Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 195

194. 2028 LA Olympics

“You want to learn how to throw a curveball from me?”

“Yes! Senior!”

“Oh, jeez. You can answer quietly. What’s with all the rookies this year, Dongseok last time and now you? Did someone make you do military training in the minors or something?”

“No, it’s nothing like that… Sorry!”

“Alright, alright, you can just answer normally… More importantly, why me? Why not ask Suhyuk to teach you?”

“That’s…….”

Lim Junyoung chuckled, seeing Choi Maru hesitate, unable to find the words to answer.

He was just teasing him a bit because he found his behavior endearing, but he wasn’t the type to make things difficult for his juniors.

It’s just that he found their eagerness and willingness to follow their seniors so endearing that he couldn’t help but tease them.

“Suhyuk’s pitches are too inhuman, right? That’s why you’re trying to learn from me?”

“Ah, no, that’s not…….”

“You think you could never imitate what that guy throws, but you think you could at least try to throw what I throw, is that it?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You little rascal.”

Lim Junyoung smiled faintly, seeing Choi Maru hang his head, as if he’d been caught red-handed.

He wasn’t offended at all.

Honestly, he might have been slightly hurt in the past.

But after watching Han Suhyuk in the same uniform for the past few months, Lim Junyoung had come to this conclusion:

A pitcher who is beyond comparison with anyone else.

Skill?

There’s no need to even mention it.

A fastball reaching 170 km/h [approximately 106 mph], a modified fastball exceeding 160 km/h [approximately 99 mph], the power curve that Choi Maru wanted to learn, a changeup, a slider… and even the knuckleball he unveiled as a surprise in last year’s Korean Series.

At first, he wondered.

Could there be a legendary coach in Han Suhyuk’s high school baseball team?

He checked it out himself.

Because if there was such a person, he wanted to bring them in as a personal instructor.

But it wasn’t true at all.

Although the school he attended was a baseball powerhouse, even the coaches there were baffled by how Han Suhyuk could throw so many different pitches.

He also asked the Warriors coaches.

What did they teach Han Suhyuk after he joined the pros?

The answer was always the same.

‘What did we teach him? Hmm, he was already a complete player. As a hitter and as a pitcher. Rather, we learned a new perspective on baseball while managing him.’

Upon hearing that, he stopped trying to uncover Han Suhyuk’s secret.

To conclude, he had learned and mastered so many pitches in the few months between graduating high school and joining the pros.

It’s absurd.

It’s beyond human comprehension.

“Maru, I think you already know this, but can I say something out of concern?”

“I’ll listen to whatever you have to say with utmost attention.”

“You don’t need to be that serious, just… um, well, I think you’re probably right.”

“My… thoughts?”

“Yeah, trying to imitate Han Suhyuk might ruin everything. Haha, I’m not sure if I should be saying this to you.”

“Senior…….”

“Anyway, the conclusion is this. Unless Suhyuk directly teaches you something, don’t try to imitate him recklessly. You have your own thoughts and plans, but that’s the only advice I can give you.”

“Yes… Senior.”

“Good. That’s that, and I’ll teach you the curveball. Let’s start by looking at your grip.”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

Lim Junyoung, who had 20 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of 2.01 last season despite the controversy over overwork, is having a career-high season this year, recording an ERA in the 1.0 range in the first half of the season.

If he were just a little younger, his choices might have been different.

He would have either burned himself out trying to surpass Han Suhyuk, or he would have become his follower, like Choi Maru, or, yeah, he probably would have chosen one of those two paths.

But now, at the peak of his career, Lim Junyoung was able to choose a completely different path.

He couldn’t be the center of this team, but he was happy to play the role of supporting Han Suhyuk from behind.

A stepping stone for building the Warriors dynasty that he had so desired, and that Han Suhyuk also sincerely wanted.

“Alright, what you have now isn’t bad, but let’s make a slight change to the grip. I throw it like this, see?”

Come to think of it, what he wanted wasn’t to be the best player, but to be a member of the best team.

He felt a little regretful about the four years he had spent away from this team, but

It’s okay. He was confident that he could last for several more years.

“Okay, you can definitely feel the difference, right?”

“Yes! Senior!”

He’s glad he was able to return before he got too old.

He’s grateful to be in a position where he can at least give advice to the guys who will be the future of the team.

Lim Junyoung watched Choi Maru’s pitching with a satisfied look.

* * *

[2028 KBO League [Korean Baseball Organization] First Half Ends, Warriors with 53 Wins, 2 Draws, and 25 Losses, Maintaining First Place, Two Games Ahead of the Magicians]

[Han Suhyuk and Lim Junyoung Record 13 and 11 Wins Respectively, Overwhelming Power of the One-Two Punch]

[Han Suhyuk Records an ERA of 0.16 in 110 Innings, Experts Say “The Batters Facing Him Look Pitiful”]

[Han Suhyuk Records 45 Home Runs, 98 RBIs [Runs Batted In], and 40 Stolen Bases in 80 Games, Running Away Pitching is Useless]

[Fans of 9 Teams Excluding the Warriors “If the Warriors Win the Championship, Please Just Leave for the Big Leagues”]

[1st Place Warriors, 2nd Place Magicians, 3rd Place Rangers, 4th Place Commanders, 5th Place Falcons, Autumn Baseball Dreams are Budding]

[Olympic Break for Two Weeks Starting the Second Week of July, Baseball National Team Players Depart for the United States Tomorrow]

[Korea, USA, Japan, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Israel, Netherlands, etc., 8 Finalist Countries Selected Through Baseball Nation Rankings and Regional Qualifiers, Ten-Day Battle for the Only Gold Medal]

[Major League’s Best Hitter, Ty Johnson “My Heart is Pounding at the Thought of Facing Han Suhyuk Again”]

[Japanese National Team’s Star Tanaka Yamato “My Heart Feels Like It’s Going to Explode When He Steps into the Batter’s Box, But… I Won’t Lose This Time”]

[Big League Experts “The USA is the Top Candidate for Victory, Korea is a Dark Horse” Still Underrated]

[Seattle Mariners General Manager Daniel Mitchell “I Apologize to the Koreans. The Experts in This Country Still Haven’t Learned Their Lesson After Being Beaten Once.”]

[Min Yerin, Who Released Her Comeback Album After a Year, Abruptly Postpones Her New Song Activities… “I’m Going to America to Watch Baseball”]

Han Suhyuk and Lim Junyoung, the tremendous power of the one-two punch, and the lineup that has become even more solid with the addition of Min Juhyun.

The Warriors, who are much stronger than they were when they won the championship last year, finished the first half in first place.

The Magicians and Rangers followed with fierce momentum, but the Warriors never gave up the top spot.

Even more encouraging was that there was no strain in the process.

The Warriors, who barely won the championship last season after squeezing the team’s strength to the limit, paid full attention to maintaining the players’ stamina and managing injuries throughout the first half.

The players brought in through trades during the stove league period [off-season trading period] and the rookies who newly joined the team supported the starting players.

Replacement members were rotated to help maintain the condition of the starters, and the intermediate relievers were actively used rather than taking the starting pitchers for a long time.

[Last Year’s Last Place Seoul Warriors Second Team, Emerges as a Strong Championship Candidate This Season]

What made the Warriors fans even more pleased was the performance of the second team, which, like the first team, had been stuck at the bottom every year.

The second team’s strength, which had been devastated by the previous owner’s reckless actions and the front office’s disastrous management, had become noticeably stronger.

Under the leadership of General Manager Park Jaecheol, active trades were made, and rookies who could be expected to have a future rather than right now were joining the second team one after another.

In addition, Yoo Incheol, who had to play backup on the first team last season due to a lack of player depth, was rapidly growing as the starting shortstop on the second team.

Yoo Incheol, who was a contemporary of Han Suhyuk, Seo Hyeongju, and An Chiwook, but was pessimistic about his situation, which was so far behind them, transformed into a switch hitter last winter and drastically increased his long hit power through bulking up.

If he continues to grow like this, it is expected that he will be the key to solving the problem of the absence of a starting shortstop in games where Han Suhyuk plays as a starter.

[Warriors Rookie Catcher Park Dongseok, Hits 18 Home Runs in the First Half of the Second Team Stage, Reserving a Spot as the Next Generation Slugger]

Meanwhile, Park Dongseok, who made his debut on the first team stage in sync with Han Suhyuk, immediately went down to the second team and took the position of starting catcher.

He hit 18 home runs in 50 games in the first half of the Futures League [Korean minor league], along with stable pitcher leading, and emerged as a strong candidate for the home run king.

When asked by reporters about the secret, Park Dongseok replied:

‘I heard advice from Han Suhyuk. The most important thing is to never be intimidated just because you’re a rookie. Once the game starts, seniors and juniors don’t mean anything, so never shrink back. I’m trying to never forget that word.’

He was born with a thoughtful and calm personality, so he was selected by Manager Lee Daejun as the next backup catcher, and he tried to play actively according to Han Suhyuk’s advice.

In the process, he got into a fight with a Titans senior of 3 years, and a bench clearing broke out, and Manager Lee Daejun grabbed his neck when he heard the news.

[Warriors Rookie Pitcher Choi Maru, Who Recorded 2 Wins, 1 Loss, and 10 Holds in the First Half, Challenges for Rookie of the Year This Season]

Meanwhile, Choi Maru, who is growing up while receiving the love of Han Suhyuk and Lim Junyoung, the two best pitchers in the Korean baseball world at the moment, recorded an ERA of 3.52, 2 wins, 1 loss, and 10 holds while pitching 42 innings in the first half.

He mainly played as a mop-up pitcher and long reliever in the early season, but in June, he began to be put in as a setup man with Kim Dooyoung more often, and began to accumulate holds steadily.

It was only natural that the Warriors fans, who were able to look forward to the Rookie of the Year for two consecutive seasons following Han Suhyuk, who was the MVP [Most Valuable Player] and Rookie of the Year last season, were overjoyed.

The Warriors’ first-year rookies, who had not given up their desire to be both pitchers and hitters until spring camp, finally gave up their will after long persuasion from General Manager Park Jaecheol and the second team manager, and are working hard to build their skills in their respective positions.

On the other hand, Park Jangryeol, a rookie from the Busan Titans who challenged to be both a pitcher and a hitter for the second time in Korea following Han Suhyuk, was injured with a torn elbow ligament after starting in the last game of the second half and immediately went on the operating table. He left behind only a meager record of a batting average of 0.223 with 3 home runs and 25 RBIs, an ERA of 4.98, and 1 win and 3 losses.

As all the plans for building the Warriors dynasty were proceeding step by step, the 2028 LA Olympics finally began.

“This year, it’s business class.”

“Thinking about how we flew economy last year…”

“It seems like the accommodation is pretty good this time too?”

“Guys, don’t just be happy. This is all the people’s taxes. Don’t get too excited and stay calm. We have to come back with a medal around our necks no matter what. Got it?”

On the day of departure, as the national team players were chatting excitedly before boarding the plane, captain Jeong Daehan calmed the atmosphere with a calm voice.

In yesterday’s first match of the LA Olympics soccer finals, the Korean national team lost 1-0 to China.

It was the first international tournament since the players who had been active in the European leagues in the early 2020s retired, and they were disgraced.

Not only that.

Sports such as women’s volleyball and men’s basketball, which are very popular in Korea, were either eliminated in the regional qualifiers or suffered a series of defeats in the finals, and the public’s anger was accumulating.

What if baseball doesn’t achieve satisfactory results in this situation?

‘Hmm…….’

Jeong Daehan turned around, humming to himself.

In the distance, Han Suhyuk was talking to someone.

On closer inspection, it was Min Yerin.

Now, Han Suhyuk’s crazy fan, who seems to be better known as a baseball-crazed woman than a world star.

Rumors were spreading about the two of them, with the short hug they had during the last Korean Series and the rumors of their trip to the United States.

They’re already in a deep relationship, they’ve started living together, and even if Han Suhyuk shows even a little bit of sluggishness, it’s because he fought with Min Yerin.

‘That’s nonsense.’

But Jeong Daehan, who can confidently say that he knows Han Suhyuk quite well, except for his teammates, could bet his entire fortune that it’s all nonsense.

‘How can you say they’re dating when you look at that? One side is just following the other around.’

Even in this situation, Han Suhyuk is checking the data of the opposing team’s players with a tablet, and Min Yerin is doing all sorts of flattery to attract his attention.

Suddenly, he had a thought.

‘That guy really has everything… looks, skills, popularity, and even a woman… If he just gets FA [Free Agency, allowing a player to sign with any team] soon, he’ll have money on top of that.’

In fact, Han Suhyuk already had more than enough money, but Jeong Daehan had no way of knowing that.

Han Suhyuk, who was receiving envious glances from his national team colleagues, including Jeong Daehan, said to Min Yerin.

“Yerin.”

“Yes, Oppa [term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older man].”

“Why are you being so over the top? We’re going to see each other again in America anyway.”

“Heeing… I even postponed my new song activities to follow Oppa, but our flights are different…….”

“That’s okay. It’s already being reported that you and I are in some kind of relationship, and if we take the same plane, only the reporters will be happy. It’s not good for a celebrity to be caught up in such scandals.”

To be honest, she wanted to give a prize to the reporter who wrote such an article, but Min Yerin didn’t bother to say it out loud.

Min Yerin had smashed the reporters and commenters who wrote provocative articles so much that even in this situation, there were almost no articles about her romance with Han Suhyuk.

However, Min Yerin was just frustrated because she couldn’t openly ask the reporters to write about her affair.

“Anyway, Oppa, I’ll look for that person you asked me to find whenever I have time when I go this time. I’ll also double-check with the detective agency I commissioned.”

“Okay, it’s not urgent, so don’t overdo it, and, oh, don’t go around the baseball field on the safety net this time. You might really get blacklisted and not be able to enter the stadium at all.”

“Hehe, yes. I got it. Anyway, Oppa, have a safe flight and see you in America.”

That’s how the conversation between the two ended.

In the second week of July 2028, a plane carrying 30 Olympic national team players and officials, including Han Suhyuk, took off for Los Angeles Airport.