Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 169

#168. The Glory Regained

Han Su-hyeok’s initial statement when choosing the domestic league over Major League Baseball—his promise to give everything for the Warriors’ victory.

Back then, nobody believed him. Or rather, they couldn’t believe him.

Some even dismissed it as mere self-consolation from a failed Big League prospect.

There were jeers that Korea winning the WBC [World Baseball Classic] would happen sooner than the Warriors winning a championship.

One year later,

The prospect once thought to have failed at entering the Big Leagues had single-handedly crushed the WBC and become the most coveted player by every MLB [Major League Baseball] team.

And the Warriors, who had been languishing at the bottom for years, became the team with the most wins in the 2027 regular season.

Thwack!

“Wooaaahhhh!”

Han Su-hyeok’s 61st home run of the season, in the top of the 9th with no runners on base, finally brought the long and arduous battle between the two teams to an end after 144 games.

The Warriors won 1-0.

The Warriors, who were at the bottom last season, lifted the regular season championship trophy for the first time in eight years.

[Miracle of the Last-Place Team, Seoul Warriors, Defeat Incheon to Win Regular Season After 8 Years]

[Warriors, Who Had Been at the Bottom for 7 Years Since Their Last Win in 2019, Overcome the Strongest Team, Incheon]

[86 Wins, 5 Draws, 53 Losses, Warriors with a Win Rate of 0.618, Only 5 RIs (Runs Batted In) Ahead of Incheon, Achieve a Miraculous Comeback Victory]

[Han Su-hyeok Sets New Asian Home Run Record with Season’s 61st Over-the-Fence Home Run in the Top of the 9th, Finishes the Game by Cleanly Striking Out Three Batters in the Bottom of the 9th]

[Season Batting Average 0.432, On-Base Percentage 0.548, Slugging Percentage 0.974, 61 Home Runs, 162 RBIs, 48 Stolen Bases, Han Su-hyeok Breaks All-Time Records in All Batting Categories, Becomes Top Hitter in His Debut Year]

[Not Only as a Batter but Also as a Pitcher, Han Su-hyeok Records 50 Consecutive Innings Without a Run, Including 1 Perfect Game, 7 Wins, and 1 Save, the Most Complete Two-Way Player in History]

The moment Han Su-hyeok’s hit ball went over the outer wall of the Incheon Baseball Stadium and landed somewhere in the parking lot, Incheon’s ace pitcher, who had been protecting the mound, collapsed to his knees.

Despite allowing the decisive hit that determined the outcome of the game, none of the Incheon fans blamed Lim Jun-yeong.

He had endured Hwang Byeong-ho’s overuse and continued his relentless performance towards the end of the season, and still started in the final game with the regular season championship on the line, pitching 8 innings without allowing a run—the ace of aces.

As he staggered off the mound, all the spectators rose from their seats and gave him a standing ovation.

Thus, with Incheon trailing 1-0, their final attack began.

Han Su-hyeok, who took the mound, put his heart into each pitch as if responding to Lim Jun-yeong’s fighting spirit.

The Incheon batters gritted their teeth and charged, but it was no use.

Due to his less-than-perfect condition, his velocity was slightly lower than usual, but Han Su-hyeok’s sincere pitches were impregnable.

The three pinch hitters who came in place of the lower-order batters were struck out in three pitches each, and the game ended.

“Wooaaahhhh!”

“We won! We really won!”

“Is this real? Is this not a dream? We won, right?”

The Warriors fans, overwhelmed with emotion at the regular season victory decided in enemy territory, were deeply disappointed that this was another team’s stadium.

They wanted to do anything for the warriors who had brought the team back to the top after eight years.

But none of the Warriors players were interested in such things right now.

Lee Dae-jun and captain Jo Seong-oh together lifted the championship trophy that had been prepared in advance for the final game.

No matter how much the reporters asked them to smile, smiles rarely appeared on their faces.

After the short trophy presentation, the Warriors team hurriedly left the stadium.

The reporters, who had gathered to ask about the regular season victory and Han Su-hyeok’s Asian home run record, could only stare blankly at their retreating figures.

The players were headed to the hospital where Lee Man-shik was hospitalized.

Thump, thump, thump

“Hey! Lee Man-shik! Take this, you bastard. This is yours. It’s yours!”

“Ah, you scared me! Hyung [older brother/senior], why are you shouting so loud! You’re bothering the next room.”

“Shut up! You stubborn fool, ugh, you big, stubborn bear.”

Jo Seong-oh, who had just placed the newly received championship trophy on the table in Lee Man-shik’s hospital room, suddenly burst into tears.

He was heartbroken at the sight of his junior, younger than him, but perhaps about to leave the field sooner.

Lee Man-shik, who had changed into a patient gown instead of his uniform and had a temporary cast on, said with an awkward smile.

“So, this is the championship trophy. Yeah, it’s gotten cooler than it was 8 years ago. Good. Really good. Yeah, this is what I’ve been working so hard to get. You’ve all worked hard. Everyone’s done a great job.”

“Sunbae-nim [senior].”

“Hyung.”

“Okay. Why did you come here on such a good day? Did you come to show me the trophy? Okay, I appreciate it, but go now. Go have a celebration and enjoy this moment. Huh? I need to rest now, so, Min-seok, take all the kids out. And take that old windbag with you.”

The team was pushed out of the hospital room by Lee Man-shik.

The players still didn’t want to leave, but Lee Man-shik was right.

He is a patient who needs rest and recovery.

And we needed a time of celebration for the fans and for ourselves, who had been running non-stop all year.

Above all, the regular season championship is just the fastest ticket to the Korean Series.

The real game has not even started yet.

“Let’s go. As Man-shik said, let’s go celebrate and prepare for the Korean Series.”

At Jo Seong-oh’s words, the players swallowed their disappointment and left the hospital.

Some baseball fans applauded the players as they walked down the hospital corridor.

Only then could the Warriors players realize it.

Only after the worry about Lee Man-shik had subsided a little did they realize.

That we had become the 2027 KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] regular season champions.

[2027 KBO League season CHAMPION ‘SEOUL WARRIORS’]

Several days passed.

“Man-shik left today.”

“I hope it goes well.”

“Everything will be fine. Man-shik will get through it. He’s as tenacious as a whale’s tendon.”

On the day the Warriors team began training to prepare for the Korean Series, Lee Man-shik left for Japan instead of the training ground.

To undergo the postponed Tommy John surgery.

Jo Seong-oh tried to comfort the other players by making a joke, but no one laughed at the joke.

* * *

“Hello, this is Sports Invitation. Today, we have prepared a place to review the 2027 KBO League, which ended just a few days ago, and predict the postseason that starts tomorrow. Commissioner Go Dong-shik, please say a word about this regular season ranking.”

1st place Seoul Warriors

2nd place Incheon Rangers

3rd place Suwon Commanders

4th place Seoul Magicians

5th place Daejeon Falcons

6th place Changwon Raptors

7th place Gwangju Jaguars

8th place Seoul Fighters

9th place Daegu Buffaloes

10th place Busan Titans

“Yes, it was a year in which the ranking competition was fiercer than ever. The Warriors’ win rate, who won the season’s last game, was 0.618, and the Incheon Rangers’ win rate, who were pushed to second place so regrettably, was 0.613. The championship team was decided by a difference of only 5 ris [runs scored].”

“The mid-tier competition was also great, right?”

“That’s right. As the Suwon Commanders, who were competing for second place, were pushed to the mid-tier, four teams, including the Commanders, Magicians, Falcons, and Raptors, competed fiercely for the right to advance to the fall baseball season.”

“In the end, Daejeon won the wild card, advancing to the fall baseball season for the first time in 9 years. The fans must be really happy.”

“That’s right. Ace Ryu Han-gyeol’s overseas advancement is almost a foregone conclusion after this season, right? Daejeon has no choice but to focus all its efforts on this fall baseball season.”

“Now, please tell us how you predict the direction of the 2027 KBO Post Season, which will start tomorrow with the wild card game between the Daejeon Falcons and the Seoul Magicians.”

“Well, one thing is certain.”

“Yes?”

The announcer’s brow furrowed slightly.

It was expected that he would say that the Warriors were the best, that Han Su-hyeok would destroy everything, and so on.

But it wasn’t. Extremely normal, baseball expert-like opinions came out of Go Dong-shik’s mouth.

“Although the team chemistry was messed up due to the unnecessary manager change at the end of the regular season, Incheon’s power is still the strongest. Although there is controversy over overuse, ace Lim Jun-yeong is still healthy, and the dugout is filled with players with no gaps from the starting lineup to the backups.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

“But!”

“But?”

“As long as Han Su-hyeok, who broke all the records in the five batting categories with a season batting average of 0.432, an on-base percentage of 0.548, a slugging percentage of 0.974, 61 home runs, and 162 RBIs, is holding on, the championship is still the Warriors’…”

“This has been Sports Invitation. Thank you.”

* * *

Unlike the United States, where 30 teams are divided into 2 leagues and then 3 divisions to compete, and Japan, where 12 teams are divided into 2 leagues to determine the strongest, Korea has adopted a single league system with 10 teams.

In the United States and Japan, the value given to first place in the regular season is quite high.

This is because it is the most objective measure of the team’s strength, accumulated over a season of more than 100 games throughout the year.

Basically, you must win first place in the division and first place in the league to qualify for the World Series.

But not in Korea.

5 out of 10 teams advance to the postseason.

Almost half. Half of the league participants are given the opportunity to challenge for the Korean Series championship.

In theory, even if you only go halfway among the 10 teams, you can become the strongest team of the season.

Now, the players of a certain team, who were challenging that slim hope, are kneeling on the ground, swallowing their disappointment.

[Daejeon Wins Wild Card Game 1 with Ace Ryu Han-gyeol, Dreams of Advancing to the Semi-Playoffs Dashed with a 4-3 One-Point Loss in Game 2]

In the wild card game between the 4th and 5th place teams in the regular season, an advantage is given to the 4th place team.

The 4th place team can advance to the semi-playoffs if they win just once. On the other hand, the 5th place team must win two games in a row to advance to the next stage.

The Daejeon Falcons, who had to win two games in a row, put ace Ryu Han-gyeol on the mound in the first game, and the Magicians, who had a game to spare, put the second starter on the mound instead of ace Jimenez.

In the first game between the two teams, Daejeon won 5-1.

The Daejeon fans, who had advanced to the fall baseball season for the first time in 9 years, were excited.

But that was it.

Jimenez, the real ace who had been saved, perfectly blocked the Falcons’ batters in the second game, and the Magicians eventually advanced to the semi-playoffs with 1 win and 1 loss.

The scene of ace Ryu Han-gyeol, who will soon be taking off his Daejeon uniform, staring blankly at the ground was captured by the relay camera.

He, who has a mental state that doesn’t budge at ordinary things, was watching the defeat of the team he had been with for 7 years.

What if he had been on another strong team instead of Daejeon?

He, who had been responsible for the team’s mound alone for 7 years and had been called a boy breadwinner, and who had consistently expressed his affection for Daejeon, must now prepare to move on to the next stage.

After the last WBC, a foreign reporter asked me this.

Which of the Korean pitchers who are aiming to advance to the United States after the 2027 season do you think will be the most successful? It was such an obvious question.

I answered that question like this.

“To answer seriously, well, I think the most important thing for a pitcher is not his fastball, control, or breaking ball, but his mentality to endure loneliness on the mound. In that respect, Ryu Han-gyeol sunbae [senior] will do really well. He is the pitcher with the strongest mentality I have ever seen.”