On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 47

“Yes.”

“What do you think of my pitches? Do you really like my fastball?”

Song Seok-hyun breathed out through his nose.

“Your inside fastball is A-grade.”

“Why are you specifying inside? Is my outside pitch not good enough?”

“Your outside pitch is average, but your inside fastball is better.”

“How can they be different when they’re both fastballs?”

“Usually, there’s at least a 2-3 km/h difference, or even more than 5 km/h difference, between a pitcher’s inside and outside fastballs. They take some power off the inside pitch, being conscious of hitting the batter. But there’s not much difference between your inside and outside pitches. That means your inside fastball is like a 145 km/h fastball from a pitcher to the batter. Plus, you put more spin on the ball, so it feels like it rises more. To exaggerate a bit, an inside high ball will feel like 150 km/h to the batter.”

“150 km/h… I’d have no regrets if I could throw that fast.”

“Hyung [older brother or respected male figure], let’s go now.”

Jung Jin-oh asked, following Song Seok-hyun.

“Okay, what about my curveball and slider? And my changeup?”

“Honestly?”

“Moderately. Moderately honestly.”

“Your changeup is just okay. But your curveball is upper-middle grade, and your slider is a little better than average.”

“Then I need to improve my curveball, right?”

“But you have a really bad habit when you throw your curveball. Curveballs are usually easy to spot, but yours is even more obvious. You twist your wrist a lot, so the curve angle is good, but that makes it easier to see.”

“…I can’t deny that. I do twist my wrist a lot when I throw my curveball.”

“Why don’t you try throwing a knuckle curve? You’re not that fast, and your release point isn’t that high, so a knuckle curve would be better than a traditional curveball.”

“Why? You said my curveball was good?”

“First, with a knuckle curve, the ball rises, making it difficult to distinguish between a fastball and a curveball until it passes the recognition point. Second, knuckle curves don’t usually have a big angle, but you can put a lot of spin on it. I think you could make the angle really good.”

“Really…? I haven’t really thought about a knuckle curve.”

“You’re not a traditionalist or an artist right now, you’re kind of in between. If we’re just talking about speed, you should be an artist, but your repertoire is closer to a traditionalist. Like your 12-6 curveball. Your form is good, but your control isn’t great because your arm angle is too high. You could lower your arm angle a bit to sharpen your control and mix in a knuckle curve and slider, making it harder for the batter to pick up.”

“If I lower my arm angle, the ball will curve sideways. I’ll lose my breaking ball? And you said my changeup wasn’t good?”

“You have a knuckle curve. You can create enough angle to make it drop.”

“Really…?”

Song Seok-hyun stopped walking abruptly.

“Ah, but don’t take everything I say literally. This is just the direction I think you should go, and you probably have your own ideas. If you lower your arm angle and learn a knuckle curve right now, you’ll ruin the whole season. Ugh… You asked, so I answered, but talk to the coach about everything.”

Song Seok-hyun left first.

Jung Jin-oh stood there, stroking his chin.

“I’m ambiguous… Hmm…”

* * *

Life in the minor leagues doesn’t end when the game is over.

You have to do stretching and supplementary exercises after the game, and then shower and clean up. There’s also personal training time after dinner.

This includes meetings with the coach.

“Sit down.”

Song Seok-hyun headed to the office at the call of battery coach Kim Tae-woo.

“Yes, did you have a good meal?”

“Yeah, I did. It tasted even better because we won today.”

The coach burst into laughter.

“You worked hard today, right?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“I let you handle all the ball distribution today, and it was good. You led aggressively.”

“It’s all thanks to the coach teaching me well.”

“Me? I don’t know. Did I teach you that much?”

Song Seok-hyun smiled awkwardly.

Kim Tae-woo sipped his coffee.

“I was going to be aggressive today anyway, but it was a bit much. This is the minor leagues, so you can take those kinds of risks with your ball distribution, but it’s different in the major leagues. Even if it seems obvious, you have to be more stable so the pitcher, fielders, and coaches can trust you.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And that curveball you threw to Shim Soo-kyung. That was too dangerous.”

“That’s… Ah, never mind.”

“What? Was there a reason?”

Song Seok-hyun paused for a moment before speaking.

“I thought Shim Soo-kyung was a little weak against inside pitches, so I tried to challenge her like that.”

“Soo-kyung? She’s not the type to be picky about pitches.”

“I noticed something when I was looking at Shim Soo-kyung’s data. Looking at her hot and cold zones, her batting average against inside pitches is barely .300, and the number of attempted hits is low. That means she’s reluctant to swing at inside pitches. I wanted to see if she was just being careful or if there was a reason, so I challenged her with inside pitches, but there was no reaction.”

“Didn’t you consider that she might have been anticipating it and not reacting? If that were the case, the inside curveball would have been a freebie.”

“It felt like she was excluding inside pitches altogether. It’s common to exclude specific pitches or zones when batting. But if I kept throwing only fastballs, she could anticipate it and come at me with a plan, so I changed the final pitch to an inside curveball. She wouldn’t have expected it, and if she hit an unexpected inside curveball well, I could conclude that she hits inside pitches well but chooses not to.”

“You created a ball distribution with the thought that she might hit a home run?”

“Of course, I considered that she might hit a home run.”

“Huh.”

The coach took a sip of coffee.

One sip, two sips.

He tapped the table with his finger, lost in thought.

“So you knew it was dangerous and still did it?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you go so far when there was a safer way?”

“Um… I’m still inexperienced, but I have my own framework.”

“What kind of framework?”

“I think baseball is a .300 game. A batter is considered good if they hit .300, and a pitcher should be prepared to give up .300 to the batter.”

“Prepared to give up hits…”

“Yes, I think pitchers need to throw various pitches in various situations and locations, whether they give up a home run or a hit, to accumulate data. If a batter or pitcher has a weakness, they’ll try to compensate for it, so the information changes again, right? Then you find and compensate for the opponent’s weaknesses, find and compensate… I think players who can’t do this are weeded out, and players who do well survive. So, I think a pitcher needs to throw with the mindset of getting hit to create their winning shot, and a batter needs to resist swinging at strikes to create their zone.”

The coach had already finished his coffee and was tapping the empty paper cup on the table.

The sound of the ticking clock echoed.

After waiting, the coach broke the silence.

“Whether your view of baseball is right or wrong doesn’t matter. The fact that you’ve thought about something like that at your age is amazing. I was going to call you in and give you a stern talking-to, but it’s pointless. What can I say to a guy who knows so much?”

“Yes? No, it’s just my crazy philosophy. The coach needs to guide me well.”

“There’s no such thing as a crazy philosophy. Your ball distribution is a bit aggressive, but it’s based on reason, so I have nothing more to say. But I can still give you advice, right?”

“Yes, I’ll listen carefully. Please tell me.”

The coach crumpled the empty paper cup and threw it in the trash.

“You know who our team’s major league manager is, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“I’m not just saying this because he’s our team’s manager, but he’s a smart guy. He’s probably the best in the league at squeezing everything out. He’s good at making plays and running the game tightly. But…”

“Yes.”

“Manager Im is all about safety first. He’s also number one in the league in quick hooks and has the most bunt plays. The moment he sees your unique and aggressive ball distribution, he’ll immediately stick you in the minor leagues and won’t bring you up. I’m not just saying this to scare you, it’s true. Anyone who knows Manager Im would think so.”

“Ah… um…”

Song Seok-hyun lowered his head.

“So, whether you like it or not, you need to learn to lead the game stably. Save the inside pitch as a winning shot and try to develop your ball distribution around the outside. You have a good arm, so focusing on the outside will help with stealing bases. Practice your blocking more diligently. When you go up to the major leagues, the manager and coaches will often call the pitches, not you. They’ll focus on breaking balls for the final pitch, and if your blocking is weak, you’ll immediately be out of favor.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

“Learn the basics, even if it’s hard. Instead of doing things your way in the minor leagues, learn the basics first, and then develop your own ball distribution when you’ve built up a certain career. Take your time. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Good, you’re a smart guy, so you’ll understand.”

The coach got up from his seat.

“Anyway, you’re a hotshot. You’re different from a third-rate catcher like me. Me and Coach Gu will actively push for your major league call-up. It’ll be difficult right away, but there might be a call-up within the first half of the season. So, prepare well until then. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you, Coach.”

Song Seok-hyun got up from his seat.

Before leaving the office, Song Seok-hyun turned around and bowed to the coach.

“Thank you again for taking such good care of me.”

“Don’t thank me. I have to do my job if I get paid. Get out of here. Go rest.”

“Yes, you worked hard too, Coach.”

Song Seok-hyun left the office.

The coach put his hands in his pants pockets and sighed.

“Hoo, these kids are really different these days. What was I doing at that age, geez.”

Success as a Catcher

Synchronicity (5)

The second game against Wales.

Song Seok-hyun wasn’t in the starting lineup.

Jung Ji-hwan, the minor league’s starting catcher and considered the third-best in Goat based on skill, started.

“Don’t be too disappointed. You can learn a lot by watching Ji-hwan run the game.”

“Yes, I’m glad I got to play in at least one game. I still have a lot to learn from Ji-hwan.”

“Yeah, yeah, think like that. You’re still young. You know what I mean, right?”

Song Seok-hyun’s exclusion was a decision made by the manager and coaches.

Aggressive and unique game management might be interesting for the fans and players, but it wasn’t a welcome style for the field leaders.

“Good, good. Good ball.”

Jung Ji-hwan deliberately made noise when catching the ball to encourage the pitcher.

Song Seok-hyun took out his notebook and recorded Jung Ji-hwan’s every move.

“Are you writing in your diary because you’re pissed?”

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

“No way, I’m not that petty.”

“Then what were you writing?”

“I was watching Ji-hwan’s framing [the art of subtly influencing the umpire’s perception of a pitch’s location].”

“Framing? Is there something to record about that?”

“I’m just writing down whatever comes to mind. How he moves before catching the ball, how much he moves his hands, stuff like that.”

“You write down everything. Well, you probably know a lot because you write that stuff down diligently.”

“Yes? No, I don’t know much. I just read this and that because I followed my friends, so I just gained random knowledge.”

“Hey, you don’t have to be humble, man. Everyone here knows now that the young kid is a know-it-all.”

Song Seok-hyun frowned.

“Seriously? You don’t think everyone really thinks that about me, do you?”

“Curious? If you’re curious, it’ll cost you 500 won [Korean currency, roughly equivalent to $0.40 USD].”

“Ah…”

The game against Wales was close.

They exchanged points one by one, tying the score at 3-3 until the 5th inning.

The game was decided in the 6th inning.

Thwack!

“Ah… it went over.”

Song Seok-hyun clicked his tongue.

Shim Soo-kyung, who came out as the 4th batter, showed off her presence with a home run.

A three-run home run that extended the lead.

Goat tried to catch up, but Kim In-hwan single-handedly hit into three double plays, holding them back.

The final score was 8-4.

Kim In-hwan came into the dugout with a gloomy expression.

“Hey, there are days like this. Why are you making such a sullen face?”

Kim In-hwan sighed instead of responding to Kim Jung-ryul’s joke.

“Don’t get discouraged over one game. Are you going through menopause these days? Depressed?”

“…”

Kim Jung-ryul scratched his nose.

“Should we go eat meat?”

“No. I’m okay.”

Kim In-hwan packed his bags and left the dugout.

Kim Jung-ryul shrugged his shoulders.

“He’s been unusually gloomy lately.”

“Hyung must have his own worries.”

“Who doesn’t have worries?”

“Hyung is going through a sensitive period. They won’t send him to the military [mandatory military service in South Korea], and there’s no spot for him in the major leagues.”

“Everyone lives with a worry in their heart. Has it only been a day or two that the competition for a starting position has been difficult?”

“Sunbaenim [senior colleague or mentor], please comfort Hyung well. He seems to be under a lot of stress these days.”

“Really? If it’s obvious even to you, it must be real.”

Kim Jung-ryul ran after Kim In-hwan.

“In-hwan-ssi! If you don’t like meat, how about sashimi? Let’s eat something delicious~.”

That evening.

Kim In-hwan left his dinner unfinished and went into his room, not even coming out for night training.

Kim In-hwan has rarely left his food unfinished.

Kim Jung-ryul tried to barge into Kim In-hwan’s room, but Song Seok-hyun stopped him.

“Let’s train just the two of us today. Hyung must want to rest today.”

“It’s not like him to skip his routine, so it’s weird.”

“Let’s go, Sunbaenim.”

After finishing personal training with Kim Jung-ryul, Song Seok-hyun returned to his room.

After reviewing today’s game, he turned on a major league game review broadcast.

-Goat, which started strong in April, has slowed down a lot in May.

-Yes. That’s right. Goat has always had the image of being strong in the spring. Under Manager Im Eui-soo, Goat has always maintained 2nd place until May, but this year the pace has collapsed quickly.

-They’ve had three three-game losing streaks in May. There seem to be a lot of losing streaks.

-The fact that there are many losing streaks means that it’s not just that the players aren’t playing well, but that the players’ condition isn’t good. I heard that there was an unusually large amount of training during this spring camp, and if there is a lot of training, the sense of the game will come up quickly in April, so you can get good results, but there is a disadvantage that fatigue accumulates. I think it’s right to interpret Goat’s recent slump in this way.

-Is there any way for Goat to climb back up?

-Goat’s pitching staff is good. The bullpen is often overloaded, but the starting lineup is good, from foreign starters to domestic starters. The problem is the batting lineup. The batting average isn’t bad, but the scoring ability is weak. Goat isn’t a team that has a lot of home run hitters, but it’s the first time in seven years that their scoring ability has dropped this much. They need to increase their scoring ability to make even winning games easier. It’s undeniable that the more tight games there are, the more the bullpen is overloaded.

-Scoring ability. Ultimately, it’s home runs, right?

-Yes. Home runs, which are Goat’s chronic weakness. It’s not an easy part to overcome, so Goat’s first half of the season will be more difficult.

While the announcer and commentator were talking, Song Seok-hyun crossed his arms.

“Hmm, home run power, home runs… It’s too much to ask for home run power at Jamsil [a baseball stadium in Seoul known for being difficult to hit home runs in].”

Song Seok-hyun was watching the next game when he heard a knock.

“Yes.”

“Can I come in?”

It was Kim In-hwan’s voice.

“Yes, come in, Hyung.”