seen that player so happy.

* * *

The moment Walter saw the batted ball he hit lodge in the top of the left outfield stands, he felt a thrill running through his body.

I’m just dazed.

Thanks to the fact that I hardly felt the pain in my side and knees, I was able to perfectly pull the low inside ball.

But I didn’t think that batted ball would be a grand slam.

“Woowaaaa!”

The moment the batted ball soared, a huge cheer erupted from the third base away section.

Walter, who suddenly came to his senses at that sound, realized his mistake. It is not polite to the opposing pitcher to stay in the plate for a long time after hitting a home run.

As always, he lightly put the bat down next to him, and slowly, but at a speed that would not stimulate the pitcher, he circled the bases.

“Wooerterrrrrrrrr!”

Suddenly, I heard a huge woman’s voice while circling third base.

When I turned my head, a woman with great beauty was plastered to the safety net and calling my name however she wanted.

But I didn’t feel bad. No, honestly, I felt good.

How long has it been since I hit a home run at such an important moment, and heard such a huge cheer from the crowd?

It’s enough if my most hated nickname, Walt Disney, doesn’t come out.

“Good job! You did a great job!”

“Congratulations on your first home run on the Korean stage!”

The third baseman and first baseman, who stepped on home with his home run, came to congratulate him in turn.

The moment I was about to say thank you to them with a solemn expression.

Thud

“Huh!”

Something powerful suddenly grabbed Walter’s shoulder.

When I turned around, it was that guy. That guy who kept calling me Walter however he wanted put his arm around my shoulder and said.

“Congratulations! Congratulations, Walter 아저씨 [ajusshi – a respectful Korean term for older men, like ‘mister’ or ‘uncle’]!”

“Call me Mr. Smith… Damn it, okay, do whatever you want.”

He’s a persistent guy. But strangely, I don’t hate him.

Walter, who usually loathed people who have no manners.

But today, a 1st year kid from a strange country that I’m seeing for the first time is calling my name however he wants and acting familiar, but strangely I don’t feel bad.

No, it wasn’t just that.

Just now, the moment I heard that guy’s voice, I realized something.

Strangely, this guy doesn’t feel unfamiliar. It seems like I’ve met him somewhere.

That can’t be.

There’s no way I could have met a guy who played for a high school team in this country until last year.

“Walter, nice!”

“Good job!”

“You’re the best, let’s just keep doing that!”

When I entered the dugout, congratulatory remarks mixed with Korean, English, and Spanish flew in.

I still can’t understand any Korean, but just looking at their expressions, I could tell that they were sincerely congratulating me.

‘Good team.’

Walter muttered to himself without realizing it.