The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 354

354. G.O.A.T (2)

“Is it possible?”

“Will it happen? Just the fact that there was a possibility until the last game is amazing.”

“No, but Suwon has always pulled things off in moments like these.”

“Hey, the difficulty is different. The difficulty. Right now, Suwon’s WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a baseball statistic] is, what? 13.7 based on bWAR [Baseball-Reference WAR] and 13.4 based on fWAR [FanGraphs WAR]. Considering this year’s weighting, if he hits 3 home runs in 5 at-bats in today’s game, his WAR might go up by about 0.2? Ruth’s is 14.1 based on bWAR and 14.7 based on fWAR, so even if he does that, he’ll still be short on both bWAR and fWAR.”

“Suwon is also starting as a pitcher today. You have to add that too.”

“Yeah, well, assuming he pitches a 9-inning shutout, he’ll easily surpass it in bWAR. fWAR will be short by about 0.4. But realistically, will that happen? He just got hammered for 7 runs in 2.1 innings in the last game? Ah, if he had just pitched 6 innings without allowing a run in that game, and then pitched 6 innings without allowing a run today and hit about 3 more home runs, it could have been a real possibility. Even if it’s ‘possible,’ it’s like saying it’s ‘possible’ for me to win the lottery if I go out and buy a ticket now. You have to look at it as something in that realm.”

A man who had been quietly listening to their conversation from behind put down his beer can and spoke up.

“Hey, hey, don’t even listen to that guy. He’s always unnecessarily cynical. Huh? There’s a saying, ‘Armchair cynicism changes nothing.’ We gathered here today to support our Suwon, so why are you raining on his parade?”

“It’s not cynicism, it’s being realistic. And today’s game isn’t only valuable if he surpasses Ruth’s 1921 WAR. It’s a game that will determine the most wins in Major League history. Isn’t it enough to just win?”

“Realism, my ass. I think it’s right to expect the biggest thing when you’re cheering someone on.”

“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t think Choi Suwon himself is even expecting the highest WAR of all time.”

***

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

[Wow, Choi Suwon. He strikes out the first batter he faces on the 5th pitch. A very good start!]

[The energy in his pitches is very intense; it seems like he’s really determined for today’s last game of the season.]

“How do you feel?”

“About what?”

Garrett Cole subtly approached Domingo.

“I heard you asked the manager to let you start today and got turned down.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Kid, you try playing on a team for almost 10 years. There’s no story I don’t know. Anyway, how do you feel?”

“How should I feel? But seeing Suwon pitch, I’m glad he seems like he’ll pitch well today. Besides, the ace is the one who steps up first, not the one who closes the door at the end, right? He needs to crush the opponent’s spirit in the postseason to boost our momentum.”

“Ah…”

Garrett Cole nodded.

‘So that’s how the manager appeased this brat,’ he thought. ‘A little bit of spite.’ He briefly considered stirring up some discord, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no need to set a fire in a team that was doing well, especially if it was the team he was on.

‘Is the Hall of Fame even possible?’

That was what Garrett Cole was most interested in these days. If you turned on his smartphone, even just typing the letter ‘G’ would bring up autocomplete suggestions like ‘Garrett Cole HOF,’ ‘Garrett Cole Hall of Fame Possibility,’ ‘Will Garrett Cole make the Hall of Fame on his first try?’

According to the main opinions of people who like to debate on the internet, ‘Not yet’ was the majority. Statistically, he wouldn’t be out of place in the top 10, but he was deeply involved in both of the biggest scandals of the 21st century, represented by tar and trash cans—the biggest scandals since the drug era, which was his original sin.

─But his stats this year are amazing. Assuming the Yankees continue to do well, if he just sticks with the team for another 2-3 years, he might be able to wiggle his way in with the New Great Yankees buff?

─Tar Cole in the Hall of Fame lololol

─What does the team’s performance have to do with the Hall of Fame?

─It’s about the image. The reporters who vote are also people. That’s why Garrett Cole, who was caught up in the tar scandal and the trash can scandal, is seen as having a difficult time. But if the Yankees rebuild their dynasty and he continues to perform as a 2nd starter, or even a 3rd starter, for another 2-3 years? I think he’ll definitely get in within 10 tries.

But after this season’s performance, more and more people were discussing Garrett Cole’s Hall of Fame chances.

Late in his career.

Garrett Cole watched the pitching of the existence that was like a treasure to him with loving eyes.

-Clack!!!

[He hit it!! But a low ground ball!! Anthony Volpe catches it and easily throws it to 1st base!!]

“Out!!!”

[Top of the 1st inning. Three outs, change!! Choi Suwon easily shuts down Texas’s offense in the top of the 1st with a three-up, three-down inning.]

***

He didn’t intend to pitch long.

After all, he only needed 2.2 innings to meet the required innings. He pitched with all his might, as if he were a relief pitcher throwing just one inning.

“Anthony.”

“Huh?”

“You know that today’s game will be shown in highlight reels for a long time, right? This is a golden opportunity for you to be the runner who scores the winning run.”

“Putting aside the fact that it’s too arrogant to say that when it’s only the bottom of the 1st inning, aren’t you putting too much pressure on me when I’m about to go up to bat?”

“If you were the type to be pressured by this, you wouldn’t have lasted 6 years while being called Derek Jeter’s successor. Right?”

Anthony lowered his voice.

“Suwon, this is a secret, but I’m actually very weak under pressure.”

“Huh?”

“That’s why I like these days so much. No one calls me Derek Jeter’s successor or the Yankees’ next captain anymore.”

He smiled at me, who had a slightly embarrassed expression.

“Let’s do well. Mr. Yankees’ next captain.”

This was also very different from the future I knew.

In the future I knew, Anthony Volpe didn’t become a Hall of Fame-level player, but he was a man who suited the name of Yankees’ captain better than anyone else.

-Clack!!!

On the 5th pitch.

Anthony Volpe skillfully pushed an outside pitch, creating a hit that slightly passed over the infielder’s head.

And then it was my turn.

[Ah, another automatic intentional walk. It’s an automatic intentional walk.]

[It’s a historic moment as Choi Suwon achieves an on-base streak in every game he’s played in!!]

The prepared fireworks went off – pop pop.

The applause of the many people who gathered at the stadium to see this moment poured out towards me, and the other players who ran out of the dugout also gave me great congratulations.

The game was temporarily stopped, but no one complained about it. Except for one person, me.

‘Damn it.’

Even in a moment like this, it’s an intentional walk.

Well, it’s part of baseball and proof that I’m that scary of a hitter. But I still didn’t feel good. These great record moments should be decorated with something like a home run to leave an impact.

The game, which had been temporarily stopped, resumed, and I headed to first base with a slightly disgruntled expression.

[Since the game against the Kansas City Royals, many teams have been unsparingly using the strategy of avoiding Choi Suwon. In fact, if the Texas Rangers win today’s game and Houston loses, they can secure a wild card spot as the 3rd-highest win percentage team, right? The Rangers are also in a very desperate situation right now.]

[Ah, but what should I say? The record itself is a great record, but it’s a shame. As I mentioned earlier, there’s something really big at stake in this game.]

[Now, Tyler Beat is at the plate. Tyler Beat has hit a whopping 34 home runs so far this season. That’s five more than last year.]

Tyler Beat glanced at me.

Was it yesterday? He said something like this to me.

“Hey, Suwon.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry about tomorrow.”

“What is it? Are you saying you’re going to hand me the victory on a silver platter?”

“No, that’s not enough to be disappointing. Anyway, don’t worry about tomorrow. Got it?”

From Tyler Beat to Aaron Judge, and from Mike Trout back to Dennis Martinez, to Austin Battle and Oswald Wells, they showed me very well what Tyler’s words meant yesterday.

Bottom of the 1st inning.

With no outs, the score was 0:5.

The bases were loaded.

Jake, the 9th batter who came up as left fielder today, struck out.

[Bottom of the 1st inning. One out, bases loaded. The Yankees are leading by 5 points… Anthony Volpe is at the plate again. Oh my god.]

[Top of the 1st inning. Only one out with the batting order having gone through once. The Yankees’ batting lineup is really strong. They are perfectly showing that they deserve to win the most games in history, with the record right in front of them.]

-Clack!!!

[He hit it!! Anthony Volpe!! The runner on 3rd base goes home!! The runner on 2nd base stops at 3rd base!! A clean RBI hit by Anthony Volpe!! The score is now 6:0. The Yankees score a whopping 6 points in the top of the 1st inning. But it’s not over yet. There’s still only one out. The bases are loaded. Choi Suwon is at the plate. Choi Suwon is coming up.]

[Choi Suwon, who reached base with an automatic intentional walk in the previous at-bat. The current score is 6:0. What choice will the Texas dugout make here?]

If it were the Kansas City Royals’ dugout, they would have chosen an automatic intentional walk without hesitation. The manager I saw that day was a man with enough guts to do that. But the manager of today’s opponent, the Texas Rangers, didn’t have that much guts.

It was a very fortunate thing for me.

With the other hitters having heated up the atmosphere and set the stage this much, I, who could be said to be the main character, couldn’t let them down.

I didn’t need many pitches.

I looked at two, and added a little fake [feigned movement to deceive the pitcher].

And the third.

-Clack!!!!

A refreshing hit.

The ball stretched out.

It was my sixth grand slam of the season.

[It’s over!! Choi Suwon!! His 51st of the season!! A grand slam that clears the bases!! The Yankees are 10:0!! They completely dominate the game by scoring a whopping 10 points in the 1st inning!!]

[Wow, he’s really an amazing player. No, he never fails to live up to expectations. All the spectators who came to the stadium today are standing up and applauding. That’s right. That’s exactly what the fans who came to the stadium today were expecting.]

Showers of applause.

I lightly circled the ground and waved to the cheers of the people. Originally, it wasn’t a sight that a rookie could show, but since a rookie summoning Ruth’s 1921 was not normal in the first place, no one would think of picking on it.

Our attack in the bottom of the 1st inning ended with a whopping 13 points. Now, it was as if many of the things that were at stake in today’s game had been resolved.

All that remained was my personal task.

Yeah, so could I add a little paint to that old record that has been going on for 107 years? That was all.