The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 120

120. A Pitcher with Six Tools (1)

Many people unfamiliar with baseball assume fans dread Mondays because there are no games. They eagerly await Tuesdays.

However, for hardcore baseball enthusiasts like Mr. Oh Gyu-hwan, who rushes to the toilet as soon as he arrives at work, Mondays are viewed differently. He doesn’t hate Mondays. To him, Monday is a day he can’t lose.

And if his team wins on Sunday? There’s no better day than Monday because he can savor the victory for two whole days. Of course, considering he supports the ‘Marines,’ he usually experiences the frustration of defeat for two days instead, but still, isn’t it great that he doesn’t lose today?

“Still, this year feels different.”

Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday featured a three-game series in Sajik [a stadium in Busan, South Korea].

Mr. Oh Gyu-hwan naturally attended all those games. It was a truly historic moment. His father, who watched the Sunday game with him, praised him as if he were witnessing Yeom Sseulla’s debut season, offering the highest praise he could bestow.

Of course, Oh Gyu-hwan, having only seen Yeom Sseulla on video, found it hard to agree. But was he alone? Oh Gyu-hwan found an article where the media directly interviewed Yeom Sseulla.

“Ah, the opening series? Of course, I watched it. Personally, I found it very interesting. Uh… How does he compare to me? Well…”

Who was the most outstanding player in their debut year in professional baseball? Among baseball fans, the answer varies depending on when they started watching. Of course, now, most people talk about ‘him,’ the great pitcher who simultaneously won Rookie of the Year and MVP in 2006. He even went to Major League Baseball and was considered a frontline pitcher.

“Honestly, if you only look at the debut game, Choi Soo-won was more impressive. As you know, I gave up 2 earned runs in 2.2 innings and 4 runs overall, but he pitched 5.2 innings without giving up a run. And in his debut as a batter, he hit two consecutive home runs… I think he might be the most talented player in Korean baseball history. Well, that’s what I think.”

However, fans who have been watching baseball since the 80s can’t forget Yeom Sseulla of the Marines in ’92. That was the only year that Gwangju Hawks, the greatest legend of the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization] who dominated the league from ’85 to ’93, the Mudeungsan Bombardier [a famous baseball player], was pushed back in ERA [Earned Run Average]. In fact, when calculated by WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a baseball statistic], Yeom Sseulla, who is currently conducting this interview, recorded the highest score in his debut year.

“But as everyone knows, the really difficult thing about baseball is that you have to play games all year round. I still can’t forget it. My second game. The joy I felt when I pitched a complete game win against the Elitz, allowing only 1 run. I hope Choi Soo-won can also feel the joy of his first professional win soon.”

Above all, what speaks to his greatness is that he was the second pitcher in history to single-handedly lead the Marines to victory.

“Ah, is that so? Choi Soo-won is 191cm tall and weighs 91kg? Hahaha, that’s quite a coincidence. I think I was about that size in my debut year too. I need to gain some weight quickly. With that height, you should weigh at least three digits.”

The comment sections were in an uproar.

Of course, it was routine for reporters to visit Yeom Sseulla when a good rookie pitcher emerged for the Marines. However, usually, the comment section was filled with comments like, ‘I’m looking forward to it,’ and ‘This year will be different.’ But today’s comments were a bit different.

─Eoing Princess: Who the heck is that old man, evaluating Choi Soo-won this and that?

─MarinesDisband: 4 strikeouts in 1 inning, is that real?

─GiantHitterLeeJooHyuk: Lee Joo-hyuk is charging up for 4 home runs in 4 at-bats today.

─ChoiDongSooWon: You don’t know Yeom Sseulla? The legend of the Marines whose nickname is the slider itself?

─RunningJeoktoHorse: Choi Soo-won is really rude. Did you see him throwing a beanball [a pitch intentionally aimed at the batter’s head] as his first pitch and standing there shamelessly? Shouldn’t he apologize first?

─SajikUncle: Are you Kang So-gu? If you hit a pitcher with a beanball, you have to be prepared to get hit with a retaliatory pitch. What did you do so well that you started a bench-clearing brawl after getting hit with a retaliatory pitch?

─RunningJeoktoHorse: It’s clearing, you idiot.

─Eoing Princess: I don’t care about legends or anything, but I don’t like people telling our Soo-won what to do. After all, isn’t he a player from when the KBO was at the level of the Japanese second league? If I were Soo-won, I wouldn’t feel good about the comparison itself.

─Save84thFloor: The last series must have been hot. All sorts of troublemakers have gathered.

─HellSlider: The reason for the Marines’ defeat is Choi Soo-won. He should have pitched a complete game like Yeom Sseulla. 5.2 innings is too soft.

─MVPRookie: You’re talking crazy. This isn’t the 80s. Did you not see the bruises on Soo-won’s thighs? He hit 2 hits and pitched 5.2 innings without giving up a run with that body, shouldn’t you win that game for him?

─MarinesDisband: Whoa, we’ve been watching Marines games for more than a day or two, why are you getting so excited about this? Calm down and enjoy the moment. We still won one out of three games.

The comment section was bustling with all sorts of people, not just Marines fans. Choi Soo-won’s debut must have been that sensational.

“Ha… I wish it was tomorrow already.”

Mr. Oh Gyu-hwan, a baseball fan who didn’t hate Mondays that much, was looking forward to tomorrow for the first time in a long time.

***

“We absolutely cannot let this go. Anyone can see that was a retaliatory pitch.”

“It certainly seems that way, but it’s hard to see this as entirely the pitcher’s fault… Besides, it wasn’t like he threw it in a dangerous spot.”

“No, it’s a 160 km/h ball [approximately 99 mph]. Any part of the body is dangerous to be hit by that ball.”

“But strictly speaking, wasn’t Choi Soo-won the one who got hit first?”

“If there’s a problem with that, it should go through the committee. Is it okay to throw a retaliatory pitch like that?”

“Look at this data. In Major League Baseball in the United States, when they restricted retaliatory pitches with rules, the number of hit-by-pitches actually increased. You know why we don’t prohibit bench-clearing brawls with regulations. This is necessary so that pitchers can’t just throw hit-by-pitches at batters.”

“That’s a story about Major League Baseball. The situation is different in Korea.”

Conference room.

Seven middle-aged men were loudly raising their voices.

“Okay, committee members, please calm down.”

“I think Dilton should be disciplined at the very least. Even in a bench-clearing situation, that was excessive violence.”

“Oh, excessive violence? If you look at Dilton, he didn’t even throw a punch. Rather, I think Kang So-gu, who caused the bench-clearing, should be disciplined. If you look at the screen here, he ran with his fists clenched and almost swung. If Dilton hadn’t stopped him, a brawl would have broken out.”

“No, how is that stopping him? How can you say that after seeing this? This is a brawl. A brawl.”

A commotion that couldn’t be stopped with words.

Choi Cheol-soo, KBO’s legal advisor and chairman of the disciplinary committee, slammed his palm on the table.

-Bang!! Bang!!! Bang!!!!

“Okay, committee members. I understand what you’re saying, so let’s calm down and sort things out one by one. First of all, what should we do with Jake Bohr, the one who caused the initial incident?”

“That was three days ago. It’s a bit much to say anything now.”

“That’s right. It’s just going to stir up trouble if we make a fuss now.”

“Then what do you think about Choi Soo-won? Please raise your hand if you think he needs to be disciplined.”

Three out of six committee members.

Chairman Choi Cheol-soo nodded.

“It’s three to three. Then let’s lightly pass Choi Soo-won with a warning.”

“Wouldn’t a fine be too light? Even if the circumstances of intentionally hitting the batter are clear. Shouldn’t we include some kind of youth volunteer work?”

“Then there will be talk about Jake Bohr as well. Let’s just end this with a warning. Okay, then what should we do with Kang So-gu?”

[KBO Disciplinary Committee Announces!! Choi Soo-won receives a stern warning, Kang So-gu receives a fine of 2 million won [approximately $1,500 USD] and a 3-game suspension, Dilton Doyle receives 40 hours of youth baseball volunteer work.]

***

“Damn it, volunteer work when I didn’t even throw a punch. Isn’t this discrimination against foreigners?”

“Whoa, Dilton. Calm down. Kang So-gu of the Elitz got a fine of 2 million won and a 3-game suspension.”

“Hmph, that’s better. The club will pay the fine anyway, and a 3-game suspension just means my appearance is delayed by a day. That’s nothing.”

“Youth baseball volunteering is teaching kids baseball. It’ll be more fun than you think. I’ll go with you if you’re bored going alone.”

“Oh, really? Then I’d appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it. This happened because I was stopping him from running at me. I have to do that much.”

It was unexpected. Of course, if you don’t consider the seniority, they provided the excuse first. But from the start, people in this field can’t help but consider seniority, even if they’re not players. And it’s also true that they care a little more about domestic players than foreign players, since you get attached to them over time.

In that sense, Kang So-gu’s punishment was heavier than expected, and my and Dilton’s punishments were much lighter than expected. Why? It’s not like the Elitz is a lacking club compared to the Marines, even if the club used its power.

And that question was resolved sooner than expected.

Kim Tae-geun, the lawyer who can be said to be my Korean agent, waved at me from afar.

“Oh? Mr. Kim. What brings you here?”

“I had some business with the club. I saw your performance in yesterday’s game. I brought my daughter to watch, and she was so happy when I said you were the player I was in charge of.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“So, I was wondering if I could ask for a few autographed balls? My daughter bragged to her friends at school, but they didn’t believe her at all.”

“Ah, of course, I have to do that for you. There are a few balls in the locker room, so I’ll do it there.”

“Oh, no. Of course, I prepared the balls. I wouldn’t try to get an autographed ball without that much preparation. Here it is.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that. I bought a few boxes in bulk to sign for kids who ask me to sign them, so just tell me next time. You know, baseballs and stuff are all expenses for me anyway.”

“Haha, judging by your performance this time, those few boxes will be gone soon? I’ll look into some equipment sponsors. Oh, right. And about this disciplinary action. I originally wanted to pass it without anything, but it was the first bench-clearing of the season, and there was physical contact, so I couldn’t help it.”

“I was thinking it was fortunate that the punishment was lighter than I thought, so you used your influence, lawyer. Do you know someone on the disciplinary committee?”

“Well, it’s not a big deal, but Chief Prosecutor Choi is a senior alumnus [from the same school], and I learned a lot from him when he was an EP [Extern Prosecutor] at our law firm. Thanks to that, I’m quite close to him.”

Chief Prosecutor Choi? It wasn’t a familiar title. But as far as I know, the KBO disciplinary committee is composed of several professors and reporters. And if there’s a lawyer among them, it’s only one. The KBO’s legal advisor and chairman of the disciplinary committee.

Kim Tae-geun passed this story off as if it were nothing.

If I were a naive nineteen-year-old with no social experience, I might have passed it off as nothing, saying, ‘I’m lucky.’

But now, this story that my agent passed off as nothing sounded a little different to my ears.

“Ah, yes. Thank you. Then I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Haha, you’re welcome. Then I have to go up to Seoul now. Good luck in the game the day after tomorrow!!”

In other words, ‘Hey, the chairman of the disciplinary committee is on your side. So don’t worry about this side and just play hard in the game.’