On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 32

“…Are you sure you didn’t misstate that 148 km/h?”

“But even that is a bit inflated by the speed gun, so you should subtract about 3-5 km/h.”

The battery coach turned his head to meet eyes with the conditioning coach.

“That guy’s insane.”

“I know, right? He’s really crazy.”

“With that speed, he should be a pitcher, not a catcher.”

The battery coach squatted down again.

“Hey, keep throwing the ball. Let’s see what it comes out to.”

Bang!

As if he had been waiting, Song Seok-hyeon fired the ball.

“148 km/h.”

“…….”

“Should I bring the mask and protector?”

“……Bring them. And is there a mitt somewhere that’s thicker than this one?”

“I’ll look for one. Oh, should I call Coach Yeon, too?”

“That’s on hold for now. On hold.”

* * *

Second-team manager’s office.

After training, the manager and coaches were sitting on the sofa.

The center of attention was, of course, Song Seok-hyeon.

“He needs to be a pitcher. He quit pitching, but he’s throwing 155 km/h. We absolutely have to make him a pitcher.”

These were the words of pitching coach Yeon Woo-sik.

“He says he can’t throw a lot because of slight elbow pain, so what pitcher are you talking about?”

This was the battery coach, Kim Tae-woo.

“Then we can develop him as a closer.”

“He said himself that he doesn’t want to be a pitcher, that he wants to be a catcher and has been practicing all this time, so what pitcher? And the hospital said they don’t know the reason either. We have to think about the player’s career.”

“That’s because he didn’t get a proper detailed examination. If we do a detailed examination now and find the cause, we can fix it.”

“Hey, Seok-hyeon has probably already done all that.”

“Did you ask him?”

“Come on, Coach Yeon. Why are you being so aggressive? It’s not like he wants to be a pitcher.”

“First, we need to get him checked out and then persuade him. He’s been a pitcher for many more years than he’s been a catcher, so it’s right to make him a pitcher.”

At this point, the quiet hitting coach opened his mouth.

“Um… in my opinion, since he has hitting ability, it would be better to develop him as a position player rather than a pitcher. You saw the home run earlier. Hitting a home run to the opposite field, not just anyone can do that. He’s a natural strongman. Even if he’s not as good as In-hwan, he’s probably in the top three in terms of power in both the first and second teams. He absolutely has to be a hitter. And if possible, I think it’s better to develop him as an outfielder.”

“Outfielder?”

“What, outfield?”

Both the pitching coach and the battery coach glared.

The hitting coach did not back down.

“He has a strong arm and is a power hitter. He’s perfect for the outfield. Put him in left field—no, right field—and develop him, and it’ll be the best. A hitter who bats third or fourth and is a strong-armed outfielder. Then the game is over. Considering his power earlier, he’s a hitter who can hit 30 home runs even in Jamsil Stadium [a baseball stadium in Seoul known for being difficult to hit home runs in].”

“Wow, frustrating. Coach Kang. Can’t you see? Think about In-hwan’s case. He might just be strong. There are many cases where pitchers who are good at pitching are also good at hitting, right? If we put our expectations on him like In-hwan and waste time, it’ll be hard for everyone. He needs to go as a pitcher. First, we need to get him a detailed examination and then think about whether to develop him as a starter or a closer. Right?”

“Why are you guys trying to take the catcher to another position? Seok-hyeon is very attached to being a catcher. Why are you all distorting the player’s true feelings?”

Manager Gu Chang-hyeon, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“Stop, stop. Everyone, calm down.”

Everyone shut their mouths when Manager Gu Chang-hyeon stepped in.

Except for the conditioning coach, all of the second-team coaching staff were from Gote. They were senior and junior colleagues before being coaching staff, and Gu Chang-hyeon was the most senior of them all.

“Let’s get this straight. Everyone agrees that Song Seok-hyeon is the real deal, right?”

Everyone nodded silently.

Hadn’t they seen it clearly with their own eyes?

“I’ve been thinking about it too. Coach Kim, how were his fundamentals as a catcher?”

“I haven’t looked at everything yet, but his catching and blocking are above basic.”

“Tell me without any bias. He was a high schooler until last year, but his fundamentals are solid?”

“I’m telling you, it’s true. He doesn’t have the skill to take out his left knee yet, but he’s good enough as a backup catcher.”

“So, his qualifications as a catcher are certain? He’s been a catcher for three years now, so that’s enough.”

“To be honest, he’s only been a catcher for about two years, but with that skill, he’s a prospect for a big-time catcher.”

“Hmm, you’re really talking without any bias?”

“Come on, trust me, trust me.”

“If that’s true, then he’s really a big-time catcher material…”

Success as a catcher

Jealousy is someone else’s business

Jealousy.

The act of envying and hating others.

In professional baseball, where competition is commonplace, jealousy is neither a flaw nor a weakness. It is an everyday occurrence that must be accepted.

When Song Seok-hyeon wanted to enter the second team as Kim Jeong-ryul’s exclusive catcher, he braced himself for envy and jealousy.

No one likes a parachute landing [an unexpected or undeserved entry into a position]. Especially if it’s an undrafted catcher with no connections.

Generally speaking, this is true, but after the showcase, the seeds of envy and jealousy were uprooted.

A power hitter who hits over the fence to the opposite field, a strong arm that throws 155 km/h with a fastball.

When the level is different, jealousy disappears.

“Woojin High School? Ah, I’ve heard of it. Woojin High School Song Seok-hyeon. You’re from Guseong Middle School, right? Guseong Middle School Song Seok-hyeon.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“My younger brother also plays baseball, so I’ve heard your name a lot. Guseong Middle School Song Seok-hyeon, you were famous. They said you were going straight to the major leagues. They said you were throwing 160 km/h back then?”

“Not quite that much… I think it was over 150 km/h.”

“That’s right. Wow, I heard your name so much around the time my brother graduated that I memorized it. But why did you become a catcher? Why did you quit pitching?”

“Well, that’s…”

Song Seok-hyeon was surrounded by players and subjected to a background check.

The players, whose hearts had softened due to Song Seok-hyeon’s display of skill, completely opened their hearts when they learned that Song Seok-hyeon was the Song Seok-hyeon from Woojin High School.

“So, you can’t pitch?”

“It’s like, it hurts and then it doesn’t hurt, it keeps going back and forth. Some days I can throw a hundred pitches with all my strength and be fine, but other days it hurts even if I only throw forty. And once the pain comes, it lasts a long time. So, I thought it would be difficult to be a pitcher, so I switched to catcher.”

“Wow, I’ve seen catchers become pitchers, but this is the first time I’ve seen a pitcher switch to catcher. So that’s why you weren’t drafted. If I were you, I wouldn’t have switched. Even if you didn’t throw the ball, you would have been drafted just by your name. Right?”

The one showering Song Seok-hyeon with questions was catcher Jeong Ji-hwan.

The second-team starting catcher and a player who is often called up to the first team, he was the most senior player in the second team except for Kim Jeong-ryul.

“That seemed too much like a gamble…”

“Well, the signing bonus wouldn’t be that much anyway, so it would just be a waste of time and ambiguous.”

At this time, another man slyly poked his face out and said.

“Is he going to push you out and take your catcher spot?”

“Aren’t you a catcher? You’re talking like it’s someone else’s business.”

“Well, I’m going to the military next year anyway.”

“You seem confident you’ll pass? You need good results to pass the Sangmu tryouts [Sangmu is the athletic corps of the South Korean Armed Forces, offering athletes a chance to continue their careers while serving their military duty].”

“Hey, everyone knows that catchers are always in short supply, so it’s pretty much a free pass, I know that and you know that too. Why are you doing this, haha.”

The one joking with Jeong Ji-hwan was catcher Jang Byeong-jun.

A college graduate who joined the team and is in his second year this year.

With no clear achievements, he was scheduled to enlist in the military next year.

“I’m planning to switch positions too, so I think you’re the only one who needs to be nervous here.”

The one laughing as if teasing Jeong Ji-hwan was catcher Park Jang-hyeon.

A player known for his strength even in the second team, but his talent as a catcher was poor.

The club was considering switching him to another position.

“These guys. When a rookie who’s still wet behind the ears does this well, you should be nervous, but you’re all relaxed.”

“Hey, why are you like that? You should be happy that you have such a reliable rookie. You’re the one who always said you’d be frustrated to death if you left the catching to us.”

“You guys know that? You should be thinking about working harder.”

“I’m going to the military, and he’s going to switch positions. I’ll work hard in the military.”

Jang Byeong-jun and Park Jang-hyeon grabbed their stomachs and laughed at what was funny.

Jeong Ji-hwan sighed deeply.

“These guys are so out of it.”

Song Seok-hyeon looked at the three of them as if they were amazing.

It was different from what he had heard about Gote’s second team.

A listless and nervous atmosphere.

Perhaps because the competition for positions was not fierce, the atmosphere was welcoming to Song Seok-hyeon.

“Let’s do well in the future. Ask me if there’s anything you don’t know. Ah, but that won’t happen. The coach will be taking care of you one-on-one again.”

Jang Byeong-jun shuddered when the coach’s name came up.

“Ugh, to have to do that hellish training. I already feel sorry for the rookie.”

“You shouldn’t say that. Who made you even remotely human as a catcher?”

“I thought I was going to die. Wow, my hands are still shaking and my heart is pounding.”

“It would be worth watching if he could just be human as a catcher. Il-hyeok and Jang-il should be a little nervous.”

“But you have to stay here for a while to go to the first team. It’s certain that Il-hyeok senior will leave as a free agent [FA], and Jang-il hyung [older brother/senior in Korean] is old enough to be his son, so why would he be nervous?”

“Anyway, an interesting rookie has come in. It’s been a while since a huge nuclear bomb like this has come to our second team.”

“We also have Daesung, the first-round pick this year. He’s also a huge talent.”

“Well, he’s good, but our rookie is no joke either. It’s going to be quite interesting in the future.”

* * *

After finishing second-team training, the catchers bought Song Seok-hyeon dinner, saying it was a welcome party.

Song Seok-hyeon returned from the meat restaurant with a full stomach.

Kim Jeong-ryul was sitting on a bench in front of the dorm.

“Yo, did you have fun?”

“Huh? Were you waiting for me?”

“Kind of. I’m on my way back from checking on In-hwan, who has a cold.”

“Is In-hwan senior okay?”

“Well, he’s stressed and this time of year is perfect for catching a cold. But I think he’ll be better if he rests for a day or two.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

“Come sit down. Did you have a delicious dinner?”

“Yes, I got some meat. The seniors are nicer to me than I thought. I heard the second-team atmosphere wasn’t good.”

Kim Jeong-ryul chuckled.

“Half right and half wrong. The useful guys leave as FA compensation players, and the manager only calls up pitchers, so the atmosphere isn’t good. But catchers are a little different. Only Ji-hwan is fixed, and Byeong-jun and Jang-hyeon won’t be in the second team next year, so they’re just happy that a rookie is coming. If you had gone to the infield or outfield, the atmosphere would have been fierce.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

“Because the catcher position is tough. There aren’t many who apply in the first place, and among those who do, there are few who have the fundamentals. So, catchers have a strong bond with each other. In the first place, selfish guys can’t last as catchers.”

Song Seok-hyeon breathed a sigh of relief.

“I was really nervous today, but I think it went smoothly.”

“Not smoothly. It was impactful! Today’s impact was the best. Everyone must have been surprised. Coach Woo-sik, our second-team pitching coach, said that everyone was fighting to take you. He told me to ask you if you had any thoughts of being a pitcher. He said to get a detailed examination and become a pitcher.”

“I’ve had a detailed examination before. There are no physical abnormalities. If it’s a nerve problem, they said they can’t do anything about it.”

“It’s a shame. Your shoulder, I mean.”

Song Seok-hyeon fiddled with his shoulder.

“I’ve already decided to be a catcher, so I don’t have any intention of being a pitcher now. Once it starts hurting, it lasts a long time. You know that too, senior.”

“I know that dirty feeling. That’s why I throw underhand. But you should get a detailed examination one more time. Coach Woo-sik insisted that you absolutely have to get one. The decision will be made soon from above, so get a detailed examination.”

“Ah… I just started training, but I have to leave.”

“Are you going to be hospitalized for a week? Don’t exaggerate.”

Song Seok-hyeon scratched the bridge of his nose.

“I liked training with the team for the first time.”

“You’ll be doing it so much that you’ll be out of breath. Our Coach Bae is famous for making training hard. You might beg him to save you later.”

“I don’t care if it’s hard. It’s okay as long as I can do it properly.”

Kim Jeong-ryul grinned.

“Anyway. Your mentality is better than your skill. I can’t rest with a guy like you next to me. How about today? Can you catch my ball a little? Should I rest?”

Song Seok-hyeon got up from his seat.

“I’m always welcome. Let’s go.”

* * *

Song Seok-hyeon went for a detailed examination the next day.

The test results showed no abnormalities.

The pitching coach, Yeon Woo-sik, kept begging him to start pitching now, saying that it only hurt for a while and now it’s okay.

Each time, the battery coach, Kim Tae-woo, pushed Yeon Woo-sik away with a serious face.

Only after second-team manager Gu Chang-hyeon stepped in and decided to push him as a catcher did the tense tug-of-war between the coaches end.

Song Seok-hyeon began full-scale training, starting with one-on-one training with battery coach Kim Tae-woo.

The day Song Seok-hyeon’s training began was the league’s opening day.

Song Seok-hyeon put his sweat-soaked uniform in the washing machine and watched the first-team game.

-Strike! Out!

-Ah, Michael Fish. His ball is good as expected. That ball was over 150 km/h, right?

-It seems that Gote has signed a good player this time.

-He recorded an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] in the 4s even in the major leagues, and last year he recorded an ERA in the 3s in Triple-A [the highest level of minor league baseball].

-It can be said that he is one of the better players signed this year. Strictly speaking, I think he is one of the top three foreign players this year.

-The disclosed contract size is only about 1 million dollars. You can feel that Gote has been sharpening its knives this year.

-Last year, Daejeon Phoenix unexpectedly won the championship, so all the teams, no, the whole nation was surprised, right? With Kim Young-hoon, the main player of the championship, out due to rehabilitation, the league has entered a state of confusion again. Seoul Gote is a good enough team, so I want to say that they can compete for the championship.

-However, Manager Im Eui-soo stimulated the club with an interview, which became a controversy in the world.

-I know that he is disappointed that he could not catch the FA [Free Agent] players released this year, but Manager Im Eui-soo has caught only five players as external FAs during his tenure. That’s not a small number at all. I wonder if there has ever been a history of supporting the manager this much. Gote is still a good team. There are many good players. Rather, the backup layer is weak, which is a flaw. There were many outflows of good players as FA players.

-This year is the last year of Manager Im Eui-soo’s contract. I am really curious whether Gote will be able to lift the championship trophy that they have not been able to lift for over 10 years.

Song Seok-hyeon sat on the bed and watched the game.

These are the teammates he will play with when he goes up to the first team.

Leaving aside the two foreign players, Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok, the 1st and 2nd starters, are A-class starting agents in the league.

Of course, they brought the two people as FAs.

Choi Dae-gyu and Kang Mun-gyu, who play 1st and 3rd base, are achieving solid results with solid defense and high on-base percentage.

Both of them are also FAs.

Lee Nak-gyun, who plays left field, is a home run king from Daegu Scorpion.

He has fewer home runs since coming to Jamsil, but he is still a monster with an OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a comprehensive hitting statistic] of 90%.

Five star players recruited as FAs.

Compared to their performance, Gote’s players were flashy.

The problem is that Kim Jeong-ryul is the only star player among Gote’s franchise players.

Even he was currently in the second team.

“Is it like a cheese champion [a team built by acquiring expensive free agents rather than developing their own talent]?…”

Contrary to Song Seok-hyeon’s concerns, Gote’s start was good.