Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 385

#384. The End of One Who Defied God

Before Han Su-hyeok declared his return to Korea, Korean baseball experts predicted the 2040 KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] League landscape as follows:

Top 4, Middle 2, Bottom 4.

The Seoul Magicians, who successfully completed their five-year rebuilding phase and claimed the 2039 season championship, along with the Suwon Commanders and Incheon Rangers, consistently appearing in the fall baseball games with the robust support and systematic approach of their parent companies, and the Busan Titans, who completely overhauled their team after a change in ownership and steadily climbed the ranks each year, were considered the top 4.

Following them, the Seoul Warriors and Daejeon Falcons, still undergoing rebuilding, were in the middle tier, and the remaining 4 teams were classified as the bottom tier.

However, Han Su-hyeok’s return changed everything.

The biggest victim was the Seoul Magicians.

The Magicians, aiming for their second consecutive championship while preserving most of their strength from the previous season, struggled to perform, perhaps due to their crushing defeat against the Warriors in the opening game, and eventually suffered a series of injuries, plummeting to the mid-tier.

Conversely, there were also teams that benefited from Han Su-hyeok’s return.

The Busan Titans were the main beneficiaries, managing to avoid the worst of the fallout while the Warriors were dominating the top teams, allowing them to climb to second place in the league standings after about 30% of the season had passed.

“Are you sure? Is it really worth trying this year?”

“Yes, Chairman! We will get the team to the Korean Series [championship series] no matter what. What happens after that is up to fate, but we will definitely achieve the goal of reaching the Korean Series. Just trust us!”

“Hmm.”

The new owner of the Busan Titans, who had been interested in baseball since his days studying in the United States and had risen to the position of group chairman by pushing aside his two older brothers, stared at the man in front of him with a serious expression.

The baseball team had long been an embarrassment to the group.

Therefore, as soon as he became the chairman, he immediately swept away all the stagnant water that had accumulated within.

The president who had babbled nonsense about how the team could not be run that way, the general manager who clung to his pants leg, and the Jin San High and Kyungseo High cliques who had formed a cartel and were eating away at the team for decades,

All had their heads chopped off by the owner’s blade, and talents scouted from top-tier teams were brought in to fill their positions.

Including the man who was now guaranteeing a Korean Series appearance in front of him.

The owner’s right-hand man, who had been promoted from general manager to president in recognition of his ten years of service.

The top contributor to the successful reform of the Titans, which had been deemed hopeless even after 100 years.

He was arguing that they should boldly push forward while rival teams were being crushed by Han Su-hyeok. Even if they couldn’t guarantee a championship because of the overwhelming monster, they should at least try to challenge for their first Korean Series appearance in 41 years, and then leave the rest to fate.

Nod.

Finally, the owner nodded, and the Busan Titans’ full-fledged movement towards reaching the Korean Series began.

[Busan Titans Acquire All-Star Shortstop Oh Jung-yul from Last-Place Gwangju Jaguars in Exchange for Three Promising Prospects]

[Busan Titans Terminate Contract with Foreign Hitter Sidelined with Ankle Injury, Complete Replacement Acquisition of Major League-Caliber Foreign Player Nick Hampton]

[Free Agent Third Baseman Oh Cheol-dae Signs 1-Year, 1.8 Billion Won Contract with Busan Titans]

The Gwangju Jaguars, who had fallen to the bottom of the league due to a combination of injuries and aging among their starting players, as well as the poor performance of their foreign players, had effectively declared an early end to their season.

The Busan Titans, who gave up three promising prospects to that team in exchange for All-Star shortstop Oh Jung-yul, even brought in Oh Cheol-dae, who had been left as a free agent outcast due to a double contract attempt scandal, enduring criticism from other teams.

That wasn’t all.

They brought in a Major League-caliber hitter to fill the void left by the foreign hitter who had been sent down to the minor leagues due to injury. They didn’t care about the penalty fees.

With the successful reinforcement of the team in various ways, the Busan Titans’ momentum blazed fiercely.

A three-game sweep against the Changwon Raptors, followed by consecutive winning series in the three-game series against the Seoul Fighters and the Gwangju Jaguars.

The Busan Titans, filling their lineup with All-Star-level players, rode that momentum and entered Warriors Field.

The morale of the Titans players soared to the sky.

The initial plan to conserve strength in the Warriors game had disappeared somewhere, and an atmosphere formed that they could give it a try.

Lee Gyu-min, one of the few remaining players from Kyungseo High, boasting a heavy ball exceeding 150 km/h, was throwing fastballs from the mound.

But,

Thwack!

After being hit with home runs by Derek Fleming, Ahn Chi-wook, Jang Deok-soo, and Choi Jae-min,

Thwaaaaaaaaaack!

The moment Han Su-hyeok’s last at-bat, a ball thrown without a care, went over the outfield,

The Busan Titans players realized.

That they had been too arrogant, that they had been carried away by the atmosphere and acted recklessly without knowing the fear of the world.

[Busan Titans, Riding an 8-2 Record in Their Last 10 Games, Suffer a Crushing 12-2 Defeat to the Seoul Warriors]

[Busan Titans Pitching Staff Collapses with Five Home Runs, Increasing the Burden on the Bullpen]

[Hector Santiago, Formerly of Japanese Professional Baseball: “It’s Just One Loss, People Are Making Too Much of a Fuss. I Will Be on the Mound as a Starter Tomorrow and I Will Win. So Trust Me and Wait.”]

Korean players who had witnessed Han Su-hyeok’s performance firsthand during his early days as a professional and had supported him as a fellow countryman for the past 10 years,

And Major League and Minor League players who had naturally developed respect for him while playing in the United States, where Han Su-hyeok was revered as the god of baseball.

At first glance, it seemed as if all the players in the KBO had fear and awe for Han Su-hyeok, but as with everything in the world, there were always exceptions.

Hector Santiago, a *ikusei* [developmental] foreign player who graduated from school in the Dominican Republic and immediately joined the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japanese professional baseball, where he grew up,

And finally debuted in the Japanese first team and grew into a top-class pitcher in the league.

The Busan Titans’ foreign pitcher, who had finally decided to come to Korea due to the Hiroshima team’s stingy behavior and the Busan Titans’ persistent courtship, took the mound.

[Han Su-hyeok, Center Fielder, #2 Hitter]

The young and ambitious 26-year-old pitcher, who had never directly experienced Han Su-hyeok, glared at him with a serious expression.

He knew.

Even though he had never experienced it directly, he was also a baseball player, so he fully understood how great the numerous achievements Han Su-hyeok had recorded in the United States were.

But,

It had already been 14 years since Han Su-hyeok had been a two-way player.

There is always a reason why no one else does it.

His body, which had been doing two-way play for more than ten years, putting tremendous strain on his body, could not be normal.

Considering that he gave up his Major League career at the age of only 32 and returned to his hometown, something must have gone wrong.

It’s just that it’s not outwardly visible right now.

‘It’s all a load of crap.’

A person can only see the world as much as they know.

Hector Santiago, who had been confined to the narrow world of Japan since he became an adult, and had lived in his own world with almost no interaction with other players, was not afraid of Han Su-hyeok.

Of course, the results Han Su-hyeok had recorded in Korea this season were tremendous.

But Hector thought it was because the pitchers were scared and ran away.

He watched Han Su-hyeok’s play videos over and over again.

All the pitchers who faced him insisted on competing on the outside, and were hit hard.

That shouldn’t be the case.

As a matter of course, what hitters find most difficult is a fast and powerful ball that penetrates deep into the inside.

The KBO pitchers who have faced Han Su-hyeok so far have ignored that important truth.

But only he is different. I am not afraid of Han Su-hyeok.

I will concentrate on attacking his body and win. And I will demand a 100% or more raise in next year’s salary negotiations.

The Busan Titans, impressed by his performance, grabbing his pants leg and begging him to stay, and scouts from the United States handing him Major League contracts, were drawn in his head.

Hector Santiago, who was full of morale, threw a powerful first pitch at Han Su-hyeok.

Wham!

“Ball.”

“What the hell! Hey! Can’t you throw the ball straight?”

“Th, th, th, that crazy bastard dares to!”

“Take him down! Take that crazy bastard down!”

A 158 km/h fastball that flew deep inside, almost touching his knee.

The stands were in an uproar at the threatening pitch that no pitcher had dared to attempt since Han Su-hyeok’s return to Korea.

‘Just because we’re the same nationality, they’re taking sides so unilaterally. The ball was a fair game!’

Hector Santiago, who tried to ignore the pouring boos, started his windup again.

Wham!

“Ball.”

Hector’s expression hardened even more at the umpire’s fierce gaze.

He definitely didn’t throw it on purpose. It just stuck a little closer to the body than he thought.

He even felt that the pitchers couldn’t spread their wings because even the umpires, let alone the spectators, were so openly taking Han Su-hyeok’s side.

He felt unfairly wronged, and a sense of resentment rose up that he was being discriminated against in another country.

But he had to endure it. He had to endure it to make a living.

Hector Santiago, his face flushed red, threw the next ball at Han Su-hyeok again.

And,

Thwaaaaaaaaaack!

Han Su-hyeok pulled the ball as it was, which was formed at a slightly higher course than he had expected.

With a roar that made his head spin, the bullet-like ball flew towards the outfield.

At that moment, a thick curse came out of Hector’s mouth.

“You son of a bitch……!”

Because Han Su-hyeok, after finishing his swing, was admiring the batted ball while holding the bat like a cane in that spot.

Even a bat flip would make him angry, but he’s openly admiring his batted ball like that?

The thought that the ball he had just thrown almost hit Han Su-hyeok disappeared somewhere, and only vivid anger filled his head.

Thud.

“Oh! What a pity!”

“It curves there! Isn’t the foul pole position strange?”

“It’s okay! One more time! This time, a little more inside!”

The huge batted ball that flew far away slightly missed the pole and became a foul, and Han Su-hyeok, who nodded lightly, took a batting stance again.

The eyes of the batter and pitcher met. At that moment, the pitcher saw the batter muttering something.

‘That son of a bitch, he must be cursing at me.’

In fact, Han Su-hyeok was just muttering to himself that he should adjust the height of the foul pole a little, but Hector, who had already started to see everything crookedly, misunderstood that he was cursing at him.

‘I’m going to kill him.’

At that moment, Hector’s mischievous nature, who was called a headhunter in Japanese professional baseball, who would throw the ball at the opponent’s head without hesitation if necessary, which had a significant negative impact on his value, was triggered.

The fact that Han Su-hyeok was a hero of baseball beyond Korea and around the world had no effect on him.

The only thought in Hector’s head at this moment was to kill that arrogant bastard who provoked and cursed at him.

“You son of a bitch!”

Hector, who had finally made up his mind, threw the ball at Han Su-hyeok’s head with all his might.

Whoosh.

Thwack!

“Kyaaak!”

“You crazy bastard!”

“That crazy son of a bitch!”

And soon he realized something was wrong.

Han Su-hyeok avoided the ball flying towards his shoulder and neck, and the ball crashed into the safety net behind home plate.

Han Su-hyeok, who had stopped in that position for a very short time, slowly raised his head and looked at Hector.

The moment his eyes met his, he realized.

‘If I get caught, I’m dead…….’

The video of the huge bench clearing that Han Su-hyeok had shown in the United States belatedly came to mind. Han Su-hyeok’s terrifying face, which had subdued giants over 2 meters tall with one punch, was right in front of him.

Hector, who had finally come to his senses, threw his glove and started running towards the dugout.

But,

Grasp.

“…Where are you running? You son of a bitch. Throwing a ball at someone’s head?”

“Keuheok!”

Han Su-hyeok’s fast feet, which are still evaluated as being able to steal 50 bases in a season if he puts his mind to it, quickly caught up with him.

Hector, who was grabbed by the back of his neck, struggled and looked around. Expecting the help of his colleagues.

But there was no one.

Even though Han Su-hyeok’s fist was right in front of him, no one wanted to help him.

No, they were afraid, let alone helping. The faces of his fellow players were filled with fear that they would be hit instead if they got involved, and fear of Han Su-hyeok himself.

“Let go of th… Kweaek!”

Puh-uhk!

Puh-uh-uhk!

That was Hector’s last memory.

The moment a fist was stuck in his side, he suffocated as if he had suffocated, and his memory was cut off as soon as he thought that a huge impact was applied to his chin.

Beeeep.

“Doctor, the patient is awake! This way!”

“Really? Let me see.”

“Keueo… Where is this…….”

“Patient, can you see this? Move if you can see it.”

As if someone had warned him, Hector Santiago opened his eyes in the hospital emergency room.

It was the moment when Han Su-hyeok’s first bench clearing and ejection after his return to the KBO was recorded.