The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 272

272. The Legend of a Bygone Era? (8)

“Me?”

It was unexpected. In my past life, Kuroda Hiroki had never shown particular interest in me. Rather, it was Suzuki Ichiro or Matsui Hideki who did… Ah!!

“It’s because of my pitching, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

It was a simple reason.

Back then, I only focused on hitting, so Ichiro and Hideki, who were fellow hitters, showed interest. Now that I’m a two-way player, Kuroda Hiroki, as a pitcher, is showing interest.

“I was really surprised. 101.3 miles?”

“Come on, there’s no need to be so surprised… Sasaki and others in Japan throw even faster.”

“That’s true.”

While my velocity is decent, it’s not the best in the league. It might be the highest among Korean players ever, but compared to Japan, Sasaki Roki, who entered the Big Leagues last year, throws up to 105 mph. He’s a monster with an average velocity of 99 mph, and Ohtani Shohei also hits 103 mph at max and averages 97 mph.

“Besides, didn’t those three ’05-liners [players born in 2005] all hit 100 mph this time?”

It’s not just them. Since the velocity revolution started earlier there, the average pitcher’s velocity is quite high. Last year, the league average velocity difference was only about 1 mph. It’s not strange. Japan has a population of 126 million, about 40% of the US, and unlike the US where the most athletic people go to the NFL, they focus on baseball.

“Right, that Ryotaro guy. Last winter, they were all the same 160 [kilometers per hour, roughly 99.4 mph], but he complained that they added extra decimals to make it 100 mph while he was only at 99 mph. He grumbled that the measurement system was the problem, but eventually, he threw 100 mph. It’s definitely good to have rivals of the same age.”

“And yet, you were surprised by my 101 mph?”

“Yes.”

Kuroda Hiroki nodded as if it were obvious.

Then, he continued.

“Haha, you look curious. Sorry. I’ve gotten into the bad habit of beating around the bush as I’ve gotten older.”

“Not at all.”

“From what I see, you seem quite dissatisfied with your pitching. Am I right?”

“Well, yeah…”

Kuroda Hiroki laughed.

“I’ve watched quite a few of your games. In high definition, if possible. It’s amazing how clear everything looks even when you zoom in. Technology has really improved.”

“Ah, is there something wrong with my pitching form?”

“No. Pitching forms are different for everyone. That’s not something a former pitcher can tell you, but scientists who have properly studied the human body can. What I saw was your expression.”

“My expression?”

He continued.

“Well, I happened to watch a game where you allowed 2 runs in 7 innings, I think? I thought that was a pretty good performance, but you didn’t look very happy. So, I was curious. What would it take for you to be satisfied?”

Expression?

An unexpected story came from his mouth.

“No-hit [no-hitter]? Well, you didn’t look unhappy. But it wasn’t like you were extremely satisfied either.”

“Ah, I try to keep a poker face when I start.”

“Yeah, it seemed like that. Usually, when someone throws a perfect game, they go crazy with joy. But you cheered loudly once and then seemed embarrassed by the celebration. It means even a perfect game didn’t make you ecstatic.”

“……”

Did I?

I don’t really remember.

“But there were times when you looked really happy.”

“When I hit 73 home runs? Or when the Marines won the championship?”

“Of course, you should be happy at those moments. I’m talking about on the mound.”

It was about me, but I became curious.

When was I so happy?

“When you threw 160 [kilometers per hour, roughly 99.4 mph] for the first time. And when your velocity broke 163 [kilometers per hour, roughly 101.3 mph] for the first time. You didn’t exactly smile, but you looked happy. That’s when I realized, ‘Ah, this guy. His goal isn’t right in front of him. He’s aiming for something really big.’”

I’ll say it again.

I don’t really know if that’s true.

“And I know about two guys like that.”

“Who are they?”

“Shohei. And Clayton.”

Shohei must be Ohtani Shohei. But Clayton? Who’s that…

“Kershaw?”

“Yeah. Clayton Kershaw. He was the most talented guy I’ve ever seen. Watching you pitch reminds me of him when he was a young punk.”

Wow, I was so surprised by the unexpected name.

Clayton Kershaw.

Even in the 150-year history of baseball, there are few pitchers like him.

He boasts overwhelming stats in ERA (Earned Run Average), one of the most important indicators for pitchers. Simple ERA can’t keep up with the dead-ball era, which was very pitcher-friendly, but ERA+ (Adjusted ERA), which adjusts for the average ERA of the year and the ballpark’s average, ranks Clayton Kershaw as number one among pitchers with over 2000 innings pitched in Major League history. The only pitchers comparable to him are Pedro Martinez, who also showed overwhelming performance, and Lefty Grove, whose name itself is synonymous with left-handed pitchers.

“My first Major League season was Clayton’s debut season. We were teammates. Park Hyung-do was on the same team then… Wait a minute. You said you were born in ’08? Oh my god. That’s right. You wouldn’t know. You weren’t even born then.”

“I knew Kuroda-ssi [Mr. Kuroda, a respectful title] debuted in the Majors with the Dodgers. I didn’t know it was Clayton Kershaw’s debut season, though.”

“Yeah, anyway, you could say he and I are Major League debut contemporaries. Haha.”

Was that his own kind of joke?

Kuroda-ssi laughed loudly.

“But what about me resembles Kershaw?”

“That sullen expression, like you’re doing well enough but still have a long way to go.”

“Pardon?”

He continued.

“I said earlier that I was surprised by 101.3 mph. And you said, ‘There are pitchers in Japan, including Sasaki, who throw even faster, so what’s so surprising about that?’”

“Yes, I did.”

“Do you know how old those pitchers you’re talking about are? And what kind of pitches did they throw when they were twenty?”

Ah…

“You look like you understand what I’m saying. That’s right. Watching you reminds me of Clayton when he was twenty. You’re doing well enough, but you’re not satisfied at all. Well, having a high ambition is commendable. Maybe that guy, when he was twenty, aimed to pitch better than me. I’m not bragging, but if I said Kershaw’s goal at twenty was Kuroda Hiroki, it might sound like bragging. But think about it. How ridiculous is it for a mere twenty-year-old to want to pitch ‘immediately’ better than a pitcher who has clawed his way up for 14 years?”

His story made me reflect on my last year.

It was similar.

Although they weren’t on the same team, I was secretly competing with 36-year-old Im Gwang-hyung and 28-year-old Jo Chang-hyuk.

I thought it was natural. I had to go to the Majors, and in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], the Major League-level players were them.

“Kershaw was the most talented pitcher I knew. But look at his stats when he was twenty. He pitched about 100 innings and had an ERA of 4.26, I think? It’s not just him. The master who helped me adjust to the Majors also struggled when he was twenty or twenty-one.”

“Master?”

“Damn, sorry. I keep forgetting you were born in ’08. Greg, I’m talking about Greg Maddux. Ah, I wonder if you’d know the name even if I said it?”

……

“Even if I was born in ’08, it’s absurd for a baseball player not to know Greg Maddux.”

“Yeah, anyway, what I want to tell you is that your 101.3 mph is amazing. Sasaki couldn’t properly control a 159 km/h [kilometer per hour, roughly 98.8 mph] pitch when he was nineteen. In comparison, you were already consistently putting 100 mph pitches into the zone. Right?”

I know that I am a truly special level of player even in the Majors. Therefore, my standards have to be for a truly special level of player in the Majors.

But like Kuroda Hiroki said, I am not thirty-four like before regression, but just a young twenty-year-old player.

Of course, as a hitter, I already have the experience of thirty-four, so considering the physical differences, it is natural to have skills comparable to the top of the Majors. But as a pitcher? Yes, no matter how much talent I have at the Major League level, I am only twenty years old.

“I’ll say it again. I’m not saying ambition itself is wrong. It’s a mindset that players should have. But that ambition should never become impatience. Especially if that talent exceeds a certain level, it’s even more forbidden.”

It was a story I already knew.

No, it was a story I often told young players before regression. The most important thing for a professional player is not to get injured. Impatience leads to injuries, and those injuries diminish talent itself.

“Damn. It would have been great if I could have told such a wonderful and important story 20 years ago. It’s a shame. If I could have told Kershaw that story, he might have had an even greater career. Anyway, never forget. Being able to put a 101 mph fastball into the strike zone at the age of nineteen is a truly great talent, and you still have nearly twenty years left. Don’t see your competitors as twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old pitchers who are currently receiving the Cy Young Award [award given to the best pitcher in each league]. Think of their twenty-year-old selves, or even Kershaw’s twenty-year-old self, as your competitors. Then the anxiety in your heart will disappear a little.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

It wasn’t a story that would immediately help my pitching.

But it was good advice that completely eliminated the thought I had this morning: if this is the case, wouldn’t it be better to focus on hitting rather than being a two-way player?

“It’s nice that you take my useless nagging as advice. Shall we go out to the field then?”

“Pardon?”

“The nagging about mindset is nagging. I came all the way here, so I have to see you pitch. I’m not a talented instructor, but I’ve put in some effort since retirement. Anyway, I have to go to the Carp [Hiroshima Toyo Carp, a Japanese professional baseball team] as a manager. I can be of some help, even if it’s not much.”

After examining my pitching a few times, Kuroda didn’t touch my pitching form at all, as he said himself. It was all about his feelings when he threw the ball as a player and some tips for facing hitters.

But were those simple stories a great help?

Exhibition game against Tampa Bay.

Surprisingly, I managed to hold them scoreless for 3 innings.