Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 87

One, two, three, four, five…

“Ugh!”

The sensation of my shoulder blades swelling wasn’t exactly pleasant. But at the same time, I felt a strange sense of elation.

My arm, which had been pulled back diligently while perpendicular to the ground, completed its quota and moved on to the next motion.

This time, it was horizontal to the ground. I stretched my arm out to the side and pulled hard. Twelve times, one set. Next, I raised my arms in the air and did another set.

I aligned my fists with my hairline and did a set, then stood sideways and did a set outward, then another set in the opposite direction, and from there, stood sideways in the opposite direction from before and did another set…

Pulling on a band that I could easily stretch with just the tip of my pinky finger for 20 minutes made it feel like I could barely manage one rep while gritting my teeth.

Thwack!

“Ugh…”

As soon as I released the tension in my grip, the rubber band snapped back to its original stubby shape. Both of my shoulders ached. I kept loosening my shoulders, panting, and wishing for a speedy recovery.

The tautness in my shoulders quickly returned to normal. This phenomenon is possible because the tubing exercise itself is more about the stimulation than improving strength.

After completing all the tubing exercises, I untied the tubing band from the net. Carefully folding it and putting it in the case completed the process perfectly.

I put the case in my personal bag and went out to the field. I expected to see a clear sky, but instead, the metal framework of the dome blocked my view.

It had been several years since the Gocheok Dome [a large indoor baseball stadium in Seoul] was built, and since baseball was my profession, I visited often, but I never really got used to it, no matter how many times I came.

It wasn’t a matter of liking or disliking it, I just never got used to it.

“Next, there will be the national anthem…”

The start of the game is always the same, no matter the time or the stadium. The only difference is whether we’re on the left or the right.

Today, it was an away game, so I greeted the start from the third base dugout. I offered genuine admiration and applause to the CEO of some company for their wonderful ceremonial first pitch and sat down on the dugout bench.

“I’ll probably get a rest today…”

I had pitched three consecutive games. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I pitched one inning each, all three being three-up, three-down innings [meaning the pitcher retired three batters in a row each inning].

“You’ve been good lately?”

“I’m doing alright.”

“What was the problem at the beginning of the season?”

“I don’t know.”

I still didn’t know the answer to the question from Hyung Gyujin, who came to my side. After the day I visited the analysis room, I had been consistently talking with analyst Yoon Sung.

Some of the hypotheses that Yoon Sung put forward: my velocity had become average, or my patterns had been read.

“You must’ve just been incredibly unlucky.”

The last hypothesis, luck.

I think I have to admit the third hypothesis, which I didn’t want to admit. Really, there’s no other explanation.

“You’re just going to brush it off like that?”

“What else can I do when there’s no other explanation?”

“Luck, huh…”

Hyung Gyujin, dangling his short legs in the air, looked quite adorable.

If this hyung [older brother or close male friend] went to buy cigarettes, they would definitely ask for his ID.

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“I was wondering if things are going well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Baseball.”

“Me…”

I didn’t have to turn to know that the person next to me had tilted his head slightly upward.

“…Aren’t things going well? If it’s this much.”

“You’ll hit the jackpot with free agency.”

“I wish.”

Thwack—!

Ball three!

“Don’t go anywhere.”

“Where would I go?”

“Another team.”

“Why are you already talking like that?”

“Just because.”

A hollow laugh tried to fill the empty space in my heart.

“I had a conversation with Youngjin before. It was… I don’t remember exactly when. It was a while ago.”

“About what?”

“To buy some FAs [free agents]. Can’t you see the kids are getting old? Or invest in developing some backups.”

“So what did Youngjin say?”

“He said he’d try… but then do you know what I said? I said it was okay.”

“You crazy bastard.”

Ah, high praise.

“Just. I wanted to do it with us.”

“Do what? Win the championship?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

Thwack—!

Wahhhhh-!!

“Isn’t this the last year?”

“Of what?”

“What you were talking about.”

“What? I’ve said so much nonsense.”

“Winning the championship within three years or something.”

“Nooo.”

Initiating denial!

“Why do you misunderstand like that? Did I say within three years? Didn’t I say after three years?”

“It’s the same thing.”

“It’s different! Since that was in 2017, 18, 19, 20. I said we’d win the championship in the 2020 season.”

“If you said three years in 17, you have to count from the 17 season.”

We need a video replay.

“…Okay, fine. It’s next year.”

“That’s right. It’s already been two years.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

A batter who dreamed of taking off for a wonderful flight showed a wonderful swing, but left fielder Hooni didn’t allow the takeoff.

“We’re pretty strong even now, competing with Sangsoo.”

“No. Not yet.”

“You have to try to know.”

“Didn’t you talk like that back when you were going on about Park Haejin and stuff?”

“Hyung is too pessimistic.”

“Whatever.”

I got up to greet the teammates returning to the dugout. It felt empty clapping by myself, so I borrowed the energy of the starting players who had good vibes.

“It’s not impossible. If we have four good starting pitchers and just one decent fifth starter. And if we get one or two more good pitchers in the bullpen.”

“What about the hitters?”

Thwack-!!

Run! Run! Run all the way home!!!

Thwack-!

He’s going!!!

“Not really. The kids are still young. If they just maintain their stamina and don’t get injured, well… I think it’s doable.”

Hmm.

After that, I watched Myungjin’s at-bat without saying much.

With runners on both corners, facing two red lights [a critical situation], how would Myungjin approach the plate in a 2-2 tie score situation?

Swthwack!

The first pitch, a fastball that seemed a little high, was called a strike.

Ball-.

Trying to bring down a fastball that was generally forming in the high zone, he threw a curveball, but it backfired, and the curve bounced.

Jang Dongwoon dove to block it, but there was enough time for Gyuhak, who was on first base, to reach second.

The opposing pitcher, no longer worried about a stolen base, pulled his right foot back and began his windup. Such boldness even with a runner on third, impressive.

After that, I don’t know what kind of pitch it was, but it seemed to have gone to the side. Judging by the velocity, it might have been a slider.

The fourth pitch, with a 2-1 count. As soon as the ball left his hand, I saw it floating upward and realized it was a curveball.

Too high?

The moment I noticed that the angle was higher than necessary, I thought to myself, ‘Yes!’

A mistake.

A curveball falling from that height would definitely land in the moderately high part of the zone. There’s no way a hitter like Myungjin would miss it!

Thwack-!!

“Oh, is it going?!”

The hit that didn’t miss the mistake, as expected, didn’t disappoint. It was unexpected that it went outside the left foul pole because he swung it too coolly.

“Ah… too bad.”

“It went out…”

Time-!

“Huh.”

Just as everyone was expressing their disappointment, a sudden time-out was called. I took my eyes off the left pole and turned them towards the mound.

It’s the late innings, and it’s a battle with the batter, but if it’s an important situation, they might make a change. Then the pitcher would make a really unhappy face.

But?

There was no one next to the pitcher, who had come down slightly below the mound due to the shift in weight. I didn’t sense any annoyance from him for being disturbed in his work.

Worry.

The pitcher’s gaze was full of concern for his colleague. In a situation that was difficult to understand, my head quickly turned to the right.

“Ah.”

There were many people around home plate. There were quite a few people who shouldn’t be there during an in-play. The fact that the color of the uniforms those people were wearing was navy blue amplified the unease.

“What’s going on?!”

Soon, Wonha’s team trainer sent an X signal towards our dugout. A commotion arose within the dugout, and everyone’s butts moved away from the chairs.

“Heonhee, warm up quickly.”

“Ah, yes!”

Heonhee, an infielder backup member, received an emergency call. In the sudden situation, he fumbled around, putting on his gloves and arm guard.

Stupidly, he was about to run out as is, but he put the helmet on his head at the shout of the hitting coach and started again.

There was a group approaching, intersecting with Heonhee heading to the plate. Myungjin, with a rather painful expression, was returning to the dugout with the support of the trainer, with the manager at the lead.

Lee Myungjin! Lee Myungjin! Lee Myungjin!

It was enemy territory, but after all, it was a world where people lived. The home team’s cheering section also shouted Myungjin’s name and cheered him on.

“Hey, what’s wrong?!”

“Ab, abdomen…”

“Abdomen?”

“Looks like a problem with his oblique muscles.”

A muscle mass attached to the side of the abdomen. A muscle that pitchers use a lot, and hitters have no choice but to use even more.

“A tear, maybe?”

“I don’t know. We have to go to the hospital, quickly.”

As is, Myungjin left the stadium with the trainer.

“…What is going on.”

* * *

Heonhee, inheriting the 2-2 count, refused the throne. He watched the ball, which would be recorded as his first pitch, but the fifth pitch in the record, and struck out and returned.

The momentum must have completely shifted there. Because in the next defense, they got a clean two-run home run and the game ended as it was.

But winning or losing the game wasn’t the important thing.

No, it’s important, but.

To correct it, winning or losing the game is also important, but there was something even more important than that. It was Myungjin’s condition.

Myungjin, who left the stadium with the trainer, went straight to a nearby hospital and underwent a thorough examination.

Oblique muscle injury.

That was Myungjin’s diagnosis. We could consider the fact that it wasn’t a tear as the only fortunate thing, really, only fortunate thing.

The next day, Monday. A day off that I would normally be happy to chew, tear, taste, and enjoy wasn’t very pleasant.

“How long do you think it will take?”

– Well. It’s not that serious, so. If we take it long, wouldn’t it be about a week?

“That’s a relief, really. No, why did you get injured, huh? Why, huh, why did you do that.”

– Hyung.

“What.”

– Do you know what my childhood dream was?

“…What is it.”

I’ll throw the phone away if you say nonsense.

I braced myself firmly and listened to the next line.

– To be a hero… to be a hero who shares dreams and hopes with children.

“Why a hero, all of a sudden.”

– Isn’t it cool?

“It’s cool, but. I’m saying why are you suddenly talking about heroes.”

– The curveball came up high, just like that. At that moment, I thought of my childhood. Ah, this is my chance to become a hero!

“You have a talent for explaining in great detail that you got injured from a hero swing, you bastard.”

– Ahick, thank you for the compliment, hyung.

Is he crazy?

“…So. When are you expected to return?”

– I’m estimating about a week for a simple injury recovery. Wouldn’t I go up to the first team after catching the feeling in the second team for a few days?

“So you’re just going down to the second team once.”

– That’s the feeling.”

“Ten days…”

The absence of the leadoff hitter and shortstop at a time when we need to put in even more effort after reaching the halfway point.

Based on the long season, you could say it’s only ten days.

The ground balls that pass over the keystone [the area around second base], the gloves that idly roam over the keystone. The keystone that steals bases if you’re careless.

We won’t be able to see this for ten days. Considering the help I received from Myungjin in terms of offense, defense, and running, I can’t help but feel even more regret.

– Still, Heonhee will do well when I’m not there, right?

“Heonhee is good at hitting, but his defense is weak, so that’s the problem.”

– Gibum hyung is also there for defense.”

“Gibum is…”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak ill of my friend.

“Still, it’s a big deal that you’re gone…”

– Ehehet, ehehet. I didn’t know hyung loved me that much.

Shibal [a Korean swear word, equivalent to “shit”].

– I’ll be back sooner than you think, so you don’t have to worry too much. Keep your worries to yourself.

“Okay. Take care of yourself.”

– Yes. I’ll copy my obliques and come back.

“Uh… copy them quickly.”