Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 33

33. The Bullpen Trio

The newly recruited players and the rookies—the future pillars of our Wonha, whether immediately or down the line—had all completed their introductions.

Ah, this is going to be fun!

Of course, Eunseo, who manages the team’s official Mytube [YouTube] channel, wouldn’t miss this. She approached the slightly overwhelmed rookies and interviewed them, looking quite comfortable in her role.

The rookies seemed to relax considerably as the friendly girl approached and spoke with them.

I used to be like that too. Was that already 10 years ago? I’m getting old. Damn.

The camp proceeded smoothly. They conducted specialized training tailored to each position and gathered for overall defensive training. On some days, even the coaches and the manager had to sit in chairs in the auditorium and listen to character education from an invited external lecturer.

‘Professional.’

The weight of these two words felt light if you didn’t understand them, but quite heavy if you did.

“Hey, are you not doing this right? What’s so funny?”

Slightly above average in the team. If limited to just pitchers, slightly above that.

That was my position in Wonha based on age and seniority. It’s a very annoying position. It feels like a middle-ranking sergeant in the military holding the squad leader position.

How would I know, when I didn’t even go to the military? I complained about my situation to a military veteran friend, and that was the emotional result.

“S-Sorry!”

That’s why I had to play this role.

Pitcher fielding practice, or PFP for short. It’s crucial training for pitchers, as important as pitching training itself.

In-game, it allows you to block balls that graze past you and reduce earned runs. Out-of-game, it’s training that prevents you from getting hit in the face by a line drive and ending up in the afterlife.

But how dare these little rookies, who just joined the team, giggle after making a mistake during the sacred PFP time?

Even the old me would have been uncomfortable with the situation, but a squad leader had to express that discomfort directly.

Did you ever see a *byeong-jang* [Korean military rank, equivalent to Sergeant] stepping up? They pass the buck to the squad leader.

‘Hey, he’s being too extra. Aren’t you managing the kids?’

I let it slide once or twice, but when it happened a few more times, I finally snapped and said something. Only then did the rookies come to their senses.

This is all because I’m telling you this for your own good. You know?

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

“I think I’m becoming a *kkondae* [Korean slang for an older person who is condescending or patronizing].”

“Whatever.”

Hyung [older brother or male friend] Gyujin ignored my words and stood on the mound. He took a set position and then went through a pitching motion.

Of course, there was no ball. Just as the pitching motion ended, Coach Kim Gwanhee hit a weak ground ball to the right.

“Three, three!”

“Third!”

Then Hyung Gyujin quickly grabbed it and threw it to 3rd base.

“Nice!”

“Good!”

In a situation with a runner on 2nd base, what should a pitcher do if they catch a weak ground ball or a strong bunt?

“First!”

Correct, just listen to the call and follow it.

“Woah!”

“Ooh yeah.”

The ball that came to me was too slow. It felt like it fell in front of the catcher, and I caught the ball with my bare hand and threw it like I was shooting a fadeaway shot.

“Alright, young friends. Did you see what Hanwool hyung just did? If you do that, you’re in big trouble.”

“Hey, coach.”

“Hanwool hyung here is worn out. Very old, that’s what I mean. Huh? He’s been rolling around in the baseball scene for 10 years, that’s what I mean.”

Worn out…….

“He has that much experience and knows how to react in a split-second situation. But you guys aren’t there yet. Remember what the manager said? Just do what you can do. Got it?”

Yes!

Next is defense in situations with runners on 1st and 2nd base.

A weak hit sound that is so good to hear from a pitcher’s perspective. But if it’s coming to me,

“Three!”

It’s more pressure than you think.

“Okay, 1st and 2nd base. Then what about 3rd base?”

“Force out!”

“That’s right, from the defense’s perspective, there are two whole timings to spare. You don’t have to do it quickly, just look at the third baseman’s face and throw it accurately, and you can easily get one out. Got it?”

Yes!

Defense with a runner on 1st base.

“Two-two!”

“Second!”

With a runner on 3rd base.

“To first!”

With runners on 1st and 3rd base. This is the most mind-boggling.

“Watch home!”

“Two! Two-two!”

Following the order, the body faces 2nd base, but the eyes scan 3rd base.

The first camp generally has a high proportion of position-specific training. After improving each player’s skills in that way, they integrate and harmonize in the second camp.

If you survive here, you stay in Miyazaki and continue to the second camp, and if you fail, you head to Taiwan from here. Heading to Taiwan means there’s a high chance you’ll start the season in the minor leagues.

“Alright, don’t overdo it. Don’t just look at the long season, look at the long life, friends.”

Players who have a certain level and a secure position don’t have to burn themselves out like crazy. Rather, getting hurt from working hard in these situations is more of a loss for both the individual and the team.

But the story is different for rookies and players who don’t have a position yet, or those who are in the *1.5 gun* [Tier between the first and second team] level. They really have to risk their lives.

Starting the season in the minor leagues.

I won’t be stuck in the minor leagues forever. The opportunity will come someday. But the difference between whether that opportunity comes once, twice, or five times is enormous.

The coaches also knew that, so they would cut in at the right time when things were about to get overheated and mediate.

“Good job!”

“Good job!”

Integrated training is over. Today’s training is also over. Now it’s time to rest. I came into the dorm, took a shower, and then lay down on the bed.

Ggggeeeeuuuuk…….

A moment of fatigue rushed in, and I closed my eyes for a moment. It’s a little early to fall asleep, but it’s not an awkward time. Maybe when I fall asleep and wake up, the second camp members will be decided.

* * *

A few days after the second camp started, a practice game was held. If you think of it as a match, it’s the first match of the year. The opposing team is the Sungwoon Hawks, who are also holding camp in the Miyazaki area.

Before the game, I met Woosuk in a relaxed atmosphere after a long time.

“You little punk, you’ve loosened up a bit?”

“You know half of the money you received is mine, right?”

“You crazy bastard.”

“You too.”

After a conversation filled with love and affection after a long time, they returned to their dugouts to prepare for the game.

Since there’s no need to follow the league’s rules, there are about 30 players in the dugout, excluding the coaches.

There will probably be a lot of substitutions. Not only for the fielders, but especially among our bullpen pitchers.

Nevertheless, the manager made one thing clear: no matter how many points the score difference was, he wouldn’t take down Senior Kyungseok in the 7th inning, me in the 8th inning, and Senior Eunkoo in the 9th inning. He said that these pitchers wouldn’t be taken down no matter how many runs they gave up during those three innings.

The starter is Hyukjoon. He’s slowly building up his condition, and the speed gun on the scoreboard was showing speeds around 145km [~90 mph]. He’ll probably pitch for 2 or 3 innings at most.

Hyung! Hyung!

Hyung, give me some curveballs.

Hyung, do you have a way to throw it well inside?

Hyung, am I bending the curve like this?

Hyung, how about a changeup?

Hyung, should I throw a two-seamer?

Hyung, I don’t think my curveball is bending well.

Hyung, how do you throw a forkball?

Hyung, how do you differentiate between a splitter and a forkball?

Hyung, hyung.

Hyuuuuuung.

“…X bastard.”

He’s the guy who bothered me the most this camp. After his shutout in the first game of last year’s *Jun-Pullei-Opeu* [Semi-playoffs], he must have felt something, because he kept bothering me and chasing me around all the time.

Why me?

It’s known that I referred to his form and pulled the release point to increase the speed.

He said that he created the control from last year’s shutout by referring to me in that sense. His feeling at that time was so good that he was trying to follow me around and imitate me one by one.

It’s annoying, but it looked good. I could see that he was trying hard.

The curveball that he had been practicing since the end of the year before last was hardly used last year, but it has been evaluated as being somewhat usable since this camp’s pitching. And he’s probably going to use it here.

“Play ball!”

The first batter wasn’t Woosuk. It seemed like he was resting because his name wasn’t on the lineup card. That’s understandable. The other team’s manager must have decided that there’s no need to overdo it even in this kind of situation.

“Strike!”

Oh.

The curveball came out from the first pitch. 119km [~74 mph]. It’s uncomfortable that a curveball is the same speed as my slider.

Curve, fastball, curve, fastball, curve, fastball, curve, fastball.

Hyukjoon’s ball distribution was like this. It seemed like he was deliberately trying to learn the curveball because of the timing.

I could see that the proportion of curveballs that I felt were okay and usable was gradually increasing.

Four strikeouts, two walks, and no hits in 3 innings. He blocked it cleanly and came down. During those 3 innings, our *1.5 gun* [Tier between the first and second team] lineup diligently pounded the opponent’s *2 gun* [Second team] starting pitcher and scored 6 points.

There are 3 innings left until Senior Kyungseok goes up in the 7th inning. I wondered if Hyung Gyujin would go up, but he was sitting next to me, so that wasn’t the case.

The pitcher who went up in the bottom of the 4th inning was rookie Kim Jiho, who was evaluated as being ready to play right away, but that’s just lip service. He’s just the best of the pitchers who joined this time.

He gave up a home run in 1 inning and finished. The next two innings were pitchers who were originally with us. Three people each gave up 1 run in 2 innings.

6 to 4.

It wasn’t intentional, but the picture was completed where our bullpen trio could play in the actual league.

Bottom of the 7th inning, Senior Kyungseok takes the mound.

I wonder how a person’s body can bend like that. He bends his waist and throws the ball from an angle slightly below the side.

I’m flexible in my shoulders and elbows, but I’m known to be stiff below my waist. Especially my pelvis. I’m a baseball player, but I can’t do a split of 90 degrees.

The pitches that Senior Kyungseok is known to throw are a fastball full of tailing, a sinker that you can’t leave out if you’re a submarine pitcher, and a curve that curves greatly horizontally. The speed of the fastball hovers around the mid to late 130km [~81-87 mph] range.

If a pitcher who throws from the side or below throws a sinker and a curveball well, it’s really hard to hit.

Because of his unique arm angle, the curveball that rises up and hooks horizontally, and the sinker that falls and curves at a similar speed to the fastball that already curves.

He is literally a pitcher specialized in infield ground balls.

“…Huh?”

Ttaak―

Ttak!

Ttaak―!

Double to right-center, fly ball to the center fielder, fly ball to the right fielder, home run to left field, and another fly ball to the right fielder.

He gave up the tying run after facing five batters in 1 inning. It’s possible to get hit by a home run, but all the outs were fly balls.

Moreover, the fact that all three batted balls were almost liner-like flies is quite concerning. Looking at the manager and pitching coach’s expressions, they seemed to be thinking the same thing as me.

In the top of the 8th inning, they scored another point, making it 7 to 6. Afterwards, in the bottom of the 8th inning, they gave up a right-field hit on the first pitch to the first batter, but they created an infield fly and a 5-4-3 double play, finishing the inning more cleanly than expected.

In the top of the 9th inning, they scored another point, leading by two points again at 8 to 6, and Senior Eunkoo took the mound.

During the peak of the season, the senior’s fastball never drops below 150km [~93 mph], no matter how slow it is. His highest speed is 156km [~97 mph].

As for his changeup, it’s a slider that has a higher pitch value than the fastball. He’s a typical two-pitch pitcher, but considering that he’s a bullpen pitcher and has good control, he’s a pitcher who has high expectations as a closer.

But…….

Ball!

Low ball!

Ball!

High ball!

Low ball!

Ball!

Ball!

“…Uh…….”

Walk, walk, strikeout, hit, strikeout, walk, walk, hit, walk-off loss.

That was Senior Eunkoo’s performance report in the bottom of the 9th inning. Even though it was before the start of the season, he had managed his body well, and his control was already excellent, reaching 150km [~93 mph], but he wasn’t getting into the zone at all.

The fastballs that he threw weakly, taking out the power to force them in, were hit hard, and only hitters with poor eyes or impatient hitters swung without even looking properly and gave up a strikeout.

It seems that this season as well. In the end, the main point of our team will be the bullpen.