Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 76

#75. Evaluating Han Su-hyeok

From a fan’s perspective, one of the most appealing aspects of baseball is its easy integration with entertainment.

I’m not trying to talk about grand marketing strategies, but just simple things like this:

The closing pitcher who takes the mound when the team is leading by one point in the ninth inning.

A face that looks tough at a glance, overflowing charisma, and even an intense entrance song that contributes to creating that atmosphere.

That overwhelming stage presence that makes opposing batters and fans cringe.

A prime example is Trevor Hoffman, who ranks second in all-time MLB saves.

When the sound of hell’s bells, AC/DC’s ‘Hells Bells,’ symbolizing Trevor Hoffman’s appearance when the team was losing, rang out, the opposing team’s players would unknowingly give up the game.

This is the effect of combining a player’s star quality with entertainment elements.

There are a few such players not only in the Big Leagues but also domestically.

Lee Ha-young, the Magicians’ left-handed closer who flings fastballs while his long hair flutters, and Koo Cheol-joong of Daejeon, who used to intimidate the opposing team just by appearing in the bullpen when he was a closer, though he has now converted to a starter.

In that sense, Yang Gi-cheol, with his abundant frizzy hair sticking out from under his baseball cap, thick lips reminiscent of a catfish, and an entrance song made by adapting a children’s song, seems to evoke laughter rather than fear in his opponents.

His natural appearance is what it is, but he should change his entrance song right away.

No matter how you look at it, “Jju-kku jju-kku ppum ppum” [onomatopoeia for a popping sound] is a bit too much, isn’t it?

It seems like it’s draining our team’s energy, not the opposing team’s.

“Hey, Yang. Are you all ready to protect the team’s victory?”

“Yes? Ah, ah, yes. Of course, Coach.”

“Good. Everyone, let’s actively help our Yang bring today’s game to victory.”

It’s been quite a while since I took on the role of closer for this team, but Senior Yang Gi-cheol, who still seems a bit clueless, moved his thick lips and said.

Those lips, they’re really amazing to look at.

“Everyone, please take care of me. Please take care of me, seniors.”

“We’ll handle the balls on the third base side as much as possible, so don’t worry, Senior.”

“Okay, I trust you, Su-hyeok. If you block well today, I’ll… um, but why are you looking at me like that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

As my gaze kept being drawn to Senior Yang Gi-cheol’s thick lips, I barely managed to resist the urge to grab those lips once.

They’re really fascinating. How can a person’s lips look like that…….

That’s not important, but anyway, the senior’s request was like that.

Right-handed pitcher Senior Yang Gi-cheol has such a ridiculously large and dynamic pitching motion that he has to brace the ground with his left gloved hand after throwing the ball.

As a result, he has great difficulty fielding after pitching, especially with ground balls to the pitcher’s right, where his balance is completely broken.

That’s why Ahn Chi-wook and I can’t help but be tense whenever Senior Yang Gi-cheol takes the mound. Not only are ordinary ground balls a problem, but we also have to be prepared for surprise bunts.

Fortunately, however, the opposing team doesn’t easily attempt bunt plays because his fastball reaches a maximum speed of 154 km/h [approximately 96 mph], and the slider angle is tremendous.

“Yang-ttugi [Yang Grasshopper], fighting!”

Someone in the stands loudly shouts Senior Yang Gi-cheol’s new nickname.

It’s a nickname that came about because of his form that looks like he’s about to fall completely after throwing the ball.

Senior Yang Gi-cheol’s expression brightened slightly.

Personally, I don’t think it’s a particularly welcome nickname, but when I asked him last time, he said he liked the nickname Yang-ttugi.

Well, if he likes it, that’s fine.

“Play!”

Top of the 9th inning, the score is 2 to 1.

The Gwangju Jaguars’ batting order, trailing by one point, starts with 2nd batter shortstop Song Do-joon, followed by 3rd batter first baseman Lee Hyun-joong, and 4th batter left fielder Matthew Robinson.

Not the best in the 10 teams, but not weak either, a decent upper batting order.

In fact, the reason why the Gwangju Jaguars are hovering in the lower ranks right now is due to their weak pitching staff rather than their batting power.

If you take out Yang Ji-ho and the two foreign players, the first-team pitching staff is practically wiped out.

It doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.

If Senior Cheon Sang-jin and Senior Yang Gi-cheol hadn’t suddenly emerged, we wouldn’t have avoided that fate either.

While I was briefly thinking about that, Senior Yang Gi-cheol began preparing to pitch.

The Jaguars’ 2nd and 3rd batters are both right-handed hitters. Perhaps today, Senior Yang Gi-cheol will actively use his slider that changes horizontally.

Whoosh

“Ugh!”

“Strike!”

Song Do-joon flinched and stepped back as the slider came inside and curved sharply into the zone.

The reason Senior Yang Gi-cheol became a closer is not only because of his 154 km/h fastball but also because he knows how to throw that amazing slider.

It’s a bit different from the high-speed slider I throw.

What should I say, from a right-handed hitter’s perspective, it looks like it’s really going to hit you?

It’s hard to hit even if you know it’s coming, at least if you’re not a batter of my level.

“Strike!”

This time, a 152 km/h [approximately 94 mph] fastball going to the outside high course.

Song Do-joon, who still had the afterimage of the ball that dug into his body earlier, blankly stared at the ball on the opposite course.

Come to think of it, I remember some media outlets early in the season grouping me and Song Do-joon together as candidates for the next-generation national team shortstop.

Well.

Maybe that reporter was a Gwangju fan.

“Strike! Out!”

This time, a slider that came in close to the body again and curved out sharply.

Song Do-joon was struck out on three pitches by Senior Yang Gi-cheol’s pitching rotation, which used the zone incredibly widely from left to right.

Looking at how he’s doing, it seems like it’ll be hard for him to stay in the first team for long.

“Play!”

Lee Hyun-joong, the Jaguars’ 3rd batter, now stepped into the place where Song Do-joon had retreated.

A franchise first baseman who has played only in Gwangju for over 10 years.

In some ways, he’s very similar to our team’s Senior Jo Seong-oh. In that you can expect a batting average in the late .200s and about 20 home runs, and in that he’s the captain.

“Get ready.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah.”

After giving instructions to Ahn Chi-wook and Yoo In-cheol, who were standing to my left and right, I fixed my gaze on the batter’s bat.

He’s a much stronger hitter than Song Do-joon, who retreated powerlessly earlier.

Moreover, his bat speed is good for his age, so strong infield hits often come out.

Our infield, composed entirely of rookies except for the first baseman, hasn’t made a big mistake even once today.

But that’s already in the past.

It means that if an error occurs in this situation and we give up the game, it’s meaningless.

I moved back a little more than usual to take up a defensive position.

So that I can cover even if the two guys on the left and right make a mistake.

For a moment, I had that thought.

Seo Hyeong-joo, who showed amazing defense in the left field position earlier, what if that guy came into the infield?

Would it be more helpful to the team if we sent Ahn Chi-wook to DH [designated hitter] and had him play third base instead?

I don’t know.

What is certain is that the depth of this team is gradually getting thicker to the point where I can have such concerns.

This is more welcome than anything else as the owner of this team, before being a player.

“Ball.”

Lee Hyun-joong, who let the first pitch outside slider go by, took his batting stance again with a serious expression.

One of the biggest characteristics of that batter is that he knows how to swing his own swing regardless of the count.

Although getting on base is more important than anything else in a situation where they are trailing by one point, that batter will swing his full swing unconditionally if the ball comes into his eyes.

Senior Jang Deok-soo’s mitt was fixed on the outside low course.

In an instant, my gut feeling was activated.

“Yoo In-cheol, stay alert.”

“…gulp.”

Instead of an answer, I heard the sound of swallowing. It’s too much for a first-year rookie whose original position is shortstop to handle.

But you have to endure it. Originally, you can grow quickly by experiencing these situations often.

Senior Yang Gi-cheol, who straightened his frizzy hair sticking out from under his cap, slowly began his windup.

A pitching form that’s amazing no matter how many times I see it.

A 144 km/h [approximately 89 mph] slider spewed out from his fingertips.

Ttaaaak!

Lee Hyun-joong hit the ball that came in as if it would hit him and then sharply curved away wonderfully. He’s definitely a different level of batter than Song Do-joon, who was helpless against that ball.

Although it hit slightly on the end of the bat rather than the center, it was still a strong hit that was properly impacted and flew towards the second baseman.

Yoo In-cheol, who was startled, lowered his center of gravity sharply and held out his glove. He was determined to block it with his body even if he couldn’t catch it.

“Agh!”

His intention was good, but he was unlucky. The strong hit that hit his glove changed direction towards second base rather than towards his body.

At that moment, when I thought it would be a hit as it was.

Tak

Shwuk

Tuck

“Out!”

I ran from behind and scooped up the ball with my bare hand and threw it as it was, catching the batter by a hair’s breadth.

“Crazy!”

“Really… wow… why is he there?”

“He pulls off a highlight-reel-worthy play once a month…….”

Exclamations burst out involuntarily from the reporters in the press box.

Some reporters were busy checking the dynamic 모습 [scene] they had just captured on camera.

– Ah, Commissioner. What on earth was that just now? Wasn’t that definitely a hit?

– Yes, this, this is really… I think I need to change my mind.

– Change your mind?

– Until yesterday, I judged Han Su-hyeok to be a player who defends with very good physique and natural sense.

– Isn’t that right?

– Yes, it’s right, but… I was missing something more important.

– What is it?

– Look at the screen just now. It hits the second baseman’s glove and deflects out to the outfield, right? That was a hit that you couldn’t even blame the second baseman for. It was really hit hard. It’s amazing that he even got his glove on it.

– And?

– If you look at the defensive positions of the first baseman, second baseman, and third baseman now, they were prepared for a hit between 1st and 2nd base. The shortstop and third baseman were in normal positions. He threw an outside ball to induce a push hit.

– Yes, I understand.

– But here, look at the moment the pitcher throws the ball. Han Su-hyeok is bending his left knee and preparing to run towards the second baseman, right?

– Oh, that’s right.

– Yes, and as soon as he hears the sound of the hit, he covers Yoo In-cheol’s back as if he had predicted it. And that’s exactly where the ball will be deflected. That’s why the defense is possible now.

– Uh… are you saying that Han Su-hyeok even predicted where the ball would be deflected?

– That’s the only way to explain it. There are two possibilities. Han Su-hyeok has supernatural predictive power, or he has tremendous game experience that allows him to calculate the probability of what kind of hit will come out in that situation.

– That’s an unbelievable story.

– Right? Neither makes sense? So I don’t think I can evaluate Han Su-hyeok’s play this time.

– That’s a huge compliment. A player who cannot be evaluated.

– It’s the same no matter which commentator you bring besides me. I really want to grab Han Su-hyeok and ask him. How on earth is that kind of play possible?