On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 79

“Wouldn’t the emergence of the KS duo also be a significant factor?”

“Haha, indeed. KS. Kim In-hwan, Song Seok-hyun. Truthfully, the Gotes were embroiled in a truly unfortunate incident just a few days ago. Three star players, acquired through free agency, left en masse, and coincidentally, it was the cleanup crew [the hitters batting 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the lineup, responsible for driving in runs]. The entire cleanup vanished mid-season. Any team would suffer a major blow from that. Who would fill the void left by the cleanup?”

“But didn’t the KS duo accomplish that just the day before yesterday and yesterday?”

“Hahahaha, that’s right. Song Seok-hyun’s home run beyond the stadium, Kim In-hwan’s grand slam. Truly remarkable. Kim In-hwan has been a promising prospect for a long time, and he’s finally trying to break out of his shell.”

“Song Seok-hyun seems to have already broken out, right? He’s remarkably composed for a rookie.”

“Yes, that’s right. Plus, he’s a hitter without any glaring weaknesses. He’s cautious and has power, so which pitcher wouldn’t be wary of easily challenging him? He tends to be overly conservative with his swings, but he also draws walks well. At this point, even by professional baseball standards, he’s already a top-notch hitter, not just for a rookie.”

“Isn’t there a saying, ‘A loss may turn out to be a gain?’ Amidst the tremendous shock of losing three cleanup hitters, two unexpected players suddenly emerged.”

“Above all, aren’t they prospects that the Gotes have been nurturing in their farm system [minor league system], something they’ve been eagerly awaiting? The Gotes team and fans have been struggling with the constant criticism of buying players, but they’ve finally emerged. Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun, prospects nurtured by the Gotes. I’m really curious to see if the KS duo will perform again today.”

-Play ball!

Top of the first, the Gotes’ attack.

Amidst the heavy team atmosphere, starting pitcher Jung Kwang-woo took the mound.

The Phoenixes suffered a crushing defeat even after fielding their first and second foreign pitchers.

Today, the Gotes even put up their ace [best pitcher].

“Ha.”

Jung Kwang-woo swallowed hard and adjusted himself on the mound.

Song Seok-hyun, batting fourth again today, placed his bat aside and recalled information about Jung Kwang-woo.

-Fastball A, Forkball B, Control C, Innings Pitched C.

He possesses a fast ball and breaking balls but has poor control, resulting in many walks.

He often comes down without completing the 5th inning.

Of course, on days when his control is on, he transforms into an A-class pitcher.

Unusually, he throws a forkball as a starting pitcher and also knows how to throw a splitter.

Thwack!

-Ball, walk.

Jung Kwang-woo took off his hat and wiped away sweat from the very first batter.

“Today… isn’t that day.”

Song Seok-hyun picked up his bat and stood up.

After the leadoff hitter got on base, the Gotes signaled for a hit-and-run.

The catcher’s throw went over the pitcher’s head, even past the second baseman’s glove, leading to an unmanned situation at third base.

The mentally shaken pitcher then issued another walk.

With runners on first and third, Kim In-hwan stepped up to the plate.

“The Phoenixes are self-destructing again.”

“It would have been better if they hadn’t thrown the ball at all, ending with runners on first and second or one out with a runner on second, but it’s really unfortunate.”

Jung Kwang-woo, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, issued another walk, loading the bases.

Jung Kwang-woo kept wiping away sweat with his arm.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Song Seok-hyun stepped into the batter’s box.

The Gotes fans simultaneously began singing his cheer.

“Oh, oh, Gotes’ Song Seok-hyun. All-around Song Seok-hyun. Home run beyond the stadium Song Seok-hyun. Fly! Away! Fly!”

Kim Jung-ryul, listening to the song from the bullpen, chuckled.

“It sounds like they threw something together quickly?”

Other players laughed as well.

“But it doesn’t sound too bad to listen to.”

“Doesn’t it seem like the cheer is the loudest?”

“I know, I think it would be burdensome if that happened every time I stepped into the batter’s box.”

At that moment, the stands buzzed, and there was a sound of surprise, “Ooh, ooh, ooh.”

“What? What? What is it?”

The players turned their heads toward the field.

A huge foul ball soared over the left-field fence.

The fans rushed to catch the foul ball.

“Jung Kwang-woo must have been startled just now. That’s an incredible distance.”

“It was a fastball that came in pretty well on the inside, but he hit it. If it had been a little more centered, it would have been a home run.”

“That was a 145km/h [kilometers per hour] inside fastball, and it was the first pitch, but Song Seok-hyun wasn’t waiting.”

“He’s the type of player who definitely hits pitches that come into the zone.”

Jung Kwang-woo’s face turned pale after seeing Song Seok-hyun’s foul ball.

Catcher Kim Chang-hyun also felt his heart drop.

Kim Chang-hyun changed his mind about competing head-on.

‘Fork [forkball].’

Kim Chang-hyun called for a breaking ball.

Jung Kwang-woo’s forkball was sharp, but Song Seok-hyun watched it go by.

“Ah, he’s not fooled. Song Seok-hyun lets the forkball pass.”

“The height is the problem. If the count were full, he might swing at a forkball coming in low, but right now, it’s too low. His determination not to swing is too strong. The forkball has to come in at a height the batter wants to hit and then drop.”

The third pitch was also a forkball, and so was the fourth.

No matter how good a breaking ball is, it’s easy to lay off when it comes in repeatedly.

Jung Kwang-woo threw an outside fastball as his fifth pitch, but it also missed the zone.

“Forced walk. A bases-loaded walk comes in the first inning.”

“Jung Kwang-woo couldn’t compete with Song Seok-hyun.”

“The Gotes have seized a chance for a big inning from the first inning. On the other hand, if the Phoenixes lose today’s game, they’re in danger of being swept. Starting pitcher Jung Kwang-woo’s shoulders are heavy.”

“Song Seok-hyun’s presence is remarkable. He draws a bases-loaded walk from veteran Jung Kwang-woo.”

Behind the catcher, behind the iron door not visible on TV.

A woman tightly closed her eyes.

“How did our team end up like this……”

The first 20-something general manager, the first female general manager, the first general manager from the scouting team, Kim Si-yoon.

Kim Si-yoon couldn’t watch the game anymore and left her seat.

Success as a catcher

Star

Walk, walk, walk, walk.

Jung Kwang-woo, who kept issuing walks, set a rare record of giving up three runs solely through bases-loaded walks.

The Phoenixes’ bench could only sigh deeply.

“A hit! A hit is made!”

“Runner to home! To home! To home~! Even the runner from second to home! Safe! It’s safe! Ah! The ball got away! The ball thrown by the second baseman was a bad throw! The batter-runner goes to second, to second~!”

An error after a hit.

Issuing walks from the first inning caused the fielders’ concentration to drop, and the decreased concentration led to errors.

The Phoenixes players hung their heads.

“The Phoenixes struggled to hold on, but the score is 5-0, 5-0 in the first inning alone.”

“Ah…… this isn’t it. This isn’t it. Giving up 5 runs in the first inning alone is possible. But self-destructing like this by issuing walks is never good for the team, the league, or the fans.”

“Jung Kwang-woo threw 48 pitches in the first inning alone and went down. Jung Kwang-woo sitting on the bench is blaming himself a lot.”

“Last year, the Phoenixes’ championship was something everyone called a miracle, but no matter what, this year seems even worse than usual.”

“The Gotes are already starting to replace some of their starters.”

“In games like this, you have to conserve the stamina of your starting players. Well, it’s a natural result.”

The collapsed Phoenixes couldn’t recover.

Song Seok-hyun didn’t get a single hit that day.

Instead, he set a rare record of reaching base on walks in all six plate appearances.

It didn’t reach the KPBL [Korean Professional Baseball League] record, but it was the most times reaching base in a single game and the most walks in a single game for the season.

“Good work!”

“Good work!”

A sweep against the Phoenixes.

It was a sweet victory obtained at a time when the cleanup crew had left and only bad news was circulating.

The players were excited and chatted throughout the bus ride.

Only Manager Ham Sung-hoon stared out the window with a stern face.

* * *

As soon as the game between the Gotes and the Phoenixes ended, KBC Sports’ Baseball First began.

Ta-da-dan, ta-da-dan, ta-da-dan.

The camera focused on the sports announcer’s face.

The announcer smiled brightly and began to speak.

“Hello, viewers. I’m Jang Ae-sun from Baseball Talk. Did you all enjoy today’s game? Today, I’ll be joined by commentator Shim In-ho. Hello, commentator Shim In-ho.”

“Hello.”

“First, could you review today’s game between the Gotes and the Phoenixes?”

“Yes, let’s get into the review of today’s game.”

The screen showed the matchup between Jung Kwang-woo and Song Seok-hyun with the bases loaded in the first inning.

“The key point of today is this scene. It’s the scene where fourth batter Song Seok-hyun faces Jung Kwang-woo with the bases loaded and no outs. Song Seok-hyun turns Jung Kwang-woo’s first pitch into a huge foul ball. Take a look? The ball clearly went high. It wasn’t a solid hit, but rather he scraped the bottom of the ball, and usually, those kinds of balls become fly balls. But the ball flew to an incredible height and went all the way to the stands. It almost became a foul home run beyond the stadium again this time.”

“Song Seok-hyun’s performance in this series against the Phoenixes is truly remarkable, isn’t it? That foul ball from last time had a really big impact.”

“Yes, that’s right. It was good that he increased the count with the foul, but it seems that this foul remained too deeply ingrained in Jung Kwang-woo’s mind. Jung Kwang-woo avoided the matchup again in the bases-loaded situation. Jung Kwang-woo’s forkball is good, but if he avoids the matchup so openly, the batter doesn’t need to swing. Maybe if he had thrown even one more strike here, the forkball might have worked. But Song Seok-hyun held back from the forkball here, and a bases-loaded walk resulted. The Gotes’ scoring started from this bases-loaded walk.”

“So, you’re saying that the foul ball before the bases-loaded walk was more important?”

“Yes, that’s right. If he had been an ordinary batter, Jung Kwang-woo would have competed a little more aggressively. But Song Seok-hyun had a great performance in the series against the Phoenixes, didn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s right. Song Seok-hyun has risen to stardom in these three games. There are many promising players right now, but he’s showing overwhelming results among them.”

“Song Seok-hyun’s performance, his fearsome long hits, made Jung Kwang-woo shrink back. Perhaps the key point of this series isn’t Kim In-hwan’s grand slam but Song Seok-hyun.”

“A high school graduate walk-on player, and a twenty-year-old at that, becoming a star so quickly seems to be a first. The Gotes have gained a great asset.”

The commentator laughed heartily.

“Song Seok-hyun had a great performance in this series against the Phoenixes, but it’s only been three games. And above all, the opponent was the Phoenixes.”

“Are you saying that he still needs to be tested more?”

“Yes, that’s right. And the Gotes are still not in a good situation. The cleanup trio that had been doing their part disappeared, and two power-hitting prospects have emerged. No matter how well those two do, you can’t deny that the depth of the lineup has become thinner. Today’s game will also be a challenge for Gotes’ acting manager Ham Sung-hoon.”

“Why is that? Isn’t it enough even though they swept the series?”

“They swept the series, but today’s game was won 5-2. All five points were scored in the first inning. Of course, the Gotes also had a game where they rested by replacing the starters, but the fact that they couldn’t score any additional points after gaining momentum means that the Gotes’ lineup is too weak. It would be fortunate if the KS duo continues to perform throughout the season, but those two players haven’t been verified yet. There’s no telling when their bats might cool down again.”

“So, you’re saying that the Gotes have gained the KS duo but it’s not time to relax yet.”

“That’s right. In the end, this series against the Wolves will be a watershed moment. With today’s game, the Gotes have risen to joint fourth place with the Whales. But the Whales are playing against the bottom-ranked Gwangju Bulls, and the Gotes are playing against the current second-place Wolves. The Wolves have consistently had the upper hand against the Gotes recently. If they can’t overcome the mountain that is the Wolves, they could fall back to fifth place.”

“Then, how should the Gotes prepare against the Wolves in the next game?”

“The Gotes gave their bullpen a rest by winning big this time. That’s fortunate, but the Gotes’ bullpen is still weak. Since the key players in the bullpen are resting in the minor leagues, the Gotes need to take the lead with their starters and lineup. When it comes to the lineup, the KS duo must be healthy.”

“Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun have been given a heavy burden.”

“That’s right. But isn’t it said that stars emerge in times of crisis? If those two players overcome this crisis, they will become undisputed stars of the league. You know the Gotes fans, right? The fans’ loyalty from the original Seoul team is probably beyond imagination.”

“The performance of Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun will be crucial in the next game against the Wolves. Well, shall we continue watching the rest of the highlights?”

* * *

As soon as Song Seok-hyun arrived home, he sat down at his desk.

As Park Shin-eon advised, he turned on Excel and reviewed and organized today’s game.

Finally, Song Seok-hyun stood up from his seat after writing a general review of today’s game.

-Phoenixes. Weak starting pitcher. Weak bullpen. Weak lineup. Weak defense. The two foreign players are decent.

“How did they win the championship with this team?”

Song Seok-hyun shook his head.

Even with a national team fourth batter, they’re overwhelmingly in last place.

If he had gone to the Phoenixes, he would have been easily competing for a starting position.

Of course, he might have suffered forever, but if Kim Young-hoon returns, wouldn’t the Phoenixes become a league championship contender again?

“No, no. Still, I can’t play there. It’s not a place for people to play.”

Song Seok-hyun shook his head vigorously.

As Song Seok-hyun was preparing well, a text message arrived.

It was a message saying that there would be an interview tomorrow afternoon, so he should visit the front office after lunch first.

“Interview…… Hooo.”

Song Seok-hyun worried about what to say in the interview and didn’t fall asleep until late at night.

The next day, in the afternoon.

Song Seok-hyun conducted interviews with two newspaper companies and one broadcasting company.

The title of a high school graduate walk-on catcher was a topic that would pique the interest of the media.

“So, how I became a catcher is…….”

Same question, same answer.

Only the first interview was nerve-wracking, and the subsequent two interviews went smoothly.

After the interview, the public relations team leader called Song Seok-hyun.

“From today, we’re going to allow the press in the dugout. I’ve already mentioned it, but if they ask about players like Choi Dae-gyu, Lee Nak-gyun, or Kang Moon-gyu, answer that you don’t know.”

“Yes, I really don’t know anything anyway.”

“Probably today, Kim In-hwan, Song Seok-hyun, commentators, reporters, and announcers will bother you. You absolutely can’t get angry or use vulgar language. You know there are a lot of incidents and accidents in our club right now, right?”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“Then, I’m counting on you.”

Song Seok-hyun took a deep breath.

He felt drained from the consecutive interviews.

The joy of appearing on TV was fleeting, and fatigue set in even before the game started.

Looking at the time, it was already past 2 o’clock.

“Ah, already training time…….”

Yesterday, after the game, he took the bus home and reviewed the game.

After reviewing the game, he prepared for the interview and went to bed.

As soon as he woke up, he reviewed the data he had reviewed and ate.

After eating, he went to work and did the interview.

As soon as the interview ended, training.

It felt like the day was never-ending.

Although minor league life was said to be more difficult than the major leagues, the stadium and dormitory were attached, so there was a lot of personal time.

After being called up to the major leagues, there was barely any time to train personally.

Adding to that, he reviewed and recorded every game and thought about game strategies, so it already felt like the whole day was gone.

He began to understand why Park Shin-eon didn’t have individual friendships with his teammates.

If you live by the book, time is always insufficient.

The saying that you must sleep at least 8 hours a day was deeply felt.

He participated in training with his mind more tired than his body.

Home game training is twice as long as away game training.

It consists of team-wide training, group training, and supplementary training.

After training, there are also interviews with broadcasting companies and media companies.

Naturally, Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun were the first interview targets for the media companies.

“Ooooooh.”

“It’s Yoon Romy, Yoon Romy.”

“Wow, damn. She’s so pretty.”

“Look at her figure, her figure. I think Yoon Romy is the best. That height is the best for a woman. If you have that height and that much glamour, it’s really the end, isn’t it?”