Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 376

“Oppa, it’s snowing so much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a snow bomb like this since I was born.”

“Yeah, it really is. By the way, Yerin.”

“Yes?”

“I’m thinking of retiring. What do you think?”

“Huh! R-r-retiring?”

“Retiring.”

“Surely that retirement isn’t the retirement I’m thinking of, right?”

“Um… I think it’s probably right.”

“Suddenly, what is this… Why, why?”

“I feel like I’ve done enough, would that sound a little strange?”

Winter of 2039,

Han Su-hyeok’s 10th season since transferring to Major League Baseball has come to an end.

When he first set foot on the American stage, the prevailing opinion was that if he continued to work as both a pitcher and a batter, something would go wrong within a few years.

It wasn’t a completely unfounded concern.

In his first and second seasons, Han Su-hyeok played almost full-time as a hitter and pitcher—he played in nearly every game except those he was forced to miss due to suspension.

However, in his third and fourth seasons, he intentionally began to control his pitching innings.

He slightly increased the intervals between starting appearances and skipped the starting rotation a few times when the schedule was overloaded. He also didn’t aim for complete games or shutouts like he used to.

Nevertheless, he was still the best player in the league, maintaining a batting average of over .400, more than 70 home runs, and an overwhelming ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of runs allowed per nine innings pitched] of less than 1.00. The Seattle Mariners, led by him, achieved the incredible feat of winning four consecutive World Series championships.

[2033 Season World Series Champion Seattle Mariners, one step closer to the all-time record of 1st place (5 consecutive years) set by the New York Yankees in 1953 with their 4th consecutive win]

[Still overwhelming pitching power, the best table-setter combination in the Big League, Seo Hyeong-joo and Derek Fleming, the great performance of new home run hitter Leonard Jones replacing Bruce Matthews, and the strongest closer Brian Knight]

[Seattle completes contracts with all internal FAs [Free Agents] such as Derek Fleming, Chuck Clark, Antonio Garcia, Jim Brown, and Dalvin Schwartz, challenging for their 5th consecutive win without any power drain]

[The only concern for the strongest team of the 2030s, the Seattle Mariners, is Han Su-hyeok’s risk of injury]

[Han Su-hyeok records less than 200 innings (189 innings) and an ERA of over 1.00 (1.01) for the first time since his Major League debut. Experts say, “After playing a full season as both a pitcher and a batter for four consecutive years, it would be strange if there were no problems with his body.”]

[What if Han Su-hyeok is out of the power range? Along with Ty Johnson’s aging, the Seattle Mariners’ team balance could completely collapse]

Despite winning four consecutive championships, several experts poured out negative forecasts, as if they had been waiting for it, as Han Su-hyeok’s stats declined even slightly. In particular, the media based in New York took the lead.

Their argument was that Seattle’s chances of winning five consecutive championships were absolutely impossible if Ty Johnson’s skills, who was over 40 years old, deteriorated, coupled with Han Su-hyeok’s injury, who could be said to be the central axis of the team in both pitching and batting.

But,

Clang!

“Out! Game set!”

In 2034, the Seattle Mariners, who were celebrating Ty Johnson’s retirement season, started another dominant run.

Han Su-hyeok, who had been embroiled in rumors of shoulder problems, maintained his position as the No. 1 starter as if nothing had happened and broke all records once again.

The moment Han Su-hyeok struck out the last batter in the fifth game of the World Series against St. Louis, bringing the team’s fifth World Series trophy,

“Uwaaa! It’s done! It’s done!”

“Han Su-hyeok! Han Su-hyeok! Han Su-hyeok! Han Su-hyeok!”

People came to know.

That Han Su-hyeok had no injuries.

That it was foolish to apply ordinary standards to this player who had once again broken the best single-season records in all aspects of pitching and hitting.

In that way, Seattle’s unstoppable march continued.

In the 2034 season, one of the main players who brought the team’s heyday, along with the team’s five consecutive World Series wins, took off his uniform.

“The best thing I’ve ever done in my life was playing baseball, and the second best thing was deciding to play on the same team as Han Su-hyeok. Money, fame, those things are important, but I learned the true fun of baseball by playing with Han Su-hyeok as a teammate. I think being able to enjoy life until I’m over 40 is a value that cannot be exchanged for anything. I dedicate this honor today to the many fans who have supported me over the past years, my Cardinals and Mariners teammates, Han Su-hyeok, the only baseball player I respect, and my beloved daughter. Thank you.”

He left the field with a short but intense retirement speech.

Ty Johnson, who had been active as a Major Leaguer for nearly 20 years and had earned everyone’s respect.

Concerns poured in about his absence, as he had played another pillar role for the Mariners, supporting Han Su-hyeok.

But those concerns were soon resolved.

Han Su-hyeok’s habitual saying, that he would be willing to invest whatever it took if money was needed to build the strongest team, became a reality.

[James Taylor, whose contract with the Yankees has expired, transfers to the Seattle Mariners in a surprise move, 7 years, total of $410 million]

[James Taylor selected as Han Su-hyeok’s partner instead of Ty Johnson, suddenly changes destination to Seattle in a situation where remaining with the Yankees was certain]

[James Taylor “I met Ty Johnson a while ago. And I finally asked him. Was it so fun playing baseball with Han Su-hyeok? He nodded without hesitation, and at that moment, my new team was decided. The Yankees offered more in terms of guaranteed amount. But I know that the most important thing in life is not money. I’m really looking forward to the new season with him.”]

James Taylor, the Yankees’ main power hitter, who was considered the best among active hitters except for Han Su-hyeok, transferred to Seattle in a surprise move.

A huge contract with a guaranteed amount of over $400 million, approaching an annual average of $60 million.

Only then did people realize one thing they had forgotten.

That Seattle’s owner, Han Su-hyeok, was a *chaebol* [a large South Korean industrial conglomerate] who had accumulated enormous wealth that ordinary people could not even imagine.

No, beyond a *chaebol*, he was a huge figure whose personal assets alone were among the top three wealthiest Koreans, a figure who deserved the expression “tycoon.”

In that way, Seattle, which perfectly filled Ty Johnson’s void with James Taylor, continued to cruise.

Six consecutive World Series wins from the 2030 season to the 2035 season.

This was an immortal record that surpassed the five consecutive wins recorded by the New York Yankees from 1949 to 1953, which no other team in modern baseball could ever dream of surpassing.

And the next season,

Seattle, whose team’s second starter Ryan Tibo and starting catcher Leonard Jones, Derek Fleming, and others were injured in succession, finally stepped down from the top spot.

St. Louis, who had been sharpening their swords for a long time to regain the top spot, defeated Seattle after a close game that went to the 7th game.

The team’s starting players were gradually aging, and rival clubs such as the Yankees and Dodgers were overhauling their teams with aggressive investments that were overwhelming.

Some said that the era of Seattle was coming to an end, and some even argued that they should actively rebuild to usher in a new era.

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

Before long, Ryan Tibo was in his mid-thirties, and the team’s young players were also in their 30s, and the frequency of injuries was gradually increasing.

But there was one thing they didn’t consider.

The fact that Han Su-hyeok, the best player of all time, who was just entering his late 20s and was enjoying his physical and technical prime, was still healthy.

Seattle, who had conceded the top spot only once after six consecutive wins, succeeded in regaining the championship trophy in 2037, and then succeeded in defending the champion’s seat for three consecutive years until 2038 and 2039.

Nine World Series wins in 10 seasons, and as a hitter and pitcher, there was no place to go any higher. Han Su-hyeok, the world’s best baseball player, could now be called the best of all time without any exaggeration.

[Han Su-hyeok, who ranked 1st in career WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a comprehensive baseball statistic] (total of hitter and pitcher 297.5), 1st in batting average (.413), 1st in home runs (788), 1st in on-base percentage (.535), 1st in slugging percentage (1.011), 1st in OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a measure of a hitter’s overall offensive performance] (1.546), 1st in ERA (0.78), and 1st in WHIP [Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched, a measure of a pitcher’s ability to prevent runners from getting on base] (0.619) in major pitching and hitting categories, is certain to enter the Hall of Fame in the first turn even if he retires right away]

[Han Su-hyeok, the world’s best baseball player who will be 32 years old in the upcoming 2040, is likely to achieve 1st place in all pitching and hitting categories within 5 years if he continues at the current pace]

[Han Su-hyeok, who was selected as the best baseball player of all time by ESPN for 10 consecutive years, has been reborn as a sports icon around the world beyond baseball]

Han Su-hyeok, who spent three years in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] and then advanced to Major League Baseball, has become the best player in the Major League for a long time of 10 years and has reached his early 30s.

But Han Su-hyeok’s pace has not dropped at all.

As you can see from his career record, he is the best baseball player who can record an ERA of less than 1.00 and around 20 wins every year, and who can hit .400 with 70 home runs as a hitter—a player who would only appear in cartoons.

He has now succeeded in establishing himself as the most beloved sports icon for all sports fans around the world, beyond the United States and beyond baseball.

Due to his performance, young children became interested in baseball instead of basketball or soccer, and a large number of talented prospects were introduced to the baseball world.

In addition, Major League Baseball as a whole has enjoyed a tremendous boom, with the entire market size growing by more than 1.5 times as the power struggle between each team, such as the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and LA Dodgers, who are challenging the strongest team of all time, the Seattle Mariners, has continued for 10 years.

It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Major League, or rather, the American professional sports world, was carried by Han Su-hyeok alone.

Many people praised him in unison.

That there will never be a player like Han Su-hyeok in any sport in the future.

That there will never be an existence who can influence the league and the entire country beyond the team as a player and as an owner. Therefore, the only thing ordinary people can do is to enjoy baseball as much as possible while he is on the field.

That Han Su-hyeok is now,

mentioning retirement in front of his lover, who has been by his side for a long time.

“I think this is enough now.”

“O-Oppa, but please think about it again carefully…….”

“Um, is there anything more to think about? There are no more records I’m greedy for, and the team is doing well enough even without me.”

“That’s true, but if Oppa is gone…….”

“No, now I have to try to win without me. Yes, now that it’s come to this, let’s announce it right away. Let’s go on a trip together next year…….”

“W-wait a minute!”

Min Ye-rin’s face turned pale at Han Su-hyeok’s bombshell declaration.

In fact, there had been some signs of it for a while.

To be exact, from the moment Han Su-hyeok’s name was placed at the top of major titles such as career batting average and home runs, and from the moment critical voices were heard from some in the baseball world about Seattle’s dominance, which had won nine championships in 10 years.

Min Ye-rin remembered that complex emotions began to appear on Han Su-hyeok’s face.

Of course, Min Ye-rin also wanted to spend a lot of time with Han Su-hyeok.

Nearly 10 years have passed since they started dating in earnest, but the two of them still lacked time together, as they spent more than half of the year traveling for away games, and Min Ye-rin was also busy traveling back and forth between Korea and the United States for her singing career.

But,

‘Still, I can’t imagine Oppa quitting baseball… What if he regrets it later…….’

Min Ye-rin knows.

Even if Han Su-hyeok has lost some of his purpose in baseball right now, the place where he enjoys himself the most is none other than on the field, and that he is the person who can be happiest when he plays baseball with his teammates there.

That’s why Min Ye-rin decided to persuade Han Su-hyeok. She wants to declare their retirement at the same time right now and lock themselves somewhere to spend time alone, but,

‘I don’t want to see Oppa regretting it even if it’s just once.’

Min Ye-rin, who had sorted out her thoughts, said to Han Su-hyeok.

“Oppa.”

“Huh? Why? Ah, I’m just saying this in case, but you can’t retire too? You can just live doing what you want to do. Now I can follow you around, right?”

“No, it’s not that, um…….”

“It’s not? Then what is it?”

“About the Warriors. I don’t know if I can say this, but the situation seems to be a bit bad these days… It’s already been two years since they last won.”

“Warriors? Um, that’s true. Since they’ve started rebuilding, it’ll be difficult to get results right away. And it’s not like the movement of players is as active as in Major League Baseball…….”

Han Su-hyeok fell into thought for a moment at Min Ye-rin’s words.

While Seattle won nine championships, the Warriors in Korea advanced to the Korean Series a total of seven times and succeeded in reaching the top five times.

And in the meantime, many of the colleagues who played with Han Su-hyeok were retiring from active duty or were reaching the end of their playing careers.

In order to fill the vacancies in the squad, the Warriors began a full-scale rebuilding two years ago, and as a result, they recorded results that did not match their reputation, ranking 5th in the 2038 season and 4th in the 2039 season.

Han Su-hyeok did everything he could for such Warriors.

In addition to actively supporting the budget for recruiting outside players, he also sent special-class players with guaranteed performance as foreign players, and he did everything he could to improve the Warriors’ power, such as operating training programs for leaders and players.

But the Warriors, who were mainly composed of young players, needed a little more time. Therefore, no experts picked the Warriors as a championship contender for the 2040 season.

But,

“Oppa, I don’t know if I can say this… If you’re no longer enjoying playing in Major League Baseball…….”

“Um?”

“How about going back to Korea? How about wearing the Warriors uniform again?”

The moment he heard those words, Han Su-hyeok recalled one fact he had forgotten.

His promise to return to Korea, or rather, to the Warriors someday,

The precious people who will be waiting for him there.

Han Su-hyeok, who had been thinking about something for a long time, slowly opened his mouth.

“Yeah, that’s right. I forgot something important. Thank you, Ye-rin.”

One day, when a record snowfall was falling all over Seattle,

The absolute being who had completely dominated one ecosystem decided to return to where he originally was.

It was a huge event that would be a blessing to some and a nightmare to others, and at the same time, it was the starting point for a huge change in the global baseball world.

“Then shall we go back? To the people who are waiting for us.”