Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 317

#316. White Sox

[Houston Crumbles Powerlessly Before Seattle, the Earth Champion, Suffering a Crushing 10-1 Defeat, Team’s Worst Winning Percentage in Sight]

[Tanking Plagues Major League Baseball, Fans Focus Criticism on Several Teams Choosing to Tank Despite Sufficient Revenue, Calls for Promotion-Relegation System Like Soccer]

[Opening Two-Run Home Run, and 5 Innings of Shutout by Soo-hyuk Han, Perfect Game on Both Offense and Defense]

[Tai Johnson Seals the Game with a Grand Slam in the 7th Inning, “I Feel Rewarded to Be Making New History for the Team with Talented Rookies. We Will Definitely Advance to the World Series.”]

[Soo-hyuk Han Increases His Season Home Run Count to 58 with Today’s Home Run, Sales of Baseball Gloves and Bug Catching Nets Surge in Seattle? What’s the Reason?]

[New York Yankees Fans “Drug Testing for Soo-hyuk Han Should Be More Thorough”, Seattle Fans “Just Feel Sorry for the New York Fans Who Are in Collective Panic. All They Can Do Now Is Sit at Home and Watch Soo-hyuk Hit Amazing Home Runs.”]

The atmosphere in the entire Big League suddenly heated up as Soo-hyuk Han launched his 58th home run.

The reason was this.

The top 10 single-season home run records in Major League history are as follows:

1st 2001 Barry Bonds 73

2nd 1998 Mark McGwire 70

3rd 1998 Sammy Sosa 66

4th 1999 Mark McGwire 65

5th 2001 Sammy Sosa 64

6th 1999 Sammy Sosa 63

7th 2022 Aaron Judge 62

8th 1961 Roger Maris 61

9th 1927 Babe Ruth 60

10th 1921 Babe Ruth 59, 2017 Giancarlo Stanton 59

There’s no need to examine each record individually; to jump straight to the conclusion:

With the argument that the records set by players on performance-enhancing drugs should be erased still gaining traction, if the records of drug users are excluded from the home run rankings, the structure would look like this:

1st 2022 New York Yankees Aaron Judge 62

2nd 1961 New York Yankees Roger Maris 61

3rd 1927 New York Yankees Babe Ruth 60

Tied for 4th 1921 New York Yankees Babe Ruth 59, 2017 Miami Marlins Giancarlo Stanton 59

Big League fans believe that the true home run king, excluding the influence of drugs, is Aaron Judge, who had a sensational season in 2022.

Following him are the names of Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, and Giancarlo Stanton.

These four players have one thing in common.

Although their debut teams are different, they all retired wearing the Yankees uniform.

Given this situation, the number of people trying to catch Soo-hyuk Han’s home run ball—which could potentially become the single-season home run record if all drug-influenced records are removed—has increased, leading to a surge in sales of baseball gloves and bug catching nets.

Conversely, for Yankees fans, who take pride in having all their players from 1st to tied for 4th excluding drug users, Soo-hyuk Han’s home run race was nothing short of a disaster.

Of course, Soo-hyuk Han had already hit 73 home runs in his KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] days, but this was meaningless to those who were fiercely proud of the Big League.

Anyway,

Soo-hyuk Han, who received great attention and support from baseball fans, mainly from Seattle fans, and curses from a considerable number of Yankees fans, added one more home run in the subsequent 2nd and 3rd games against Houston, placing his name 4th in the Major League single-season home run rankings, excluding drug users.

And Seattle swept Houston following the Angels, raising their season winning percentage to 0.639.

[Soo-hyuk Han, Tied for 10th in Major League Single-Season Home Runs, 4th Excluding Drug Users, “There Are Still 43 Games Left. I Will Do My Best Until the End of the Schedule.”]

[Soo-hyuk Han, the Greatest Rookie Ever to Rank 10th in Home Runs in His Debut Season in the Big League, Simultaneously Aiming for Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young Award]

[Major League Experts “Unless You’re a Vicious Racist, You Wouldn’t Vote for Anyone Other Than Soo-hyuk Han for Rookie of the Year and MVP. As for the Cy Young Award, There Is Still Room Left Due to Pitching Innings and the Remaining Schedule.”]

[Soo-hyuk Han’s Teammate and Seattle’s Ace Ryan Thibeau “I Can’t Even Imagine a Pitcher Other Than Soo-hyuk Han Winning the Cy Young. Even If It’s Myself. I’m His Biggest Fan.”]

[Perfect Harmony Between Talented Rookies Raised in the Farm System and Solid Free Agent Acquisitions from Other Teams, Seattle Mariners Enter a Four-Game Series Against the White Sox, Ranked 2nd in Overall Winning Percentage in the American League]

* * *

“Alright, we’re almost there. There are still some games left in the season, but this is the last time we’ll face those White Sox bastards. We must secure a winning series and rise to 2nd place in overall winning percentage. Got it, everyone?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Alright, here’s the lineup for today.”

The Seattle Mariners, with a season record of 76 wins and 43 losses, a winning percentage of 0.639, are running first in the American League West Division.

And the Chicago White Sox, with 76 wins and 41 losses, a winning percentage of 0.649, are recording an overwhelming first place in the American League Central Division.

If we can secure a winning series in this four-game series, we can rise to 2nd place in overall winning percentage in the American League for the first time since the season began.

We will be one step closer to a direct ticket to the Division Series.

1st 3rd Baseman Soo-hyuk Han

2nd 1st Baseman Tai Johnson

3rd Center Fielder Derek Fleming

4th Right Fielder Chuck Clark

5th Designated Hitter Antonio Garcia

6th Left Fielder Jim Brown

7th Catcher Bruce Matthews

8th 2nd Baseman Liam Landman

9th Shortstop Josh Oliver

Pitcher Dimon Anderson Jr.

It goes without saying that we are not the only ones who know the importance of this game.

The White Sox, who have risen to this position by dominating the same division teams that have fallen into serious slumps or have deliberately entered tanking, had no choice but to bet everything on this four-game series.

That’s why relentless balls will be flying towards me.

Predicting this, Manager Benjamin brought out the unconventional lineup that he first introduced in the last game against Texas once again.

I’m in the 1st spot, and the 5th and 6th have switched places.

It’s a lineup designed to prevent intentional walks to me as much as possible, while also aiming to decide everything in the early innings.

Anyway, today’s game is going to be really interesting.

* * *

“Play!”

The fourth game of the season between the Mariners and the White Sox, where the two teams’ fifth starters face off,

It started with the White Sox batting first, which is expected to be a slugfest with a high probability.

Shortstop Hamasaki Akinori, who I faced once in the WBC [World Baseball Classic], transferred from Cincinnati and took the leadoff spot for the White Sox, stepped up to the plate.

Excluding personal feelings, it is clear that he is a pretty good hitter.

He has considerable strength in breaking balls and can handle fastballs to some extent, and his eye for the ball is decent and he is fast, making him a difficult type to deal with easily.

But he’s not a fighter, or rather, he has a unique Japanese gloominess. That’s why I ordered Dimon, who was on the mound, like this.

‘Once the game starts, throw about two pitches high and inside.’

‘Huh?’

No need to make him understand. Just show him with action.

Whether my words worked well or not, Dimon’s first pitch flew high and inside towards Hamasaki.

Whoosh

Paang

“Ball.”

“Good! Great ball, Dimon! You’ve finally become a man!”

“Yeah, kill him! Just smash his head!”

Hamasaki, who was startled by the ball flying towards his head and ducked down, bit his lip tightly and took his batting stance again.

Dimon looked back at me with an expression asking if it was really okay, so I nodded.

There’s a saying that giving only one is stingy [meaning if you’re going to do something, do it properly].

In that sense, one more step.

Whoosh

Paang

“Ball.”

“Those bastards!”

“Umpire! What are you doing? That’s clearly intentional!”

This time, dissatisfied protests erupted from the White Sox dugout.

The umpire, who thought about something for a moment, said to Bruce.

“Even I thought that last ball was a little suspicious. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but this is enough. If you go any further, I’ll have to give you a warning.”

“Of course. It was a mistake. Look over there. Dimon is saying he’s sorry, isn’t he?”

“Hmm.”

As the umpire and catcher seemed to be having a conversation, Dimon patted his chest with his palm and gestured that it was a mistake.

Since the pitcher is apologizing even though he didn’t directly hit him, he can’t make things bigger anymore.

Hamasaki, his face flushed red, took his batting stance again.

And,

Whoosh

Paang!

“Strike!”

A perfectly controlled fastball on the outside low course.

The umpire’s hand went up, and the batter looked around with an unfair expression.

Okay.

It was confirmed that Hamasaki’s eye for the ball was temporarily shaken.

Then…….

Whoosh

Woong

“Swing!”

“Great! Dimon, your ball is the best today!”

“You’re the strongest 5th starter in 30 teams!”

A ridiculous swing at a changeup that came into the middle of the zone and fell.

It’s a perfectly controlled ball.

Even without the shouts of the spectators there, Dimon Anderson Jr. is growing into a pitcher with skills that are among the best in the 5th starters of all teams.

The rookie, who respected Ryan the most and therefore wished to stand on Seattle’s first World Series stage with him, was becoming a player who could do his part.

Anyway,

Ball count two balls two strikes,

Considering that Dimon’s control is not perfect yet, this is the turning point.

What kind of ball will he choose?

Even I was watching the game with interesting eyes, and one white ball floated from Dimon’s hand.

Woong

“Swing! Out!”

“Wahahahaha! Damn, it’s a really great sight!”

“You idiot! If you strike out, get out of here to your dugout quickly!”

Hamasaki’s bat cut through the air at a 60-mile ultra-slow curve that could be seen as insulting, as if thrown by a child.

Hamasaki, who was struck out, suddenly got angry and threw his bat down and took a step forward.

But,

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you take one more step forward from there, your season will end today. And there will be a Korea-Japan war on the internet. Do whatever you want if you want to see that.”

When I blocked Dimon and warned him like that, he lowered his eyes and returned to the dugout.

How can a guy who can’t even stand up to this level of threat be so angry?

There are a lot of stories on the internet these days about the weakness of young Japanese people.

Tsk tsk.

“Dimon, that was a great ball. Nice play.”

“Thanks, hehe. I was thinking of throwing one more at your head and running away to your side.”

“Good idea. Feel free to do so.”

It was the moment when Seattle’s 5th starter, Dimon Anderson Jr., completely broke the spirit of the White Sox.