A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 453

The Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good 453

The Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good 453

97. Indian Rain Dance (3)

Then and now.

In Korea and in the United States.

The question that came up almost 100% of the time when I revealed that Jisub worked for a baseball team was this:

-What is Player A like?

-What kind of person is Player B?

It was a story about how curious they were about the personalities of their favorite baseball players.

It was a story about how curious they were about what their favorite baseball players were like on a normal day.

I had never said it out loud, thinking about the image of the players, but when I received these questions, the answer that came to Jisub’s mind was this.

‘Frankly… I wonder why they’re so interested.’

To put it more bluntly.

‘I sometimes wonder if their mental age is stuck in the second grade of elementary school.’

That was Jisub’s honest feeling.

Of course, there were differences in degree, but the major league players he had watched up close were literally ‘elementary schoolers’ themselves.

There were cases where players who received millions of dollars in annual salary were upset about a mere $3 snack and didn’t speak for days.

There were even two cases where a veteran with more than 10 years of major league experience was caught secretly drawing on the coach’s uniform.

And that’s not all. The story of not spitting sunflower seeds in the dugout had been repeated for nearly 30 years, but the players were still betting on ‘who can spit the seeds the farthest’.

-Ptooey!!

-Um… Ptoo-et!

-Damn it, this isn’t going to be easy this time? Let’s catch our breath first… *inhale*, Too-et!!

-Hey! Who’s there! I’ve told you so many times not to spit sunflower seeds during the game!!!

-……

-……

-……

Seeing the players shaking their heads as if they were definitely not the ones, even Jisub felt a fire burning inside.

There were times when his longing for the major leagues, which he had held since he was young, disappeared like cotton candy in water-

Nevertheless,

Despite all that.

Even when he was clicking his tongue and looking at the players, there were times when he exclaimed ‘Oh!’ in his mind and clapped his knees.

As expected, a major leaguer is a major leaguer. A player who makes a name for himself in the world’s best baseball league is different for a reason.

Are those the elementary schoolers I knew? Are those the same guys who sulked over a $3 snack, played pranks on the coach’s uniform, and sat in the dugout spitting sunflower seeds?

Whip-! Bang!

Whip-! Bang!

For example, when the team’s ace, Victor Johnson Jr., threw a 100 mph fastball deep inside the batter’s body.

-He caught it! He catches this ball! The left fielder’s amazing defense!!!

Or when Tampa Bay’s Flamingo, Richard Stelmajek, ran nearly 50 meters to catch the opponent’s hit.

‘Hehe, this is no joke?’

There were other times when players like Alex Montella, Brett Evans, or Dexter Sullivan put on great performances.

Around early April. The player who opened Jisub’s eyes to a new perspective on baseball, who made him think, ‘This kind of play is possible,’ was actually someone else.

-A hit that goes over the infielder’s head… Ah, no! The shortstop caught it! The shortstop catches it and throws it to 2nd base! Out! Two out counts in an instant!!!

This man, who simply raised two fingers indifferently even after successfully making an amazing play.

‘Dark’ Mark Kohun.

* * *

In fact, Jisub had expected Mark Kohun’s performance to a certain extent.

Although Jisub was a pitcher, he had experience working as a front office employee.

What Mark Kohun’s aim was, and why he suddenly requested the Indian Rain Dance event.

He could easily guess that much.

‘He’s trying to trick the opposing battery [pitcher and catcher]. To make them think that Mark Kohun is aiming for a home run.’

If the opposing batter gets the impression that he is aiming for a long hit, the pitchers will instinctively choose the outside course.

This was a natural progression. Most pitchers are more confident in the outside course than the inside course.

Besides, hitters who try to pull the ball hard are bound to show weaknesses in the outside course.

But what if, in this case, the hitter’s real aim was the outside course?

‘The probability of getting a hit increases.’

Jisub was almost certain.

‘Mark Kohun’s recent batting sense has been hitting rock bottom… Is this a trick worth trying at least once? Yeah, with the feeling of grasping at straws.’

Actually,

The game unfolded that way.

Home run!

Home run!

Home run!

As the fans’ voices echoed throughout the stadium, the opposing battery mainly attacked the outside course.

Mark Kohun tenaciously aimed for this ball and made a hit that broke through between 1st and 2nd base.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

On the first day of the Indian Rain Dance event, he had 1 hit and 1 walk in 3 at-bats.

On the second day, when more spectators came, he had 2 hits and 1 RBI [Runs Batted In] in 4 at-bats.

And on the last day of the home series against the Detroit Tigers, he had 3 hits and 1 walk in 3 at-bats.

-A hit! Another hit! Mark Kohun is showing a truly divine batting sense today!

During this period, there was only one long hit, but Mark Kohun performed 100% as the first batter.

It was good that his aim was accurate, but in fact, Jisub seems to have been a little worried at this time.

Now the opposing team would have noticed Mark Kohun’s strategy. They won’t be obsessed with outside matchups anymore.

Then, can he skillfully cope with the opponent’s inside matchups? Has Mark Kohun’s batting sense improved to that extent?

Jisub was looking at the Tampa Bay lead-off hitter’s dark circles with slightly worried eyes.

But what.

The real thing started then.

In the ensuing home three-game series against the Chicago White Sox, Mark Kohun put on a truly terrifying performance.

Getting 1 hit and 2 walks in 2 at-bats in the first game was close to a kind of preview.

In the second game, he had 3 hits, one of which was a double that completely split the left-center field.

In the final third game, he had 4 hits in 4 at-bats, and the last hit among them-

Whoo-oong!

It hit the very top of the center fence, the deepest part of the Tropicana Field outfield.

“Aaaah! He could have passed it! It just needed to be a little higher!!”

“Ah, what should we do because this is a waste! Huh? What should we do because it’s a waste!!”

The spectators who had been waiting for Mark Kohun’s home run sent generous applause of encouragement even in disappointment.

At this time, Jisub, who was watching the game in the Future Strategy Planning Division office, was feeling a bit haunted.

‘No, what… what’s going on?’

Jisub turned his gaze to the monitor where the players’ data was uploaded in real time.

‘I think the launch angle itself has changed? The trajectory of the ball is completely different from last season.’

The data being calculated was a bit too much to simply say that his batting sense had improved.

How should I accept this? He’s been a hitter who’s only been hitting singles for the past 10 years, a hitter who hasn’t recorded a home run in nearly 1,000 at-bats, how can he suddenly hit these balls one after another?

This situation, which cannot be easily explained with his past experience. Jisub got the answer right after the game ended with the Tampa Bay Rays’ victory that day.

“Ah, Dark? What the heck happened to that gloomy guy?”

The person who was laughing at Jisub was Tampa Bay Rays’ main hitting coach, Sam Harrison.

“Hehe, I’m getting a lot of questions about that today. Were you surprised too? Mark’s fence-hitting double.”

“Yes, I was surprised.”

Jisub nodded willingly.

“I can’t easily imagine it. How can you change your batting style so dramatically…”

“Huh, why can’t you imagine it? There’s really only one way to bring about this kind of change, isn’t there?”

Coach Harrison clenched his right fist.

“Effort! Constant effooooort!”

“……Yes?”

Geez,

Why is this guy doing this again?

* * *

Sam Harrison, the hitting coach, who initially parried with half-joking remarks.

But that was only for a moment, he took out an energy drink from the vending machine and gave an answer with a serious expression.

And unlike Jisub’s initial expectations, the answer was relatively simple.

“He changed his batting form.”

“Batting form?”

Jisub took out his share of the drink and asked back.

“Is that all?”

“Hehe, is that something you can simply say ‘is that all’? You’re a person who should know that.”

The hitting coach poked Jisub in the side and continued, opening the drink with a ‘chiiik’ sound.

“I worked with him to fix his batting form last off-season. I adjusted the position of his wrist and moved the batting point about 3 inches forward than before.”

3 inches is about 7.5 cm.

What is the meaning of this change?

“This allows you to utilize the rotation of your lower body a little more. It means you can put more power into the ball.”

Here, the hitting coach raised one eyebrow.

“Kim! Why are you so surprised? You should have known this much theory.”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

In fact, it was advice that followed players who lacked long hitting power like a tag.

Move the batting point forward. Then you can fly the ball farther.

The theory itself was something he had heard often, but at this time, Jisub couldn’t help but be greatly surprised.

“I’ve often seen cases of similar attempts, but I think this is almost the first time I’ve seen a player succeed like this. That easily too…”

“Hey, it wasn’t easy! He ate and swung the bat for almost two months? Besides, you saw it too, didn’t you? How badly Mark was doing at the beginning of the season!”

The hitting coach mentioned Mark Kohun’s batting average, which had fallen to the 10% range after the opening game of the season.

“Honestly, I was wondering if I should go back to the original form… In that respect, Kim, your help was great.”

“My help?”

“Of course! Indian Rain Dance event!”

The hitting coach smiled.

“I was able to predict the opposing battery’s ball combination to some extent, right? That was huge. I had time to adjust to the new batting form.”

“Aha.”

“I think he’s used to it to some extent now. If he overcomes the crisis once or twice more in the future, Mark Kohun will become a completely new hitter.”

Of course, he won’t be able to become a slugger who hits 20 or 30 home runs at once. About 10 home runs a season is a realistic goal.

But the fact that a thrilling shot can come out at any time. The fact that it’s not a single-hit-oriented hit like before.

That alone meant that Mark Kohun could put considerable pressure on the opposing battery.

“If Mark plays that well, we in the front office will be grateful, but…”

Jisub asked, stroking the area around his eyebrows.

Now that he knew about Mark Kohun’s change, there was a point he definitely wanted to ask.

“Why did Mark Kohun suddenly choose to change like this?”

“Um?”

“Isn’t that right? Modifying your batting form is a dangerous thing that can easily ruin one or two seasons…”

He was already a player who had secured a starting position on the Tampa Bay Rays.

He was even a player who had won a Gold Glove [award for defensive excellence] based on his excellent defensive skills.

Jisub couldn’t easily understand why he would choose to change again here.

“He came to me and said it was because of FA [Free Agency]. He said that next season will be FA, so now is the only time to try to change.”

“Aha, FA.”

Jisub nodded.

In any league, shortstops with long hitting power are treated incredibly well.

Even if they have similar defensive skills, the amount of money a player with long hitting power receives is different from a player without it.

But Tampa Bay’s hitting coach seemed to have seen through another reason besides FA.

“What should I say… Mark seems to have been a little stimulated by seeing Vincent last year.”

“Vincent? Vincent Hiyama?”

“Um.”

The hitting coach sipped his drink.

“Mark Kohun had a great performance last season. No matter what anyone says, he’s a Gold Glove winner. But in terms of the attention and love he receives from fans, to put it bluntly, he didn’t even reach Vincent’s toes.”

“That’s… right?”

“I think he was a little concerned about that. Is he a professional player after all? Isn’t he a person who lives by receiving attention from fans?”

I want to get more attention from more people.

I want to try playing while getting more attention.

It seemed that this kind of greed had also arisen in a man named Mark Kohun.

“That’s unexpected.”

Jisub was blinking, recalling Mark Kohun’s indifferent face.

“I thought he was a player who didn’t care about the fans’ reactions at all.”

“That’s right, he used to be like that. Until you brought in Vincent Hiyama.”

The hitting coach said.

“But after Vincent joined and Tampa Bay started competing for the championship in earnest, the number of fans increased tremendously, right? Cheering songs were heard, and the sound of cowbells was heard… I think that atmosphere changed Mark Kohun.”

“Hmm, that could be true.”

People’s minds change.

It can change at any time.

Even a nonchalant player like Mark Kohun can have such greed.

Just as Jisub was thinking that to himself, Coach Sam Harrison lowered his voice and asked.

“Kim, so…”

“Yes.”

“This event. Can’t we go a little bigger?”

“Bigger?”

“Yeah! A little bigger! So that more people come to the stadium!”

The hitting coach spread his arms wide.

“Mark, in a way, took a very big gamble, didn’t he? There was FA, but he wanted to get more attention from the fans.”

“……”

“Then, at this time when his batting sense is just starting to rise, at this time when the new batting form is taking effect…”

“It would be nice if the fans’ reaction was a little more intense, that would help motivate Mark Kohun… Is that what you’re saying?”

The hitting coach clapped his hands and liked Jisub’s words.

“That’s right! As expected, our deputy general manager is easy to talk to! He understands right away!”

“Oh, is it only at times like this that the deputy general manager’s story comes out?”

On the outside, he was giving a bitter smile, but on the inside, Jisub was carefully lost in thought.

If there was such a story, it seemed okay to go a little more boisterously.

If more people paid attention and more people cheered, Mark Kohun would think that his efforts were rewarded.

‘But how do I make the situation bigger than this? I don’t think there’s a good way… Hmm?’

Just then, a message came to Jisub’s cell phone.

The hitting coach asked Jisub, who was taking out his cell phone to check the contents.

“Why? Is it important?”

“No, it should have come to Coach’s cell phone. It’s the game report.”

“Ah, really?”

A report containing various data on the contents of the game that day.

The moment Jisub stared blankly at the contents, a strange smile appeared on his lips.

“Coach, maybe there’s a way.”

“A way? A way to make the event bigger?”

The hitting coach frowned while showing a delighted expression.

“No, was there something special in the report? I don’t think there was anything that great?”

“There was. There’s one useful thing.”

Coach, did you know?

Jisub continued, swiping his finger across the phone screen.

“Today, Mark Kohun’s fence-hitting double… It is said that it could have been a home run in 21 major league stadiums.”

“Ah, really? That’s understandable. Tropicana Field’s center fence is quite high. If you put it that way, you can say that Mark is unlucky, but…”

“Yes, that’s the point.”

“Um?”

“Mark Kohun, who desperately wanted a home run and even changed his batting form, but is really unlucky…”

Jisub’s eyes were shining.

“Isn’t this a story that the reporters would like?”