Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 298

Genius Pitcher Hides 170km – Chapter 297 (298/412)

#297. Self-Defense

What if there was a baseball player who, after playing almost two-thirds of the season, maintained a batting average of over .400, hit nearly 50 home runs, and had an unbelievable ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] in the 0.00s?

And what if that player suddenly showcased pitching with his opposite arm at the All-Star game?

And if that wasn’t enough, what if he had the fighting skills to completely dominate the opposing side in all four bench-clearing incidents this season without getting hurt himself?

Overwhelming interest and support from baseball fans would be natural, and it would be inevitable for someone to try to delve into the more fundamental aspects.

ESPN, which is broadcasting all of Han Su-hyeok’s games this season, recently gathered experts in fields related to the human body, including a renowned medical professor and a UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] champion-turned-trainer, to conduct an in-depth analysis program on Han Su-hyeok.

The elderly professor, participating as a panelist, shared his opinion.

“I don’t know much about baseball. But for this session today, I’ve analyzed all the videos and data on Han Su-hyeok. How can one player play in multiple positions, even with his non-dominant hand? That’s what you’re curious about, isn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

“Now, let me explain it in a way that’s easy for the general public to understand. Let’s say there’s someone who works out diligently at home. But because they’re not a professional, they focus all their energy on upper body exercises. They lift dumbbells, do push-ups, whatever, and let’s say they build a great upper body. Now, imagine this person suddenly starts doing high-intensity lower body strength training. What would happen?”

The host replied,

“Um, they probably wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed because of muscle pain. Damn, that reminds me of a terrible memory. I did some squats because my wife nagged me, and I couldn’t walk properly the next day.”

“That’s right. Exactly. In a nutshell, it’s like this: Not just in baseball, but in all sports, athletes have muscles they use and muscles they don’t use. The reason why it’s impossible for a right-handed pitcher to throw with his left hand isn’t just a matter of practice; it’s because the muscles on the opposite side aren’t prepared to generate explosive energy in the first place. The same goes for a player being both a hitter and a pitcher.”

“So?”

“Han Su-hyeok is… well, I can’t say for sure because I haven’t received the exact data on him, but it’s best to define him like this: He has perfectly trained most of the muscles and organs in the human body. Yes, he’s a complete athlete prepared to perform any movement.”

“Wow! That’s quite a compliment. Great. Now, let’s talk about Han Su-hyeok’s bench-clearing incidents. This season, he’s been involved in a total of four bench-clearing incidents, and as a result, he’s sent four opponents to hospital beds, and he barely gets hurt himself. Amazing. Now, let’s hear from the former UFC champion about this.”

The huge man, who had been waiting for his turn to speak, replied in an excited voice.

“Okay, to be honest, when I got the offer to appear on this program, I thought, ‘Damn, how good can a baseball player be at fighting that everyone’s making such a fuss?’ And I watched videos of that guy throwing punches countless times. After a while, I came to this conclusion: This guy should be doing martial arts, not baseball.”

“What made you think that way?”

“It’s just like what that professor said earlier. The most important thing in martial arts isn’t strength, but body balance. In simple terms, it means not losing your balance in any situation, and the most important thing for that is to train all parts of your body evenly so you can move the way you want.”

“In other words, Han Su-hyeok is ready to perfectly control his body as he wishes?”

“That’s right. Look at this video. Nice punch, right? One thing is for sure: Han Su-hyeok has professionally learned boxing. This is a punch that’s impossible without training. And although he hasn’t used it yet, I’m sure Han Su-hyeok is also skilled in other martial arts like kicking or ground techniques.”

“Wow! Other martial arts techniques besides punching? What’s the basis for that assumption?”

“Think of it this way. Around us, there are people who can almost perfectly imitate the dances of dancers on TV just by watching them a few times, right?”

“Oh, that’s right. My daughter is exactly like that.”

“Yes, generally, people who are good at imitating other people’s dances have something in common. They have a good eye, and they have the ability to control their bodies as they please. Martial arts is the same. Han Su-hyeok can probably use most martial arts techniques very naturally, like breathing, just by watching them a few times.”

“Players who have had a bench-clearing incident with Han Su-hyeok, or are planning to have one, should be nervous. Based on what we’ve heard so far, that guy isn’t just a baseball player.”

“Yes, that’s right. Finally, one thing I’m curious about is how he can manage his body in such perfect condition while dealing with the grueling schedule of Major League Baseball. It’s amazing. That’s not something you can do with ordinary mental strength.”

Han Su-hyeok, who had been praised by experts as a complete athlete, is now issuing a warning to someone with a weary look in his eyes.

“Listen carefully. If you utter one more fucking word to my teammate, you’ll be lying in a hospital bed eating soup. Got it?”

The target was none other than Yamamoto Kenichi.

Yamamoto, who had hit a three-run triple with a runner on first and third, had provoked his junior and pushover, Hayashi Rentaro.

At Han Su-hyeok’s threat, the excitement in Yamamoto’s eyes disappeared, replaced by tension and anger.

‘This bastard dares to…’

It was something he couldn’t even imagine in Japan.

Even if he provoked first, how dare someone say such a thing to Yamamoto?

Of course, he knew that the cocky Korean in front of him was good with his fists and that he was a well-known strong puncher with a record of 4 wins and 0 losses in this Major League Baseball, where hulks abound.

But he was the same.

He hadn’t had a direct fistfight yet while adjusting to the Big League, but in Japan, he was an absolute powerhouse who had never been pushed back by anyone in a bench-clearing incident.

Of course, bench-clearing incidents in the Japanese league were nothing compared to those in the United States; they were like child’s play.

Anyway, Yamamoto, who had thought that he wouldn’t be inferior to the Major League hulks in terms of punching, even if his baseball skills weren’t up to par, immediately responded.

“What did you say, huh? What does it matter to you what I say to my junior?”

“Shut your mouth. You stink. And whether he’s your junior or not, he’s our teammate now, you son of a bitch.”

The umpires rushed in to mediate the sudden clash at third base.

“Hey, both of you back off. Verbal arguments are fine, but anything more is not.”

“Damn it, umpire, that guy started it first. I just said a word to my junior from my hometown, and he’s making a fuss about it?”

“I understand, but back off. Yamamoto, we’ll look into what you said later, but back off now. This is your final warning.”

The umpires, who knew Han Su-hyeok’s personality well, focused on getting Yamamoto to back down first.

They knew that Han Su-hyeok wasn’t the type to get easily agitated and that he was a player who could tolerate and move on once or twice unless the opponent crossed a certain line.

“Fuck, are you favoring him because he hit a lot of home runs? Huh? Are you taking that kid’s side?”

But the problem was that Yamamoto, who had lived recklessly without knowing the fear of the world, had crossed that line.

His continued provocations touched Han Su-hyeok’s fuse.

“A bug-like guy is talking nonsense just because he has a mouth.”

“What? You son of a bitch?”

Yamamoto, enraged by Han Su-hyeok’s words, leaned his head forward and rushed at him.

Throwing a punch first in these situations is what amateurs do. Rather, pushing the opponent’s chest with your head while avoiding the umpire’s eyes and the camera’s angle can inflict considerable damage on the opponent.

Yamamoto, with his hands behind his back and his head bowed, as he used to do in Japan, strode towards Han Su-hyeok.

Seeing this, players from both teams poured out of the dugout.

“What did I do?! Huh? What did I do?! Huh?”

Just as Yamamoto’s head, which was close to him, was about to strike Han Su-hyeok’s chest,

Tuk

Thud

“Ugh!”

Han Su-hyeok, who had been looking at the charging Yamamoto with a pathetic look, slightly dodged and tripped him.

Then, he said to the umpire,

“You saw that, right? I acted in self-defense.”

“Okay, I saw it clearly. If you stop here, nothing will happen. So, stop it.”

A conversation that felt somewhat indifferent, unsuited to the tense situation.

Yamamoto was greatly angered by the conversation between Han Su-hyeok and the umpire, which seemed almost nonchalant, and by the attitude and tone of the two people, who didn’t seem to care about his existence.

As the ‘Bancho’ [Japanese slang for “boss” or “leader” of a group] in Japan, where he reigned as the boss, it was an intolerable insult.

“You bastards, I’m going to kill you!”

Finally, Yamamoto raised his fist and charged at Han Su-hyeok.

Of course, he didn’t really intend to hit him.

Atlanta, knowing his terrible personality, had inserted a clause in his contract that imposed internal fines if he injured an opponent with a punch or was suspended in a bench-clearing incident.

It was a fatal penalty clause for him, who was precious about every penny due to his enormous gambling debts in Japan.

That’s why Yamamoto’s punch was just for intimidation, because it was common sense that if a situation where real punches were exchanged was created, other players would jump out and separate the two.

He was good at saving face and even better at intimidating his opponent.

Yamamoto had reigned as the undefeated emperor in Japan in this way every time.

But today, the atmosphere was strange.

“I’ll bet 100 dollars on Han.”

“Damn it, if you all bet on that guy, the bet won’t work!”

His Atlanta teammates, who should have been helping him, were blocked by a human wall and couldn’t move. The human wall was created by none other than the Seattle players.

Instead of separating Han Su-hyeok and Yamamoto, they were creating a stage where the two could fight to their hearts’ content and even making strange bets.

‘What kind of guys are these?’

He was dumbfounded, but that wasn’t the important thing now.

He couldn’t back down here. He was Yamamoto Kenichi, the ‘Bancho’ of Yomiuri [A famous Japanese baseball team], who had risen to this point with his reputation alone, the big brother of Japan.

He changed his mind, intending to just intimidate him and end it.

His hatred for Han Su-hyeok, who was treating him like a fool, exploded in an instant.

Now, fines didn’t matter. If he backed down here, it seemed like all the players in the league would call him a coward.

“You bastard!”

“Hey! Stop! Stop! You’re ejected! Back off!”

“Get out of the way! I’m going to kill you all! Korean!”

With abusive language, Yamamoto threw himself.

The umpire, who had barely crawled into the human wall, tried to block Yamamoto but was hit by him and pushed back.

At the same time, Yamamoto kicked Han Su-hyeok with his right foot, which was wearing spikes.

At that moment,

Tuk

Han Su-hyeok, who had dodged the kick with a light gesture, said to the umpire who had fallen to the ground,

“You saw everything, right? From now on, it’s self-defense.”

With those words, Han Su-hyeok charged at Yamamoto.

Crack

“Ugh!”

The first body blow made a sound of something seriously breaking in Yamamoto’s ribs.

It didn’t end there.

Han Su-hyeok grabbed Yamamoto by the collar and pulled him forward.

Then, he whispered in his ear,

“Those kinds of pathetic things only work in your league. Do you understand now where you’re playing?”

With those words, Yamamoto lost consciousness.

Pow!

Crack!

One blow buried in his side, and a finishing blow that shattered his jaw, Han Su-hyeok kicked Yamamoto, who was slumped backward, like he was handling dirty trash.

Han Su-hyeok said to the umpire, who was staring at him with a blank expression,

“I’ll say it again, it’s self-defense.”

Genius Pitcher Hides 170km