A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 56

The Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good – Episode 56

Chapter 16: Throw it with All Your Might to the Center (4)

Two days later.

An unprecedented meeting was scheduled in the second conference room on the third floor of the KH Cannons Field.

A meeting for the ‘pitching design’ of the team’s closer, Kim Jung-gyu.

The attendees included Kim Jung-gyu, the main figure of the meeting, the pitching coach staff, the employees of the power analysis team, and Ji-seop, who entered at the direction of Director Arthur Freeman.

It was said that this was the first time since the founding of KH Cannons that so many people had gathered in one place for a single player.

“Shall I be honest? I think you chose the wrong profession, Ji-seop.”

When Ji-seop stepped into the conference room, Go Chang-deok greeted him with this remark.

“What do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean? I’m saying it’s because you persuaded Coach Do Jin-cheol.”

He added that the power analysis team had been thrown into chaos the previous afternoon.

Coach Do Jin-cheol, who had never listened to their opinions before, called and requested that a meeting be arranged.

“When I told our team leader about you, he said that you should be doing something else with that great speaking ability instead of hanging around the baseball team.”

He suggested that if Ji-seop had gone into sales or politics, he would have made a name for himself by now.

Go Chang-deok’s face was beaming as he relayed the team leader’s words.

“Anyway, thank you.”

Go Chang-deok tapped Ji-seop on the shoulder.

“It’s like an idea that was about to be trashed being revived thanks to you, Ji-seop.”

“Why is it thanks to me? It’s thanks to the manager and the coach.”

Ji-seop’s expression was serious.

“Besides, today’s meeting is still ahead, isn’t it? The power analysis team’s ideas can only shine if you persuade Kim Jung-gyu.”

“That’s… true.”

Go Chang-deok nodded.

“To be honest, I’m a little nervous.”

A slight shadow fell on Go Chang-deok’s face.

“Telling him to throw a forkball [a type of pitch that drops sharply] right down the middle… it’ll sound like telling a player to willingly put himself in a dangerous situation.”

The data-driven basis itself is solid.

However, the problem is that it goes against the ‘common sense of the baseball world’.

Will Kim Jung-gyu accept the power analysis team’s proposal?

This day’s meeting begins with half expectation and half anxiety.

“Now, we will begin the briefing on Kim Jung-gyu’s pitching design.”

The presenter was the head of the KH Cannons’ power analysis team.

He carefully explained the ideas that the team had been preparing for a long time.

“…….”

At first, Kim Jung-gyu seemed uncomfortable with the meeting itself, blinking his eyes without saying a word.

However, as the briefing came to an end, he seemed to have grasped what the power analysis team was proposing.

“Wait a minute, team leader!”

Kim Jung-gyu raised his hand.

“So, what you’re saying is…”

At this time, Kim Jung-gyu’s voice was slightly trembling.

“To, to throw a forkball right down the middle… that’s what you’re saying, right?”

“What’s wrong, Kim Jung-gyu?”

One of the power analysis team members asked.

“Was there anything in the data we showed you that you didn’t understand?”

“Or is it difficult to control it in the middle…?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Kim Jung-gyu shook his head.

“I understand the meaning of the data you showed me. Besides, it’s easier to control a forkball in the middle than to have it bounce off the ground. However…”

He seemed to understand it intellectually.

However, he was struggling with how to accept it emotionally.

“I’ve been so focused on making sure the ball doesn’t go to the center…”

Kim Jung-gyu tilted his head.

“Can I really become a better pitcher if I pitch like this? Can I at least get better results than I do now?”

To Kim Jung-gyu’s question, the power analysis team members couldn’t easily answer ‘yes’ with a confident response.

It wasn’t because they weren’t confident in their idea.

However, if they answered ‘yes’ here, they would be responsible for all the consequences of adopting this idea.

It was natural for employees who were paid to work for the company to hesitate to step forward.

“…….”

As the power analysis team members were slow to answer, Kim Jung-gyu’s gaze naturally turned to someone sitting next to him.

“Coach, is this… okay?”

It was pitching coach Do Jin-cheol.

The person Kim Jung-gyu asked for advice at this moment before making a decision.

It was perhaps natural that the eyes of everyone in the conference room were focused on Coach Do Jin-cheol’s wrinkled face.

“…….”

At this time, Ji-seop wasn’t really expecting much.

There’s no way a pitching coach wouldn’t feel burdened by responsibility.

It would be something to be grateful for if he just gave an answer like ‘it’s okay’ or ‘it’s worth a try’.

But what do you know?

There must have been a reason why Coach Do Jin-cheol was trusted by the players.

“Hey, how many years have you been playing baseball that you still don’t have a feel for this?”

He said this without any change in his facial expression.

Of course, it’s a bit absurd from Kim Jung-gyu’s point of view.

“…Yes?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking? This is the way to make you the best closer in Korea.”

The best closer in Korea.

It was a huge boast.

“…….”

Ji-seop, who stared ‘intently’ into his eyes, could read Coach Do Jin-cheol’s mind.

It didn’t seem like Coach Do was confident either.

Rather, he seemed even more anxious than Kim Jung-gyu.

[A forkball thrown right down the middle… Hehe, I’m really going to do something crazy in my old age.]

However, it was certainly true that a new method was needed for Kim Jung-gyu, who had been in a stalemate for several years.

And it was also certainly true that he, as a coach, had to be a pillar of support in order to try a new method.

With these two thoughts in mind, Coach Do Jin-cheol steadied his shaking heart and said this.

“I have a feeling. This is the answer.”

Coach Do Jin-cheol was shaking like a reed in the wind inside, but he was speaking very firmly on the outside.

Kim Jung-gyu, seeing his appearance, seemed to be gradually making up his mind.

“If you say so, Coach…”

Okay.

Kim Jung-gyu nodded.

“Forkball in the middle… I’ll give it a try. No, I’ll try it with the thought that I’ll just retire if this doesn’t work!”

Kim Jung-gyu even clenched his fist to show his determination, but what came back was a ‘thwack!’ the sound of someone hitting him on the back.

“Retire? What the hell are you talking about retiring!”

It was Coach Do Jin-cheol.

“Think about raising your salary this season and getting married, you idiot.”

And then he said.

“How long are you going to live like that alone?”

“No, Coach. Why are you bringing up marriage again here?”

* * *

After that day’s meeting, Kim Jung-gyu was removed from the first-team roster.

The superficial reason announced to the media was ‘going to the second team to adjust his condition’.

However, in reality, it wasn’t for conditioning, and he didn’t go down to the second team.

It was a measure to practice the ‘center forkball’ with Coach Do Jin-cheol while accompanying the first team.

“Okay, if you throw this one well, you’ll earn the cost of wallpapering your honeymoon home!”

Whoosh- Pow!

“If you throw this one right, you’ll just get the cost of the wedding ring!”

Whoosh- Pow!

“Okay, if you throw this ball well…”

“Ah, Coach! Can you please stop talking about marriage? What marriage when I don’t even have a partner!”

“If you play baseball well, you’ll get a girlfriend you didn’t have, you idiot!”

“…Damn it.”

In that way, Kim Jung-gyu gradually refined the new mechanism little by little.

It was about two weeks later that he reappeared on the first team mound.

-We are announcing a pitching change for the KH Cannons. Pitcher Lee Dong-jun is out, and pitcher Kim Jung-gyu is in.

The game is in the top of the 9th inning.

The score is 2-1, with KH leading by 1 point.

It was the timing for the closer to come on, but to Ji-seop, he felt like his lips were parched.

‘It’s his first appearance since changing his pitching mechanism…’

Ji-seop glanced at Director Freeman, who was sitting right next to him.

‘It would have been okay to put him up in a slightly more comfortable situation… Hehe, when I see things like this, I realize that the director is quite the taskmaster.’

It seemed to be a decision that took into account the considerable burden on the other bullpen pitchers while Kim Jung-gyu was removed from the first-team roster.

The fact that the opposing team’s batting order in the 9th inning was the lower order, continuing with numbers 7-8-9, also seemed to have been taken into consideration to some extent.

Clang!

Kim Jung-gyu’s condition looked good.

The opposing team’s number 7 hitter finished with a ground ball to shortstop in just two pitches.

The following number 8 hitter finished with a fly ball to second base in just four pitches.

Two outs were easily obtained even before throwing the ‘center forkball’.

And right at this moment, the opposing team played their last card.

-Ah, is a pinch hitter being used here? It’s Simmons. Pinch hitter David Simmons!

-Simmons has been left out of the starting lineup due to his recent poor hitting condition… But he’s still a player who can create a long hit at any time, right? The Cannons battery needs to be careful!

The opposing team’s foreign hitter appeared in the top of the 9th inning with two outs.

Naturally, the ball distribution returned to the dugout’s responsibility.

Coach Do Jin-cheol, who took a step forward from his usual spot and began sending signals to the catcher.

He was unstoppable.

Whoosh- Bang!

The first pitch was a four-seam fastball.

Outside low course. Strike.

Whoosh- Bang!

The second pitch was also a four-seam fastball.

Same course. Also a strike.

“…….”

The following two pitches were changeups.

Although they were all called balls, this was a kind of preliminary work before throwing the decisive pitch.

When the ball count reached 2-2, Coach Do Jin-cheol, who had been sending signals without hesitation, hesitated for a moment.

“…Hoo.”

A short sigh that was hard to notice unless you looked closely.

Almost at the same time, Coach Do Jin-cheol sent his gaze to Ji-seop, who was standing next to Director Freeman.

“…….”

There were no words between the two.

It wasn’t a situation to say anything.

However, Ji-seop, who was seeing through Coach Do Jin-cheol’s mind, just nodded lightly once.

‘…It’s now, Coach.’

A ball that goes against common sense.

A ball that seems absurd.

However, in order for KH Cannons to go up, in order for Kim Jung-gyu to take a step forward, it was that ball that had to be thrown.

“…….”

It was right after that that Coach Do Jin-cheol, who had been hesitating for a moment, sent a signal to the battery.

The starting catcher nodded after receiving Coach Do’s signal, and pitcher Kim Jung-gyu, who received his signal again, slowly took a breath.

The pitcher’s windup.

His left leg, which had been raised high almost to his chest, was stretched forward.

The moment his spikes scraped the dirt of the mound and firmly took their place.

“Euryah!” [A Korean exclamation of effort or exertion]

With a shout coming from his stomach, a white ball left his fingertips.

Clang!!

The sound of the hit came as expected.

The Cannons people in the dugout were startled and jumped to their feet at the sound of the hit, which was louder than expected-.

Whoosh- Pow!

The opposing hitter’s hit landed in the glove of center fielder Ryu Jang-ho, who had come in advance to wait.

The twenty-seventh out count of the game.

Wow!!!

The KH Cannons Field was filled with the enthusiastic cheers of the home fans,

“Jung-gyu!”

“Jung-gyuaaaak!”

The players burst out of the dugout and headed to Kim Jung-gyu on the mound.

‘……It’s done.’

Ji-seop lightly clenched his fist once at the successful return match of the closer.

It was right after that that someone’s big hand came up ‘thud’ on Ji-seop’s shoulder.

“Ah, Coach.”

“Hmm.”

It was pitching coach Do Jin-cheol.

The stubborn pitching coach of the Cannons, patting Ji-seop on the shoulder with his mouth firmly shut.

Ji-seop thought he would say ‘you worked hard’ or ‘thank you for your hard work’, but as expected, he was a man who slightly avoided Ji-seop’s expectations.

“Was it Go Chang-deok? That chubby friend from the power analysis team.”

“Yes.”

“Check with him. See if they have any improvement plans for other pitchers besides Kim Jung-gyu.”

Of course, he didn’t seem to be thinking of accepting the power analysis team’s story unconditionally.

“You look into it first, and if there’s an idea that seems good among them…”

Coach Do Jin-cheol continued.

“Report it to me immediately.”