The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 345

345. End of the Season (2)

Well, honestly, I was so focused on the consecutive game hit record that I completely forgot I had another record the moment it was broken.

Consecutive game on-base streak.

In fact, even in the 20th century, this consecutive game on-base record wasn’t considered as significant as the consecutive game hit record. The on-base record only rose to its current status from the late 20th to the early 21st century, after Billy Beane’s Moneyball methodology as the general manager of the Oakland Athletics [a strategy focused on using statistical analysis to build a competitive team on a smaller budget].

Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak is famous enough that even those who only know a little about baseball have heard of it, but Ted Williams’ 84-game on-base streak isn’t as well-known, which proves the point. In fact, the second-longest consecutive game on-base streak was Joe DiMaggio’s 74-game streak, which he achieved while also hitting in 56 consecutive games.

Personally, I don’t rate getting on base as highly as getting a hit.

Oh, of course, I fully understand the ‘scientific’ explanation that there isn’t a significant difference between getting on base and getting a hit in terms of run production. Still, the extreme difference between hitting a single with a runner on second and no outs versus walking to first base doesn’t sit well with me, even if that “scientific” explanation says something about it being macroscopically true. Anyway, that’s how I feel.

But aside from simply analyzing the game with numbers, it’s very clear from the perspective of someone actually playing the game whether the fans who come to the stadium really want to see someone just standing there and walking to first base, or whether they want to see someone smashing the ball with power.

So, I don’t feel that this consecutive game on-base record is as great as the previous consecutive game hit record.

***

“Choi Su-won, you’ve played in a total of 95 games since the season started and have recorded an on-base appearance in every game. This is actually a huge deal in today’s baseball trends. Choi Su-won’s high OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a key baseball statistic] is ultimately based on this solid on-base percentage. Is there anything in particular you’re paying attention to in relation to this?”

“I’m not paying special attention to it. But ultimately, what helps score runs is me getting on base frequently. Rather than being greedy and swinging at every bad pitch, I’m trying to be selective and swing at the best pitches possible.”

“Ah, so could your recent improvement in hitting be related to that mindset?”

“Yes, it is. In fact, when getting a hit, there’s something more important than simply making contact with the ball with the bat.”

“There’s something more important than hitting the ball with the bat when getting a hit?”

“Yes, it’s nothing much when you hear it. It’s hitting the ball ‘properly’.”

“Ah… that sounds a bit like a wordplay.”

“No. Actually, just getting the bat on the ball is easier than you think. Whether that ball has real power behind it is another matter. You all know about BABIP [Batting Average on Balls In Play, a statistic measuring a batter’s luck]. These days. This is ultimately the percentage of batted balls that become hits. This percentage goes up as the proportion of line drives increases.”

“I see. So, ultimately, what Choi Su-won is saying is that instead of simply getting the bat on the ball, he waits for good pitches and tries to create good batted balls, which allows him to lay off bad pitches, and that leads to an increase in his on-base percentage. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, that’s right. Actually, consecutive hits are important, but what’s really important is the team’s victory. In that sense, doesn’t every run start with getting on base?”

[Second Half Surge Secret is Getting on Base? Choi Su-won: “Getting on Base is as Important as a Hit.”]

[The Beauty of Waiting!! “Good Batted Balls Start with Waiting for Good Pitches.”]

Choi Su-won Shakes Off the Pressure of Consecutive Hits. Joins the Home Run King Race!!

[Victory, and More Victory!! How Long Will the Yankees’ Winning Streak Continue? Series Sweep Against Central Division Second Place Minnesota!!]

[New York Yankees!! Surpassing the Record of the Last 21 Years with a 14-Game Series Winning Streak!! The Sixth Longest Winning Streak in Team History!!]

─Hey, 14 consecutive wins and it’s only the 6th longest winning streak in team history?

─They’re the New York Yankees. If you look at their records from the 40s and 50s, they have a lot of crazy records.

─By the way, what’s the longest winning streak in Major League Baseball?

─The Giants had a 26-game winning streak in 1916 when they were in New York, which is the longest. In the live-ball era, it’s the 22-game winning streak set by Cleveland in 2017.

─Wow, the Yankees are already crazy, but what would a 26-game or 22-game winning streak feel like?

─More than that, doesn’t it seem like our guy’s hitting has improved another level?

─No, he’s already a hitter with a .400 batting average and an OPS over 1.3, where else can he improve from there? lol

─I think he was forcing it a bit to continue his hitting streak. It feels like he’s just back to his original hitting from the beginning of the season.

─Choi Su-won should stop improving his hitting and start improving his pitching.

─Yeah. I thought he had grown a lot when he pitched that perfect game, but it’s still disappointing.

─He has improved. A pitcher who was throwing 2.93 in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] while being managed is now throwing 3.48 in the Big League while being managed. I think he’s lowered his ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] by 0.3 since that perfect game?

***

“How is it?”

“Excellent. Very excellent. It’s almost September, and this is better than I could have hoped for.”

“Well, skipping one start recently seems to have been effective…”

The weight on the scale read 99kg.

He started the season weighing 100kg, so he had lost 1kg. But this was more than just good, it was an incredibly great result.

“It would be good to increase your food intake a little more. You’ve lost 1kg in weight, but almost 5kg of body fat. If this continues, it won’t matter if you’re a hitter, but it will be hard for a pitcher to endure.”

It was a great number that any health trainer would be horrified by, but body fat is quite important for baseball players, especially pitchers. It has a very strong correlation with fatigue, injury, and illness. Of course, it’s a bit much to go as high as 18 or 20 percent, as is widely believed in the KBO. But you need to maintain at least 13 percent, and the body fat, which was close to 15 percent at the start of the season, was now only around 8 percent.

“There’s no problem with my form, right?”

“Oh, I was worried because your elbow angle was a bit off in the 6th inning of the last game, but it’s okay.”

“The curve wasn’t coming out right…”

“I know you have a good feel for it, but it’s good to be careful. Especially with elbow angles, it can put a strain on your ligaments if you’re not careful.”

“Shouldn’t I be adding another breaking ball soon?”

“Why bother? You’re doing well now.”

“I guess so…”

“Don’t be too impatient. I know you’re hitting like crazy, which is inexplicable. Even if I look at the data from Shohei Ohtani that you gave me, you’re not developing slower as a pitcher. 3.48 in the American League East at the age of twenty? That alone is already league ace potential.”

End of August.

As we slowly passed the hottest time of the year, the results of skipping a start thanks to Stan Owens and getting a general checkup from the Washington brothers were generally quite good, except for the lack of body fat.

“Now there are six games left to pitch?”

“Yes, six if there are few. Seven if there are many.”

“If possible, get more thorough inning management. I’ll say it again, let’s look at the long term. Even if you play six more games here, you’ll be pitching at least 3 innings more than last year. You know that, right?”

“I didn’t know, but you’ve been nagging me so much today that I don’t think I’ll be able to forget it now.”

“It’s an environment where I can nag you enough even if you pitch the same innings. The load on your body is different between the KBO, where you could rest appropriately, and the MLB, where you have to pay attention to almost every hitter. If your muscles get tired, the load on your ligaments increases. Let’s please have a long career. Huh?”

“Okay. Okay.”

***

“Oh, Eun-jin. Did you finish your schedule well?”

“Yeah, the new song released for the fall festival is getting a pretty good response. It seems like the promotional opportunities have increased because Su-won, you’ve been getting more exposure on TV.”

“Really? Hmm… then it won’t be hard for you to come see us in the fall playoffs in October?”

“No, no. Don’t worry. Anyway, the peak season for university fall festivals ends at the end of September, and I’ve adjusted my schedule accordingly. I’ve already told the CEO.”

“I’ll tell the agency this time, so don’t become a burden by booking the plane tickets yourself.”

“Ah, I accidentally typed the name wrong in the dark in a hurry…”

“Okay. Okay. Anyway, don’t feel pressured. Anyway, when I signed the contract with the team, I was supposed to receive 12 tickets as a base? Since my father can’t come often, there are tickets left over. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it. Good luck with the game later!!”

“You’ll wake up in the morning and cheer, right?”

“Of course!! I’ve already set the alarm without you telling me.”

The day’s work began with a phone call separated by a time distance of 13 hours.

A slightly different routine than usual.

Of course, all that meant was that the color of the lid of the food container taken out of the refrigerator and heated was yellow instead of pink, but anyway, it’s a different routine.

Since Uncle Kang-doo came to the United States last time, he has been sending braised short ribs by frozen special delivery every time. It wasn’t a bad thing since it was food I used to eat on the day of my start in Korea.

My last start in August with the team’s 16-game winning streak at stake.

The 15 consecutive wins from yesterday’s game were the first record in 68 years since 1960, and the stadium set off fireworks again. This year, there were many things to set off fireworks at Yankee Stadium, from my consecutive hits to consecutive on-base appearances, and even the winning streak record.

I took the prepared car at the exact time and went to Yankee Stadium.

There were quite a few people outside the stadium, even though there was still a lot of time left until the game. I would have gotten out of the car and signed autographs appropriately, but not today.

Pitching practice.

I adjusted the feel of the curve and caught the zero point of the fastball.

And then batting practice.

Since it was the day I was starting, I only swung the bat about half as much as usual and moved to a place where I could be alone quietly.

5:30.

I quietly picture today’s game in my head.

-Bang!!!

Ah, damn it.

Not an image at the plate.

An image of overwhelming the opposing hitters on the mound.

Fastball and curve. And slider.

The hitters don’t swing their bats easily.

But it’s okay. Not every batted ball becomes a hit.

Didn’t Josh prove it in the third game against the Dodgers last time?

That getting ground outs is better than pointlessly walking batters.

7 o’clock.

The team’s 127th game.

Alex Verdugo came to the plate.

Yes, today our opponent is the Boston Red Sox.

These unlucky guys, who are ranked 3rd in the division, pushed back by us and Tampa Bay despite running 2nd in the Wild Card standings, were the victims of my 10th win today.