On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 216

His confidence in his pitches was overflowing.

On days like this, he tended to put too much strength into his throws, causing his control to waver.

He needed to relax, even if he had to force it.

Song Seok-hyun signaled for an outside fastball.

It wasn’t a pitchout.

Song Seok-hyun rarely called for pitchouts.

He was the league’s best at preventing stolen bases and hated wasting pitches.

Han Min-seok threw his first pitch with all his might to the outside.

Clack!

– Foul!

“Hwang Gi-deok attempted to steal, but a foul ball sends him back to first.”

“Kang Gyun-seung made good contact, but the ball went backward. This means the pitcher’s pitch is overpowering him.”

“Han Min-seok looks to be in great condition today. It seems Manager Ham Seong-hoon’s strategy is working.”

Scorpion’s manager, Lee Geon-hoo, was busy signaling.

His signs were relayed through the coach to the batter and runner.

Han Min-seok made two pickoff attempts to first base before throwing his second pitch.

Swoosh.

Kang Gyun-seung laid his bat flat.

“Bunt attempt!”

The ball came into the strike zone, but Kang Gyun-seung pulled back his bat at the last moment.

Hwang Gi-deok also hurriedly retreated to first.

– Strike!

“Two strikes! Kang Gyun-seung tried to bunt but pulled back at the last second.”

“What was that just now? A fake bunt? Or did he change his mind about a bunt slash? I really don’t know. The pitch was well inside the zone, even if it was a bit inside. If he was going to bunt, he should have done it then.”

Scorpion’s manager Lee Geon-hoo clicked his tongue.

Was a sacrifice bunt this difficult?

Scorpion fans also sighed.

“What are you doing?”

“You should have bunted!”

“Ugh! Frustrating!”

Only after retracting his bat did Kang Gyun-seung realize his mistake, tapping his helmet with the bat.

It felt like Han Min-seok’s pitches were flying right at him, and he instinctively flinched.

The image of Hwang Gi-deok screaming after being hit by a pitch was still fresh in his mind.

“Two strikes, no balls. Kang Gyun-seung’s options are limited here.”

“There’s nothing he can do. He just needs to focus on hitting it to the opposite field and avoiding a double play.”

“With two strikes, won’t Hwang Gi-deok be more aggressive in attempting to steal second?”

“Yes, he might. The Goat’s [Team name] battery [pitcher and catcher] will have a lot to think about. If they throw a breaking ball, they risk giving Hwang Gi-deok a stolen base. But if they keep throwing fastballs, they’re up against Kang Gyun-seung, who has the most hits this year. You never know when he might suddenly find his groove and get a hit.”

Song Seok-hyun glanced back and forth between the batter and the runner on first.

His right hand signaled, and his mitt pointed to the outside of the plate.

The pitch left the pitcher’s hand and flew towards the outside edge of the zone.

Normally, Kang Gyun-seung wouldn’t swing at that pitch, but with the hit-and-run sign on, he swung lightly, as if bunting.

Whack!

– Strike! Out!

The result was a strikeout.

As if mocking the batter’s swing, the pitch slowed down and curved further outside.

Song Seok-hyun caught the ball and threw it to second.

Hwang Gi-deok had a good jump.

Since Han Min-seok threw a changeup [a slow pitch], it would have been difficult for even Song Seok-hyun to catch the steal, but the result was a close out.

“Out! Two outs! The Scorpion gets two outs here.”

“Hwang Gi-deok failed to steal. Ah, this is big. This is practically a double play.”

“Song Seok-hyun’s arm is so strong. He caught the great Hwang Gi-deok in an instant.”

“From my perspective, and as a former pitcher, if I look at the game through a pitcher’s eyes, the pitcher lost the start to the runner on first. In that case, whether the catcher has a good arm or not, they’re already at a disadvantage of 50% or more. If the runner is also fast, the success rate of the steal goes up to 70% or 80%. Hwang Gi-deok should have succeeded in stealing at this timing, but he was slow. Definitely slow.”

“What happened? Is there something wrong with Hwang Gi-deok?”

“It seems the hit-by-pitch is affecting him. He was hit in the side. In boxing, if you get hit in the side, you can’t breathe. The damage lasts a long time, and it slows you down. Stealing is an explosive movement of all the muscles in the body, and if you’re injured in the side, it’s not easy to properly transmit the power.”

Left-handed batter Jeong Dae-han flew out on four pitches.

Han Min-seok came down from the mound with a bright expression.

“Nice job. How did you get Hwang Gi-deok?”

“He kept twisting his body at first, so I thought he was in a lot of pain. So I just went for it.”

“You rascal. You’re always quick to notice things.”

Despite Han Min-seok’s great pitching, the Goat’s offense went three up, three down in the bottom of the first [three batters get out in quick succession].

Scorpion’s ace, Kenneth Champion, was not an easy opponent.

Both teams remained scoreless through the second and third innings.

Han Min-seok continued to pitch a no-hit, no-run game through the third, showcasing his peak condition.

Top of the 4th.

The showdown between Hwang Gi-deok and Han Min-seok resumed.

From the first pitch, Song Seok-hyun positioned his mitt high and inside.

Han Min-seok also noticed Song Seok-hyun’s intention.

Whack!

– Ball. Inside.

“Hwang Gi-deok is startled. That was a pitch right at his body.”

“Han Min-seok’s control is a bit erratic today. From the batter’s perspective, it’s necessary to step back from the plate and narrow the zone.”

After showing an inside pitch, he threw a fastball on the outside corner.

– Strike!

Textbook pitch sequence, predictable pitch sequence, but Hwang Gi-deok couldn’t handle it easily.

His side was not just bruised, but had a deep, dark bruise.

If he got hit there again, he might just declare the season over and go to the hospital.

“Hoo.”

Hwang Gi-deok shortened his grip and refocused.

Han Min-seok’s third pitch was right down the middle.

As Hwang Gi-deok started his swing, the ball quickly curved inside.

Startled, Hwang Gi-deok hesitated, and the ball passed through the zone.

– Strike!

“Two strikes! Han Min-seok is quickly getting ahead in the count.”

“Hwang Gi-deok seems a bit hesitant today.”

Scorpion’s manager Lee Geon-hoo exhaled sharply.

Hwang Gi-deok was being toyed with by the opposing catcher, Song Seok-hyun.

As Hwang Gi-deok started reacting to inside pitches, they intentionally mixed in inside pitches to intimidate him.

Fearing being hit by a pitch is instinctual and cannot be solved with tactics.

– Strike! Out!

“Changeup! Strikeout! Han Min-seok’s changeup is dancing today. Right-handed batters are helpless.”

“Look at Han Min-seok’s changeup. It looks like it’s going outside, but then it suddenly breaks away. To exaggerate a bit, it breaks like a sidearm slider.”

“Isn’t that a bit much? Haha.”

“That’s how good the break is. People usually focus on the drop of a changeup, but Han Min-seok’s changeup has more horizontal movement.”

Hwang Gi-deok shook his head and returned to the bench.

Scorpion’s manager Lee Geon-hoo sighed.

The Scorpion’s greatest strength was the relentless attack from their leadoff hitter Hwang Gi-deok, followed by the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hitters.

The league’s fastest runner, Hwang Gi-deok, the hit king Kang Gyun-seung, the genius hitter Jeong Dae-han, and the RBI [Runs Batted In] machine Jo Yang-cheol.

If they could score even one or two runs with those four hitters, they would lock down the game after the 5th inning with the league’s best bullpen [relief pitchers].

In short series, where every run is important, the role of the leadoff hitter Hwang Gi-deok becomes even more crucial.

Whether intentional or not, Han Min-seok hitting Hwang Gi-deok in the side from the start, and Song Seok-hyun catching him stealing, had caused Hwang Gi-deok’s confidence to plummet.

“Was the Goat this good…?”

He shook his head, remembering how he had secretly felt relieved when he saw Han Min-seok’s name in the lineup.

Success as a Catcher

A Dull Spear, a Sharp Axe

Han Min-seok gave up a hit to Kang Gyun-seung but mixed in a strikeout and groundouts to get through the top of the 4th without allowing a run.

Bottom of the 4th, the leadoff hitter was Kim In-hwan.

Scorpion’s starting pitcher Champion induced a ground ball with a low changeup, but Kim In-hwan golfed it into the air.

“High into the sky! High into the sky! The ball is flying high~~~! Center fielder, center fielder, center fielder~~~ couldn’t catch it! Center fielder Hwang Gi-deok missed it! Ah, Hwang Gi-deok. He’s making a lot of mistakes today.”

“That ball went too high. The wind is blowing quite a bit today. When a ball goes that high in this weather, it’s not easy to catch. Of course, even so, that’s a ball you have to catch, so it’s a shame for the Scorpion.”

“Batter-runner Kim In-hwan goes to second. Stops at second.”

“Now the Goat has a scoring chance. A hit will bring in a run.”

“Champion has been pitching around the Goat’s cleanup hitters today. But now a runner is on base. If he keeps pitching around, runners will pile up. In a short series where even one run is crucial, it could lead to a big inning.”

Champion picked up the rosin bag.

The batter was Song Seok-hyun.

He had a youthful face, but his power was comparable to a major leaguer.

With his talent and performance at such a young age, he could be confident and aggressive, but he rarely swung the bat.

If the pitcher tried to get ahead with a strike, he would wait and unleash a full swing.

Catcher Gu Seung-cheol moved his mitt outside.

The sign was to walk him and face Yoo Seon-ho.

“Ball. Walk. They’re walking Song Seok-hyun.”

“Yoo Seon-ho is probably easier to face than Song Seok-hyun. They’ve been teammates on the Scorpion, so they know each other better than anyone.”

From the first pitch, Champion threw inside and low.

– Ball. Low.

Two pitches low and outside.

Yoo Seon-ho frowned and stepped out of the batter’s box.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

Yoo Seon-ho glared at catcher Gu Seung-cheol.

Gu Seung-cheol looked straight ahead and said,

“Gi-deok got hit square, you idiot.”

Knowing each other well also meant knowing each other’s weaknesses.

Yoo Seon-ho had injuries on his shoulder, elbow, knee, wrist, and everywhere else, and had undergone surgery on many of them.

He was particularly concerned about his knee.

His large frame, years of playing outfield and designated hitter, and his excessive practice had put a strain on his knees.

Focusing on designated hitter in the Goat had improved his knee, but he couldn’t help but worry.

“Ugh, I’m tired.”

Yoo Seon-ho reluctantly stepped back from the plate.

Even if Champion didn’t intend to hit him, he might get hit again if Champion kept throwing inside.

Whack!

– Strike!

Fastball inside, followed by a breaking ball outside.

Yoo Seon-ho swung and missed at Champion’s changeup.

“1-1. Yoo Seon-ho was fooled by Champion’s changeup.”

“You can’t help but be fooled by that. It comes in so beautifully, how can you not swing?”

The third pitch was a fastball outside, the fourth pitch was a curveball outside.

Yoo Seon-ho grounded into a double play on the fifth pitch, a changeup.

“Runners on first and second, no outs, turned into runners on third, two outs. The Scorpion’s strategy of walking Song Seok-hyun is working out well.”

“Yoo Seon-ho is having a poor game today. The Scorpion is keeping Lee Ji-seong and Yoo Seon-ho tied up.”

The next batter was third baseman Choi Jae-wan.

His batting average this season was .250, making him the weakest third baseman among the teams that made the postseason.

From the first pitch, Champion confidently threw a fastball down from above.

Clang.

With a light sound, Choi Jae-wan sent the ball towards left field.

The ball didn’t travel far due to the lack of power, but it fell just in front of the left fielder, allowing Kim In-hwan to score.

“Choi Jae-wan’s RBI single! The Goat scores the first run here.”

“Choi Jae-wan didn’t try to do too much and hit it really well. Is this his first postseason hit and RBI?”

1-0.

Scorpion’s manager Lee Geon-hoo frowned.

They had given up the first run.

He had expected the Scorpion to score first no matter how the game went, but their attack was stifled, and the game was becoming frustrating.

Champion got through the bottom of the 4th without allowing any more runs.

Top of the 5th, the Scorpion’s attack.

Han Min-seok briefly faced a crisis with two consecutive walks, but he mixed in a fly ball and two strikeouts to show off his best condition.

5 innings, no runs allowed.

Scorpion’s manager Lee Geon-hoo kept drinking water.

After the Goat’s scoreless bottom of the 5th, the top of the 6th.

Hwang Gi-deok sent Han Min-seok’s hanging changeup deep into the outfield, making it seem like he would get on base, but Lee Ji-seong’s great play shone.

“Lee Ji-seong’s nice catch! He ran all the way to the wall and caught it without even looking at the ball. That was a really great outfield play.”

“He stuck a knife in his former team’s heart. He caught the ball hit by Hwang Gi-deok, who pushed him out, and showed his skills to the fullest.”

“Hwang Gi-deok is having a tough time today. He’s not getting any luck either.”

As Hwang Gi-deok struggled, Kang Gyun-seung started to pick up the slack.

After a battle that went over 10 pitches against Han Min-seok, whose velocity was gradually decreasing, he got a single to right field.

He succeeded in stealing second against Jeong Dae-han.

He reached third on the at-bat of fourth hitter Jo Yang-cheol, but he ultimately failed to score as the next batter struck out.

“Ha!”

Kang Gyun-seung took off his helmet and threw it down as he returned to the bench.

Had home ever felt this far away?

Bottom of the 6th.

Seol Jin-il led off for the Goat.

Manager Lee Geon-hoo took out Champion, who had thrown eighty-two pitches, and brought in sidearm pitcher Seong Hoon-gi.

They needed to manage the ace Champion’s pitch count as they were going with a 3+1 rotation [three starting pitchers and one long reliever].

“Seong Hoon-gi comes in to pitch to Seol Jin-il. He’s a sidearm pitcher, and his ERA [Earned Run Average] this season is 3.92. He has 12 holds.”