Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 295

#294. A Shoulder to Lean On

In sports, the impact of mental state on performance is truly significant.

Since the introduction of sabermetrics [the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity] in baseball, each player is thoroughly analyzed not only through basic classic stats like wins, losses, batting average, home runs, and ERA [Earned Run Average], but also through indicators that are difficult to understand at first glance, such as FIP [Fielding Independent Pitching], WHIP [Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched], WAR [Wins Above Replacement], WRC [Weighted Runs Created], and WPA [Win Probability Added].

We’ve entered an era where just looking at the numbers filling an Excel sheet can give you an instant view of what type of player someone is and how much value they hold.

And these records and indicators are directly reflected in the player’s salary.

The stress of managing individual stats and indicators, regardless of the team’s performance, has been added to the players’ burdens.

Because of this situation, big league clubs, where individual players are worth tens of millions of dollars, are managing their players’ mental health by assigning doctors and counselors dedicated to mental wellness.

Derek Fleming, after consulting with a newly appointed expert during the All-Star break, had a lot on his mind.

He had recorded a batting average of 0.305, an on-base percentage of 0.398, 12 home runs, and 22 stolen bases in the first half of the season, earning a spot on the All-Star outfielder roster, but he was facing a dilemma.

‘How’s your condition these days, Derek?’

‘Very good. When it comes to my condition, it’s safe to say it’s the best it’s been since my debut.’

‘That’s a relief. But your expression… am I wrong? You seem to have some concerns?’

‘Concerns… well, I don’t know if I should call it a concern.’

‘Whatever it is, tell me. That’s why the Seattle club hired me at a high price.’

‘Hmm, okay. It’s not a big deal, really. My personal stats are good, the team is doing well, and there aren’t any particular problems… but lately, I’ve been thinking that I’m relying too much on someone specific.’

‘Relying? Excuse me, but can I ask who that is? Your parents? The manager? A coach?’

‘That’s… um, damn it, okay. I’ll be honest. It’s Han Su-hyeok. Sometimes I think, am I relying too much on a kid who’s barely in his early twenties? I used to be called a genius, but whenever things don’t go well, I keep looking at him, thinking he’ll take care of it, he’ll solve it. The problem is, I feel like I’m getting weaker every time. Not physically, but mentally.’

‘Hmm.’

‘When I step into the batter’s box, the first thing I think is, if I can just get on first base, he’ll bring me home. That’s fine, but the problem is that I have similar thoughts even when I fail to advance. It’ll be okay. Even if I get out, he’ll get on base instead.’

‘Hmm.’

‘It’s the same in defense. When he’s in left field… without even realizing it, I want to concede the balls flying to the left-center course. Damn it, I know I shouldn’t, but knowing he’s a better fielder than me, I keep hesitating.’

‘I understand what you mean.’

‘I think what I need right now is the ambition and competitiveness to surpass him. But… damn it, when I make eye contact with him on the field, I can’t help but rely on him. Sigh… anyway, I feel refreshed after getting it all out.’

‘Derek.’

‘Yes, I’m listening.’

‘There’s no need to try to get rid of that feeling. Let me ask you one thing. Do you feel the same way when you want to rely on a veteran like Tai?’

‘Tai? Um… no, I don’t think so. Regardless of age, he has a career that deserves respect.’

‘That’s exactly it. Instead of worrying about Han Su-hyeok’s age or career, look at something more fundamental. He’s a player who might become the best in Major League history.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Rely on him. You can trust and depend on him as much as you want.’

‘Doctor, there’s one thing I want to ask you…’

‘To me? Sure. Anything.’

‘Do you happen to like baseball?’

‘Of course. I’ve been a Seattle fan since my grandfather’s time.’

‘Hmm, then who’s your favorite player…’

‘Definitely Han Su-hyeok!’

‘Hmm…’

‘Derek, there’s no need to be embarrassed. I can’t say who, but you’re not the only Seattle player with similar feelings.’

‘Wow…’

‘I asked Han Su-hyeok about it, just in case he felt burdened by the players relying on him.’

‘What did he say?’

‘He said he’s used to playing the mom role, haha.’

‘Ugh…’

‘Let’s think of it this way. Han Su-hyeok is a blessing to his teammates and fans like me. Think about it. Where else in the world is there a player who can complete a game and hit a home run? So let’s enjoy it. When the day comes to look back on this time, let’s make sure we can say we enjoyed every moment without any regrets.’

‘Ugh…’

‘Alright! Derek! So stop with the useless worries and go swing that bat one more time! You’re the helmsman who has to lead the Mariners from the very front of the bow!’

Whoosh

Crack

‘Strike!’

Derek’s mind returned to its place at the umpire’s call.

He was right.

Han Su-hyeok wasn’t an obstacle or rival to overcome, but a pillar of this team to rely on, and it was okay to rely on him.

Han Su-hyeok, who was having a historic season that might be remembered in Major League history.

The thing Derek needed to do at this moment came to his mind.

Whoosh

Screech

‘He was hit!’

‘I know. Batter, to first base!’

The Marlins catcher said with a look of injustice at the umpire’s decision.

‘Hey, Ump, he could have avoided that ball.’

‘No, don’t argue with my call. That was a hit-by-pitch.’

Derek, whose elbow was grazed by the ball, ran out with an excited expression.

Then he shouted loudly towards the on-deck circle.

‘Damn it, I don’t think my ankle is very good. Han! Hit a big one so I can walk in comfortably!’

* * *

Splash!

‘Safe!’

‘Goddamn it! Are you kidding me? Open your eyes!’

‘You morons, even a scarecrow would be better than you!’

From a baseball player’s perspective, there’s nothing scarier than the home fans’ anger and curses.

Derek, who had walked on a hit-by-pitch and pretended his ankle was bad, immediately attempted a surprise steal on the first pitch, successfully advancing to second base.

Even though he had already received instructions to steal from the coach before stepping into the batter’s box, he trash-talked to confuse the opponent.

Anyway, the bench chose to steal because they judged that now was a chance for a big score.

Mike Warren’s ERA this season is in the low 4s, meaning that statistically, he gives up at least 4 runs in 9 innings.

Considering that they had only scored 1 run for various reasons despite the opposing pitcher’s not-so-great condition, our bench seemed to think that they needed to widen the score gap here to reach a safe zone.

‘Batter to first base.’

As expected,

With Derek’s steal, the Marlins’ bench immediately requested an intentional walk as first base was open.

So, with runners on first and second with no outs, Chuck Clark, the 3rd batter who had hit into a double play in his first at-bat, stepped into the batter’s box.

The Marlins’ bench, expecting a double play and giving an automatic intentional walk, and the Seattle bench, aiming for multiple runs rather than just one, were locked in a battle of wits.

Crack!

The fierce battle of wits between the two benches ultimately ended in Manager Benjamin’s victory.

‘Good! Run! Run!’

‘Home! Home! Home!’

A clean double to the right-center.

Derek, who was on second base, easily came home,

Splash

‘Safe!’

While the right fielder fumbled the ball slightly, even I, running at full speed, was safe at home.

That added two more points, making the score 3:0, and they continued to have a no-out runner on second base.

‘You bastards! Quit it! I’m going home now! I’m going to go home and tear up your uniforms and burn them!’

‘Go bankrupt quickly and hand over the club to someone else! I don’t want to see this shitty club management anymore!’

Once again, trash poured onto the field and the game was stopped.

In the meantime, I called Rafael, who was in the on-deck circle.

‘Rafael.’

‘Okay, I’m ready.’

‘Hmm? What are you ready for?’

‘You’re going to give me advice, right? I heard it from the other players. They said to just follow what you say. Whatever it is, I’m fine with it. Even if you tell me to hold the bat upside down, I’m ready to do it.’

This guy seems to have been disciplined too much.

Did Tai play a prank or something?

‘No, it’s nothing much, just take a good look at the ankle of the pitcher who’s practicing his throws over there. The leg he’s kicking with.’

‘I saw it. Um, but what am I supposed to be looking at?’

‘Look closely. The angle of the ankle is 90 degrees, that means it’s a fastball.’

‘Ohh.’

‘If the angle is narrower than that, there’s a high probability it’s a breaking ball.’

‘Ohhh.’

‘It’s not 100% certain. I just discovered it today. Okay, go out there. Tell Tony on your way.’

‘Thank you. Even if I fail in this at-bat, I’ll definitely buy you a drink after the game.’

‘No need for the drink, just go out there and get a hit.’

Even the best-trained players can have old, bad habits resurface when things aren’t going well.

That’s exactly what today’s Marlins starter is like.

Judging from the fact that there was no mention of the ankle in the data given by the scouting team, it’s probably an old habit that has been corrected.

Since things are going badly today, his old habits must have come out without him realizing it.

Anyway, for a batter who is always at a disadvantage in a match against a pitcher, each of those little things adds up to become a great strength.

Tony, who received my words through Rafael in the distance, nodded as if to say he understood.

And,

Crack!

It wasn’t a hit thanks to the center fielder’s good defense, but it was enough to send the runner on second base to third.

One out, runner on third, Rafael Osuna stepped into the batter’s box.

* * *

‘Please, God.’

The Tampa Bay Rays, who had declared a rebuild and started selling off their key players.

Rafael Osuna, who was playing as a starting first baseman on that team, cheered inwardly when he heard the news of his trade to Seattle.

A starting first baseman on a rebuilding team versus a backup player on a World Series contender.

If you only think about the immediate position, the former might be better, but he was an ambitious player.

What Rafael wanted was to wear a World Series championship ring, and to become a starter on that team, even if it was a little late, and leave his name in history.

In that sense, Seattle was the best choice.

First of all, it’s a team that’s challenging for the World Series title, and among the teams that could take him, the starting first baseman is the oldest.

Of course, the problem is that the old first baseman is Tai Johnson.

But it’s okay.

At that age, the rate of designated hitter appearances will gradually increase, so his chances of starting will increase more and more.

Rafael was clearly aware of his limitations.

His defensive skills are top-notch, but in terms of hitting, even if he does well, his limit is around a .250 batting average with around ten home runs.

It’s very natural to accept a backup role if you want to play on a World Series contender team, let alone a team like Tampa Bay.

And Rafael was very confident that he could do that very well.

Whoosh

Crack

‘Strike!’

‘He was right! It’s a fastball!’

That’s why the first thing Rafael did after joining Seattle was to become friends with the players who made up the core of the team.

Rafael’s father told him the day he left his hometown and moved to the United States: “People living is all similar everywhere, so no one spits on a smiling face, so always try to be remembered as a good person to your colleagues.”

If there was a grumpy person in the Seattle team, he wouldn’t know, but fortunately, most of the players accepted Rafael’s smile with a smile.

And today, he finally succeeded in strengthening his friendship with Han Su-hyeok, who is considered the most influential person in the team.

It doesn’t matter that he’s younger than him.

What’s important in the big leagues is not age but skill, and Han Su-hyeok was a player who could be called the best ever in terms of that skill.

Whoosh

Crack

‘Ball.’

Two pitches in the previous batter Tony’s at-bat, and two now,

Rafael was sure after watching those four pitches.

Han Su-hyeok was right.

‘It’s a showdown!’

The pitcher’s one leg kicked the ground powerfully.

The angle of the ankle looked much narrower than usual.

The breaking balls that pitcher can throw are just two: slider and curve.

Rafael’s intuition told him: A slider that flows to the outside will come in.

The bat stretched out powerfully, matching the trajectory of the slider in his head.

And,

Crack!

With a refreshing hitting sound, the ball that was hit properly flew past the center fielder’s head and continued to fly.

‘Oh! It’s gone! It’s gone!’

‘Tai, you need to be nervous? A strong competitor has appeared!’

‘Damn it, really? Manager, let me out. I’m ready.’

Laughter erupted at Tai Johnson’s jest, and Rafael, who hit a two-run home run, returned to the dugout with a flushed face.

‘You were right, Han! You were right! Ahahahahaha!’

The Genius Pitcher Hides 170km