On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 254

“Nice one!”

“Yo, Seok-hyeon’s feeling it today, too?”

“Pegasus is crossing the Jordan today. Hahaha!”

Amidst the boisterous cheers of his teammates, Song Seok-hyeon returned to the bench.

Kim In-hwan came over to Song Seok-hyeon and tapped his thigh.

“Looks like you’re in good condition today. Your swing looked good from the side.”

“It’s not the swing, it was a complete mistake pitch. If a high-speed slider is a mistake, it’s a home run even if you just touch it.”

“Humble too. Oh.”

“What humility? Didn’t you notice anything strange, hyung [older brother or respected male figure]? Kim Seong-hoon’s pitches today are a bit… off.”

No sooner had Song Seok-hyeon finished speaking than Yu Seon-ho blasted a long hit that went over the left fielder’s head.

The players clapped and whistled.

“Yeah, his pitches seem to be concentrated in one spot today.”

“Concentrated pitches plus, it doesn’t seem like he’s prepared for the season at all. His lower body isn’t solid.”

“What do you mean, solid?”

“You can tell just by looking. You know how pitchers who have been away for a long time can’t get a feel for it and struggle? That’s mostly because their lower body balance is off. You have to build lower body balance with running, and you have to run consistently every day without stopping for a long time. If the velocity is there but the pitches are like that, it’s mostly because they haven’t been running properly.”

“Oh, a guru, a guru.”

Song Seok-hyeon frowned.

“Kim Seong-hoon is famous for being diligent. Why is he like that then…?”

“He might not have prepared properly for the season. If you’re always at the top, that can happen, right?”

“That could be it, but Pegasus itself is a bit…”

“A bit?”

Song Seok-hyeon shook his head.

“No, never mind.”

After Yu Seon-ho’s double, Kim Wook drove a two-run dagger into his former team.

Six runs in the first inning alone.

Kim Seong-hoon managed to get the next batter, Choi Jae-wan, out with a fly ball, but after allowing consecutive hits, he suffered the humiliation of being taken out in the first inning.

-Run, Goat, run! Run, Goat, run! Whoa whoa whoa whoa!

-Run, Goat, run! Run, Goat, run! Whoa whoa whoa whoa!

Only the Goat’s cheer song resounded loudly in Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

There was no need to see what followed.

Pegasus couldn’t mount a proper counterattack, only managing to score one run.

The game ended 11-1.

Unlike the exhibition game, the Goat fans, with a sweeping victory, laughed heartily and sang the cheer song at the top of their voices.

Ham Seong-hoon finally regained a bit of his smile.

“Phew, if it were like this every day, there’d be nothing to worry about.”

Rising High as a Catcher

A Good Start, But (2)

The second game against Pegasus.

Pegasus, fielding a fastball foreign pitcher, suffered a lackluster 8-2 defeat to Goat.

Foreign pitcher Steve Hoffman secured a quality start with his fastballs, but the bullpen was the problem.

Rare defensive errors followed, leading to a complete collapse.

Kim Wook played a stellar role with 1 home run and 2 RBIs, but he couldn’t laugh comfortably.

* * *

The next day.

Kim Wook had lunch with his close junior [younger friend/colleague] and Pegasus’s second baseman, Choi Young-seok.

“You’re going through a lot.”

Choi Young-seok gave a bitter smile at Kim Wook’s words.

“I need to escape from here soon, too.”

“The atmosphere is terrible, right?”

“Is that even a question? It’s not just terrible, it’s a complete mess.”

Choi Young-seok wiped his mouth with a tissue.

“I knew it from the moment they started talking about this victory contribution-based salary system or whatever, but this is too much. Isn’t it just a rip-off?”

“Seeing you guys yesterday and the day before, the kids seemed completely unmotivated.”

“Why would we do this? What is a pro? We’re all doing it for the money. But they’re just weighing and measuring salaries every which way. It’s all up to them. All up to them. They should at least be consistent. They’re saying things I don’t even understand, talking about formulas and whatnot. Ugh, it pisses me off just talking about it.”

Kim Wook handed him a glass of cold water.

“Thanks, hyung. Anyway. It’s been a complete madhouse since the new general manager came. I’d understand if they were cutting salaries because the company was in trouble. But everyone did similarly, and someone’s salary is 200 million won while someone else’s is 70 million won. Who would understand that? Everyone’s playing the game of trying to read each other’s eyes because of this. There are a lot of factions, too.”

“Factions?”

“The guys who are close to the front office have unusually high salaries. I don’t know if it’s intentional or just a coincidence, but isn’t it the perfect situation for a madhouse?”

Kim Wook crossed his arms.

“It sounds even more serious when I hear it.”

“Hyung, you really got out at the right time. They’re treating us like complete garbage just because we didn’t win the championship twice. No, how long have we been doing this? We worked like dogs during camp. I didn’t even do that much in high school. Sports-tainment? The new general manager doesn’t even care about winning, but he talks about winning like it’s the only thing. And he talks about money like crazy. There are seven events scheduled in April alone, seven. They say it’s fan-friendly, but it’s obvious they’re just trying to make money.”

“Ugh. What are you going to do? You’re a free agent next year.”

“I have to survive by any means possible. I can’t stay here. It looks like the head office has completely given up on us. They see us as idiots just because we didn’t win the championship twice. Everyone’s talking about leaving the team. The manager can be changed at any time, but not the general manager. It’s the group’s decision.”

“It would have been great if you had come here with me. The Goat’s second base is a bit weak.”

“I know, right? If I had gone, wouldn’t we be a championship contender for sure? The lineup is already so strong.”

“The timing’s not right, the timing’s not right.”

Choi Young-seok shook his head.

“In my opinion, Pegasus is completely screwed this year. The manager is just a lackey for the front office, and they have no desire or will to win. How can they succeed?”

After parting ways with Choi Young-seok, Kim Wook got into his car with a gloomy expression.

Seeing how things were turning out, he had escaped from a sinking ship in advance, but he wasn’t happy.

How long had he been living as the Pegasus’s cleanup hitter?

Pegasus, which had been called a prestigious team, a dynasty, and the best and strongest team of all time, was collapsing in just one season.

The departure of Jo Jin-hee and Kim Wook, who were the core of the team’s offense and defense, must have been a major blow, but the group’s withdrawal was shocking.

The fact that they had missed the Korean Series championship twice must have had the biggest impact on the withdrawal of investment.

Even if a rich man goes bankrupt, he still has three years, they say [a Korean proverb about resilience].

Pegasus started the season without proper preparation, but they are still a strong team mentioned as a championship contender.

Rather, with Pegasus falling behind from the start, the mid-tier battle will only become more intense.

“Is the Goat at least stable…?”

To think that coming to the Goat, of all teams, would be such great luck.

Kim Wook stepped on the accelerator.

* * *

“Ughhhhh~.”

Song Seok-hyeon stretched.

Kim Na-young heard the sound of Song Seok-hyeon getting up and approached him.

“You’re awake?”

“Umm. I slept really well. What time is it?”

“It’s past lunchtime now.”

“Oh, man. I slept a lot. It feels like it’s been a long time since I slept so soundly without even dreaming.”

Song Seok-hyeon got up and yawned.

“Ah, hmm. You have no idea how worried I was throughout the exhibition games. If I changed my batting form and it didn’t work out, I’d really become a traitor.”

“You worry too much. The Goat is a championship contender this year, what’s there to worry about so much?”

“The words ‘championship contender’ are the most burdensome. I was a rookie last year, but this year there’s definitely an atmosphere that I have to do well. Seon-ho hyung and Kim Wook hyung are also there, but it’s also subtly stressful for me to keep being the cleanup hitter.”

“Aww, poor baby?”

Kim Na-young pinched and stretched Song Seok-hyeon’s cheeks from side to side.

“Are you worried, our Seok-hyeon?”

“What has our madam been up to?”

“Me? What else would I be doing? I’ve been studying.”

“Studying? What are you studying? Are you already preparing for the bar exam?”

“No. There are many other things to study besides that.”

Kim Na-young led Song Seok-hyeon to the desk.

On the desk, there were all sorts of books piled up, from childcare-related books to economics, finance, education, and psychology.

“What is this…?”

“What else? It’s for our little one.”

“This…?”

What Song Seok-hyeon picked up was a high school textbook.

“Why is this here?”

“Umm, I want to teach our little one when they grow up. I saw that someone like Karl Witte made his premature son a genius. You have no choice but to be away from home for almost half the year. What will I be doing during that time? I have to teach the kids and do finance. Ah, I’ve been thinking, but I don’t think one child will be enough.”

“Huh?”

“We need at least three or four to make the house lively. Wouldn’t it be scary to have this big house with just me and the little one?”

“The little one hasn’t even been born yet, and you’re already planning the family?”

“I have to have them diligently while I have the strength. They say you recover quickly if you have children when you’re young.”

Kim Na-young turned to Song Seok-hyeon and smiled.

“So you really have to play baseball hard. You know what I mean, right? You have to play baseball diligently and earn money diligently to support our family. I’ll raise the kids diligently, so you play baseball diligently. I’ve already prepared a plan for how to do finance.”

“You’re amazing, our Na-young. Your life plan is full, full.”

“Listen. I won’t be able to buy a building right away, and I’ll be busy raising the kids, so real estate is difficult. You have to go around a lot. I’ve been reading stock books lately, and if you do a index-tracking ETF, you can get more than 10% per year…”

Song Seok-hyeon was caught by Kim Na-young and listened non-stop to her future finance plans, childcare plans, family plans, retirement plans, and public foundation establishment plans.

After dinner, he heard about seven scenarios of which direction to raise the children when they have certain talents.

The original plan was to rest at home until the afternoon, then go shopping and eat out in the evening, but there was no way to stop Kim Na-young’s chatter once it started.

The next day, the Goat welcomed the Phoenix, with the golden Monday rest day filled with Kim Na-young’s lectures.

Fortunately, Kim Young-hoon was not scheduled to start in the three-game series against the Goat.

“The schedule is good, Manager.”

Said Ahn Young-jae, the defense coach who also serves as the chief.

“I know. Two consecutive wins against Pegasus, followed by the Phoenix without Kim Young-hoon. Coach, you watched Kim Young-hoon’s game, right?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? He’s become even scarier than before.”

“His fastball velocity used to be in the low to mid 140s (kilometers per hour), but this time he was easily exceeding 145.”

“Well, his pitches are still good. The batters couldn’t even touch them.”

“I think the Phoenix is the most difficult opponent for winning the Korean Series.”

“Well, even so, it won’t be easy for the Phoenix to finish in 4th place. There isn’t a single easy team this season. The Phoenix is too weak right now because they are rebuilding.”

“We have to pray that’s the case.”

The three-game series against the Phoenix was anticlimactic.

The Phoenix’s three local pitchers recorded an ERA [Earned Run Average] of 7.2 during the three-game series.

It was an explosion of the Goat’s lineup.

Even the shaky Lee Chang-hoon barely recorded a quality start, and the Goat recorded five consecutive wins, tying for first place.

“What’s up with those Busan kids? Are they crazy?”

“Wow. Is it possible to do this well just by changing the team name?”

The team that had only tightened up its internal free agents without any special reinforcements was on a roll from the start, with a powerful lineup.

The pitchers, who had been pointed out as a weakness every time, also increased their strikeouts and reduced their walks, undergoing a complete transformation.

“They’re just a team that does well in the spring. Why is everyone overreacting?”

Even with Kim Jung-ryul’s joke, the players couldn’t laugh easily.

Just when they thought this season would be easy due to Pegasus’s slump, the Astro Boyz’s momentum was formidable.

After five consecutive wins, they headed to Incheon.

In Incheon, the Whales, who welcomed new manager Hwang Geun-seong, were waiting.

“Please take good care of me, Manager.”

“Um, yeah. Let’s do well.”

Ham Seong-hoon visited Hwang Geun-seong before the game and paid his respects.

A veteran manager who has won over 1,000 games in Korea alone.

If Ham Seong-hoon hadn’t won the championship, he would have been a candidate to be invited as the Goat’s manager with a high probability.

Although he had been away from the field for quite some time, many teams were still looking for Hwang Geun-seong.

Hwang Geun-seong’s nickname is the magician of short-term battles.

He was a more capable manager than anyone else in raising the team’s power to 120%.

Someone that any team coveting the Korean Series would think of at least once.

However, he is also someone who makes it difficult to make a decision easily.

His view of baseball and his management style were reminiscent of the 80s and 90s.

Baseball that emphasizes fighting spirit and will is bound to be accompanied by overwork.

The fact that the Whales hired Hwang Geun-seong means that they are determined to win the championship this season, even if it means overworking the players.

With the Goat trading Max Gyu-dae and Kang Moon-gyu, the Whales’ lineup this season is as solid as ever.

The Whales are strong in small ball based on a solid and well-organized mound and defense, even if they lack star players.

With the addition of star players like Max Gyu-dae and Kang Moon-gyu, they have even strengthened the power of their lineup, which had been pointed out as a weakness.

Last year, the Whales gave the Goat key prospect pitcher set along with bullpen key player Jung Hong-min.

Putting aside investment for the future for a while, win now.

Hwang Geun-seong was the crowning glory of the Whales’ win-now strategy.

* * *

-Play ball!

The first game between the Goat and the Whales began.

The Whales’ starter was left-handed foreign pitcher Steve.

His velocity did not exceed 140 (kilometers per hour), but he created three consecutive ground balls with his unique deception and dirty pitches.

“He really likes left-handers.”

Said Yeon Woo-sik, the Goat’s pitching coach.

If a foreign pitcher’s velocity does not exceed 140 (kilometers per hour), most teams in Korea will pass on him, no matter how good his control and breaking balls are.

He doesn’t even come into the radar in the first place.

The fact that they brought in a foreign pitcher who is good at everything except velocity is 100% due to Manager Hwang Geun-seong’s influence.

No, Manager Hwang Geun-seong probably chose him himself.

Whales’ attack in the bottom of the 1st inning.

The Goat players felt to the bone what kind of team Hwang Geun-seong’s Whales were.

Rising High as a Catcher

A Good Start, But (3)

The Goat’s starter is Fish.

The Whales’ leadoff hitter is Lee Jae-hoon.

Lee Jae-hoon, a renowned national team right fielder, was a batter who guaranteed a .300 average and 40 stolen bases.