Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 196

#195. Olympic Team

Thwack!

“Stop it, Tai. Don’t overdo it. Your team’s manager would have a heart attack if he saw this.”

“Just a bit more. I still don’t have the feel for it.”

“Um… Why are you doing this? If you keep hitting 110-mile pitches like this, your balance might collapse.”

“You don’t get it. To hit that monster’s ball, this isn’t enough.”

The United States, hosting these Olympics, revived baseball as a formal event after a long absence.

The MLB [Major League Baseball] secretariat, which had been at odds with the IOC [International Olympic Committee] over the leadership of world baseball until recently, made several concessions with these Olympics as an opportunity.

Although it was contingent on the player’s voluntary will and the club’s approval, they fully allowed Big League players to participate in the Olympics.

As a result, many Big Leaguers who played in the last WBC [World Baseball Classic] team, and star players considered next-generation prospects, joined the national teams one after another.

Not only that.

In the United States, where the league never stops even if a war breaks out, the regular season was suspended for more than ten days during the Olympics.

It’s uncertain what will happen at the next Olympics, but at least for the Olympics held on home soil, the intention was to never allow other countries to take the baseball gold medal.

And here, at Dodger Stadium’s training ground, where the semi-finals and finals of this Olympic baseball event will be held, stands Tai Johnson, considered the best player of this era.

He set the batting machine’s speed to 111 miles per hour, or 180 km/h [kilometers per hour], to practice hitting Han Su-hyeok’s ball, and he seemed far from satisfied even after practicing for over an hour.

The national team trainer tried to stop Tai Johnson.

‘I think I know why he’s doing that.’

The monster who completely defeated the United States in the last WBC, a Korean team player with a physique and skill that are hard to believe for an Asian player.

He is well aware that the guy named Han Su-hyeok, who gave Tai Johnson a sense of defeat for the first time in his life, throws a ball that reaches 170 km/h [kilometers per hour].

But this was too much.

Baseball is by no means an individual sport where you only need to win against one person.

In order for the US national team, and Tai Johnson, to win a gold medal, they have to face numerous pitchers.

Focusing all his attention on that one 170 km/h [kilometers per hour] ball that Han Su-hyeok throws is foolish.

But Tai Johnson didn’t budge.

Thwack!

‘This isn’t enough. That monster’s ball isn’t just fast…….’

On the other hand, this phenomenon wasn’t only happening within the US national team.

The Japanese national team, which arrived earlier than Korea, was assigned a training ground.

Tanaka Yamato, who is playing the role of the Chicago Cubs’ ace this season following last season, was holding a baseball in his hand with his eyes closed.

He was truly devastated.

He met Han Su-hyeok in two consecutive games, the preliminary round and the semi-final, and was completely dominated.

If he tried to get a hit, he would give up a home run, and if he walked him, he would be mocked with his base-running.

In Tanaka’s baseball career, he had never met such a formidable baseball player.

When that guy crushed Japan like that and advanced to the finals, he cheered for the opposing team, the United States, with all his heart.

Hoping that arrogant Korean guy would be crushed by the major leaguers.

But it didn’t happen.

The guy named Han Su-hyeok even crushed the US national team, where the best baseball players in the world gathered, and took the championship trophy to Korea.

To be honest, I don’t know how to beat that guy.

He hits more than 60 home runs in the KBO League [Korean Baseball Organization] and records 85 consecutive innings without allowing a run.

Well, aside from such record-breaking feats, he’s just a very intimidating guy.

Every time I make eye contact with him on the field, I get goosebumps.

To be honest, I didn’t want to participate in these Olympics.

No, I was too scared to face Han Su-hyeok.

Nevertheless, I am standing here.

Because if he wants to return to Japan after retirement, he has to be mindful of public opinion.

‘Haa…….’

Tanaka Yamato’s sigh filled the training ground.

* * *

Unlike the players who are suffering from the aftereffects of facing Han Su-hyeok, most experts didn’t see a high probability of the Korean national team winning a gold medal.

Regarding Han Su-hyeok, the main player and MVP of the 2027 WBC victory, and who has been dominating the KBO League [Korean Baseball Organization] for two consecutive years, he was only evaluated as ‘a player who could play as a starter on a mid-to-upper-level Big League team’.

Big League officials, who pride themselves on being the best in the world when it comes to baseball, never easily recognize players from other countries’ leagues.

A pitcher who can throw a rare fastball in the Big League where he wants, and a hitter who has recorded many home runs and RBIs by taking advantage of the characteristics of the KBO League [Korean Baseball Organization], where Major League-level and Double-A-level players coexist.

That was the evaluation of Han Su-hyeok made by conservative experts in the United States.

Of course, the scouts who have actually watched him, and are watching him, are foaming at the mouth and insisting on recruiting him.

Anyway, even if Han Su-hyeok is like that for now, the reason why experts underestimate the Korean national team is that the strength of the remaining players is too far behind.

Unfortunately, that was an undeniable reality.

Unlike the Asian Games, there is no age limit, but due to the nature of Korea, where military service is an issue, many inexperienced players were included.

Looking at the players who joined the Olympic team following the last WBC team, there were 7 pitchers including Han Su-hyeok, Lim Jun-yeong, Choi Kyung-jae, Ryu Han-gyeol, Kim Yong-jae, Lee Ha-yeong, and Park Do-yul, and Jeong Dae-han, Jang Deok-soo, Lee Soo-young, Kim Se-jun, Ahn Tae-gyu, Lee Chan-ho, Yang Seon-woo, Choi Yeon-woo, and Kang Woo-chan, 9 fielders.

The rest are all new faces.

That means 14 out of 30 entries are young, unproven players.

Newcomers in their first or second year, such as Seo Hyeong-joo and Ahn Chi-wook, or middle-aged rookies such as Yang Ki-cheol and Kim Doo-yeong, who have not yet resolved their military service obligations.

Leading the team with about half of the inexperienced players was coach Gu Yong-sik, who was dismissed midway through last season in Incheon.

He, the number one in data baseball based on Cybermetrics, was preparing to study in the United States after stepping down as coach.

However, due to the active persuasion and requests of senior colleagues, he eventually took the helm of the national team and experienced an international competition for the first time in his life.

Coach Gu Yong-sik’s main concern was none other than Han Su-hyeok.

‘Hmm…….’

This Olympic baseball tournament consists of Group A, which includes Korea, Japan, Mexico, and the Netherlands, and Group B, which consists of 4 countries including the United States, Dominica, Cuba, and Israel. After the preliminary rounds, the 1st and 2nd place teams from each group will play in the semi-finals, and depending on the results, they will have a gold medal match and a bronze medal match, respectively.

In short, if you assume that you will advance to the finals, the total number of games you will play is 5.

The problem here is that in order to get to the finals, you have to win all the games.

If any one team loses all the games in the preliminary round of 4 teams, the remaining three teams will be tied, and they may have to consider tie-breakers such as head-to-head records or run differential.

There is only one way to avoid such a terrible situation:

All wins.

To do that, you have to put your heart and soul into choosing a starting pitcher.

With the mindset that every game is the final.

In the first game of the preliminary round against Mexico, he will put forward Lim Jun-yeong, his former disciple and the Warriors’ second starter.

The reason for the selection was that most of the starting lineup were right-handed hitters, and Lim Jun-yeong was quite effective against foreign hitters.

In the following preliminary match against their arch-rival Japan, he plans to send Han Su-hyeok.

He believes that Han Su-hyeok, who is especially strong against Japan as well as other teams, will definitely secure a win.

In the next game against the Netherlands, he will send Ryu Han-gyeol.

He believes that he, who has established himself as the third starter for the LA Angels this season and has won 5 games in the first half, will be able to handle the Dutch players, who are mainly composed of Big League and Minor League players.

With these three pitchers taking the field in turn, Choi Kyung-jae, the fourth starting candidate, is put on standby so that he can be put into the game at any time.

Fortunately or unfortunately, unlike the WBC, where the number of pitches was strictly limited, there are no restrictions on this Olympics.

Although there are no plans to do so, it is possible to have a complete game if a pitcher with good stamina performs well.

‘For now, this is it…….’

If this plan hits the mark and they break through the preliminary round in first place, they will play in the semi-finals against Dominica, which is expected to be second in Group B after two days of rest.

From then on, they will enter a short-term tournament with no turning back.

All pitchers except Han Su-hyeok, who will be the starting pitcher for the finals, will be on standby.

‘Hmm… Hmmm…….’

Coach Gu Yong-sik’s mind was filled with the face of Han Su-hyeok, who holds the key to this Olympic team’s plan.

What if something happens to him?

Then everything is over.

No matter how hard he thinks, there is no player who can replace him.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the success or failure of winning a gold medal at these Olympics depends on how well Han Su-hyeok is managed.

Currently, Han Su-hyeok has a total of three dedicated personnel following him: the national team trainer, the trainer dispatched from the Warriors, and the trainer he personally hired, Jacob Turner.

Not only that, but he is also constantly exchanging opinions with coach Lee Dae-jun of his team and Jeong Yun-seok, who coached Han Su-hyeok at the last WBC, to check Han Su-hyeok’s physical condition.

Some may say it’s too much, and others may say it’s a privilege,

Well,

Whoever is sitting in this position now would have done the same.

At least if he’s a sane human being.

‘Well, that person might have been a little different.’

The first name to be considered in the process of selecting the coach for this Olympic team was not actually Gu Yong-sik.

The KBSA [Korea Baseball Softball Association], which was in charge of organizing the Olympic team, tried to put forward coach Hwang Byeong-ho, and he also expressed his intention to take the helm.

However, that plan fell through due to one statement from Han Su-hyeok.

[Regarding the rumor of coach Hwang Byeong-ho’s appointment to the Olympic team, Han Su-hyeok said, “I want to play with a coach who makes baseball more like baseball. My shoulder seems a little uncomfortable recently… Maybe it will be difficult to participate in the Olympics.”]

In short, it meant that if Hwang Byeong-ho took over as coach, he might boycott the Olympics.

The baseball world was turned upside down, and baseball fans flooded the websites of the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] and KBSA [Korea Baseball Softball Association] with complaints.

A very small number of baseball elders pointed out that Han Su-hyeok was arrogant, but their voices disappeared without a trace, buried in the huge tsunami of public opinion.

He was a player who deserved that much influence, even if he wasn’t the best player.

No, even if you didn’t consider his qualifications, there was no one who could go against Han Su-hyeok’s will.

The Warriors, who should have been the primary filter, expressed their willingness to unconditionally follow Han Su-hyeok’s words, and the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], which feared public opinion more than anything else, didn’t try to be at odds with him.

The KBSA [Korea Baseball Softball Association] alone, which did not read the trends of the times, trembled with resentment, but nothing changed even if it did.

That’s how the rumor of coach Hwang Byeong-ho disappeared, and instead, Gu Yong-sik took over the position.

On the first day of the team’s gathering, coach Gu Yong-sik asked Han Su-hyeok.

‘Am I a coach who knows something about baseball?’

It was a question that would have made other players blush with embarrassment, but Han Su-hyeok answered without changing his expression.

‘As far as I know, I think you are one of the most rational and knowledgeable coaches about baseball.’

Gu Yong-sik was able to give a bright smile for the first time since stepping down as coach of Incheon at Han Su-hyeok’s answer.