Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 188

#187. With My Idol (2)

“Are you happy?”

“Hehehe, how could I not be?”

“Damn it… I’m so jealous. Forget it, just catch my ball for me.”

“Ball, yeah. I like ball. I’ll catch it. Just let me change my mitt for a second.”

“Why are you changing your mitt? That’s the one you always use, isn’t it?”

“I can’t leave traces of your insignificant ball on the mitt that caught a precious ball thrown by Soo-hyuk hyung [older brother/respected senior], can I?”

“This bastard, really…”

The Warriors, with Han Soo-hyuk pitching 4 innings, Lee Young-joo 2 innings, Kang Dong-ha 1 inning, Kim Doo-young 1 inning, and finally closer Yang Ki-cheol 1 inning, crushed the Magicians 12 to 1 in the exhibition game opening at Jamsil [a famous baseball stadium in Seoul].

In this game, Han Soo-hyuk recorded an outrageous performance as a batter with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs [Runs Batted In], and as a pitcher with 4 innings, 10 strikeouts, and 1 walk.

The Magicians’ owner, who had high expectations and visited Jamsil Baseball Stadium, ditched the president’s suite and left the stadium as soon as Han Soo-hyuk struck out the three Magicians batters in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Experts who initially picked the Magicians as the top candidate for the championship were also taken aback.

Even if Han Soo-hyuk’s 4 innings were impressive, the Magicians’ batters were thoroughly toyed with by the remaining Warriors pitchers as well.

Lee Young-joo, who played a decent role as the 5th starter last season, seemed to welcome being pushed to the middle relief.

It seems that the middle relief, where he can pitch with all his might, suits him better since he couldn’t control his stamina and was often hit hard after 3 innings.

Kang Dong-ha, who was used to being the tanking general for the Fighters, was now learning how to win.

The inside pitches he had practiced throughout the winter seemed to be quite effective even against top-tier teams.

And Kim Doo-young and Yang Ki-cheol, who were in charge of the setup and closer roles for this team last season, also showed improved performances, making the coaching staff feel pleased.

The two, who were also named in the first roster for the Olympic national team, will now fight representing this country.

Whoosh

Bang!

Whoosh

Bang!

“Nice ball!”

“Dong-seok.”

“Why? Are you not going to keep throwing?”

“Tell me honestly.”

“What?”

“How are my balls compared to Soo-hyuk hyung’s from yesterday?”

“What do you mean, how?”

“You bastard. Just compare them for me. Of course, I know I’m lacking, but I need to know where I’m lacking so I can focus on improving that. Aside from the velocity, what’s the most lacking? Spin rate? Control? Movement?”

“Maru.”

“Don’t just say my name, answer me.”

“You said you grew up at your grandma’s house in the countryside when you were little, right?”

“What are you talking about? Why are you bringing that up now?”

“Have you ever caught a firefly?”

“A firefly? Yeah, I’ve caught one. But why?”

“If you were asked to compare that firefly to the sun, could you do it?”

“…This bastard always has to use metaphors.”

“Haa, whatever. You really need to work hard. I thought your fastball was good enough to work in the pros, but after catching Soo-hyuk hyung’s ball yesterday… Ugh, well, let’s throw and catch one more ball instead of talking nonsense.”

“Alright, you bastard. Then keep catching my balls.”

Whoosh

Bang!

Choi Maru, who had already thrown 155 km/h [~96 mph] in his third year of high school, and who had increased his velocity to 158 km/h [~98 mph] during the last spring camp with the help of the pitching coach and advice from Han Soo-hyuk, was far from complacent and thought of himself as an infinitely lacking being.

That’s why Choi Maru continues to work hard today.

Hoping that the day will come when he can take over the mound from Han Soo-hyuk.

Hoping that the day will come when he hears a compliment from the player he respects the most.

* * *

Whoosh

“Out!”

“Woooaaah!”

“Han Soo-hyuk! You’re the best!”

Exhibition game against the Suwon Commanders.

Han Soo-hyuk snatched a batted ball that looked like it would completely escape past second base.

The moment sighs escaped from the Suwon fans and cheers erupted from the Warriors fans.

‘Wow… he caught that. He’s seriously amazing…….’

The most surprised was none other than the pitcher on the mound.

Choi Maru, who finally got the chance to make his first appearance on the first-team stage today.

Evaluated from the outside as a super-promising prospect who will become a pillar of the Warriors’ mound in a few years, he showed no hint of arrogance.

It was only natural.

This team has Lim Joon-young, the best pitcher who gave up the major leagues and chose the domestic stage.

Not only that.

Seo Hyung-joo and Ahn Chi-wook, a year ahead of him, who made their debut with super-special performances and eventually made it to the Olympic national team, are focusing on training without a moment’s rest.

Seeing them from the side makes him feel infinitely insignificant.

Of course, he’s not despairing. He’s just being humble.

And there’s one more important thing left.

“Alright, Choi Maru. Fighting!”

“Fighting!”

He has Han Soo-hyuk, the senior he respects the most, in Korea, no, the world, no, maybe the universe.

Anyway, the best baseball player in the world.

Just the fact that he’s protecting him from behind is enough to make Choi Maru not know what to do.

Just a moment ago, a perfect hit was turned into a routine ground ball by Han Soo-hyuk.

Choi Maru bowed to Han Soo-hyuk at a 90-degree angle.

Some may laugh at this sight, but he’s not ashamed at all.

Why would he be ashamed to bow to someone who might be the god of baseball?

At this moment, there is only one thing he wants.

For someone, anyone, to take a picture of him and Han Soo-hyuk in one focus.

That was the only thing.

* * *

[Seoul Warriors, 5-Game Exhibition Winning Streak]

[Han Soo-hyuk, Lim Joon-young, Eric Thompson, Ryan Stark, Cheon Sang-jin’s Powerful Starting Mound, Plunging Opposing Teams into Despair]

[Lee Young-joo and Kang Dong-ha’s Middle Relief Conversion, Which Was a Question Mark Before the Exhibition Game Opener, Is It a Divine Move?]

[Rookie Combination Choi Maru, Park Dong-seok’s Surprise Performance “We Are Just Like Fireflies in Front of the Sun” What Does It Mean?]

[Warriors Manager Lee Dae-joon “This Season’s Goal Is to Reach the Top Without Anyone Getting Hurt”]

It was truly the epitome of a successful family.

The starting lineup, with the addition of Lim Joon-young and Eric Thompson, showed exactly what was expected, and the middle relief conversion of Lee Young-joo and Kang Dong-ha, which was initially considered 불안 [anxiety/uncertainty], also showed some results.

The destructive power of the lineup with the addition of national team third baseman Min Joo-hyun was truly overwhelming.

What’s encouraging is that he was able to fix Han Soo-hyuk at number 2 as he joined the core batting lineup.

Not only did it become easier to achieve various records, but for other team pitchers, just the fact that Han Soo-hyuk was coming out at number 2 was a terror in itself.

Another meaningful thing was the performance of Choi Maru and Park Dong-seok, who were included in the exhibition game roster as first-year rookies.

Choi Maru struck out nine in a total of three appearances, giving up three runs in 6 and 2/3 innings, while Park Dong-seok was sluggish with 2 hits in 12 at-bats, but showed a stable defense, making the manager feel pleased.

Meanwhile, although they were crushed by the Warriors in the exhibition game opener, the Magicians were also gradually finding their place.

[Yang Sun-woo – Lee Chan-ho – Go Cheol-hwan, Back-to-Back-to-Back Home Runs… 10 to 3 Victory Over Incheon Rangers]

[Choi Kyung-jae, Who Was Sluggish in the Opening Game, Perfectly Subdued His Former Team Suwon and Proved His Worth]

[New Foreign Player Daniel Hunter Ranks 2nd in Exhibition Home Run Rankings After Han Soo-hyuk with 3 Consecutive Home Runs]

[Magicians Manager Joo Seok-do “The chemistry between the existing players and the newcomers is finally coming together. We will definitely win the championship this season to repay the fans’ expectations.”]

In fact, it was to meet the expectations of the club owner, not the fans, but that wasn’t what mattered now.

What mattered was that the Magicians were still strong.

Even if the name value of the starting members was similar, the Magicians’ player base, which had been cultivating and collecting good players for the past several years, was far beyond the level of the Warriors.

That will be a very big advantage in the 144-game long race.

[Incheon Rangers, Who Lost Lim Joon-young and Min Joo-hyun, Shocking 4-Game Exhibition Losing Streak]

[The Power Is Still Strong, But… The Players Seem to Have Lost Their Vigor, Incheon Fans “The Parent Company Must Be Replaced for This Team to Come Back to Life”]

[An Incheon Player Who Requested Anonymity “A Headquarters Employee in a Black Suit Visits the Manager’s Office Every Day. I Don’t Know What They’re Saying, But I Don’t Think It’s Good News.”]

While the Warriors and Magicians were proving their strength, Incheon, the runner-up team from last season, was showing a performance far below their name value, recording a 4-game losing streak.

Of course, the biggest problem was the departure of the pitching and hitting pillars Lim Joon-young and Min Joo-hyun, but the club owner’s intervention in the operation, which began at the end of last season, was cited as the biggest problem.

But what can you do?

After all, in this country, a professional baseball team is just a toy for the club owner.

[Suwon’s Captain Jung Dae-han, Who Lost His Best Friend Choi Kyung-jae, Hits a Grand Slam of Fury]

[Manager Choi Yong-sik, Who Succeeded in Re-signing “We Lost Our Ace, But the Skills of the Rookies Have Improved a Lot, So It’s Worth a Try. Our Goal Is to Win the Championship.”]

[Daejeon, Who Succeeded in Strengthening Their Power with Ryu Han-gyeol’s Compensation, Will They Advance to the Postseason Again This Year?]

[Daejeon’s Three Foreign Players, Who Were Recruited at a Huge Cost, Dominate Fans’ Expectations with Their Pitching and Hitting Performance]

Meanwhile, Suwon and Daejeon, who lost their aces Choi Kyung-jae and Ryu Han-gyeol, showed unexpected struggles, making fans’ hearts flutter.

Although Choi Kyung-jae left, the skills of the rookies that Suwon had been cultivating with great effort began to blossom, and in the case of Daejeon, the compensation received from the LA Angels was used to recruit foreign players, and at least the name value of the foreign players was rated as the best in the 10 teams.

[12 Experts Predict the 2028 KBO League ‘Magicians, Warriors Rangers Top 3, Commanders, Falcons Middle 2, Raptors, Jaguars, Buffaloes, Fighters, Titans Bottom 5’]

With the league landscape expected to be 3 strong, 2 medium, and 5 weak this season, the exhibition games continued.

In this exhibition game, where each team was given 14 games, Han Soo-hyuk started twice and did not give up a single point, and Lim Joon-young, who was now completely free from shoulder problems, also started against Daejeon and blocked 3 innings without giving up a run, leaving a comeback greeting to the fans.

In addition, Ryan, who recorded an ERA [Earned Run Average] in the 3s last season, and new foreign player Eric Thompson also showed powerful pitching, making fans feel reassured.

Meanwhile, Cheon Sang-jin, who wrote the myth of an unknown player last season, also showed better pitching than the two foreign pitchers, giving the manager a pleasant dilemma.

“Okay, there’s no team training today. The CEO gave us a card, so go ahead and eat as much meat as you want in front of us and go home and rest. Got it?”

“Oooooh… Corporate card!”

“Can we eat Korean beef, manager?”

“When have we ever eaten American beef? And Sung-oh, I’ll buy you a special Two-Plus [highest grade of Korean beef] since you got two hits today. Okay, then go shower and gather!”

“Thank you!”

Most of all, the most welcome thing was the return of captain Jo Sung-oh, who suffered an ankle injury in the Korean Series last season and had to spend nearly four months in surgery and rehabilitation.

He was fixed at the number 3 spot right behind Han Soo-hyuk throughout the exhibition game, recording a batting average of over 30%, including two home runs, proving that his performance last season was no coincidence.

In that way, the 2028 season’s exhibition game passed in an instant, and the regular season opening that baseball fans had been waiting for was just around the corner.