Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 19

#18. Practice Game (2)

There’s an old saying in baseball that once a closer blows a save, they’re bound to blow another one.

Of course, I’m a starting pitcher, not a closer, but even before throwing the ball, I had this unsettling feeling, like something was crawling on the back of my neck.

That rookie, filling the batter’s box with his massive physique, sporting a buzz cut, and yet, with eyes as arrogant as someone who’s been in this game for over a decade.

Choi Kyung-jae, the ace of Suwon, forcibly shook off the lingering image of the massive home run he’d conceded in the first at-bat and threw a fastball filled with his soul towards Han Su-hyeok.

And then.

Crack!

“…Shit.”

That soul-filled pitch was once again squarely hit by Han Su-hyeok’s swing.

Unlike the first hit, which had an enormous arc due to the uppercut swing, this time the ball flew in a straight line like a clothesline, directly hitting the outfield stands.

The sound of the crash alone suggested it had probably smashed a chair, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.

I knew it. Just how amazing that guy was as a rookie.

A monster who, unofficially, had thrown 165 km/h [approximately 102.5 mph], the first Korean, no, Asian player to do so.

But wasn’t that guy standing in the batter’s box right now, not on the mound?

Of course, he had been a great hitter in high school, but as far as I knew, he certainly wasn’t this good.

There’s just nowhere to pitch.

It feels like I’ll get hit no matter where I throw it.

That was Choi Kyung-jae’s honest feeling after facing Han Su-hyeok for the second time.

High pitches inside were out of the question from the start, and he’d already been hit for a home run on low pitches.

He’d tried throwing a few low and outside, but the guy didn’t even flinch, so he threw his most confident fastball.

Even he thought it was a pretty good pitch, sneaking into the corner of the strike zone.

But that monster just swung at it and planted it in the right field stands.

I think I felt something similar a few years ago when I faced the top prospect from the American team at the Olympics.

That guy is now in his third year and is being mentioned as a National League MVP candidate.

‘Really? He could go to the Major League, but he likes the Warriors so much that he stayed in Korea?’

I thought it was a lie.

I thought there was some problem with the contract process with the American club. I jumped to the conclusion that there were a lot of conditions attached to the 3.5 million dollar signing bonus.

But it wasn’t.

If I were the Seattle general manager, I would have offered not 3.5 million, but 5 million, no, I would have boldly offered 10 million dollars to bring him to the United States no matter what.

I saw that monster, after slowly circling the ground, whispering something to the next batter waiting at home plate.

In reality, he was telling him to keep picking balls until the end if he didn’t want to buy steak, but Choi Kyung-jae felt as if Han Su-hyeok had figured out his weaknesses and was passing them on to the next batter.

‘Shit, shit.’

What is it, do I have some kind of habit I don’t know about? If I did, Dae-han hyung [older brother/close male friend] would have told me?

Choi Kyung-jae, flustered, looked at catcher Jung Dae-han, but he was also looking back with a clueless expression.

From the beginning, Han Su-hyeok and Max Walker were talking in English, so there was no way to understand.

Choi Kyung-jae’s mentality began to crumble.

And that uneasy mind led to a loss of control, and in the end, he gave up a back-to-back home run to left-handed hitter Max Walker.

* * *

“Ehehehe, friend, did you see that? How was it? My home run was pretty good, right?”

“Good job, foreigner… I mean, Max.”

“Kahaha, thank you. I think we can be the best cleanup hitters [the 3rd and 4th batters in the lineup, typically the best hitters].”

Max Walker, who stole a home run from Choi Kyung-jae after a close match that went to a full count, strutted around in the dugout.

Max, who had taken my advice, focused on making his swing as smooth as possible, and as a result, a good hit was produced.

Honestly, I was a little surprised.

The ball that guy just hit was a pretty tricky pitch.

If the guy we brought in with our precious dollars plays like today behind me, it will create quite a synergy.

Of course, I can’t decide the batting order.

Hmm.

Even though Max and I hit big ones in succession, Ahn Chi-wook, who managed to watch the ball well, was unfortunately struck out by Choi Kyung-jae’s inside breaking ball.

“You saw the ball well. Don’t be discouraged, Ahn Chi-wook. It’s because that senior’s pitches are so good.”

“You hit those good pitches out of the park twice?”

“That’s because I’m amazing.”

“······”

Choi Kyung-jae, who struck out Ahn Chi-wook, was replaced by the next pitcher.

He handed the ball to the coach and looked at our dugout with a hollow expression as he went down the mound.

Probably, the consecutive home runs he conceded to me are filling his head.

It’s a good sign.

Because we’ve instilled trauma in the ace of the team we’re likely to meet if we advance to the postseason.

If I hit a few more big ones during the regular season, he’ll probably piss his pants just by looking at me.

“Out!”

Whether Choi Kyung-jae pissed his pants or not, the game continued.

Was it because the rookies’ home runs gave them energy, or was it because the Suwon Commanders’ pitchers weren’t in their best condition yet?

Our team, which had been trailing by one point at 4-3, added 3 points at once with senior Jo Sung-oh’s timely hit, senior Kim Su-hak’s exquisite squeeze play [a strategic play where a runner on third base attempts to score as the batter bunts the ball], and the opponent’s mistakes, succeeding in turning the game around to 6-4.

On the other hand, Ryan Stark and Brooks Parker, the two foreign players who took over from senior Jung Tae-ho, each pitched 2 innings without giving up a run, lightening manager Lee Dae-jun’s mind.

In the meantime, seniors Jung Ki-ho and Lee Chang-mo got on base with consecutive walks, and the hit I made once again split the stadium in half.

Crack!

Because the launch angle was so low, it didn’t become a home run, but the score widened to 8-4 with a double that directly hit the fence before the outfielder could even react.

Max Walker, whose shoulders were lightened by the thought that he didn’t have to worry about buying steak anymore, took another big swing, but was caught by the opponent’s left fielder’s good defense and was out. In the meantime, I advanced to third base.

Ahn Chi-wook, who focused on hitting the ball accurately with the thought of scoring a run, made a sacrifice fly and added another point.

Score 9-4.

To give up his own advancement and make a sacrifice fly with a light swing in a situation where a bet is in progress.
Hmm.

Is this what it’s like to raise a puppy? Is this the joy of when a puppy understands its owner’s words for the first time?

I don’t know. I’ve never given advice to a junior in the Major League, and I’ve never actually raised a puppy.

I’m just proud of that guy who’s following my words better than I thought.

“That last ball would have been a double if your bat speed was just a little faster. Ten thousand swings after the game today.”

“······”

I suppressed him once so he wouldn’t get too much pressure on his shoulders.

Anyway, it’s surprisingly better to actually play a game.

Although that table setter [leadoff hitter], whose on-base percentage doesn’t even reach the mid-.300s, is a bit of a problem, if I bat third, Max, who’s a lefty, bats fourth, Senior Jo Sung-oh, who scored a run today, bats fifth, and that crazy bastard has an epiphany and bats sixth…

While I was lost in thought, Senior Jang Deok-soo, who came in as a pinch hitter for Hwang Sung-min, hit a home run that slightly cleared the left fence.

He, who had been gloomy throughout the camp due to the pressure from Hwang Sung-min and Song Ki-tae, was circling the ground with a bright smile on his face for the first time in a while.

His power is truly something, as much as his size suggests.

Come to think of it, I still lack a lot of information about the catcher Jang Deok-soo.

All I know is that, unlike Hwang Sung-min, he knows how to catch a forkball [a type of pitch that drops sharply], and is a player who can make the pitcher feel comfortable rather than scolding him.

If Hwang Sung-min’s trade succeeds, this senior will have to step up as the starting catcher…

As the Warriors took a significant lead of 10-4, Manager Lee Dae-jun called several players, including Max and me, to the bench.

Starting with our homegrown ace, Senior Lee Man-shik, the team’s closer candidates took the mound one after another, continuing their desperate pitching to protect the 6-point lead.

And we lost 15-10.

* * *

“Thank you for your hard work. You’ve built a good team.”

“…Thank you for the kind words. We learned a lot from Suwon today. Drive carefully, Senior.”

After the game against the Suwon Commanders, Manager Lee Dae-jun returned to the stadium office alone and quietly closed his eyes.

The game, which had been largely leading 10-4, was overturned in an instant.

Jung Tae-ho, who he was secretly considering as the fourth starter, giving up 4 points in the first inning could be dismissed as just an accident.

No, to be honest, I think it’s because of his skill, but let’s just move on.

If I worry about that too, I feel like I’ll want to hand in my resignation.

Ryan Stark and Brooks Parker, who came up after him, were pretty good.

The two foreign players, who recorded an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] in the high 3s last season despite the team’s terrible defense, will become the team’s one-two punch unless something goes wrong.

The problem was what came next.

Lee Man-shik, who absolutely has to be the third starter due to the team’s current situation, allowing 1 run in 2 innings was somewhat acceptable.

Of course, he gave up 3 hits and 2 walks in the process.

The real nuclear bomb exploded after that.

The team’s closer, led by Hong Young-shik, and closer Choi Jung-soo were completely destroyed, giving up 10 points in an instant.

In fact, this appearance was not entirely unfamiliar to Manager Lee Dae-jun.

It was like this when he was an active player.

A team that makes up for its lack of pitching with hitting, that was the identity of the Warriors.

The problem is that in the case of this team right now, even the hitting is a mess.

The Warriors’ strong batting lineup, which once dominated the league, has long disappeared without a trace.

In short, it has become a team with no answers in terms of both pitching and hitting.

The moment when the score, which had been leading 10-4, was overturned to 15-10 in an instant, was replayed in his head like a panorama.

His stomach hurts as if pricked by needles.

He had a feeling that his chronic gastritis would recur.

That won’t do. Let’s just think about good things.

‘Han Su-hyeok…’

He recalled the image of Han Su-hyeok, who had hit a tremendous home run out of the stadium in his first at-bat in the practice game and was circling the ground with an arrogant expression.

The pain that seemed to spread throughout his stomach gradually subsided.

The worries about this season that had filled his head melted away like snow in spring.

Okay. It’s working.

Yes. Although the team is in this shape, he still has the strongest card, Han Su-hyeok, right?

The best rookie in history who rejected even the Major League because he liked the Warriors.

A world-class prospect who made his presence known to the world by throwing 165km/h in high school.

Although he won’t be able to see that wonderful pitching for one year this season, that’s okay.

How many rookie pitchers lie down with shoulder injuries in their first year after joining the team?

I can wait as much as I want, thinking he’s injured.

‘No, even if he can’t pitch…’

To be honest, I feel like it doesn’t matter if he can’t pitch forever.

I feel that way every time I see the home run hit by that guy.

Is that really the trajectory of a ball that a human can create?

If I were on the mound and got hit by a ball like that, I might have just sat down and peed my pants.

What about the defensive skills that are relatively less noticed because they are buried in the offensive power?

Whether you throw him at shortstop, third base, or second base, he does his part.

No, not only that, but he casually makes veteran plays like a veteran who has been rolling around in the pros for more than ten years.

He even has leadership.

Ahn Chi-wook, who he was contemplating sending to the second team but kept in the camp for the time being due to the manager’s instructions.

And Max Walker, a new foreign hitter who is still having difficulty adapting to the team.

He was thrilled to hear that he had a batting average bet with those two.

How could a kid who just turned twenty this year come up with such an idea?

As soon as he heard that story, he immediately gave the three of them permission to go out. He told them to go out and buy as much steak as they wanted.

‘There’s no need to think any further.’

Lee Dae-jun took out a diary from his desk and began to write something down.

It was his own secret note containing the team’s power plan for this season.

He wrote Han Su-hyeok’s name in the shortstop position, which was originally marked with a question mark.

Suddenly, he feels confident and full even though he hasn’t eaten anything.

The stomachache that had started after the come-from-behind loss had disappeared without a trace.

‘Han Su-hyeok…’

The answer to all worries and troubles was none other than Han Su-hyeok.

Spring camp is almost over and the exhibition games are approaching.

And Lee Dae-jun’s dependence on Han Su-hyeok was heading towards its peak.

* * *