Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 150

#149. What Real Baseball Is

Sabermetrics is a discipline focused on developing strategies for team victories and efficient management.

Previously, player evaluation, utilization, and salary calculations varied widely, often depending on the front office’s and manager’s personal preferences.

Regarding the same player, some managers might deem him unsuitable for the lineup due to a low batting average, while others would highly value his ability to deliver crucial hits in important situations.

This discrepancy arose because player skill and performance analysis relied on subjective human judgment rather than objective data.

With the introduction of sabermetrics, baseball teams worldwide began to evaluate and utilize players based on objective metrics instead of relying solely on the general manager’s or manager’s opinions.

The Incheon Rangers, under Manager Gu Yong-sik, were a prime example of this approach.

To the average baseball fan, the Incheon Rangers were an enigma.

They allocated a significant budget annually to bolster and maintain the team, yet, aside from starting pitcher Im Jun-yeong, they lacked a single so-called “S-class” star.

Excluding foreign players, none of the nine starting lineup members had a batter who hit 30 home runs or recorded 100 RBIs [Runs Batted In].

The same applied to the pitchers.

Besides Im Jun-yeong, acquired from the Warriors, they didn’t have a single starting pitcher, middle relief pitcher, or closer who could be considered a league leader.

Instead, their strength lay in their well-roundedness.

Simply put, Im Jun-yeong was their only S-class player, but the entire first-team roster was filled with A-class players.

A-class players, selected and developed using sabermetrics, were strategically positioned to maximize their contributions to the team’s victory.

And they constantly competed for starting positions.

This was the team and system created by former Manager Gu Yong-sik.

This unique approach allowed Incheon to achieve more efficient and consistent results compared to teams that depended on one or two superstars.

“Listen carefully. I am only interested in one thing: the team’s victory. Nothing else matters. Do not question my instructions. Everything will be controlled according to my calculations. Trust me. If you believe in me, I will make you champions.”

This was Hwang Byeong-ho’s inaugural speech when he first addressed the Incheon team before today’s game.

He believed that Incheon’s defeat by the Warriors, despite their overwhelming potential, was solely the fault of the previous manager, Gu Yong-sik.

In Hwang Byeong-ho’s view, sabermetrics, which underpins modern baseball and the Incheon Rangers’ approach, shared common ground with his own baseball philosophy.

The shared goal was to identify the most efficient formula for team victory.

However, while sabermetrics relies on objective and reliable indicators to find that efficient method, Hwang Byeong-ho’s baseball hinges entirely on the manager’s intuition.

In essence, the manager’s thoughts are considered the ultimate truth and law, a philosophy that clashes with the prevailing trend of modern baseball in 2027.

Hwang Byeong-ho didn’t believe his baseball was outdated, but most baseball experts expressed considerable concern about the Incheon Rangers’ decision.

They questioned whether Hwang Byeong-ho’s old-school style would be effective in 2027, when data-driven baseball had become firmly established.

But what could they do? In Korea, baseball teams are owned by parent companies, and the owner wanted it this way.

Now, there was no turning back.

The game commenced. Han Su-hyeok, the home team’s starting pitcher, took the mound and began his warm-up.

Hwang Byeong-ho, the Incheon manager, who had been engrossed in writing in an old notebook, summoned Kang Woo-chan, the designated lead-off hitter for the day.

“Listen carefully. Your role is not to get on base.”

“Yes? What do you mean, Manager…?”

“Grip the bat short and foul off pitches. Your job is done if you make that guy throw even one extra pitch. Listen carefully. Considering we’ll face the Warriors in the Korean Series, we can’t let Han Su-hyeok get into a rhythm. Foul off the ball and disrupt his balance to tire him out. Got it? Now, go.”

Hearing the manager’s instructions, Kang Woo-chan wondered,

‘Is it really as easy as it sounds?’

As soon as Kang Woo-chan entered the batter’s box, the first pitch arrived promptly.

Whoosh

“Swing!”

Shoong

Tick

“Foul!”

Shoong

Whoosh

“Swing! Out!”

“…….”

Kang Woo-chan, outmatched by the 166km/h fastball, 152km/h high-speed slider, and 95km/h slow curve, despite his attempts to foul off pitches, lowered his head and returned to the bench.

Hwang Byeong-ho, witnessing this, shouted loudly.

“You stupid bastard! Three hours of extra batting practice after the game today. Coach Jang, you’re responsible for running him until he’s gasping for air!”

“Yes? Ah, yes, Manager.”

The atmosphere in the Incheon dugout turned icy.

Hwang Byeong-ho stood in stark contrast to the former manager, who valued data and efficiency but ultimately prioritized the fans’ enjoyment of the game, and who adhered to established training and management protocols.

In this tense atmosphere, Son Jae-hoo, the second baseman, stepped into the batter’s box.

Son Jae-hoo, positioned as the second batter, a strategy completely at odds with modern baseball’s preference for strong hitters in that spot, had a relatively low batting average but excelled at bunting. He glared at Han Su-hyeok with determination, which pleased Hwang Byeong-ho.

But.

Shoong

Ttaak!

“Out!”

His bat, swinging at the first pitch, made contact with Han Su-hyeok’s cutter, resulting in a ground ball to the first baseman, leading to two outs.

Han Su-hyeok glanced at the Incheon dugout with a hint of disdain, having secured two outs with only four pitches.

A prominent vein throbbed on Hwang Byeong-ho’s forehead.

“That arrogant bastard… Who’s the next batter? Jason? Hey, translator, tell him exactly what I say. Never swing at the first pitch and try to see as many pitches as possible…”

“Um, Manager. He’s already out.”

While Hwang Byeong-ho was animatedly ranting, Incheon’s foreign batter, who had also swung at the first pitch and flied out to center field, sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he returned to the dugout.

The old manager’s face began to flush crimson.

* * *

– Something seems to have agitated Manager Hwang Byeong-ho again. With the Warriors leading by a significant margin of 9 to 0, the Incheon dugout is once again in turmoil. Ah, another pitching change. In today’s game, Incheon has used seven pitchers through the fifth inning.

– What on earth is he doing…….

– Yes?

– I can’t help but comment. Look at today’s game. It’s a game where the ace of aces, a player above all others, and the hope of Korean baseball, Han Su-hyeok, is starting. Incheon strategically started a rookie pitcher instead of Im Jun-yeong.

– That’s right.

– The game was practically decided the moment the Warriors scored their eighth point in the third inning. Incheon essentially conceded today’s game, so there’s not much more to say.

– And?

– What do you mean, ‘and’? Look at the game now. They’re simply wasting time with meaningless pitching changes. Does it make sense to keep changing pitchers after the game is completely lopsided after giving up eight points? Is it normal to change pitchers every time the batter changes?

– Isn’t there a strategic reason? Perhaps they’re assessing the pitchers’ condition, or they haven’t given up on the game yet, or something like that…….

– Ha, let’s be honest. Does anyone not realize that these pitching changes are intended to cool down Han Su-hyeok’s shoulder and provoke the rival team that they will continue to face in the future? Regardless of Hwang Byeong-ho’s status as a baseball elder, when he resorts to such tactics, the media should step up and call him out properly…….

A red light flashed in the announcer’s mind. Regardless of Go Dong-sik’s intentions, this statement was too risky. Whether it was true or not.

– Another pitching change, and this time Ahn Ho-yeol, making his first appearance on the first team this season, is taking the mound. We’ll be back after a short commercial break.

– Uh-huh, don’t cut me off mid-sentence, and let’s delve deeper into old-fashioned baseball on this occasion…….

* * *

“Su-hyeok, can you play shortstop?”

“Yes, I can.”

“Okay, then Su-hyeok will play shortstop, and In-cheol, you’ve done well today. Take a rest now.”

“Thank you, Manager.”

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Yu In-cheol’s first debut home run exploded, and as the Warriors took a commanding lead of 10 to 0, Manager Lee Dae-jun promptly removed me from the mound.

The opposing team’s manager was constantly changing pitchers and stalling, disrupting my pitching rhythm.

Lee Dae-jun believed there was no need to pitch extensively in this situation.

Manager Lee Dae-jun is incredibly mindful of my pitch count since I started both pitching and hitting.

Considering that the team trainer and Jacob are monitoring my body in various ways, it might seem like an overabundance of caution, but I don’t find it bothersome.

He’s a good leader. He values players more than a single victory, a manager truly comparable to someone sitting in that Incheon dugout.

As I moved to the shortstop position, Yu In-cheol, batting in the 9th spot, was out.

Hong Young-sik, who replaced me on the mound, made strange comments about having been a fourth batter in the past, but in my opinion, the likelihood of a pinch hitter appearing when he steps up to the plate seems high.

The Warriors team, having established a 10-point lead early on, began to relax.

On the other hand, a fierce energy permeated the Incheon dugout, reeling from a crushing defeat in the manager’s debut game.

It’s their choice, after all. It’s a matter of playing a throwaway card instead of a head-to-head match between aces.

Of course, even if a second head-to-head match with senior Im Jun-yeong had occurred, I would never have conceded victory.

“Out!”

The game continued without any significant events.

As the score remained at 10 to 0, the game entered the top of the 9th inning.

Considering the performance of the pitchers who followed me, it’s honestly remarkable that Incheon’s lineup didn’t score a single point.

I don’t know.

I don’t know what Incheon’s decision to replace Gu Yong-sik with Hwang Byeong-ho signifies, and whether it will benefit or harm us, who are striving to dethrone them from the top spot.

It’s difficult to draw conclusions from just one game.

“Game set!”

Incheon’s final batter was struck out again, and the game concluded as it was.

A resounding victory for the Warriors, 10 to 0.

I secured my fifth win of the season, winning all five of my appearances in the second half, and the Warriors succeeded in closing the gap in wins with the first-place Incheon Rangers, now at 73 wins, 4 draws, and 36 losses.

Pabababang!

The fireworks that Min Ye-rin had arranged for today were launched simultaneously, and the elated spectators rose to their feet and sang the Warriors’ cheering song in unison.

Meanwhile, the Incheon team, their faces grim, silently left the stadium.

Their expressions conveyed deep doubt and despair, rather than the mere sting of defeat.

* * *

[Last season’s worst team, Seoul Warriors, defeats Incheon 10-0 and closes the gap in wins with 1st place]

[5 innings, 1 hit, 8 strikeouts, scoreless perfect pitching, Han Su-hyeok earns his 5th win of the season]

[Han Su-hyeok’s starting appearance = Warriors’ victory, the success equation continues]

[Now five more to go until the new Korean home run record in a single season, Warriors’ remaining game outfield seats sold out]

[Incheon Rangers Hwang Byeong-ho, after his comeback game as manager, “Everything was according to my plan.” What does it mean?]

[Incheon fan met in the away team’s cheering section “Why was the manager replaced? Manager Gu Yong-sik was at least not a coward” Raw criticism to Manager Hwang Byeong-ho, who thwarted the Han Su-hyeok vs. Im Jun-yeong card]

[Incheon Rangers Im Jun-yeong, “No comment, that’s the coaching staff’s area” in response to a question about the change in the starting rotation]

Manager Hwang Byeong-ho, having suffered a complete defeat in his first game, finally began to take decisive action.

Before the second game, there was a significant overhaul of Incheon’s first-team lineup.

Several veteran players, including third baseman Min Ju-hyeon, pitcher Kwon Gil-yong, and right fielder Kang Woo-chan, who had been selected for the WBC [World Baseball Classic] national team alongside me, were removed from the first team.

In their place were players who were past their prime and nearing retirement, or unknown players from the second team.

Im Jun-yeong and all of Incheon’s players had their hair cut short, and they wore their socks pulled up to their knees.

Hwang Byeong-ho’s rigid baseball philosophy, where the manager dictates the game, not the players, had begun.

The vitality of Incheon’s players had completely vanished.

Nevertheless, Im Jun-yeong remained exceptional.

9 innings, 2 runs, complete victory in the second game.

Im Jun-yeong’s face, after throwing 140 pitches in a single game, looked so strained that he seemed on the verge of collapse.

Even with a seven-point lead, Hwang Byeong-ho didn’t remove Im Jun-yeong from the game.

Rumors circulated that Min Ju-hyung and Kwon Gil-yong, along with the players who had been demoted to the second team, had rebelled against Hwang Byeong-ho, and that Im Jun-yeong was also being punished for insubordination.

Various rumors spread, but there was no way to confirm the facts without being an insider within Incheon.

And in the third game that followed, we secured another victory, ultimately remaining in second place, trailing in win rate despite having the same number of wins, and returned to Seoul.

I didn’t hit a single home run in those two games. This was because Incheon’s pitchers consistently avoided competing directly with me.

Even senior Im Jun-yeong, who had challenged me until the end even if it meant giving up a home run, did so.

After the third game, the faces of the defeated Incheon players were filled with resentment.

Someone remarked after witnessing the scene.

It’s the beginning of a typical Hwang Byeong-ho-style player subjugation.

I don’t know. Is that really the case?

That kind of leadership that pushes players to their limits for the sake of victory.

“Su-hyeok, why do you look so troubled?”

“Hyung [Older brother or close male friend].”

“Oh, what is it?”

“I really want to win the championship. No, I have another reason to win the championship now.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I want to prove that that kind of approach doesn’t work anymore.”