Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 110

#109. Welcome to New York

China has an ambitious plan to become the best in all sports.

However, unlike other sports, China’s financial investment didn’t yield the same results in soccer and baseball, especially in baseball, which some call the ultimate capitalist sport.

Nevertheless, China didn’t give up easily.

After launching a full-fledged professional league in 2024, the Chinese baseball world repeatedly attempted to improve its level by recruiting Chinese players from the major leagues and even veteran big leaguers nearing retirement to play in their league.

Players whose names were familiar to baseball fans spent their final years in the Chinese league.

Some ridiculed it as a foolish endeavor by China, offering higher salaries and greater benefits than players received in the United States. However, it’s undeniable that this approach was more effective than inaction in terms of improving the league’s overall performance.

As opportunities arose between Major League Baseball and the Chinese League, many players came to China, and conversely, many players tried to advance to the United States and play in the big leagues.

Several players on this Chinese national team benefited from this exchange.

These included Ace Wang Lei, who went straight to the United States after graduating from high school in China and is currently playing in Double-A [the second-highest level of minor league baseball], Gong Haicheng, who experienced the challenges of Double-A and returned to China, and former big leaguers Liam Collins and Henry Foster, who chose to naturalize as Chinese citizens.

The Chinese national team, built around these players, was determined to win at least one game against Korea.

The reasoning was that among Korea, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan, which were in Group 2 along with China, Korea and Taiwan seemed like the most manageable opponents. Both countries had been eliminated in the first round of the 2023 tournament.

They might seem easy, but they have no grounds for complaint, as they reap what they sow.

“Okay, let’s review the lineup again today. These aren’t the same Chinese kids from four years ago. If anyone is careless, I’ll pull them out immediately, so stay focused. Understand?”

“Yes! Manager!”

“Good, let’s get started.”

Manager Jung Yoon-seok announced today’s lineup as follows:

1st batter, center fielder Lee Chan-ho (Seoul Fighters)

2nd batter, shortstop Han Su-hyeok (Seoul Warriors)

3rd batter, first baseman Lee Soo-young (Daegu Buffaloes)

4th batter, designated hitter Go Cheol-hwan (Seoul Magicians)

5th batter, left fielder Kim Seong-soo (Seoul Magicians)

6th batter, right fielder Kang Woo-chan (Incheon Rangers)

7th batter, third baseman Kim Se-jun (Daejeon Falcons)

8th batter, catcher Jung Dae-han (Suwon Commanders)

9th batter, second baseman Lee Tae-woong (Daegu Buffaloes)

Starting pitcher Koo Cheol-joong (Daejeon Falcons)

Manager Jung Yoon-seok appears to be planning to use a four-man starting rotation during this WBC [World Baseball Classic] period.

According to the tournament rules, a pitcher can only throw a maximum of 65 pitches in the first round, 80 in the second round, and 95 in the semi-finals and finals.

A pitcher who throws more than 50 pitches must rest for at least four days.

There are also restrictions on middle relief. A pitcher who appears in a game must face at least three batters, and if he throws more than 30 pitches, he must take a day off. Also, if he appears in two consecutive days, the one-day rest rule applies.

For this reason, it’s necessary to rotate as many pitchers as possible to cover innings.

Among the 15 pitchers selected for the national team, four were designated as starters: Ryu Han-gyeol from Daejeon, Lim Jun-yeong from Incheon, Choi Kyung-jae from Suwon, and Koo Cheol-joong from Daejeon. The remaining pitchers will be used in middle relief depending on the situation.

Koo Cheol-joong from Daejeon, who is starting today, is a left-handed pitcher with extensive experience as both a starter and a closer, and he tends to perform even better in national team games.

The infield consists of the best players available.

Originally, backup players should have played in the game against China, but the coaching staff was determined to avoid any complacency, remembering their loss to Australia in the last tournament.

– Baseball fans, hello. The day of the final battle has arrived. I’m announcer Park Cheol-min, and I’ll be covering the broadcast of the first game of the first round of the 2027 WBC finals between Korea and China. Next to me is commentator Go Dong-sik.

– Nice to meet you. I’m Go Dong-sik. It’s an honor to be here. I’ll do my best to provide insightful commentary.

Hoping that he wouldn’t try too hard in a strange way, the announcer continued.

– These two countries were in the same group in the 2023 tournament. At that time, Korea won by a score of 22 to 2, correct?

– That’s right. However, Chinese baseball has made considerable progress over the past four years. They launched a formal professional league, recruited talented players using significant financial resources, and sent many players to the United States. We should never underestimate them.

For some reason, Go Dong-sik was making very sensible comments. The announcer, looking at him with a slightly surprised expression, read out the lineup of the Korean national team for today.

– …This is the list of our national team players who will be starting today. It’s our strongest lineup, isn’t it?

– That’s right. Koo Cheol-joong, who has a lot of experience in international competitions, is on the mound, and the rest of the infielders are all regular starters. Manager Jung Yoon-seok is determined to win today’s game and secure two wins against Japan, Taiwan, and Australia to advance to the second round.

– Please tell us about the Chinese national team.

– Of course. First of all, the Chinese professional league is composed of eight teams, including the Beijing Tigers, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Henan, Sichuan, and Guangdong. Thanks to the state-led elite sports policy, the number of high school baseball teams, which was only 50, has recently increased rapidly to 500.

– That’s amazing.

– It is amazing. A significant number of players developed in high school have gone on to play in the United States, and conversely, big leaguers who played in the United States and received substantial salaries have come to China, along with veterans who have even naturalized. The overall level of the Chinese league is steadily improving.

– That means we shouldn’t expect an easy win like we had in the past.

– Exactly. Wang Lei, who is starting today, is currently playing for the Boston Double-A team, and Liam Collins and Henry Foster, who are batting 3rd and 4th, are players who were in the big leagues until recently.

– I understand. After hearing your explanation, I’m also feeling more alert. I hope our players won’t be careless and will give their best in the game.

– Yes, but baseball fans, you don’t need to worry too much.

– I suppose not? In terms of the overall level of the professional league, our country is…….

– As long as Han Su-hyeok is playing, Korea will never lose to China…….

– We’ll be back after the commercial break. This is Yankee Stadium, where the first round of the 2027 WBC finals between Korea and China is being held.

* * *

Wang Lei, a 21-year-old pitcher who is starting for the Chinese team and is effectively their ace, had been waiting for this moment.

He had been cultivated as a baseball prodigy since elementary school under the state-led elite sports policy.

When Wang Lei was dominating the Chinese high school baseball scene and considering joining a professional team, the Boston Red Sox, enticed by the potential of the Chinese market, signed him.

Boston has a significant Chinese population. If Wang Lei could break through the minor leagues and reach the big leagues, it would generate a huge marketing impact.

And if it didn’t work out? The signing bonus paid to him was only $100,000. That amount was easily offset by the promotional value gained from signing Wang Lei.

Fortunately, Wang Lei, starting in the rookie league, managed to rise to Double-A in just two years.

This was partly due to the depleted state of the pitcher pool in Boston’s minor league system, but the added benefit of being Chinese also played a significant role.

Regardless of the reason, Wang Lei, after reaching Double-A, kept hearing the name of someone who bothered him: Han Su-hyeok, an Asian super-rookie who received a $3.5 million contract offer from the Seattle Mariners.

Yet, he arrogantly rejected the offer and remained in Korea, like a frog in a well [a person with a limited perspective].

Wang Lei, who had been harboring a sense of rivalry and hostility towards Han Su-hyeok, whom he had never met, was finally facing him for the first time today.

He knew very well that Han Su-hyeok was the best hitter in the Korean league.

But Korea was now like a toothless tiger.

Except for the Asian Games, where Japan sends amateur players, allowing Taiwan and Korea to virtually share the gold medal, Korea hadn’t made a significant impact in major tournaments like the Olympics and WBC for quite some time.

In the Olympics, aside from their miraculous victory in 2008, their only other semi-final appearance was in 2020. In the WBC, they hadn’t advanced past the first round since finishing fourth in 2006 and runner-up in 2009.

Three consecutive first-round eliminations – that was the current state of the Korean national baseball team.

The professional league was no different. The Chinese media had extensively covered the decline.

The number of talented players was dwindling, and unqualified players were earning ridiculous amounts of money in a distorted market.

A playground for rich and complacent players.

That was Wang Lei’s perception of Korean baseball.

That’s why Wang Lei had absolute confidence in today’s game against Korea.

He hoped to shut down the Korean national team hitters, who he believed were only at the level of Double-A, where he was playing, and move on to a bigger stage next year.

“Play ball!”

The American umpire officiating today’s game announced the start of the game.

The center fielder, Lee Chan-ho, the leadoff hitter for the Korean national team, stepped up to the plate.

A hitter with speed and power who could bat .300 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, although he missed the start of this season due to injury.

He was aiming to advance to the big leagues after this season, but he wasn’t receiving high marks due to his weakness against inside fastballs.

A typical Asian player with a slender build and quick feet, who often achieves great things with a bat speed that belies his physique.

Wang Lei, sneering at him, confidently threw the first pitch.

Taak!

Lee Chan-ho hit Wang Lei’s 147 km/h [approximately 91 mph] fastball that was aimed inside.

It went as planned. The slightly mis-hit ball flew towards the second baseman.

The moment Wang Lei, sensing victory, was about to clench his fist.

‘Shabi [Chinese slang for stupid idiot]!’

The second baseman failed to catch Lee Chan-ho’s batted ball, which was much faster than anything he’d seen in the Chinese league, and the batter reached first base.

Wang Lei, mentally cursing the second baseman and his ancestors for the error, glared at the next batter with a flushed face.

Han Su-hyeok, he was finally facing that guy.

A huge yet well-proportioned physique of 192cm [approximately 6’3″], rare for an Asian.

He had heard that this was his first appearance on the adult national team, but he couldn’t detect any nervousness on his face. It was clear that he hadn’t played baseball in the United States before, yet his face was so calm.

‘Indeed… is that why he received a $3.5 million offer?’

Wang Lei, slightly raising his estimation of Han Su-hyeok, glanced cautiously at first base.

It was recorded that Lee Chan-ho had stolen more than 20 bases every year, but he was refraining from stealing bases this season due to the lingering effects of his injury.

He wouldn’t take a risk in the first inning in an unfamiliar country and unfamiliar environment.

Wang Lei, having organized his thoughts, lightly checked first base several times. As expected, the lead-off distance was quite short.

Only then did Wang Lei, having decided to focus on the batter, exchange signals with the catcher.

‘Outside low fastball, good!’

The pitch, which would receive a score of 50 on the Major League 20-80 scouting scale [a common system for evaluating baseball talent], indicating moderate speed and control, was selected as the first pitch.

Wang Lei’s heavy body moved deliberately. He would teach the arrogant Korean Han Su-hyeok a lesson.

He was confident that he would win this battle. He was confident that he would get him out unless the defense made another mistake.

But Wang Lei didn’t know.

That first base runner Lee Chan-ho was looking at him with a pitying expression.

That the reason why he was sticking close to the base and showing no interest in stealing was because there was no need to do something like stealing bases.

Swoosh

Taaaaaaaaak!

A tremendous sound of the bat connecting with the ball echoed through Yankee Stadium.

Wang Lei, his soul momentarily leaving his body at the moment of impact, froze on the mound.

The ball’s incredible trajectory, soaring at a 45-degree angle, flew powerfully towards the New York sky.

“Waaaa!”

“Han Su-hyeok!”

“Su-hyeok oppa [Korean term of endearment for an older brother or male friend]!”

“Korea!”

A scream mixed with cheers erupted from the Korean team’s cheering section, which was small compared to the 50,000-seat stadium.

On the other hand, hot dogs and pizzas were thrown onto the field from the Chinese team’s cheering section, which appeared to be more than four times larger.

Han Su-hyeok, admiring his hit at the plate with his bat, tossed the bat towards the dugout as if taunting the pitcher and slowly started running towards first base.

The Chinese fans stationed on the first base side were booing Han Su-hyeok madly.

But Han Su-hyeok shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t notice and started circling the bases.

The camera captured the image of the Chinese team’s shortstop saying something to Han Su-hyeok, but his face turned pale and he lowered his head.

Han Su-hyeok, after circling the bases and reaching home plate, glanced at the face of the Chinese catcher.

The catcher’s face was pale, perhaps because he was so surprised by the incredible hit.

Han Su-hyeok burst into laughter at the sight and said to the catcher.

“Welcome to New York, you hicks.”