Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 91

90. Legend

The long first inning finally came to an end.

Lucas Bennett, who allowed a grand slam to Walter Smith, gave up another hit to senior Lee Chang-mo, the sixth batter, but managed to finish the inning by getting the seventh, eighth, and ninth batters out.

Only the first inning was over, but he had already thrown 36 pitches and allowed 5 runs. Moreover, it was a start with his rest day moved forward.

Unless Manager Chang-won was out of his mind, that pitcher wouldn’t last past the fifth inning today.

‘A little deeper.’

Nod.

Since Seo Hyeong-ju joined the team, senior Lee Chang-mo, freed from the pressure of being the leadoff hitter, was now putting more energy into defense.

Manager Lee Dae-jun doesn’t often signal defensive shifts from the dugout.

He often signals to the battery [pitcher and catcher] for the sake of senior Jang Deok-su, who still lacks experience, but he believes that it is more efficient for the players on the field to spontaneously coordinate their movements.

Accordingly, senior Lee Chang-mo has been actively directing defensive positions in the infield for some time now.

I could step up, but there was no need. I was already sure that Lee Chang-mo’s thoughts and mine were almost the same.

Following his signal, the infielders stepped back half a step, or even a full step.

Thwack!

The leadoff hitter for Changwon, after taking the first pitch, powerfully pulled the second.

A fast hit flying between the first and second basemen.

Thud.

But senior Lee Chang-mo snagged that bullet-like hit.

As proven by the fact that he only had one stolen base while playing as a leadoff hitter early this season, his feet have long lost their former agility.

However, it’s a different story when it comes to defense. He’s covering his slowed feet with experience and prediction.

“Out!”

After snagging the bullet-like hit, he lightly threw the ball to first base while spinning around in place.

Senior Lee Chang-mo, who caught Changwon’s tricky leadoff hitter with a slight defensive shift and a predictive play, returned to his defensive position with a calm expression.

Lee Chang-mo, who tasted failure in the big leagues and returned like a defeated soldier, was ridiculed by many when the Warriors picked him up.

But now that I think about it, I wonder if the Warriors would have come this far without that player.

A presence like a lubricant that makes the whole team run smoothly, though it’s not very noticeable.

I think that’s the identity of the baseball player Lee Chang-mo.

‘First baseman, second baseman stay put, shortstop and third baseman towards second base.’

Once again, senior Lee Chang-mo signaled a defensive shift. This time, too, it was a decision he made himself, not from the dugout.

It was the turn of Changwon’s second hitter, who hits over 90% of his batted balls to the right, stubbornly pulling the ball.

Manager Lee Dae-jun didn’t say anything, even though the third base side was almost completely empty. Instead, he instructed the catcher and pitcher to challenge the batter inside through the battery coach.

Thwack!

First pitch ball, second pitch strike, third pitch foul, and then the fourth pitch was hit.

The inside slider thrown by Ryan hit the bat squarely. A hit that would normally have gone past the second baseman.

But senior Lee Chang-mo, who was already waiting in that spot, lightly scooped up the ball and threw it to first base.

“Out!”

The batter, who had no choice but to pull the ball even though he knew the shift was on, hung his head and returned to the dugout.

“Boo.”

“Is that all you can do?”

“Did you think I switched teams to see this? You idiots!”

While Busan remained at the bottom of the league year after year, the Changwon Raptors, a newly founded baseball team, were created in Changwon.

Thanks to this, a significant number of Busan fans switched their support to Changwon.

As if to repay them, the Changwon Raptors won the Korean Series championship just nine years after their founding.

It may seem like nothing, but considering that there are three teams among the current 10 teams that have not won a championship in the 21st century, that is, in the 27 years since 2000, it is a great achievement.

Anyway, two batted balls that could have been hits were caught by the defensive shift.

Amidst the boos filling the Changwon baseball stadium, Changwon’s third hitter, the highest-paid foreign player in the league this season, stepped up to the plate.

And he powerfully pulled the first pitch thrown by Ryan.

Thwaaaaaack!

The ball, hit squarely on the bat, flew towards left-center field.

“Oh oh oh……!”

The batter who hit the ball thought it was a home run and stood at the plate to admire his hit, and just as cheers were about to erupt from the crowd.

Thwack.

Thud.

The ball was caught by the tip of center fielder Seo Hyeong-ju’s glove, who jumped off the outfield fence with one foot.

“Ah!”

“What! Damn!”

“Why did you catch that? Huh?”

“Isn’t this a foul? Crazy!”

The Changwon fans, who were filling the left-center field seats, poured out tremendous boos towards Seo Hyeong-ju. But this fearless rookie even threw the baseball he had just caught to the crowd.

“What! Are you kidding me!”

“We don’t need it!”

“Give it back! Give it back!”

“What’s that again? Does he think this is Busan? Why is he giving that to the kids?”

“Throw it away! Throw away the unlucky ball!”

Seo Hyeong-ju smiled and started running towards the dugout, as if he liked the chaotic scene he had created.

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“That guy is really crazy.”

* * *

After Changwon’s attack was thwarted in the bottom of the first inning, the Warriors’ attack returned in the top of the second inning.

The batters rotated, and Seo Hyeong-ju, the first batter, stepped up to the plate again, with Ahn Chi-wook, the second batter, and Han Su-hyeok, the third batter, taking their positions in the on-deck circle.

Walter Smith, who was watching the scene from the dugout, muttered to himself.

‘This is quite different from what I heard. Why is this team only in fourth place?’

The Warriors team, which he had heard about from his agent before joining, was a once-famous team that had now fallen, suffering from a woefully thin roster and a lack of star players compared to other teams.

But the Warriors team he actually saw with his own eyes was completely different.

The infield defense shift command of Lee, who was once the starting second baseman for Baltimore (his name was too difficult to call except by his last name), was quite impressive.

The sight of the players coordinating their breathing on the spot without instructions from the dugout was quite impressive to Walter, who had experience in the big leagues.

It wasn’t just the second baseman who was impressive.

“Ball.”

The one-year rookie who got a hit in his first at-bat and opened the floodgates for a large score, the rookie who caught a home run ball with a fence-riding play in the bottom of the first inning, once again walked and advanced to first base.

The rookie who went out to the base was once again moving quickly, irritating the pitcher.

Walter was reminded of someone in that figure.

‘That’s like watching Kenny Lofton.’

Walter is a person who believes that although players’ skills and techniques continue to develop over time, the essence does not easily change.

In that sense, Walter respected the players who left a great mark on the big leagues long before the current players.

The plays shown by the Warriors’ center fielder in the first and second innings.

Despite his small stature, he had a bat speed that was not inferior to his larger teammates, a base-running play that messed up the pitcher’s nerves as soon as he got on base, and tremendous outfield defense using his fast feet.

In that figure, Walter was reminded of Kenny Lofton, who led Cleveland’s heyday with big stars such as Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, and Jim Thome in the 1990s.

A center fielder who was considered small for a big leaguer but dominated an era with solid and fast play, and a great base stealer who took the title of big league stolen base king after Ricky Henderson.

It was too rude to compare him to a rookie who had only been in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] for a few months, but he couldn’t help but think of him.

“Ahn Chi-wook! Ahn Chi-wook! Ahn Chi-wook!”

Seo Hyeong-ju, who made Walter feel nostalgic for Kenny Lofton, took his place at first base, and then Ahn Chi-wook, the second batter, stepped into the plate.

Walter kept replaying the Warriors’ past game videos on the plane to Korea.

There, Walter paid attention to that player next to Han Su-hyeok.

A rookie third baseman who debuted this year, like Seo Hyeong-ju.

A soft and clean swing that doesn’t match his huge size. A strong liner hit that comes out of it.

Although it’s still full of flaws, that guy’s hitting mechanism resembles someone Walter likes.

A franchise player who played only for the San Diego Padres from 1982 to 2001, and a batting genius who raised expectations for the birth of the first 40% hitter since Ted Williams with a batting average of 0.394 in 1994.

In his early days, he was a fast-footed hitter, but he gained weight to put power on his batted balls and bet everything on producing hits, Tony Gwynn.

Of course, it’s ridiculous to compare that rookie to Tony Gwynn right now. It just reminds him of the basic play itself, but in terms of pure skill, he’s not even close to his level yet.

But Seo Hyeong-ju and Ahn Chi-wook gave such a strong impression that they were thought to be the 1st and 2nd batters of the Korean League, even the team that was at the bottom of the league until last season.

‘I must be crazy. Who am I thinking of when I see those kids?’

Thwack!

The moment Walter shook off the ridiculous thought that came to his mind, a strong hitting sound echoed throughout the stadium.

A hit in front of the right fielder, flying in almost the same course as in the first inning.

A strong hit that broke through the middle despite the defensive shift rolled next to the right fielder. In the meantime, Seo Hyeong-ju, who was at first base, advanced to third base.

No outs, runners on first and third.

At that moment, the Changwon baseball stadium fell silent.

A player standing in the on-deck circle began to slowly walk to the batter’s box.

Han Su-hyeok.

A super rookie who kicked out Seattle’s $3.5 million offer and stayed in Korea, and has already recorded 28 home runs and 50 RBIs before July, dominating the league.

Walter, who was leaving the dugout and going to the on-deck circle to prepare for batting, had to stare blankly at the rookie’s back for a while.

Han Su-hyeok’s back was full of the will to smash the opposing pitcher, no matter who he was.

The opposing team’s pitcher, whose face turned white with the spirit emanating from Han Su-hyeok.

Enthusiastic away fans and a silent home team cheering section.

‘Oh my god…….’

It’s amazing that a one-year rookie can create this atmosphere.

The comparison of Seo Hyeong-ju and Ahn Chi-wook, two rookies, with big league legends was just because their styles were similar. No one knows what will happen to those kids in the distant future, and they are not even comparable right now.

But Han Su-hyeok was different.

He knows because he has been in and out of the big leagues for 10 years, met many superstars, and played with them.

That guy over there is already ready to compete with those legends, no, to surpass them.

In an instant, Walter erased the names of the legendary big league shortstops he had compared to Han Su-hyeok, such as Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, and Barry Larkin.

That guy over there is just Han Su-hyeok. He’s not like anyone, he’s just the Warriors’ Han Su-hyeok.

‘He said he threw 104 miles?’

Moreover, that monster shortstop is said to have thrown a 104-mile fastball on the mound. He also heard that he would be on the mound as soon as his body was ready for pitching.

‘Maybe…….’

In an instant, Walter imagined himself wearing a catcher’s mask and receiving the rookie’s ball.

Of course, he is now an outfielder, not a catcher, and he heard that this team has a very good starting catcher.

Maybe the moment to do that will come.

Because baseball is a sport where you never know what will happen.

As Walter was lost in his own thoughts.

Thwaaaaaack!

“Wow!”

A huge hitting sound echoed throughout the baseball stadium.

Han Su-hyeok hit the fastball that flew high on the inside perfectly.

The pitcher collapsed on the mound as the ball was hit so hard that everyone knew it was a home run the moment it left the bat, and the outfielders also gave up their defense and stared blankly at the ball.

– Han Su-hyeok has finally! Finally! He went yard! 29th home run! Han Su-hyeok recorded his twenty-ninth home run before June was over!

– That’s really amazing! Now, I think it’s time to seriously talk about the new record. How can it make sense that there hasn’t been a 50-home run hitter in over 10 years? The whole nation should come forward to protect Han Su-hyeok…….

The rookie who hit a huge home run that is hard to see even in the big leagues slowly started towards first base.

The opposing team’s players’ animosity and jealousy, the crowd’s cheers and shouts, and our team’s players’ cheers and excitement.

Inside the ground where numerous emotions were swirling.

Han Su-hyeok, who created such a scene, was rounding the bases without any change in expression.

Walter couldn’t take his eyes off Han Su-hyeok.