On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 33

Four wins and two losses in a week.

As the first team’s performance improved, the faces of the second team players darkened.

Success Story as a Catcher

Battery

Gote Second Team Indoor Practice Field.

Song Seok-hyun and battery coach Kim Tae-woo were training with a pile of balls.

“Hoo-ah.”

Song Seok-hyun took off his catcher’s mask and wiped his face.

Sweat poured down onto the floor like rain.

“Good. Let’s take a break.”

Battery coach Kim Tae-woo straightened his back.

Song Seok-hyun staggered to his feet.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s not over yet.”

“Yes, I’m well aware.”

“How are you feeling? Do you have the stamina for more today?”

“I think it’ll be replenished if I rest a bit after dinner.”

“Youth is good, indeed. Great stamina.”

Song Seok-hyun leaned against the wall of the indoor practice field and sat down.

When the league opens, the second team’s league also starts.

After being chosen by Kim Tae-woo, Song Seok-hyun entered one-on-one intensive training.

While other players were playing in the second team games, Song Seok-hyun was just training and training.

“Here, this.”

Kim Tae-woo handed Song Seok-hyun a drink.

“Thank you.”

Song Seok-hyun emptied it in a hurry as soon as he opened the lid.

Kim Tae-woo sat down next to Song Seok-hyun.

“Is it working out?”

“Yes?”

“It must be very hard. But your reflexes are good, so there’s nothing more to teach you about blocking.”

“No, I’m still far from good enough.”

“You’ve shown everything you can in practice. The difference is whether you can show it in a game or not. I guess the Tancheon [a stream in Seoul known for baseball practice] ball training was more helpful than I thought?”

“I’m glad if it helped.”

Kim Tae-woo leaned his head against the wall.

Song Seok-hyun put the empty bottle down next to him.

“A catcher doesn’t get noticed even if he does well, but if he messes up, the team collapses. It’s the foundation of a building, the foundation. A foundation buried underground and not visible at all. The pitcher can trust you only if the catcher doesn’t waver.”

“Yes, I know.”

“A catcher must have a solid foundation. It’s not just about catching and blocking well, but also about watching the umpire, the pitcher, the runner, the defense, and the batter. What was the one thing I told you to do every time at bat?”

“You told me to ask the umpire if the strike zone is visible.”

“Right, what about the posture?”

“Heels only enough to fit one ball, and only enough space behind the knees to fit one hand.”

“Everything is bound to collapse without you knowing if it’s too hard. It’s easy to forget if you don’t check consciously.”

Kim Tae-woo looked at Song Seok-hyun.

“Now, you’ve also improved a lot in receiving the ball with your left leg down. Whether you kneel on your left leg or not is the difference between amateur and professional. To catch a ball coming to the left of the catcher as a strike, the left leg must be bent. You have to lift your armpit slightly, too. If a catcher can’t catch a ball coming to his left as a strike, he’s only 80 points no matter how good he is. The worst is the guy who covers the falling ball.”

“Am I okay now?”

“You’re perfect now… in practice. But you can only know this when you go out to a game. Even if a runner gets on base, can you really make a proper mitt [catcher’s glove]? No matter how good your shoulder is, throwing is another matter. There are many catchers who lack basic skills, but there are also those who have solid basic skills but have a hard time using them in practice. It’s a mental problem. Can you hold back when you shouldn’t throw to second base? Can you get over it even if the umpire is messing with the zone…?”

“Hmm.”

“Two weeks is enough. Now you have to go out to the game and gradually correct it.”

Song Seok-hyun’s eyes widened.

“Does that mean…?”

“Let’s warm up by playing about 2 or 3 innings first. It’s better to go through actual combat and correct it than to prepare perfectly and send you out.”

A smile appeared on Song Seok-hyun’s face.

“Thank you, Coach.”

“I’m telling you to move up early because you’ve endured the training without complaint. I don’t know how you built up your basic skills so well on your own. Did anyone help you?”

“No. It’s all thanks to the coach for leading me well.”

“Don’t flatter me. I’m going to put you in a game within a week. From now on, reduce your training and eat well and sleep well. For a catcher, eating a lot and sleeping a lot is the best. If a catcher’s stamina drops, the team collapses.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

Song Seok-hyun, who returned to the dormitory, put his face to the showerhead.

Warm water envelops his whole body.

Finally, the first game.

It’s a second-team game, but it’s a professional game.

Song Seok-hyun’s hands trembled.

He said within a week, so it must be the Wolves game or the Pegasus game.

“Finally…!”

* * *

The next morning.

Song Seok-hyun had breakfast with Kim In-hwan and Kim Jeong-ryul in the second team cafeteria.

“Congratulations.”

“Yeah, congratulations.”

“Nothing has been decided yet. The coach said he would suggest it….”

Kim Jeong-ryul smirked.

“That’s as good as decided. What’s so complicated about putting you in for 2-3 innings? If the coach wants to try it, the manager will usually say okay. Everyone has seen your skills, so is there any need to hold back any more?”

“But I know I’m still lacking a lot as a catcher, so I feel a bit uneasy because the period I’ve learned properly is too short.”

“This is the second team. The second team is a place to build skills. Everyone learns by getting hit [making mistakes]. If you can’t do it, you can make up for it with practice, so you don’t have to be scared.”

“Do you think so?”

“He said within a week….”

Kim In-hwan said.

“It’s likely to be the Wolves game.”

“Wolves?”

“First of all, it’s our home game, and the Wolves are a bit better than the Pegasus. If it’s the first time debuting a new catcher, wouldn’t they give you a less burdensome position?”

“Now that I hear it, that makes more sense.”

Kim Jeong-ryul snapped his fingers.

“Oh, and there’s a Woo Jin High pitcher, right? The one who was hyped as the first pick in the draft.”

Kim In-hwan replied.

“Jang Dae-hee?”

“Yeah, Jang Dae-hee. Jang Hyuk-jin’s son. If they’re from the same Woo Jin High, they might meet as classmates.”

Song Seok-hyun’s expression hardened.

Jang Dae-hee.

A face I don’t really want to remember.

“There aren’t many kids who went from Woo Jin High to the pros, right? It’ll be nice to meet a friend after a long time.”

“Yes, well….”

“Take good care of your body. Don’t overdo it just because you’re going to a game.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“You have training in the morning, too, right?”

“Yes, I have to eat this and go back to my room for a while and then go out again.”

“Do it while taking care of your body.”

“The coach said he would adjust the amount of training anyway.”

“Still, it’s your body, so you have to take good care of it.”

“Yes. Then I’ll just eat this and go.”

Song Seok-hyun emptied the remaining rice and got up from his seat.

Only Kim Jeong-ryul and Kim In-hwan were left in Song Seok-hyun’s place.

“It’s kind of amazing. When he first came here, he was stuttering.”

“I know, right? I was worried about what he would do after the rehab group was disbanded, but it’s working out like this.”

“Hoo, Seok-hyun will do well, right?”

“He’s a mentally strong guy, so he’ll adapt well. Still, being a catcher is not something that can be done in a day or two, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Well, a high school graduate catcher should learn for 1-2 years, but I have high expectations for Seok-hyun. His batting is so good.”

“What about you? Is there anything you’re not good at?”

“Me, well….”

Kim In-hwan lowered his head.

“You’re getting better again after fixing your posture.”

“It’s still the second team.”

“Doesn’t your on-base percentage exceed 50% now?”

“The pitchers are avoiding the match.”

“In the past, even if they avoided the match, you would swing your bat around, but you don’t do that these days.”

“Well, still….”

“You, think positively. Look at Seok-hyun. Did he come in as a high school graduate and get flustered while looking at other people’s faces? Sports are half about mindset anyway. Don’t be so quiet usually, and be calm at bat. What’s so urgent at bat?”

“Well, I can’t do it as I please.”

“It’s because you keep trying to show something. Do it one step at a time. Seok-hyun and you, if the potential explodes, it’s like a league bomber [someone who dominates the league].”

Kim In-hwan scratched his sideburns.

“I don’t even know if I have potential. Isn’t it just that I’m strong?”

“Just being strong is already half over. You can fill the other half slowly.”

“Hoo, the coach tells me to do whatever I want, but I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

“Then go to Coach Song.”

“Coach Song? Who is it?”

Kim In-hwan blinked.

Kim Jeong-ryul chuckled while eating.

“Seok-hyun, you idiot. Seok-hyun knows a lot. Theoretically, there’s no one in this clubhouse who knows more about baseball than Seok-hyun. You changed your batting form after realizing something while working with Seok-hyun. If you stick with Seok-hyun more, you might realize something more.”

“Hmm, do you think so? Wouldn’t Seok-hyun be uncomfortable?”

“What if he’s a little uncomfortable? If you ask him to help, wouldn’t he help you?”

“I’d feel sorry if he’s uncomfortable….”

Kim Jeong-ryul put down his spoon.

“Hey, Kim In-hwan.”

“Yes?”

Kim In-hwan widened his eyes in surprise as Kim Jeong-ryul lowered his voice.

“Be comfortable, be comfortable. You’re always serious about everything and you’re too formal. You’re like that to me too. I’m your older brother and your senior, and it’s been a while since I told you to call me brother, but you still can’t bring yourself to do it. That’s not a good thing. Don’t keep building walls and being so serious. You’ve become close to Seok-hyun, so be affectionate. Be brothers. An older brother can ask his younger brother for a favor. If you’re sorry, buy him something delicious. Why are you so serious about everything?”

Kim In-hwan became speechless.

Kim Jeong-ryul sighed deeply.

“Being that way is a disease, a disease. Let’s relax. Let’s go comfortably. Share this and that with Seok-hyun. If you only talk when there’s work to do, it’s even more impersonal, you idiot.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Tsk, don’t say that either. In this case, just say ‘Ah, I understand. I’ll do better in the future.’ Don’t be so serious.”

“…Yes.”

“You eat all of this and go to Seok-hyun. You’ll have some time until the morning training, so stick next to him and talk to him, whether it works out or not. If you can’t get anything from the coaches, you have to look at books, surf the Internet, or ask others. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, if you know, eat quickly and get up. You don’t have to wait until I finish eating.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Tsk. ‘Yes, brother.’ Do it like that.”

Kim In-hwan pursed his lips.

“Yes, brother.”

“Okay, eat quickly and get up.”

Kim In-hwan emptied the rice in an instant and got up from his seat.

When he left, he muttered softly in an awkward voice.

“Then I’ll go, brother.”

“Okay, go.”

As Kim In-hwan left, Kim Jeong-ryul put down his spoon.

“If that guy’s mentality was only half of Seok-hyun’s, he would have bombed the league. What a waste of a big guy.”

Kim Jeong-ryul roughly scraped the remaining rice and was about to leave when someone sat down in front of him.

When he looked up, it was pitching coach Yeon Woo-sik.

“Oh, hyung [older brother/senior]. Good morning.”

“Are you trying to get up?”

“Yes, what brings you up so early, hyung?”

“Just a coincidence. More than that, Jeong-ryul.”

“Yes, why?”

“You have to go up to the mound now. Are you ready? Are you confident?”

Success Story as a Catcher

Bad Timing

“Already?”

Yeon Woo-sik frowned at Kim Jeong-ryul’s reaction.

“That’s enough, how much more are you going to age it? Are you going to make aged kimchi [implying over-preparation]? You have to get a feel for it while playing the game.”

“But it hasn’t even been a month since I started throwing underhand in earnest.”

“You said you’ve been throwing for months, right?”

“That was throwing as a concept of rehabilitation.”

“Just do it. Hey, hey, don’t you know? Pitchers learn by getting hit [making mistakes]. Why? Are you afraid of being embarrassed if you get hit?”

Kim Jeong-ryul shrugged.

“Okay. Why are you talking so hard? I’ll do it.”

“You rascal, you should have said it so coolly from the start.”

“What do you think, hyung? My ball isn’t bad, right?”

“Good, you idiot. As a coach, I think you’re so good that there might not be anyone in the league who throws underhand better than you.”

“Hey, don’t exaggerate.”

Kim Jeong-ryul smiled, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You rascal, I’m saying it as a coach. First of all, the angle of ascent is good. These days, an orthodox underhand like you is rare. No, isn’t there one? The deception is good and the sinker angle is good……. Ah, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while.”

“What is it?”

“You know it’s hard for you to be a starter now, right?”

Kim Jeong-ryul swallowed hard.