Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 52

#51. Best VS Best

‘Ugh… Seong-oh hyung’s face looks much better. Mansik hyung too…’

After the Incheon Rangers’ attack in the top of the first inning ended with a three-up, three-down, Im Jun-yeong, considered one of the top two pitchers in the country alongside Daejeon’s Ryu Han-gyeol, stepped onto the mound to face his former team.

In the distance, his old teammates were joking around in front of the home team’s dugout.

His former teammates, who used to look grim whenever they faced Incheon last season, were warming up with lively faces.

Im Jun-yeong felt both happy and bittersweet seeing that.

It’s been four years since he joined the Incheon uniform, but his heart still races when he sees his former team’s uniform.

Before he knew it, his eyes welled up.

“Jun-yeong, are you in good condition today? Why are your eyes so watery? Did you yawn or something?”

“No, I’m fine. I think I got some dust in my eye.”

“Hmm…”

Son Young-jin, the catcher who has been working with Im Jun-yeong for four years, looked suspicious and returned to home plate.

*That guy is like a ghost.*

Being the same age and having been a battery mate [a pitcher and catcher who work well together] for four years, he now knows what I’m thinking just by looking at my eyes.

There’s a reason why they call the catcher a wife.

Im Jun-yeong, feeling like he was caught by his wife for longing for his ex-girlfriend, tried to calm his complicated feelings and prepared to pitch.

Quite a bit of time has passed.

But Im Jun-yeong’s heart was still far away in the Warriors’ dugout.

“Play ball!”

With the umpire’s signal to start the game, the Warriors’ leadoff hitter stepped into the batter’s box.

Second baseman Lee Chang-mo.

A senior who joined the team after Im Jun-yeong left the Warriors, so they don’t have much personal connection.

‘Let’s go with a low fastball inside.’

Nod.

Im Jun-yeong nodded at Son Young-jin’s sign.

His hitting has improved a bit since last season, but he’s still weak against fastballs inside, perhaps due to the aftereffects of his injury.

Whoosh

“Strike!”

Whether he was caught off guard or just watching the first pitch, Lee Chang-mo didn’t move.

Having caught the first strike, Im Jun-yeong exchanged signs with the catcher again.

‘High cut fastball outside.’

The analysis is that he’s been pushing outside balls for hits between first and second base a lot lately.

If so, there’s a perfect bait.

Im Jun-yeong threw the ball to the exact course Lee Chang-mo likes.

Whoosh

Thwack

“Out!”

Lee Chang-mo’s bat came out against the 148km/h [approximately 92 mph] cut fastball.

Lee Chang-mo tends to watch a lot of pitches, so he would have held back normally.

But it was hard to resist the fastball coming into his favorite course.

However, the ball, which he thought was a fastball, changed in front of the batter and curved away, and the ball hit at the end of the bat rolled and went into the first baseman’s glove.

“Nice! Jun-yeong!”

Nod.

Im Jun-yeong, having easily caught the Warriors’ leadoff hitter, who is quite difficult to deal with, turned his gaze to the next batter entering the batter’s box.

Choi Min-seok, who came over from the Magicians and took the starting center fielder position. He’s fast, hits well, and, above all, has strengths in defense.

He’s also a player with whom Im Jun-yeong doesn’t have much personal connection.

When you think about it, the Warriors are no longer the team Im Jun-yeong knew.

Of the lineup from 1 to 9, the only players Im Jun-yeong has a personal connection with are first baseman Jo Seong-oh and left fielder Kim Su-hak.

Much has changed. Both me and that team.

Crack!

“Out!”

This time it was a fastball right down the middle.

Choi Min-seok swung his bat vigorously at the fastball flying into the center of the zone, but he was completely overwhelmed by the speed and power reaching 154km/h [approximately 96 mph].

Since it was unreasonable to expect a walk from a pitcher like Im Jun-yeong, he went for a quick win, but it was not enough.

Choi Min-seok, completely overwhelmed by power, bit his lower lip as if he was frustrated and returned to the dugout.

Having easily caught the Warriors’ 1st and 2nd hitters, who have been on the rise recently, Im Jun-yeong turned his gaze to the next batter entering the batter’s box.

It’s Han Su-hyeok.

A first-year rookie who is looking at him with a nonchalant expression as if he has been playing professionally for decades.

The key hitter of the opposing team who is playing a decisive role in the Warriors maintaining their 4th place position, almost blowing up the league as soon as he debuted.

Also, the nuclear punch that knocked out three of Hwang Seong-min’s teeth with three punches in the bench clearing with the Magicians.

‘Hmm’

Im Jun-yeong watched the bench clearing video between the Magicians and the Warriors dozens of times that day.

How exhilarating it was to see Hwang Seong-min, one of the guys who had been eating away at the Warriors and eventually made him leave the Warriors, get messed up by that fearless rookie.

Im Jun-yeong, who is usually called a gentleman in the baseball world due to his calm personality and tone, even left a comment on the YouTube video that day because he was so excited.

﹂Looks like he’s beating him up so coolly

He is no longer a Warriors player, but the Jamsil rivalry [a well-known baseball rivalry in South Korea] between the Warriors and the Magicians is always exciting to watch.

Moreover, a game where the Warriors beat the Magicians and even overwhelmed them in the bench clearing is even more so.

Anyway, that’s that, and he has to face that fearless hitter right now.

Before the game, a meeting was held with the manager, pitching coach, catcher, and himself to discuss countermeasures against the Warriors hitters.

The conclusion reached about Han Su-hyeok there.

If there are no runners, it’s okay to give a walk and avoid him, and if there are runners, compete with breaking balls that straddle the border line.

According to that guideline, now is the time to avoid the match.

But.

‘I can’t do that. I’ll show you the fear of the former Warriors ace.’

He wanted to show everything he had to that Han Su-hyeok, who is currently the best hitter in the league and also the savior of his beloved former team.

It’s a showdown.

‘Hey, don’t do it. You crazy bastard.’

‘It’s a man’s showdown. Don’t stop me. Wife.’

Son Young-jin shook his head in horror when Im Jun-yeong gave the sign for a showdown pitch.

But Son Young-jin had no choice but to give up soon.

He knows better than anyone.

That Im Jun-yeong, who is usually quiet and even called dignified, never backs down once he gets hooked on something.

That the human who is competing with Daejeon Falcons’ left-handed ace Ryu Han-gyeol for the national team’s first starter position is actually more difficult to handle than anyone else in the world.

‘Haa…’

The catcher, who sighed deeply, reluctantly held out his mitt.

Well, no matter what, Im Jun-yeong is one of the leading starting pitchers in this country.

If he has to face that monster called Han Su-hyeok once, now might be the right time when there are no runners.

Im Jun-yeong smiled at the catcher and slowly started his windup.

From the first kicking to the moment the ball leaves his hand, Im Jun-yeong, who is considered to have the smoothest form among domestic pitchers in history, threw the most confident ball he could throw right now.

‘Try to receive it. Junior.’

Whoosh

Im Jun-yeong’s fastball, reaching a top speed of 156km/h [approximately 97 mph] and with a high spin rate that makes the perceived speed even faster, fiercely dug into the low inside.

The moment the ball left his fingertips, he realized.

That the ball he just threw might be the best of all the balls he has ever thrown.

But.

Crack!

“Cough!”

The ball he threw with all his might, the ball he thought no batter in the world could hit, disappeared from his sight with a tremendous hitting sound.

Im Jun-yeong, who unknowingly let out a groan, turned his head and looked back.

It’s not visible. The trajectory is not visible at all because it soared so high.

The outfielders were also surprised.

The outfielders, who immediately began to identify the ball’s location when they heard a cracking sound as if a baseball was exploding, were staring at the sky with their mouths wide open.

The ball, which soared at an angle of almost 45 degrees or more, was flying in a tremendous parabola.

It’s about to fall, it’s time to come down soon.

But the tremendous hit that Han Su-hyeok hit continued to fly as if an engine was attached to the ball, and then disappeared somewhere over the left outer wall of Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

– It, it, it went over! The hit by Han Su-hyeok flew out of Jamsil Baseball Stadium! An outside-the-park home run! It’s been a long time since an outside-the-park home run has been hit at Jamsil Baseball Stadium!

– Now, did you see that? I told you earlier. Are you not picking a player like that for the WBC [World Baseball Classic] national team because he lacks experience? Well, you can do that if you want to be beaten to death by the people.

“Yeah! This is baseball!”

“What’s a national team ace! Han Su-hyeok, you’re the best!”

“Wow! Oppa! Oppa! I’m going crazy! I’m really going crazy!” [Oppa is a Korean term used by females to address older brothers or close male friends/idols]

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

Praise for Han Su-hyeok poured out from the announcer and commentator.

A tremendous roar poured out from the home team’s stands, shaking Jamsil Baseball Stadium, and a certain singer, the queen of KPOP [Korean Pop music], was screaming using her tremendous vocal range.

Im Jun-yeong, who then realized that he had been hit with an unbelievable home run, unknowingly cursed.

“This fucking…”

* * *

Daejeon’s left-hander Ryu Han-gyeol, Suwon’s left-hander Choi Kyung-jae, Gwangju’s left-hander Yang Ji-ho.

Im Jun-yeong, the only right-handed pitcher in the national team’s starting lineup, which is full of left-handed pitchers.

It is said that there are more than one or two big league scouts aiming for Ryu Han-gyeol, who will be eligible to advance overseas at the end of this season, and Im Jun-yeong, who will acquire his second FA [Free Agent] qualification.

In fact, Ryu Han-gyeol advanced to the big leagues in his previous life.

Like Jo Seong-oh said, it is a match against the strongest team in the league at the moment, and the best ace of that team.

A pleasant tension dominates his body.

Adrenaline is secreted in his body due to the desire for victory that is unknowingly coming out.

“Play!”

With the umpire’s call, Im Jun-yeong slowly began to prepare to pitch.

The biggest gain I’ve gotten from being a dual threat is that I’ve come to understand the positions of both the hitter and the pitcher at the same time.

Today, there were no nasolabial folds on his face, which appear when he is in poor condition.

That means that the pitcher is in very good condition.

The most difficult opponent I’ve met since joining the Warriors, and even that opponent is in good condition, but I feel even better for some reason.

Im Jun-yeong’s expression, which had been calm, is gradually becoming filled with competitive spirit.

Im Jun-yeong’s expression looking at me from the mound was very similar to the one I used to glare at opposing batters from the mound a long time ago.

I know very well what kind of ball a pitcher throws after making that expression.

He will never avoid me.

The best fastball in the country, reaching a top speed of over 155km/h [approximately 96 mph], and a cut fastball that is almost the same speed as that fastball.

In addition, he occasionally throws changeups and curves.

If I had to pick the best, it would be the fastball. It’s a signature pitch that represents the pitcher Im Jun-yeong.

The power analysis team’s data that he hardly throws high fastballs came to mind.

Then aim for low balls.

Adjust the grip low, put a little more weight on the right foot, take an open stance that is almost imperceptible, and match the timing to about 155km/h [approximately 96 mph].

Whoosh

The ball is flying in a slightly lower course than I thought.

The moment I saw that ball, I could tell.

How great a pitcher Im Jun-yeong is.

But.

Crack!

I am a person who has endured for 15 years in a place where even greater monsters run wild.

I powerfully scooped up the fastball that was flying near my knee and trying to sink due to gravity.

Lowering my posture so that my right knee almost touches the ground, as if scooping up a golf ball.

The ball that was hit in that way flies through the sky above Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

Far, far, very far.

The moment the tremendous parabola-shaped hit passed over the very top of the outer stands and finally went over the outer wall of Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

“Wowwwww!”

A roar was fired all at once from the stands, which had been in silence for a very short time.

The cheers and applause of the huge crowd shook the baseball stadium.

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

“You’re crazy! You’re really crazy!”

The cheers of the crowd after the game make me feel alive.

Enjoying that thrilling sensation, I slowly circled the ground.

Turning around first base to second base, then to third base, entering home, high-fiving Max, who was in the batter’s box, and glancing back.

At that moment, I met Im Jun-yeong’s eyes.

A blaze was burning in the eyes looking at me.

There was no need to have a conversation in words.

He knows it, and I know it.