Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 230

#229. Hard to Keep Up

Clunk.

“You didn’t go out and stayed in your room, Director Park.”

“Ah, CEO. Where would I go in this situation? I was surprised when the Seoul city guys called me early in the morning. So, how did it go? What happened?”

“Well… if we go into every little detail, it’ll be too complicated. Let’s just say, in broad strokes, yes, it seems like the time has finally come for us to end our cohabitation.”

“Oh! Then?”

“Yes, the agreement between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Seoul City has finally been reached. In four years, we should finally have a new home.”

The national baseball team, after winning the WBC [World Baseball Classic] and the Olympics, had two dinners with the President. Both times, Han Su-hyeok suggested the need for a dome stadium when the President asked if there was anything he could help with.

Of course, the President wouldn’t move on the words of a mere baseball player.

The reason the President became slightly interested in those words after the second dinner was that they overlapped with the government’s interests.

‘I heard you’re worried about that design exhibition hall left unattended in the middle of Dongdaemun. Our club owner told me to pass this on. If you entrust it to us, we’ll demolish it cleanly with private funds and build a dome stadium in its place.’

The Dongdaemun Stadium, once called the mecca of amateur baseball, was demolished and replaced by a design museum.

The result of that project, which was carried out in conjunction with the then-mayor’s will to remodel Seoul entirely, is now left empty.

An ambitious plan to create a sculpture symbolizing the country and the city, like the Louvre Museum in Paris.

According to the original plan, it should have been used as a design exhibition hall, gallery, and shopping mall for the citizens of Seoul, but from the beginning, using such a large space for gallery purposes was not cost-effective.

In addition, no individuals or companies wanted to move into the shopping mall space. These problems overlapped, and for the past 15 years, it has been left as a headache for Seoul City and the government.

But now there is a way to solve that painful problem without spending any government budget, so the President couldn’t help but prick up his ears.

‘Look into it first. Find out what their plan is.’

The competent ministry and Seoul City, having received the President’s directive, moved into action.

The proposal from Iconic Partners, the parent company of the Warriors, was very simple.

If Seoul City would lease the site to Iconic Partners on a long-term basis, the remaining issues, from demolition to the establishment of the dome stadium, would be taken care of by the private sector. From the government’s point of view, it was a proposal with nothing to lose.

The only problem was the laws and regulations that only the government and local governments could own sports facilities.

So, Seoul City initially proposed a donation of property. Of course, Iconic immediately rejected this proposal.

They didn’t want to do the cumbersome and troublesome act of building a stadium with their own money, donating it back to Seoul City, and then using it while paying a small rent.

After several back-and-forths between the three parties, a final conclusion was finally reached today.

“It was worth rushing in early in the morning. So, are we going to go ahead with the cultural center as planned?”

“Yes, but instead, we’ve decided to use it as a venue for performances, exhibitions, and various cultural events on days when there are no baseball games.”

“We’ll have to actively rent it out to cover operating costs anyway, so that’s good. There’s nothing to lose.”

“That’s right, Director Park. Anyway, let’s leave this to the staff. Oh, come to think of it, what about Su-hyeok’s game? It’s not over yet, is it?”

“No, CEO. I was watching it until you came in… Just a moment, I’ll turn it on right away.”

Perhaps because the problem that had been weighing heavily on his mind for the past few months had been resolved, Park Jae-cheol, whose expression had noticeably brightened, hurriedly turned on the TV.

“Hmm…? It’s already the bottom of the 8th?”

“Yes, CEO. The game is incredibly fast today. It’s exhausting just watching it.”

“Good, then shall we watch the game first and talk?”

The CEO and the director leading the Warriors closed their mouths and immersed themselves in the TV.

There, Han Su-hyeok was taking the mound in the bottom of the 8th to defend against the Yankees’ attack.

The score was 3 to 0.

The faces of both teams’ players caught on the relay camera were pale enough to be pitiful.

* * *

– It’s really amazing! I never imagined I’d see a game like this! Commissioner, isn’t it amazing?

– Haa… haa… I’m out of, out of breath…….

– Commissioner?

– I’m sorry. I’m so moved that I can’t breathe properly, whew… Yes, I feel a little better now.

– Viewers, I’m sorry. We’re only human. Now, Commissioner, let’s summarize the situation so far for viewers who have just tuned in. First, here are Han Su-hyeok’s stats as a batter today. 4 at-bats, 4 hits, yes, that alone is already amazing enough, but…….

– A cycle hit!

– That’s right. It’s amazing. Han Su-hyeok, who opened the scoring with a leadoff home run in the first inning, hit a single in the 3rd, a double in the 6th, and then hit a triple in the top of the 8th inning, which had just ended, to record his first cycle hit in his major league debut! [A cycle hit is when a batter hits a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game.]

– Whew, I don’t know if it’s right to say this, but…….

– Go ahead, Commissioner.

– Seeing the arrogant New Yorkers’ faces turn pale makes me feel so good…….

– Hmm, Commissioner, isn’t there something more important left right now?

– Ah! That’s right. Yes, viewers. Surprisingly, Han Su-hyeok has not allowed a single Yankees batter to reach first base through the 7th inning. Yes, that’s right. Han Su-hyeok is challenging for a perfect game in his second major league game.

– I’m sorry. Viewers, we know very well that it’s taboo to say these words, but, whew, if you look at the atmosphere here, you’ll understand how we feel.

As soon as the announcer’s comment ended, the relay camera showed every corner of Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees fans, their faces flushed red, spewing curses that no one could understand, and the Korean immigrants in between, cheering for Han Su-hyeok in very small voices.

The strange thing was the scenery on the ground.

The Yankees players, their uniforms a mess with sweat and dirt, and the Mariners players, whose uniforms were excessively clean.

Although they had such contrasting appearances, the faces of these two teams’ players had a common emotion.

Pressure, tension, and the fear of making a mistake.

Han Su-hyeok’s perfect march was putting tremendous pressure not only on the opponent but also on his teammates.

But Han Su-hyeok’s expression on the mound was comfortable.

Even though he had just recorded a cycle hit in the previous at-bat and ran like crazy to third base, Han Su-hyeok, without losing his breath, calmly looked at the batter from the mound and threw the first pitch.

Whoosh.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

“Crazy!”

“Damn it! Is this real?”

“Do something, you bastards!”

The Yankees fans, who didn’t even know who Han Su-hyeok was until the game started, and dismissed him as just another common Asian player, foamed at the mouth and cursed their own team’s players.

Han Su-hyeok, who recorded a cycle hit, and Ty Johnson, who scored 3 RBIs [Runs Batted In] including 1 home run while taking advantage of the opportunity behind him.

It was only natural that criticism was pouring in for the players who had not scored a single point or even stepped on first base while the opposing team’s players were so active.

But the Yankees players were extremely frustrated.

‘Damn it, how are we supposed to deal with a monster who throws 105 miles in the 8th inning?’

When the first pitch of 107 miles came in the first inning, there was still room for composure.

They believed that they would be able to adapt if they watched it enough, no matter how fast the ball was, and that the speed would decrease as the innings went by and time passed.

But it was a vain hope.

The monster, who has thrown 90 pitches so far, is still throwing fastballs of 105 miles in the 8th inning.

It’s not just a fast ball.

A hard sinker, slightly slower than that, at 102 to 103 miles per hour, made the Yankees batters swing in vain.

It’s a foul. No human can put such an absurd ball into the zone so freely.

But no matter what the Yankees players thought, Han Su-hyeok continued at that pace, and in the end, no one could hit his ball properly.

Whoosh.

Thwaaack!

“Swing! Out!”

Once again, three batters were helplessly dismissed, and the Yankees’ attack in the bottom of the 8th inning ended in an instant.

Just one inning left.

Only one inning remained until Han Su-hyeok achieved a perfect game.

* * *

One of the biggest reasons why KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] players struggle so much after advancing to the major leagues is the speed of the game.

The speed of the ball thrown by the pitcher, the speed of the batted ball, the speed of the runner, and even the speed of the throw cannot be compared to the KBO.

In addition, the pitch clock and AI ball judgment system, which were introduced to speed up the game, add the finishing touch.

The pitcher must throw the next ball within 15 seconds if there is no runner, and within 20 seconds if there is a runner. The batter must also enter the plate within the allotted time.

Since AI, not humans, reads the balls, there is no need to protest to the referee about the decision.

In short, once the game starts, you shut up and throw, hit, and receive.

As a result, from the perspective of Korean players who have been dragging out time in various ways since school, their stamina is exhausted just by keeping up with the speed of the major leagues.

This is why Ryu Han-gyeol, who advanced to the major leagues two years ago, and Lee Chan-ho, who followed him the following year, struggled.

Therefore, American experts, fans, and each team’s power analysis personnel predicted that Han Su-hyeok would also need some time to adapt to this changed environment.

But,

Whoosh.

Thwack!

“Strike! Out!”

“You crazy bastards! That guy’s salary is $20 million? Release him! Release that kind of guy right away and bring that guy on the mound to our team!”

“Just hit the bat! Do something, you damn bastards!”

The data of the Yankees batters, whom he had faced so much in his previous life, was neatly organized in Han Su-hyeok’s head.

Han Su-hyeok throws the ball according to the organized data.

The catcher’s lead? That’s long gone.

Right now, the Seattle catcher was barely able to catch the ball according to Han Su-hyeok’s lead.

Whoosh.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

As if playing a computer game, he instantly decides on the pitch and course, and when he puts the catcher’s mitt according to the sign, the ball flies there like a ghost.

A 110km/h changeup flew to the batter aiming for a fast ball, a hard sinker that rotated backwards from the outside to the batter waiting for a body ball, and a fastball close to 170km/h flew in succession to the batter who had a habit of watching the ball for a long time.

Bruce Matthews, the Seattle catcher who caught the ball until the ninth inning with one out, thought.

‘If I were a batter, how would I deal with this guy?’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a good solution.

It’s so hard just to catch it, but I have to hit it?

‘Holy shit……!’

Bruce, who is twenty-nine years old this year and is one of the older starting batters in Seattle, and was planning to leave for a team that could challenge for the World Series after this season, thought.

‘Damn it, I need to talk to my agent again.’

Whoosh.

Thwack!

“Swing! Out!”

Before he knew it, it was the bottom of the 9th with two outs, and only one out count remained until the great record.