Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 168

#167. The Last Pitch

‘You goddamn brat! Get down from there right now!’

‘Soo-hyuk! You stupid idiot! Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Is this the only year you’re going to play baseball?’

I could almost hear Jacob and Sung-hoon hyung [older brother or close male friend] shouting from somewhere.

They must be yelling at me like that, seeing me on the mound at this moment.

But it’s okay.

I’m not an idiot. And I’m not a coward either.

Of course, my shoulder and physical condition aren’t as perfect as they were at the beginning of the season.

If I had to put a number on it, I’d say I’m at about 85-90% of my normal condition.

The slight discomfort I feel in my shoulder, and Jacob’s data showing that the interval for my body to recover after starting is a little longer than expected.

Because of those things, my starts were suspended this season, and I haven’t been on the mound.

Of course, I agreed to it as well.

It was all because of the fear that was deeply rooted in my heart.

I’ve had two shoulder injuries in my past life.

One right after I went to the States, and I lost my fastball that exceeded 100 mph because of it.

And another after I moved from Seattle to Cleveland, and that second injury forced me to leave the mound for good.

Yes, it did.

I thought I had forgotten everything, and I know that I’m definitely different from who I was back then,

But the nightmares from that time keep coming back. The terrible fear that drove me to endless despair keeps coming back.

It was a fundamental fear that even I, who am living a second life, couldn’t help but feel, a fear that no human could avoid.

But…….

“Play!”

The fighting spirit, passion, and dedication to the team shown by the veteran Lee Man-shik,

Watching that, I remembered one thing I had forgotten.

The reason I was able to reach the top of the major leagues in my past life, and the reason I was able to play baseball again with those memories,

It’s because I, too, was a challenging and passionate player like Lee Man-shik.

Modern baseball, where you entrust your body to a machine that can analyze the human body at the nano level, and plan and execute everything from training to actual play accordingly.

It is the most efficient and safest way.

But baseball is something humans do.

Sometimes you need the courage to jump into something that seems reckless, and you need to be prepared to accept whatever problems may arise from it.

That’s baseball. No, that’s sports.

I had forgotten that fact for quite a while. I was so weighed down by the shadow of the injuries I had suffered in the past that I tried not to take a single step out of it.

But no. I’m not going to live like that anymore.

What if I get injured?

Yeah, I might.

But according to the manual, if you follow it perfectly, can you avoid injuries 100%?

In the end, there is no right answer.

Only God can know fate.

And that God has given me a second chance.

I believe.

In this perfect body that I have trained, and in my heart that is struggling to break free from the past.

That’s why I will protect this mound.

The baseball I’ve held in a long time, and the feel of the mound that feels a little harder than usual.

Feeling those things, I went into my pitching motion.

The number of practice pitches is small, which makes the situation even more unfavorable for me.

But no matter how the ball I throw right now ends up, I am confident that I will not regret it.

Whoosh

Thwack!

“Strike!”

I looked back at the scoreboard.

163㎞/h, 2,750 revolutions per minute.

As expected, a little less than usual.

But it’s okay.

I can beat my opponent with this ball.

* * *

Whoosh

Bang!

“Strike! Out!”

– Ah, amazing! It’s really amazing! Han Soo-hyuk, who came to the mound in the bottom of the 7th inning due to the starting pitcher’s sudden injury, strikes out Incheon’s number 1, 2, and 3 hitters in a row! With this, the score is still 0 to 0, and it is still impossible to predict who will win the regular season this year.

– I… I have a thought.

– What are you thinking?

– Since its inception in 1982, Korean professional baseball has never lost its place as the most popular sport in the country, but it is true that it has been pushed back by soccer in recent years, isn’t it?

– Yes, if you look at the number of spectators or the market size alone, it’s hard to say that it’s above soccer now.

– That’s right. We baseball people know very well the reason for that. The skills of the players did not keep up with the rapidly growing market size, and the resulting loss of competitiveness in international competitions, well, there were many reasons.

– You mentioned that in a special program a while ago.

– Yes, but the real problem is not that. Many people say that Korean professional baseball is not a sport, but a leisure activity for well-fed pigs.

– Um, I’ve heard of that too.

– What’s really unfortunate is that no one has been able to make a proper rebuttal to such ridicule. Players who used to try to improve their skills and move on to bigger stages have remained in Korea. After all, they give you more money in Korea even if you play roughly than overseas.

– Ummm…….

– The joining of new clubs with a lot of money, the excessive competition for pride between the 10 clubs, and many other reasons have made the players more and more lazy and lax. What do you think the fans thought when they saw their team’s players laughing in the dugout while the team was being defeated?

– Commissioner…….

– Now, we have to admit it. The Korean baseball scene is rotten to the core. If it weren’t for Han Soo-hyuk in the last WBC [World Baseball Classic], we might have packed our bags in the preliminary round again.

– I understand, so calm down a little…….

– But look! Look at those players now! An ace who has only rested for three days is putting his soul into every pitch for the team’s victory. In response, a new ace who will represent the next era is leading his imperfect body and fighting against it! If you don’t feel your heart beating when you see this, what kind of person are you? Everyone, Korean professional baseball is still alive!

* * *

Whoosh

Wham!

“Swing! Out!”

“…What the hell is that.”

“Is he even human?”

Han Soo-hyuk, who struck out three consecutive batters in the 7th inning and then three more in the 8th inning, walked off the mound with a cold look on his face.

Deep sighs came from all over the Incheon dugout, where they had been struck out six times in a row.

It’s not the first time it’s happened, but a new fear of Han Soo-hyuk rises up.

A guy who came to the mound in a hurry due to the starting pitcher’s sudden injury is toying with the batters even when his shoulder is not fully warmed up.

I would have rather been struck out by a 169㎞/h fastball.

Rather than being toyed with by the control of a rookie in his first year whose condition is not perfect.

Han Soo-hyuk didn’t throw a single ball over 165㎞/h today.

No, couldn’t he? That wasn’t the point.

The speed was a little slower, but Han Soo-hyuk was still Han Soo-hyuk.

The Incheon batters’ bats danced in the air against his 160㎞/h fastball, perfect breaking ball, and razor-sharp control.

“A real monster is a monster after all……”

The scoreless streak continued until the bottom of the 8th inning, and the only consolation is that Lim Joon-young, a pitcher who represented this league before Han Soo-hyuk appeared, is holding out here on the Incheon mound.

Lim Joon-young was greatly shocked by Lee Man-shik’s injury.

He felt like he was going crazy at the injury of his senior, who had taken care of him like a real brother since he was a rookie.

But Lim Joon-young was a professional. Responsibility, not embarrassment, brought him back to his feet.

Lim Joon-young, who was determined to finish this game as soon as possible and rush to his senior’s side, suppressed the Warriors lineup with all his might.

Lim Joon-young threw 101 pitches through the 8th inning and tied up the Warriors lineup.

Luck was also on his side.

He sent Han Soo-hyuk out on three consecutive intentional walks, and fortunately, he managed to prevent a critical crisis by handling the batters in front of and behind him well.

But it seems that such luck is now exhausted.

Top of the 9th inning, the Warriors’ last attack in regular innings, starting with lead hitter Han Soo-hyuk.

If Han Soo-hyuk is walked again here, they will have to face number 4 Jo Sung-oh, number 5 Walter Smith, and number 6 Jang Deok-soo with runners on first base and no outs.

No matter how good Lim Joon-young is, it will be difficult to face those three batters after throwing more than 100 pitches.

The head coach of Incheon, who accurately assessed the situation, approached Lim Joon-young.

He, who was demoted to the minor leagues as soon as Hwang Byung-ho took the helm and returned as interim manager, said to Lim Joon-young.

“Joon-young, what should we do?”

“Yes? Coach… no, Manager. What do you mean?”

“My head tells me to replace you, but my heart is against it.”

“…….”

“And our fans over there too.”

In the direction he pointed, fans wearing white Incheon jerseys were shouting Lim Joon-young’s name at the top of their lungs.

The head coach, slightly frowning at the sight, said.

“I learned from Manager Gu Yong-shik that sometimes you have to read the manager’s intuition and the fans’ desires rather than the data. So go out there. You finish the game you started today. But tell me right away if it’s even a little difficult.”

A deep smile appeared on Lim Joon-young’s face at the manager’s words.

“Thank you. I might have resented you for the rest of my life if you had pulled me from here. I can’t even remember the last time I felt so fired up. Thank you so much, Manager.”

* * *

I think I had a feeling about this moment since the first time I met Lim Joon-young.

That the biggest obstacle to the Warriors’ victory would be none other than this man, that he would stand in our way at a critical moment someday.

That’s why, even though it’s the top of the 9th inning in this important game with the team’s regular season championship on the line, I feel strangely calm.

A call came from the hospital where Lee Man-shik was taken a little while ago.

It was as expected.

Elbow ligament rupture.

The old ligament, which had been barely holding on, finally gave out.

As a result, Lee Man-shik will have to leave the field for the time being and concentrate on surgery and rehabilitation.

Even if the Warriors win today’s game, he will not be able to participate in the fall baseball [playoff] game together.

He will have to watch the team’s fall baseball game, which has come in 8 years, lying in a hospital bed.

And maybe, just maybe, he may never be able to return to the mound.

“Play!”

It seems that it was not only our players who were shocked by that fact.

The first one to run out when Lee Man-shik collapsed on the mound was none other than Lim Joon-young.

It seems that the injury of his senior, who had cherished and taught him since he was a rookie, has become a big wound for him.

Nevertheless, he was a monster. He was indeed a pitcher who represented this country.

He perfectly suppressed our lineup, even suppressing his pride as an ace and his desire to win against me.

He suppressed the Warriors lineup, which has grown to compete for the top spot in the league in terms of offensive power when the best lineup is in place.

But now it seems that the time has come to end that tight game.

Top of the 9th inning, no outs.

Will they walk me here too?

Well, maybe they will.

But Lim Joon-young’s eyes on the mound are telling me.

That he is now preparing for his final showdown with me.

It may be his own choice, or it may be the bench’s instruction.

But what matters now is not that.

We, who are pretty good friends off the field, are now going to have our final showdown for the top spot this season.

Swoosh

His kicking angle, which had dropped a little as the innings went on, returned to the beginning.

Visible fighting spirit emanates from his whole body, which has thrown more than 100 pitches.

One white ball was fired from the fingertips of Lim Joon-young, who has a wonderful pitching form that I can also learn from, one of the best pitchers I have ever seen.

At the same time, my bat stretched out powerfully forward.

The cheers and jeers of the crowd instantly filled the Incheon stadium.