Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 81

#80. A Good Day for Baseball

A Korean-American expert who used to work in marketing for a Major League Baseball team once said this:

In 2027, professional baseball players need to have the mindset of someone in the service industry, not just an athlete.

According to data released in 2025, the market size of Major League Baseball is about 11 trillion won [approximately 8.3 billion USD, depending on the exchange rate], and the market size of Japan’s NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball] is about 15% of that, at 1.5 trillion won.

Although much smaller, the market size of the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization] was also estimated to be 500 billion won [approximately 377 million USD].

It’s not a small amount.

And the reason such a market can exist is ultimately because there are fans and spectators.

Those guys who sometimes refuse autograph requests from fans or get into fights with fans on social media really need to get their heads straight.

They’ve forgotten who they’re getting paid hundreds of millions of won to play ball for.

Of course, I wasn’t very good at fan service in the past either…….

Um.

To be honest, yes, I need to reflect on myself first.

But since I started playing in the KBO, I’ve been trying to do my best with fan service.

Anyway, Ahn Tae-gyu, the leadoff hitter for Suwon, is a player who understands the importance of fan appreciation and is well-regarded for his fan service.

Even though he has trouble controlling his anger due to his fiery personality and slight addiction to gaming.

Ahn Tae-gyu stared blankly at the stands.

“Die!”

“You dung beetle! Why are you taking it out on our Sang-jin *oppa* [an affectionate term for an older brother or male celebrity]!”

“If you touch my *oppa*, I’ll kill you!”

About a dozen young female fans wearing jerseys with Chun Sang-jin’s name on them were clinging to the safety net and cursing at him? And from the home team’s cheering section.

Ahn Tae-gyu, who thought he had captured the hearts of female fans with his handsome looks and gentle demeanor for an athlete, was shocked by their behavior.

“Play baseball. Is your head complicated? Should I make it simple?”

Moreover, behind him, a giant monster that couldn’t possibly be human was growling in a pathetic voice.

In that moment, the complicated thoughts in his head were neatly organized.

‘Okay, let’s just play baseball.’

Ahn Tae-gyu predicted the next pitch from that guy Chun Sang-jin.

It came in too close to his body, so he was a little surprised, but the power of the ball itself wasn’t anything special.

A fastball and changeup around 140 km/h [approximately 87 mph], a slightly faster curve, a very slow curve, and a sinker thrown occasionally.

Just looking at the speed and pitch types, he’s not a difficult pitcher at all.

It was the same when I watched the video before the game. I just kept wondering why the hitters couldn’t hit that ball.

‘Maybe this pitcher threatens them from behind every time he throws the ball?’

Jang Deok-soo, who had been in the pros for a while but had few appearances due to Hwang Seong-min, and who spent a year and a half in the military [mandatory military service in South Korea], didn’t have much contact with players from other teams.

‘Like, ‘If you hit the ball, I’ll kill you. Got it? Huh?”

He thought about that for a moment, but even he thought it was ridiculous.

Ahn Tae-gyu, having cleared all the unnecessary thoughts from his head, began to focus on the battle with the pitcher again.

‘The first pitch was a fastball inside… then the next one will probably be outside. Curve? Changeup?’

Ahn Tae-gyu glared at the pitcher with a serious expression, preparing for an outside pitch.

But.

Whoosh!

“Cough!”

“Strike!”

Again, inside. The ball, which came in similarly to the previous one, suddenly broke into the zone.

“A quick curve? No, that’s not the problem, but this time I almost got hit, and that’s a strike?”

“Is that a strike?”

“It is.”

“Ha…….”

The umpire, with a nonchalant expression, answered with a look that would not allow any further argument, and Ahn Tae-gyu realized.

That no one was on his side: not the pitcher, the catcher, the spectators, or even the umpire.

* * *

Seoul Warriors (Away) VS Suwon Commanders (Home)

Bottom of the 1st, Suwon Attack

Pitcher: Chun Sang-jin

Batter 1: Ahn Tae-gyu

1st pitch: Ball

2nd pitch: Strike

3rd pitch: Strike

4th pitch: Strikeout

One out

└ What is our team’s leadoff hitter doing…

└ I think that bastard was logged into the game all night yesterday

└ I heard he’s using a proxy to rank up [paying someone else to play the game for him to improve his ranking]

└ A proxy would be better. Rather than just playing the game until he wins, even though he’s terrible at it

└ Look at his expression… what’s he so upset about? It looked like a strike to me

└ Isn’t his eyesight messed up from playing too many games?

Batter 2: Center Fielder Choi Yeon-woo

1st pitch: Hit

Ground ball to shortstop

Out at 1st

Two outs

└ lol [laugh out loud] he caught that

└ Seriously, even I think that’s so unfair

└ If you look at Choi Yeon-woo, he’s always getting screwed over

└ Can’t he just not send the ball to the shortstop? It feels like everything gets caught there

└ It’s not that bad, but it’s true that balls that should be hits keep getting caught

Batter 3: First Baseman Pio Fernandez

1st pitch: Strike

└ Wow, they called that a strike

└ It’s a bit ambiguous, though

└ Pio’s face is red again

└ Did Jang Deok-soo threaten him again?

└ Ha… is that a baseball player? Or a martial arts fighter? If I had something like that behind me, I’d be too scared to do anything

2nd pitch: Strike

3rd pitch: Swing! Strikeout

Three outs

Change of sides

└ lol they score so easily, and our hitters are all spaced out and falling apart

└ Why does the game always go wrong when we meet the Warriors?

└ Han Su-hyeok is hard enough to deal with, but now Chun Sang-jin is running wild too…

* * *

“Friend, wish me luck.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not kidding, I really need God’s blessing.”

“Then you should pray to God, why to me?”

“It seems to me that the god of baseball has descended upon you.”

“What?”

“Hehe, is that blasphemy? I don’t care. I’m not a very devout believer anyway. Anyway, good. Then I have to go out and make some money.”

While Chun Sang-jin easily took out Suwon’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd batters, the Warriors’ attack began in the top of the 2nd inning.

The leadoff hitter for this inning is Max Walker.

A foreign hitter who started as the 4th batter at the beginning of the season but has been pushed down to 6th due to Cho Seong-oh and Jang Deok-soo.

Max, who went out with his wife, who came to the spring training camp, heard a month ago that they were expecting their fourth child. On top of that, his parents’ illnesses continue to worsen.

Max’s shoulders became heavier, and the situation was turning increasingly unfavorable for him.

As of the first week of June, he has a batting average of 0.278, an on-base percentage of 0.335, a slugging percentage of 0.401, with 5 home runs and 31 RBIs [runs batted in].

While Cho Seong-oh, whom he considered a rival, has recorded 8 home runs, Max’s home run count continues to stagnate.

There are quite a few differing opinions about Max within the team.

His batting average is 0.270 and he only has 5 home runs, but he has hit quite a few doubles, bringing his slugging percentage up to 0.401.

However, his OPS [on-base plus slugging] of 0.736 is frankly below average for a foreign hitter.

His decent fielding at right field is his only advantage, but with Seo Hyeong-ju going to center field, Choi Min-seok going to left field, and Kim Su-hak playing as a designated hitter.

Soon, Kim Su-hak may go to right field and Max may be pushed to designated hitter.

Then things get more complicated. Because he has to be evaluated solely on his offense, not his defense.

“Play!”

Even from a distance, you can feel the tension in Max’s shoulders.

At times like this, no matter how much you tell him to relax, he won’t listen.

From his point of view, he wants to prove his worth by hitting something big.

Well, there’s nothing I can do at times like this.

All I can do is pray for the grace of the baseball god, as he said.

Thwack!

“Wow!”

Was it really because my prayers were answered?

Max, with a tense expression, pulled the first pitch thrown by Choi Kyung-jae, and the ball flew in a large arc towards the right field fence.

But.

“Out!”

The ball couldn’t go any further and was caught by the right fielder in front of the warning track right in front of the fence.

When a ball like that comes out, you should never forget the feeling of hitting it. If a well-hit ball is caught in front of the fence, giving more power in the next at-bat will only start a vicious cycle.

Seven out of ten times, that ball would have gone over. It was just a slight mis-hit, and the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, so it was caught by the fielder.

So just keep going with that feeling.

“Fuck!”

Max, who had always been quiet, unlike the other team’s foreign players who constantly swore, returned to the dugout, cursing repeatedly.

Even Ahn Chi-wook, who would normally approach him and joke around, was fidgeting, watching his every move.

I’m worried that Max might fall into a slump if there isn’t some kind of turning point soon.

And in the meantime, Lee Chang-mo, who has dropped from 1st to 7th in the batting order, stepped up to the plate.

He has a season batting average of 0.273, an on-base percentage of 0.363, a slugging percentage of 0.385, 3 home runs, and 25 RBIs.

His on-base percentage is almost 10% higher than his batting average, which is a typical statistic for a hitter with good plate discipline.

I talked to Lee Chang-mo about the batting order a while ago.

I was curious about the players’ thoughts because the defensive positions and batting order had changed a lot with Seo Hyeong-ju’s joining the team.

But his answer was completely out of my expectations.

‘What does the batting order matter, don’t you think?’

‘Yes?’

‘The batting order is all messed up after one round anyway, so what does it matter whether it’s 1st or 7th? More than that, isn’t Hyeong-ju really good at defense?’

Perhaps it’s the ease of someone who has already reached his peak and is coming down, but Lee Chang-mo seemed to have no complaints about being demoted to 7th.

Rather, he seemed to be genuinely impressed with the defensive ability of the center fielder guarding his back.

Lee Chang-mo continued his full-count battle with Choi Kyung-jae.

“Ball.”

And eventually, he drew a walk and went to first base.

He’s a good hitter. Although the problem is that he can hardly be expected to be mobile after the injury, and sometimes he’s too patient, it’s not easy to find a second baseman like that.

However, what’s a little disappointing every time I see that senior is probably our lingering attachment to remembering his prime.

Thwack!

Kim Su-hak, who was a fixed starter as the 6th left fielder at the beginning of the season, is now losing his defensive position and is listed as the 8th designated hitter.

He has a season batting average of 0.270, an on-base percentage of 0.341, a slugging percentage of 0.361, 4 home runs and 21 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases.

As has been the case throughout his career, there are no particular strengths or weaknesses to be found in the indicators.

He’s a good person, but in the current team lineup, a player without any special characteristics is likely to lose his place more and more.

In fact, from the team’s point of view, it may be more helpful for such a player to hold out as a backup rather than a starter.

However, it would be frustrating for a player who has to be evaluated every year and negotiate his salary.

Anyway, with runners on 1st and 3rd, Choi Min-seok, who has a season batting average of 0.280, an on-base percentage of 0.362, a slugging percentage of 0.398, 3 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 9 stolen bases, stepped up to the plate.

He’s a hitter who would be suitable for 1st or 2nd in the batting order based on his stats alone, but he’s been placed at 9th by manager Lee Dae-jun’s decision.

His strength is that he can make witty plays depending on the situation.

Is that why?

The Suwon infielders adjusted their defensive positions to prepare for a squeeze play, and Choi Kyung-jae continued to mix his pitches to try to create a double play.

But baseball doesn’t always go according to plan.

Thwack!

Choi Min-seok chose a big swing instead of a squeeze.

The big hit he made flew far and was caught by the left fielder just inside the foul line on the left.

In the meantime, Lee Chang-mo, who was the runner on 3rd base, came home, and the score was 3 to 0.

Silence fell over the Suwon cheering section, and Choi Min-seok, who had scored a run after a long time, returned to the dugout humming a tune.

“Isn’t today a really good day for baseball? Huh? Isn’t that right, Su-hyeok?”

“Baseball is always good.”

“Really? Haha, yeah. You’re right.”

Looking at the lineup and stats of our team from 1st to 9th, I get the feeling that.

At the beginning of the season, the team composition was really hopeless.

Cho Seong-oh, who seemed unlikely to hit 20 home runs, let alone double-digit home runs, and Ahn Chi-wook, a rookie who had just joined the team, had to be in the heart of the lineup, and if any of the outfielders were injured, there would be no answer because there were not enough players.

Except for the two foreign players and Lee Man-sik, there were no starters who could pitch more than 5 innings, and the new winning group and closer were putting on a fireworks show every day, breaking the hearts of the fans.

The team has changed a lot in just two months.

The awakening of existing players such as Cho Seong-oh, Ahn Chi-wook, Jang Deok-soo, and Lee Man-sik, and the emergence of new faces such as Seo Hyeong-ju, Chun Sang-jin, and Yang Gi-cheol.

“Han Su-hyeok, what are you doing? You have to go out.”

“I was just spacing out for a moment after seeing you get out on the first pitch.”

“…The first pitch was such a good ball.”

“Okay. Let’s go play defense, you brat.”

“Brat? Ha, hey, between you, Ahn Chi-wook, and me, I have the earliest birthday. I probably started playing baseball first too, right?”

“Hey, rookies. Stop it and go play defense.”

“No, captain. It’s not that, this guy is…….”

“Okay. Hehe, even if you say that, you can’t beat Su-hyeok with words. Let’s go, if we win today, I’ll treat you.”

My old colleagues, who used to play with me and reached the top of the Big League together,

Perhaps the people who were the best at baseball on this planet, are no longer by my side.

Instead, other colleagues who have a bright future ahead of them, or who are burning their last flame, are with me.

Playing with the best players on the best stage in the world, and working with slightly lacking players here.