Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 40

#39. Ominous Sign

There was a time when I arrogantly thought I could plan and control everything in my life, at least when it came to baseball.

But after playing professionally in the US from twenty to thirty-five, I realized that life rarely goes according to plan.

My ambition to reach the major leagues within a year was thwarted by injuries, and just when I thought my two-way [pitcher and hitter] system was established, a shoulder injury forced me to become a full-time hitter.

People envied my baseball career, but looking back, nothing went as I had planned.

That’s why I’m trying not to make too many plans after getting a second chance at life.

Instead, I set goals and dedicate myself to achieving them.

If things don’t go as planned, it stings, but goals don’t have deadlines. Even if I fail, I can try again.

Right now, my goal is the Warriors’ victory.

And something that threatened that victory was barreling fiercely toward home plate.

A situation where no one could intervene. The key to achieving my goal rested with Senior Jang Deok-su.

* * *

The instant pinch hitter Go Cheol-hwan’s hit slipped between first and second base, Jang Deok-su unconsciously clenched his teeth.

Two outs, runners on first and second.

The runner on second, Park Su-gil, was sprinting with everything he had.

He’s a surprisingly fast runner for a catcher. He’s even three years my senior from high school.

He even said something when he came to bat earlier – something about teaching the juniors a lesson.

I acknowledged him and stepped back. In the complicated hierarchy of Korean baseball, it’s not easy to stand up to a senior who’s three years ahead of you.

“Kkuaaa!”

Park Su-gil rounded third base, shouting as he charged toward home.

Simultaneously, Max’s throw flew like a laser toward Jang Deok-su.

Thud!

The assessment that Max’s arm was major league quality was accurate. It was a bullet of a throw.

Jang Deok-su caught the ball and quickly pivoted toward third base.

The ball was already secure in his mitt. But Park Su-gil hadn’t given up.

He leaned forward, as if throwing his entire body, and lunged like a football player making a tackle. It was a desperate, all-or-nothing attempt to score for his team.

Park Su-gil ran toward Jang Deok-su with every ounce of strength.

Puh-uhk!

“Kkuwehk!”

But it was futile.

‘Sorry, man.’

With a sickening sound, as if something had broken, Park Su-gil was thrown aside.

Like a compact car hit by a dump truck, he rolled pathetically and began convulsing.

“Out!”

The umpire’s firm declaration echoed. At the same moment, the Magicians’ coach, Joo Seok-do, stormed onto the field.

“Obstruction!”

“No, the ball was already in the glove. It was a fair play.”

“Ah! Shit!”

Joo Seok-do, knowing the umpire was right, spat out a curse and turned away.

Just then, a roar that threatened to shatter Jamsil Baseball Stadium erupted.

“Warriors!”

“Jang! Deok! Su!”

“Awesome! Second straight win!”

“Kill all the Magicians bastards!”

The Warriors fans, celebrating their second consecutive Jamsil rivalry win in a long time, went wild.

Min Ye-rin, watching the game from the general seating area, struggled to hold onto the safety net.

“Euh-huh-heuk! Warriors! Will win!”

“It’s dangerous there! Why do you keep clinging there? Come down!”

“It’s okay! I’m fine even if I die like this!”

“I said come down!”

The Magicians fans were furious that their chance to tie or even take the lead had ended so abruptly.

Rolls of tissue paper rained onto the field, some even set ablaze.

It was a spectacle, one that made me think the police should be called.

“Come out, Su-hyeok. You have to greet the fans.”

“Yes? Ah, yes, senior.”

“I wonder if Su-gil is okay.”

Senior Jo Seong-oh, gathering the players, looked worriedly at Park Su-gil, the Magicians catcher, being carried off on a stretcher.

Why would anyone try to fight a dump truck with their bare hands…

Well, anyway, it’s our second straight win. And what’s more pleasing than the victory is…

“Jang Deok-su! Jang Deok-su!”

“Everyone! Please give a big round of applause to Jang Deok-su and the Warriors players!”

“Awesome! You’re the best catcher!”

Senior Jang Deok-su, who used to be so passive and easily swayed, was bowing to the crowd, his face flushed. An emotion I’d never seen before – joy – was evident on his face.

I think I can be sure now.

That a proper owner has finally taken charge of the Warriors’ home, which was once defiled by trash like Hwang Seong-min.

That’s how the second game against the Magicians ended.

As soon as the game concluded, news about Park Su-gil, who had been taken to the hospital, surfaced.

It’s a bizarre 2027 season, with all ten teams struggling with a catcher shortage.

Now, with Park Su-gil sidelined for an extended period due to the backup catcher’s injury, the Magicians, who had declared an all-out war at the corporate level to avenge last season’s runner-up finish, were in a bind.

Everyone’s attention was focused on how the Magicians, without a suitable catcher for tomorrow’s game, would respond.

– Su-hyeok, check the internet. That bastard Jeong Min-sik caused a huge problem.

“Huh? What is it?”

– Just look.

It didn’t take long to discover the Magicians’ response.

Just an hour after the news of Park Su-gil’s injury broke, shocking news was delivered.

It was truly shocking for those who remembered the past incident.

﹂Ah, I feel so refreshed. Goddess Yerin…

﹂Why do athletes who drive drunk and assault people always say they’ll repay with their performance? Isn’t that just their job?

﹂If you really want to repay, donate your entire salary to society.

﹂By the way, is Hwang Seong-min really coming back after that mess? It hasn’t been long, has it?

﹂Hwang Seong-min was always in general manager Jeong Min-sik’s pocket. They were probably waiting for the right moment to bring him to the Magicians, and the starting catcher’s injury gave them a good excuse.

﹂They should have suspended Hwang Seong-min’s player status back then, those crazy KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] bastards.

﹂How could they when so many people were defending Hwang Seong-min?

﹂No, the Magicians, even if they want to win that badly, Hwang Seong-min… I’m speechless.

﹂So… the Magicians’ lineup today is catcher Hwang Seong-min, shortstop Song Gi-tae?

﹂And the Warriors’ starter is Choi Dong-seok.

﹂If it’s Choi Dong-seok, isn’t he Hwang Seong-min’s classmate? We need to be careful today. It’s going to be a war.

Hwang Seong-min, determined to return to baseball despite the disgrace; general manager Jeong Min-sik, who had been protecting Hwang Seong-min since his Warriors days; and the Magicians executives, desperate to win after last year’s failure, even at the cost of criticism.

Hwang Seong-min’s return was a disaster fueled by their desires.

The fact that he was a former Warrior and knew our team’s tactics and internal workings also played a role. Whatever the case, they want to avoid a sweep.

As soon as his return was confirmed and the news broke that he would play against us, concerns arose among the Warriors fans.

It wasn’t just the fans who worried about the game getting out of hand.

On the morning of the game, I was summoned to the manager’s office and sat face-to-face with manager Lee Dae-jun.

“Su-hyeok, let’s have you rest today.”

“Yes? I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I know. I know your stamina is good. But a rookie has been playing full-time at shortstop for over ten games. An injury could happen at any time. And we’ve won two straight, so let’s take it easy today.”

“But…”

“If you rest today, you’ll have tomorrow off too, so two days of rest. That should relieve the fatigue. What do you say?”

He’s a good manager. Judging by his appearance, you might think he’d push the players relentlessly, but he’s completely different.

I saw concern in his eyes.

Hwang Seong-min and Song Gi-tae would be playing for the Magicians, and their starting pitcher was Hwang Seong-min’s high school classmate.

There was a high chance of a beanball [pitch thrown deliberately at the batter’s head] or a spiked shoe aimed at me or Senior Jang Deok-su.

The manager seemed especially worried about me.

“Su-hyeok, let’s do that, huh?”

The words I didn’t want to say rose to my throat and then sank back down.

How could I refuse a manager who looked at his players with such concern?

Okay, I’ll give in this time.

“I understand, manager. I’ll be on standby as a pinch hitter, ready to go in anytime.”

“Good.”

As soon as I answered, Lee Dae-jun sighed in relief. His flushed face regained its color.

Seeing that, I made up my mind.

Never to be a manager, no matter what.

It seems like there are too many things to think about and consider in that position.

* * *

“Kill them! Kill them all!”

“Lee Dae-jun! Why did you take Han Su-hyeok out of the lineup? Don’t you have any pride?”

“Hwang Seong-min! You bastard, let’s meet outside! I’m going to kill you!”

Fierce curses erupted from the Warriors cheering section. The Magicians fans didn’t stay silent.

“Arrogant bastards who don’t know their place!”

“You guys are always at the bottom, get lucky with a rookie, and suddenly make a big deal out of it!”

“Come on! I’ll take you on!”

… Honestly, I was a little surprised.

Even in the major leagues, you only see this kind of scene at Cubs or Phillies home games.

The Warriors fans, mostly die-hards after the casual fans left when the team’s performance declined, and even the Magicians fans were making such a fuss.

Hm, Korean baseball is quite…

“Su-hyeok, are you worried about us?”

“Yes? About what?”

“No, your eyes look like you’re watching young children running errands without their parents.”

“Me?”

At Senior Jo Seong-oh’s words, I flinched. Was I really looking at the seniors that way?

“Hehe, it’s okay. Regardless of age, it’s probably true that we’re not as reliable as you are.”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Su-hyeok, trust us. It’s the Magicians, not any other team. We’re not going to back down easily.”

I couldn’t say anything to Senior Jo Seong-oh’s unusually determined expression.

Come to think of it, this is the first time since joining this team that I’ve been left out of the starting lineup. In other words, it also means that the other players are playing a game without shortstop Han Su-hyeok for the first time.

“Okay, everyone, gather around. Su-hyeok isn’t here today. But we can’t be discouraged just because one maknae [youngest member] is missing. Everyone, fighting! And even if Seong-min or Gi-tae try to start something, don’t react too sensitively. I’ll handle it. Okay, then one, two, fighting!”

At captain Jo Seong-oh’s words, determination spread across the faces of the Warriors players.

Today, manager Lee Dae-jun submitted the following starting lineup.

1st batter: 2nd baseman Lee Chang-mo

2nd batter: center fielder Choi Min-seok

3rd batter: 1st baseman Jo Seong-oh

4th batter: right fielder Max Walker

5th batter: 3rd baseman Ahn Chi-wook

6th batter: designated hitter Kang Jin-seok

7th batter: left fielder Kim Su-hak

8th batter: catcher Jang Deok-su

9th batter: shortstop Yoo In-cheol

Starting pitcher: Lee Man-sik

My classmate Yoo In-cheol, playing shortstop instead of me, was batting ninth, and Senior Jo Seong-oh was batting third. And that bastard Ahn Chi-wook was batting fifth.

The shortstop and third baseman positions, both filled by rookies, looked very unstable, both in terms of skill and mentality.

The only good thing was that today’s starting pitcher was veteran Lee Man-sik.

He wouldn’t be easily fooled by the Magicians’ tricks and would take good care of the inexperienced infielders.

Yes, I hoped today’s game would end without any problems.

“Okay, okay, then let’s do one more fighting!”

“Fighting!”

But,

As always, I knew that life wouldn’t go as planned.

The manager’s efforts to protect me by taking me out of the lineup, and Senior Jo Seong-oh’s attempts to meet with the Magicians’ veterans to prevent unnecessary fights.

I knew from experience that there was a high probability of losing sight of the original intention and things going awry.

“Ahn Chi-wook, if you get hit by those guys, don’t try to fight back clumsily, just fall down. Wait until hyung [older brother/senior] gets there.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

A loud siren was ringing in my head, which had been around baseball for a long time.

Today, something big will happen.

* * *