On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 205

Baek Hyun-sung instinctively swung at the ball coming at shoulder height.

*Thwack!*

Scooping up the unexpectedly high ball, he sent it spinning fiercely into the sky.

The high fly ball landed in front of the center fielder.

The distance between center fielder Lee Ji-sung and the ball was considerable, but Lee Ji-sung sprinted forward.

As one of the fastest players in the league, he was within catching distance.

“A dash in front of the center fielder—he missed it! Lee Ji-sung with a mistake! He dropped the ball!”

“Lee Ji-sung makes an error here.”

“Jung In-ha rounds second and heads to third! Is he aiming for home from third? He’s going home! A close play at home! Safe! Jung In-ha was a step faster.”

“The Wolves are closing the gap by one point here, a point gained from Goat’s error.”

“Lee Ji-sung, known for his solid defense, makes a rare mistake here.”

“That last play was actually quite difficult. Normally, Lee Ji-sung’s speed would have been enough to catch that ball. But on a humid day like today, the ball doesn’t travel as far. The ball was high, and there was a headwind, which threw off Lee Ji-sung’s calculations. Another player might have played it off a bounce, but Lee Ji-sung is so fast, isn’t he? He got a little greedy trying to make the out, and it turned into an error.”

Lee Ji-sung bent his knees and raised both hands in apology.

Wolves’ manager Jang Tae-seop called over the hitting coach.

“Don’t tell them to swing for the fences [swing up]. Tell them to go for a downswing or level swing. Even if they get out, tell them to hit it hard.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The Wolves’ fifth batter was Jung Byung-soo, the Wolves’ muscleman.

When it came to pure power hitting, no one on the Wolves could match him.

Facing left-handed batter Jung Byung-soo, Song Seok-hyun called for an outside cutter [a type of fastball that breaks slightly away from a right-handed batter].

Mckenzie’s first pitch was a strike.

Jung Byung-soo took a breath.

Fast and sharply angled.

He waited for the pitch with utmost caution, and the count went to 2-2.

Jung Byung-soo swung down hard on the outside cutter.

“It got through! A hit that slips through the gap between third and shortstop! That’s enough for Baek Hyun-sung to come all the way home! Jung Byung-soo is on first, and Baek Hyun-sung scores! 3-2. The Wolves are tightening the noose in the 4th inning.”

“This game is getting interesting again. No big hits, but they’re scoring one run at a time with focused hits. They don’t have the nickname ‘Machine Gun Brigade’ for nothing.”

Two points in an instant.

Mckenzie’s face was already red.

Song Seok-hyun got up and refocused McKenzie.

The cleanup hitters are done.

Just get each batter out, one by one, and that’s it.

Mckenzie asserted himself by retiring two batters in a row, but then gave up consecutive hits to the lower lineup, tying the game 3-3.

All the balls miraculously slipped through the infield, so it wasn’t entirely McKenzie’s fault.

Song Seok-hyun went to the mound to comfort McKenzie.

“Their leadoff hitter is just fast, not much of a hitter. Let’s go head-to-head and then go rest on the bench. How about it?”

“Alright.”

Even McKenzie, who was usually a gentleman, couldn’t hide his frustration after giving up consecutive hits.

The Wolves’ leadoff hitter was Kim Ha-gyun.

A leadoff hitter with a .300 batting average and great speed, but his on-base percentage was only .350, showing a lack of plate discipline and patience.

He was the perfect opponent for McKenzie, who was looking for ground balls, but baseball is a game where things don’t go as planned.

“Safe! Safe! Kim Ha-gyun creates an infield hit with his speed. The score is 4-3. The Wolves take the lead with consecutive hits!”

“The shortstop couldn’t field the weakly hit ball cleanly. The Wolves have great focus. They’re creating good opportunities.”

Mckenzie pressed his lips together and stomped on the mound with his foot.

His face was flushed, almost bursting.

This time, the pitching coach went to comfort McKenzie.

Consecutive runs allowed due to a bloop hit and an infield hit.

A frustrating situation for a ground ball pitcher.

Mckenzie struck out power hitter Jung Young-soo, ending the long 4th inning.

“…….”

Mckenzie didn’t say anything as he returned to the bench.

His fellow foreign player, Fish, simply patted McKenzie on the shoulder once.

The other players avoided sitting near the flushed McKenzie.

Before the 5th inning started, Ham Sung-hoon called the pitching coach.

“Our bullpen is in good shape right now, right?”

“Yes, about three guys are available today.”

“It’ll be tough if we fall behind by three runs. Let’s get them ready now.”

“Understood.”

Goat’s attack in the top of the 5th inning was fruitless.

The hitters were overpowered by Roger’s fastball.

Bottom of the 5th.

Just like in the bottom of the 4th, leadoff hitter Jung In-ha stepped up to the plate.

“Goat is sticking with McKenzie. He faced the entire lineup in one inning; shouldn’t they consider making a change?”

“The current lineup is Jung In-ha, Baek Hyun-sung, and Jung Byung-soo. All three are left-handed hitters. McKenzie didn’t give up any extra-base hits last inning, so it’s hard to say that his strength is completely gone.”

From the first pitch, McKenzie threw inside to Jung In-ha.

Jung In-ha didn’t back down and crowded the plate even more.

“Jung In-ha is being aggressive.”

“It’s partly because the Wolves have the momentum, but also because the Wolves have had a lot of bad luck today. The players are really fired up. The Wolves will relentlessly hound Goat today.”

As Jung In-ha crowded the plate, Song Seok-hyun also moved his mitt towards Jung In-ha.

As if he had been waiting for it, McKenzie threw inside again.

-Strike!

Jung In-ha pushed his cheek with his tongue.

Even if he stood normally, it would be difficult to hit a sinker [a pitch that drops sharply] that breaks inside, but it would be even more difficult if he crowded the plate.

It would be a good choice if McKenzie felt pressured by the inside pitch, but McKenzie, who was already furious from giving up consecutive hits, wasn’t afraid of the inside pitch.

-Strike!

“1-2. McKenzie is relentless.”

Jung In-ha stayed close to the plate and swayed his body.

Song Seok-hyun looked at the Wolves’ bench.

If a hitter insists on a pointless action, there are two possible conclusions.

The hitter is being stubborn, or the bench is ordering it.

If the hitter’s behavior suddenly changes, it’s likely an order from the bench.

Just as Goat had crowded the plate and upset the Wolves in the past, they were trying to respond in kind to an agitated McKenzie.

Song Seok-hyun deliberately dragged his feet as he moved his body.

Jung In-ha didn’t move, but the sound of him swallowing hard could be heard.

‘Here.’

As Song Seok-hyun held out his mitt, McKenzie threw the ball without hesitation.

The deciding pitch McKenzie chose was an outside changeup [a slow pitch designed to disrupt the batter’s timing].

Jung In-ha’s bat swung and missed.

-Strike! Out!

“A swing and a miss! McKenzie starts this inning off on a good note.”

“He swung with his hips pulling back just now. It was way outside, but Jung In-ha couldn’t resist.”

“The two-strike count must have been on his mind, right?”

As Jung In-ha entered the bench, he took off his helmet and sighed.

“I got tricked.”

“What do you mean?”

When Dong-ryu asked, Jung In-ha looked at Song Seok-hyun.

“I got confused when I suddenly heard the sound of him dragging his feet. I thought it would either be a pitch that’s really inside or one that breaks far outside. I knew it, but I still fell for it.”

Kang Je-gwan said.

“Don’t think about anything when that guy is at home plate. Just do things your own way. He seems like he’s not thinking, but he’s actually using his head a lot. He doesn’t show it, so it’s easier to get tricked.”

The next batter was Baek Hyun-sung.

Baek Hyun-sung also stood close to the plate.

Song Seok-hyun didn’t hesitate to call for an inside pitch.

*Whack!*

-Strike!

One ball, one strike.

Mckenzie got one strikeout with three inside pitches.

“Tsk.”

Wolves’ manager Jang Tae-seop clicked his tongue.

“McKenzie, that guy’s not bad. We should have gotten a guy like that.”

Suarez, from Central and South America, is great when he’s in a good mood, but he’s unpredictable when he’s not.

When it comes to cost-effectiveness, there’s no better baseball player than one from Central and South America, but the drawbacks are also clear.

Jang Tae-seop instructed the players to move away from the plate and compete.

Jung Byung-soo grounded out on an outside cutter.

Mckenzie finished the 5th inning with three batters.

“Good job.”

“Nice, McKenzie.”

“Good, good!”

Having thrown over 90 pitches, McKenzie came off the mound after the 5th inning.

Goat brought up left-handed pitcher Hong Dae-sung, burning with the will to chase.

But the problem wasn’t the mound; it was the batting lineup.

The humid and muggy weather prevented the ball from traveling far.

It wasn’t a good situation for Goat, who relied on the power of their cleanup hitters.

Wolves’ Roger came off the mound after recording a quality start [a game in which a starting pitcher lasts at least six innings and allows no more than three earned runs].

4-3.

A one-run game.

It was just one run, but that one run wasn’t closed until the end of the game.

Goat didn’t give up any runs, but they didn’t score any either.

The Wolves responded with an ultra-aggressive strategy, bringing up four bullpen pitchers over three innings.

The result was 4-3.

Goat took solace in the fact that Hong Dae-sung saved the bullpen by pitching four innings alone.

“Good work, everyone.”

After the game, Ham Sung-hoon visited manager Jang Tae-seop to express his apologies and condolences for the injured players.

Jang Tae-seop simply said he understood and left.

“Hoo. Tomorrow will be tough too…….”

Ham Sung-hoon shook his head as he watched Jang Tae-seop walk away.

A Pitch with Added Faith

After the game.

Wolves’ manager Jang Tae-seop received a call on his way home.

“……Ha, so it ended up like that? Hoo, alright. Hang up.”

Manager Jang Tae-seop pulled the car over to the side of the road.

The call was from a front office employee informing him of the condition of shortstop Lee Yong-cheol.

Lee Yong-cheol suffered major injuries to his nose, cheekbone, and upper teeth.

The surgery was over, but it would be at least next year before he could return.

If the starting shortstop is in rehab for a year, considering the time it takes to regain his game sense, it’s hard to say how much longer it will take.

Considering the lifespan of a baseball manager, it’s essentially saying that he won’t see Lee Yong-cheol during his tenure.

On top of that, Kang Je-gwan is out for at least a week with a calf injury.

A calf injury is easy to recur once it starts.

Even if the calf injury isn’t serious, considering the position of third baseman, it’s impossible to predict when the calf will act up again.

“Those damn bastards.”

Jang Tae-seop clenched his fist tightly and trembled.

The Wolves’ goal is always to win the championship.

They were blocked by the mighty walls of the Pegasus and Scorpion, but they had the power to win the championship at any time.

Of course, the club is well aware that winning the championship isn’t easy in reality, and the club’s policy isn’t “win now,” so they won’t fire him if they don’t win the championship.

Still, this season, with the Pegasus faltering, he thought the championship was finally within reach, but Goat was going to trip them up.

Phoenix’s rise last year was a sudden accident, so the club easily overlooked it.

It was as if the god of baseball had descended, so what could they do?

But Goat’s performance was a different matter.

It was Goat, of all teams.

A team that had been serving as a stepping stone for the Wolves for over a decade.

Goat was a *nouveau riche* [newly rich] team that spent money like crazy every year and barely made it to the postseason.

Goat was a *nouveau riche* and a pathetic club, which made the Wolves, the epitome of a cornucopia of baseball, shine even brighter.

For nearly 20 years, the Wolves’ club, players, and fans had always considered Goat to be a step below, even though they were rivals in name only.

But now, they’re being held back by Goat, and their chances of winning the championship, let alone making the postseason, are precarious.

The team, which had been doing well until the end of the season, stumbled in the three-game series against Goat and collapsed.

There was still a glimmer of hope, but now the starting shortstop and third baseman are out.

If they even fail to make the postseason, he and all the coaches will be replaced.

If Goat even takes the throne, he will be remembered as a shameful figure who paved the way for Goat’s revival.

The thought of his career with the Wolves, where he had played his entire life, ending as the foundation for the rise of Goat, a team he had looked down on, made him sweat profusely.

The remaining games could be the last games of his professional life.

Just two weeks ago, they had the power to aim for first place.

It’s hard to even fathom how this happened.

But one thing is certain.

It’s all because of Goat.

All of it.

* * *

9 a.m.

It was a time when he wouldn’t normally be awake, but Ham Sung-hoon was awake.

Ham Sung-hoon was sitting on the sofa, reading a sports newspaper.

“Tsk.”

Ham Sung-hoon slammed the newspaper shut.