On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 233

Korean Series Game 7 (2)

“Coach Ahn.”

Ham Seong-hoon called the defensive coach.

Defensive coach Ahn Young-jae nodded and signaled.

Both the first and second batters for Pegasus attempted to bunt.

Ham Seong-hoon had worried about Pegasus’s plan from the start.

The strategy of exploiting the shaky first and third base defense wasn’t anything new.

However.

Pegasus had overwhelmingly won Games 2, 3, and 4, while GOAT had crushed them with firepower in Games 5 and 6.

There was no room for Pegasus to shake up GOAT’s defense and gain an advantage.

It was only in Game 7 that Pegasus’s true colors were revealed.

“Hoo.”

GOAT adjusted the defense of the first and third basemen.

They moved their defensive positions one step forward, closer to the base.

Jo Ji-ho and Park Jong-il were corner infielders, but their defense was below average.

If Yoo Seon-ho had been a good first baseman, they could have used catcher Seo Il-hyuk as a pinch hitter to strengthen the offense, but even though Yoo Seon-ho’s fielding wasn’t bad, his movements were slower than Jo Ji-ho and Park Jong-il.

The closer Jo Ji-ho and Park Jong-il were to the base when defending, the greater the defensive burden on the second baseman and shortstop.

The looser the infield, the more the pitcher had to carry an extra burden on his shoulders.

I know… but there’s nothing I can do.

When your team is weak, you have to suffer even when you know it’s coming.

Swoosh.

Sim Chang-gyu openly took a bunt stance.

Han Min-seok frowned.

“Oh, a sacrifice bunt from the first inning?”

“It seems Pegasus thinks getting the first run is important. It’s not strange to see a sacrifice bunt with a runner on first and no outs. They could try a surprise bunt, but it looks like they’re going for a straight sacrifice.”

Song Seok-hyun placed his mitt on the outside low corner.

The outside low course is the most difficult place for a batter to bunt.

The lower the ball, the harder it is for the batter to keep the bat parallel to the ground, and if the bat isn’t parallel to the ground, the ball won’t go where they want it to.

If the ball is fast and the control is good, you can throw a fastball high to induce a foul, but if you throw a bad pitch, it’s easy to give up a long hit.

Even if Han Min-seok’s control has improved, precise control was still difficult.

Thwack!

As Han Min-seok threw the ball, Sim Chang-gyu sent the ball towards first base.

It was a straight shot towards first base, leaving the pitcher and catcher helpless.

“The first baseman fields it and tosses it to first. It’s an out. Sim Chang-gyu’s sacrifice bunt is successful. It’s now 1 out and a runner on second.”

“That was a tricky ball, but he bunted it really well. You know, I think Sim Chang-gyu is a textbook number two hitter. His ability to execute plays is outstanding. Bunting looks easy, but it’s actually harder because of people’s expectations. Usually, managers expect you to succeed seven out of ten times when they ask for a bunt. Bunting is easier than getting a hit, but the number of hitters who actually succeed more than five out of ten times is dwindling.”

“Really? Isn’t five out of ten a very low number?”

“Haven’t there been a lot of home run hitters lately? Across the league, there are more players who prefer long hits over strategy, so they’re neglecting bunt training. Actually, it makes sense in terms of efficiency. How many times do you need to bunt during a season? But you swing dozens of times in a single game. In terms of cost-effectiveness, it’s better to train for long hits than to practice bunting, but that’s not how managers see it. If every hitter aims for a big hit in a situation where they could easily advance with a bunt, things can go wrong. The success rate of sacrifice bunts in the league recently is just over 50%. That’s only because the players who are good at bunting keep doing it, but if you take out a few players, the bunt success rate would drop even further.”

“Can I assume that means Sim Chang-gyu’s value is high?”

“Of course. Hwang Gi-deok is clearly the best center fielder in the league, but Sim Chang-gyu’s defense is as good as, if not better than, Hwang Gi-deok’s. On top of that, his batting average is decent and his ability to execute plays is good. That’s the Pegasus style: scoring one point at a time.”

Ham Seong-hoon crossed his arms.

In Major League Baseball, they’re eliminating options like bunts and stolen bases that don’t produce enough runs, but that’s just a matter of cost-effectiveness. Bunting and stealing aren’t bad if you can guarantee success every time; any manager would actively encourage them.

Pegasus gets on base easily and advances easily.

The next batter, Kim Han-seong, hit a ground ball, making it 2 outs and a runner on third.

The fourth batter was Kim Wook.

From the first pitch, Song Seok-hyun called for a fastball low and inside.

Bang!

The ball shot towards third base as soon as it was hit.

Third baseman Park Jong-il dove, but the ball went right past him.

“The runner on third goes home! He’s safe at home! The batter stops at first. Kim Wook’s RBI [Runs Batted In] single. The score is 1-0. Pegasus scores easily, easily!”

“Kim Wook made a really technical swing. It’s not easy to hit a fastball coming in near your knees. If you look at the slow-motion replay, you can see that he kept his weight on his back leg. If he had swung normally, his body would have turned and it would have been easy to foul it off, but instead of putting more power into the ball, he pulled it towards third base with an accurate hit. When I look at Kim Wook, I see a sense, a judgment. He’s also good at hitting home runs, but today Pegasus even used a sacrifice bunt to score one run. In situations like this, a hit that brings in a runner is more important than a long hit. Kim Wook accurately read the manager’s mind and executed it perfectly.”

Song Seok-hyun stood up and wiped the home plate with his hand.

They just got one over on us.

A ball on the inside is a difficult ball to swing at aggressively from the first pitch.

I ordered it aggressively because I thought he would wait for a good pitch with two outs, but Kim Wook instead took the power out of his lower body and turned only his upper body to get a hit, as if he had been waiting for it.

Kim Wook was waiting for the inside pitch.

It seems the GOAT battery’s [pitcher and catcher] plan to induce a ground ball was exposed.

“This is tough.”

Song Seok-hyun sat back down.

The next batter was Kim Seong-hyun.

A long-range hitter with a good eye who boasts a .300 batting average for 10 consecutive years.

At first glance, he looks similar to Yoo Seon-ho, but while Yoo Seon-ho is a hitter who actively draws walks, Kim Seong-hyun is more aggressive.

Song Seok-hyun’s sign was an outside fastball.

Kim Seong-hyun aggressively went for it from the first pitch.

Bang!

-Foul.

The ball flew high and into the first base stands.

He’s not backing down against Han Min-seok’s fastball, which has good velocity.

Kim Seong-hyun shook his body back and forth as if telling him to throw it closer to the plate.

Not to be outdone, Song Seok-hyun placed his mitt high and inside.

Clang!

-Ball.

Kim Seong-hyun didn’t avoid the ball, even though it almost hit him.

Instead, he glared at Han Min-seok.

“Kim Seong-hyun has great fighting spirit. He’s not flinching at all.”

“Today’s game is really exciting. It looks like the Pegasus players have really sharpened their knives.”

“Isn’t this the Korean Series where they’re challenging again after being completely defeated by the Phoenix last year? They lost the Korean Series they almost had in their grasp after losing Games 5 and 6 in a row. Pegasus is just as desperate to win this Korean Series as GOAT is.”

The GOAT players sitting on the bench began to hold back their words one by one.

From the first batter to this batter, they’re all desperate.

Saying you’re willing to get hit by a beanball to get on base is easier said than done.

Especially when the pitcher is Han Min-seok.

If you’re unlucky and get hit in the wrong place, you could end up with more than just an injury.

“Today is legendary…”

I don’t know who said it, but the GOAT players nodded tacitly.

Sports are a competition between two parties.

The more one side burns with competitive spirit, the more the other side will burn with competitive spirit, whether they want to or not.

If the opponent is willing to throw beanballs, you have to be prepared to get hit by beanballs.

Bang!

Kim Seong-hyun hit a line drive.

Just when it looked like it would pierce the gap between left and center field, shortstop Jung Young-soo jumped up like a bullet and caught the ball.

“Super catch by Jung Young-soo! Jung Young-soo’s picture-perfect defense ends the inning. GOAT finishes the inning with a score of 1-0.”

Han Min-seok clenched his fist and pointed at Jung Young-soo.

Jung Young-soo threw the ball to Han Min-seok and winked.

“Awesome, right, bro?”

“Today is going to be epic, epic.”

Kim Seong-hyun looked up at the sky and bit his lip.

It was as good as a hit…

As the inning changed, the commentator said.

“GOAT’s infield defense is surprisingly good, even though it’s overshadowed by other strengths. Shortstop Jung Young-soo and second baseman Jung Dong-gyu may not be the best defenders in the league, but they’re definitely a top-notch keystone combo [shortstop and second baseman]. If they were good at hitting, they would have been a keystone combo as good as Pegasus’.”

Ham Seong-hoon looked back and forth between Jung Young-soo and Jung Dong-gyu, who had returned to the bench.

Both were highly touted high school rookies that GOAT had selected with their first-round draft picks.

Even if they’re first-rounders, many players disappear without even playing on the first team.

GOAT has raised two first-rounders into starting second basemen and shortstops, so it’s an achievement to be proud of, but the evaluation of the two players was harsh.

Shortstop Jung Young-soo was considered a decent shortstop with stable defense and a strong arm, but the problem was the comparison target.

There was Scorpion shortstop Kim Se-gyun, who was said to be the best in history in terms of defense, and Pegasus shortstop Kim Hyung-woo, who was known as a shortstop who hit .300 along with solid defense.

Even in the Wolves, Jung Young-soo’s contemporary Lee Yong-cheol exceeded a .300 batting average and grew into an A-class shortstop with both offense and defense.

Jung Young-soo’s value, who struggled to exceed .250, was falling day by day.

Jung Young-soo was not as good as Kim Se-gyun in defense, not as good as Kim Hyung-woo in offense, and not as good as Lee Yong-cheol in growth.

It is said that value shines more when you are in crisis.

Jung Young-soo had the best athletic ability among the top shortstops in the league.

The resilient muscles, so-called horse muscles, enabled the widest range of defense among all shortstops.

The occasional home run was a bonus.

Second baseman Jung Dong-gyu’s evaluation was even harsher.

Unlike shortstops, where defense is emphasized, second basemen can’t receive good reviews simply because they are good at defense.

Unfortunately, the comparison targets are Pegasus’s Choi Seong-yeon, who is considered one of the best second basemen of all time, Scorpion’s Kang Gyun-seung, who has the most hits this season, and Wolves’ Jung Soo-young, who is aiming for a jackpot FA [Free Agent contract] of over 8 billion next year.

The second basemen of all three top teams all have career batting averages of over .300 and are also excellent defenders.

In the case of Choi Seong-yeon and Jung Soo-young, they are also good at executing plays and are fast.

On the other hand, Jung Dong-gyu had the nickname “paper doll” thanks to his long and thin physique.

Shortstop Jung Young-soo had the strength to occasionally hit home runs in Jamsil [a baseball stadium known for being difficult to hit home runs in] even though his batting average was low, but Jung Dong-gyu didn’t even have that.

His career batting average is less than .250, so how can his evaluation be good?

Jung Dong-gyu’s strengths were his large height, approaching 188 cm, and his arms, which were longer than those of basketball players.

He looks flimsy and clumsy, but his jumping ability and dash are better than anyone else.

An outfielder-like defensive range was his greatest strength.

“Young-soo. Dong-gyu.”

“Yes?”

Ham Seong-hoon called the two players closer.

“Hit hard. With all your might. Don’t think about hitting it moderately, split the ball in half. Got it?”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

“Ah, and.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“…?”

The two players were puzzled and returned.

Ham Seong-hoon sat down.

Jung Young-soo and Jung Dong-gyu are not the best shortstop and second baseman.

But the players GOAT needs most right now are Jung Young-soo and Jung Dong-gyu.

Fielders with the maximum defensive range to fill the vacancies at first and third base.

You can make up for a lack of offensive power, but you can’t replace a lack of defense.

Bang!

Just in time, fourth batter Yoo Seon-ho hit a double to the gap between left and center field off Kim Seong-hoon’s fastball.

The players stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

“Nice! Good job!”

Korean Series Game 7 (3)

Yoo Seon-ho got a hit, but there were no follow-up hits.

Park Jong-il strikeout, Jo Ji-ho strikeout. Oh Jin-young strikeout.

Kim Seong-hoon finished the top of the second inning with three consecutive strikeouts.

“He’s crazy…”

The GOAT players watching from the bench stuck out their tongues at Kim Seong-hoon’s performance.

GOAT’s hitting coach Kang Yeon-tae muttered with a stiff face.

“Today is going to be very difficult…”

Pegasus’s attack in the bottom of the second inning.

Pegasus’s leadoff hitter was Jung Yong-wook.

Song Seok-hyun checked Jung Yong-wook’s foot position.

While the previous batters pressed the pitcher by standing close to the plate, Jung Yong-wook took his stance as usual.

As the starting catcher, he must be trying to avoid getting hurt.

Clang!

-Strike!

One fastball on the outside.

Jung Yong-wook flinched but couldn’t swing.

Again, the same course.

This time it was further away, but it was a backdoor slider [a pitch that appears to be outside the strike zone but curves back in at the last moment].

-Strike!

“Two strikes. Han Min-seok is throwing the ball right away.”

“He’s aggressive. It seems Han Min-seok has strong faith in his pitches.”

Jung Yong-wook tapped his shoes with his bat.

Han Min-seok’s backdoor slider has become sharper than before.

Since there is a perception that Han Min-seok’s control is not good, the batter consciously makes the zone narrower.

At this time, ten out of ten batters will watch a fastball coming in from the outside.

The slider that hooks into the zone while they’re relieved is something the batter can’t even touch.

He got the count with a fastball and a slider… Then what’s the next pitch?

Jung Yong-wook’s head became complicated.

Every catcher has their own style.

Song Seok-hyun aims for aggressive ball distribution, but sometimes he stubbornly asks for breaking balls.

He showed two outside balls, so an inside fastball?

He showed a backdoor slider, so a changeup falling on the same course?

The ball Han Min-seok threw was on the inside course.

A ball that was a little bit in the zone, Jung Yong-wook put his arms together and swung.

Whack!

“The pitcher catches the ball coming straight at him and throws it to first. Out at first.”

“The bat completely broke in two. Han Min-seok’s pitch just now seems to be a slider. It’s not easy to throw a slider inside, but Han Min-seok is aggressive. He has confidence in his pitches.”