A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 455

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 455

Chapter 97: Indian Summer Ritual (5)

Mark Kohun was struggling to find his footing amidst the sudden surge of attention.

For Ji-seop, who approached him to soothe his mental state, the greatest help came from this very person.

“Of course! I’m in top condition!”

Victor Johnson Jr., the ace of the Tampa Bay Rays and the scheduled starting pitcher for the game, was giving an impassioned speech during his pre-game interview, practically spitting as he spoke.

“Actually, I’ve had a good feeling since the exhibition games this season. How should I explain it? Pitchers have a ‘tingling’ sensation the moment they grip the ball! It felt different this time…….”

For every question he was asked, he gave at least three answers.

If the interviewer asked three questions, it felt like he gave at least ten answers.
The reporter was sweating profusely from the lengthy responses, but Ji-seop was grateful to Victor Johnson.

Thanks to him buying time, he was able to calmly organize his thoughts, and more importantly, Mark Kohun himself had initiated a conversation with Ji-seop.

“Victor is amazing, as always.”

Just as the reporter’s attempt to wrap up the interview failed once again, Mark Kohun said to Ji-seop.

“To be so relaxed even when pitching in front of a sold-out crowd… the aces of a team are definitely different.”

Ji-seop chuckled at this.

“I don’t know if you can call that relaxed. He looks completely nervous to me.”

“Nervous? He’s chattering away so happily?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? That’s Victor’s habit. It’s what he does when he’s not in good condition, when he’s feeling really nervous.”

Ji-seop continued calmly.

“When he’s in good condition, he keeps his mouth shut. He can’t be bothered with anything then. He just wants to get up on the mound as quickly as possible.”

“So, right now…….”

“Yes, you should see it as the opposite situation. The way he’s running his mouth, he must be really anxious.”

Oh, but there’s no need to worry.

Ji-seop waved his hand dismissively.

“Victor’s velocity has been a bit excessive lately, hasn’t it? I felt like he was overdoing it, so I already mentioned it to the coaches.”

“I see.”

“That’s a bit unexpected.”

Mark Kohun stroked his chin.

“Victor has received a lot of attention since his debut, so I didn’t think he’d feel nervous or anything.”

“No, he gets very nervous. During the last World Series, he came to my room and talked for almost three hours.”

Ji-seop sensed that it was time to get to the point.

“And honestly, who doesn’t get nervous? Everyone’s the same. Whether it’s before an important game, stepping up to the plate in a clutch situation, or…….”

Ji-seop’s subtle gaze turned towards Mark Kohun.

“Being in a situation where you receive unexpected attention?”

“U-Unexpected attention?”

Feeling a hint of curiosity in Mark Kohun’s eyes, Ji-seop continued.

“The important thing is how you deal with that nervousness. The players I’ve met so far… especially those called star players, each have their own know-how.”

Look.

Ji-seop pointed with his chin at Victor Johnson, who was exchanging greetings with the reporter.

His pre-game interview seemed to be finally coming to an end.

“Victor talking so much is also a kind of know-how. He distracts himself and calms his nerves by talking non-stop.”

“W-Well, that’s true, but…….”

Perhaps realizing that he couldn’t simply copy that method.

Mark Kohun looked at Ji-seop with the eyes of someone hoping for a lifeline.

“Could you tell me about other players’ know-how? My lips are parched right now.”

“Ah, in that case…….”

‘Got him.’

Ji-seop inwardly cheered as he offered the answer he had prepared.

“Before stepping into the batter’s box, I recommend pausing for a moment and looking around the stadium.”

“The stadium?”

Mark Kohun tilted his head.

“Why the stadium?”

* * *

About an hour later.

Ji-seop had returned to the office of the Future Strategy Planning Department.

The game against the Baltimore Orioles was about to begin.

As the American national anthem ended and the ceremonial first pitch by a famous movie star who had come to Tropicana Field that day concluded.

John Ramer, who had been staring intently at the large monitor in the office, suddenly snapped his fingers.

“Ah, now I remember!”

At John Ramer’s words, the eyes of the Future Strategy Planning Department focused on him.

“Remember what?”

“The know-how that Kim told Mark Kohun! I thought I’d heard it somewhere before…….”

Wasn’t that Vincent Hyama?

John Ramer’s eyes lit up.

“I remember Vincent saying that to Kim before. It was when we were having a drink after the World Series, right? If you get too nervous, pause for a moment and look around the stadium!”

“Oh, you remembered that? I thought Ramer was so drunk at the time that he was almost unconscious.”

Ji-seop began to watch the game monitor with an indifferent expression, but the people in the Future Strategy Planning Department seemed curious.

It was Vincent Hyama, no less. Who wouldn’t want to hear more about the know-how of the league’s top star?

“Kim, I’ve been wondering since earlier… what does it mean to look around the stadium?”

David Wilson asked.

“Does it mean to regulate your breathing? Or is it a kind of meditation?”

“Well, it could mean that too.”

Ji-seop continued, keeping his eyes fixed on the monitor.

“But in Vincent’s own words… it’s an action he takes to remind himself of how great he is, how much he has accomplished.”

“Does that… come to mind?”

As the people in the Future Strategy Planning Department tilted their heads, Ji-seop picked up his tablet PC and continued.

“At first, I wondered what he was talking about. But when I actually went out onto the field and looked around the stadium, I got a sense of it.”

“What kind of sense?”

“It’s completely different from seeing it from the office or the stands. It’s overwhelming. It’s almost like getting goosebumps.”

Try it sometime.

Ji-seop was very confident.

“The tens of thousands of seats packed tightly together, the ridiculously large billboards, the outfield fans who look like ants in the distance… if you look at them quietly, I think you’ll feel it too.”

How amazing is the place I’m in?

How amazing am I, who has been recognized in such a place?

The people in the Future Strategy Planning Department slowly nodded their heads as they listened to Ji-seop’s story.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad method. It means looking back on your achievements while looking around the stadium, right?”

“It might be good for the players, but not for our employees. The road to the major leagues is long and arduous for the players. However…….”

It was at this moment that a bitter smile appeared on David Wilson’s face.

“I don’t know if Mark Kohun will have the余裕 [room/composure] to look around the stadium today…….”

“Hehe, that’s true.”

Ji-seop also clicked his tongue.

The face of Victor Johnson Jr. was displayed largely on the office’s large monitor.

-It’s a walk! Consecutive walks! The Baltimore Orioles now have a chance with runners on first and second with no outs!!

Victor Johnson Jr. wiped the sweat streaming down his face with the back of his hand and sighed deeply.

Consecutive walks at the start of the game, it seemed like the game would be very difficult to unfold.

* * *

It was an unfortunate first inning for the Tampa Bay Rays, who had been on a roll with 7 wins and 3 losses in their last 10 games.

Victor Johnson Jr. threw 57 pitches in the first inning alone, allowing 4 hits, 5 walks, and 6 runs, putting on his worst pitching performance of the season.

-Ah, he can’t control it! He can’t control it! Another walk from Victor Johnson Jr.!

-Oh, the Tampa Bay Rays are activating their bullpen early? Did they expect this situation? That’s a very bold decision!

As if his amazing pitching performances had been a mirage, Victor Johnson Jr. struggled to get even one out.

He was in a situation where he could have suffered the humiliation of being taken out in the first inning, but fortunately, he had a reliable teammate.

-He got it! He dug that one out! The shortstop quickly gets up and throws to second…… Out! It’s an out! The long top of the first inning comes to an end like this!

It was Mark Kohun.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ starting shortstop who won the Gold Glove last season.

With the bases loaded and two outs, he made a sliding catch to dig out a ball that looked like it would quickly break through the 3-U gap, creating a valuable out.

“Mark! Great job! Really great job! You practically saved Victor!”

“Tell me honestly! How much are you thinking about? How much are you trying to get in your FA [Free Agency] contract to be playing this well! Hahaha!”

The coaching staff and teammates gave him generous praise and encouragement, but Mark Kohun simply nodded lightly.

He didn’t show much emotion in the first place, but at this time, the score difference was already large from the beginning of the game.

‘Damn it, of all days, this kind of game has to happen on a sold-out day.’

He felt a little sorry for the fans who had come to the stadium with expectations.

But on the other hand, he also felt a sense of relief.

‘The score is 6-0 from the top of the first inning…… Maybe it’s a good thing.’

Mark Kohun, who was playing as the Tampa Bay’s lead-off hitter that day as well.

He was thinking this to himself as he put on his protective gear.

‘By now, the fans must be furious, so my home run isn’t important anymore, right?’

Thinking that, he felt his pounding heart calm down a bit.

By the time he put on his helmet and sprayed rosin on his bat, he felt completely calm.

Thanks to that, Mark Kohun was able to recall the advice that the deputy director of the Future Strategy Planning Department had given him an hour earlier.

‘Ah, that’s right.’

It was when he took a step up the dugout stairs while receiving cheers from his teammates.

‘He told me to look around the stadium once? Vincent Hyama does that?’

‘He’s an amazing guy.’

Mark Kohun muttered.

‘To be able to relieve tension just by looking around the stadium… Hmph, I don’t think I could ever do that.’

Was that the difference between a star player who is envied by everyone and an ordinary player like himself?

Mark Kohun gave a slight bitter smile, but he felt that it didn’t matter much now.

Not everyone can aim to be a star player. It was impossible in the first place.

‘Yeah, a player like me who silently protects his position also has his own meaning…….’

Thinking that, he took the dugout stairs one, two, three, and stepped onto the field at that moment.

The very moment he was about to step into the batter’s box with the intention of letting go of his greed and just playing as usual.