Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 285

#284. Mini Korea-Japan Series

“Damn it, who the hell scheduled this? Are they telling us to tour the mainland or what?”

“Calm down, we can go home after this series.”

“West is west, central is central, east is east, is it that hard to be consistent?”

The Mariners team, club officials, and reporters boarded a private plane bound for Milwaukee.

The Seattle players were unhappy for a simple reason.

After playing away games in San Francisco and San Diego, two cities located on the west coast, they were now flying to Milwaukee, located in the Midwest, or even the East.

Considering that their home is Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, they were enduring a grueling schedule that went from the Northwest to the Southwest, then to the East, and back to the Northwest.

In fact, all this misfortune started because of Seattle’s isolated location in the northwestern part of the U.S. mainland, but the players, exhausted from the road trip, couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hey, Han, want a beer? Oh, right, you don’t drink during the season.”

“Then come over here. Let’s play some poker. What? You don’t know how to play? Damn it.”

“Okay, then you must know how to do this. Grab a pad. Let’s bet on who will lift the World Cup trophy today. Huh? You’ve never played a game before? Oh my God…….”

The players were pairing up and passing the time on the private plane.

Han Su-hyeok, rejecting their offers, put on his headphones and reclined his seat.

Songs sung by Min Ye-rin were playing in his headphones.

[I want to be your bookmark. I want to be something you insert in the place you want to see again.]

After Seattle won the first game against San Diego with Han Su-hyeok’s complete game victory, they recorded two wins and one loss in the following 2nd, 3rd, and 4th games.

Han Su-hyeok also hit another home run in the 4th game, increasing his season home run total to 45.

With a season record of 57 wins and 35 losses, they were now preparing for the three-game series against Milwaukee, the last series before the All-Star break.

Ryan, who is scheduled to pitch in the first game against Milwaukee, is burning with the determination to break out of his slump.

Perhaps he needed a mentor.

He had always been the center of the team since his rookie days, and he had to lead younger and less experienced juniors. He needed a place to lean on and rest.

This was not just Ryan’s story.

Derek Fleming, Chuck Clark, Jim Brown, Antonio Garcia, Josh Oliver, Jonathan Owens, and other young hitters, as well as rookies like Dimon Anderson Jr. and Dalvin Schwartz.

They needed someone to rely on.

Of course, no one knew that the person would be a Big League rookie in just his fourth year as a professional.

Han Su-hyeok, who was receiving the expectations and trust of such people, unknowingly sang along to Min Ye-rin’s song.

“I want to be your bookmark~”

“Hehe, there’s something that guy can’t do.”

“That’s right. It’s terrible, isn’t it?”

“Thank goodness. There’s something I’m better at than that guy.”

The Seattle players, who had been teasing Han Su-hyeok for a while, now turned their attention to the final All-Star Game voting results announced yesterday.

The results were not much different from expectations.

Ryan Thibodeau, who was selected through player voting, was named to the pitcher list, while Ty Johnson, Derek Fleming, Antonio Garcia, and Bruce Matthews, who had passed the first round of voting, all joined the All-Star Game.

Including Han Su-hyeok, who received the most votes in both leagues, a total of six Seattle players will participate in the All-Star Game.

This was a truly joyous occasion for the team, something that was hard to find even during the team’s golden age in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“Damn it, Derek is going to be an All-Star outfielder.”

“Spare us the bad luck if you can’t congratulate him, Bruce.”

“It feels like just yesterday he was trembling when he first came up from the minors, hehe.”

“Talking like that is a sign of getting old.”

Bruce, who was planning to leave the team as soon as he became a free agent, recently changed his plans.

A young and energetic lineup, an ace who is getting better and better, a living legend Ty Johnson, and Han Su-hyeok, who is building the best record in history in both pitching and hitting.

‘I can’t go anywhere else with a team like this.’

In the past, it was too much for him to protect the team’s home alone, but Leonard Jones, a pretty good guy, joined the team, giving him more energy.

He hasn’t said it out loud yet, but if things continue at this pace, he might be able to step on the World Series stage for the first time.

Of course, Han Su-hyeok was the biggest contributor to this.

Bruce’s gaze turned back to Han Su-hyeok.

“I want to be a signpost~”

It was still a terrible song to listen to.

Thinking that the world is fair, Bruce picked up the cards again.

“Okay, Ace Two Pair, who’s going to beat me?”

“Damn it!”

* * *

The Seattle team arrived in Milwaukee late at night, took a short break, and immediately began the three-game series against the Brewers.

Milwaukee, the number one beer brewing city in the United States and the city with the smallest metropolitan population among all Major League Baseball team home cities.

A young team that was founded only 61 years ago and a small-market team that represents Major League Baseball.

However, Milwaukee has experience advancing to the 1982 World Series.

When you think about it, Seattle is amazing.

Even after investing a lot of money, they have never been to the World Series even once.

In the first game of the three-game series, Ryan, who was determined to wash away his poor performance in the previous game, pitched well with 2 runs in 8 innings.

However, he failed to add to his win total.

The relief pitchers who followed him allowed a comeback, and Milwaukee took the first win.

Although he missed the victory, Ryan’s expression was filled with relief rather than regret.

It was the face of a man who had found his way.

And in the following second game, Han Su-hyeok took the mound.

“Rentaro, how’s your SNS [Social Networking Service] doing?”

“It’s a mess. So many notifications that I just deleted the app.”

Two years ago, Milwaukee signed a 10-year long-term contract with Shakil Leonard, a large pitcher raised from its own farm, and declared Win Now.

To strengthen the team’s power, Hayashi Rentaro, who was playing in the Japanese league, was brought in through posting [a system where a Japanese team allows a player to negotiate with MLB teams], and other cheap free agents were recruited, showing their will to go to the fall baseball game [playoffs].

However, after being stuck at the bottom of the league for two consecutive seasons, the club’s policy was immediately changed.

Ace Shakil Leonard was sold to the Yankees, and several other expensive players were transferred to other teams.

Hayashi Rentaro was promoted to the first starter to replace Shakil Leonard, who was sold, and a Japanese hitter was brought in for a relatively cheap price of $5 million to fill the holes in the lineup even roughly.

That’s Maeda Shogo, who is looking at the ground with a serious expression in the Milwaukee dugout right now.

“Hayashi, I hate that guy so much.”

“Same here. Damn it, it’s frustrating, but that guy is strong.”

Starting pitcher Hayashi Rentaro and starting shortstop Maeda Shogo, who came to wear the Milwaukee uniform for different reasons.

They were incredibly exhausted even before the game started.

Korean baseball fans cheering for Han Su-hyeok, and Japanese fans plastering the site with demands to commit seppuku [ritual suicide by disembowelment] if they lose to Han Su-hyeok.

The two major forces gathered and devastated SNS.

“Why am I starting on a day like this…….”

What’s even more desperate is that Milwaukee’s starter today is Hayashi Rentaro.

A starting match between Han Su-hyeok and Hayashi, and a match between pitcher Hayashi and hitter Han Su-hyeok, and a match between pitcher Han Su-hyeok and hitter Maeda.

Regardless of the team’s performance or ranking, it was a game that could not but attract the attention of Korean and Japanese baseball fans.

“Chikusho… Should I just throw the ball at that guy’s head and run away as soon as it starts?” [Chikusho is a Japanese expression of frustration.]

“Hayashi.”

“What.”

“That’s your freedom, but I’ll tell you in advance that I’ll never attack that guy. I don’t want to be out of the season.”

“Haa…….”

The game began in the midst of the sighs of the two Japanese players.

* * *

└ Damn it, we’re being looked down on by those guys.

└ What are you talking about?

└ Look at today’s starting lineup. We’re excited about the Korea-Japan match, but to those guys, it’s just entertainment.

└ What’s the starting lineup? I’m frustrated! Why isn’t the lineup showing up here?

└ I brought it, so take a look at this.

1st Center Fielder Derek Fleming

2nd Pitcher Han Su-hyeok

3rd Right Fielder Chuck Clark

4th 1st Baseman Antonio Garcia

5th Left Fielder Kyle Shanahan

6th 3rd Baseman Liam Landman

7th Catcher Leonard Jones

8th Shortstop Ronnie Montaric

9th 2nd Baseman Jonathan Owens

└ What is this? Ty Johnson, Jim Brown, Bruce Matthews, and Josh Oliver are all missing?

└ Yeah, it seems like today’s game is like takoyaki [ball-shaped Japanese snack] that can be eaten in one bite for Seattle www

└ Chikusho… This is clear evidence that we are being looked down on. Hayashi! Maeda! Commit seppuku if you lose today!

└ Yare yare, I see it too. This is a waste of time. [Yare yare is a Japanese expression of disappointment or exasperation.]

Even on 2ch [Japanese online forum], which would normally be full of anti-Korean remarks, the prevailing opinion was that today’s game would be difficult.

Of course, the performances of Milwaukee’s Hayashi Rentaro and Maeda Shogo were not bad.

Considering that the main players left and they entered tanking mode [deliberately losing to secure better draft picks], Hayashi’s 6 wins in the first half of the year should definitely be recognized.

Also, Maeda, who played as the 1st or 2nd batter and recorded a batting average of 0.275, 6 home runs, and 18 stolen bases, should be seen as having done his part.

It’s just that the opponent was too much.

Han Su-hyeok, who is having a monstrous season.

Anyway, if the atmosphere on the Japanese side preparing for the mini Korea-Japan match was close to a funeral home, the atmosphere on the KBC [Korean Broadcasting Corporation] broadcasting team, which has been broadcasting Han Su-hyeok’s games live throughout this season, was a feast itself.

– Commissioner, what do you think about the changes in Seattle’s lineup today?

– I think it’s an expression of confidence.

– Please be more specific.

– Milwaukee, with Japanese players as the main players, can be beaten even if they take away the chariot and the cannon [referring to key players]. Han Su-hyeok can destroy them all by himself, something like that?

– Hmm.

– This is really not a joke, but Han Su-hyeok’s play style is like a natural enemy to Japanese players. Even though they have followed the big leagues a lot, the trend in Japanese baseball is still precision and tactics rather than power and speed. Those types of players, yes, that’s right. You saw it at the last WBC [World Baseball Classic] and Olympics, right? If Han Su-hyeok gets a hold of them, it’s literally a mess…….

– Uh-huh, I understand. Viewers, please understand even if the remarks are a bit excessive. Anyway, please pay attention to the second game of the season between the Milwaukee Brewers, where two Japanese players are playing, and the Seattle Mariners, where Han Su-hyeok is starting. This is the Brewers’ home stadium, American Family Field.

The Genius Pitcher Hides 170km