Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 241

#240. Player of the Month Award

If he maintains his current pace, Han Su-hyeok is projected to win at least 20 games as a pitcher and possibly challenge a .400 batting average, a feat unseen since Ted Williams.

With the Seattle Mariners soaring high thanks to the acquisition of Han Su-hyeok, a slightly different situation was unfolding in South Korea, on the opposite side of the globe.

The Warriors, having sent Han Su-hyeok to the United States, decided to give opportunities to players they had developed internally rather than signing external free agents.

Following this approach, Han Su-hyeok’s shortstop position was filled by his contemporary, Yu In-cheol, and Choi Ma-ru, now in his third year, took on the important role of the fourth starter in the pitching rotation.

However, the void left by Han Su-hyeok, who had recorded a batting average of .441 with 73 home runs, 163 RBIs, and 23 wins on the mound last season, could not be easily filled, no matter how hard they tried.

It was a void that no player in the world could fill.

“Oooooh!”

“Now, everyone. Please give a big round of applause to Yu Ji-ya for her wonderful ceremonial first pitch!”

“Well done!”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

A Jamsil [stadium in Seoul] rivalry game between the Seoul Warriors and the Magicians.

The audience gave generous applause to a girl group member who seemed to have practiced quite hard for her ceremonial first pitch.

About a month after the season began, the Warriors were clinging to a precarious first place, just half a game ahead of the Magicians.

Several unexpected events were occurring in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] during the early part of this season.

The Warriors and the Magicians, two Seoul teams, were vying for the top spot, while the teams right below them had completely new faces.

Most surprisingly, the Busan Titans, who had become a completely new team with the arrival of a new owner, had maintained their third-place position for the entire month since the season opener.

Most people were cynical, saying they were only strong in the spring and would fall as soon as the cherry blossoms were gone, but the Busan fans’ dreams of reaching the playoffs were growing, fueled by the dramatically changed atmosphere within the team.

Another surprising development was the strong performance of the Gwangju Jaguars, who had been perennial underachievers.

The two new foreign pitchers they had brought in were performing like aces, and the free-agent acquisitions were paying off big time, transforming them into a team aiming for the playoffs.

1st place: Seoul Warriors, 2nd place: Seoul Magicians, 3rd place: Busan Titans, 4th place: Gwangju Jaguars, 5th place: Daejeon Falcons.

With teams with large fan bases all in the upper ranks, the KBO was burning hotter than ever.

“Now! Fans, we have prepared something special as the final event before the game. Please focus on the big screen!”

A crucial game with only a half-game difference between first and second place, with the Warriors trying to maintain their lead and the Magicians trying to reclaim the top spot.

The fans who filled the stadium and Choi Ma-ru, who was about to start practicing his pitches on the mound, stared at the big screen with their mouths open.

Pop.

A face appeared on the newly replaced, state-of-the-art big screen.

[Hello, everyone. It seems like it’s been a while. This is Han Su-hyeok.]

“Huuuuh!”

“Han Su-hyeok?”

“It’s Han Su-hyeok!”

“Damn it, Su-hyeok! We keep getting pushed back by those guys because you’re not here! Come back!”

A video message sent directly from Han Su-hyeok in the United States.

Han Su-hyeok, looking noticeably more muscular than last season, waved to the fans.

[Those of you who have been watching my games or news through the internet probably already know, but I’m doing well. Just eating and playing baseball every day… well, baseball is just baseball, no matter where you do it.]

“Yeah! Damn it, I’m glad you’re doing well, at least!”

“Oppa [term used by younger women to address older brothers or male friends], we’re dying here! The Magicians keep crawling up!”

“Can’t you just come and pinch-hit for these two games today and tomorrow? Huh?”

[Um… I took this video at the request of the PR team, but I don’t really know what to say. Anyway, everyone stay healthy, and I’ll try to stay healthy too. I’ll be back in Korea after the season, so I hope to see you then.]

“Don’t go! Don’t go!”

“That’s all? Han Su-hyeok! Han Su-hyeok!”

Just when the video seemed to be ending, a woman’s voice could be heard from one corner of the screen, though it wasn’t clear who it was. Some people recognized it as Min Ye-rin’s voice, but that wasn’t the important thing.

[Huh? You want me to say something to the Warriors players too? Um… right, I forgot about that. Seniors, and juniors. I’m glad you all seem to be doing well even without me. Wait, what? More specifically? Hmm……]

Han Su-hyeok’s expression on the screen changed slightly to a more serious one.

And then he spoke again.

[Okay, first, Seo Hyeong-ju.]

Seo Hyeong-ju, who had been leaning against the railing in front of the dugout, flinched without realizing it.

[I told you so many times, but you’re still taking your follow-through unnecessarily long? You’re not going to look cool even if you do that because your arms and legs are short, you know? Don’t do useless things, just keep it simple. And Ahn Chi-wook.]

Ahn Chi-wook, who had been sitting on the bench eating a banana, looked at the big screen with surprised eyes.

[If you gain any more weight there, you’re really going to become a pig. No matter how much Ju-hyeon hyung [older brother/friend] is there, you’re supposed to be responsible for third base, right? You’re probably holding something in your hand again. Put it down right now. Immediately.]

“Why is it always me……”

[And Seong-oh hyung.]

Jo Seong-oh, who was now approaching forty and had become accustomed to supporting his juniors from behind after giving up his first baseman and third hitter positions, looked at Han Su-hyeok with a pleased expression.

[Whether it’s designated hitter, pinch hitter, or defensive replacement, I hope you play as a veteran for a long, long time. I hope you’re still with the Warriors when I come back. And Man-sik hyung.]

In this way, Han Su-hyeok called out the names of the Warriors players one by one and continued his message to them.

The time set aside for the pre-game event was taking longer than expected, but the Warriors fans, the audience, and even the Magicians players who were about to face them today, watched it.

No one could complain about it.

Han Su-hyeok, who had crushed the KBO and gone over to the Big Leagues, where he was being called a super-special player, was a player who deserved it.

The names of Lee Man-sik, Jang Deok-su, Walter Smith, Min Ju-hyeon, Choi Min-seok, Lee Chang-mo, Yu In-cheol, Park Dong-seok, Choi Ma-ru, Yang Gi-cheol, Cheon Sang-jin, and Im Jun-yeong were called out in turn from Han Su-hyeok’s mouth.

Han Su-hyeok, who left advice for some and requests for others, smiled brightly at the camera and continued his final words.

[I sincerely believe and hope that the Warriors can achieve V10 [their 10th championship] even without me. Everyone, cheer up and fight! Um… Ye-rin, is it all done now? Is this enough……]

The video ended with Han Su-hyeok’s confident voice.

“Uwooooooo!”

“Choi Ma-ru, what are you doing?”

“Don’t stop me, Park Dong-seok. I’m going for a perfect game today.”

The Warriors players, who had received Han Su-hyeok’s encouraging message, were fired up.

In particular, the Choi Ma-ru and Park Dong-seok battery combo, who idolized Han Su-hyeok, were the most fired up.

First shutout since debut.

In that day’s game, the Warriors defeated the Magicians 3-0 thanks to Choi Ma-ru’s amazing pitching and maintained their first-place position in the league.

* * *

– Baseball fans, good evening. This is Fenway Park, where the first game of the season between the home team Boston Red Sox and the visiting team Seattle Mariners is being prepared.

– How have you been, Dave? It feels like the season just opened, but it’s already been a month, and it’s time for the Player of the Month awards to be announced.

– Yes, Steve. What’s really unbelievable is that the Player of the Month winner has swept three awards at once: Player of the Month, Pitcher of the Month, and Rookie of the Month.

– That’s right. I couldn’t believe it myself at first. Baseball fans watching TV, you are now watching the first player in the 130-year history of the Big Leagues to simultaneously win the Player of the Month, Pitcher of the Month, and Rookie of the Month awards. Look over there. Han Su-hyeok, who is warming up in the on-deck circle, is the main character.

– It was an incredible month.

– Yes, there’s really no way to describe it other than incredible. In April, he had a batting average of .446, an on-base percentage of .538, a slugging percentage of .955, 16 home runs, and 38 RBIs. What’s really amazing is that his pace is even better now than it was in the KBO League. The difference in the level of the league is no obstacle for Han Su-hyeok.

– What do you think is the secret to that?

– First of all, we should note that this player suffered a lot of checks in the KBO League. Let’s look at his record from 2029, the year right before he entered the Big Leagues. His batting average is .441, damn, that’s crazy. But his on-base percentage is .576, which is 0.135 higher than his batting average, right? What’s really amazing is that even this on-base percentage is a record he built up while taking losses himself.

– Losses?

– Yes, because he was being checked so intensely, he had no choice but to swing at balls that were out of the zone. In other words, Han Su-hyeok hardly got any good pitches in the KBO League.

– In the midst of that, 73 home runs and 163 RBIs… Goodness, we should grab the experts who claimed that his KBO-era records were inflated by the collar.

– Yes, let’s put off grabbing those idiots by the collar, and anyway, because he was receiving so much focused checking, the first thing he considered when entering the Big Leagues was whether the team had a hitter who could protect him, that was the first thing he looked at. That’s why the rumors of him joining the Yankees, who had Lucas Anderson, were so strong, right? No one knew that Seattle would become the protagonist of the Han Su-hyeok competition by acquiring Ty Johnson at the last minute.

– At the time, there were many people who said, “Why are they making such a fuss about bringing in just one rookie from the KBO League?” But thinking about it now, a month later, it was worth it.

– There’s no need to say more. Anyway, because Ty Johnson is backing him up, pitchers have no choice but to compete with Han Su-hyeok, and in the end, that has led to these ridiculous results, that’s what I think.

– From that point of view, Ty Johnson, who has recorded a .300/.400/.600 slash line with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs while backing up Han Su-hyeok, should also be given an award.

– Haha, yes, that’s right.

– Um, next, the Rookie of the Month award is… well, that’s obvious, but what about the Pitcher of the Month award……

– Is there any need to mention that anymore? Who else could you give the Pitcher of the Month award to if not the player who started five games, pitched 38 innings, had an ERA of 0, and recorded a 5-0 record?

– It’s really amazing. Okay. Then let’s all pay attention to what kind of play that player, who has swept all three awards given to the best player in April, will show today as a hitter and as a pitcher. This is Fenway Park.