Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 253

#252. With Spirit

With a season record of 27 wins and 17 losses, a winning percentage of 0.614, the Seattle Mariners still held the top spot in their division, though Oakland was only a single game behind.

However, Seattle Mariners fans, accustomed to seeing their team lose momentum and fall in the standings in recent years, felt a deep sense of dread and dissatisfaction with the team’s current losing streak.

The losses in the second and third games against Philadelphia, compounded by another loss to the Chicago Cubs in their long-awaited return home, stung deeply.

While the two consecutive losses against the Phillies, marked by misfortune for the home team and fortunate breaks for the opponents, were somewhat understandable, the first game against the Cubs at home reopened old wounds for Seattle fans.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, the Mariners started strong with back-to-back home runs by Soo-hyuk Han and Ty Johnson.

On this day, Mike Warren, who had earned two wins in three games since being traded to the team, defended the Seattle mound.

A knuckleball pitcher, Warren was initially playing as the 5th starter to acclimate to the team but was expected to be promoted to the 3rd or 4th starter soon.

However, as if his previous two good outings were a fluke, he gave up home runs in every inning from the 3rd to the 6th. A few questionable errors also occurred, ultimately leading the Mariners to an 11-4 defeat against the Cubs.

Most baseball fans understand that home runs are an occupational hazard for knuckleball pitchers and that even the best teams can lose a few games in a row.

They might have moved on, but that night, a paparazzi photo posted online after the loss to the Cubs ignited the simmering anger of the fans.

└[PHOTO] Seattle players laughing and chatting at a fancy restaurant after the team’s crushing defeat #Soo-hyuk Han #Josh Oliver #Jonathan Owens #Bruce Matthews #Derek Fleming #Mike Warren

└Damn, what is this? What’s so funny that these guys are laughing like this?

└Isn’t that place where a steak costs over $300? Damn it, it’s good to be in the major leagues. They can eat at a place like that even after screwing up the game like that.

└Wait a minute, isn’t that photoshopped? Or maybe it’s a picture taken a long time ago.

└It looks like today no matter how you look at it. That restaurant was remodeled last week. It’s at least from this week.

└Crazy, then it must be today since they just came back from the away game. Look at the guys gathered there. All the culprits of the defeat are gathered.

└Shut up, leave Soo-hyuk Han out of this. That guy did great. The other guys are idiots.

└A Yankees fan passing by, if you’re going to criticize Soo-hyuk Han, just release him. We’ll take him.

└Shut up if you don’t want a hole in your head. Anyway, one thing is for sure, this team is always like this. They shine for a while at the beginning of the season, but after the middle of the season, they magically plunge into the bottom ranks, a cursed team.

└It’s not cursed, it’s just that this team is still young. Look at the age of the starting players.

└Get lost. There’s a limit to being lenient because they’re young. And look at Soo-hyuk Han. He’s only in his 4th year as a pro and just debuted in the big league, and he’s doing so well, but those who are older than him…

└Let’s put Soo-hyuk Han aside for now. He’s our superstar. I don’t know why he’s mixed up with those morons, laughing and chatting.

└Yeah, even if we exclude Soo-hyuk Han like you said, the rest of them deserve to be criticized. Damn, it was a really terrible game.

The Mariners online community was ablaze because of a single photo of the players eating and laughing.

Furious fans poured out criticism towards the players, suggesting boycotting the next day’s game or refusing to applaud them, regardless of their performance.

However, the community atmosphere, which seemed ready to explode, quickly calmed down with the appearance of a particular commenter.

└Everyone, please calm down. I’m someone who watched this team’s first game with my grandfather. And today, I watched the game against the Cubs with my grandson. To tell you the conclusion first, that photo is real. I don’t know which jerk took and uploaded someone else’s private life, but it’s a photo of the players having dinner after the game.

└See! I was right, wasn’t I? They’re just guys with the wrong mindset!

└Shut up and keep listening to me. Don’t just look at what you want to see. Why am I saying this? Because I was there. Look closely at the center of the table. You can’t see it well because it’s hidden by the players, but you can see a little kid, right?

└I see him. Who is that? A player’s kid?

└He’s my grandson. Yes, I went to the baseball field with my grandson for the first time today, and after the game, I was invited to that restaurant by the players. I know best why those players gathered there, so I’ll explain it for them.

└Okay, let’s listen for now. Don’t take my tone the wrong way. I’m someone who has been supporting this damn team since its founding.

└You must be about my age. Anyway, that’s not important, so I’ll just tell you the conclusion. I took my eight-year-old grandson to the baseball field. The start was very good. Soo-hyuk Han and Ty Johnson hit back-to-back home runs. My grandson said that the white Iron Man [referring to Soo-hyuk Han’s white uniform] seemed to be flying in the sky when he saw those hits.

└Damn it, that’s right. It was really good up to that point.

└Keep listening. It’s not easy to type on the keyboard because I’m old. Anyway, the rest is as you know. Mike kept getting hit with home runs, and our fielders made errors. The team lost.

└That’s exactly what I’m saying! If the team lost like that, at least they shouldn’t be doing that even if they can’t do extra training…

The community was about to heat up again when the old man’s writing continued.

└I’ve never played baseball, so I don’t really know what a team that lost a game should do. But there’s one thing I know. After my grandson’s first game ended in defeat, he was leaning against the safety net and crying. Then, the woman sitting next to me said, ‘If you’re not busy, would you like to have dinner with us?’ She said that Soo-hyuk Han wanted to invite me and my grandson.

└Wait, is that woman…?

└That’s right, the woman who tests the durability of our stadium’s safety net every day [a humorous way of referring to someone who often catches foul balls].

└I know her, well, actually I don’t know her well, but my daughter goes crazy whenever that woman comes out. She’s a very famous pop star even in the United States, right?

└Yes, anyway, I naturally nodded, and my grandson and I were invited to a wonderful restaurant that we had never been to in our decades of living in Seattle. Those players were waiting there.

└Um, so what happened?

└At first, Soo-hyuk Han stroked my grandson’s head and apologized for losing the game. When I told him that today’s game was his first visit to the baseball field, he felt even more sorry and disappeared somewhere. Then, he came back with a bat in his hand. He said it was the bat he hit the home run with today.

└Oh my god! Then did you receive that bat as a gift?

└Of course. Our grandson is sleeping with that bat in his arms right now. The players comforted me and my grandson one by one, and then the food came out. And that’s when it started.

└What started?

└Soo-hyuk Han gave feedback to the players gathered there, the starting pitcher who lost today, the fielders who made errors, and the batters who struck out, one by one. He discussed what the problem was, how to win the next day, and what the players could do for the fans.

└Damn it…

└This is what I’m saying. Don’t attack the players just by looking at what you see. I’m someone who has seen with my own eyes how much our players are dedicated to the team. So you can trust them.

└Damn it, okay. I feel like I’ve become trash. I admit I was reckless.

└That’s a relief. Oh, and after finishing the meal, Soo-hyuk Han said this to my grandson.

└What did he say?

└He said that he would definitely win tomorrow’s game, no, he wouldn’t be able to lose even if he wanted to. Believing in those words, I will run to the baseball field with my grandson’s hand in hand again today. So you guys just shut up and cheer.

* * *

“Chikusho……!” [Japanese for “Damn it!”]