On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 192

The pitcher raised his arm, timing his throw with a rhythmic shift of his weight, his waist spinning like a top.

The wrist cocked, extending in a straight line, and the bat had already turned more than 90 degrees.

Song Seok-hyun’s swing, as Jung Yong-wook saw it, wasn’t a movement at all.

It was a snapshot, captured in the blink of an eye.

Thwack!

Song Seok-hyun’s bat connected, sending the ball flying.

“It’s going up! Up! Up! The ball is soaring! It’s over the fence! Song Seok-hyun hits a two-run home run! The Goat [referring to the team] grabs the Pegasus [referring to the opposing team] by the collar and slams them in the top of the 4th! The Goat is only scoring with home runs today, and against the Pegasus, no less!”

“It’s a work of art. I’m not kidding, I really want to register Song Seok-hyun’s swing as an intangible cultural asset [a nationally recognized treasure]. It’s such a clean swing, without any wasted movement, and the impact is incredible. How can he swing like that at his age? It’s like the god of baseball himself taught him!”

“Song Seok-hyun’s two-run homer makes it 8-0. The Pegasus haven’t scored a single point and have given up 8 runs, all from home runs. The pride of the top-ranked Pegasus is being utterly crushed.”

Kim Na-young’s voice was already hoarse.

She had screamed so much that even Jung Mi-nam told her to quiet down.

“Did you see that? Did you see that? Did you see that? Did you see it!”

“I saw it! Shut up! Sit down!”

“Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Did you see how far that ball flew? Is that even possible? If it had gone a little further, it would have been an out-of-the-park home run!”

“I saw it all. Stop it. You told me not to make a fuss, but you’re the one making the biggest fuss.”

Pegasus manager Choi Seong-yeon squeezed his eyes shut at Song Seok-hyun’s home run.

“Can’t we do something about that kid? I’m going to die of frustration.”

“…….”

“If he comes up in the Korean Series [championship series], just hit him in the head. It’ll be much cheaper.”

The 8-run difference in the 4th inning was enough to make the players of the top-ranked Pegasus lose their composure.

Mckenzie allowed a two-run homer to Kim Wook, the Pegasus’s fourth batter, but recorded 2 earned runs in 7.1 innings and was taken off the mound.

“Let’s go with Baek Chan.”

“Yes, I’ll put him in right away.”

The pitcher who came up in the bottom of the 7th inning was Lee Baek-chan.

Song Seok-hyun smirked when Lee Baek-chan came out to the mound.

Lee Baek-chan also smiled as he looked at Song Seok-hyun.

The Pegasus’s fifth batter was Kim Seong-hyun, known for his one-legged batting stance.

He was a top-class hitter with both power and accuracy.

“Lee Baek-chan, in his last appearance, was quite…….”

-Strike!

“He’s already thrown the ball. The tempo is fast, isn’t it?”

“The tempo is quite fast. It seems like he’s too impatient.”

“He threw it again as we were speaking. Ball. 1-1.”

Kim Seong-hyun briefly called a time-out.

“Kim Seong-hyun is a leading example of a linear swing, where he lifts his leg to swing. But if the tempo is that fast, it becomes difficult to time the swing.”

“Kim Seong-hyun is back in the batter’s box.”

Whack!

As soon as Kim Seong-hyun stepped in, Lee Baek-chan threw the ball, and Kim Seong-hyun swung.

Kim Seong-hyun’s expression contorted as soon as he swung.

The ball hit the end of the bat.

The ball Lee Baek-chan threw was a slider.

It was a ground ball out.

“Out. Lee Baek-chan gets the tricky hitter Kim Seong-hyun out with three pitches.”

“Ah, I see it now that I look at the record. Lee Baek-chan was intentionally speeding up the tempo like that. I thought he was just impatient, but it seems like a strategic choice.”

“I see. Is Lee Baek-chan’s fast tempo working?”

“It’s definitely effective, judging by how he got Kim Seong-hyun out.”

Lee Baek-chan got the next batter out as well and finished the inning.

Song Seok-hyun and Lee Baek-chan bumped fists.

“Looking good today, too?”

“Thanks. It’s working well. Thanks to you.”

“It’s because the pitcher is throwing well.”

“Too bad today. I feel light on my feet, but I won’t get a save opportunity.”

“Get your aim right today. That way, you can get a save next time.”

“Pegasus, they’re nothing special.”

Soaring as a Catcher

First Place is Mine (3)

Final score 11-4.

Despite the large score difference, the Pegasus scored additional points, but they were not meaningful.

“With today’s victory, the game difference between the Pegasus and the Goat is reduced to two games.”

“A two-game difference is significant. If the Goat wins tomorrow and the day after, the two teams will be tied for first place. The Pegasus’s dominance is crumbling.”

“The Pegasus actually has bad memories from last year, don’t they? If they give up even a shared first place, it’ll be quite a headache.”

“They achieved first place in the league but lost the Korean Series trophy to the Phoenix. It’s probably the most shocking event in my baseball history.”

“Last year’s nightmare being replayed this year? It’s a nightmare that even the players and fans don’t want to dream about.”

“Of course. One such nightmare is more than enough for a lifetime.”

* * *

After the game, Song Seok-hyun met with Kim Na-young, Jung Mi-nam, and Kim Young-seok.

“That home run today was amazing, huh?”

Song Seok-hyun smiled at Jung Mi-nam’s words.

“The pitch was a mistake. I got lucky.”

“Wow, you’re a complete superstar. Your popularity is no joke, huh?”

“Well… I can’t deny it? Hahaha.”

“You’re so annoying.”

“How about we go get something delicious to eat? I’ll pay today.”

Kim Young-seok shook his head.

“What good food is there at this hour? It’s all bars. If you go to a bar on a day like today, everyone will recognize you. It’s best to just go home feeling good on a day like this.”

“Still, the four of us gathered at the baseball field, are we just going to leave like this?”

“If you go to a bar, you’ll just get caught up in rumors.”

Jung Mi-nam put his arm around Kim Young-seok’s shoulder.

“Seriously. Your girlfriend is quiet, why are you making such a fuss?”

Song Seok-hyun smiled gently.

“Yeah, thanks. I appreciate you being so considerate. Then let’s just go home. Instead, how about some chicken and beer at my place? Sound good?”

“Sounds good!”

The four of them talked non-stop about how fun the game was as they walked home.

What broke the conversation was a question from Kim Young-seok.

“But when are you going to tell your parents?”

Neither Song Seok-hyun nor Kim Na-young could speak easily.

Jung Mi-nam, noticing their hesitation, said,

“Isn’t it about time you told them? Or you could tell them after the league ends. There’s no need to rush, but it wouldn’t be good to drag it on for too long. Wouldn’t your parents be upset if they heard the rumors before you two told them?”

“We’re going to think about it and talk about it. It’s not a big deal, but honestly, I’m a little nervous.”

The four of them shared chicken and beer on the bench in Song Seok-hyun’s front yard before parting ways.

Jung Mi-nam took Kim Young-seok and left first, and Song Seok-hyun walked Kim Na-young home.

“Should we tell them after the league ends…?”

Kim Na-young nodded at Song Seok-hyun’s question.

“Let’s tell them then. It wouldn’t be good to make things complicated by telling them now.”

“I guess so… I wonder if your mom will like me?”

“Of course. She likes you so much. My mom watches your games closely. And so does my dad.”

“Really? Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Then that’s a relief… That’s a relief, really.”

The two arrived at Kim Na-young’s house.

Kim Na-young hesitated to go inside, and Song Seok-hyun couldn’t easily let her go.

“Um, Seok-hyun.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“My mom and dad are going down to the countryside sometime next week. I don’t know exactly when, but they said it’s between Monday and Wednesday…”

“Yeah.”

“If possible, should we go on a day trip?”

“A trip?”

Song Seok-hyun swallowed hard without realizing it.

“J-Just a day trip, right?”

“If Monday lines up perfectly, we could do an overnight trip, and if it’s Tuesday or Wednesday, we could go see the ocean at dawn and come back in the morning. Ah, would you be too tired, sleeping until morning?”

“No. What are you talking about? That’s nothing. Anytime is fine. Let me know when the exact date is set. Okay?”

“Okay. I will.”

On the way back home after parting with Kim Na-young,

Song Seok-hyun kept rubbing his hands together and muttering.

“An overnight trip, an overnight trip… Where would be good? Where should we go?”

* * *

The second game of the weekday series between the Goat and the Pegasus.

The media’s attention grew even more due to the Goat’s overwhelming victory.

Only two games remain against the Pegasus this season.

The remaining score difference is also two games.

If the Goat sweeps, there will be a tie for first place.

It was a nightmarish scenario for the Pegasus, who failed to achieve consecutive championships last year after being tripped up by the Phoenix.

Conversely, it was an interesting story for the media and the public who wanted to see the underdog win and the popular team succeed.

Thud.

The Pegasus’s manager, Choi Seong-yeon, threw the newspaper onto the bed.

[Pegasus! Recalling Last Year’s Nightmare as the Goat Closely Pursues!]!

The headline on the front page of the sports newspaper.

Choi Seong-yeon breathed roughly.

“Why are the sentences so long these days? So long.”

As the Pegasus arrived at Jamsil Stadium, reporters were interviewing the Goat players who had finished training earlier.

The most popular, without a doubt, was Song Seok-hyun.

Next were Kim In-hwan, Yoo Seon-ho, and Kim Jeong-ryul.

Manager Choi Seong-yeon stared at the field with both hands shoved deep into his pockets.

“Do they already think of us as a kite with a severed string… [meaning they are losing control]?”

Just then, the reporter in charge of the Pegasus approached, having spotted Manager Choi Seong-yeon.

“Manager, you’re here?”

“Hmm, Reporter Kim, have you eaten?”

“Yes, thanks to your concern, I’ve been eating well.”

“Good, you’re working hard. Write some good articles. There were a lot of low-quality articles in today’s paper.”

“Yes, of course. Absolutely.”

The reporter looked around and then approached Manager Choi Seong-yeon and asked,

“Manager, I have a question to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Is there a way to deal with the KS duo [likely referring to Kim and Song]?”

At the unexpected question, Manager Choi Seong-yeon dragged out his words.

“A way… a way, huh…”

“I’ve heard from other people that the KS duo has no natural enemies, and they’re rating this year’s Korean Series championship quite highly. I was wondering if you, Manager, had any plans. You’re the fox of the field, aren’t you? A master strategist, so what kind of method do you have?”

“There is, there is.”

“Really?”

The reporter quickly turned on the recording function on his phone.

“Can I ask what it is?”

“But it’s difficult to reveal it right now. I have to save it for the Korean Series.”

“A secret weapon, something like that?”

“You could say it’s similar.”

“As expected, you’re a strategist. Well, just looking at your years as a manager, there’s no comparison. Is there any comparison in championship experience with Acting Manager Ham?”

“Don’t trample on young sprouts too much. Everyone grows up doing that.”

“Then the Pegasus will be wearing rings this year. Right?”

“That’s how it’ll be. Let’s drink heavily then. Reporter Kim, you too, you know?”

“Of course. Absolutely, haha.”

As Reporter Kim left, Manager Choi Seong-yeon’s expression darkened even more.

Song Seok-hyun, who was being interviewed on the other side, looked even bigger.

“A way…”

* * *

Before the game started.

Song Seok-hyun, Lee Chang-hoon, battery coach Kim Tae-woo, and pitching coach Yeon Woo-shik put their heads together.

Lee Chang-hoon opened his mouth first.

“It’s just 140 [km/h] as a base value. I don’t think it’ll go any higher.”

Yeon Woo-shik sighed at Lee Chang-hoon’s words.

“Yeah. Well, you’ve thrown a lot too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s proof that you’ve worked hard all this time, so I, as the coach, should be the one who’s sorry.”

Battery coach Kim Tae-woo said.

“Then we have no choice but to go slow, slow like last time. Seok-hyun, what do you think?”

Song Seok-hyun nodded.

“Since they’re mostly right-handed hitters, I think we can confuse them enough by basing our strategy on outside fastballs and changeups, and mixing in sliders. It would be even better to mix in inside high balls and bounce curveballs regardless of the zone location depending on the situation… But this is only after the outside fastball and changeup are working.”

Pitching coach Yeon Woo-shik chuckled.

“You know better than I do.”

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“Seok-hyun is right. First, get the fastball and changeup aim right on the outside line in the early innings. Once you get the aim right, then mix in sliders and push the zone further to the outside. If the opponent starts crowding the plate, mix in inside high balls and curveballs. You know what I mean, right? Let’s go step by step, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3.”

Lee Chang-hoon said with strength in his voice.

“Yes. I’ll aim for quality starts [pitching at least six innings and allowing three or fewer earned runs].”

“Okay, let’s do it. I’ll refrain from giving bench signals as much as possible while you’re getting your aim right. Prioritize getting your aim right, Seok-hyun and you. Okay?”