Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 344

#343. The King of Seattle

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

Why did I even start liking baseball?

Of course, my mother, a devoted Warriors fan, was the biggest influence. But wasn’t there a more fundamental reason?

It’s never easy to make a 10-year-old kid genuinely like something.

No matter how much my mother influenced me, there had to be something inherent in baseball that drew me in.

Um,

I remembered something.

The refreshing scent of grass whenever I went to Jamsil Baseball Stadium [a famous baseball stadium in Seoul, South Korea] with my mother.

Having lived in an apartment since I was young, I think I unconsciously felt a sense of liberation whenever I stood before that wide expanse of green.

Sometimes drunken spectators would swear, burning trash cans would fly, and occasionally, someone would climb the safety net, but to me, the baseball stadium was the widest and most pleasant playground in the world.

“Alright, let’s get another point! You can do it!”

“Go! Go! Mariners!”

But unfortunately, after I grew up, I don’t think I ever truly enjoyed baseball again.

Baseball was always a goal, a job, and homework for me, so enjoying it was unimaginable.

That was the case until recently.

I laid the foundation for the Warriors dynasty, which was my lifelong dream, and came to the United States to see how far I could go as a player.

But if you ask me if the whole process was enjoyable?

Well, probably not.

Not until I heard Yerim’s wish.

That kid said she wanted me to break the home run record quickly, and if possible, win the championship too.

It may have been said without much thought, but

I don’t care.

I feel good knowing that I can grant that child’s wish with what I do best.

Just stepping into the batter’s box like this fills my whole body with a refreshing energy.

Just like when I visited the baseball stadium with my mother when I was a kid.

“Just you wait. We won’t keep getting beat like this.”

“Good thinking. Go ahead and try, friend.”

In my second at-bat, I casually acknowledged the words of the Angels catcher, who still had a youthful look on his face, and turned my gaze to Ryu Han-gyul on the mound.

In the first inning, we scored two runs with Derek’s triple and Tony’s sacrifice fly.

I wouldn’t want to give up a lead-off hitter with no outs in a situation where we’re behind by two points, let alone tied.

I have an on-base percentage of over .500 this season, but conversely, it also means that I fail to get on base one out of two times.

In this situation, it’s obvious what Ryu Han-gyul, or rather, the Angels bench, will decide.

They will take a chance.

Maybe the first and last gamble in today’s game.

Connecting that one chance to a long hit is not as easy as you might think.

Even in the All-Star Game home run derby, where they openly throw the ball for you to hit a home run, once you get blocked, home runs don’t come easily.

Extreme concentration and bat control.

That’s what I need right now, and I’m more ready than anyone else in the world to deliver.

Swoosh.

Ryu Han-gyul, who used to throw a fastball and changeup as his main weapons, mixing in sinkers, curves, and sliders during his KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] days, has made slight changes to his pitching pattern in his third year in the major league.

The usage rate of changeups has decreased compared to before, but the proportion of reverse-spinning sinkers has increased significantly.

I finished calculating the pitching pattern from the first pitch to the deciding pitch he would throw in my head.

What’s the best timing to create a long hit?

The first pitch.

I’m aiming for it.

Thud.

Ryu Han-gyul’s sinker that will sweep through the lowest outside course farthest from the right-handed batter.

That’s my goal.

Connecting that ball to a long hit might put a slight strain on my wrist, but

It’s okay.

I just need to hold on until I set a new home run record and Taiga comes back.

I have been training my body every single day for the past four years for this moment.

Now is the moment to use that body.

Nod, nod.

Ryu Han-gyul’s head on the mound moves up and down, and he enters his pitching motion with a look as if he has made a decision.

His pitching form is always clean and refreshing.

One white ball rose from the fingertips of the man who will be recorded as the best left-handed pitcher in Korean professional baseball history.

At the same time, one, and two,

Bang!

– Oh! This! This? This! Is it going? Is it going! Yes! It’s going! The hit by Han Su-hyeok keeps, keeps flying! The right fielder who gave up chasing the ball stares blankly at the sky! Home run! Home run! Damn it! Steve! It finally happened! It’s the moment when Major League history is being rewritten! The shameful history of Major League Baseball, stained with drugs, has been broken after 29 years by a young man who flew in from far away Korea! Now, the title of most home runs in a single Major League season belongs to the new captain of the Seattle Mariners, Han Su-hyeok!

– I know! I know, so stop shouting… Okay, that’s not going to happen. If we talk quietly, we won’t be able to hear anything because of the fans’ screams. I don’t know either. Now, can everyone hear me? The voices of the fans filling Angel Stadium here! A festival is taking place here right now! The shameful history of Major League Baseball, stained with drugs, has been broken after 29 years by a young man who flew in from far away Korea! Now, the title of most home runs in a single Major League season belongs to the new captain of the Seattle Mariners, Han Su-hyeok!

* * *

“You’re a really cruel guy.”

“Haha…….”

“A heartless bastard.”

“Hmm.”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], stop it, it’s embarrassing. Ms. Min Yerim is here, so stop crying too.”

“What? Who’s crying? This is just because the food is too spicy!”

“Okay, eat this. Yerim, you should eat too. Let’s eat first and then talk.”

Taking advantage of Lee Dong-il’s assignment, Yerim and I were able to keep our dinner appointment with Ryu Han-gyul, which we had been putting off for a long time.

It just so happened to be the day we swept the Angels and achieved a 19-game winning streak, and the day I broke the Major League single-season home run record against Ryu Han-gyul.

Ryu Han-gyul’s resentful eyes are a bit burdensome, but

Well, the food is delicious, so it’s okay. I didn’t have much of an appetite anyway, but the braised short ribs are sticking to my mouth.

“Aren’t we eating all the food that Ryu Han-gyul’s mother made? I feel like we’re causing trouble.”

“Oh my, don’t say that. Sister-in-law, if you feel sorry, set me up on a blind date later…….”

“Sister-in-law? Oh my, it’s not that serious yet.”

“Why? Hasn’t Su-hyeok proposed yet? Hey, you, everyone from Korea to the United States knows about you and Yerim, what are you doing…….”

“Oh my, hyung is being a nuisance again. How old is Yerim to be talking about marriage already? Isn’t that right, Yerim?”

“No! I’m already mentally prepared, but… maybe oppa [term used by females to refer to older brother or male friend]…….”

I just left Ryu Han-gyul and Yerim, who get along strangely well, and looked around the house.

At first, I was going to go to a restaurant that Ryu Han-gyul had reserved, but I didn’t think it would be good to expose the appearance of the losing pitcher eating with the opposing team’s hitter, so I hurriedly changed the location to his house.

Actually, I feel more comfortable with this. It wouldn’t be a good choice to wander around downtown LA on a day like this. The braised short ribs that Ryu Han-gyul’s mother made are quite delicious too.

“By the way, Su-hyeok, how many more home runs are you planning to hit? You have to hit at least one more. If the season ends like this, that hyung might be too embarrassed to go back to Korea.”

“Home runs? I’ll have to hit as many as I can.”

“Oh, what’s wrong? I thought you’d just answer indifferently and not say anything. Well, now that it’s come to this, just hit 80. You know as well as I do that you don’t know when this moment will come again.”

I put the braised short ribs that Lee Chan-ho was pushing into my mouth and thought.

A warm dinner with acquaintances, and light jokes.

Why was something so trivial so difficult in the past?

I caught sight of Yerim, who was exchanging something with Ryu Han-gyul on her smartphone, as if she was really going to set him up on a blind date.

If I hadn’t met Yerim, or if that kid hadn’t approached me first,

What kind of person would I be living in the world?

* * *

[Major League single-season home run record finally broken! Han Su-hyeok, who hit his 74th home run, says, “I want to thank Yerim first, who gave me strength before the game, my precious person. Of course, the next thing I’m grateful for is the fans. I sincerely thank you for your support. This season, we will do our best to become the best team in Major League Baseball. Please believe in us and watch over us.”]

[Seattle fans, “Han Su-hyeok and Min Yerim are like the king and queen of Seattle. While they are here, we are ready to do anything for their comfortable life.”]

[Seattle Mariners, who won the Angels 4-2 and achieved a 19-game winning streak, are on an unstoppable run towards the Major League’s longest winning streak and the American League’s top winning percentage]

[LA Angels’ Ryu Han-gyul, who was hit with his 74th home run by Han Su-hyeok, “Su-hyeok told me that he would somehow add more home runs before the end of the season and remove my name from the list of pitchers who allowed the most home runs.”]

[Who is the owner of the 74th home run ball that will remain in Major League history? Nicholas Mosley (65), a Mariners fanatic who flew in from Seattle, “My team is looking forward to their first World Series appearance in my life. Home run ball? Of course, I will return it to Han Su-hyeok. He is a benefactor who gave me something more important and valuable than a home run ball.”]

[PHOTO: The Mariners players return home, and the citizens cheer for the heroes]

[Seattle’s chance to win the championship for the first time in 17 years since the Seahawks (NFL) [National Football League] in 2013, Seattle Mayor Edwards Hoffman, “If the Mariners succeed in advancing to their first World Series, the city will mobilize all possible means to support them.”]

[What is the final schedule for the Seattle Mariners, who are celebrating their second 100-win season since the team was founded? A 3-game series against Texas, and a 3-game series against Tampa Bay]

“Okay, no matter what happens today, I won’t be the first to collapse. I promise. So please score somehow while I’m on the mound. I’m counting on you all.”

“Of course, captain.”

Ryan Tebow, who was a fan of the Seattle Mariners since he was a child, and who has been steadily following the ace course, receiving the evaluation of being the best pitcher raised in the Seattle farm, today’s game had great significance in many ways for Ryan.

The challenge for the most consecutive wins in Major League history and the American League’s top winning percentage,

Ryan was greatly encouraged by the fact that he was in charge of the first step at home for the two goals that were not far away.

When Ty Johnson was out due to the accident in the Oakland game, he was worried that everything might be in vain.

However, since then, the Mariners players have become more united, and they have proven that they are a team that cannot be easily challenged just because one person is missing.

Ryan’s gaze turned to Han Su-hyeok, who played as third baseman today.

I feel it once again, but everything started to change when that guy joined the Mariners.

He made the young players, who were being swayed by the veterans of other teams, unite, and the rough guys who used to pick fights whenever they saw Seattle started to be wary of us.

“Play!”

With the umpire’s game start sign, Ryan began a powerful windup.

The ball containing everything he had was fired from his fingertips.

Bang.

“Strike!”