Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 219

218. A Foretold Incident

[KBO Rookie’s Shocking Debut: First Inning, First At-Bat, Two-Run Homer, and Immediate Ejection]

[Verbal Sparring Between Runner and Catcher, Followed by a Second Clash Between Han Su-hyeok and the Catcher… Result: Catcher’s Jaw Fractured]

[Oakland Catcher Desmond King, Punched by Han Su-hyeok, Likely to Miss Extended Time]

[Seattle’s Rookie Records First Big League Homer and First Ejection Simultaneously, a Debut More Intense Than Anyone’s]

[Cause of the Altercation Between Players? MLB to Announce Disciplinary Measures After Thorough Investigation]

[Oakland Loses Starting Catcher in the First Inning, Suffers 5-3 Defeat to Seattle Mariners]

[Ty Johnson, Who Hit a Back-to-Back Homer After Han Su-hyeok’s Ejection: “If he was upset, there must have been a good reason. Han Su-hyeok respects baseball more than anyone.”]

[Seattle Fans: “Best debut ever. Whatever happened, it’s definitely Oakland’s fault.”]

[Oakland Fans: “A rookie daring to do a bat flip is entirely to blame.”]

[Amidst the Chaos, Mariners’ Ace Ryan Thibeault Records First Win with 7 Innings, 2 Runs Allowed]

[Seattle Records First Opening Day Victory in 7 Years; Remaining Issue is the Severity of Han Su-hyeok’s Suspension]

* * *

“So, to summarize, that damn Oakland guy mentioned Han Su-hyeok and Derek’s hometowns and made racist remarks.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Good. There’s no need to discuss this further. We’ll minimize our disciplinary measures and ensure Desmond gets the maximum punishment. Go home and rest. I’ll contact you as soon as a decision is made.”

“Okay, Daniel.”

Han Su-hyeok, with a calm expression, nodded and stood up in the Seattle GM’s office.

Han Su-hyeok, who had hit a two-run homer and fractured the opposing catcher’s jaw with a well-placed punch, was immediately ejected.

After showering, Han Su-hyeok went straight to the GM’s office and explained the situation to Daniel and the staff.

Daniel was convinced that they had the moral high ground after hearing the story.

Those trashy words, which could be interpreted as racist, had come out of the Oakland catcher’s mouth.

It didn’t matter that the umpire hadn’t heard it on the field.

The black box [recording device worn by the umpire] he was wearing would contain all the details of the incident.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Just a moment, Han Su-hyeok.”

Daniel stopped Han Su-hyeok as he was about to leave the GM’s office.

There was one thing he wanted to ask.

“Yes?”

“The conversation we just had was official… but can I ask for the real reason?”

Daniel had watched the video of Han Su-hyeok throwing the punch several times and noticed something odd.

He couldn’t detect any signs of anger on Han Su-hyeok’s face as he punched Desmond.

Daniel had watched all of Han Su-hyeok’s games for three seasons in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].

Of course, he had anticipated this situation when he recruited him.

Unlike other Asian players who are generally quiet and shy, he knew how wild Han Su-hyeok could be.

What if Han Su-hyeok’s fiery temper met the old-timers of the Big League?

This bench-clearing brawl was practically inevitable.

But today’s situation was a bit strange.

‘He doesn’t seem angry?’

After watching the video for a while, Daniel was sure.

There must be another reason for this.

Han Su-hyeok was clearly not angry.

Han Su-hyeok, reading Daniel’s expression, replied as if it were nothing.

“Those Oakland guys needed to be taught a lesson.”

“Yes?”

“Our team’s youngsters seem to be intimidated by them. Well, it wasn’t like that in my day… they’re too weak.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, just pretend you didn’t hear that. I hope today’s incident ends as a minority player unable to tolerate a white player’s racist remarks.”

“Ah, yes, yes, of course. I understand. I’ll take care of it and contact you soon.”

“Thanks, Daniel.”

“You’re welcome.”

Han Su-hyeok left the GM’s office after the conversation.

Daniel’s assistant, who had been watching from the corner, finally spoke up.

“Sir, aren’t you being too subservient to a player?”

“What? That’s the problem with smart guys. What’s the point of going to Harvard if you don’t understand the essence of human relationships?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think that guy is playing baseball for a mere $600,000 salary like other rookies?”

“Well, isn’t he going through all this trouble to become a superstar and earn tens of millions of dollars?”

“Nonsense… I told you last time, but you still don’t understand. Forget it, connect me to the head office right away. Tell them that if they impose an excessive penalty, we will officially raise the issue of that idiot’s racism.”

* * *

Step, step.

Han Su-hyeok left the GM’s office and headed towards the parking lot where his car was parked.

He had been ejected, but the game continued.

The cheers of the crowd were constant, so something must have happened again, but that could be checked later.

As he had told Daniel earlier, he beat up the Oakland catcher not only because of his rude language but also as a show of force.

He didn’t have much sense of belonging to the Seattle team yet, but he absolutely refused to let his team be treated like pushovers by others.

Oakland had been a top team in the league for years with veterans who faithfully fulfilled their roles despite not being highly paid, and young, talented players in their mid-20s raised from their own farm system.

Of course, Seattle, with no big names except for Ryan Thibeault, was seen as an easy target, if not a complete pushover.

A pushover who couldn’t resist even when cursed or openly provoked.

To reverse the hierarchical relationship that had been built up between the two teams for years, nothing was better than a bench-clearing brawl.

So, he thought about teaching them a lesson sometime, but it happened sooner than expected.

Han Su-hyeok didn’t even expect him to suddenly utter racist remarks.

“Hmm…”

Anyway, that’s all in the past…

Han Su-hyeok’s mood was refreshing.

It was strange.

He was ejected from the opening game, but he felt refreshed instead of unpleasant.

He felt like he had been carrying too much for the Warriors [his previous team, likely in the KBO].

Beep.

He got into the car and entered the route to his house.

Whoosh.

As soon as the destination was entered, the self-driving car smoothly glided away towards Han Su-hyeok’s house.

The electric car market, which had been faltering due to insufficient driving range, high vehicle prices, and unexplained fires, was reignited by the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries by a Swiss research institute last year.

Han Su-hyeok was the third-largest shareholder in that research institute.

Click.

The car arrived at Han Su-hyeok’s house, located in the middle of a luxury residential area overlooking downtown Seattle, and automatically entered charging mode.

Han Su-hyeok realized that time was passing as he witnessed technology that had been impossible until recently.

It had already been more than three years since he regressed [traveled back in time].

He had gained comrades, friends, fans, and someone he could call a girlfriend, all of which he didn’t have in his previous life.

He suddenly felt a sense of fulfillment.

Han Su-hyeok’s brilliant records in the Big League in his previous life had now disappeared into time.

Therefore, Han Su-hyeok was just a rookie from the East in the eyes of Seattle fans.

Players who once showed awe towards Han Su-hyeok would bare their teeth and growl.

It meant he had to start all over again from the beginning.

“Hmm.”

But instead of being annoyed and irritated by that fact, he was rather pleased.

That’s right.

Having relieved the burden of the Warriors’ championship, he felt that all of this was a blessing, not a curse.

“Oppa!” [Korean term for older brother or boyfriend]

Min Ye-rin, who heard that Han Su-hyeok had returned home, had already chased him here.

Whether she was upset or surprised by today’s events, faint tear marks were dried on her eyes.

“Oppa, are you okay? You weren’t hurt fighting that ignorant guy, were you? Oh, what’s going on… Ugh, I’m not going to let this go. Those damn guys.”

“Ye-rin.”

“Whether this is America or whatever… Huh? Did you call me, Oppa?”

“I’m hungry. Shall we go eat?”

“Eat! That’s great. Yes, I’ve already made a list of the best restaurants in this neighborhood! Do you like lobster dishes?”

“No, I want to eat a hamburger. I know a place. Let’s go there.”

“Hamburger! That’s good, but you don’t really like……”

“No, I like it. Let’s go. I’m really hungry.”

Han Su-hyeok still didn’t like eating something sandwiched between bread, but he decided to accept it willingly for Min Ye-rin, who especially liked hamburgers.

To live the life he wanted, he had to first find out what the people around him wanted and be considerate.

He now understood the simple yet complex wisdom of life.

“Ye-rin.”

“Yes?”

“Everything’s fine, but no Hong-yeom [referencing a past incident]. You’ll really be banned from the stadium.”

“Hmph…”

Han Su-hyeok was growing more and more as a baseball player and as a human being.

* * *

[MLB Announces Disciplinary Measures for Bench-Clearing Brawl Between Seattle and Oakland]

[Seattle’s Han Su-hyeok Suspended for 2 Games, Oakland’s Desmond King Suspended for 15 Games, Special Education for 50 Hours]

[The guy who punched gets 2 games, the guy who got punched gets 15 games? MLB Official: “We confirmed that Desmond King said something that should not have been said before the clash.”]

[No comment on what was said: “Embarrassing profanity that is difficult to disclose. The head office will focus more on character education for Big League players in the future.”]

[Both clubs accept the disciplinary measures without appeal… Han Su-hyeok to miss the 2nd and 3rd games against Oakland]

The moment the conversation between the players that day was revealed from the black box worn by the umpire, the Oakland club shut its mouth, and Seattle GM Daniel’s voice grew louder.

The MLB [Major League Baseball], which was planning to impose strong penalties for the violent incident that occurred from the opening game, immediately changed its stance and adjusted the level of punishment for the two players.

Racist remarks, the most taboo in the MLB, which is trying to globalize baseball, resulted in a heavy penalty for Desmond King, who recklessly uttered them, with a 15-game suspension and 50 hours of special education.

And the second game of the series between Seattle and Oakland.

Crack!

Derek Fleming, who owed Han Su-hyeok a debt of gratitude, hit a leadoff home run.

Starting with that home run, the enraged Seattle players devastated Oakland’s mound.

On this day, Derek Fleming recorded 1 home run, 2 hits, and 2 stolen bases, and Ty Johnson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 7th inning to decide the game.

9 to 3, Seattle’s 2nd consecutive win.

Praise began to flow from the mouths of fans who had been busy criticizing the front office and players only during the opening game.

Although they failed to win three consecutive games in the third game the following day due to the poor performance of the starting pitcher, the atmosphere of the Seattle team was still hot.

The fact that they had crushed Oakland, who had been brutally oppressing them for the past few years, was enough to boost their morale.

Thus, Seattle’s first three-game series of the 2030 season came to an end.

The next opponent was the LA Angels, which included Ryu Han-gyeol and Lee Chan-ho.