A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 201

52. He’s Got a Tenacious Side (1)

About five minutes later, there was movement in the UB Guardians dugout.

After Shin Min-sung’s leadoff home run, the next two batters also got hits.

Three consecutive hits, all targeting the decisive pitch after two strikes.

The Guardians coaching staff seemed to sense that something unusual was happening.

“What should we do in this situation?”

KH Cannons’ away team lodging.

In his room, General Manager Seo Chang-gi, watching the game, turned to Ji-seop and asked, “I sometimes think about it. If I were a pitching coach, what would I say in this situation?”

The TV screen showed a close-up of the Guardians’ pitching coach heading to the mound.

“I can’t just go down there and say ‘Cheer up’… What do you think, Mr. Kim? You have some experience from your playing days, don’t you?”

“Well, I hardly have any significant experience like that…”

How many teams would seriously study a pitcher who throws a 128 km/h (80 mph) fastball?

However, Ji-seop had encountered many pitchers who had been ‘completely 털렸어 [teollyeosseo – cleaned out]’ by the opposing team’s focused attack.

“What kind of advice is good for a pitching coach to give in situations like that… Honestly, the players’ opinions varied widely.”

Some players liked gentle comfort, while others preferred firm encouragement.

Rarely, some pitchers with slightly eccentric personalities liked coaches who would yell, ‘Do it right!’

“But there was general agreement on what the worst advice would be in that situation.”

“The worst advice? What is it?”

“It’s when the pitching coach comes to the mound and explains the situation too honestly.”

Ji-seop elaborated, “Like saying the quality of the pitches has deteriorated, or the ball is all over the place… In a case like now, it’s like saying, ‘The other team seems to have figured out your habit’.”

“Huh, that’s the worst advice?”

General Manager Seo crossed his legs.

“That’s a bit unexpected. Shouldn’t we be honest with each other in times like this? That way, we can come up with proper countermeasures.”

“I think that’s right in most cases, but I don’t think it helps on the mound.”

Ji-seop smiled.

“Because that’s literally a battlefield.”

“A battlefield?”

“Yes, it’s a place where bullets fly and bombs explode. What kind of countermeasures can you come up with there?”

Ji-seop continued, “Even if the quality of the pitches has deteriorated, there’s no way to fix it right there. Even if the ball is all over the place, the pitcher doesn’t have any immediate solutions. It just reduces their concentration.”

“Hmm, so you mean there’s a need to lie a little on the mound…”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi nodded slowly.

He suddenly looked mischievous and spoke again, “In that case, the Guardians’ pitching coach must have a very honest personality? Is he the type to say everything he’s thinking to the players?”

“Yes? Ah, I heard he’s a bit like that. And the Guardians’ manager is a straightforward, direct type…”

Ji-seop, having said that, suddenly realized something and tilted his head.

“But how did you know that? The Guardians’ pitching coach doesn’t have much contact with our Cannons… Did you hear rumors?”

“Rumors? I knew it from the broadcast screen just now.”

General Manager Seo pointed to the TV with his chin.

“Mike Pontius’s face is getting stiffer and stiffer, isn’t it? Like someone who’s been given a problem with no answer.”

* * *

General Manager Seo’s guess was correct.

The Guardians’ pitching coach, never one to hold back.

Having received instructions from the manager, he went to the mound and conveyed the following message through an interpreter:

-It seems that the opponent is targeting the Slambio [a type of pitch].

-We cannot rule out the possibility that your pitching habit has been exposed.

Of course, UB Guardians were running second in the league, right behind the Cannons.

Someone working as a pitching coach for such a strong team wouldn’t come to the mound without any countermeasures.

-Before it’s exposed any further, it would be better to stop using the Slambio for now.

-Replace the finishing ball with a changeup. Rely on fastballs and changeups until the 5th inning.

From the pitching coach’s point of view, it was the best advice he could give.

The quality of the changeup wasn’t bad, so if he had followed it, the game might have changed.

In fact, the Cannons’ next batter was caught out in the same way.

“……”

However, the problem was that on the mound that day was not a ‘ball-throwing machine’ but an emotional human being.

And that human being was a ‘pitcher,’ known for being sensitive.

‘Pitching habit has been exposed?’

Even after getting one out, Mike Pontius’s head was full of that thought.

‘What is that habit? Is it the arm movement? The movement of the head? Or the position of the glove?’

A pitcher himself cannot know his own pitching habit.

The anxiety that the opposing team is seeing something he doesn’t.

This anxiety began to gnaw at the pitcher on the mound.

‘Is it only the Cannons who have figured it out? Do other teams not know yet? Is it a movement that can be easily corrected? No, in the first place……’

And before long,

The very thought that a pitcher whose pitching habit has been exposed inevitably falls into.

‘There’s no guarantee that only the Slambio has been exposed, is there?’

We cannot rule out the possibility that other pitches have also been exposed.

Even if it’s not right now, there’s a possibility that other pitches will be analyzed soon.

‘If so… shouldn’t I make some changes from now on?’

Changes in Mike Pontius’s pitching motion were detected from this point on.

Of course, from his point of view, it would have been a subtle movement that he was trying without breaking his balance.

Adjusting his hat before throwing the ball, or taking a little more time in the set-up motion.

‘Yes, I didn’t touch the motion of throwing the ball itself, so……’

But as players say, a pitcher’s balance is so fragile that it can be broken even by a slightly strong wind.

The motion added to avoid analysis shook Mike Pontius’s control.

Ball! Base on balls!

The crisis of being in a bases-loaded situation with two outs.

The fastball, which he threw with all his might to break through this, went right into the center of the strike zone-

Taaaaaak!!!

The next moment, a triple split the center-right field and cleared the bases.

“Did you all see that? Did you see it! A bat should be swung like this to taste!!!”

Right at that moment when Ahn Young-chan, who scored 3 RBIs from the first at-bat, raised both arms high and performed the ‘으쌰으쌰 [eussha eussha – let’s go!]’ ceremony.

“……I can’t do it.”

UB Guardians’ manager Choi was giving instructions with a gloomy expression.

“Coach Jung, take him out.”

“Yes, Manager.”

UB Guardians’ new ace.

The protagonist of 17 consecutive scoreless innings.

It was the moment when the foreign pitcher, who was evaluated as the last piece for a come-from-behind victory, was taken out without even completing one inning.

* * *

The game that day at UB Innovation Stadium.

KH Cannons won a big victory.

Final score 13-4.

[UB Pontius, failed to overcome the Cannons lineup … 0.2 innings 4 runs “Defeat”]

[Where is the momentum of 17 innings without runs … UB’s ace collapsed in vain]

[UB manager speechless … “I will prepare well for tomorrow’s game”]

The ace’s downfall, which had shaken the Korean baseball scene for the past two weeks.

Sports media reporters created dozens of articles and posted them on portal sites before the game was even over.

-Hello, this is Mike Pontius, the director of UB Guardians General Hospital. How was the customized treatment I gave to Cannons customers today?

-Wow, the effect was definitely certain as I heard? Bland slider and a useless fastball!

-Our Min-sung’s batting sense, which was dying, has come back to life! Thank you so much!

-Our Guardians General Hospital is reliable. Please come anytime if there are any players whose batting sense has died!

-Hey, you dirty bastards! Go play on your own bulletin board!!!

In internet baseball communities, the joyful voices of Cannons fans were easy to find.

“Alright, everyone!!!”

Of course, the players were probably creating the most boisterous atmosphere that night.

The Cannons players, who had gathered at a Korean beef restaurant that the front office had rented out entirely after the game.

While the players were sitting around a long table, Ahn Young-chan, who scored a whopping 5 RBIs that day, raised his voice.

“What I’m holding is! This is our General Manager Seo Chang-gi’s corporate card……!”

“Ooh!!!”

“Corporate card! Corporate card!”

The players pounded the table with their fists and got excited.

Ahn Young-chan looked at those juniors and continued, “I’d like to buy at least 3000cc [~100oz] of beer per person, but…… we have a game tomorrow, so let’s be satisfied with meat today!”

“Yes, yes!”

“We only need meat!”

“Senior, should we order first? Should we order the special A++ here first?”

Lee Soo-bin, holding the menu, was shining his eyes.

However, Ahn Young-chan put his arm around Lee Soo-bin’s neck and said, “Ordering is good, and meat is important, but…… shouldn’t we first express our gratitude to the number one contributor to today’s victory?”

The number one contributor to today’s victory.

There was no need to say who that was.

Almost as soon as Ahn started talking, the players’ eyes focused on Go Chang-deok, who was sitting next to Ji-seop.

“Hmm? Me? Are you talking about me?”

Go Chang-deok looked a little embarrassed when the players’ eyes were on him.

“No, there’s nothing special about the number one contributor? The analysis work was done together with the members of our power analysis team……”

Embarrassed, Go Chang-deok waved his hand, but the power analysis team leader behind him patted him on the back.

The Cannons players showed a unified appearance to Go Chang-deok, who had come forward.

“Chang-deok hyungnim [older brother/respected colleague]!”

Ahn Young-chan led the charge.

And what followed was-

“Thank you!!!”

“Thank you for your hard work!!”

“I received a lot of help!”

The Cannons players’ thunderous voices.

Go Chang-deok didn’t seem to know how to react to the thank-you greetings that were so loud they momentarily deafened him.

“Oh, what did I do…… anyway……”

Go Chang-deok scratched the back of his head and looked for an answer.

After hesitating, the answer he gave was, “Our power analysis team will…… please visit us a lot in the future!”

The power analysis team leader grumbled next to him, ‘Are we a convenience store?’, but Go Chang-deok just smiled.

“If your batting sense is off, or your pitching balance is disturbed! Please tell us about any minor problem. Then we will do our best to find a solution!”

“Yes, I understand!”

“I will visit you often!”

With another round of applause, Go Chang-deok quietly returned to his seat.

While the surroundings were noisy with ordering meat, Go Chang-deok turned to Ji-seop and said, “Ji-seop.”

“Yes?”

“Sometimes…… being part of a baseball team is a pretty good job, right?”

“Hehe, that’s right. Sometimes.”

There are many words and many problems.

The atmosphere wildly fluctuates depending on the victory or defeat of a game.

But it’s a place that sometimes makes you feel rewarded.

Ji-seop smiled and filled Go Chang-deok’s glass.

“Have some, hyungnim. It feels a little flat because it’s cider.”

“No, I feel like I’m going to get a little drunk even if I drink cider today?”

Cheers.

It was right then that two front office employees who had won a game were toasting with cider.

“Hey, Jang-ho! But why does your face look like that today?”

A story heard from the table where the Cannons’ veteran players were sitting.

“Yes? What’s wrong with my face?”

“I didn’t notice when I was watching the game, but when I look at you up close, you have a lot of stubble? You don’t shave, man?”

“Ah, shaving? I haven’t been able to for a few days. I’ve been a little out of my mind……”

The senior players scolded Ryu Jang-ho, who was slurring his words.

“You have to shave even if you’re out of your mind! All the broadcasting cameras are on you!”

“Yes, you have a lot of fans? What if your fans leave when they see you with a beard?”

“Or is it? This guy…… is he targeting American fans in advance? Americans like macho?”

Hahahahat.

Perhaps because it was a day of great victory, laughter erupted even at trivial stories at the meal.

While everyone was turning their attention to the meat that had just begun to cook, Chun Jin-woo asked casually, “How many days have you not shaved? It looks like it’s grown quite a bit.”

“Well?”

Ryu Jang-ho, who was looking up at the ceiling, picked up a piece of water kimchi and answered, “I think it’s been about four days.”

“Four days, four days then……”

Everything started,

I think it was probably from this time.

“Isn’t that the day our winning streak started?”