Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 66

#65. A Season-Defining Gamble

Baseball is a sport steeped in statistics.

While the results of each game matter, long-term data is considered more reliable for evaluating performance.

If a player with a proven track record hits a slump, it’s usually seen as a temporary dip. Conversely, if an underperforming player suddenly shines, it’s often dismissed as a fluke.

This statistical bias affects not only sabermetricians [baseball analysts who use statistical data to evaluate players] who believe they can quantify a player’s skill and value with an Excel sheet, but also players, managers, and even fans.

However, there are exceptions to every rule.

And here, we have an unconventional player who defies the statistical trap.

‘Where am I… who am I?’

The atmosphere at Jamsil Baseball Stadium is electric for this rivalry match, ready to explode with excitement.
It’s a clash between the two teams’ aces, Ryan and Jimenez.
Adding to the tension, the Magicians’ team is particularly charged due to the owner’s presence.
Even setting aside the bench-clearing brawl between the two teams last time, Jamsil’s atmosphere felt like a volcano about to erupt.

“Start getting ready. The boss will be calling you soon.”

“Yes? Ah, yes, got it. Coach, I’m ready, standby okay.”

A pitcher with unusually long arms, thick lips that looked like they could be sliced into two generous servings, and stubbornly curly hair that he contemplated shaving off every morning, was speaking to the bullpen coach with a pale face.

Yang Gi-cheol thought,

‘Are they trying to get rid of me? Are they deliberately putting me in these high-pressure situations?’

After being traded from the Titans for Han Jin-woo, his first appearance was in a tight 3-3 situation against Incheon.

Moreover, the opposing pitcher was Lim Jun-young, one of the top players in Korean professional baseball.

Without time to overthink, he went to the mound and, following the advice of his junior Han Su-hyeok, returned to his original pitching form and threw with everything he had.

Fortunately, perhaps because of the unfamiliar form, he didn’t give up any runs and came off the mound.

That was a close call.

After the game, he drank four packs of cabbage juice to soothe his burning stomach.

The next day, Jackson Sullivan, the team’s first-string pitching coach, approached Yang Gi-cheol.

‘Yang… Gi-cheol? Can I just call you Yang?’

‘Yes? Yes, Coach, whatever you’re comfortable with.’

‘Okay, Yang. I watched your game yesterday. Very impressive.’

‘Ah… yes….’

He thought he was about to be reprimanded.

Fortunately, the result was good, but he expected criticism for his unorthodox pitching form.

He had been severely scolded by the Titans’ coach in the past.

What did he say? That he should join a circus if he wanted to throw like that?

But the Warriors’ blonde pitching coach didn’t share that opinion.

‘That form, you probably copied Mitch Williams, right?’

‘Well, my high school coach developed it for me, yes, that’s right. I didn’t know at first, but he told me the name later.’

‘Excellent man. Anyway, good. There’s been some talk about your pitching form within the team because of potential defensive vulnerabilities. But the conclusion is this.’

‘Yes?’

‘Let’s maximize the advantages of that form. Now that we’ve started, let’s go all the way.’

Yang Gi-cheol’s pitching form, perfected with his high school mentor, could be defined as a style that sacrificed control for the sake of speed and movement.

When Yang Gi-cheol was dreaming of going pro as a senior, his high school mentor considered his prospects.

His speed and power were decent at the high school level, but at the professional level?

At best, he would be a mop-up pitcher [a relief pitcher who enters the game when the score is lopsided], or more likely, he wouldn’t even be drafted.

So, he decided to take a final gamble for his student.

Yang had unusually long arms and elastic waist strength.

The coach was inspired by Mitch Williams, the closer for the Philadelphia Phillies, who was nicknamed “Wild Thing” during his major league career.

Williams had a dynamic pitching form that involved whipping his long arms and touching the ground with his gloved hand due to the recoil.

It maximized Yang Gi-cheol’s physical attributes.

Of course, the form was abandoned as soon as he entered the pros because the Titans’ coach didn’t consider anyone a pitcher unless they threw overhand.

Anyway, Yang Gi-cheol, who broke that seal in the last game against Incheon, refined his pitching form with the coach and was now waiting for his second call to action.

“Hey, Yang, the boss’s orders. Now, tighten your butt and run to the mound!”

“Yes, sir!”

The moment had finally arrived. A huge roar of cheers from the crowd erupted outside the bullpen.

How was the game going?

He didn’t know.

Right now, Yang Gi-cheol’s mind was filled with only one thought: he had to survive.

* * *

“Okay, everyone, this way.”

The coach, who came to the mound to change the pitcher, gathered the infielders.

Today’s game was unfolding as expected.

Jimenez, the Magicians’ starter who gave up three home runs to me in the last game, acted like I didn’t exist today.

He walked me in both the first and second at-bats.

Even in the third at-bat, with runners on first and second with one out, he walked me, and then senior Jo Seong-oh hit a timely single, giving up two runs.

With the home team Magicians’ offense in the bottom of the 8th inning, the score was 2-1, with the Warriors leading by one point.

While we scored two points off Jimenez, Ryan, the starter, also pitched his heart out and held the Magicians’ powerful lineup to just one point. It was a great performance after a long time.

But the game was far from over.

The Magicians’ hitters, fueled by a desperate desire to win in front of their owner, were pressing hard.

We had to stop them for the next two innings to win the game.

In that situation, manager Lee Dae-jun’s choice was Yang Gi-cheol.

Far away, the bullpen door opened, and senior Yang Gi-cheol, looking very nervous, walked in, flailing his long arms.

Judging by his expression, he looked like he was being led to the slaughterhouse.

“Listen up. If we can hold them for just two more innings, today’s game is ours. Everyone remembers Yang’s first win in the last game against Incheon, right? Let’s get this guy his first save today.”

“Yes, Coach. Of course.”

“Good, then let’s go smash those Magicians bastards.”

The coach handed the ball to senior Yang Gi-cheol and returned to the dugout.

Bottom of the 8th, 2-1, one-run lead, 4th batter Go Cheol-hwan was on first base after drawing a walk.

There was no reason for that power hitter, who had missed several games due to injury, to steal here.

I thought a pinch runner [a substitute runner] might come out, but the opposing team didn’t replace the 4th batter, as if they were considering extra innings.

Well, not bad. This way, we only had to worry about the next batter.

“Gi-cheol, fighting! Don’t worry. I’ll catch them all.”

“Su-hyeok….”

Senior Yang Gi-cheol’s eyes welled up at my simple words.

His tearful eyes and his thick, catfish-like lips really didn’t match.

Anyway.

The future of our team depended on the shoulders of this curly-haired pitcher, whose hair seemed to grow thicker in real-time with every bead of sweat.

After sending the closer Han Jin-woo, who didn’t seem like closer material, to Busan, our team’s main closers had been senior Choi Jeong-soo and senior Hong Young-sik.

Both threw fastballs, but they were fire-ballers with problems in control or mentality.

They were okay as middle relievers, but they were definitely not closer material.

How many times had we lost games in save situations because of those guys?

If even senior Yang Gi-cheol failed to establish himself as a closer… it was terrifying to even think about it.

Perhaps the dice that would determine our team’s fate in the early part of this season were about to be thrown.

“Play ball!”

Whoosh

“Strike!”

– Ah! What is this? The first pitch thrown by Yang Gi-cheol was a whopping 154 km/h [approximately 96 mph]!

– Amazing! He caused a stir by recording 150 km/h in his debut game in the first team against Incheon. The ball is even faster!

– His pitching form is really unique, isn’t it? Can you explain it again while watching the screen, Commissioner?

– Of course. Look, he uses his long arms to whip his arm like a whip from behind his torso, right? Here, he accelerates the rotation of his waist in this part, and that’s why he staggers to the other side after the pitch.

– I see. Will there be any problems with control? It looks quite unstable at first glance.

– Of course. There will be problems with control. But.

– But?

– 154 km/h, and that kind of fastball that is swung from behind, is almost a magic ball in Korean baseball. Control? Well, if I were the Warriors’ manager, I would use this player as a closer.

And the result is likely to be a jackpot.

* * *

Seoul Warriors (Away) 2 : Seoul Magicians (Home) 1

One out, runner on 1st

5th batter Lee Ho-young

1st pitch strike

2nd pitch strike

3rd pitch ball

4th pitch swing out

Two outs

└Are you crazy? Why are you swinging at that kind of ball?

└ㅋㅋㅋ He throws the ball while falling and it’s 153 km/h… it’s not even a cartoon

└No, if you leave that ball alone, it’s just a ball, why are you swinging?

└Well, a ball over 150 flies from behind, so he was surprised

└Why are you taking the side of that idiot? Are you Lee Ho-young’s family?

└I thought Hong Young-sik or Choi Jeong-soo would come up, but a long-armed monkey came up and is running wild

Two outs, runner on 1st

6th batter Catcher Park Su-gil

1st pitch ball

2nd pitch strike

3rd pitch strike

└That’s the catcher’s eye. Why aren’t you hitting that?

└Wow, I really can’t figure it out. I understand it honestly. How do you hit that?

└No, it’s not 167 like Han Su-hyeok, it’s only 154, why can’t you hit it?

└ㅋㅋㅋ If you put that bastard in the batter’s box, he’ll piss his pants even if he sees a 100 ball

└Hey you crazy @#$!^%(removed by manager)

└War) Introducing. Our team’s new starting closer

└War) By the way, he will be the save king with 50 saves starting today

4th pitch swing out

Three outs

Change of offense and defense

└ㅋㅋㅋ It’s a mess, really…

* * *

“Swing! Game set!”

“Damn it!”

“Wow!”

“The best!”

“Yang Gi-cheol! Yang Gi-cheol! Yang Gi-cheol!”

The moment senior Yang Gi-cheol struck out the Magicians’ last batter in the bottom of the 9th, Jamsil Baseball Stadium erupted once again.

The fireworks that Min Ye-rin’s fan club donated to the team lit up the baseball stadium sky, and the cheering squad and Min Ye-rin, who were full of excitement, performed a synchronized dance and sang the Warriors’ cheering song.

“Congratulations, Gi-cheol. First save of your debut. Here, a commemorative ball.”

“Ah! Thank you, senior.”

“Is this guy crying? Really? You’re crying with just this?”

“Ah! No! I’m definitely not crying! Su-hyeok, and thank you so much earlier. If that had gotten out……”

“No, it’s nothing. Congratulations, senior.”

With senior Yang Gi-cheol’s 2-inning scoreless save, the Warriors won the first game of the Jamsil 3-game series.

Seeing the Magicians’ owner, who was sitting in the official seat right behind the catcher, leaving with a flushed face, I felt relieved.

Well, if the Warriors had lost, I would have been in that state.

Anyway.

Today’s victory had several meanings for the Warriors.

It wasn’t just a victory in a simple rivalry match.

First of all, it showed that the Warriors wouldn’t easily collapse just because I was intentionally walked.

I didn’t even get a proper swing today due to the Magicians’ pitchers’ continued walks.

The original plan of those guys was probably to get the batter behind me out. But senior Jo Seong-oh hit a two-run single there, making their hearts sink.

And the Warriors’ biggest weakness, the lack of a reliable closer that had persisted for several years, might finally be resolved.

They may have found a talent to solve it.

Of course, it wasn’t 100% perfect.

Senior Yang Gi-cheol’s problem wasn’t just control.

Because his motion was so exaggerated that he had to touch the ground with his gloved hand after pitching, he showed a huge weakness in fielding ground balls or bunt balls.

The fact that the Magicians’ batter attempted a surprise bunt in the last attack in the 9th inning proved that.

What happened? I noticed the bunt attempt in advance and fielded the ball instead of the pitcher.

That’s enough. There’s no such thing as a perfect pitcher in the world.

Hopes for fall baseball [playoffs] were growing.

The establishment of a four-man starting rotation consisting of Ryan, Brooks, Lee Man-sik, and Cheon Sang-jin was made possible by the sudden emergence of a decent starting pitcher named Cheon Sang-jin.

The 5th starter position was still a problem, but it was manageable. After all, Incheon and Suwon were the only two teams that had built a perfect 5-starter system in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].

And with the addition of a mysterious pitcher named Yang Gi-cheol to the closer role, which was even more critical than the starting pitcher situation, senior Choi Jeong-soo and Hong Young-sik, who were existing temporary closers, could be used as key setup men [relief pitchers who pitch before the closer].

Literally, the foundation was gradually being laid in the previously messy pitching staff.

That’s why I was going to take a gamble.

I wanted to take a bold gamble that might determine the team’s fate this season by utilizing the slight leeway created by reinforcing the two pitchers, Cheon Sang-jin and Yang Gi-cheol.

“Hyung [older brother/close friend], yeah. I think it’s time to make a decision now. Let’s go with Park Jae-cheol’s plan.”

– Okay, then we’ll start recruiting Seo Hyeong-ju.