Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 194

#193. A Player Needed by the Team

[Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.]

Small opportunities often lead to great achievements.

These are the words of Demosthenes, an Athenian statesman and orator from ancient Greece.

The number of players belonging to a professional baseball team is roughly 100.

About 60 players are officially registered in the first and second teams, and when you add up the unregistered *ikusei* [developmental players] and those in military service, the number comes out to about that much.

However, only about 30 of them can get a chance to play in the first team.

For a player who is only in his first year since debut, and especially a catcher, where experience is prioritized more than any other position, getting a chance in the first team may be impossible.

But,

here today, there is a rookie catcher who was suddenly called up to the first team due to an injury to the starting catcher, Jang Deok-su.

Originally, Walter Smith, who is in charge of right field and backup catcher, would have worn the catcher’s mask, but Manager Lee Dae-jun thought now was the perfect opportunity to give the rookie catcher some experience.

A team win rate of nearly 70%, and ace Han Su-hyeok’s pitching day, who doesn’t even care who the catcher is.

Even the opposing team, the Seoul Fighters, has been openly tanking [intentionally losing games to secure a better draft pick] since the start of the season.

Lee Dae-jun patted Park Dong-seok on the shoulder and said.

“Don’t be nervous, just do what you can. Su-hyeok will guide you well.”

“Yes? Yes, yes! I understand! Manager!”

“Geez. Don’t shout, answer quietly. Did the veterans discipline you to speak loudly? Hey! Who is it, who scared our youngest, huh?”

“No! There’s nothing like that!”

“Hehehe, I know. There’s no one like that on our team. Anyway, I’m telling you again, feel free to do it. I won’t evaluate you based on today’s game. It’s just that this situation has arisen, and I’m trying to give you a small opportunity. Do you understand?”

“Thank you!”

When he received the call that he would be called up to the first team today, and when he found out that he would be wearing a catcher’s mask and receiving Han Su-hyeok’s ball,

he thought his heart would stop.

He had experienced it once in a practice game, but he thought it would take at least a few years to catch Han Su-hyeok’s ball in an official first team game.

His family and friends who learned of this fact said.

If you take advantage of the starter’s injury and perform well, you might be able to take his place, so try it with your life on the line.

Not at all,

the confidence he had when he joined the Warriors, as small as it was, completely disappeared after playing in the second team for two months.

The quality of the pitches thrown by the pitchers, the skills of the batters, the speed of the game, were all incomparable to high school baseball.

The second team stage is this level, and they’re telling him to aim for the first team starting catcher?

It’s impossible, but even if they gave him such a position, he would have to decline first.

Unless he wants to become a traitor to the team and fans.

‘Okay, let’s just do what we can for now.’

The manager said. Do as much as you can, and if it seems too much, he’ll replace you with Walter immediately.

Don’t be greedy.

What he has been given now is just a small opportunity.

It would be good to seize that opportunity, but even if he doesn’t, he shouldn’t be disappointed and should go back to the second team and gain experience.

‘Okay.’

Once he sorts out his tangled thoughts, he feels a little more at ease.

Park Dong-seok, who had finished putting on his equipment, approached Han Su-hyeok, who would be his battery partner today, and bowed ninety degrees.

“Please take good care of me! No matter what happens, I will never let the ball pass behind me!”

* * *

The feeling of someone relying on me and following me is quite unfamiliar and new.

In the United States, where I spent 15 years, I don’t remember treating anyone as a senior, and conversely, I never made a special relationship with rookies who tried to follow me.

Just work colleagues met for business, maintaining just that much distance.

But for the first time in my life, I have juniors.

Even though they are only one year younger than me, they are wary of me and follow me to the point of being burdensome.

I told the guy who had moisture gathering next to his eyes because he was so nervous.

“It’s okay to let it through.”

“Yes? Oh no! Never! I will block it with my life on the line!”

“I said it’s okay.”

“I’m not okay!”

“Hmm.”

“Ah! Should I have prepared a knuckleball mitt?”

After I threw a few knuckleballs in the last Korean Series, Jang Deok-su and Walter seemed to have made their own preparations for that ball.

Jang Deok-su, who had to give up his position because he couldn’t catch the ball, practiced catching with a bullpen pitcher who knew how to throw knuckleballs throughout the winter.

Walter, who caught my ball without any major mistakes, also had a look on his face as if his pride was hurt.

What was it, he said I didn’t trust his skills so I didn’t throw a proper knuckleball.

Well, whatever the truth, I have no intention of throwing a knuckleball unless something special happens.

It’s definitely a good weapon to use occasionally, but throwing knuckleballs continuously in terms of pitching mechanics can have a negative impact on the fastball speed.

My goal is to throw 107 miles per hour, that is, 172 km/h.

“No, I’m not planning on throwing a knuckleball.”

“Ah! Yes, I understand!”

I sat down the overly disciplined one-year junior and started practice pitching.

It’s already June. In just one month, the All-Star Game and the Olympic break will begin.

I was caught up in an unknown emotion at the last WBC [World Baseball Classic] and pushed myself a little, but I don’t basically place much significance on national team games.

But regardless of my feelings, the fans are already burning fiercely.

Recently, the international competition results of domestic professional sports have not been good.

Soccer, volleyball, and basketball teams are taking turns being criticized. In fact, baseball was also in the same situation, but they received an exemption with the WBC victory last year.

Not to mention the eternal rival Japan, they are also losing to teams like China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Thailand, which they used to beat easily, so the perception that Korean professional sports is a leisure activity for well-fed pigs is spreading in all directions.

Therefore, the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization] and KBSA [Korea Baseball Softball Association] are sparing no support for the players, saying they will achieve good results in this Olympics no matter what.

They are paying great attention to the special management of the players included in the final national team roster, as well as preparing support for the team during the competition period.

If you ask me if our team will succeed in the Olympics, I honestly don’t know…

But that doesn’t mean I think we’ll lose.

It’s a bit of a burden to have to lead rookies like Seo Hyeong-ju and Ahn Chi-wook…

Well, for now, I think I need to worry about that brat over there before those rookies.

Click.

When I called him with my finger, Park Dong-seok ran to the mound with his tail between his legs.

“Did you call me!”

“Shh, be quiet after the game starts.”

“Ah, yes, yes, I understand.”

“Okay, I’ll give the signs, so you just put the mitt there. If you think it’s not right, tell me anytime.”

“The signs are from the senior… just the mitt properly… Yes, I understand.”

“If the batter is scaring you with strange noises, don’t hold back and just hit him and run to me.”

“Hit him first, then to the senior’s side… Yes?”

“I’m telling you not to be scared.”

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

“Okay, let’s start.”

* * *

The Busan Titans, who contributed a whopping 14 losses and only managed to win 2 games, contributed the most to the Warriors winning the championship last season, followed by the Seoul Fighters, who recorded 12 wins and 4 losses.

A miserable head-to-head record, a few fights during the season, and a sense of inferiority arising from the difference in support from the club.

In many ways, the Fighters’ feelings towards the Warriors were not good, but the Fighters’ players had no choice but to suppress it.

The reason was that the Warriors had Jang Deok-su and Han Su-hyeok, the two mainstays of the KBO bench clearing [a brawl where both teams rush onto the field].

But today, the anger of the Fighters’ players, which had been suppressed, was slowly raising its head.

The monster who lifts people up with one hand and plants them on the mound was absent from the dugout due to injury.

And another monster is the starting pitcher today.

If you directly provoke that guy, a 170km/h ball will fly straight to your head, so you should never touch him…

In other words, as long as you don’t cross the line, he won’t do anything that will get him ejected.

The Fighters’ players’ eyes turned to an easy target.

To the one-year rookie catcher who hasn’t even shed his high school student image yet.

“Shouldn’t you greet your seniors first? These days, kids are so out of it.”

Constant mental attacks from the batters.

Whoosh

“Heok!”

“Ball!”

“Woo-woo-woo!”

A bean ball [a pitch thrown deliberately at the batter’s head] that was clearly meant to scare him.

It might be better if they openly harassed him and a bench clearing broke out,

but the play that subtly pressured the opponent without crossing the line weighed heavily on Park Dong-seok’s shoulders.

Tak

“Out!”

“Heeheehee… No matter how I look at it, today seems to be your last day in the first team. How can you even hit 10% with that bat?”

The Fighters’ first baseman spat out emotional sarcasm at Park Dong-seok, who had put all his effort into hitting a ground ball.

But Park Dong-seok picked up his fallen helmet as if he hadn’t heard anything and returned to the dugout.

After that, the Fighters’ players focused on harassing this poor rookie catcher.

But Park Dong-seok did not collapse.

1st inning, 2nd inning, 3rd inning, 4th inning, 5th inning, 6th inning, and 7th inning.

The rookie catcher, who made his first appearance on the first team stage, did his best to catch Han Su-hyeok’s ball.

He had gained some experience playing as a starting catcher for two months in the second team, but catching Han Su-hyeok’s ball on the first team stage was by no means easy.

When he catches a ball that reaches a maximum speed of 170 km/h, a thrilling sensation that starts from his palm spreads throughout his body.

When a 155 km/h high-speed slider that was coming into the zone suddenly curves outward, his spine gets wet without him even realizing it.

‘It’s no wonder the batters can’t hit it. It’s this hard to catch.’

When a splitter exceeding 150 km/h fell to the ground, he was so surprised that his hair stood on end, but he managed to calmly block it with his body as he had learned in the second team.

“Heehee…”

Because he poured all his energy into catching Han Su-hyeok’s ball, he only had 3 at-bats with no hits at the plate.

When he struck out in his third at-bat, he was reminded of the fate that would befall him in the future.

‘I won’t be able to come up from the second team for a few years. I’m really bad at baseball.’

He was a little frustrated, but he decided to humbly accept his shortcomings.

That’s why he ran even harder.

Because it would be the last opportunity to catch Han Su-hyeok’s ball on the first team stage, where he wouldn’t be able to come up for a while.

“Okay, good job. Let’s stop here.”

“Heehee… Thank you.”

In the top of the 7th inning, with the Warriors leading 5-0, Lee Dae-jun replaced the battery all at once after Han Su-hyeok cleanly blocked three batters.

Kim Doo-young came to the mound instead of Han Su-hyeok, and Walter Smith took over the catcher’s mask instead of Park Dong-seok. Kim Joo-ho entered the designated hitter position.

“Why are you sweating so much? Hey, Park Dong-seok. You worked hard, go shower and change into a new uniform. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Ah, yes! Thank you! I’ll be right back!”

“Su-hyeok, ice first, and then take care of him. Don’t let him get hurt because he’s too excited.”

“I understand, coach.”

“Okay, you both worked hard today.”

Park Dong-seok, who was soaked in sweat, followed Han Su-hyeok to the locker room.

Park Dong-seok, who was taking out underwear and a new uniform to change into, asked.

“Senior, I probably won’t be able to come up to the first team in the future, right?”

“Why do you think so?”

“I think I was too pathetic today.”

“Hmm.”

Han Su-hyeok didn’t bother to answer.

Instead, the answer to that was coming from the dugout, not the locker room.

“How is it? What do you think?”

“He’s exactly the style you want, *hyung* [older brother/respected senior].”

“Not *hyung* in the dugout, Manager.”

“Oops, yes, he’s exactly the catcher the manager wants.”

“That’s right, his skills will improve if we teach him hard… but he definitely seems to have patience, right?”

“Hehehe, if Deok-su was in that position today, three or four of the Fighters would have been taken to the hospital.”

“Hmm, good. We needed a guy like that. A guy who doesn’t get excited and does his job, no matter how much the opponent provokes him.”

“We definitely have a lot of ticking time bombs on our team.”

“That’s right, we need a catcher who doesn’t get easily excited and doesn’t get caught up in bench clearings. Okay, from now on, keep reporting the results and videos of that guy’s second team games to me.”

“I understand, *hyung*.”

“Manager.”

“Yes, Manager.”

3 at-bats, no hits, 2 strikeouts, and one passed ball in defense.

There was no miracle.

A small opportunity due to the starter’s injury came to Park Dong-seok, but the cartoon-like event of him hitting consecutive home runs did not happen after all.

Small opportunities often lead to great achievements, but unfortunately, that was not the case for Park Dong-seok today.

But,

Park Dong-seok, who did not get excited even once today, admitted his limitations, and did everything he could, succeeded in catching the manager’s eye in a slightly different sense.

It was the moment when a rookie who had been completely excluded from the power plan, who was thought to have to be rolled in the second team for at least two years, established himself as a future backup catcher.