Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 165

#164. In the End, It Was All Because of Han Su-hyeok

Hwang Byeong-ho, the seasoned veteran who stubbornly walked his own path, never faltering even when the world told him he was wrong.

In truth, living such a life is never easy.

Most people are reluctant to argue with other members of society or be criticized.

Regardless of right or wrong, there is an instinct to avoid conflict itself.

In that respect, Hwang Byeong-ho was a truly remarkable figure.

He had been ostracized as a public enemy in the Korean baseball scene for decades, yet he consistently stuck to his path and achieved enough results to silence his enemies.

A successful manager who collected countless championship trophies, regardless of public opinion.

Such Hwang Byeong-ho was now speechless, his mouth agape.

Today, he had devised all sorts of schemes to catch the Warriors, or to get either Han Su-hyeok or Jang Deok-su, two key players, ejected.

Fake starters, meaningless pitcher changes, endless pick-off attempts, and continuous rough play.

He employed every means to provoke the opponent, but the Warriors players were not shaken at all.

In the first inning, after sending out Han Su-hyeok, they were unexpectedly hit with a two-run homer by Jo Seong-oh.

Fortunately, they caught up in the next inning, but it was a close call.

Afterward, they continued to throw inside pitches, subtly scratching at the Warriors players’ nerves, but no one fell for it.

It was during that time.

In the top of the 3rd inning, Han Su-hyeok, who had walked, attempted a surprise steal.

The pitcher, caught off guard, threw a wild pitch, and in the meantime, Han Su-hyeok ran to 3rd base.

The idiot who had been put in place of Min Ju-hyeon, who had dared to defy him, missed the throw, leading to a home plate showdown in an instant.

The catcher, with a determined look on his face, appeared in front of Han Su-hyeok.

For a moment, the thought ‘that’s not bad either’ crossed his mind.

The catcher, not forgetting Hwang Byeong-ho’s instructions, stood in Han Su-hyeok’s way.

Wearing all sorts of protective gear prepared to catch balls exceeding 150㎞/h [kilometers per hour, approximately 93 mph].

Even if it wasn’t an injury, the thought that it wouldn’t be bad if Han Su-hyeok felt even slightly uncomfortable due to the home plate collision crossed his mind.

But that was Hwang Byeong-ho’s delusion.

The catcher, who collided with Han Su-hyeok, was sent flying like a compact car hit by a dump truck.

And Han Su-hyeok, who stepped on home plate, looked towards the Incheon dugout.

His mouth opened.

It was too far away to see clearly, but Hwang Byeong-ho instinctively knew what Han Su-hyeok had said.

Next.

That guy definitely said that.

“Um… Manager?”

The Incheon coaches, whose lives had become as fragile as a fly’s since Hwang Byeong-ho’s appointment as manager.

The battery coach, with a very nervous expression, looked at Hwang Byeong-ho and said.

“Who should we replace the catcher and pitcher with… ?”

The ground was devastated by Han Su-hyeok alone.

Incheon, which had been trying to ruin the Warriors, ended up losing two pitchers and one catcher before the 3rd inning was even over.

* * *

While Incheon’s battery was being completely replaced, and pitchers continued to change, Warriors starter Lee Young-ju succeeded in holding the Incheon lineup to just two runs until the bottom of the 4th inning.

Baseball is a team sport. Sometimes, the atmosphere surrounding the entire team can boost the skills of individual players.

Today, Lee Young-ju was exactly like that.

The fielders actively helped the anxious pitcher.

The center line, considered the strongest in the 10 teams, turned potential hits into routine outs with incredible defensive plays.

As the outstanding defense continued, Lee Young-ju’s pitches gradually gained power.

Then, in the top of the 5th inning, the Warriors’ attack, the moment they had been waiting for, finally exploded.

Thwack!

“Wowwwww!”

“Uh oh! It’s this way! This way!”

“Don’t push! I said don’t push!”

The Incheon’s sixth pitcher, who had given up a hit to 9th batter Choi Min-seok, was chased off the mound.

And the seventh pitcher walked 1st batter Seo Hyeong-ju, and the two fast runners threatened the pitcher as if they were about to attempt a double steal.

The Incheon pitcher, whose control was shaken, walked Ahn Chi-wook again, creating a bases-loaded situation in an instant.

Hwang Byeong-ho, his face red as if he was about to collapse, sent out the eighth pitcher and said.

“Absolutely no big hits. It’s okay if you hit them, throw it low and inside. Do you understand what I’m saying? I’d rather give up a walk than allow a big hit!”

How convenient would it be if everything in the world went according to plan?

Incheon, unable to intentionally walk the batter due to the runners filling the bases, had no choice but to face Han Su-hyeok.

Of course, Hwang Byeong-ho’s instruction was to never give him a good pitch, even if it meant giving up a walk.

The problem is that a pitcher’s control can be greatly affected by external factors.

When Han Su-hyeok stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded, suddenly, butterfly nets began to ripple in the outfield of the Incheon stadium.

People who wanted a new Asian home run record, and dreamed of catching the ball and making a fortune, all shouted for a home run.

The Incheon fans, outnumbered, cheered for the pitcher with all their might, but their voices were drowned out by the huge roar of the rest of the crowd and disappeared without a trace.

The pitcher’s control, his mind in a daze, wavered, and the ball he was trying to throw low and inside went right down the middle.

The result was exactly that.

– Han Su-hyeok! Han Su-hyeok! Finally! He hits his 60th home run of the season, achieving the record for the most home runs in Asia! Amazing! It was a tremendous home run that instantly widened the score to 7 to 2!

– Ahhhh.

– Commentator?

– Now, even if I get fired from the broadcasting station, even if I put down the microphone and return to being unemployed, I have no regrets. I never thought I would see something so amazing with my own eyes. Good heavens! Am I dreaming?

– Well, please calm down a bit…….

– Everyone must have felt it while watching today’s game. In the end, baseball is played by the players, not the manager, and no matter how dirty you play, you will eventually have to kneel before true skill.

– …….

The announcer, looking embarrassed, looked at the prompter connected to the main office.

The screen was engraved with the two letters ‘ㄱㄱ’ [likely an abbreviation for “keep going” in Korean].

Keep going like this? Really?

He checked the real-time viewership graph that had been introduced this season.

Only then did he understand the instructions from the main office. The viewership graph, which was soaring in real-time even at this moment, said it all.

The name value of Incheon’s parent company, the advertiser, was ultimately losing power in the face of such overwhelming viewership.

The announcer, emboldened, took up Go Dong-sik’s words.

– Really, putting everything else aside, really, ha, it’s really amazing, commentator.

– Right? What did I say during the first game of the season? I said that Han Su-hyeok would change the entire landscape of Korean baseball, right? My SNS had to be shut down that day because of the malicious comments.

– Oh dear.

– It’s okay. My followers are increasing tremendously again these days. Anyway, in the end, justice, no, Han Su-hyeok has won. Everyone, please rejoice!

* * *

Swish!

Thud!

“Out!”

– The runner who was trying to steal second base is called out, and the game ends as it is. Final score 9 to 5, the Warriors take a valuable victory in the first game of the final 3-game series of the season!

A game in which a total of 16 pitchers from both teams were mobilized.

Of course, 12 of them were Incheon’s pitchers.

Due to today’s game, Incheon lost Jin Se-min, a fairly decent middle reliever, and Son Young-jin, a national-level catcher, to injuries.

But no one felt sorry for Incheon. At least, not anyone who watched today’s game in person.

[Warriors win the first game of the fateful 3-game series against the Rangers 9 to 5, recording 2nd place with only 0.001% behind in win rate]

[Warriors escape from the brink as one loss would mean the end, thanks to starter Lee Young-ju’s great pitching]

[Han Su-hyeok hits his 60th home run of the season, when asked for his thoughts, he says, “If possible, I would like to set a new record in a baseball game… but since this is the only game left, I guess I have no choice.” What does he mean?]

[Jin Se-min, who was carried off after being hit by a batted ball, is out for the season, catcher Son Young-jin, who caused a home plate collision with a reckless play, is also out for the season, an emergency for Suwon’s fall baseball]

[Starter pulled after only 1 inning, manager Hwang Byeong-ho once again embroiled in fake starter controversy]

[Meaningless pitcher changes, players injured by rough play, is this really Incheon’s baseball?]

Incheon fans, who disliked Hwang Byeong-ho’s appointment as manager but couldn’t raise their voices because of the results he produced, began to criticize his baseball in droves.

Of course, there was also a pro-Hwang Byeong-ho faction. Whatever the case, it was true that Incheon’s performance had improved since he took office.

In this way, the forces supporting the former manager and the current manager were clearly divided and began to clash.

A situation in which not only the team but also the fans were faltering.

In that atmosphere, the second game between the two teams began.

Although they had won the first game, the Warriors were still cornered.

This was because the do-or-die match, in which second place would be confirmed immediately if they lost, was continuing.

In that situation, Cheon Sang-jin, who started as the pitcher for the second game, did his best to stop the Incheon batters.

The Incheon batters relentlessly targeted Cheon Sang-jin’s ankle, which was still a little uncomfortable.

Cheon Sang-jin’s ankle creaked from the surprise bunts in front of the pitcher that continued from the 1st to the 2nd inning.

Again, trash flew from the stands, and Min Ye-rin and several other spectators who tried to break into the ground over the safety net were ejected.

Seeing this, manager Lee Dae-jun went directly to the mound.

“Sang-jin, let’s stop pitching. It seems their interest isn’t in winning, but in your ankle.”

“Manager.”

“Yeah?”

“When was your moment of glory?”

“Hey, that’s…….”

Manager Lee Dae-jun, who was about to say that line was from a comic book, had no choice but to swallow the words.

This was because Cheon Sang-jin’s eyes, looking at the manager, were full of unwavering determination.

“It’s today for me.”

“Sang-jin.”

“I thought my career would end after spending my whole life in the minor leagues, but when I came to my senses, I was standing on the mound at such an important moment, Manager.”

“…You son of a bitch.”

“I’ll tell you first if I think I can’t pitch anymore. But I don’t think that’s the case yet.”

In the end, Lee Dae-jun couldn’t take Cheon Sang-jin off the mound, and the Incheon batters continued to target his ankle.

Even so, Cheon Sang-jin grabbed his uncomfortable ankle and endured and endured, throwing as many as 105 pitches until the 5th inning.

“Oppa!” [Korean for “older brother,” used by females to address older males they are close to]

“Hooong! Oppa!”

The fans gave a standing ovation to Cheon Sang-jin, who was leaving after 5 innings with 3 runs.

Cheon Sang-jin, who came down from the mound, was immediately taken to the hospital.

The relentless enemy who digs into weaknesses, and the desperate fight of a teammate who did his job to the end and was carried to the hospital, made the Warriors players boil.

Incheon, who again put 12 pitchers on the mound following yesterday, the Warriors also mobilized all available pitchers following Cheon Sang-jin and fought to the end.

The game, which continued until the 12th inning, ended without a winner.

6 to 6 tie.

Incheon, still 0.001% ahead in win rate, succeeded in maintaining first place.

But now it was Incheon, not the Warriors, who were psychologically pressured.

The match, in which they could have secured first place by winning just one of the three games, had become a single game.

Now, the team that wins the final third game will win the 2027 regular season championship trophy.

The Warriors, who had barely climbed up from the brink, announced veteran Lee Man-sik as their starter for the third game.

And Incheon announced Lim Jun-yeong, who had rested for three days, as their starter.

Criticism poured out from all sides over whether Lim Jun-yeong was being overworked.

But something was strange.

Incheon, who had been actively using media play, suddenly closed their mouths and did not respond.

Everyone tilted their heads at Incheon’s attitude, and then, a shocking fact was announced.

Such a thing, which is only possible in Korean baseball where the owner’s will is the truth and the law, happened.

[Incheon Rangers manager Hwang Byeong-ho resigns due to health problems. The regular season final game and the post-season will be played under the head coach system]

[Incheon Rangers side: “The manager was under a lot of stress due to the continued close games. We judged that it would be difficult to continue the schedule with his advanced age.”]

[No comment on the question of whether it was the will of the club’s top management]

[Incheon fans, angry at the second manager change at the end of the season, protest, “If you’re going to shake the team like this, sell the club instead.”]

Incheon did not admit it until the end, but many people guessed the reason for Hwang Byeong-ho’s resignation.

This was because rumors had spread throughout the baseball world that the owner of Incheon, who had watched the last 1st and 2nd games from the skybox, had spewed out swear words.

The owner of Incheon, who kicked out the manager he had brought in again in less than a month.

In this way, Incheon sent Hwang Byeong-ho away, and he stepped down from the manager’s seat and returned to being a free agent.

In the distant future, Hwang Byeong-ho mentioned this day in his autobiography.

‘2027, that’s right. At that time, even as I stepped down from the manager’s seat, I couldn’t find the reason why my baseball had failed. I clearly did what I had been doing, everything I could do. Even thinking about it now, I wasn’t wrong. But there was one thing I didn’t think about.’

As he said.

At the time, his choice was not wrong. It was the most efficient way to win the team, regardless of being criticized.

However, his mistake was that he did not take one thing into account.

Han Su-hyeok.

If there had been no Han Su-hyeok in the Warriors, his plan would have succeeded this time as well.

The only reason why Hwang Byeong-ho’s baseball, which had been successful for decades, failed was because of the existence of an irregular named Han Su-hyeok.

“Su-hyeok, please do well today too. Please help me so that this hyung [Korean for “older brother,” used by males to address older males they are close to] doesn’t get embarrassed.”

“Hyung.”

“If I screw up in the final game with the championship on the line, I might get beaten to death by the spectators. Hehe, just let me go back alive.”

As Incheon, freed from the Hwang Byeong-ho system, prepared for the final battle under the direction of the head coach, an old veteran in the Warriors, determined to burn everything he had, was preparing to start the game.

As yesterday’s second game went into extra innings, the number of available pitchers was almost exhausted, and Lee Man-sik’s face, who was starting in the final game of the season and the first-place decider, was filled with a strong sense of responsibility.