On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 129

“Isn’t that Coach Ham Seong-hoon, who has been criticized for bringing in top-notch relief pitchers but not utilizing them properly?”

“He’s been too precious with them. It’s good to conserve bullpen pitchers, but many felt he was going overboard. Of course, the fact that the Goats lost many games by large margins played a part, but the prevailing opinion was that he wasn’t making good use of his excellent bullpen pitchers.”

“But today, except for Kim Jeong-ryul, all the key relief pitchers are on standby.”

“It’s a chance to take a winning series against the Pegasus, and we have to seize opportunities like this.”

Song Seok-hyun pounded his mitt.

Go Jin-seok went up to the mound and threw a few fastballs as practice pitches.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Average speed of 144 km/h.

The speed isn’t exceptional, but the way the ball buries itself into the mitt is remarkable.

Go Jin-seok signaled that he would throw a forkball.

Thud!

Even though it was just a practice pitch, Song Seok-hyun blocked the bounced ball.

The angle is sharp, even though the ball dropped early.

Go Jin-seok applauded after seeing Song Seok-hyun’s block.

“Nice, nice.”

What could be more appreciated by a forkballer than a catcher who blocks well?

Go Jin-seok unleashed his full repertoire on the batters.

-Out!

-Out!

-Out!

“Three consecutive strikeouts! Go Jin-seok’s forkball is dancing today!”

“His stuff is great. Seems like his pitches have gotten even better since it’s his FA [Free Agency] year.”

“He finishes the inning with just twelve pitches. It was worth bringing Go Jin-seok up to the Goats quickly.”

“There was a reason they traded for him, even at a significant cost.”

Even though Kim Seong-hoon was down, the Pegasus bullpen was formidable.

Jang Ji-hoon, who came up in the 6th inning, handled Song Seok-hyun, Yoo Seon-ho, and Choi Jae-wan with ground balls, and then made three batters in a row out in the 7th inning.

“Hoo, the Pegasus have no holes, no holes.”

Ham Seong-hoon rubbed his neck as if frustrated.

Battery coach Kim Tae-woo said.

“Even if we use the bullpen like this today, it will be easier tomorrow.”

Ham Seong-hoon responded with a groan instead of an answer.

Jang Ji-hoon is classified as a chase pitcher in the Pegasus bullpen.

A typical relief pitcher with only two pitches: a fastball and a slider.

His pitches are fast, but his pitching pattern is simple, making it difficult to carry long innings.

Jang Ji-hoon may be on the fringes of the Pegasus bullpen, but he would be a solid third or fourth bullpen pitcher if he came to the Goats.

Even if we win today’s game, the Pegasus’ key relief pitchers will be fully operational for tomorrow’s game.

Tomorrow, they will grit their teeth even harder to avoid a sweep at all costs.

“Just in case, tell Baek Chan to warm up, depending on the situation.”

“Baek Chan too?”

“Yes, we’re going to win no matter what today.”

The difference in depth is reduced by efficiency.

In losing games, conserve power, but in winning games, mobilize as much power as possible, even if it seems excessive.

Top of the 8th inning.

The Goats’ batting order started again with leadoff hitter Lee Ji-seong.

Clang!

“Lee Ji-seong gets a hit! A hit! His hitting feel is great today!”

“National representative Lee Ji-seong’s class is still there. His contact is amazing.”

The Pegasus responded quickly.

“Is there a pitching change? Jang Ji-hoon is coming down and Kim Eui-gi is coming up.”

“It seems like the Pegasus aren’t willing to lose easily today either. They’re going tight even with a 4-point lead.”

As Kim Eui-gi came up, a signal came from the Goats’ bench as well.

As soon as Kim Eui-gi threw the first pitch, Lee Ji-seong ran to second base.

Seol Jin-il barely touched the curveball that came in as the first pitch, creating an advancement hit.

“Kim Eui-gi chose a curveball for the first pitch.”

“He caught him off guard. There’s a fast runner on first base, right? The batter would have predicted that he would throw a fastball on the outside, but he went with a curve in reverse. I think he was willing to give up the stolen base, but not a hit.”

“Was there no way to prevent the stolen base?”

“It’s best to get an out count without giving up a stolen base. But Coach Choi Seong-yeon seems to have anticipated that the Goats would make a play. Whether it’s a bunt or a hit-and-run, the curve was the best option. A curve that comes into the bottom of the zone is one of the courses with the lowest bunt success rate.”

“Is that so? Usually, isn’t a fastball on the body the best?”

“A fastball on the body is also difficult to bunt, but a breaking ball like that coming in low also has a very low bunt success rate. To bunt, you have to keep the bat horizontal, but it’s difficult to keep the bat horizontal in a low course, and it’s difficult to send it to the correct course because there’s a lot of spin.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Coach Choi Seong-yeon seems to have wanted a sure out count, even if it meant giving up a stolen base. After all, isn’t the next batter Kim In-hwan? He’s trying to prevent runners from piling up in front of Kim In-hwan.”

“Top of the 8th, with one out and a runner on second, here comes Kim In-hwan, the man of grand slams.”

A strange silence filled the ground as Kim In-hwan entered.

The fielders all took a step or two back.

Kim In-hwan took a breath and stepped into the batter’s box.

“Aim for breaking balls, breaking balls.”

Hitting coach Kang Yeon-tae called Kim In-hwan before he went to the on-deck circle and emphasized breaking balls.

“They won’t face you head-on. Just aim for breaking balls. If a good ball doesn’t come in, just let it pass.”

Kim Eui-gi’s first pitch was a falling curve.

Kim In-hwan let it go.

“Kim In-hwan lets one go for now.”

“Kim In-hwan and Kim Eui-gi are both cautious, right? If the score difference widens here, the Pegasus’s remaining chance of chasing will disappear. Conversely, if the Goats score an additional point here, it will be a decisive point.”

Jeong Yong-wook was lost in thought as he looked at Kim In-hwan.

‘There’s no reaction to the falling ball.’

‘Did he pick it, or did he let the first pitch go?’

‘Judging by his reaction to Kim Seong-hoon’s changeup, it seems unlikely that he picked it.’

‘Then it’s another changeup.’

Kim Eui-gi made an OK sign with his fingers.

It’s a well-known fact that Kim In-hwan is strong but weak against falling balls.

‘Is there any need to avoid showing a weakness?’

The ball thrown by Kim Eui-gi headed towards the bottom of the strike zone and fell downwards.

Kim In-hwan’s bat also turned.

The Goats’ hitting coach, Kang Yeon-tae, frowned as he watched Kim In-hwan start up.

‘In the end, is he unable to overcome his weakness?’

Clang!

“Right field fence! Right field fence! Over the right field fence! Kim In-hwan! A two-run home run that goes over the Jamsil right field fence! He pulls out a wedge that breaks the Pegasus’s will to chase!”

“He hit that almost like golf just now, right? He lifted the falling ball properly.”

“Kim Eui-gi has a look of despair. The ball clearly fell well.”

“To lift a falling ball like that and send it over Jamsil [stadium]… Wow, that’s Kim In-hwan. His power is the best. His power is unbelievable.”

The Pegasus’s coach Choi Seong-yeon closed his eyes.

“Let’s finish it with Eui-gi today.”

“Yes, coach.”

The players who were warming up in the Pegasus bullpen returned to their seats.

As Kim In-hwan returned to the bench, the players hit his helmet wildly.

“Is today your day? Are you crazy?”

“Kim In-hwan~ You have to treat us today~?”

Kim Eui-gi, who gave up a two-run homer, became discouraged and gave Song Seok-hyun a walk.

Yoo Seon-ho hit a fly ball, increasing the out count by one, but Choi Jae-wan and Oh Jin-young’s consecutive hits allowed Song Seok-hyun to touch home and enter the bench.

The game was 7-0 without any additional points from either team.

It was a complete victory for the Goats.

The MVP was Kim In-hwan, who swept up 6 RBIs [Runs Batted In] alone.

“Kim In-hwan, what would you say is the secret to today’s home run?”

As he entered the game interview, the announcer asked about the secret.

“The secret is… um… acceptance, I think.”

“Acceptance? What kind of acceptance are you talking about?”

“I went in accepting my skills. I was always envious of hitters like Seok-hyun or senior Yoo Seon-ho, who pick and hit the ball well. So I worked hard, but there were clear limits to that alone. My skills didn’t keep up. I’ve been obsessed with picking balls well, but I gave that up. I can’t hit what I can’t hit, but I decided to hit what I can hit well, and that worked out well.”

“I see. The mindset of hitting what you can hit well created today’s home run. You’ve achieved a winning series with today’s home run. The fans are also very happy. Please say a word to the fans.”

“Yes. I’ve always been sorry to the fans because I’ve been lacking a lot. I also have a weak mentality, so I get intimidated a lot, and I think you guys were more frustrated because of that. I can’t change all at once, but I will work harder in the games in the future.”

Ace Pitcher to Ace Closer

Veteran

After the game.

Kim In-hwan headed to the indoor practice field without going home.

Kim In-hwan put his bat down next to him and sat crouched against the wall.

He turned off the lights and held his breath in the dark.

How long had it been?

Click.

The sound of the lights turning on and footsteps were heard.

“Who’s there?”

A familiar voice.

Kim In-hwan got up from his seat.

“Senior, haven’t you left work yet?”

“In-hwan?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing here without going home?”

“Ah… I was just here.”

“Here? On a day like today, instead of buying your son something delicious, you’re here because you’re worried about spending money?”

“No. That’s not it.”

Yoo Seon-ho chuckled and sat down next to Kim In-hwan.

“Why? Were you lost in emotion? Did I make a fuss because you were great today?”

“No. I was just thinking.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“I just… I don’t know. I was thinking about this and that.”

“What’s there to think about on a day like today? You should just have a can of beer and sleep well on a day like this. Why are you being so sentimental here?”

“I know. I should, but I have a lot of random thoughts.”

“You rascal.”

Yoo Seon-ho stretched.

“But Senior, aren’t you leaving work?”

“Well… am I in a position to leave work on time these days?”

“Why, Senior? You’re doing well.”

“Me? Geez. Are you mocking me?”

“No, no. Why would I? Senior, your stats are good these days, aren’t they?”

“Good my ass. What’s good? I’m barely clinging to my lifeline.”

Yoo Seon-ho sighed.

“No matter how well a hitter picks the ball, a hitter has to hit the ball well in the end. These days, even if I hit the ball, does it go well? I have no strength, no strength.”

“It’ll be temporary. You’ll be back up soon, Senior.”

“That’s an old story. These days, I’m not even confident.”

“Senior?”

“Man, you’ll know when you get to my age. Every day is 불안한기라 [booran hangira – uneasy days]. I don’t know if I’m not doing well because of a temporary condition, or because I’m getting old. That’s what drives me crazy.”

“Ah… yes….”

“I’m not a guy who hits thirty or forty home runs every year, but if I’m going to help the team, I have to make at least an advancement hit, right? Right?”

“Yes. But Senior, don’t you have excellent eyes for the ball? I’ve always been most envious of that. I wish I had even half of your eye for the ball.”

Yoo Seon-ho chuckled.

“Having an eye for the ball is something that improves if you study it. The reason why you’re not improving is because you’re not studying and you’re playing baseball with your feelings. If you study every day, you’ll get a feel for it. This ball will be this at this timing, something like that. Tell me honestly. Do you study for more than 2 hours a day?”

“2 hours? That’s… no….”

“See, man. You don’t, right? After the game that day, you have to turn on the computer and review the game. Why did he throw this ball at this time? What’s the reason? The world is so much better now that you can skip through it quickly, but in the past, it was 어디 [eodi – where]. It was hard to even get the game tape, and even if you got it, you had to sit there and watch it for more than 3 hours. Now, you can watch all the games of all the teams in less than 3 hours.”

“Have you been watching all of that all this time, Senior?”

“I’ve been watching it since high school, if I can. If I’m going to hit a home run, can I just hit it? The only way to get the ball I want is to swing properly at it, so what’s the way to pick the ball I want? You have to be able to calculate what kind of ball he’s going to throw to hit it.”

Kim In-hwan scratched his head.

“I didn’t know you did that much, Senior.”

“This is the pros, the pros. If you want to survive, you have to do something. Do you think you can survive with talent alone? That doesn’t last long. Just holding on tenaciously is something to be praised in the pros.”

“Yes….”

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re suddenly hitting home runs, so you’re wondering if you should keep doing this, or if you should go back to the way you used to be, right?”

Kim In-han nodded.

“I’m not sure, what’s right.”

“Right and wrong isn’t something you decide by thinking about it. You’ll find the answer when you do it. Go in the direction that works well. There’s no such thing as a right answer. There’s a solution that fits each time.”

“Is that… so?”

“That’s how I am.”

“Wouldn’t that be too 불안하지 않을까요 [booran haji aneulkkayo – wouldn’t that be too uneasy]? If the solution is different every time, wouldn’t you have to find a way every time?”

“Where’s the right answer in life? Life is always 불안한기라 [booran hangira – uneasy days], isn’t it?”

Yoo Seon-ho got up from his seat.

“Are you going to keep being sentimental here? I’m going to hit some balls and go in.”

“Ah, then I’ll give you my seat.”

“Do you want to hit some too? It’s better to do it together than alone.”

“Yes. Can I do it with you then?”

“Let’s do it. Why wouldn’t we?”

The two finished training and had a late dinner together at a hangover soup restaurant.

After finishing the meal, Kim In-hwan said while getting some fresh air.

“Thank you, Senior.”

“What are you thanking me for just for buying you a bowl of hangover soup.”

“No. Not that, but for helping me a lot.”

“What help? I’m just 불안하니까 [booran hanikka – because I’m uneasy] rambling. It’s not helping.”

“There was always something stuck in my chest like a stone, but after listening to Senior’s words, I feel like a lot of the stuffiness is going away.”