A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 466

The Incredibly Talented Newcomer of the Baseball Team Chapter 466

99. Last Man Standing (5)

“Wait a minute, what did you just say?”

Jisub stopped walking.

“What’s the score?”

“Ah, yes, in the bottom of the first…….”

The mayor’s aide adjusted his glasses and looked at his phone screen, but he couldn’t answer right away.

Wow!!!

Wow!!!

The crowd erupted in cheers from the field.

The cheers were so loud that the stadium felt like it was shaking slightly.

The mayor’s aide clenched his right fist and answered.

“Ah, the Tampa Bay Rays just scored another point! The score is now 5-5, a tie.”

“No, it’s already 5-5?!

The mayor of St. Petersburg tilted his head, wide-eyed.

“Huh, this situation is getting a bit strange. I heard that both teams have great pitchers today… What on earth is going on?”

“Hey, let me see.”

“How did they score?”

As the mayor of St. Petersburg turned his gaze to the aide’s phone, Jisub took a step towards Charles Flex.

“Mr. Flex, um…….”

“Um, leave it to me.”

Before Jisub could say anything, the great showman of the Future Strategy Planning Division was nodding his head.

“I’ll guide the mayor’s party, so you go and check on Brett Evans.”

“Oh, my.”

Charles Flex smacked his lips.

“Nothing is easy.”

* * *

Of course, it wasn’t uncommon.

In fact, it was quite common.

A pitcher who had been pitching perfectly for several games suddenly collapsing.

A pitcher who had been showing peak condition in the bullpen getting hit hard in a real game.

Therefore, a score of 5-5 was entirely possible, and Jisub wouldn’t have been too flustered at any other time, but.

At this time, Jisub had a reason to run as fast as his eyebrows could flutter.

‘Could his balance be broken?’

Brett Evans’ pitching balance.

That was what Jisub was worried about.

Older pitchers tend to have less flexibility and balance.

Therefore, there were many cases where they lost their balance in an instant, with a feeling of a switch being turned off.

Suddenly, the velocity drops by more than 6 mph (10 km/h), or the ball that they had been controlling well until the day before suddenly comes in as a one-hopper [a ball that bounces once before reaching the plate].

Once this symptom appears, it is considered almost impossible to return to the way they were before.

‘Damn it, was I being complacent? Was it the right choice to stop Brett, even if I got cursed at?’

From the VIP parking lot to the locker room was a 2-3 minute run at full speed.

During that short time, all sorts of thoughts were running through Jisub’s head.

‘I made a mistake. Modifying the pitching design was really too much. Why didn’t I stop at the right time?’

With such an anxious heart, he threw open the door to the locker room with a ‘Kwaang!’-

“Oh, Kim! You’re here?”

What greeted Jisub was Brett Evans’ bright expression, with a large towel on his head.

“You came at just the right time. Come and watch with me! Just now, a crazy Yankees fan ran onto the field because…….”

“O-onto the field?”

“Yes, that guy must have been really angry. Well, it’s no wonder. Vincent ate up all the 5-0 lead he had in the top of the first.”

Hahahahaha.

The 42-year-old veteran pitcher burst out laughing as he watched the Yankees fan dodging the tackles of the stadium security guards.

Jisub approached him with a look as if he had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

“Mr. Evans, are you okay?”

“Yes?”

Brett Evans turned his head.

“I heard you gave up 5 runs in the top of the first. Is there anything bothering you, like your condition, balance, or an injury……?”

“Ah.”

Brett Evans seemed to realize why Jisub had rushed over so urgently.

He stared at the sweating team leader and slowly nodded.

“Yes, there’s nothing wrong.”

He gave a faint smile.

“Rather, my condition is at its best. I can say it’s the best this season. So there’s nothing to worry about. However…….”

“However?”

When Jisub raised one eyebrow, he heard someone running down the stairs behind him with a ‘쿵쿵쿵쿵’ [onomatopoeia for heavy footsteps].

“Hey, Brett!!!”

It was the pitching coach.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ main pitching coach, Thomas Culkin.

He came down the stairs connecting to the dugout and shouted at Brett Evans.

“I just heard from the trainer, what on earth are you thinking? Are you out of your mind?!”

‘Damn it, what’s going on now?’

Just as Jisub was about to take a step back, looking at the two men, the pitching coach grabbed Jisub’s arms and said.

“Hey, Kim! Don’t just stand there, say something to that guy! Make that stubborn guy come to his senses!”

“What are you talking about? Suddenly telling me to make him come to his senses…….”

“What, haven’t you heard yet? Well, if he had any shame, he wouldn’t have told you!”

“Oh, I’m telling you!”

The pitching coach pointed his finger at Brett Evans.

“That damn bastard keeps insisting on throwing! He doesn’t want to go down from the mound!”

“Wh-what?!”

Jisub turned his gaze to the large television installed on the locker room pillar.

In the midst of the scene where the spectator who ran onto the field was being dragged away by the stadium security guards.

Below that, the score of 5-5 was clearly visible.

“You already gave up 5 points in the top of the first, didn’t you? I think you’ve thrown quite a few pitches…….”

Jisub narrowed his brow slightly.

“But you’re still going to keep pitching?”

“Yes, just a little more… would it be too much to ask?”

“Rather than too much to ask…….”

It was close to defying common sense.

If the starting pitcher gives up a lot of runs in the early innings, the dugout usually pulls out the substitution card.

It’s very difficult to turn the tide of a game that’s already gone wrong, so it’s better to get your mind right quickly and prepare for the next game.

However, at this time, Brett Evans was talking about something that went against this common sense, so Jisub had to ask.

“Why?”

At Jisub’s question, Brett Evans pulled down the towel covering his head.

“I don’t know how this will sound if I say this… I don’t have many opportunities left.”

“Opportunity?”

The pitching coach asked back, and Brett Evans nodded lightly.

“You know roughly, don’t you, Coach? I didn’t want to disrupt the team atmosphere, so I didn’t say it out loud… This season is the last season of my career.”

At the words ‘last season’, the pitching coach’s momentum subsided.

“So I won’t have many chances to face Vincent. If I’m lucky, I might meet him once or twice more… Well, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand on the mound in as good condition as today.”

“Your condition is… good?”

“Yes, it’s good! It’s really the best condition! The batted balls just fell in awkward places, and none of them were hit squarely, were they? So…….”

Just a little more,

Just a little more,

Please let me pitch.

Brett Evans said in an earnest tone.

“How many more times will I have in my life? In front of so many spectators, with so much attention, facing Vincent Hiyama… In fact, the opportunity to have a head-to-head match with the best pitcher of our time!”

“Oh, my…….”

The pitching coach scratched his head and looked at Jisub.

“Kim, what’s your opinion? The manager said he’d leave it up to me, but it’s not an easy decision.”

“Hmm, well.”

After biting his lower lip slightly and pondering, Jisub looked at this stubborn veteran pitcher with a calm expression.

“If Mr. Evans says so, I can’t keep opposing him. However…….”

“However?”

When Brett Evans raised his head, Jisub pointed to the broadcast screen with his chin.

“The score is 5-5. Evans isn’t the only starting pitcher who gave up 5 points in the first inning.”

“…….”

“I think there will be movement in the Yankees dugout soon, but are you still okay with that?”

It meant that Vincent Hiyama would also be replaced soon.

It meant that it would no longer be a starting match.

Jisub thought that Brett Evans would give up his stubbornness, but at this time, his expectations were dashed.

“Kim, it seems like your memories of your playing days are fading.”

“Yes?”

“You can bet on it.”

Brett Evans’ eyes lit up.

“If I go to the mound in the top of the second, Vincent will never back down easily.”

That’s,

What a pitcher is.

Brett Evans was giving a triumphant smile.

* * *

Wow!!!

Wow!!!

Vincent Hiyama got the third out in the bottom of the first inning right after the spectator who ran onto the field was dragged out.

He had managed to strike out in a difficult situation with two outs and runners on first and second.

With this, the long bottom of the first inning ended. Vincent Hiyama also let out a short sigh and entered the dugout.

“Vincent, you’ve worked hard!”

What greeted him was New York Yankees manager Aaron O’Belli.

He was usually famous for his fiery personality, but on this day, he greeted Vincent with a hearty laugh.

“Baseball isn’t easy, is it?”

“I’m sorry, Manager.”

When Vincent bowed his head slightly, O’Belli patted him on the back.

“Raise your head! Raise your head, you! What are you sorry for!”

The manager had a pleased expression.

“How many people get three consecutive shutouts? You’ve done enough so far, so there’s no need to bow your head. Anyway, the season is long, so it’s not bad to take a break like this for a day. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Okay, take a good rest today. Let’s challenge for four consecutive shutouts next time!”

After encouraging Vincent, O’Belli stretched his neck and called out, “Hey!” to the trainers.

“You guys take Vincent and cool him down a bit. Check carefully to see if there are any injured muscles or joints… Hmm?”

Aaron O’Belli’s thick eyebrows twitched once at this moment.

In his sight, as he was giving instructions to the trainers, he saw someone he really didn’t expect.

“No, that’s… Brett?!!”

That’s right. It was Brett Evans.

Brett Evans, who had already thrown nearly 40 pitches in the top of the first inning, was appearing in the top of the second inning.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ living legend, with his mouth firmly shut, stepped onto the mound and began practicing his pitching.

The moment he saw his serious expression, Aaron O’Belli could vaguely guess the situation.

‘Is he going to go a little further with Brett?’

He couldn’t know the exact reason.

It could be that it was difficult to activate the bullpen early, or it could be a plan to face just one or two more batters and then replace him.

Just as he was about to judge that he could respond sufficiently in either case, one strange movement shown by the pitcher on the mound.

“…….”

It was a gaze.

Brett Evans, who had finished practicing his pitching, was staring blankly at the Yankees dugout.

It was only a fleeting moment, and there was no particular change in expression, but at this time, Aaron O’Belli felt a sense of ‘Oops’.

‘Brett, that guy… maybe?!’

One uneasy premonition flashed through the mind of the experienced manager.

O’Belli quickly reached out and signaled to the trainers.

“Hey, what are you dawdling about? Take Vincent in quickly! Let him rest quickly…….”

Oh, damn it.

It was the very next moment that a bitter smile appeared on Aaron O’Belli’s face.

‘Oh, I’m a step late?’

It was Vincent Hiyama.

The Yankees’ ace, who was about to go in after finishing his appearance, stopped walking and stared intently at Brett Evans.

He hadn’t yet expressed his intention to continue pitching, and he hadn’t said that he wouldn’t go down, but Aaron O’Belli could sense it.

“…….”

Vincent Hiyama was putting on the glove he had taken off.

Last Man Standing.

That day’s game was turning into a battle of who would go down first.