Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 243

#242. Ty Johnson

The question I received most after signing with Seattle was this:

Why did I turn down offers from several prestigious clubs and sign with a team that had never even made it to the World Series?

I think some people still don’t understand, but my answer remains the same.

The presence of a hitter who will protect my back, and freedom.

Wealth and fame didn’t matter. I’d already had enough of that in my previous life.

I just wanted to see how far I could go as a baseball player, how much I could improve.

To achieve that, I needed a hitter behind me to make pitchers think twice about pitching around me.

The absolute powerhouses of the American League, the Yankees and Red Sox, and the perennial championship contenders of the National League, the Dodgers and Cardinals.

The four prestigious teams that approached me most actively each had a hitter who fit the bill.

Lucas Anderson of the New York Yankees, Aaron Decker of the LA Dodgers, Ty Johnson of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Jerry Wagner of the Boston Red Sox, who is now at bat.

The best of them was, of course, Ty Johnson, but frankly, the other three weren’t bad either.

They all had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Anyway, while I was considering those four teams, Seattle managed to trade for Ty Johnson, and my path suddenly changed. If that hadn’t happened, I might have been teammates with that talkative guy who’s smirking at me now.

“Play!”

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Strike!”

We know from experience that technological advancements don’t always have positive outcomes.

The same is true in baseball.

In the past, several players could change the game with their individual intuition and judgment.

Creative players who momentarily caught the opponent off guard and exploited their weaknesses.

However, as precise analysis of players’ tendencies became commonplace through sophisticated systems, and instructions were relayed from the bench for every count, such players gradually disappeared.

In an era where standardized patterns, playing habits, and coping strategies for every count and situation are provided before the game, the room for individual players to improvise has shrunk.

The concept of a “good player” has also changed.

Now, many managers prefer players who follow the bench’s instructions and data rather than their own judgment.

They believe that relying on quantified statistics and data is a more stable and efficient way to win than relying on individual judgment, which can be unstable.

However, even in modern baseball, some players maintain their autonomy and can play the game according to their own judgment with the tacit approval of the bench.

A player with the ability to intuitively find what is advantageous in situations where statistics and indicators alone are insufficient.

*Whoosh*

*Tick*

“Foul!”

“Wow… seriously… it curves like that?”

A player like Jerry Wagner, who is looking at me with a dumbfounded expression, is exactly that type.

He’s a guy with the intuition to find a direction that benefits himself and the team even in a fleeting moment.

Therefore, when facing such players, you shouldn’t give them room to think.

Quickly, even faster.

The best way to win is to force them into a battle of pure skill without giving them time to strategize.

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Ball.”

I think back to that time again.

What if Seattle had failed to acquire Ty Johnson?

Of course, the young hitters who form the core of Seattle also have the potential to meet my requirements, if you only consider their growth.

But the problem is time. The time it would take for those guys to develop.

I have no obligation or responsibility to wait for that.

So maybe… if Ty Johnson had stayed in St. Louis…

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Ball.”

Yeah, maybe if that had happened, I would have chosen the Boston Red Sox with a high probability.

The most creative player I know.

Among the four hitters representing Major League Baseball, his objective batting statistics are the lowest, but he has the highest understanding of the game.

“Play!”

But now that all those hypotheticals are meaningless,

All I can give to the guy who might have been my colleague,

The friend who might have protected my back, is this.

*Whoosh*

*Boom*

*Paaang!*

“Swing! Out!”

Jerry Wagner, who struck out on a 107 mph, 3050 RPM fastball, the fastest and strongest ball I can currently throw, stuck his tongue out and retreated to the dugout.

* * *

– It’s really amazing! The game, which was predicted to favor Seattle because of Han Su-hyeok, who is continuing his 38-inning scoreless streak, against Boston’s 5th starter, Andy Dickson, is progressing as a tight match. In the top of the 3rd inning, with both teams tied at 0-0, Han Su-hyeok comes to the plate with two outs and no runners.

– Yes, it’s somewhat understandable that the Boston lineup is quiet, but it’s a bit surprising that the Seattle Mariners, who have recently shown tremendous offensive power, aren’t properly hitting Andy Dickson’s pitches. He’s pitching great. He’s given up a few walks so far, but not a single batted ball has been hit squarely.

– What do you think is the reason, Steve?

– First of all, you can point to the clever game-calling of Jerry Wagner, the catcher for the Red Sox, right? He is thoroughly avoiding Han Su-hyeok and competing well with the batters behind him. Wonderful. Looking at today’s game alone, I’d give him a blank check even if I were the Boston general manager. He’s the best catcher who can bring out 100%, no, 120% of the pitchers’ abilities.

– That’s high praise. Oh, in the meantime, Han Su-hyeok gets another walk and goes to first base.

– Hmm, this is… I think Ty Johnson’s pride will be hurt a lot. It was the same in the first inning, and this walk also seems intentional. Until last season, it was unimaginable to intentionally walk the batter in front of that player, right?

– Yes, I don’t remember seeing that either. According to the data, Ty Johnson and Andy Dickson don’t have very good chemistry… I don’t know. Anyway, Boston, or rather, Jerry Wagner, is making a really bold choice.

– That’s right. If they give up a big hit, it’s immediately two runs. Ty Johnson hasn’t had a big hit in the last three games, so one is due. Nevertheless, the Boston battery chose to compete with Ty Johnson, not Han Su-hyeok.

– I see. Well, anyway, following the 1st inning, a runner gets on base in front of Ty Johnson once again in the 3rd inning. Let’s see if the Red Sox’s judgment was correct.

* * *

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Strike!”

Ty Johnson, who swung and missed the first pitch, hardened his expression and stood closer to the plate.

The reason why I highly value Jerry Wagner as a catcher, besides his hitting, is precisely this.

His judgment and guts to intentionally walk me, the hitter in front of him, leaving Ty Johnson, the undisputed best hitter in Major League Baseball who has recorded a career batting average of 0.335, an OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] of 1.031, 615 home runs, and 1855 RBIs over the past 16 years since his Big League debut.

In the original timeline, Ty Johnson was a truly great hitter who would be recorded in Major League history, having played a total of 22 seasons and breaking the all-time career records in major batting categories.

Due to my regression [time travel/reincarnation], many things have changed, which will significantly impact his future, but he is still a great player who is certain to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first try with the career he has built up to now.

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Ball.”

Thanks to Ty Johnson, I’ve been able to swing my bat with peace of mind for the past month.

Since a hitter who deserves to be called a legend is behind me, the pitchers have had no choice but to challenge me, and as a result, I was able to hit 16 home runs in just 34 games.

But,

*Boom*

*Bang!*

“Swing!”

It seems that Jerry Wagner was the first to notice something that no one else has yet.

That Ty Johnson is getting old, that he is also a human with limitations.

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Ball.”

It can’t be helped.

At thirty-six this year, he’s entered a period where he’s starting to feel a rapid decline in his physical abilities as a baseball player.

He has reached an age where he has to compensate for his increasingly slow bat with experience and years of knowledge.

He has to fight in a slightly different way than he has until now.

I know because I’ve been through this period myself. I know what state he’s in now.

The problem is that Jerry Wagner, that sly guy, noticed that before he did.

He discovered some weakness in Ty Johnson’s changed approach this season, and he’s focusing on attacking that part today.

But unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to help.

I know better than anyone else because I’ve been through it myself.

No matter how much you talk to him, it’s useless, and he’s the only one who can solve this situation.

That’s why I have no choice but to believe.

All I can do is believe that Ty Johnson, the player I chose as my partner, will overcome this situation on his own and cheer him on.

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

“Ball.”

Two outs, a three-ball, two-strike count.

The moment of truth has come.

Jerry Wagner, who had been chattering non-stop, exchanged signs with the pitcher with a serious expression.

Looking at that, I think.

If I were that pitcher, no, if I were Jerry Wagner leading that pitcher…

Yeah,

The decisive pitch to throw here is nothing but a fastball that slightly nicks the outside edge of the strike zone.

There will be no better choice to tempt a man who has never backed down from a confrontation, a man who has been accustomed to solving everything himself for the past 16 years.

Against that man who has lost the wrist strength to send that ball far away, but still doesn’t know how to wait or back down.

I don’t know.

What choice Ty Johnson will make here.

Whether he will force himself to hit that ball as he did in the previous at-bat, or whether he will prove that my choice was not wrong through another choice.

*Swish*

The signs are exchanged, and finally the ball leaves the pitcher’s fingertips.

*Whoosh*

A fastball heading to the outside as I expected.

The ball, perfectly controlled according to Jerry Wagner’s call, tempting Ty Johnson, flew in, slightly off the zone.

Everyone in the stadium focused their attention on the ball.

*Bang*

“Ball.”

And the moment Ty Johnson, who had flinched for a moment, held back his swing,

“Woooo!”

“Damn it, are you kidding me?”

Along with the jeers of the crowd, Jerry Wagner’s face was filled with frustration.