Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 103

#102. Two-Way Player

Looking back, it wasn’t that I only loved baseball from a young age.

My mother was a baseball fanatic, so I went to the ballpark almost every day. Eventually, I started playing baseball in elementary school.

But when I think about it, I liked soccer just as much as baseball back then.

No, I definitely did.

For kids, baseball is a less accessible sport. You need a lot of equipment and people to even get started.

Because my friends kept asking me to play soccer, I’d kick the ball around on the school field whenever I had time.

And sometimes I went to soccer stadiums and watched professional soccer games on TV.

But my interest in soccer quickly faded. There wasn’t any particular reason.

There were baseball games every day, but soccer was only twice a week, or even just once if you were unlucky. It lacked consistency.

I watched baseball every day like a routine, rejoicing in the wins, getting frustrated by the losses, and excitedly talking about the game with people around me.

Naturally, baseball became a part of my daily life.

Maybe back then, I liked talking about baseball with people like my mother and Seong-hoon hyung [older brother or close male friend], more than baseball itself.

I guess that habit has stuck with me; I still enjoy talking about baseball so much.

“Hey, Ahn Chi-wook. Watch Walter closely when he hits.”

“What? What am I supposed to be watching for?”

In the bottom of the first inning, Ryan escaped the jam thanks to Walter’s laser throw, and then struck out the following third and fourth batters to end the inning.

Then, the Warriors’ attack started again in the top of the second inning.

Walter Schmidt, the lead-off hitter, adjusted his stance in the batter’s box, preparing to bat.

“That guy used to have a lot of trouble because of the shift.”

“Really? How do you know that?”

“Don’t worry about that, just watch closely. See how he deals with the shift.”

Actually, I wasn’t expecting much. I didn’t think one word would immediately change Ahn Chi-wook.

Walter had difficulty hitting in the major leagues because of the extreme pull-hitting defensive shift.

If there was no defensive shift, or if the defensive shift ban that was applied in the minor leagues had been established in the major leagues, Walter might not have been kicked out of there.

Extreme pull-hitting.

More than 70% of Walter’s hits went to the left, so the opposing team placed three fielders there. The third baseman, shortstop, and second baseman stood side by side in the 3-shortstop gap, waiting for his batted balls.

Because of this, Walter had to try many things to break through the shift. He tried to become a switch hitter, and he also practiced hitting to the opposite field.

In the end, Walter decided to further strengthen his strengths instead of changing his hitting method.

He increased the launch angle of the batted ball with an extreme uppercut swing to reduce the number of ground balls. Even if he mishit the ball, he focused on increasing its speed so it could break through the infield.

Of course, this is just one way to break through the shift. I can’t necessarily say it’s the right answer.

I hoped that Ahn Chi-wook, who was struggling with the same problem as Walter, would get some ideas from this. And I hoped we could talk about the solution together.

Thwack!

“Um… I watched it, but I don’t really know what I’m supposed to be feeling?”

“…Okay, go out and hit.”

I think I chose the wrong person to talk to.

What am I doing, talking to a rookie who doesn’t know anything?

* * *

– The visiting team Warriors are down by 2 points in the top of the 9th inning, their last chance to score, with one out and runners on 1st and 2nd. Han Su-hyeok is at bat.

– Ah, the pitcher looks nervous. One hit ties the game, and a big one could even win it!

– But… oh… an intentional walk has been issued. The Suwon bench is avoiding a showdown with Han Su-hyeok. This means they will face cleanup hitter Jo Seong-oh with one out and the bases loaded. What do you think of Suwon’s choice right now, commentator?

– Well, I understand how they feel. It’s daunting to face Han Su-hyeok, who is the best hitter in the league right now. But Han Su-hyeok doesn’t hit a home run every time he comes to bat. He only had one hit in the first inning today, and no other times on base.

– Are you saying they should have gone for the showdown?

– Yes, no matter how scared you are of Han Su-hyeok, it’s not a one-point difference, it’s a two-point difference. Jo Seong-oh with bases loaded and one out. One hit immediately ties the game, and a double or more wins it.

– Maybe you’re just upset that Han Su-hyeok didn’t hit a home run in this game?

– Hehe, no matter how much I like Han Su-hyeok… I’m sorry. Even if I’m a fan, I don’t let it affect the broadcast. Oh, you don’t seem to believe me, but I really don’t. Even though I’m like this, I prioritize fairness and trust above all else…….

* * *

In today’s game, which was expected to be a pitching duel between aces Ryan Stark and Choi Kyung-jae, both starting pitchers had to leave the mound after only 5 innings.

There wasn’t anything particularly unusual. Both teams’ hitters were just in too good of condition.

Meanwhile, Suwon used an extreme defensive shift against two hitters, Ahn Chi-wook and Walter.

When Ahn Chi-wook was at bat, three infielders except for the third baseman were placed between 1st and 2nd base. Conversely, when facing Walter, only the 1st baseman remained between 1st and 2nd base, and the other three blocked the 3-shortstop gap.

The defensive shift, which initially started by slightly adjusting the fielding position according to the hitter’s characteristics, has evolved to such an extreme form that the United States established a ban on it starting with the minor leagues in 2022.

A very simple and obvious rule that two fielders must be placed on each side of 2nd base. The problem is that the introduction of this rule to the major leagues has been delayed for various reasons, and the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] has also given up on it.

Personally, I don’t pay much attention to the defensive shift.

The reason is that no team really puts a shift on me because I use a mix of different swings, but more than that, if it’s an action that doesn’t violate the rules, I don’t want to stop them from doing whatever it takes to win.

“In the end… is hitting it hard the answer?”

“It could be, or it might not be.”

Ahn Chi-wook, who seriously pondered the defensive shifts against Walter and himself in today’s game, seemed to have grasped a clue to the solution.

There are quite a few ways to deal with the shift.

You can hit it harder to break through the shift, or you can raise the launch angle like Walter to reduce ground balls altogether. Or, you can try a surprise bunt in the opposite direction of the shift.

Whatever it is, the hitter has to find the answer himself.

Since modern baseball is all about relentlessly analyzing players with exposed weaknesses, it has become a task that Ahn Chi-wook must overcome.

The game continued.

A bases-loaded situation with one out was created with the Warriors trailing by 2 points. And Jo Seong-oh stepped up to the plate.

Jo Seong-oh’s face, which was full of tension in this situation at the beginning of the season, now had a faint smile.

Momentum is really important in baseball. Jo Seong-oh was already winning the momentum battle before he even started hitting.

Whoosh!

“Strike!”

Jo Seong-oh’s bat swung at the first pitch and cut through the air.

Sighs erupted from the visiting seats, while cheers poured out from the home team’s cheering section.

But the scene on the field was a little different.

The pitcher’s expression turned pale at the powerful swing, while the batter’s face was full of regret rather than embarrassment.

The psychological state of the two people soon led to a result.

Thwack!

With a loud bang, the batted ball flew like an arrow between the center fielder and the right fielder.

A fast and strong hit that didn’t even need to be watched to see the result.

All three runners started at the same time, and Jo Seong-oh also sprinted to first base with all his might.

Only after all three runners had entered home was the ball thrown to the second baseman.

A 3-RBI double.

Jo Seong-oh, who turned the game around in an instant, roared on second base.

And the Suwon dugout fell silent.

The game, which lasted for more than three hours, was decided by a single moment’s choice.

Yang Ki-cheol, who went to the mound in the bottom of the 9th inning, perfectly shut down the game, allowing only one walk against four batters, and we widened the gap with Suwon by one more game.

* * *

“It’s really pouring like crazy. We finally had a good atmosphere, but at this rate, we’re going to lose our sense of the game.”

“Yeah, it is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it rain this much since I came to Korea.”

“Huh? Since you came to Korea? What are you talking about? Where have you been? You sound like a Korean who lived abroad.”

“Ah, no. I was just saying it. Hehe.”

“You’re no fun. Um… then shall we call it a day and go home? What about you, Su-hyeok?”

“I’m going to stop by Jacob’s place. I think my balance is a little off these days.”

“Really? Okay. Then be careful in the rain.”

“It’s right in front of me, though.”

“Hehe, yeah. I’m jealous. Okay, I’m leaving.”

We won a good come-from-behind victory in the first game against Suwon, and we launched an all-out war to widen the gap on that opportunity.

In the second game that followed the next day, we were leading 3-0 until the 3rd inning.

But the sudden rain stopped everything.

It was a late monsoon season accompanied by huge rain clouds. On top of that, a typhoon overlapped, and the whole country became a sea of water.

The second game against Suwon, which was in progress, was declared a no-game, and the third game scheduled for the next day, and the following three-game home series against Changwon, were canceled one after another.

For the KBO, which had completely overhauled the drainage facilities of baseball stadiums across the country to reduce rain cancellations, it was a frustrating situation.

The canceled games are piling up. The results of the canceled games, which will be rescheduled in the second half, are likely to have a significant impact on the final standings.

But this isn’t a problem to worry about right now.

Team training was conducted for 4 days while the schedule was temporarily suspended.

And I am discussing an important issue with Jacob during the league suspension.

“Jacob.”

“You’ve come. Come on in.”

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“I got a call from the hospital. They said the new medicine they started giving Annie seems to be working.”

“That’s a relief. Really.”

“Good, I’m glad I came to Korea. Anyway, I feel like I can do anything right now.”

“I think so too. So I’m going to talk about that issue.”

“That issue? Ha… you damn brat.”

“If we want to push further from here, or at least maintain our current ranking in the second half, I don’t think we can delay it any longer. Fortunately, we have time to think about it because of the rain cancellation.”

“I’ll ask you one last time. Are you confident that you won’t regret it, no matter what the outcome?”

“I know, Jacob. That my preparation is not perfect. But that’s how baseball is, isn’t it? Where is perfect preparation?”

“Yeah, that’s true. Okay. If you’re so determined, I won’t ask any more questions. What’s your schedule?”

“How about lightly warming up at the All-Star Game and checking again at the WBC [World Baseball Classic]? If the results are good, we can start right away from the second half.”

“That’s more than three months faster than I expected. Then we’ll have to start preparing right away from today.”

“Yes, Jacob. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Two-way play, which I thought would be impossible until the fall season at the earliest, I am now preparing for it.