On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 103

“Even with a national-level table setter like Lee Jae-hong, we can’t score because we don’t have a cleanup hitter. That’s why I was able to bring in Choi Dae-gyu and Kang Mun-gyu, sweeping up all the pitchers. We need to scratch their itch so they can scratch ours.”

“So, all the trades went as planned?”

Kim Hak-in picked up his spoon.

“It went so smoothly because I lowered my expectations from the start. It would be strange if it didn’t work out, considering it’s a total ripoff deal where we’re giving away three A-class assets.”

“But you were very worried.”

“I’ve been burned so many times by the Bulls and the Foxes that I was worried they’d act up, but the top teams definitely have more leeway. Instead of trying to squeeze every last drop, they’re willing to make bold moves if the deal is reasonable. They can afford to take a slight loss. That made it easier for me.”

“The articles will be out soon, and it’s going to be a mess. I hope they don’t protest in front of the stadium again today.”

“We’re already getting flak [criticism], so what’s a little more? It’s obviously a bad deal, but isn’t the point of a trade to get what we need?”

“I guess so… Still, the articles and the fans are going to be brutal, sigh. Both Yoo Seon-ho and Jung Hong-min are thirty-three-year-old veterans….”

“How can you make trades if you’re just crunching numbers? Jung Hong-min is thirty-three, but he’s only really played in the first team for a year. His arm is still fresh. And Yoo Seon-ho has a career OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a baseball statistic] of over 0.9.”

“…Yoo Seon-ho’s OPS is barely over 0.7 this year, isn’t it?”

“That’s just a slump. Class doesn’t disappear, no matter how old you get.”

Seo Seung-jo fell silent.

What was the point of arguing about a trade that had already been made?

“Ah, by the way, Team Leader, if we’re trading with the Wales, are you going straight up to Jamsil [a district in Seoul where a major baseball stadium is located]?”

“That’s right. I need to go up there.”

“Then persuading Yoo Seon-ho….”

Kim Hak-in took a large spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth.

Then, instead of speaking, he gestured towards Seo Seung-jo with his eyes.

“Me…?”

Kim Hak-in nodded.

Seo Seung-jo’s face quickly fell.

Kim Hak-in, having swallowed the rice, said,

“Why are you so scared?”

“No, I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t get on his nerves, just soothe him gently. He’s quick to anger, but he’s a good guy. Soothe him gently, gently.”

* * *

Catching Success

Assemble!

“Hello. I’m Seo Seung-jo from Goat. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Seo Seung-jo swallowed hard, facing the man before him, Yoo Seon-ho.

His towering height of nearly 190cm [approximately 6’3″] and shoulders one and a half times wider than average created an almost surreal presence.

“I’m Yoo Seon-ho.”

Yoo Seon-ho’s demeanor made Seo Seung-jo’s nervousness seem almost embarrassing.

Yoo Seon-ho’s tone was polite and refined.

“You must be very surprised?”

“No, not at all.”

“It must be difficult to leave the team you’ve played for your whole life, but our team really needs Yoo Seon-ho, so we’ve reluctantly made this big trade.”

“I was surprised, too, when I heard they were trading Nak-gyun for me….”

“That’s how desperately we need Yoo Seon-ho.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

“No, no. It’s not just words, our team really needs Yoo Seon-ho due to our circumstances. Yoo Seon-ho is the most needed player in our Goat, a hitter we can trust. Yoo Seon-ho is a KPBL [Korean Professional Baseball League] legend, isn’t he?”

Yoo Seon-ho simply nodded slightly.

“I understand that you must be very upset. But at Goat-.”

“I’ve been traded, right?”

“……Yes?”

Yoo Seon-ho pointed at himself.

“I mean, I’ve been traded, haven’t I?”

“Y-yes, you have.”

“Then why are you making excuses? If I’ve been traded, I’m a Goat player now, right?”

“That’s… right.”

“Then there’s nothing more to talk about. I just need to pack my bags and go to Jamsil, right?”

“……Yes.”

“I heard that the team provides support when you get traded… What do I need to do now?”

Seo Seung-jo finally relaxed.

He had been very nervous, worried that Yoo Seon-ho would refuse to go to Goat and retire.

After all, he was a symbol of the Scorpions.

And the player himself was known for his stubbornness and strong ego, so he had prepared for the worst-case scenario, but Yoo Seon-ho was calm.

“If you have a preferred type of housing, please let us know. We’ll find a rental or purchase as quickly as possible. And it’ll be difficult for you to join us today, so please pack your things first and come to the ballpark tomorrow. Please come see me in the morning. There will probably be an introductory ceremony and a press conference.”

“Okay. Can I ask for one thing?”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“Could you… send me to the second team for about two weeks? It’s been a while since I’ve played a game….”

“That’s something we’ll have to discuss with the manager. I’ll pass on Yoo Seon-ho’s request to the manager.”

“Then I’d like you to find me a house not too far from the stadium… Would that be possible? Price doesn’t matter. Something around 40 pyeong [approximately 1422 square feet] would be good. Preferably an apartment.”

“Yes. We’ll look into that as soon as possible.”

“Then that’s all.”

Yoo Seon-ho stood up.

Seo Seung-jo stood up as well.

“Please take care of me in the future.”

Yoo Seon-ho bowed first.

Seo Seung-jo bowed in return.

“We’re the ones who should be saying thank you… Thank you for making such a difficult decision.”

* * *

After meeting with Yoo Seon-ho, Seo Seung-jo immediately called Team Leader Kim Hak-in.

“Team Leader.”

-Oh, yeah. How did it go?

“He was cool about it. He said okay right away.”

-Really? Yoo Seon-ho did?

“Yes. He didn’t even ask any questions.”

-Looks like he had a lot of pent-up frustration with the Scorpions. I knew he didn’t get along with the manager… Good job. Thanks for your hard work.

“I thought he had a deep affection for the team, but I guess not.”

-There’s no way, he’s the guy who chose to stay back a year to go to the Scorpions. But they say if you have deep affection, you also have deep resentment. Seeing as the Scorpions let Yoo Seon-ho go so easily, it seems like they didn’t plan on keeping him in the first place, and Yoo Seon-ho probably knew that.

“I was worried he might announce his retirement, so I’m really relieved. I can breathe again.”

-I wonder if it’ll be the KYS lineup or the KSY lineup.

“Ah. Yoo Seon-ho asked to be sent to the second team first.”

-I’ll have to talk to the manager about that.

“Yes. He also asked me to find him a house as close to Jamsil as possible.”

-That’s something we can take care of quickly.

“Then I’ll head back to Seoul right away.”

-Okay, good job. See you in Seoul.

Kim Hak-in hung up and immediately made another call.

The recipient was Manager Ham Seong-hoon.

“Yes, Manager. I’m calling to give you good news.”

-Is it about Yoo Seon-ho?

“Yes. He said okay more easily than I expected. I was a little worried, but he was surprisingly cool.”

-Phew, that’s a relief. Yoo Seon-ho was the key to this deal, but I never thought we’d be able to reel him in with Nak-gyun. Just looking at their batting, Yoo Seon-ho is a class above Nak-gyun, isn’t he?

“Well, if we objectively compare their values, there’s at least a two-fold difference, so the Scorpions probably jumped at it. A hitter who can’t play defense, has a bad temper, has had three surgeries, and will be thirty-four next year is not as valuable as a twenty-nine-year-old home run king left fielder who’s having the best year of his career. Besides, Yoo Seon-ho’s performance has dropped a lot this year and last year, hasn’t it?”

-True, otherwise we wouldn’t even dream of getting Yoo Seon-ho, he’s one of the best hitters in KPBL history.

“But Manager.”

-Yes.

“Are you really confident about Yoo Seon-ho’s rebound? His performance decline is obvious.”

-That’s because the manager isn’t giving him enough playing time, so his performance is inconsistent. He was also undergoing rehab until early this year.

“Thirty-three isn’t that old, but it’s almost retirement age for a baseball player. If you can’t get Yoo Seon-ho to rebound, you know our front office will explode, right?”

-Well, I’m only here until the end of the year, so it’s not a problem for me.

“Haha, you’re joking, Manager.”

-There’s always at least 50% truth in these kinds of jokes.

“……Anyway, you’ll get Yoo Seon-ho to rebound, right? Right?”

-The trade is already done, isn’t it? So, all we can do is pray. Yoo Seon-ho’s surgery wasn’t a major one, so he should rebound. Of course, it’s all a matter of probability, so if we’re unlucky, it might not work out.

“Please don’t say things like that… The chairman is watching with eagle eyes.”

-Ah, bringing in Lee Ji-sung was really great. Only certain people can have a private meeting with the chairman. I was a little worried, to be honest. It wouldn’t be a difficult trade under normal circumstances, but our team’s image is already tarnished.

“The Scorpions must have been desperate. Yoo Seon-ho gave the okay right away without any fuss, and they even threw in Lee Ji-sung as a bonus.”

-Unless Yoo Seon-ho announces his retirement, he’s just a headache for the team. If they force him to retire, the fans will riot, but if they just leave him alone, it’s a waste of a first-team spot. If they send Yoo Seon-ho to the second team and he dominates, they’ll be criticized for not bringing him up to the first team. Sending Yoo Seon-ho and bringing in Lee Nak-gyun will appease the fans, give them a reason, and help the team’s power. It’s a win-win, a win-win.

“Manager, you’re in a good mood, aren’t you?”

-Yes, yes. Of course. Yoo Seon-ho and Lee Ji-sung are immediate first-team assets.

“Yoo Seon-ho volunteered to go to the second team first.”

-Looks like he’s planning to come up after the All-Star break. He and Lee Ji-sung need to get their feel back in the second team. How am I going to survive another two weeks?

“Come on, Manager. Don’t exaggerate. We’re getting four pitchers from Wales. If you include Go Jin-seok and Kim Jin-seok, who we got from the Bulls, that’s six bullpen pitchers.”

-How many of them can play in the first team right now?

“……Still, there are two or three.”

-Well, considering our team’s situation, getting two A-class bullpen pitchers is a huge success. The next two weeks will be crucial. We have to do our best with our lineup until Yoo Seon-ho and Lee Ji-sung arrive.

“We have to hope that In-hwan and Seok-hyun do well.”

* * *

Kim Hak-in returned to Seoul and completed the trade with Wales.

A trade that swapped two A-class hitters and one A-class bullpen pitcher for three young pitchers.

Wales included three left-handers, two of whom were in their early twenties, but it was clear to everyone that the trade favored Wales.

The only immediate boost that Goat received from Wales was A-class bullpen pitcher Jung Hong-min.

Jung Hong-min was a left-handed fireballer with a recent ERA [Earned Run Average, a baseball statistic] in the 3.0 range, but he was thirty-three years old this year.

A late bloomer who was drafted out of college and spent nearly 10 years in obscurity before finally making his mark in the first team last year.

He had an ERA in the 1-2 range against left-handed hitters, but an ERA of over 4 against right-handed hitters, making him a typical left-handed hitter killer.

His extreme overhand pitching form always made the staff nervous about potential injuries.

His performance made him an A-class bullpen pitcher in the league, but there were many question marks.

From Wales’ perspective, they were getting two A-class hitters for a veteran pitcher who had only performed well for one year.

That’s why Wales came all the way to Jamsil and rushed to agree to the trade.

“Sigh, I guess I have to be prepared to get hit with stones now, huh?”

Kim Hak-in nodded at Seo Seung-jo’s sigh.

“What’s done is done. We sold what we couldn’t use and got what we needed. Let’s just focus on that.”

“Ha, I’ll have to park my car somewhere else.”

“At least these three games aren’t in Jamsil. If these three games were in Jamsil… Ugh.”

“Wouldn’t the fans be even more upset about that, thinking we deliberately timed it this way?”

“I guess so. They’re already angry, so they’re going to be angry no matter what we do.”

“It would be nice if we had good results in away games….”

Kim Hak-in put his hand on Seo Seung-jo’s shoulder.

“But we’ve gathered all the players we need, right? Then we’ve done our part. The games are up to the players, and what happens after the games is up to us. We’ve gathered all the Dragon Balls, so let’s wait for the Dragon King [reference to the Dragon Ball series, meaning they’ve assembled everything needed for success].”

* * *

“Okay, everyone, let’s give a round of applause to Go Jin-seok and Kim Jin-seok, who are joining our team today.”

Clap clap clap clap.

“It’s nice to meet you all like this. I’m Go Jin-seok.”

“I’m Kim Jin-seok. Please take care of me.”

The two pitchers traded from the Gwangju Bulls, Go Jin-seok and Kim Jin-seok, joined the team starting with the Incheon Wales game.

Go Jin-seok was the closer for the Gwangju Bulls and a rare orthodox forkballer.

Kim Jin-seok was a swingman for the Gwangju Bulls, an all-around bullpen inning-eater.

“It must be inconvenient in many ways to come from Gwangju to Seoul. Players should help each other out, and if you need help from the front office, please ask. The team will do its best to help you both adjust.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good. Everyone knows the importance of today’s game. But don’t be too nervous, just think about one thing. Let’s do our jobs well. Don’t overdo it or get nervous just because it’s an important game, let’s just do what we always do.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Okay, everyone, gather around. Goat, Goat, Goat, fighting!”

“Goat, Goat, Goat, fighting!”

The three-game series between Wales and Goat.

Recently, Goat had been forming a rivalry with Wales, not the Wolves.

The Jamsil rivals, the Wolves, boasted a deep bench and were on the verge of becoming a top-three team along with the traditional powerhouses Pegasus and Scorpions.

In contrast, Goat had been fiercely competing with Wales for fourth place in recent years, forming an unintended rivalry.

Stable defense and a weak lineup were the commonalities between the two teams, while Goat had strong starting pitchers and Wales had strong bullpen pitchers.

However, there have been changes recently.

Two home run hitters, a type that Goat had never had before, were emerging, making Wales nervous.

Left-handed hitter Kim In-hwan and right-handed hitter Song Seok-hyun.

Giants who turned the Jamsil fences into neighborhood walls.

Wales manager Song Jung-nam gathered the players at the overall meeting and said.

“Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun. The first goal of this three-game series is to never give those two good pitches. I don’t care if we walk them. Just walk them. The Goat lineup is a mess without those two.”

Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun easily cleared the Incheon stadium fences during pre-batting practice.

The Wales pitchers reiterated the manager’s instructions.

Never give them good pitches.

* * *

Catching Success

Is this a prank from the start?

“Hello, viewers. This is caster Yoon Joong-hyun from SP Sports.”

“And commentator Kim Bo-joon.”

“Today, the rising Goat and Wales face off in Incheon.”

“Yes, that’s right. Goat’s momentum is building after sweeping the Foxes. But Wales is no pushover either. They’ve won 6 of their last 10 games.”

“Both teams are fiercely competing for fourth place. Mr. Kim, which team do you predict will have the upper hand today?”

“If we’re going by momentum, Goat is a little better. Above all, they have two special home run hitters that Wales doesn’t have. I’m talking about Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun.”

“Those two players are hot these days. They’re really scary hitters.”

“That’s right. Left-handed hitter Kim In-hwan and right-handed hitter Song Seok-hyun. It’s really the perfect combination. The two players also have different tendencies. Kim In-hwan swings with the feeling of crushing any ball that comes into the zone, while Song Seok-hyun is more like a hunter. He doesn’t miss the ball he’s aiming for? That’s the feeling. He’s very good at mind games, as befits a catcher. When the ball he wants comes? Then he swings with all his might, not caring about a missed swing. Because of this, pitchers often get scared and pull back their pitches even when Song Seok-hyun doesn’t actively swing the bat. They self-destruct.”

“In other words, it’s like suffocating the opponent without drawing the sword from its sheath [a metaphor for exerting pressure without direct action]?”

“Yes. That’s right. Song Seok-hyun has a surprisingly high number of strikeouts? But he doesn’t care about strikeouts and remains calm at the plate. It’s hard to believe that a player like that is only twenty years old. Haha.”

“Yes, then let’s compare the strengths of both teams today.”