Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 304

#303. Just Wait a Little

The day he first visited the ballpark holding his grandfather’s hand, Roy Morgan, a boy completely captivated by Han Su-hyeok’s play and later invited to dinner with him, became an ardent fan of Han Su-hyeok.

That boy, now older, once again visited T-Mobile Park holding his grandfather’s hand.

“Grandpa, I think it’s going to be so much fun today.”

“Of course, it should be fun. Not only are they going to crush those Oakland guys, but I heard there’s a special performance before the game.”

“Could it be a famous singer? Ah! Han Su-hyeok is Korean, so maybe a K-pop star?”

“Maybe. Let’s go inside first, Roy.”

Han Su-hyeok, knowing that the two Morgans would be visiting the stadium, arranged for them to have the best seats behind home plate through the team’s management.

They vehemently refused, saying they didn’t want to cause any trouble, but it was no use.

Grandfather Thomas Morgan, who reluctantly accepted the tickets, bought a load of Seattle Mariners merchandise with the money he had intended to pay for the tickets. He hoped that his small spending would be of some help to the club’s operations.

“It’s over there.”

“Wow… this spot, the mound is right in front of us? I feel like I can see their faces!”

“You’re right, Roy. This is a really amazing spot.”

Thomas, who had been to the ballpark many times but never sat directly behind the catcher, settled into his seat with his grandson.

Looking around, most of the people were either players’ families or people who seemed to be related to the team.

“I should write a letter to Han Su-hyeok later to thank him.”

“I’ll leave a thank you message on social media, Grandpa.”

“Would you do that?”

The two Morgans were excited about watching a great game from a great spot.

After a while, the players who had warmed up went into the dugout, and instead, the stadium announcer walked onto the field.

“It’s a wonderful weekend afternoon. Today, I would like to thank everyone who came to the stadium to watch our Seattle Mariners game. I won’t take up too much time. To commemorate today’s match between the top two teams in the division, a special guest has prepared a special performance. Everyone, please enjoy!”

With those words, the stadium announcer left.

The audience’s attention turned to the bullpen. They knew that singers usually came out from there when there were celebratory performances.

However,

There was no movement there.

The audience began to murmur.

And then, someone’s voice was heard from afar.

“[Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light]”

“Huh? Grandpa, who’s singing the national anthem?”

“I don’t know… there’s no one on the field yet…….”

A beautiful voice that sounded familiar,

The American national anthem began to play, carried by a woman’s clear yet powerful voice.

But still, there was no one on the field.

All that could be heard was that clear and beautiful voice.

“[What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming]”

That’s when it happened.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“Ugh! Is that a person?”

“It is! Damn it, lend me those binoculars.”

“Wait a minute, let me look first and tell you. Wait.”

In the distance, a paraglider was slowly approaching T-Mobile Park from the sky.

There was no need for binoculars.

The paraglider was getting closer and closer to the stadium, soon close enough to be identified with the naked eye.

“It’s Min Ye-rin!”

“Oh my God! What is she doing there?”

“Goodness! This voice, that’s right. She was the one singing the national anthem.”

“Singing while paragliding? Freaking awesome! That’s really awesome!”

That’s right.

The owner of the voice was none other than Min Ye-rin.

There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for Han Su-hyeok.

As soon as she received a request to do a special performance for the team and for Han Su-hyeok today, she volunteered to create this program.

The last verse of the American national anthem flowed from the mouth of pop star Min Ye-rin, who is loved not only in Korea but also in the United States.

Her body was still flying over the stadium.

“[O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave~]”

“Oh, yeah! Today is a really great sight to see.”

“Damn it, why didn’t I think of this? Okay, next time I’ll show you a performance of landing at the stadium in a light airplane.”

After the national anthem ended, the audience erupted in cheers.

At that moment, Min Ye-rin, who was circling the stadium, said to the pilot on board.

“Now’s the time.”

“Okay, lady. Just press that button.”

Click.

At Min Ye-rin’s gesture, a huge banner unfolded under the paraglider.

“[We wish the Seattle Mariners a World Series victory and Han Su-hyeok the best in his challenge for the world’s best record!]”

The paraglider, with the huge banner trailing behind it like a tail, slowly began to land in the middle of the ballpark.

“Grandpa! This is really awesome!”

“Yeah! Roy! Damn it, I’ve never seen anything like this before either!”

The Morgans, along with the audience filling T-Mobile Park, shouted Min Ye-rin’s and Han Su-hyeok’s names in turn.

Finally, Min Ye-rin, who had landed perfectly on the mound, threw off her safety gear and shouted.

“Yeah! Shall we have some fun?”

* * *

The bustling pre-game event ended and the field cleanup was completed.

“Hehe, Han, your girlfriend is really awesome. She’s a wonderful woman.”

“Yeah.”

“What, don’t tell me you don’t agree with my opinion that she’s a wonderful woman?”

“No, more than that… I’m just a little surprised.”

“Oh, come on… a man’s got to have more guts than his girl.”

I prepared for the game while listening to Ty Johnson’s words, which I couldn’t tell if they were praise or teasing.

My words that I was surprised were sincere.

I was truly surprised by Ye-rin.

I’m not surprised because she did something weird.

Of course, I was a little shocked that she sang while dangling from a paraglider, but considering that she climbs over safety nets like they’re her own home, that’s within an acceptable range.

What really surprised me was…….

I’ve felt this way before, but Ye-rin seems to understand my feelings even better than I do.

If I’m feeling down or suddenly in a bad mood, she notices it like a ghost and tries to do something.

Today’s event is the same.

There’s no need to check, but Ye-rin must have been at the center of this event.

The desire to do something for me when I’m tired, that’s where everything must have started.

I turned my head and looked towards the stands in the distance.

The seat I had prepared for Ye-rin was still empty.

She’s probably struggling to change out of her uncomfortable jumpsuit right now.

Pfft.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

When I think about it, I’m really lucky to have met that girl.

If it weren’t for Min Ye-rin, I wouldn’t have had a reason to laugh even occasionally.

“What, Han. What are you so happy about that you’re chuckling to yourself?”

“Derek.”

“Yeah?”

“Get on base first. I’ll get you home no matter what.”

* * *

The Oakland A’s first attack in the top of the first inning ended without a score.

Whether it was because of the noisy pre-game event, or because of the gap between them and Seattle that couldn’t be narrowed no matter how hard they tried,

The Oakland players’ expressions were stiff, and Mike Warren’s knuckleball showed its power against those hitters.

And then, in the bottom of the 1st inning, Seattle’s attack.

Ta-ack!

Lead-off hitter Derek hit the opposing team’s ace Devin McPherson’s first pitch beautifully, resulting in a center-field hit.

Derek, who got on first base, pointed at me with his finger and mouthed something.

He probably meant to bring him home as promised.

Okay, shall we start?

“Hey, are you eating properly? Hmm, you look like you’ve lost some weight since I saw you last time?”

“…….”

“What, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to talk because you got hit once? Okay, if you need to learn sign language, I’ll introduce you to a good teacher.”

“…Umpire, tell this guy to shut up.”

“Well, it’s not my place to interfere, but let’s not forget that we’re here to play baseball.”

“Okay. I respect the umpire’s authority. By the way, you were a coward, Desmond. You told the umpire after just a few words.”

Today, guarding Oakland’s home plate is none other than Desmond King.

That’s right.

He’s the guy who cursed at Derek in the opening game, got hit by me, and had to stay in the hospital for a month.

Since both series with Oakland were concentrated in the early part of the season, it’s the first time I’ve seen his face since the opening game.

Hmm,

When I first saw him, I thought he was a pretty tough guy with a lot of guts,

But he told the umpire after just a few words.

That’s enough.

I’m in a good mood today, so let’s just let it go.

“Play!”

Although his jawbone was shattered after being hit by me, Desmond King is actually a pretty good catcher.

Stable defense, plus the occasional long hit.

To be honest, he’s a better player than our team’s Bruce.

In addition, the pitcher on the mound is the opposing team’s ace, Devin McPherson.

He’s a pitcher who throws a fastball and a two-seamer close to 100 miles per hour, and a cutter very well, and is currently one of the league’s top players with an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of runs allowed per game] of 2.98 and 12 wins.

Whoosh

Paang

“Ball.”

In fact, the recent decline in my batting pace, or more precisely, the ratio of hits and home runs, is not so much my problem as it is the slump of the batters behind me, Ty Johnson and Chuck Clark.

To be honest, it’s hard to call it a slump.

In Ty’s case, his batting average has dropped slightly due to adjusting the number of at-bats to manage his stamina, and Chuck is focusing on correcting this part with the coach because his swing has become larger due to the aftereffects of participating in the All-Star Game.

Nevertheless, their OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a comprehensive hitting statistic] in the second half of the season is 0.83 and 0.75, respectively.

However, even that slight slump seemed to be seen as a weakness by the opposing pitcher, and attempts to avoid me and face the batters behind me have become more frequent recently.

Whoosh

Ta-ack

“Foul!”

But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.

Ty Johnson’s batting average is returning to normal after the home run he hit in the second game against Detroit.

Of course, the Oakland battery [pitcher and catcher] that is facing me now will also know that fact well.

No runners on first base.

Sending me out here and facing Ty is suicide.

They’re going to make a move somehow.

All I have to do is blow that pitch out of the fence.

“I regretted hitting you last time, to be honest.”

“…….”

“To be honest, it was a bit of a misfire. I didn’t know your jaw was so weak that it would be shattered by that misfired punch.”

“Damn it, umpire, this bastard…….”

“Hey, I’m not a babysitter. As long as you throw and catch the ball within the allotted time, I don’t care about anything else. Oh, of course, that doesn’t mean you can fight like you did back then. If I see even a hint of that, I’ll eject both of you.”

“Of course. Umpire, I’m just happy to see this guy after a long time, but it seems like this friend is still sulking.”

“…Son of a bitch.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s how you should come out. Okay, you son of a bitch. Let me tell you one more time. If you say anything more about my nationality or the nationality of my colleagues, I’m going to pull out all your front teeth this time. Do you understand, you son of a bitch?”

“…….”

I got a little excited without realizing it while talking.

But it wasn’t enough to lose my mind.

Rather, it was a pleasant excitement that was perfect for concentrating on hitting.

The pitcher’s expression hardened in an instant, perhaps noticing the argument between me and the catcher.

Ball count one ball one strike.

In this situation, what ball can the pitcher throw to help his best friend and friend, the catcher?

Of course, a fastball that sticks close to the body, or a two-seamer that spins in reverse.

Then aim for it.

Ddeu-deu-deuk

The home run I hit against Jay Ward in the last game against Atlanta was really great, even if I think about it again.

A fastball of 105 miles per hour that comes in close to the body.

It’ll be a little slower than that, but I’ll revive that feeling and prepare to swing again.

The pitcher, who was looking back and forth between me and the first base runner, slowly began to pitch.

The advantage of that pitcher is that there is almost no difference in pitching power between the windup and the set position. He sometimes throws the ball in the set position even when there are no runners.

Therefore, the swing timing is set to a maximum of 100 mph fastball.

Whoosh

The ball was released from the pitcher’s fingertips, and at the same time, I started swinging with my elbows close to my body.

As expected, it’s a fastball.

Then is it a four-seamer, or a two-seamer, or maybe a cutter?

Seureuk

The ball spins in reverse and sinks slightly just before reaching home plate.

It’s a two-seamer.

Instantly correcting the trajectory of the swing and following through as is.

Taaaaa-ack!

“That’s it! It exploded! It’s number 50!”

“Freaking awesome! Han Su-hyeok! You’re our pride! Please break that damn Barry Bonds’ record!”

“Go! Go! Go! It’s gone! That’s it!”

The pitch that soared blackly continued to fly towards the left fence.

As soon as I realized it was a home run, I threw the bat into the air in the follow-through state.

The bat, which was spinning in the air, flew to the waiting batter’s box, and I stood in the batter’s box in that state and watched the pitch.

What if a beanball comes flying?

Well, can that catcher, who’s so scared, do that?

Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter.

If he can’t kill me in one shot, I’m going to turn his jaw into powder this time.

“Woo-ah-ah-ah!”

“50 home runs in 108 games! Damn it, that’s really awesome!”

“Okay, Devin McPherson, I recognize you as a man. Yeah, you’re a man! You’re a man even though you got hit by a home run!”

Home games are good for this reason.

I slowly started walking towards first base, listening to the cheers of the fans who were unilaterally enthusiastic.

When I turned first base and then second base, my eyes turned to the stands without me knowing it.

In the stands right behind the catcher, a boy, an old man, and a young woman were shouting at Desmond King.

“You deserve to use the surname King! Because you challenged Han Su-hyeok!”

“What? You got into a fight last time and your jaw was shattered? Okay, you’re definitely a real man. Because you gave us a big laugh.”

Two men and one woman were putting their arms around each other’s shoulders and spewing out words I didn’t know.

Desmond King’s face turned red as if it would explode at any moment, as if he understood those words.

Hmm,

Ye-rin and that old man are like that, but didn’t they say that kid is nine years old, no, eight years old?

Judging by his expression and the way he speaks, he’s like a worn-out hooligan.

Tuk

I spoke to Desmond King, who didn’t explode even at my home run ceremony and the provocation from the stands, perhaps because he had tasted it once.

“I think you’ll be a good catcher.”

“…I don’t want to hear it. Stop it. I’m not going to talk to you.”

Hmm,

I was going to tell him that he’s a good prospect to be a good catcher because he’s so patient.

Okay. I have to stop because he doesn’t want to hear it.

“Okay, boy. Come to the team bus after the game. I’ll give you this bat as a gift.”

“Woo-ah-ah-ah! Really! Grandpa, did you hear that? He’s going to give me the bat he just hit a home run with!”

“Yeah, I heard you. Hey, Han. Thank you so much. You’re giving our grandson another unforgettable memory.”

When I said I would give the bat to the boy hanging on the safety net, Min Ye-rin, who was hanging next to him, looked at me with envious eyes.

“Why, do you want it too?”

“Yes… I want the bat that hit the 50th home run!”

“Ye-rin-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Wait a little bit. I’ll give you the bat that hit the 74th home run as a gift.”