A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 385

Rookie of the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 385

Rookie of the Baseball Team is Too Good 385

Chapter 86. Powerful, Truly Powerful (8)

Bottom of the 1st inning. As Vincent Hiyama stepped onto the mound, a tremendous boo erupted from the stands of Citizens Bank Park.

Woo…

Woooo…

It was actually a rare sight.

Even the notoriously harsh Phillies fans didn’t usually boo a starting pitcher who had just taken the mound.

There had to be a reason to hurl insults, and the atmosphere had to be heated to raise voices, right?

However, on this day, the Phillies fans seemed to have both the reason and the atmosphere from the very first inning.

“Hey, smash him to pieces!”

“Make him piss his pants on the mound!”

There was a good reason for it.

In the top of the 1st inning, which had just ended, Vincent Hiyama had launched a preemptive two-run home run.

It was such a tremendous hit that you could sense it was a home run the moment it left the bat. A home run that cleanly erased the humiliation of a hitless streak over the past three games.

“…….”

Perhaps it was because that incredible trajectory kept catching his eye.

Around the time Vincent Hiyama was getting the first out.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ bench coach, Dean White, was subtly approaching the manager.

“Manager.”

“What.”

“Really… is this going to be okay?”

Dean White said.

“The front office’s report is bothering me. There’s no change in Vincent’s pitching form… Surely, until yesterday morning, the Tampa Bay guys were focused on adjusting Vincent’s pitching form, weren’t they?”

“Are you still worried about that?”

The manager scoffed.

“No, I heard that people from California are naturally laid-back… Why are you like that? Why are you so worried?”

“It’s a bench coach’s job to worry. And I’ve told you several times, I’m not from California, but from Arizona next door… Hmm?”

Just then, a ‘thwack’ sound.

As the ball hit by the Phillies’ second batter soared high into the infield, the manager clicked his tongue and turned his head.

“Whatever your background is… Well, Vincent? That guy is predictable. He tried to change his pitching form, but when he actually tried it, it didn’t work out as he thought it would.”

“So you’re saying they just sent him out there? Without any countermeasures? In Game 6 of the World Series?”

“Hey, come on! Why are you being so uptight today?”

The manager took off his hat and scratched the little hair he had left.

“It’s not like we sent him out without any countermeasures. I told you earlier? Tampa Bay is going to come out with a 1+1 strategy today.”

The 1+1 strategy.

A strategy of preparing two pitchers from the start, instead of entrusting the game to one starting pitcher.

“From Tampa Bay’s perspective, they have no choice but to send Vincent out. He’s a player they brought in at a high price, so if they don’t start him, there will be a huge backlash.”

Why did they bring in a pitcher who couldn’t even be used in the World Series?

Weren’t they sorry for the prospects they gave up to get him?

It meant that they had to use Vincent to avoid such criticism.

“But they can’t keep pushing a pitcher whose weaknesses have already been exposed… They’ll probably take out the replacement card as soon as they sense a crisis.”

“Hmm, a replacement card, you say.”

Dean White, the coach, sank into deep thought with his chin resting on his hand.

The Phillies manager, who knew his cautious personality well, chuckled.

“Why, don’t you trust me?”

“Huh? No! It’s not like that.”

“Hehe, what do you mean it’s not? It’s all over your face.”

The Phillies manager, who was laughing like that, pointed to the ground with his chin.

“If you’re so anxious, watch the game closely from now on. The answer will come out soon.”

“The answer will come out? Ah.”

The bench coach, who turned his gaze in the direction the manager was pointing, soon became serious.

-Ball! Base on balls!

The Phillies’ third batter was walking to first base after getting a walk.

The first runner after two outs. Now Vincent Hiyama had to throw the ball from the set position.

In this situation, ‘Mr. Phillies’ Pedro Carpio was slowly starting to walk towards the plate.

The very right-handed batter who hit a three-run home run off Vincent Hiyama in the second game.

* * *

“…….”

As Pedro Carpio stepped into the batter’s box with his bat on his shoulder, the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park became even more heated.

Pedro! Pedro! Pedro! Pedro!

The name Pedro Carpio, shouted by 45,000 spectators who stood up all at once.

The reason why Phillies fans showed such an enthusiastic reaction was not simply because he was a franchise star in Philadelphia.

Although he had tarnished his reputation in the regular season with a batting average of just over .200 and only 3 home runs, he had been playing at his best in this World Series.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwaaack!

Until the 5th game, he had a batting average of .528 with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs, along with 2 stolen bases and stable first baseman defense.

If the series ended like this, the World Series MVP would be virtually confirmed as his.

Perhaps that’s why Pedro Carpio had a confident smile on his face as he stepped into the batter’s box.

“Hey, Alex!”

He said to the Tampa Bay starting catcher, while smoothing the dirt in the batter’s box with his spikes.

“Are you free after the game today? I’ve booked a really great club.”

It was his style not to keep his mouth shut in the batter’s box.

“I was originally planning to go with my teammates, but I might be able to include you! I heard there are a lot of cool older sisters coming… Uh?”

Before he could finish speaking, the Tampa Bay starting catcher was sending a sign and taking a catching stance.

Vincent Hiyama also went into his pitching motion without any hesitation.

Whoosh- Pow!

A knuckle curve that came in low on the outside course as if sinking.

Although it was called a ball, Pedro Carpio glared slightly at the catcher.

“Hey, isn’t that too much? I was in the middle of talking.”

“…….”

The catcher remained silent.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so scary! Is it because we figured out Vincent’s pitching habits?”

“…….”

“Okay, I got it! I’ll apologize on behalf of everyone! Isn’t that enough? There’s no need for the same players to play the game without saying a word… Damn it!”

Whoosh- Pow!

This time, the Tampa Bay starting catcher sent a sign to the pitcher without saying a word.

“Strike! One and one!”

When a strike call came out for the knuckle curve that flew in a similar course, even the sly Pedro Carpio had no choice but to give up talking to the catcher.

‘Alex must have his head so full right now that he doesn’t have time to respond to me.’

Well, it’s not unreasonable.

Pedro Cartio briefly stepped out of the batter’s box and tightened the Velcro on his batting gloves.

‘The team is on the brink, and the ace pitcher’s pitching habits have been exposed.’

And as he returned to the batter’s box, the thought that flashed through his mind was as follows.

‘Tch, how boring.’

It’s not fun. It’s a shame.

That was his honest feeling.

‘I wanted to go head-to-head with Vincent Hiyama properly.’

Baseball players have that desire.

Who is stronger, you or me? The desire to compare lengths.

The desire to really go head-to-head, man to man, on a really big stage, where there is no place to escape.

However, Pedro Cartio was feeling like his labor pains had been broken because the front office had slightly told him about Vincent’s pitching habits.

‘Data analysis is one thing… but figuring out pitching habits seems like cheating.’

Of course, that didn’t mean he had any intention of just letting go of the knowledge he had already gained.

Pedro Cartio also desperately wanted to win the championship. A World Series championship that he had never won throughout his career.

‘Okay, now that it’s come to this… let’s make sure to get the World Series MVP at least!’

As he clenched his bat with that determination, he saw Vincent Hiyama on the mound slowly nodding his head.

“…Hoo!”

It seemed that the pitch had been decided.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ starting pitcher took a set position and took a short breath.

As he briefly watched the movement of the first base runner, he finally stretched his left foot forward.

And at the very moment when the two hands he had gathered in his glove split apart and spread to both sides.

Pedro’s eyes widened.

‘The advertising patch on the shoulder… is not visible!’

It was the ball he had been waiting for.

A four-seam fastball.

Pedro Cartio pulled the bat in with the same timing he had been practicing throughout this series.

‘It’s coming!’

And at the moment when the ball, which had left the pitcher’s fingertips with tremendous spin, was about to cross over the home plate.

Pedro Cartio’s 34-ounce bat drew a sharp swing trajectory-

Thwaaaaaack!

All that was heard was one intense hitting sound.

The Phillies fans, as well as the Tampa Bay players sitting in the dugout, were surprised and stood up at the tremendous sound.

Pedro Cartio’s hit, however, went far beyond the foul pole on the first base side.

“Foul! Fouuuul!”

As the first base umpire declared a foul with his arms wide open, the Phillies fans could not hide their disappointment.

However, they soon began to raise their spirits again by shouting Pedro Cartio’s name.

“Hey, Pedro! That was close! That was a really close hit!”

“But you hit it right! Next time! Let’s get it over next time!”

Pedro! Pedro! Pedro! Pedro!

People endlessly chanted Pedro’s name, their faces flushed with anticipation.

However, Pedro Cartio himself, who was receiving that one-sided support, had a haunted look on his face.

‘…What?’

He glanced at the foul pole on the first base side where the hit had disappeared.

‘I definitely thought I swung the bat at the right timing… Why is the timing so late?’

Pedro was a right-handed batter.

The fact that the ball he hit went over the first base foul line meant that the timing was quite late.

Considering that he knew the pitch, it was impossible, but in fact, there was something even more incomprehensible.

“…….”

It was his left hand.

A tingling pain was rising in his left hand, which was gripping the bat.

It wasn’t certain because he was wearing batting gloves, but Pedro could vaguely sense it.

If he took off his gloves now, he would see skin that was red as if it had been burned.

The timing was so late even though he knew the pitch.

The pain that made even the bones ache, even though he was wearing gloves.

Pedro Cartio, who had a lot of experience, could easily guess what these two things meant.

‘This is… real.’

Pitcher Vincent Hiyama.

It was the best four-seam fastball he could throw.

Putting aside things like game management, pace control, and the risk of injury for the time being.

A 100% four-seam fastball that comes out when you throw with the determination to throw only the best ball.

‘Is he crazy? Is he not going to play baseball after today? How can he throw such a brutal ball from the first inning…’

Just as he was slightly trembling at the terrifying power, he heard someone’s voice from behind him.

“Hey, Pedro!”

It was the umpire of the game.

“Is there something wrong with your body? Are you in pain somewhere?”

“Ah, no! It’s not that…”

As Pedro Cartio hurriedly shook his hand, the umpire frowned slightly and shouted.

“Damn it, then what are you doing not coming back to the plate right now? Do you want to get a warning?”

“Ah, yes! I’m going! I’m going now!”

Pedro Cartio hurriedly returned to the plate at the umpire’s shout.

“Haha, Alex! Sorry! I was thinking about the club appointment today for a while…”

He tried to look as nonchalant as possible while taking a batting stance.

“Oh, is that so?”

The Tampa Bay starting catcher, Alex Montero, who was sitting right behind him, was watching clearly through his catcher’s mask.

“…….”

His left hand,

The left hand of the Phillies’ best hitter,

Was starting to tremble very slightly.

‘Okay, then…’

All that’s left is,

To proceed as planned.