Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 316

#315. Don’t Just Talk

[Angels Swept by Seattle Mariners, Riding a Terrifying Wave to First Place in the Division, Angels Who Continued to Hope for a Wild Card, Powerless Three-Game Losing Streak Under Ryan Thibeau’s Momentum]

[Ryan Thibeau Records Complete Game Shutout in 9 Innings, “If the Last Ball Had Gone Over, There Would Have Been No Team Victory or My Shutout. I Want to Thank Han Su-hyeok.”]

[Game-Winning Home Run, and Decisive Diving Catch in the 9th Inning with Two Outs, Han Su-hyeok “No Matter What Anyone Says, Our Team’s Ace is Ryan. He Has Protected the Mound This Season Without Skipping the Starting Rotation Even Once. He is a Good Pitcher and a Great Leader at the Same Time” A Perfect Star Equipped with Skill and Humility]

[Han Su-hyeok Achieves His 57th Home Run of the Season with This Day’s Home Run, “I Will Not Give Up on Either the Team’s Division Championship or Breaking the Single-Season Home Run Record” Seattle Fans Cheer]

[Seattle Raises Season Win Rate to 0.629 with Sweep of Angels, Chasing the White Sox, Second in American League Win Rate]

The team’s performance and the players’ condition, which had been slightly sluggish in the second half, returned to normal with the sweep of the Angels.

The condition of the fielders, who took turns resting, returned to normal, and thanks to Ryan’s shutout victory, the fatigue of the middle relief pitchers was also greatly reduced.

Having returned to our best condition, we were to have a three-game series against Houston at home.

I’m talking about the Houston Astros, the bottom of the American League West, who have declared the season a bust and are focused on tanking [deliberately losing games to secure a higher draft pick].

“Okay, Han, I’m ready.”

“Hmm, why are you so excited?”

“Because I enjoy working with you?”

“Hmm…….”

Leonard Jones, a backup catcher brought in from Cleveland. If he had been given the chance, he could have become a catcher representing the league and a leader of the team in the future. He looks at me with a youthful face.

Leonard, who had been gradually increasing his appearances until the All-Star break, hadn’t been able to get many opportunities to play in the second half of the season as the team’s situation became more urgent.

Ryan, our team’s number one starter, was as close as a buddy with Bruce, the starting catcher, and no one but Bruce could catch Mike Warren’s knuckleball, the 3rd starter.

In addition, if the starting catcher is excluded from the games in which the 4th and 5th starters play, the overall team performance will inevitably drop significantly.

In the end, the manager seems to have decided to put Leonard in my pitching game.

Well,

From my point of view, I’m not that unfamiliar with playing with this guy because he’s familiar to me from playing together before the regression [referring to the protagonist’s time before reliving his life].

Of course, back then we were outfielders and catchers, not pitchers and catchers, but,

Anyway,

“You’re going to do the leading again today, right?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, then I’ll try to be a hard-working ball-receiving machine.”

He’s always good-natured and has a knack for making people around him feel comfortable.

His skills are not yet ripe and he is far behind Bruce, but if he gains experience and grows properly without any problems, he will become a catcher who surpasses him in a few years.

Hmm,

Come to think of it, Bruce was a free agent [a player eligible to sign with any team] at the end of this season.

Then how should I plan for next season…? Give up on Bruce and make Leonard the starter instead? And use that money for a decent middle relief pitcher…….

Forget it.

I pulled my mind, which was suddenly trying to enter the owner mode, back into the ground.

“Play!”

Houston, which has entered a full-fledged tanking mode, included a lot of rookies I’ve never seen before in the lineup.

After this three-game series against Houston, a four-game series against the White Sox, who are second in the American League West in overall win rate, awaits.

Considering that the regular season schedule with the Yankees, who are ranked first in the league in win rate, is over, and this is the last schedule with the White Sox, this will be the last chance to narrow the win rate gap with the first and second-place teams on our own.

It goes without saying that our team’s focus is on the four-game series against the White Sox.

In this three-game series against Houston, backups will be included in the lineup more often to preserve the stamina of the starters, and the starting pitchers will have to take responsibility for as many innings as possible to prevent the bullpen from being overloaded.

I turn my head and check the lineup engraved on the scoreboard again.

1st Center Fielder Derek Fleming

2nd Pitcher Han Su-hyeok

3rd 1st Baseman Ty Johnson

4th Right Fielder Chuck Clark

5th Left Fielder Jim Brown

6th 3rd Baseman Liam Landman

7th 2nd Baseman Lonnie Montaric

8th Catcher Leonard Jones

9th Shortstop Jonathan Owens

The lower batting order from 6th to 9th seems to be much looser than usual compared to the upper batting order.

In this case, you have to decide the game as early as possible.

What I have to do for that is,

Whoosh

Paang

“Strike!”

It’s to send that rookie in the batter’s box back to the dugout as quickly as possible.

* * *

Ttaak

“Safe!”

“Good! Send those idiots who can’t even defend to hell!”

“Those morons are playing in the major leagues, it’s an insult to baseball!”

“Smash them! Smash them so they can’t even lift their faces!”

Houston’s first attack in the top of the first inning ended in a three-up, three-down [when the first three batters are retired in order], and Seattle’s attack began in the bottom of the first inning.

Derek Fleming, who was the lead batter, hit the ball right in front of the third baseman, but the unknown third baseman, who was called up from Double-A [the second highest level of minor league baseball] just a week ago, missed the ball, and Derek succeeded in reaching first base in the meantime.

[2nd Batter Pitcher Han Su-hyeok]

And he entered the batter’s box.

A man called a disaster by other teams,

40% hitter Han Su-hyeok, who is accelerating the renewal of the single-season home run record once again by hitting home runs recently.

“Play!”

In the 2004 season, when Barry Bonds, a home run hitter and drug user who would go down in Major League history, turned 40,

He recorded an incredible record of .362 batting average, 45 home runs, and 101 RBIs [Runs Batted In], which is unbelievable considering his age.

But what really surprised the fans was not the batting average or the number of home runs.

An on-base percentage of 0.609,

In a situation where a player is said to have excellent eyes for the ball if the on-base percentage is only 0.100 higher than the batting average, an absurd on-base percentage that is 0.247 higher than the batting average.

It goes without saying that 0.609 was the highest single-season on-base percentage in Major League history, and the only thing that can be compared to it is Barry Bonds himself, who established 0.582 in 2002.

Even great names such as Ted Williams (0.553 in 1941), who is called the last 40% hitter in Major League Baseball, and Babe Ruth (0.545 in 1923), the god of baseball, paled in comparison to Barry Bonds’ record.

The only reason why such an incredible on-base percentage was possible was,

232 walks, which are still recorded as the most walks in a single season in Major League history, were concentrated on him.

That was 100 more than the 135 hits Barry Bonds recorded that year.

Whoosh

Paang!

“Ball.”

In that sense, Han Su-hyeok, who is attracting attention for surpassing Ted Williams in terms of batting average and Barry Bonds in terms of home runs, was able to get this much batting opportunity today thanks to Ty Johnson, the next batter.

Even though he is not as good as Han Su-hyeok, he boasts a career slash line [batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage] of 3/4/6, and he could not give up a walk recklessly with a hitter who is recording a career high this season behind him.

The support of strong colleagues that Barry Bonds did not have in 2004,

Han Su-hyeok had that.

Whoosh

Paang!

“Ball.”

“Hmm, if you’re going to do this, just ask for an intentional walk. What are you doing? Why are you making each other tired?”

“…Shut up.”

“I want to shut up too, so if you’re going to play baseball, do it right, you morons.”

“Son of a bitch.”

I subtly stimulated the catcher sitting behind home plate.

Jimmy Johnston, a veteran catcher who is keeping his place to clean up after the rookie pitchers, with the entire lineup filled with players I’ve never heard of.

The catcher, who had exchanged swear words with me in the last match, puffed out his nose.

Well, he must be frustrated with the current situation.

Basically, the purpose of a baseball player playing a game is to win the game.

No matter how much salary you receive, if you continue to play in a game where defeat has been decided, you will inevitably feel skeptical about life itself.

If you’re young, you can endure the current pain with hope for the future, but,

Well,

I don’t think that kind of future will be allowed for that catcher, who is in his mid-thirties.

When you wake up in the morning, a rookie pitcher you’ve never seen before is called up, and the club asks you to take care of that pitcher,

It’s annoying.

Yeah,

So I have to make him even more annoyed.

“Our team’s ace, Ryan, has a very pretty daughter named Riley.”

“What the hell are you trying to say?”

“You’re talking about a child who’s not even ten years old, and you’re calling it bullshit. The reporters would love to hear this.”

“That’s not it… Haa.”

A sigh of relief came out, but I decided to continue since I had already opened my mouth.

“I had dinner with her a while ago, and she said that. Uncle, why are those players with the H on their hats so bad at baseball? So I answered. Yeah, those guys are morons who have completely forgotten how to win. How about it, was my answer pretty appropriate?”

“Fuck you.”

“I hope that word was directed at me. Even if they’re morons, I believe they wouldn’t swear at a child who’s not even 10 years old.”

“…….”

That’s it.

His anger gauge must be pretty full by now.

Since it’s a tanking team, they won’t try to walk me as soon as the first inning starts. Especially since the lead batter has reached base due to an error.

So what I just did was to distract the old catcher who is virtually responsible for the ball distribution of this tanking team.

Houston’s rookie pitcher, whose control and breaking balls are terrible, but was called up to the big leagues with just his ball speed.

And the combination of a veteran catcher who wants to kill the batter.

The probability of a dangerous ball is half, and the probability of a quick match to the body is half.

In general, this is not a situation to aim for something big,

Whoosh

Ttaaaaaak!

That’s right.

The ball that was trying to stick close to the body slipped out of his hand, and the mediocre fastball that came into the middle was hit properly by the bat.

“Good! That’s it!”

“Fucking! You rookie on the mound! You’re going to be a really good pitcher in the future! Why? Because you gave up a home run to Han Su-hyeok!”

It was really hit properly.

The ball fired towards the left fence doesn’t seem to want to come down.

I leaned on the bat like a cane and admired the ball.

Judging from the sound of snorting behind me, I don’t need to check what kind of expression the catcher is glaring at me with,

Well, I believe he’s not stupid enough to punch a home run hitter.

Teong

Eventually, the ball that continued to fly hit the outer wall of the stadium and fell towards the stands.

“How about it, it’s a really great home run, right? It would have been better if it had gone out of bounds.”

“Son of a bitch… I’m going to kill you in the next at-bat.”

“Why? Are you going to throw a ball at my head? Hmm, good. If that happens, I’ll kill you first, not the pitcher, without hesitation. Then you’ll be out for the season and I’ll be recognized for self-defense and get a few games off. Out for the season in your mid-thirties… I wonder if you’ll be able to come back.”

“…….”

“If you’re just going to talk, don’t even bring it up in the first place. You son of a bitch. And if you’re going to play baseball, do it right. Do you understand?”

I kicked the bat I was leaning on and walked towards first base.

I’ll say it again, I really hate tanking teams.

Really.