Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 24

#23. Exhibition Game (2)

A long time ago, an American sports newspaper conducted a survey of active baseball managers.

The question was very simple and clear.

When do you feel the greatest happiness?

Generally, they expected answers like when they lifted the championship trophy, when they recruited a good player, when they won a game, or when their salary increased.

However, more than half of the approximately 100 big league, college, and high school baseball managers responded like this:

The moment they complete a starting lineup that they can accept and quietly wait for the game to begin is the only moment they feel happy.

Once the game starts, every minute and second is like hell.

“Hmm.”

The reason I’m bringing up that old article now is because of the gaze of Manager Lee Dae-jun, who is watching me from the dugout in the distance.

Just ten minutes ago, he looked like he was about to collapse, his face turning white and blue, but now he seems to have calmed down a bit and is staring at me with a composed look.

Perhaps he’s burdened by today’s game, which will be recorded as the first page of his career.

Sung-hoon *hyung* [an honorific term for an older brother or male friend] and General Manager Park Jae-cheol’s decision to appoint Lee Dae-jun as manager was truly excellent.

He’s our manager, but he’s a really good person and a good leader.

At first, I was concerned that he had no coaching experience, but he has a high understanding of baseball and is smart, so he has an excellent eye for players.

In addition, he has charisma due to his strong personality, and he is more detail-oriented than he looks, so the players follow him well in many ways.

As he gains experience and wisdom, he will become a manager who fits the Warriors team very well.

“Han Su-hyeok! Ahn Chi-wook!”

Manager Lee Dae-jun, who made eye contact with me, called out my name and Ahn Chi-wook’s name and pressed his palm down.

It means don’t be nervous and stay calm.

He must be worried about the space between 3rd base and shortstop, which is made up of two rookies.

There’s no need to worry too much.

Because I’m not going to let a ball get through this space today.

Nod

When I nodded a few times with a calm expression, the corners of the manager’s mouth went up to his ears.

What is it? I just nodded, but why does he like it so much?

“Fighting!”

It wasn’t just the manager who was concerned about me and Ahn Chi-wook, two rookies who are making their debut today.

Jo Sung-oh, the most senior player standing at first base in the distance, shouted fighting in a very loud voice.

Hmm.

Come to think of it, what was my real big league debut like?

At first, I went to spring camp as an invited player… That’s right, I started right away in the first exhibition game as the 7th hitter and third baseman, right?

What was the record at that time… one double and one hit?

Ah, hitting isn’t important. That veteran shortstop who looked at me with strange eyes from the first time I saw him at camp.

I had an argument with that guy who made racist remarks like ‘Asian’ every chance he got during the game, I guess.

Hehe.

Yes, I remember clearly now.

During the game, he called me a fucking Asian for handling a ball, so I retorted with a fucking nigger.

Then, as soon as the game ended, he punched me in the locker room.

What happened?

That shortstop’s exhibition game appearance that year was the last. Because he got hit by me and two of his front teeth flew out.

Maybe it’s because Asian players are known to be docile, so he thought I would be too, but at that time, my whole body was full of venom.

Anyway, even when I think about my debut game at that time, I don’t have any memories of being nervous.

Maybe I was already confident in my success as a baseball player from then on?

Damn it, now that I think about it again, it’s a bit annoying.

* * *

The Warriors’ first exhibition game that everyone had been waiting for began.

In the top of the first inning, our team’s starting pitcher, Ryan Stark, handled the Busan Titans’ 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hitters with outfield flies.

It was a good start. And the Warriors’ attack followed.

Lee Chang-mo, who came out as the first hitter, got a walk from the Busan Titans’ foreign pitcher and went to first base.

In fact, it felt like the opposing pitcher, who couldn’t control his pitches, self-destructed rather than earning the walk, but anyway, a chance was created with no outs and a runner on first.

“Wow! Han Su-hyeok!”

“Finally! Finally!”

“Show us 165km/h!”

How do you show 165km/h at the plate? Are you talking about the ball speed?

Hmm, if that’s the case, I think 200km/h is possible if I do well.

Anyway.

“Hey, Super Rookie. Nice to meet you. Want to have a drink after the game today?”

“Hello, senior. I can’t drink at all. I’m sorry.”

“Really? Then shall we grill some meat? I know a great Korean beef place near Jamsil.”

“I’ll ask my seniors and let you know.”

“Okay, then, in commemoration of our first meeting today, the first ball is a fastball in the middle. Hit it.”

Gu Jae-hyun, the catcher of the Busan Titans, who have been fiercely competing with the Warriors and the Daejeon Falcons for the bottom spot for the past three years, spoke in a friendly voice.

I’ve never played with him, but I’ve heard a lot about this person through other seniors.

The best drinker in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], a food columnist who knows all the best restaurants in the country, and a social king who has friendships with almost all the players from the 10 teams.

In a word, he likes alcohol, likes to eat, likes people, and is the kind of person who would be perfect for sitting on a bench in a neighborhood supermarket rather than a baseball field, drinking *makgeolli* [Korean rice wine].

I heard that he has a significant influence on the nightlife of the Busan Titans players…

Anyway, the first pitch is a fastball in the middle?

What a ridiculous joke.

Is this KBO-style trash talk?

Okay. Then shall we talk a little bit for the first time in a while?

“Please give me a delicious ball in the middle if you’re going to give it to me anyway, senior.”

“What? Haha. Okay, okay. I’ll give you a delicious one that you can knock over with just a touch. Look forward to it.”

“Yes, thank you in advance.”

It seems like we exchanged words, but he and I both know that it’s actually meaningless.

99% of the words that catchers say in the big leagues or here are meaningless.

A so-called trash talk to confuse the batter’s mind.

But, just in case, I have to be prepared.

Firmly fix the left foot, lower the hitting point slightly, put the bat grip under the ear, put the center of gravity slightly back, and match the swing timing to a speed of about 150km/h.

The opposing pitcher, who had been shaking his head several times, finally nodded and slowly began to wind up.

Perhaps because he has a tall height and a complete overhand pitching form, a fastball came flying down as if it were falling from the second floor.

Hooh.

Really in the middle? Did you think I wouldn’t believe it?

Anyway, I have to eat it gratefully if you give it to me.

My body, which was ready to hit the ball in that course in every way, moved reflexively.

Like a machine turning, according to a set process.

Fix the axis, stick the elbow to the body, accumulate power using the swing of the waist, and transfer that power to the shoulder again.

The trajectory of the four-seam fastball, which fell as if from a high place, met my upper swing at one point.

Thwaaaack!

A tremendous hitting sound that seemed to shatter the baseball erupted.

The face of the pitcher standing on the mound turned red in an instant, and the word ‘shit’ burst out of the mouth of the Titans catcher standing behind him.

The optimal launch angle for creating a home run is known to be around 20 to 25 degrees.

However, the batted ball hit with the extreme upper swing I am currently using goes out at a much larger angle.

The ball soared at a 45-degree angle and continued to fly without stopping.

Far, far away.

Even the outfielders gave up defending and stared blankly at the batted ball.

And finally, with a thud, the batted ball directly hit the center of the Jamsil Baseball Stadium’s electronic display board.

“Waaaa!”

“Han Su-hyeok! Han Su-hyeok!”

“Crazy! It’s a home run in his first at-bat!”

“*Oppa*! [term used by a younger woman to address an older male] Take me!”

I think I heard something strange from the audience, but let’s move on for now.

Rather, I’m more concerned about the voice I hear from behind.

“How is it? I really gave you one, right? Be sure to eat meat together after the game. If you run away, I’ll be sulky.”

“······”

Pfft.

He got hit with a home run after making a joke, but he’s still bluffing.

I’ve been dealing with big league catchers who swear as soon as they make eye contact for 15 years.

To me, who has been trained in the trash talk of those guys, the jokes of KBO catchers just feel like children’s cuteness.

All right.

Anyway, it’s the first home run of the exhibition game.

I threw the bat back and slowly circled the ground.

I’ve already hit several home runs in camp scrimmages and practice games, but this is the first time I’ve hit one in front of a packed crowd since my regression.

As I received the hot energy emitted by the audience with my whole body, I finally realized that I was back.

“Crazy! This guy is a real monster!”

“Another home run in his first at-bat! Hey, let me hit one too!”

I returned to the dugout to the welcome of my teammates.

Hmm.

By the way, that pitcher is said to be the Busan Titans’ number one starter this season, right?

I’ll have to crush him thoroughly. So that he can’t even make eye contact with me.

* * *

“Relax, relax! Thomas, it’s okay. It’s an exhibition game. Okay, don’t worry, don’t do that!”

The face of the foreign pitcher who was hit by Han Su-hyeok’s massive two-run home run is pale.

Gu Jae-hyun, who came up to the mound to soothe such a pitcher, cursed inwardly.

‘Damn it, why did he have to get hit with such an absurd home run?’

I knew it.

I told Han Su-hyeok that I would throw a fastball in the middle, but in fact, I asked the pitcher to throw a slider that flowed to the outside.

I’ve heard enough about how much of a monster that guy is through the players of other teams that had practice games with the Warriors.

Of course, he’s still a rookie, so his weaknesses will be revealed as the season goes on, but right now, his momentum is too good.

Throwing an honest ball in the middle to such a guy is an absurd act.

But this foreign guy who joined the Titans this year, who recorded the second-most strikeouts in Triple A last season, didn’t listen.

The problem was that this guy was from a minor league team under the Seattle Mariners.

A promising Asian player who Seattle Mariners, who turned their back on him, begged with a contract of 3.5 million dollars.

Towards Han Su-hyeok, the foreign soldier burned with fighting spirit, and the fastball he threw with all his heart flew over the fence.

To be honest, Gu Jae-hyun had never seen such a home run in his life.

The batted ball that soared at a 45-degree angle directly hit the very top of the Jamsil Baseball Stadium’s electronic display board, right next to the clock.

If the height of the electronic display board was even a little lower, it would have crossed the center of the Jamsil Baseball Stadium and become an out-of-bounds home run.

It’s an absurd home run.

He saw the batted ball from behind home plate, so he can roughly guess how the pitcher who was directly hit by such a thing feels.

“Thomas, get a hold of yourself. Hey, do you remember where you are? Do you know who I am?”

How shocking the home run was, the foreign pitcher’s hands and feet were still trembling.

He didn’t respond to Gu Jae-hyun’s words at all and was muttering something with a pale face.

‘Haa, where did such a monster come from… we might be in last place this year.’

A deep sigh flowed from the mouth of Gu Jae-hyun, the starting catcher of the Busan Titans, who had succeeded in escaping last place thanks to the Warriors and Falcons for the past two seasons.

* * *