A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 490

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 490

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 490

103 Three Pure Accidents (5)

About two hours later.

Victor Johnson Jr. and Alex Montero, the Tampa Bay Rays’ battery [a pair of players, a pitcher and a catcher, who work closely together] for the day, were on the mound.

It was right before their first defensive play in the bottom of the 1st inning, with the score tied at 0-0.

“Can you hear okay?”

Starting catcher Alex Montero asked, pressing the pitchcom [a device used for communication between the catcher and pitcher] button.

“First, the pitch type comes out, then the location. If you can’t hear well, turn up the volume now.”

“No, it’s okay. I can hear fine. It’s not as bad as I thought.”

Victor Johnson Jr. nodded, pressing the earpiece in his ear with his finger.

However, at this moment, his interest didn’t seem to be in whether the pitchcom was working or not.

“Wow, I can’t believe this day has come.”

“Huh?”

When Alex tilted his head, Victor Johnson pointed his chin towards the stands.

“Over there. The infield stands on the third base side. Our team’s fans are here.”

“Oh, really?”

The infield stands on the third base side. More precisely, right behind the cheering squad.

About 20 Tampa Bay Rays fans were gathered there.

Although the number was small, they stood out because they were wearing uniforms. They were also waving flags with the team logo on them.

Victor Johnson Jr. seemed to find their presence very special.

“To meet our team’s fans at Target Field… Isn’t it amazing? I couldn’t have imagined it at this time last year.”

“Well, it’s definitely changed a lot from before. To the point where Tropicana Field is sold out every day.”

“See, Kim is amazing.”

Whatever he was thinking, Victor Johnson Jr. pounded his glove with his fist and said firmly.

“Alex, let’s make today a day those people will never forget.”

“Huh?”

“They came all the way to Target Field to watch Tampa Bay baseball, right? Then we have to repay them! In our own way!”

Looking at the ace pitcher with sparkling eyes, Alex Montero let out a sigh that was barely visible.

“…In our own way.”

He must be referring to the three pure accidents.

* * *

Victor Johnson Jr. seemed to be burning with more enthusiasm due to the visit of the away fans, but Alex Montero, who returned to home plate, was still showing a cold attitude.

‘Victor, I’m sorry.’

Alex Montero thought, greeting the Minnesota Twins’ leadoff hitter as he stepped into the batter’s box.

‘I can’t agree with your plan. To try to win the game with strikeouts alone… This isn’t Little League, is it?’

The Minnesota Twins, their opponent for the day, were leading the AL Central Division [American League Central Division, a division in Major League Baseball] based on their strong offense.

He didn’t even know how much they would get hit if they were talking about three pure accidents, strikeouts, and walks.

And above all-

‘We don’t need to care what Zeus Analytics says, do we? Shouldn’t we leave the front office’s work to the front office…’

Reaching this point, Alex Montero began to press the pitchcom attached to his knee pad.

Carefully covering the pitchcom device with his catcher’s mitt so that it wouldn’t be exposed, he sent a signal by pressing the button he had been thinking about before the game.

First, number 1, then the center button on the directional pad. This meant only one thing.

‘Right down the middle… Four-seam fastball!’

Let’s give up a hit. Just one well-hit ball. Then Victor Johnson will realize that this isn’t child’s play.

“…….”

Victor Johnson, who was covering his ear with his glove to hear the pitchcom signal, seemed to hesitate slightly.

A four-seam fastball right down the middle from the first pitch. Even for Victor Johnson, it wouldn’t have been an easy pitch to choose.

But perhaps his promise to follow Alex’s instructions was not a lie. He went straight into his pitching motion without any particular reaction.

Raising one leg almost to chest height and stretching it forward, his long arm was wound back and then whipped out like a whip at that very moment.

Whoosh- Bang!

Alex Montero, who caught the ball, as well as the Minnesota Twins’ leadoff hitter who was standing in the batter’s box, were surprised and widened their eyes.

“Oh, no…”

“This is?!”

It was a swing and a miss. A pitch that came in about two balls high in the middle of the strike zone. A pitch that a major league hitter should never miss.

The opposing hitter swung his bat with all his might, but he couldn’t even graze the ball that was coming in so easily.

“D, did I put too much strength into it?”

The Minnesota Twins’ leadoff hitter loosened up, twitching his shoulders.

He was a strong hitter who recorded a batting average of over .300 and an on-base percentage in the .400s. In terms of contact, he was arguably the best in Minnesota.

Such a skilled hitter licked his dry lips with his tongue and braced himself.

He’s going to hit it this time. There won’t be two mistakes. He gripped the bat so tightly that the sound of friction could be heard from his batting gloves.

Whoosh- Bang!

Whoosh- Bang!

What followed were two more resounding catching sounds that echoed throughout the ground.

And, as if keeping pace with it, the Minnesota hitter was seen cutting through the air in vain.

“Strike, batter out!!”

Victor Johnson clenched his fist when he heard the umpire’s call, and the Tampa Bay fans in the third base stands waved their team flags vigorously.

“H, hey, Alex.”

The Minnesota Twins’ leadoff hitter said, staring blankly at where the ball had just passed.

“What was that just now?”

He had a look as if he had seen a ghost.

“The ball… is completely insane?!”

* * *

Although the Tampa Bay people pretended not to know, in fact, around this time, Victor Johnson Jr. had this nickname attached to him.

Ace in the making.

Unfinished ace.

He was a pitcher who could throw a 100 mph four-seam fastball, but his quality was said to be a notch below Vincent Hyama.

He was a pitcher who was skilled at controlling his pace compared to his young age, but his game management ability was said to be inferior to Brett Evans.

That’s why he got that nickname. Ace in the making.

It was clear that he was Tampa Bay’s undisputed number one starter this season, but it meant that he had not yet reached the ranks of the league’s best starting pitchers.

Because of this, stories of regret were flowing out from here and there-

Right on this day,

Victor Johnson Jr. was blowing away the unwelcome modifier that followed his name in one fell swoop.

In the early innings, he was putting on a truly overwhelming pitching performance against the Minnesota Twins’ strong lineup.

Whoosh- Bang!

Whoosh- Bang!

Whoosh- Bang!

With a combination of a powerful four-seam fastball and a sweeper [a type of breaking ball in baseball], he had struck out exactly 11 batters through the 5th inning.

During the bottom of the 2nd and 4th innings, he finished the innings with three consecutive strikeouts.

The amazing strikeout parade itself was close to a stunt, but the point that caught people’s attention at this time was different.

“I heard it’s 23 through the 5th inning?”

That was what Tommy Damon said while watching the game from the stands.

“I’m talking about swing and misses. He’s induced 23 swing and misses from the Minnesota hitters so far.”

It meant that the opposing hitters were not able to cope with Victor Johnson’s pitches at all.

They were putting out their bats to attack, but the trajectory of the ball was completely different from what they were thinking.

“It’s hard to see 10 swing and misses even if you watch a whole game… Wow, 23 through the 5th inning!”

While Victor Johnson’s overwhelming pitching continued, each broadcasting station seemed to be putting out its own analysis.

The Tampa Bay broadcast said that the answer was to entrust the ball distribution entirely to the catcher.

The Minnesota broadcast hypothesized that having a day off more than usual had affected the quality of his pitches.

Besides that, people who knew a thing or two about baseball were chattering and giving their opinions.

“…….”

At this very moment, Alex Montero, who was catching Victor Johnson’s pitches, was coming to a slightly different conclusion.

‘Amazing concentration.’

That was what Alex Montero thought as he looked at Victor Johnson coming down from the mound when the bottom of the 6th inning was also finished with two strikeouts.

‘I’ve been a battery with Victor since the minor leagues… But I don’t think I’ve ever seen that guy concentrate this much.’

The pitching of Victor Johnson that he remembered was always a bit chaotic.

He wanted to try out a slider [a type of pitch in baseball] on hitter A, or he wanted to try out pace control on hitter B.

And although it had decreased a bit since Kim joined, he would ask if he could throw a new pitch he had prepared for this day.

Victor Johnson was always so busy and distracted, but today he was somehow calm and collected.

“Thank you, thank you.”

He was more polite than ever to his teammates who welcomed him in front of the dugout.

Since he already knew why that guy was showing such concentration, the words that Alex Montero threw at Victor Johnson at this time were as follows.

“Hey, Victor! Is the situation in the Future Strategy Planning Department that bad?”

He said, throwing a cold towel prepared to cool down the pitcher.

“Even if the situation is bad, Kim can solve it, right? The Kim I know is the smartest person in the Tampa Bay front office.”

He was saying that there was no need to get so worked up.

It also meant that it was awkward to see him concentrating so much.

Victor Johnson, who understood the meaning, smiled and replied.

“That’s right, she’s a smart person. In fact, that’s why I think I need to strike out more batters.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Kim is so good at her job that there’s nothing I can really help her with. If I see an opportunity, I have to help her out then and there, otherwise I’ll just keep receiving.”

“So that’s why you’re getting so worked up?”

The hitting coach was sending a signal from the dugout entrance.

It meant that Alex’s turn at bat was coming soon. It meant that he had to start preparing.

As Alex was taking off his catcher’s gear and putting on his batter’s protective gear, Victor Johnson added.

“And to be really honest… I’m also a little angry at Zeus Analytics’ analysis.”

“Angry? You?”

Alex Montero tilted his head because he was usually just smiling foolishly.

“What are you so angry about?”

“No, isn’t it? Who are they to interfere with our baseball and tell us what to do?”

Victor Johnson crossed his arms.

“I didn’t really think much about it, but everyone else seemed to be worried about it? What kind of baseball should we play, what kind of strategy should we choose to get good results. Weren’t you one of them?”

“…….”

“Everyone was racking their brains and worrying about it, and they even won the championship with the strategy they created. Is that effort normal effort? Would that worry have been normal worry? But now they’re coming along and acting like they know everything?”

Victor Johnson snorted.

“Hey, how can I just let this go? I have to prove that those guys are wrong!”

Victor Johnson continued to complain, but Alex Montero was quietly looking for his helmet.

‘Everyone’s effort and worry? He can’t stand the fact that others are devaluing it?’

Then, as he slowly took a step towards the batter’s box, he burst out laughing inwardly.

‘Victor, that airhead… He was thinking such a commendable thing?’

* * *

Top of the 7th inning, Tampa Bay Rays’ attack.

When Alex Montero slowly stepped into the batter’s box with two outs and a runner on first, Target Field was filled with the cheers of the home team fans.

Waaaaah!!!

Waaaaah!!!

Despite Victor Johnson’s overwhelming pitching, the Minnesota fans’ momentum had not died down at all.

Perhaps it was only natural. The Minnesota Twins’ starting pitcher was also continuing his scoreless pitching that day.

The score was 0-0, a tight pitching battle. In times like these, voices tend to rise, regardless of home or away fans.

“Hey, Tom! Let’s finish this inning quickly!”

“That’s right, I just got a feeling? We’re going to score in the next inning! We’re going to score!”

“Alex, was it? Hurry up and hit a ground ball to shortstop and get out of here! You’re no match for our Tom!!!”

The shouts of the home team fans could be heard from here and there.

The atmosphere was quite fierce, but at this time, Alex Montero’s expression was very comfortable.

He even seemed to be smiling slightly. He had discovered a new side to his friend, whom he had been playing with for a long time.

‘Wow, I can’t believe what I’m seeing? Victor, who was only focused on finding new pitches, is thinking such a commendable thing.’

Pitchers usually only think about themselves.

They think about their pitching, their pitches, their records, and their condition.

But sometimes, very rarely, when those selfish humans look around.

When they think about the whole team, remember the hard work of their teammates, and get angry on their behalf for the unfair treatment they receive.

Catchers, who have seen the pitchers’ 모습 [Korean word meaning ‘appearance’ or ‘figure’] the closest, often feel a strange sense of emotion.

‘Okay, if that’s what you think…’

Alex Montero’s shoulders, who was gripping his bat and looking at the pitcher, looked light.

In the previous two at-bats, he had only focused on contact. The opposing pitcher’s pitches were powerful, and he preferred baseball that steadily built up runners.

Only for this day, he also had a desire not to respond to Victor Johnson’s fuss.

‘But now… it’s different.’

As the number of pitches reached 100, the opposing pitcher’s quality had also dropped a lot.

Besides, the score was 0-0, and it was also a timing when it was a bit difficult to continue the scoreless game.

Above all, he knew that Victor Johnson Jr. was thinking something different from usual.

Swoosh- Pow!

Swoosh- Pow!

Ball count 2-0, the moment when the 94 mph four-seam fastball that was coming in to catch the count formed a very slightly high pitch.

The very moment when the pitcher who threw the ball had an ‘Oops!’ expression on his face.

The bat of the starting catcher, who had recorded 16 home runs this season alone, the most home runs among the Tampa Bay Rays players, turned very sharply.

Crack!

With a truly exhilarating sound, a huge hit soared high into the dark night sky.

“…….”

Alex Montero, who stopped in place for a very short time and followed the trajectory of the hit with his eyes-

Flick.

Lightly tossed the bat back, and then silently began to circle the diamond of Target Field, which had become as quiet as a library.

It was a home run.

A go-ahead two-run home run.

Alex Montero’s 17th home run of the season.

“Alex! Alex! Alex!”

The small number of Tampa Bay fans who were guarding the third base stands threw their hats and chanted Alex’s name.

“Ah, damn it! What are you doing!”

“How can you go for the win there!”

The Minnesota fans, who had been hit with a thunderous home run, clutched their heads and couldn’t help but lament.

Wooooooo-

Wooooooo-

The Tampa Bay players, who were warming up by shouting ‘Wooooooo’ at Alex, who was returning to the dugout.

Slap.

The moment Alex, who had entered the dugout, raised one arm high, they all cheered and rushed towards him.

“Alex!!!”

“I knew you could do it!!!”

“You’re the starting catcher! A starting catcher hits one out at times like this!!”

They hit Alex’s helmet, kicked his butt, and slapped his back.

At that time, when everyone was making a fuss, Alex gave Victor Johnson a ‘thumbs up’.

A strikeout, a walk, and a home run.

Let’s make an amazing game with these three pure accidents.

Victor Johnson Jr.’s bold declaration was slowly becoming a reality.