Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 137

[Kim Hyung-chul’s Straight Talk – Batters, How Long Will You Keep Getting Beat by Kim Han-wool?]

The saying goes that baseball is a sport of repetition.

Both the writer, who loves baseball, and the readers who indulge in this banter have probably heard it enough to be sick of it by now.

But even so, baseball is fun, and that’s incredibly fascinating.

Every year, the same teams play the same games in the same stadiums with almost unchanged players, yet why is it so enjoyable?

But as I broadcast and observe these beloved baseball games every day, I’ve noticed something strange.

Why do batters keep getting beat by Kim Han-wool?

Of course, as a former batter myself, I understand.

His fastball’s power is undeniably good. He has a wide variety of pitches, and each one is exceptionally well-honed.

Even that alone would give any batter a headache, but Kim Han-wool’s real weapon isn’t any of those ‘things’.

(A ‘stacked’ GIF of Sungwoon Hawks’ Kim Sung-hoon getting struck out with a full outside fastball)

Take a look at the short video above. What do you see?

If you’re a keen observer, you’ll notice that the video is a GIF file that astonishingly overlaps three pitches thrown to one batter in a single game.

There are three amazing things about the GIF above. Breaking it down one by one, the most amazing thing is Kim Han-wool’s delivery.

He throws three consecutive pitches with unwavering consistency, without the slightest disruption. This delivery is undoubtedly a major reason for Kim Han-wool’s excellent control.

The second amazing thing is that the results of these three pitches are all the same.

He threw three full outside fastballs to right-handed batter Kim Sung-hoon, ending the at-bat with three called strikes.

Finally, the most amazing thing is that while all three results are called strikes, the data values show that they are areas closer to balls than strikes.

(Kim Han-wool’s strike zone pitching location analysis chart. He got quite a few strike calls even when the ball was slightly outside the white box.)

The chart above is Kim Han-wool’s pitching analysis for this season. You can see it. He has a lot of history of ‘stealing’ strike calls on ‘balls’.

It’s no coincidence that batters facing Kim Han-wool often complain about ball calls and get angry at the umpire.

I can fully understand the batters’ feelings in these situations. They didn’t swing because it looked like a ball; it’s not the batter’s fault.

However, not being at fault doesn’t excuse the outcome.

(Kim Han-wool’s strike zone pitching location analysis chart. Similar to the analysis chart above, but with a much larger number of dots.)

If the analysis chart above is limited to the 2020 season, this analysis chart covers Kim Han-wool’s pitching since the 2017 season.

Do readers notice the difference between the chart above and the chart below?

If you don’t notice a big difference, some readers may be starting to realize what I’m getting at.

That’s right. Even before his performance improved, Kim Han-wool was known as one of the best pitchers in the league in terms of control.

He simply added wings to his performance when he gained power and speed, but batters seem to have forgotten the most fundamental aspect of the pitcher.

Instead of getting angry at the umpire for calling it a strike, batters should hit that pitch. In a way, the umpire is also a victim.

If they’re not confident in getting a hit, they should keep fouling it off to wear down Kim Han-wool’s stamina as much as possible. That way, they’ll have to face Kim Han-wool less often.

It’s been four years since Kim Han-wool’s performance took off. It’s been quite a while to keep excusing the batters for Kim Han-wool’s control.

Kim Han-wool always says something like this as a habit.

Let’s do what I can do among the things I have to do.

Kim Han-wool is that kind of pitcher. He’s a pitcher who knows exactly what he needs to do and executes it precisely.

Now it’s time for the batters to accurately recognize what they need to do and execute it precisely.

diel****

So, it’s basically the Han-wool zone?

Recommended 3122 Not Recommended 1524

yadi****

I knew his control was good, but I didn’t know it was this good…

Recommended 2894 Not Recommended 1274

dkzm****

But if it’s that bad, aren’t the umpires also at fault?

Recommended 2571 Not Recommended 952

* * *

“Ah, hello, senior.”

“Oh, Han-wool. Long time no see, how have you been?”

“Great, thanks to you, senior.”

“I haven’t done anything for you, why are you doing so well thanks to me?”

“Just being under the same sky as you, senior, gives me so much strength…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Yes, sir.”

Before the game started, Kim Soo-chan, a legend of the Wonha Challengers and a respected figure in the baseball world, visited Jamsil Stadium.

It’s not particularly unusual for a senior known for his blunt commentary on MBS [a broadcasting station] to visit a team that is scheduled to be broadcasted today.

“Then please do well today.”

“Oh, I should be the one saying that.”

However, it feels somewhat special if the purpose of the visit is not somewhere else, but to ‘me’.

The reason why the senior came to me was for an interview.

Since it was pre-arranged, I wasn’t too flustered and sat demurely next to Kim Soo-chan, looking at the camera.

“Ready? Uh-huh, okay.”

Ahem!

“Ah, hello. As I mentioned before, today I’ll be talking with Kim Han-wool of the Wonha Challengers. Hello.”

“Hello.”

“First, would you like to say a word to the fans?”

“Hello. I’m Kim Han-wool of the Wonha Challengers. Nice to meet you.”

Whether it’s because I’ve done quite a few interviews, or just because I’m getting older,

Looking at the camera lens instead of a person and bowing my head doesn’t feel awkward anymore.

“Ehh… well, we can’t avoid mentioning this part about Kim Han-wool. You know your stats this season, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Then would you like to talk about them?”

“Uh… it’s a bit much for me to say it myself…”

“Why? It’s not like they’re embarrassing stats.”

“Well…”

“Should I just do it?”

“Yes… please do.”

“Kim Han-wool’s stats are very good this season. He’s pitched 19 innings so far, with 32 strikeouts, no walks, and only four hits allowed, right?”

“Yes…”

“That’s amazing, but what’s even more amazing is that his ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] is still 0 this season. He hasn’t allowed a single inherited runner to score, not even once, so far.”

“…Yes.”

My self-esteem and pride are high, but I can’t bring myself to be the type of person who boasts, so this situation felt a bit awkward.

As I was hanging my head low,

“You’re probably thinking you should have just talked about it yourself, right?”

“…Yes.”

Senior Kim Soo-chan chuckled.

“Your stats are very good this season, right? It’s not even the beginning of the season anymore.”

“That’s right, it’s already June… it’s not the beginning of the season.”

“We’re slowly approaching the middle of the season, right? But Kim Han-wool is still putting up such good numbers.”

Senior, please…

“The questions today are actually simple. How should I put it… I’ve been getting a strong feeling that Kim Han-wool’s pitching style has changed a bit since this season.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I wanted to hear an explanation about this.”

Pitching style…

During the brief silence as I thought about my answer, the senior added some interjections.

“From the 2017 season to last season, that’s three years, right? For three years, Kim Han-wool had a strong feel of precisely controlling the ball and placing it in every corner.”

“Ah, that’s right. That’s how it was.”

“So, by taking advantage of that, he would just throw it in there on a 0-2 count, or even throw a ball on a 3-0 count to induce a swing.”

That’s… right?

“But coming into this season, how should I say it… this might be a bit of a rude expression, but it’s like you’re throwing without thinking…?”

“Oh my…”

“The expression is a bit much, but it doesn’t mean that at all.”

“Yes, yes, of course. I know, I know.”

“Of course, your control to accurately hit every corner is still there… what I’m trying to say is, it’s like something is broken in Kim Han-wool’s pitching style?”

“Ah.”

If that’s what you mean, then that’s right.

“So, from the batters’ perspective, right? Even if I were a batter, I’d be thinking, why are you throwing this here? There are a lot of ball combinations that would make me think that.”

“Thinking about it after hearing you say that, it’s true.”

“If it were another pitcher, I’d think it was the catcher’s or the bench’s intention, but Kim Han-wool is different, right?”

“That’s right. It’s different.”

“You even said that you give more signs than the catcher sometimes, right?”

The somewhat vague answer became clear thanks to the senior’s addition.

“It seems like something is broken, as you said, senior.”

“What kind of framework are you talking about?”

“As a pitcher, there’s a framework of how to throw, or how you should throw, right?”

“That’s right. Basically, you shouldn’t throw a meatball [an easy pitch to hit] in the middle, you should avoid high pitches if possible, there are a few things like that.”

“But I started throwing without thinking about those things.”

“You can throw it in the middle? You can throw it high?”

“I think I need to add some explanation, but yes. To answer from the start, yes.”

“Then can you give me that additional explanation?”

Because I had been thinking about it and it was organized in my head, I had no hesitation in speaking.

“Well, I don’t remember exactly when, but do you remember, senior? When you asked me what the most important pitching stat was to me.”

“Ah, I remember. You said it was ERA then.”

“The answer will be somewhat connected to that answer, but I said something like that then. Even in the bottom of the 9th with two outs and a one-run lead, I might give up a walk if necessary.”

“That’s right. I remember that story too.”

“But basically, batters come in with that kind of thinking. That no pitcher wants to give up a walk.”

“Of course. Basically, they think everything will come in as a strike.”

“Yes, that’s it. That feeling has expanded a bit more.”

What are you talking about?

I could see that expression on the senior’s face, but I thought it was a natural reaction. There were still many additional explanations to add.

“Similarly, there’s a thought that batters basically have: that pitchers will never want to throw a mistake, something like that.”

“Of course.”

“Hmm… I’m aiming for that? Can I explain it like that?”

Of course, the quest also had an influence.

Get a ground ball, get a strikeout, only throw a certain pitch, and recently there was even a quest to not allow any balls at all.

They were all difficult quests. They were also seemingly absurd quests.

But there was a clear reason why I was able to carry out these quests, and why I was able to put a period on them with success.

“But isn’t it too dangerous to really aim for the middle? The opposing batter is also a pro, and frankly, it’s not like Kim Han-wool is throwing 170km [kilometers per hour, a very high speed for a baseball pitch].”

“Perception is scary. Kim Han-wool is a certain type of pitcher; he’ll definitely throw like this and he won’t throw like that, that kind of image.”

“Because it’s Kim Han-wool, he’ll throw it here? Because it’s Kim Han-wool, he won’t throw it here?”

“That’s it.”

The image I had built up over the past three years.

Instead of breaking the basic ‘framework’ at crucial moments, I’m doing pitching that uses that framework as a vaulting horse to jump over it completely.

“So recently, I’ve been setting a concept for each appearance.”

“A concept for the appearance?”

“Yes. Today, let’s get ground balls; today, let’s throw a lot of curves; today, let’s throw high fastballs. That kind of concept.”

“Wow…”

“I think it works even better because I’m a relief pitcher. If I were a starter, I’d be throwing for a long time in a day, so I might get read at some point, right?”

“But because you’re a bullpen pitcher, and you set a different concept for each game?”

“That’s right.”

“But you’d have to have a lot of repertoire to do that.”

“I have plenty of repertoire.”

A good fastball with a velocity exceeding 150km. Highly perfected breaking balls that bend in all directions. Perfect control that makes all these tactics possible.

The number of combinations that can be created with these is truly beyond imagination.

“Then can I take that to mean that there are many concepts left for the future?”

“Of course.”

“Oho, I like the confident statement.”

Confidence.

The thumbs up raised while looking at the camera was not only being conveyed to the people watching this video.

It was definitely being conveyed to Park Hae-jin, who was swinging his bat wildly in the opposing dugout over there.

“Please look forward to this season.”