On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 12

Bang!

Bang!

It had been over a week since Song Seok-hyun joined Goat.

Song Seok-hyun’s daily routine was simple.

He would wake up in the morning and do personal training, including weights and running.

In the afternoon, he would participate in official team training and assist with the rehab group’s exercises.

The evenings were his free time.

There were three pitchers in the rehab group.

His main job was to catch for Kim Jeong-ryul, Go Chang-hyun, and Kim Hyung-seok.

It was a world of difference compared to catching at the screen baseball field.

He was now catching for players who were quite famous, even on the first team.

The problem, however, lay elsewhere.

“Alright. That’s it for today. Good work.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Kim Jeong-ryul wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.

Song Seok-hyun put down his mitt and stood up.

“Are the other two not coming out again today?”

“Who? Chang-hyun and Hyung-seok?”

“Yes, they haven’t been here since that one time.”

“Well…”

Kim Jeong-ryul shrugged.

“They must have their reasons.”

Kim Jeong-ryul came over and sat next to Song Seok-hyun.

“Why? Do you not like it because it’s too quiet?”

“No. It’s not that, but…”

“But what?”

“I was wondering if it’s okay for them to be absent like this during regular training hours.”

“Absent? Haha, you’re different because you’re a high schooler. Absent? What’s ‘absent’?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“No. I just said that because the word sounded so new coming from you.”

Kim Jeong-ryul picked up his water bottle and took a sip.

Song Seok-hyun turned his head and glanced at Kim Jeong-ryul’s face.

Kim Jeong-ryul always smiled, but as Song Seok-hyun got used to it, he began to see Kim Jeong-ryul’s true feelings.

Pathos.

Was this what a clown who swallowed his tears looked like in movies?

Training with just the two of them.

Kim Jeong-ryul always encouraged Song Seok-hyun with a smile, but his shoulders always seemed to droop, betraying his words.

Kim Jeong-ryul stared at the wall in silence for a long time.

Song Seok-hyun also looked at the wall, following Kim Jeong-ryul’s gaze.

Kim Jeong-ryul broke the long silence.

“Chang-hyun is thinking of coaching at his alma mater, I hear.”

“Coaching… does that mean he’s retiring?”

“I don’t know if it’s retirement or getting cut, but it seems like that’s what’s going to happen.”

“Ah, yes…”

Song Seok-hyun also kept his words to a minimum.

He had prepared himself, having heard about it from Go Young-jin, but things were unfolding as expected.

“Hyung-seok’s lower back isn’t doing well, so it seems like it will take a long time before he can throw a ball. Originally, he was supposed to be able to throw by the first half of next year, but he’s complaining about the pain, so who knows. It seems like it will be the second half of the year at the earliest, but I don’t know if the team will wait for him until then.”

“…”

“They were guys who really busted their butts in the bullpen. It’s a shame. They were part of the first team’s winning formula when they were doing well.”

Kim Jeong-ryul pulled his hat down further, shadowing his face.

There was sorrow in Kim Jeong-ryul’s voice.

“Seok-hyun.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve probably caught on to the atmosphere here, right?”

“…”

“This is called the rehab group, but it’s practically neglect. It’s like they’re telling the guys who are going to leave to just leave on their own.”

“Can’t you rehabilitate well here and go back up?”

“Haha.”

Kim Jeong-ryul burst into a hollow laugh.

“If it was that kind of injury, they would have gone to JMR [Joint Medical Resources, a specialized sports medicine facility]. This is a place for guys with long-term injuries that are difficult to recover from. Or guys like me who are neither here nor there. It’s not bad because you still get paid even if you’re here, but you can’t just stay here indefinitely. If you read the room and leave first, the front office can find you a job, but if you hold out until the end, they’ll just cut you off.”

“So, isn’t it the same whether you leave on your own or get cut?”

“It’s the same. But they encourage you to retire on your own if possible. It looks better that way. Originally, there wasn’t even an official rehab group. Other teams created it, so we created it too. We call it the rehab group, but…”

Kim Jeong-ryul didn’t continue.

There must have been a cruelty hidden in the omitted words that Kim Jeong-ryul couldn’t bring himself to say.

“If Chang-hyun and Hyung-seok had done well, they would have made a lot of money as free agents… I don’t think I’ll see either of them next year. I think I’ll be the only one left.”

“But you’re going to go back up to the first team, right, sunbae [senior/mentor]? You’re Goat’s Ace of Aces.”

“Me?”

Kim Jeong-ryul pointed at himself as if surprised.

“Yes, of course.”

“You haven’t been watching baseball properly these days, have you? My nickname these days is Kim Eat-and-Run, Kim Eat-and-Run. But since I still have my FA [Free Agent] contract, I’ll probably be here until next year, but next year will be my last.”

Kim Jeong-ryul put his hand on Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder.

“But since hyung [older brother/senior] will be here until next year, you’ll be fine until next year too. I’m worried about you. You came here because you wanted to play, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ll be honest with you. It’s difficult to even debut in the second team if you’re here. The purpose of creating the rehab group is to separate the trash. No, it’s trash separation.”

Kim Jeong-ryul clenched one fist tightly.

“I’m still better off. I got money as a free agent. I feel bad for the other guys. This is every man for himself. You have to survive on your own. You too. Don’t just catch my balls, use your connections to find out about other teams. No one pays attention to the rehab group. There won’t be any attention going to you.”

“…Is that so?”

“I’m sorry for talking about depressing things, but I thought you should know. I feel sorry for you when I see you working hard until late at night.”

“Thank you, sunbae.”

“Thank you for what.”

Kim Jeong-ryul took off his hat and leaned against the wall.

“I’m more sorry to you. Chang-hyun and Hyung-seok were going to leave anyway. I’m the only one who can throw a ball in the pitcher group, and you came here because of me, right? I didn’t have a chance to see your skills, but your mitt work and your training attitude… if you had gone to a team like Fox or Phoenix, you could have moved up, but you’re wasting your time here and missing the best timing. Well… that’s why I feel so sorry.”

Song Seok-hyun shook his head.

“No. I’m satisfied enough that I can come to a professional team and train like this thanks to you, sunbae.”

“…What satisfaction is there when a player can’t play in a game? I had a time like you when I was young. Why wouldn’t I know your heart? It’s normal to want to play in a game even if your body breaks at your age.”

“…”

“Train hard while you’re here. You’re a catcher. If you’re a diligent high school catcher, other teams might take you with the mindset of scratching a lottery ticket.”

“Will that happen? I haven’t had a single offer so far.”

“You never know what will happen in the future. I didn’t know I would end up like this. Haha, ha, ha… Tsk.”

Kim Jeong-ryul got up.

“Let’s go. You need to rest too.”

Song Seok-hyun followed Kim Jeong-ryul and stood up.

“But sunbae.”

“Yeah?”

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“I’m curious about what you injured that you’re rehabilitating.”

“Me?”

Kim Jeong-ryul gave a bitter smile.

“Officially, it’s my elbow.”

Song Seok-hyun flinched at the mention of his elbow.

“Unofficially, it’s Stave Blass syndrome [a condition affecting baseball players, making them unable to throw accurately]. I don’t know if you’d know if I said it like that. To put it more simply, it’s the yips.”

“…Excuse me?”

* * *

Song Seok-hyun returned to his dorm and took a shower.

Warm water flowed down his shoulders, over his chest, and to his toes.

“The yips…”

Kim Jeong-ryul’s ball was weak and wobbly, but he thought he was just rehabilitating.

He hadn’t measured the speed, but it was probably around 135~140km/h [approximately 84-87 mph].

It was an insufficient speed for a professional player, but if he could complete his rehabilitation safely, he could improve it to a level where he could play on the first team stage.

But if it’s the yips, it’s a different story.

Even if the speed is 160km/h [approximately 99 mph], it’s useless if you have the yips.

“What to do.”

Song Seok-hyun finished his shower and sat on the bed.

He knew that the rehab group was a remote area even within the second team, but it felt even bleaker hearing it directly from Kim Jeong-ryul.

Wasn’t it too much to say it was difficult to debut in the second team, let alone the first team?

If he stayed like this, he would be destined to be cut off with Kim Jeong-ryul, just catching Kim Jeong-ryul’s balls as Kim Jeong-ryul said. Maybe another rehab group pitcher would come in and prolong his life, but what was the point of that?

Song Seok-hyun leaned against the wall and looked at the unlit desk.

“…”

Time flowed.

The darkness had subsided long ago.

It was past midnight and dawn was approaching.

Song Seok-hyun got up and picked up his phone.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

“…Hello?”

-What, at this hour?

The person Song Seok-hyun called was Kim Young-seok.

“Hey, what were you doing?”

-I was playing ranked games and taking a break. What about you? Aren’t you sleeping?

“Me? I just woke up for a bit. Hey. There’s something I want to ask you.”

-Yeah, what is it?

“You know Kim Jeong-ryul, right?”

-I know Kim Jeong-ryul. Why wouldn’t I? Kim Eat-and-Run.

“…Hmm. Anyway, tell me what you know about Kim Jeong-ryul.”

-Suddenly? At this hour?

“Yeah, just tell me briefly.”

-This is out of the blue.

Kim Young-seok paused for a moment.

-Kim Jeong-ryul. Goat’s Ace of Aces. A right-handed fastball pitcher. He made 8 billion [currency, likely won] as a free agent, but now he’s Kim Eat-and-Run. Well, it was a natural progression, he threw more than 180 innings a year. He’s had three surgeries, so his speed has decreased and his control is hopeless. He’ll probably retire next year?

“…”

-But why suddenly? Are you hanging out with Kim Jeong-ryul?

“He’s practically my soulmate. Kim Jeong-ryul is the only senior who throws balls in the rehab group.”

-I see. Kim Jeong-ryul would be in the rehab group. But why are you asking about that all of a sudden, at this early hour?

“Do you think Kim Jeong-ryul can make a comeback?”

-Kim Jeong-ryul? I don’t know, it’s going to be difficult. He’s been throwing a lot since he was young, and he’s had three surgeries and made it to FA, so I don’t think he has any motivation. Ah, you’d know better than me. You train together.”

“Sunbae is training hard. I think he wants to come back, but his ball is not good. The end of the ball is dull.”

-That means the spin rate is dropping. It’s common to not be able to put power into the ball properly after having a lot of surgeries. Then the answer is clear. He can’t make a comeback. There’s no way to make a comeback.”

“Do you think so?”

-Most of those pitchers have retired. Has there ever been a player who has come back…? I don’t think so.

“…I see.”

-Have you become friends with Kim Jeong-ryul in the meantime? Is that why you’re worried? You’re calling me at this early hour and suddenly asking about Kim Jeong-ryul.”

“I’m worried, and my future depends on it.”

-Your future? What does Kim Jeong-ryul have to do with your future?”

“This is my guess and expectation, but it’s hard to escape the rehab group unless someone pulls me out of here. The only person who can pull me out of here is Kim Jeong-ryul sunbae.”

-……Is that so? Is it difficult for you to even play in the second team games?”

“Yeah, the conditions here are worse than I thought. The treatment of the rehab group is very bad. It’s like a place to stop by right before being cut off.”

-No, but why Kim Jeong-ryul of all people? Even I think he’s hopeless, right now.”

“…Besides, he has the yips.”

-The yips? Kim Jeong-ryul?”

“Yeah, sunbae said it himself. He said he has the yips.”

A sigh came from Kim Young-seok.

-Damn it. Then the chances of him making a comeback are like 0.000000001%? Wow, damn. Is there no one else who can pull you out besides Kim Jeong-ryul? Really?”

“Yeah, there’s no one. Not right now. I don’t think a player with a better name value or skill than Kim Jeong-ryul sunbae will come to the rehab group in the future, and even if they do, I don’t know if they’ll be friendly to me. Sunbae is like my lifeline, isn’t there any way? You’re a baseball expert. You know more about baseball than I do. Isn’t there any way to overcome the yips? If he overcomes the yips, he can play in the game somehow.”

Kim Young-seok kept silent for a long time.

-Ha, the yips… It’s not that there’s no way, but…

Surging as a catcher

The yips

“There is such a way?”

-I saw it in a book. But I don’t know if there’s really a case where it worked. But it’s the only method presented as training, not mind control, that I’ve seen, so I remember it.”

“What’s the name of the book?”

-Wait, I forgot the title too. Hang up. I’ll find it and send you the link.”

Song Seok-hyun hung up the phone.

While waiting for the call, Song Seok-hyun was lost in thought.

The time he spent at Goat was only a week, but it was enough time to figure out what the situation was.

Goat was one of the richest teams, but it had been a long time since they had been in the championship since their two wins in the 90s.

A team owner who doesn’t spare money on supporting the baseball team but actively intervenes in the baseball team’s operation, a scarecrow president who is the team owner’s drinking buddy, a general manager who has fallen out of favor, a power struggle between the parachute general manager and the front office, a factional fight between coaches surrounding the manager, discord between FA players and existing players, and a front office with great specs but little interest in baseball.

The worst of these was the second team.

Since the team owner doesn’t spare money and signs FA players, 1.5 team players are sold as compensation players.

The disappearance of the 1.5 team means that the middle class is thinning and the skills of the players are polarized.

Players who should develop their skills in the second team and go to the first team stay in the second team, so the second team’s performance has improved, but the second team’s morale has fallen to the worst.

A sense of defeat that it’s useless to work hard.

Even if you go to the first team with difficulty, you’ll be demoted to the second team right away if you make a small mistake.

Goat challenges for the championship every season, so they don’t have the luxury of giving opportunities to promising players.