A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 349

Baseball Team’s Newbie is Too Good – Episode 349

Baseball Team’s Newbie is Too Good 349

Chapter 81: Need More Cowbell (7)

Ji-seop later heard the story of how the Toronto Blue Jays hitters reacted to Brett Evans’ new repertoire:

-Haha, well, this is something…….

Flipping through the scouting report, one of them chuckled and said,

-Brett’s playing tricks.

Playing tricks.

That was exactly the sentiment.

-This is a bit disappointing, isn’t it? I thought he would come back with some amazing new weapon after returning to the field after two years… A curveball is all he’s got?

-Isn’t a curveball only effective when you have a strong fastball? I don’t think Brett ever exceeded 95 mph even in his prime?

-Well, I can understand. The Professor [Brett Evans’ nickname, referencing his strategic approach to pitching] must have tried everything else, and this is the last card he’s pulling out…….

It wasn’t unreasonable confidence.

The Toronto Blue Jays boasted the most veteran hitters in the AL East [American League East division] this season.

Hitters in their thirties who had been through thick and thin and had kept their place to this day.

These hitters weren’t afraid of 100 mph fastballs, and they didn’t even flinch at most breaking balls.

-Don’t worry. We can definitely handle Brett Evans, if not Victor Johnson [Tampa Bay’s star pitcher].

-Of course! How many curveballs have we faced so far!

-We’ll show him today. We’ll show him that he can’t stand on the major league stage with such tricks!

So, the Toronto Blue Jays hitters set a goal.

No more, no less, they would knock Brett Evans off the mound within three innings.

Their ambitious plan was to consume a large portion of the opponent’s bullpen in the first game of the three-game series, giving them an advantage in the following two games—Waaaaa!!!

Waaaaa!!!

But what do you know?

When the game started, the Toronto veteran hitters were helpless against Brett Evans’ ‘tricks.’

Whoosh- Pow!

It wasn’t like Brett Evans had some great repertoire.

He would get ahead in the count with a fastball in the low 90s, and then, when it was time to throw the final pitch.

Swoosh- Boom!

A curveball that attacked the lowest part of the strike zone.

It was practically an obvious repertoire, but the Toronto hitters’ bats were swinging helplessly through the air.

Strike!

Strike, batter out!

Every time the umpire made a call, cheers erupted from the Tampa Bay dugout.

And every time a red light came on on the scoreboard, a ‘K’ panel, signifying a strikeout, was added to the stands in the distance.

The 3rd inning, which Toronto had initially targeted, had long passed, and by the time the 5th inning, which was the requirement for a win, was neatly finished.

“……Mr. Evans!”

Tampa Bay’s starting catcher, Alex Montero, approached the ‘Professor,’ who was wiping sweat with a large towel.

“What…… is the reason?”

When you meet the players and talk to them, there are times when that happens.

The game is going well, really well, but the players themselves can’t guess why.

It seemed that Alex Montero was in just such a situation.

“The Toronto hitters’ ability to handle breaking balls is the best in the league this season. But for some reason today…….”

“Their bats can’t get a grip?”

Taking the drink that Victor Johnson Jr. brought him, the veteran pitcher smiled lightly.

“It’s nothing. It’s just that those guys have too good a memory.”

“Memory?”

“It’s not just one or two seasons. It’s been years since they and I faced off on the major league stage.”

Some players have been competing for as little as 4-5 years, and some for as long as 10 years.

“The image is already stuck in their heads. Brett Evans means slider, slider means Brett Evans.”

“Ah.”

Alex Montero slapped his knee.

“So, that image is subtly throwing off their timing from earlier?”

“You could say that. Sliders and curveballs have very different timings.”

Brett Evans drank his drink leisurely, but Alex Montero’s face showed a slight tension.

“But the Toronto hitters must know that too…….”

“That’s right.”

A serious expression appeared on the face of the legendary pitcher as he put down his paper cup.

“The lineup has already gone through two rounds, so sooner or later, someone will get the timing right.”

He nodded slowly.

“That will probably be… the watershed moment that determines the direction of today’s game.”

* * *

Brett Evans himself didn’t mention it, but this was actually a kind of ‘bonus’ given to the legendary pitcher.

A pitcher who had been at the top for a long time. A pitcher who was feared by all hitters.

Thanks to that, his image remained strongly in the hitters’ minds, and thanks to that image, he was able to get through the early part of the game safely.

‘But that’s… coming to an end soon.’

The last hurdle that Brett Evans had anticipated came sooner than expected.

The next inning, the top of the 6th, with the score 3-0 in favor of Tampa Bay.

The leadoff hitter was struck out in just four pitches, but the following hitters created opportunities with a hit and a walk.

The next hitter, Vincent Hiyama, who was playing as a right fielder that day, was handled with a fly ball, but the runner on second base advanced all the way to third base.

With two outs and runners on first and third, the Toronto’s 5th hitter, Marty Woolverman, stepped up to the plate in what was the biggest crisis for Brett Evans that day.

-Wow, this is getting interesting! Here’s Marty Woolverman! Toronto’s slugger, who is in his 15th season in the major leagues this year! The Professor must be a little nervous here?

-He should be nervous! Both of his previous two at-bats ended in strikeouts, but Woolverman has already hit 33 home runs this season, hasn’t he?

No sooner had the commentators finished speaking than a strong hitting sound erupted.

‘Crack!’

With the count at 1-1, Marty Woolverman hit a towering fly ball.

Ooh!

Oooooh?!

The ball, which flew in a huge arc, barely went outside the left foul pole.

When Toronto requested a video review, a moment of thrill ran through Tropicana Field.

“Oh, that’s scary, that’s scary! I really thought it was going over.”

“Should we change the pitcher soon? Marty was really hitting the ball well.”

The stands began to stir, and the Tampa Bay bench coach was seen quietly getting up from his seat.

Brett Evans on the mound was also seen wiping away the sweat and catching his breath.

As tension filled the ground, Marty Woolverman was quietly smiling inside.

‘Okay, I get it now.’

He didn’t seem to care about the video review result.

Because the previous ball was clearly foul in his eyes.

A foul home run might have been a little regrettable, but at this time, there was no regret on his face.

‘I shouldn’t have thought about the old Professor. He is a completely different type of pitcher now.’

As expected, the video review result was foul.

When the umpire signaled to resume the game, Marty Woolverman slowly returned to the plate.

‘Curveball. A very slow curveball. It’s not easy to time it, but if I keep watching it until the end, I can hit it… Hmm?’

It was at this moment that Marty Woolverman’s thick eyebrows twitched.

The Tampa Bay cheering section, which had been chilled by the foul home run.

Right there, in the very place that he had never really paid attention to because there were so few spectators.

An unexpected shout erupted.

-Hey, you guys know what?!

Someone in the stands stood up and shouted.

He put his hands together around his mouth, leaned back, and shouted loudly.

-We got two strikes!

-Now all we need is…….

-More cowbell!

Need more cowbell.

Almost at the same time as the fans who came to the stadium that day shouted in unison, a sound that Woolverman had never heard before poured into the ground.

ClangClangClangClang!

No, it wouldn’t have been the first time.

Cowbells weren’t that rare in the United States, and the fans had the cheering tool in their hands throughout the game.

But the sound of cowbells being shaken by more than 20,000 spectators.

And the sound that collided with the closed dome of Tropicana Field and amplified endlessly.

The experience of that grating sound digging into his ears would definitely have been a first.

‘No, what is this…….’

ClangClangClangClang!

‘Is this even allowed?’

ClangClangClangClang!!

‘It’s usually as quiet as a mouse… Damn it!’

ClangClangClangClang!!!

That was true.

Marty Woolverman was a veteran, wasn’t he?

He had played in front of the famously noisy Chicago Cubs fans, and he had played in front of the even more infamous Philadelphia Phillies fans.

So, he wasn’t the kind of person who would be shaken by the sound of the fans’ cheers.

But the fact that this was Tropicana Field. The fact that it was a place where he could usually concentrate quietly.

The clanging sound that suddenly erupted in such a place succeeded in slightly disrupting the veteran’s timing—Crack!

In this match that takes place at the highest level, a very small change in timing was enough to make a big difference.

-Oh, it’s a ground ball! A ball rolling towards the third baseman!

‘Damn it!’

The Tampa Bay third baseman was seen rushing towards the ball, but Marty Woolverman ran as hard as he could.

All he had to do was get safe. Whatever the form, all he had to do was step on first base. Then he could get a point.

Thinking that, the Toronto Blue Jays’ veteran hitter ran as hard as he could, but his efforts were in vain.

“Out! Ooooout!”

When Marty Woolverman reached first base, what he heard in his ear was the first base umpire’s out call.

Ground out to third base. Three outs, change of offense and defense.

“Yessss!”

“Got it!!!”

The young players of the Tampa Bay Rays, who were overjoyed, returned to the dugout.

Woolverman, who was biting his lower lip and watching the scene, spoke to the pitcher who was passing in front of him.

“Brett, what’s going on?”

He had a very disgruntled expression.

“What’s with the atmosphere here today? You used to complain that our Toronto away cheering squad was noisy, but did the front office suddenly change its mind or something?”

“Well? I just came up this morning, so I don’t know the exact situation, but…….”

ClangClangClangClang!

Listening to the sound of the cowbells being shaken by the fans who hadn’t calmed down yet, Brett Evans replied.

“This is the real Tampa Bay.”

He grinned.

“The Tampa Bay Rays I know have been this kind of team from the beginning.”