Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 389

388. A Dedication Match for Him

“Listen carefully. Even if it’s Han Su-hyeok, he can’t hit every ball. The data shows his batting average drops by 0.028 on inside and outside low pitches compared to pitches right down the middle. The key is a spirit that never breaks. Got it?”

“Uh, what I mean is… spirit, um, how do you translate ‘spirit’ into Spanish? I’m not sure. Anyway, tell him that.”

“Understood. Rafael, the manager just said…”

The manager’s Japanese was translated into Korean, then into Spanish for the pitcher, a cumbersome double translation.

The Incheon Rangers hired the Japanese manager, enduring the double translation, because the owner believed their recent slump stemmed from a lack of discipline rather than skill.

Nakamura Tomoyaki, who led three teams in Japan and won two Japan Series championships.

The veteran, nearing his eighties, was brought to Korea with a huge salary to implement his baseball philosophy of mental strength, spirit, and team discipline.

“Listen up. There are no special privileges for foreign players. Show any laziness, and you’ll be sent to the minors immediately. Clear your head on the mound. I’ll call all the signs. Just throw the ball according to my signals. Understand, Rafael?”

“Hey, what’s that old geezer saying?”

“Hold on, um, he’s saying the bench will give you the right signs for each situation, so just follow them on the mound, and we can win today. If you feel anything wrong with your body, tell me in advance. We’ll give you time to adjust your balance in the minors, something like that.”

“Really? His expression doesn’t match his words. And why are you showing me this data? A batting average of 0.499 on middle pitches, 0.471 on outside low pitches. What’s circled here? Does it mean I should throw here?”

Rafael Rodriguez, today’s starting pitcher, who communicated almost exclusively with his Spanish interpreter, asked with a blunt voice, shaking his head as he rose from his seat.

“Let’s wrap up the meeting. Tell them I need to prepare for the game.”

“Okay, wait, Rafael, uh… what he’s saying is, he needs to warm up early, so he has to end the meeting…”

The conversation between the manager and the player, mediated by two interpreters, ended like that.

Nakamura glared at Rafael’s back with a dissatisfied expression and spoke to his Japanese interpreter.

“My intentions were clearly conveyed, right?”

The Japanese interpreter thought, ‘I conveyed the manager’s words to the Spanish interpreter, but how would I know what he told the player?’

But the man, who had secured a steady income for at least a year in these tough times, replied with a smile, “Of course, Manager. He understood perfectly.”

“Hmm.”

* * *

Foreign players in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] can be broadly divided into two groups: those who have bounced between the major and minor leagues and those who, after repeated failures to enter the major leagues, gave up and chose to come to Korea.

Naturally, bringing players with major league careers to Korea requires not only a high salary but also various perks to protect their pride.

Providing various infrastructure not included in the salary and special treatment different from domestic players.

Receiving such treatment can unconsciously inflate their ego, leading them to look down on not only players from other teams but even their own teammates.

However,

In the 2040 season, foreign players in the KBO were largely deviating from this general rule.

It was because of Han Su-hyeok.

An absolute powerhouse who dominated the major leagues for the past 10 years and was hailed as the god of baseball despite his relatively short playing time.

Foreign players were shocked that he was playing in Korea.

This tendency was even stronger among players with extensive major league experience.

How could they act superior when the superstar who had completely dominated the stage while they were struggling on the fringes of the major leagues was right in front of them?

Therefore, Han Su-hyeok was a role model and idol for most foreign players.

Today, Rafael Rodriguez, the ace of the third-place Incheon Rangers, who was on the mound under special orders from Manager Nakamura, was one of them.

‘Hmm.’

He recalled the time he first stepped onto the major league stage wearing a Minnesota Twins uniform.

Born in a small rural village in the Dominican Republic, he had dreamed of being a big leaguer his entire life, and his major league call-up was truly the best moment when his dream came true.

The treatment was incomparable to the minor leagues, and there were various privileges given only to big league players.

But the sweet moment didn’t last long.

He continued to pitch in the bullpen, watching the veterans, trying to please the manager who grabbed his shoulder and shouted, but the debut opportunity he wanted never came.

Meanwhile, the team lingered at the bottom of the league, and the news was filled with bad rumors about the team every day.

Then one day, the Minnesota Twins played against the Seattle Mariners, known as the strongest team in the league.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwack!

They were strong.

Seattle was really strong.

The veteran pitchers he respected couldn’t withstand Seattle’s firepower and fell one by one. Eventually, the team’s best closer was brought in early to prevent the team’s 10-game losing streak.

The reliever walked onto the mound, his face flushed.

Rafael Rodriguez, who had stopped pitching in the bullpen, stared blankly at the scene.

The team’s starting closer, whom he felt he could never reach at the time.

Sweat dripped from his forehead.

Ziiiiing!

A powerful bass riff that seemed to shatter his eardrums signaled someone stepping into the batter’s box.

Han Su-hyeok.

The best hitter and pitcher in the major leagues,

The god of baseball, who overcame a short career and the handicap of being Asian to become the best baseball player in the world.

The Minnesota closer, who usually acted tough in front of the rookies and had the skills to back it up, threw the ball with all his might.

And,

Thwaaaaaack!

A huge sound he had never heard before echoed, and the pitcher collapsed on the mound.

That day, Rafael Rodriguez learned why Han Su-hyeok was called the god of baseball and what kind of play the player at the pinnacle of baseball could make.

That’s when Rafael began to idolize Han Su-hyeok.

‘Exploit his weaknesses? That’s blasphemy. A god can’t have weaknesses.’

Rafael smiled as he recalled the manager’s words before pitching.

The manager, who couldn’t even have a conversation without two interpreters, said that Han Su-hyeok definitely had weaknesses and that they could win if they focused on exploiting them.

Well,

Rafael, who was having a good season with an ERA [Earned Run Average] of 2.89 and 6 wins and 3 losses in 11 starts this season, had never thought he could beat Han Su-hyeok.

He even thought of today’s game as a dedication match to his idol, Han Su-hyeok, rather than a competition.

If he could show the god of baseball that the rookie he had met in the major leagues long ago had grown this much and earn even a little recognition, he would have nothing more to wish for.

That’s what today’s game meant to Rafael Rodriguez, the ace of the Incheon Rangers.

“Play!”

The game started, and the Warriors’ leadoff hitter stepped into the batter’s box.

Derek Fleming, who spent his prime with the god of baseball and was one of the main players who led the invincible Seattle Mariners fleet.

Some people say they can’t understand why a player with such a career is playing in the KBO, but,

Well,

Would anyone not answer the call of Han Su-hyeok, the god of baseball?

Rafael Rodriguez, who understood and supported Derek Fleming’s choice more than anyone else, threw his fastest pitch to the batter’s inside low corner.

And,

Thwack!

A clean hit was made, and the ball fell in front of the right fielder.

‘Hmm.’

Rafael’s expression didn’t change even slightly, even though he had allowed a hit to the leadoff hitter.

No, he didn’t even have the energy to think about that.

[2nd batter, center fielder Han Su-hyeok]

He was walking towards the batter’s box.

The man he, no, all baseball players in the world, respected and admired the most was preparing to hit.

‘Father, watch over me. Your son is playing on the same stage as the god of baseball.’

Rafael Rodriguez, who offered a silent greeting to his father, who had passed away a little early, slowly began his pitching motion.

There was no need to check first base. All that mattered to him now was,

Showing the god of baseball how much he had grown and gaining his recognition.

A wonderful pitching form honed with blood and sweat for today,

A white ball rose from his fingertips.

In that moment, Rafael realized.

That this ball was the most perfect ball he had ever thrown in his life.

But,

Thwaaaaaack!

The huge sound he had heard somewhere long ago was reproduced once again, and

“Wooooaaaaah!”

“It’s going!”

“Han Su-hyeok!”

A tremendous roar that made it hard to tell whether this was a home or away game echoed.

“Hmph… it would end up like this after all.”

Rafael’s expression remained unchanged even though he had allowed a two-run home run.

Instead of even checking where the ball had gone, Rafael turned his gaze elsewhere.

The god of baseball, admiring his own hit and now slowly preparing to head to first base.

The moment their eyes met, a satisfied smile appeared on Rafael’s face.

He could tell from Han Su-hyeok’s expression that the ball he had just thrown was pretty good.

As he thought that he had finally received recognition from his idol, the smile on Rafael’s face became even brighter.

But he didn’t know.

That at this moment, the relay camera was zooming in on his face.

– Oh, what’s this? Rafael Rodriguez is smiling brightly after allowing a two-run home run as soon as the game started?

– He really is? The manager is going crazy in the Incheon dugout… hmm, could he be spaced out from being hit with such a big home run?