Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 232

#231. Rising Memory

“Um, Ryan. You’ve looked like you have something to say for a while now, just spit it out. I’m not so inflexible that I can’t grant a favor to today’s starting pitcher.”

“Yes? Ah, no, sir. It’s not that…”

“It’s not? You definitely have something on your mind. Why? Is it hard to adjust to the 6-man rotation? Hmm, I guess you could think that way. No, you definitely would. But as I said before, we can adjust that as the season progresses…”

“It’s not that, sir.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s not about my rotation…”

“Then what is it?”

“…Haa, never mind. I’ll be going now.”

“Hmph… Alright. I don’t know what it is, but come back when you feel like talking. The manager’s office is always open.”

Ryan Thibodeau, today’s starting pitcher, finished his pre-game conversation with the manager, left the office, and headed for the field.

The phone call he had with his wife and daughter this morning replayed in his head.

– I hope you have good luck today, honey.

‘Yeah, thanks, Mia. Oh, Riley? Isn’t she back from kindergarten yet?’

– She’s back. She’s reading a book in her room. The friends for her party haven’t arrived yet.

‘Sorry. I can’t be there for Riley’s birthday every year.’

– It’s okay. I have to put up with this much since I married a major leaguer. Don’t worry about Riley’s birthday party and make sure to beat those Yankees bastards.

‘Okay. I’ll do my best to pitch. Love you.’

– Love you too, I’ll send you a video of Riley’s birthday party later.

Ryan, who married his high school sweetheart early, was the head of a household with a six-year-old daughter.

The hardest day of the year for him was today.

His daughter’s birthday, a daughter he wouldn’t trade for the world.

He feels terrible that he hasn’t been able to celebrate his daughter’s birthday for the past few years because of away games.

Ryan knows.

How much his daughter wants to be with him, and how hard she cheers while watching her dad’s game when he can’t be there.

That’s why he wants to show his daughter his victory, even if he can’t attend the party.

But,

unfortunately, his opponent today is the New York Yankees.

The team Ryan has never won against since his debut.

In the past 7 years, Ryan’s career record in 12 starts against the Yankees is 0 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of nearly 6.00.

The Yankees’ lineup is strong, but it’s not just that.

Looking at offensive power alone, Ryan maintains good stats against teams like the Red Sox, who are a step ahead of the Yankees.

It’s just a jinx. A jinx that keeps getting twisted because something went wrong from the start.

“Hey, Ryan. How’s your condition today?”

“Um, I’m fine. How about you?”

“I’m a little tired from catching that guy’s pitches yesterday… Hehe, but I drank a lot of beer and slept well, so I feel much better. I’m great now.”

“Beer, huh… Damn it, if there’s an error, I’m going to ask the bench to replace the catcher, Bruce.”

“Damn it, can’t even make a joke. What beer? I passed out as soon as I got to the hotel and woke up this morning. Hoo, yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life.”

Ryan, who already knew that the beer comment was a joke, patted him on the shoulder and moved on.

Perhaps because they played such a great game, everyone looked tired, but the expressions of the teammates he encountered seemed very different from yesterday.

Instead of the despair and helplessness that filled their faces, the determination to win today’s game was evident.

Ryan knows.

Where that change came from.

An unbelievable being who broke the team’s 4-game losing streak, and to top it off, achieved both a cycle [hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game] and a perfect game all by himself.

A super rookie who made the air of Yankee Stadium, a place that makes you shrink just by standing on the ground, his own.

Han Su-hyeok.

A rival and colleague who will one day compete with him for the ace position.

‘Damn it, I should have talked to the manager.’

But that’s not what’s important now.

The only thought filling Ryan’s head right now is,

I want to win. I want to beat those Yankees bastards today.

I want to show my daughter her dad winning.

That was all he could think about.

He wanted to end the jinx that had been tormenting him for years and give his daughter a victory as a gift, who would be watching his game online.

He didn’t want to make his daughter cry in front of her friends, not only because he couldn’t attend her birthday party.

‘Damn it… why does the pitching order have to be like this!’

Although it was said to be limited to the beginning of the season, the 6-man rotation was in effect, so Han Su-hyeok was resting completely on the day after his start, that is, the day Ryan, the 1st starter, pitched.

The defense is a problem, of course, but more important than that is the lineup without him.

Everyone knows now.

How much synergy is created when Han Su-hyeok is at 2nd and Tai Johnson is behind him.

Ryan, who wants to win today’s game at all costs, was very disappointed that Han Su-hyeok was resting on his pitching day.

But what can he do? In the end, this is the fate that the 1st starter must bear.

Regardless of Ryan’s anxious heart, time passed, and the 3rd game between Seattle and the Yankees began.

* * *

“Time!”

“Hoo… Damn it.”

The pitching coach called time and went up to the mound after Ryan, who had been showing the best pace in Yankees games, allowing only 2 runs through the 7th inning, allowed a hit to the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 8th.

“Okay, Ryan, are you tired? Just so you know, Jake is fully warmed up.”

“No, coach. I’m still fine. I want to pitch a little more.”

Perhaps because he gritted his teeth and threw with the determination not to disappoint his daughter, Ryan’s pitch count through the 7th inning was only 90.

His arm strength, his body’s energy, and his mentality are still sufficient.

The problem is that the two teams are evenly matched at 2 to 2, and the next batter is none other than the Yankees’ franchise star, Lucas Anderson.

In fact, the biggest reason Ryan was so weak against the Yankees was probably because he was unilaterally pushed back in his match against Lucas.

His career batting average against him is .605, which is almost a grim reaper level beyond a natural enemy.

Fortunately, Ryan has faced Lucas 3 times today and handled him with a ground ball all 3 times.

The pitching coach, who calmly organized these situations in his head, looked at the dugout as if he couldn’t make a decision.

The manager nodded up and down. It meant he wanted to trust him a little more.

For Seattle, which is aiming to advance to the playoffs this season, it was more important than anything for their ace to break away from the Yankees jinx.

If they advance to the fall baseball [playoffs], they will have to face the Yankees with a high probability.

“Play!”

In the end, Ryan, who had received permission from the bench, stayed on the mound a little longer.

With runners on first and no outs, Lucas Anderson, standing at the plate, glared at Ryan with a serious expression.

He always has an unlucky face.

Winning the game is important, but I want to distort that arrogant face.

He squeezed his tired body and threw the fastest ball he could throw right now.

The ball left the pitcher’s fingertips.

Whoosh

And the next moment,

Crack!

Seattle’s ace collapsed on the mound.

It was Lucas Anderson’s two-run home run that made the score 4-2, breaking the 2-2 tie.

* * *

“Hic… Hicc, Daddy!”

“Riley! Oh, Jerome. I’m sorry, but I have to turn off the computer now. Is that okay?”

“Yes? Yes, I’m okay.”

“Thank you. Then, everyone, let’s stop watching baseball and go out to the garden and have some fun.”

Mia Thibodeau, the wife of Seattle ace Ryan Thibodeau, who had just allowed a two-run home run, who was baking cookies in the kitchen, hugged her crying daughter and began to soothe her.

The old days were better.

Those days were better when you couldn’t watch away games at all unless they were broadcast on TV.

She should have just ignored it when her daughter, who was only six years old, asked her to pay for the major league game internet broadcast viewing rights, she didn’t know where she learned it from.

Her dad collapsed after being hit by a home run, and her daughter burst into tears after seeing it.

The child’s birthday party, which started off in a good mood, was instantly ruined.

But what upsets her even more now is her husband’s appearance on the monitor screen.

She is the one who knows better than anyone how much her husband has struggled because of the Yankees over the past few years, and how much responsibility he feels as the team’s ace.

That’s why she was more upset, sad, and felt sorry for her husband.

‘Honey… cheer up.’

* * *

The dugout atmosphere, which had been burning brightly with the perfect game I recorded yesterday and Ryan’s good fight today, suddenly sank like a funeral home.

Ryan, who had been holding on well until the 7th inning, eventually failed to overcome the wall called Lucas Anderson in the 8th inning.

Fortunately, he managed to finish the bottom of the 8th inning by catching the next three batters with a ground ball, but the score quickly widened to 4-2.

To be honest, it seemed a little difficult to expect the Seattle batters, who had been dragged around by the Yankees’ pitchers throughout today’s game, to make a comeback in their last remaining attack.

I don’t know.

When I think about it, the uniform I wore the longest was none other than this Seattle Mariners uniform.

Including my previous life.

Nevertheless, I still feel a bit of distance from the players on this team.

I don’t know if it’s my fault or because of those guys.

However, one thing is certain: I don’t want to see Ryan’s frowning face right now.

“Ryan, it’s okay. We’ll do something about it.”

“Damn it, it’s not over yet. We can do it. We can do it, right?”

Until just now, I didn’t know why Ryan was so obsessed with the game against the Yankees hitters, and why he was throwing the ball so hard like a pitcher who pitched in the last game of the World Series.

But just now, after hearing someone whispering in the dugout, I was able to recall one thing I had forgotten.

Today is that Ryan guy’s daughter’s birthday.

It’s a story from so long ago, but I remember the face of a child who looked just like Ryan.

Even back then, I didn’t know how to handle children, so I just kept my distance and watched from afar, but she was still a good child who always waved and smiled at me when she saw me.

Um…….

Crack!

“Nice! Nice!”

“It’s not over! It’s not over yet!”

The Mariners’ last attack in the top of the 9th inning.

The game atmosphere, which seemed to end as it was with the 4th and 5th batters striking out in succession, began to revive once again with Bruce Matthews’ hit.

It’s two outs, but it’s a situation where a tie is possible with one big hit.

The Seattle bench got busy.

“Time! Pinch hitter!”

A pinch hitter was declared in place of shortstop Josh Oliver, who had struck out three times in a row today.

At that moment, the eyes of the coaches and players sitting on the bench turned to me.

I can hear the hitting coach and battery coach whispering in the distance.

“Shouldn’t we send Han out? He’s the most reliable card here, right?”

“No. I heard it’s stipulated in the contract. He has the right to refuse to play the game the day after the starting pitcher pitches.”

That’s right.

My contract definitely includes such a clause.

It was inserted at my request to prepare for any possible situation.

It is necessary to take a sufficient rest the day after throwing more than 100 balls. It is necessary to cool down the heated body. Muscles may be damaged if you play defense or attack for no reason.

Of course, right now I have a manager and general manager who are cooperative with me, so it doesn’t matter, but you never know when things will change.

I have to prevent an old man like Hwang Byeong-ho from suddenly coming as a manager and manipulating me as he pleases. Of course, if that situation really happens, I’m thinking of returning to Korea without any regrets.

While I was thinking about something else, the attention that had been directed at me disappeared, and a left-handed pinch hitter stepped into the plate.

Without realizing it, I turned my head and looked at Ryan.

He was icing his arm and shaking his legs while staring at the ground.

He was the guy who eventually rose to the top ace in the United States in his previous life, but when I look at him like this, he still has a youthful look on his face.

Um,

That guy is already twenty-nine, so it’s a bit much to say he’s youthful… well, what can I do?

My mental age is much older than that.

Whoosh

Boom

“Swing!”

“Ah!”

“Mike! It’s okay! It’s nothing! Cheer up!”

The pinch hitter, who made a big swing, patted his helmet and renewed his determination.

He is a player who has survived as a professional pinch hitter in this team for quite a long time.

His bat speed is slowing down, and his dynamic visual acuity is not as good as it used to be, but he can still keep his place in the big leagues because he can swing his bat in such important moments.

The players who wanted a miracle cheered him on with all their might.

And, finally, he succeeded in meeting his teammates’ expectations.

Crack!

“Oh oh oh!”

“Nice! Damn it! Damn it! Awesome!”

Although he was caught by the shortstop, it was a deep enough infield hit to survive at first base.

The veteran, who had fulfilled his mission, raised his arms to the sky with the brightest expression in the world.

4-2, two runs behind, two outs, runners on first and second.

Now, a double would tie the score, and a big hit could lead to a comeback.

Without realizing it, I turned my head again and looked at Ryan.

The guy, who usually cares so much about his nail care that he makes female celebrities go away, was biting his nails like crazy.

Pfft

Looking at him, I suddenly thought he was a little cute.

And a long time ago, I remembered the guy’s daughter who smiled brightly and waved at me.

I got up from my seat and walked to the manager.

“I’ll go out, manager.”

“Um?”

At that moment, everyone sitting in the dugout turned their eyes to me.

Ryan’s eyes were so big that they looked like they would pop out.

“I think our ace’s nails will be ruined if we don’t end the game quickly.”

I made eye contact with Ryan.

I thought his eyes were a little moist.

“Time! Time!”

The manager, slightly surprised by my sudden words, hurriedly called time.

Holding a bat, I came out of the dugout and stepped onto the ground.

“What, that bastard… wasn’t he supposed to be resting today?”

“Damn it, is it that bastard again?”

The Yankees fans, who had been excited in anticipation of a victory that was just around the corner, watched me in silence.

Good.

I guess I have villain DNA flowing through me.

I enjoy someone being silent and despairing because of me more than someone cheering because of me.

Boom

After swinging the bat a few more times, I immediately stepped into the plate.

The Yankees’ closer, who had been doing well until two outs and then created a crisis by sending out two runners in an instant, looked at me with a serious expression.

Looking at him, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Play!”

The pitcher, who kept shaking his head as if he didn’t like the sign, slowly began his pitching motion as if he had made up his mind.

A clean set-up motion without any flaws, befitting the Yankees’ starting closer.

And a white ball rose from the pitcher’s fingertips.

The moment I sensed that the ball was a curveball, I started to swing according to its speed and trajectory.

Crack!

The moment the ball and bat met at one point,

Suddenly, the name of Ryan’s daughter came to mind.

Riley Thibodeau, yeah, that’s right. That was her name.

“Woo woo woo!”

“What are you doing! You bastard! Run! Run!”

“Kill him! Kill that son of a bitch!”

I forgot to run to first base because I was thinking about something else.

When I turned my eyes to the ground, it looked like fire would burst out of the faces of the Yankees bastards. I guess I have to be careful with my head next time I play against these guys…

Damn it, that’s not what’s important now.

I even remember the name of a fellow player’s daughter, so why can’t I remember that woman’s name…

Whoosh

To calm the rising anger, I threw the bat into the air and slowly walked towards first base.

“Kill that crazy bastard! Kill him!”

“You son of a bitch! You better watch your head!”

The jeering of the crowd grew louder.

First base, second base, third base,

I can feel the murderous intent in the expressions of the Yankees infielders passing by.

Yeah, it doesn’t look like we can just let it go.

But it doesn’t matter.

If 100 miles fly to my head, I just need to plant 107 miles in their heads [an expression meaning to retaliate even more fiercely].

“You son of a bitch, I’ll kill you if I see you next time…”

“Shut up and just come at me now if you have any complaints. You morons.”

I pressed down on the Yankees catcher, who kept talking without being able to attack, and returned to the dugout.

“Wow! You crazy! Han! Damn it! You crazy bastard! You’re the best!”

“I know, I’m the best.”

“Hehe, hehe, hehehehe!”

Ryan, with a touching face among his cheering teammates, looked at me in an awkward pose.

I told him.

“Tell Riley happy birthday.”

“What? How do you know my daughter’s name… Have I ever told you?”

“Yes. Although it was a long time ago.”

“What are you talking about, what the hell…”

As I play baseball in the United States, things from the past are coming back to me one by one.

Will I ever be able to recall her name that I have forgotten?

I don’t know.

I just hope that it will happen someday, even if it’s a little late.