Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 142

#141. Busan Titans

“Director Park, come on. Are you going to be like this until the end? Considering we let Dong-ha go, you should consider our situation this time. Give us Yoo In-cheol. He’s just going to be a backup forever because of Han Su-hyeok. We’ll take him and develop him into a starter.”

“Um, I’m sorry, Director. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re saying, but our infield situation isn’t great either. Lee Min-hong, whom you offered, is good, but… we’ve decided to keep Yoo In-cheol.”

“Oh, it’s not something you can decide so easily! You know, the shortstop position is all about experience…”

“Experience, you say. That reminds me of something. I remember when I finished my time in the States and was playing my last years in Daejeon. The Falcons’ shortstop was just like In-cheol – lacking experience and getting pushed around by his seniors. I remember sharing a drink with him. Surprisingly, he was a fan of Nietzsche. Director, are you interested in philosophy? Not at all? Oh, well, philosophy is…”

The KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] League had been back in action for well over ten days since the end of the WBC [World Baseball Classic].

Park Jae-cheol, having barely shaken off the Fighters’ director who had been bothering him until the trade deadline, left his office and headed out onto the empty Jamsil Baseball Stadium field.

It had been a hectic time.

While the entire nation’s attention was focused on the WBC, he had to travel all over the country to fill the team’s gaps.

Fortunately, it paid off.

He brought in Choi Jin-cheol from Changwon, who could cover all infield positions and fill in at shortstop when Han Su-hyeok played as a designated hitter. He also successfully acquired starting pitcher Kang Dong-ha from the Fighters, who pitched six innings and allowed four runs in the second game against the Magicians.

Several other players also changed uniforms.

He managed to package and trade away the washed-up rookies who had been stuck in the minors for years, haphazardly picked by the now-defunct Warriors scouts, for players from other teams with some future value.

Of course, the trade money provided by the club played a big role in that.

3 billion won [approximately $2.5 million USD], which could be considered a small or large sum, was used in this trade process.

He didn’t know. The budget was the CEO’s concern, not his.

Anyway, he had strengthened the team quite well and was already seeing the results.

The day after Han Su-hyeok achieved a perfect game against the Magicians, Kang Dong-ha, acquired from the Fighters, pitched six innings and allowed four runs, doing his part. And the batting lineup exploded, leading to two consecutive wins.

The joy of winning streak was short-lived, as they lost the third game against the Magicians and the first game against Daegu.

Fortunately, there wasn’t a problem with the team itself.

Ryan Stark and Brooks Parker, the two foreign players, were responsible for 6 and 7 innings respectively, and the fielders, including Han Su-hyeok, as well as Kim Doo-young and Yang Gi-cheol, the two key bullpen pitchers, all did their part.

However, the middle relief pitchers, who were always the team’s weak point, faltered a little more than usual, which was the cause of the defeat.

It was okay. That was within the expected range.

Considering the ridiculous bullpen they had at the beginning of the season, this was a blessing.

He had to thank the heavens that Yang Gi-cheol, who was brought in from Busan, and Kim Doo-young, who came from the Magicians, were taking on the roles of setup man and closer.

Step by step.

The scenery of the darkened field after the game, with the players and spectators all gone, gave Park Jae-cheol a strange sense of peace.

The fresh scent of the grass, which didn’t suit this huge city, and the raw smell of the soil from the dirt that the players had churned up.

Lost in the strange peace that those things gave him, Park Jae-cheol turned his gaze to the far-off scoreboard.

The clock on the scoreboard that Han Su-hyeok had smashed in the game that had just ended.

He had to send an official letter to the city of Seoul and repair the scoreboard, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

The Warriors, who had suffered consecutive losses in the third game against the Magicians and the first game against the Buffaloes, escaped their losing streak in the second game thanks to home runs from Jang Deok-soo, Jo Sung-oh, and Walter.

And in the third game, the last game that had just ended, they won again thanks to a come-from-behind two-run home run hit by Han Su-hyeok.

The moment the home run with its incredible trajectory hit the Jamsil Baseball Stadium scoreboard, Park Jae-cheol thought it was like a celebratory firework blessing the Warriors’ future.

As of the end of August, they were in second place, five games behind first-place Incheon.

When he first took over this club, the Warriors, who had no hope, had become a team that anyone could call a strong team.

Park Jae-cheol thought.

‘Should we aim a little higher?’

* * *

“What? How much? 100,000 won [approximately $85 USD]? Are you crazy?”

“Take it or leave it.”

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to… isn’t this too much?”

A squabble was taking place in a corner of Sajik Baseball Stadium, where the first game between the home team Busan Titans and the visiting team Seoul Warriors was being held, between a middle-aged man and a young man.

Just then, two police officers started walking towards them from afar, and the young man, looking pale, lowered his head and disappeared somewhere.

In a regular season game, not a postseason game, and with the home team Busan at the bottom of the league, a 100,000 won scalped ticket appeared.

People who didn’t know much about baseball couldn’t help but tilt their heads, but it was a desperate problem for the people who were wandering around the stadium right now.

It was because Han Su-hyeok, who had recorded a perfect game against their rival Magicians in his first start of the season, was starting for the second time today.

That’s right. Most of the hyenas wandering around the stadium to get a scalped ticket were Warriors fans who had come from Seoul.

The Warriors fans were pacing in front of Sajik Baseball Stadium, hoping that another great record would be set today, or that they would at least see Han Su-hyeok pitch.

And among them was Min Ye-rin, who had failed to book a ticket today.

“Ye-rin, this won’t work. We can’t buy a scalped ticket, no matter what. An entertainer can’t do that, whether it’s illegal or not.”

“I know. I know, but… what should I do?”

“Should I talk to the club right now? Ask them to pull some strings and get a seat for us somehow?”

“No. That would be a nuisance. And a true fan gets their own tickets.”

“What kind of… anyway, what should we do then?”

The manager, who had been running around everywhere hoping to get a ticket at the stadium, asked with a gloomy expression.

Scalped tickets were out of the question, and contacting the club was also out of the question.

Min Ye-rin, who had covered her face with a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, and her manager were looking at each other with disappointed expressions when someone quietly approached her.

“Excuse me… are you Min Ye-rin?”

* * *

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“No, enjoy the game. I’m more grateful. But the seat is in the outfield… I’m sorry about that.”

“What does it matter if it’s in the outfield? And you said you’re a member of my fan club, right? If you leave a verification on the bulletin board later, I’ll send you a goods set.”

“Really? Wow, thank you. Thank you so much! Then have a good time!”

A young man, who looked to be about twenty years old, kept bowing and disappeared somewhere.

Min Ye-rin, who was watching him with a happy expression, hurried into the stadium.

The man who had willingly given up his ticket in exchange for Min Ye-rin’s autograph, a selfie, and a handshake was a fan of the Busan Titans.

The man, who had simply booked a ticket as a habit even though his team was at the bottom of the league, had found his idol Min Ye-rin and willingly gifted her his ticket.

The problem was that it was in the outfield, and in the home team Titans’ seat, not the Warriors’.

“Oh, Min Ye-rin? Why are you here?”

“Oh, it’s Min Ye-rin. You came all the way here? No, is it obvious?”

“Would you like some of this? Did you come alone? Where’s your manager?”

Fortunately, some of the die-hard fans who frequented the Jamsil Baseball Stadium cheering section recognized her.

Min Ye-rin, who had been shrinking, sitting alone in the opposing team’s cheering section without her manager, and even in the outfield without the safety net that made her most comfortable, began to straighten her shoulders little by little.

Only then did the entire view of Sajik Stadium begin to come into view.

A dilapidated baseball stadium capable of holding 22,000 people.

More than two-thirds of the stadium was covered with the Warriors’ white uniforms and flags.

The Titans fans, known as the most passionate of the 10 teams, were outnumbered by the visiting Warriors fans.

Min Ye-rin’s eyes turned back to the electronic display in the middle of Sajik Stadium.

1. Center Fielder Seo Hyeong-ju

2. Left Fielder Choi Min-seok

3. First Baseman Jo Seong-oh

4. Right Fielder Walter Smith

5. Third Baseman Ahn Chi-wook

6. Pitcher Han Su-hyeok

7. Catcher Jang Deok-su

8. Second Baseman Lee Chang-mo

9. Shortstop Yoo In-cheol

Thanks to Manager Lee Dae-jun’s consideration, Han Su-hyeok’s name, in the 6th spot today, was shining brightly on the electronic display.

Min Ye-rin, unknowingly moved by those three letters, closed her eyes tightly and muttered.

‘Su-hyeok oppa [term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older brother or male friend]… this girl believes in you.’

* * *

“Hey, hyung [older brother or male friend], that kid is really amazing these days.”

“Hey! Don’t do useless things and come here and eat this. It’s delicious.”

“Ah, you didn’t eat all of mine already, did you?”

“You have to leave one for me too!”

“Don’t worry. It’s here. Geez, these kids know what’s tasty.”

Despite the team’s performance stuck at the bottom of the 10 teams, the SNS 폭격 [SNS bombing, referring to an onslaught of negative comments on social media] of disappointed fans, and even the fact that two-thirds of the home stadium’s seats were covered with visiting fans, the Titans dugout atmosphere was as friendly as ever.

Manager Kang Bong-gu, who had just come out to the dugout, took a deep breath as he watched the players cheerfully holding boxes of Shine Muscat grapes.

‘Should I yell at them? Or should I pick out a few of those guys who are ruining the dugout atmosphere and send them to the minor leagues?’

Even if the team is in last place, isn’t it natural to show a determination to win before the game starts?

However, this is absolutely impossible in this team, where they have become more accustomed to losing than winning, and where the salary depends more on who is better at playing politics than on winning or losing.

Especially for a puppet manager like himself, who is not even from Busan and is almost certain to be dismissed at the end of this season.

“Ahem.”

“Ah, Manager. You’re here? Try some of this. It’s very sweet.”

“Okay, Jae-hyun. Stop it now and get ready for the game.”

“Yes, yes, we should. I understand. I’ll get ready quickly. Okay, everyone, if you’re done cleaning up, come over here. Let’s do a cheer.”

Captain Gu Jae-hyun, who is not a bad guy but always has a half-drunk atmosphere, called the players together.

The Busan Titans were a truly amazing team. Even though professional baseball teams have a strong sense of regional affiliation, this team was truly special among them.

First of all, the first condition to properly take care of one’s own rice bowl in this team is the high school you graduated from.

Players who graduated from Gyeongseo High School are treated like royalty. If a player who graduated from Gyeongseo High School plays like an ace or a cleanup hitter? Then that means they become king in Busan.

Next is Jinsan High School. If Gyeongseo High School is 성골 [Seonggol, meaning “sacred bone,” the highest class in the ancient Silla kingdom], then Jinsan High School is 진골 [Jingol, meaning “true bone,” the second-highest class in the Silla kingdom]. If you do your best in that position, you can’t become king, but you can become a high-ranking aristocrat.

In fact, Jinsan High School was once treated like 성골, but after one of the pitchers from Jinsan High School, who played the role of the Titans’ ace, transferred to another team, they fell to 진골.

You could say it’s like a stigma branded on a traitor.

Anyway, the conclusion is that it is difficult to survive in the Titans unless you are from Gyeongseo High School or Jinsan High School.

The alumni, who are located in all directions, including the general manager, manager, coaches, seniors, and Titans alumni, pave the way for them.

Even if they are a little sluggish, they are covered with alumni affection, and conversely, if they do well, they are made into heroes.

As a result, various problems arise, but it is already a culture of this club that has been going on for decades.

It is a culture that symbolizes the Titans, which can never be fixed unless the entire club is blown away like the Warriors.

‘Envious bastard…….’

In that respect, Manager Kang Bong-gu was so envious of his friend and rival, Warriors Manager Lee Dae-jun.

A club owner who does his best to operate the club, even though it is not a large company, and a talented general manager who is called a fraud by people from other teams, foreign coaching staff who are silently supporting the manager, several players who have grown beyond comparison with last season, and transferees who have exploded their talents after wearing the Warriors uniform.

And the most decisive thing is Han Su-hyeok, that guy.

A world-class prospect who was selected as the player most wanted by the managers of each national team participating in the WBC [World Baseball Classic] and the fans of the 30 major league clubs.

As of the first week of September, he has an absurd batting record of 44 home runs, 105 RBIs [Runs Batted In], and 30 stolen bases, and to top it off, he recorded the first perfect game in KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] history in his first starting appearance on the domestic stage.

Just being able to play baseball with such a guy, his friend must be the most blessed manager in the KBO.

But what can I do? What’s the point of envying another team?

I have to worry about what I’m going to do for a living if I get fired from the Titans manager position after this season.

“Ah, hyung! I told you to eat one more of that!”

“Hey! Shut up and didn’t you hear me tell you to gather? Come quickly. I’m going to kill you.”

Kang Bong-gu, who was quietly watching the players who looked like kindergarteners on a picnic, said to Kim Ju-ho, who was the only one concentrating on preparing for the game at this moment.

“Ju-ho.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“I’m going to go to the manager’s office for a while, so please clean up here.”

“I understand.”

“Okay, thank you.”

That’s what he said, but he doesn’t really expect much.

Kim Ju-ho is the vice-captain of this team, but he has no influence on the team because he is from Seoul. It’s just a nominal title that was appointed to quell public opinion that favors certain schools.

Despite spending his entire 15-year playing career with the Busan Titans, Kim Ju-ho is still a stranger to this team.

Kang Bong-gu looked at Kim Ju-ho with a bitter expression and moved his feet.

‘He’s the only one who really works hard.’

For a moment, he felt something welling up inside him, but it was all useless.

The cartel that dominates this team is too huge and powerful for a manager with only a few lifelines left to do anything.

A strong cohesion that unites and defends as one body when attacked from the outside.

To break that, you need a power that transcends common sense.