A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 297

72. Other People’s Precious Children (9)

A few days later.

Friday evening arrived, a day everyone had been anticipating.

Large crowds were gathering around Tropicana Field, the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Honk! Honk!

The parking lot of Tropicana Field, which usually allowed for a quick ‘5-minute cut’ from entry to parking, now displayed a sign indicating ‘1-hour parking,’ resembling an amusement park on a holiday.

“Fragrant and sweet orange juice!”

“Sugar candy for you and me!”

The path from the parking lot to the stadium was equally crowded.

The street, usually adorned only with Tampa Bay Rays flags, was now bustling with street vendors selling drinks, snacks, and souvenirs.

Tropicana Field, once so quiet you could hear a pin drop, was now filled with so many spectators that the streets were packed.

What was the reason for this sudden influx of spectators?

The reason was simple.

The New York Yankees.

Regardless of opinion, they were the most prestigious team in Major League Baseball.

The symbol of American baseball. Furthermore, a team that symbolized the United States itself.

The New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays’ greatest rival, had come to Tropicana Field.

Let’s go Yankees! Bbam bbam bba babam!

Let’s go Yankees! Bbam bbam bba babam!

Two hours before the game started.

As impatient Yankees fans began to shout their cheers, Yankees manager Aaron Oberly was receiving an unwelcome guest in the visiting team’s manager’s office at Tropicana Field.

“Ah, I see.”

Oberly nodded.

“So, the main point is? Even if a fast runner gets on base, don’t give the steal sign recklessly?”

“Yes, to put it simply… that’s correct.”

The staff member dispatched from the front office carefully continued the explanation.

He recounted the story of how the Chicago Cubs had employed aggressive base running, but the results were unfavorable.

He also mentioned how the Tampa Bay starting catcher was initially reported to be struggling significantly, but had recently found considerable stability in the last two games.

Therefore, the conclusion was that the initial plan to exploit the Tampa Bay catcher’s weaknesses needed to be revised.

“Ah, of course, all of this is just an information report for the manager. It’s not something you absolutely have to follow…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay!”

Manager Oberly smiled kindly.

“I know the front office’s hard work best! Please convey my words well to the general manager. Tell him that I will definitely get good results in this series based on the information you sent!”

“Thank you, Manager. Then, I’ll be on my way…”

The front office staff member bowed slightly and quietly left the manager’s office.

The New York Yankees’ coaching staff approached the manager immediately after.

“Manager, what are you going to do?”

The Yankees’ bench coach asked, flipping through the scouting reports.

“We’ve given the green light to a few players, but should we take it back for now?”

This meant that they would revise the strategy to reflect the new information from the front office.

However, the manager simply chuckled.

“Hey, Manny! That friend who came in earlier, doesn’t it seem like his hair is getting thinner every time we see him?”

“…Yes?”

“Just last week, he had some hair left on this side, but when I saw him today, that side was also sparse? Oh my, I feel sorry for the young man!”

“Um… Manager?”

The bench coach watched the manager carefully.

“Nicholas’s hair loss isn’t a new thing, is it? Rather than that, what about today’s game plan…?”

“No changes. Let’s go as planned.”

The manager said firmly.

“It’s not that I’m ignoring the front office’s advice, but there’s a field perspective on the ground, isn’t there?”

* * *

New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Oberly.

He wasn’t underestimating his opponent.

As a former star catcher during his playing days, he had noticed something while watching the recent Tampa Bay Rays games.

‘The system has collapsed.’

That was Manager Oberly’s analysis.

‘In the rapidly changing flow of the game, what should be prioritized and what should be placed next…? The Tampa Bay starting catcher has lost that system.’

Checking the pitcher’s condition, calling pitches, adjusting the position of the fielders, and keeping the opposing batter in check, etc.

Since catchers had so much to do, it was a common problem for inexperienced catchers.

And according to Aaron Oberly’s experience, this problem was difficult to solve in the short term.

‘If a coach sticks with him and guides him from the basics, it might be different… But is that as easy as it sounds?’

In most teams, it would take a considerable amount of time just to identify the problem.

Even if they were lucky enough to identify it, it would take a lot of time to make the player understand it.

In Oberly’s view, the time it would take to solve this problem was at least a month, and at most two or three seasons.

That’s why he was confident.

‘Attack the catcher.’

That was the manager’s gamble.

‘If we shake up the catcher in the early innings, the Tampa Bay pitching plan will collapse. Then the direction of the series will come our way!’

Manager Aaron Oberly headed to the dugout with a confident smile.

Woahhhhh!!!

Woahhhhh!!!

Thus began the top of the 1st inning.

Manager Aaron Oberly’s aim seemed to be hitting the mark accurately.

“Ball! Ball four!”

The leadoff batter was struck out, but the second batter reached base on a walk after a full count battle.

In a 1-out, 1st base situation, the following 3rd batter hit a powerful double.

-To center-left! Completely splits the center-left! The runner on 1st goes to 3rd, the batter is stopped at 1st! The New York Yankees create a 1-out, 1st and 3rd base chance from the top of the 1st inning!!

-Ah, the pitcher’s ball was right down the middle! No hitter in Major League Baseball would miss a ball like that!

Everyone was pointing out the pitcher’s mistake, but Manager Aaron Oberly’s thoughts were different.

‘No, this is the catcher’s fault.’

He crossed his arms and puffed out air.

‘Because the catcher doesn’t have the confidence to catch the runner, the pitcher’s attention is focused on 1st base. That’s why he makes mistakes.’

It was at this moment that a faint smile began to appear on his face.

As if to prove the manager’s analysis, the Tampa Bay starting pitcher kept turning his gaze towards 1st base.

“…….”

Even after getting into the set position, he hesitated to throw the ball cleanly.

Then, the pickoff attempt he threw with determination barely made it into the first baseman’s mitt.

When a situation arose where he almost allowed the runner to advance, Manager Aaron Oberly felt like applauding.

‘Oh, if this goes well, the pitcher might fall apart before the catcher?’

Okay, should we shake him up a little more?

Just as the Yankees’ manager was instructing the two runners, that was the moment.

Yes, that was the moment.

“Hey, Victor!!!”

A loud voice came from the field.

It was Tampa Bay Rays’ starting catcher Alex Montero.

He called a time-out to the umpire and took a step or two towards the mound.

“…….”

After shouting the pitcher’s name loudly, he didn’t say much more.

He just tapped his chest a couple of times with his fist and returned to his position.

It was a short message, but it was quite an impressive scene for Manager Aaron Oberly.

‘Is that a message to the pitcher?’

Leave the runners to me.

You just focus on the batter.

That was clearly the meaning of the gesture.

‘Hmm, unexpected. I thought he would be confused in a crisis situation… Is he approaching the game more calmly than I thought?’

At that moment, Manager Aaron Oberly’s view caught the opposing dugout.

The Tampa Bay battery coach [coach specializing in pitchers and catchers] was leaning out and diligently giving signs.

Seeing that, Manager Aaron Oberly smiled inwardly.

‘Ah, so the battery coach gave the instructions?’

Then there’s nothing to worry about.

The manager sent the sign again.

‘He’s running!’

It was a double steal sign.

‘The runner on 1st runs first, and the runner on 3rd runs home a beat later. If this succeeds… the Tampa Bay battery will definitely collapse!’

The Yankees’ runners, who received the manager’s sign, gradually increased their lead.

Whether he knew the movement or not, the Tampa Bay starting pitcher, following Alex Montero’s instructions, was only focusing on the batter.

“Hoo!”

The moment the pitcher, who had taken a short breath in the set position, turned his body towards home plate.

The very moment his left knee curled slightly inside the belt buckle.

The Yankees’ runner on 1st base started running.

“Steal! Steal! Steal!!!”

The Tampa Bay first baseman’s urgent shout.

Confirming this, Alex Montero jumped up like a spring and snatched the pitcher’s ball.

And without even checking his surroundings, he immediately threw to 2nd base.

Then, the runner on 3rd base, who had been watching carefully, started running towards home.

‘Got it!’

In a brief moment, Manager Oberly must have felt like the hair on his body was standing on end.

‘Perfect timing! At this rate, he’ll get a safe call and still have some to spare… Hmm?!’

At that moment, the Yankees manager’s eyes widened.

The Tampa Bay second baseman quickly dashed forward as if he had been waiting, and snatched the catcher’s throw in the middle.

“Alex!!”

The second baseman, without slowing down, made a running throw to Alex Montero.

Alex Montero, who accurately caught the ball, blocked the mitt in front of home plate in a pose that seemed to come straight out of a baseball textbook.

Although he was the fastest runner on the Yankees, his fingertips didn’t even reach near home plate.

“Out! Ah, out!”

Of course, the umpire’s decision was out.

The Yankees manager had no choice but to bite his lower lip.

‘Damn it, were they prepared in advance?’

He had been outmaneuvered by the Tampa Bay dugout, but even then, he wasn’t shaken much.

‘Okay, it’s okay. This was just the battery coach’s plan.’

The catcher was still unreliable, and the pitcher he was working with was also uneasy.

The Yankees manager was comforting himself with the thought that he could start over from the beginning and attack step by step.

“Hmm?!”

At that moment, Alex Montero’s movement caught his eye.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ starting catcher, without asking the umpire for a time-out, immediately turned his gaze towards 2nd base.

Confirming that the Yankees’ runner was slowly aiming for the next base, he immediately sent the ball back to 2nd base.

“Hu, huh?!”

The runner, who belatedly grasped the situation, hurriedly threw his body towards 2nd base, but the opponent was a strong-armed catcher who recorded a pop time [time from glove to second base] of 1.83 seconds.

The ball thrown by Alex Montero fell like a bullet into the shortstop’s glove, and the next moment, what stopped the Yankees’ runner was-thud.

It was the Tampa Bay shortstop’s glove.

Woahhhhh!!!

Woahhhhh!!!

The Yankees’ 2nd base runner was out.

Two outs were quickly recorded.

A huge roar erupted from the spectators at Tropicana Field.

Among them, there must have been cheers from Tampa Bay fans, but most of them were screams from Yankees fans.

“No, what the hell are those guys doing?!”

“You blockheads! Just swing the bat and get out! Don’t die stupidly while running!”

“I was hoping to score some points from the 1st inning… Ugh, those morons!!!”

The Yankees fans were yelling at the top of their lungs, but the field was filled with the joy of the Tampa Bay players.

The happiest at this time was starting pitcher Victor Johnson Jr., who had overcome the crisis of giving up a run in the first inning.

“Nice play!”

He gave a thumbs up to the second baseman who had cut off the catcher’s throw and thrown it home,

“Roy, you’re the best!”

And high-fived the shortstop who had caught the catcher’s throw and caught the 2nd base runner.

“Hey, Alex!!”

And the catcher who led all of this, Alex Montero.

Victor Johnson Jr. picked up the catcher’s mask and immediately put him in a headlock as he approached.

“You bastard, you’re back! You’re finally back to the Alex I know!”

“Hey, hey, what are you doing! My back is going to break, my back!!”

“You bastard, you’ve been blankly out of it all season… What’s the secret? Huh? How did you come to your senses?”

“What secret…”

Even so, Alex Montero was said to be the strongest in the team.

He lightly released Victor’s headlock and said firmly as he walked towards the dugout.

“The 1st inning is just over. Get your head in the game. You have to pitch until the 7th inning today… You know that, right?”

“I know! Of course, I know! I got a free out count from the 1st inning, so I think I can even pitch a complete game?”

While patting Victor’s shoulder, who was answering with a beaming expression, Alex Montero was turning his gaze towards the dugout.

What came into his view was coach Jose Cruz, who was waiting for him with a pleased expression.

“…….”

Even after seeing coach Jose Cruz, Alex Montero didn’t say anything.

He didn’t say ‘Thank you,’ he didn’t say ‘It’s all thanks to you, coach,’ he didn’t even say ‘I’m back.’

He just showed his fist to coach Jose Cruz as he came down the dugout stairs.

“That kid is full of bluff…”

Coach Jose Cruz chuckled and raised his fist.

Thud-

The two people bumped fists like that.

The relationship between a father and son is originally so taciturn.

With this, the Tampa Bay Rays’ starting catcher was returning to his original position.