Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 95

#94. Catch the Second-Place Team

Squeeze.

The moment Cleanup hitter Ahn Chi-wook hit a three-run home run, Manager Lee Dae-jun clenched his fist without realizing it.

Before becoming the manager, or more specifically, after being forced to retire from the team and wandering around as a commentator and baseball academy instructor, he had vaguely envisioned the completion of the batting lineup in his head, and now it was starting to materialize before his eyes.

Back when he was a player, the types of hitters who made up the top of the lineup were very standardized.

A leadoff hitter with a high on-base percentage and speed, capable of stealing bases.

A second hitter good at executing plays and also fast.

A third hitter with the best RBI [Runs Batted In] production ability.
A cleanup hitter who is the team’s best power hitter.
A fifth hitter with power and clutch hitting ability.

There were slight differences, but most teams preferred this kind of lineup.

However, from the mid to late 2010s, as the concept of sabermetrics [the empirical analysis of baseball] became more widespread, the Major League-style lineup began to gain traction.

The theory they advocated was very simple.

The best way to score a lot of runs is to place the strongest hitters on the team in order from the front.

According to this theory, the most powerful hitter on the team should be first, but in that case, the best hitter would have no runners on base in the first at-bat, so the second spot is the most appropriate.

Therefore, the conclusion was that the fastest player with a good on-base percentage should be the leadoff hitter, followed by the team’s best hitter regardless of speed, then the next hitter at third, and the next hitter at fourth, to score the most runs.

After retiring, Lee Dae-jun studied the latest baseball theories on his own and was greatly influenced by them.
The lineup he has now is proof of that.

Seo Hyeong-ju, who is still in the mid-.200s due to an early slump but is expected to hit close to .300 by the end of the season, with stolen base ability and a good eye, was placed at the leadoff spot.

Originally, Han Su-hyeok should be placed right behind him. As the team’s best hitter with speed, he is the perfect second hitter.

However, Manager Lee Dae-jun has not been able to use the Han Su-hyeok second hitter card except for a few games so far.

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th cleanup trio to follow him have not yet matured.

In the early part of the season, Jo Seong-oh, Ahn Chi-wook, and Max Walker rotated in the cleanup, and after that, Jang Deok-soo joined the cleanup instead of Max Walker.

Later, Max Walker left the team, and the newly joined foreign player Walter Smith is now in the cleanup.

The problem is that, except for Jo Seong-oh, the rest of the hitters have not yet given a definite sense of trust.

However, Manager Lee Dae-jun has recently been gaining hope from Ahn Chi-wook’s changed appearance.

*If that guy can maintain his current pace, I can try a lot of things.*

He can imagine a zigzag lineup of Seo Hyeong-ju – Han Su-hyeok – Jo Seong-oh – Walter – Ahn Chi-wook – Jang Deok-soo with the team’s best hitter Han Su-hyeok moved up to second, or he can try a strategic baseball game with Seo Hyeong-ju – Choi Min-seok – Han Su-hyeok – Jo Seong-oh – Walter – Ahn Chi-wook – Jang Deok-soo depending on the opposing starting pitcher.

All of these plans require two prerequisites.

First, Han Su-hyeok must maintain his current performance.

And second, Ahn Chi-wook must grow enough to take on the cleanup.

*I’m not worried about the first assumption. There’s nothing more useless than worrying about Han Su-hyeok, even if it’s another player.*

The second is the problem… In fact, after signing Seo Hyeong-ju, the most worrying part was about Ahn Chi-wook.

I was worried that Ahn Chi-wook would be frustrated in the face of the talents of Han Su-hyeok and Seo Hyeong-ju, the two friends who are considered the best among their peers.

But it seems like it was an unnecessary worry.

“Hey, you hit a home run today, so you have to treat us.”

“What are you talking about? You hit one too, you bastard.”

“I hit a single, you hit a three-run.”

“Hmm. That makes some sense.”

“Han Su-hyeok, come over here and join us. Chi-wook is treating us.”

Ahn Chi-wook was not discouraged but rather absorbing the talents of his two peers and using them as nutrients to grow himself. He seems to be sublimating his feelings into admiration and competition rather than jealousy.

*I really love those three.*

“Han Su-hyeok, Seo Hyeong-ju, Ahn Chi-wook, this way.”

“Yes? Ah, yes, Manager.”

“After the game today, I’ll give you my card, so go to the place in front of you and buy Korean beef [a high-quality, prized beef]. Okay?”

“Yes? Korean beef?”

“Yes, it’s my personal card, so don’t worry about the money and eat as much as you want. Hehe, you pretty things.”

“Ooh~ Manager, are you only taking care of the youngest ones?”

“You guys, if you’re upset, go out there and hit a home run!”

Lee Dae-jun thought.

He didn’t know what kind of results this team he was creating would achieve, but he had a feeling that he wouldn’t regret it regardless of the outcome.

* * *

[Warriors Sweep Daejeon Falcons, Reclaim 3rd Place]

[Year 1 Rookie Trio Lead Team to Victory with Home Run Records]

[Warriors’ New Foreign Player Walter Smith Records Consecutive Hits in 4 Games Since KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] Debut]

[Starting Pitcher Cheon Sang-jin Records 6th Win of Season with 5 Innings and 1 Run Allowed, Says “Everything is Thanks to My Teammates”]

Thanks to the three home runs in the early game and Senior Cheon Sang-jin’s good pitching, we went on a winning streak, and as a result, we overtook the Magicians and climbed back to 3rd place.

Now the real beginning.

With less than a month left in the first half of the season, we need to solidify our 3rd place here to make a proper game in the second half.

Amidst the tense atmosphere throughout the club, the strong team Suwon Commanders, who had been in 2nd place since the beginning of the season, stood in our way.

While 1st place Incheon was faltering due to the injury of the starting catcher and the poor performance of the second foreign pitcher Derek Bell (who was previously given sweet potatoes by Senior Jang Deok-soo), Suwon also failed to narrow the gap due to ace Choi Gyeong-jae’s unexpected slump and the imbalance of the batting lineup.

In the meantime, the mid- and lower-ranked teams were fiercely fighting, and the situation changed a bit strangely.

Since the 3rd to 7th place teams were all hovering around a 50% win rate, even Suwon could be caught up in the mid-rank fight if they slipped up a few games.

Therefore, Suwon was determined to bet everything on the game against the Warriors, who had chased them by 3 games.

Today, Suwon’s starter is Rafael Diaz from Dominica, who is playing the role of the first starter instead of Choi Gyeong-jae.

He has a 158km/h fastball and a decent slider but sometimes has difficulty with control. Because of that, he couldn’t adapt in the big leagues, but he is definitely an ace-level pitcher in the KBO.

In addition, foreign hitter Pio Hernandez, who had been out of the lineup due to a recent injury, returned, and Suwon’s left-handed lineup of 1st Ahn Tae-gyu, 2nd Choi Yeon-woo, 3rd Kang Tae-yong, 4th Pio, and 5th Jeong Dae-han is operating normally.

The biggest problem is that our team’s starter, 5th starter Lee Young-ju, is a pitcher whose batting average against left-handed hitters is close to the worst in the league.

*We have to drive it into a hitting battle no matter what. Otherwise, everything could be decided in the beginning.*

“Okay, here’s the lineup. Everyone check it out.”

Manager Lee Dae-jun, who knows this better than anyone else, came out with a lineup today that can maximize offensive power rather than defense.

1st Center Fielder Seo Hyeong-ju

2nd Shortstop Han Su-hyeok

3rd 1st Baseman Jo Seong-oh

4th Right Fielder Walter Smith

5th 3rd Baseman Ahn Chi-wook

6th Catcher Jang Deok-soo

7th 2nd Baseman Lee Chang-mo

8th Designated Hitter Kang Jin-seok

9th Left Fielder Choi Min-seok

Starting Pitcher Lee Young-ju

Senior Kim Su-hak is out of the lineup. And Senior Kang Jin-seok came in as the designated hitter.

And I was placed at number 2.

“Number 2…”

Number 3 is okay, but number 2 is also good. I’ve played in that position for so long in the United States.

It’s just that I feel a little strange when I see the names of the players in front of and behind my batting order.

A center fielder who couldn’t adapt to the team he joined and was treated like an outcast.

The oldest first baseman who couldn’t do anything and was helplessly pushed out by the mainstream forces in the team.

An American right fielder who chose to go to Korea in a state where he had his contract terminated and had nowhere to go.

A young third baseman who was treated like a nuisance even at the beginning of the season.

A catcher who was a backup and even a bread shuttle [someone who is often asked to run errands] because of the trash named Hwang Seong-min.

And a second baseman who just continued his career like a habit after tasting failure in the big leagues.

None of them have taken an elite course, and those players who have had such difficulties are gathering together and sprinting towards the fall baseball game with all their might.

*It’s a good team.*

When I first took over this club, I was really worried about whether it would work, and I was tormented by the feeling that no matter how hard I tried, there would be a limit.

Now, those players are growing one by one and supporting me firmly from behind.

“Watch out. I’m going to challenge to get on base in every at-bat today.”

Of course, there is a guy like Seo Hyeong-ju who mistakenly believes that he is the center of this team.

Anyway, the game started.

Suwon’s left-handed line, starting with 1st Ahn Tae-gyu, 2nd Choi Yeon-woo, 3rd Kang Tae-yong, and 4th Pio Hernandez.

In some ways, it’s even more terrible than the Magicians, a lineup that has both precision and destructive power.

Perhaps that’s why Senior Jo Seong-oh and Senior Lee Chang-mo, between 1st and 2nd base where the balls are expected to be concentrated today, have more determined expressions than ever before.

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hitters from Suwon’s dugout came out and took their places in the waiting seats.

The expressions of the Suwon players, who looked down on our team a lot during the practice game in Arizona last spring, have changed a lot.

And among them, Suwon’s leadoff hitter, who has the most serious expression, entered the plate.

First hitter shortstop Ahn Tae-gyu, a player who made a name for himself as the second shortstop following Lee Tae-woong, who was originally the starting shortstop for the national team.

“Prepare for a surprise bunt.”

“Okay.”

We also need to prepare for a surprise bunt on the 3rd base side, although the probability is not high. Of course, considering the opponent’s record against our starter Lee Young-ju last year, when he was unstoppable, it doesn’t seem likely.

Lee Young-ju, a second-year pitcher who is often on the mound as the 5th starter among the four fixed starting rotations of Ryan Stark, Brooks Parker, Lee Man-sik, and Cheon Sang-jin.

He is a player who has an average ERA [Earned Run Average] of 5.75 and is recording 1 win and 3 losses and may soon be pushed out of the starting position as soon as a decent pitcher appears.

Today’s game could be a significant watershed moment for Senior Lee Young-ju. If he performs unexpectedly well in a situation where no one has high expectations for him, he may be able to put his name back on the starting list in the second half.

Perhaps that’s why Senior Lee Young-ju, who came to me before the game, said this.

‘Su-hyeok, please take care of me.’

‘Yes? What about? ‘

‘Just, just everything.’

His expression was so desperate that I couldn’t help but say okay.

I guess he means to hit well, run well, and catch well. Well, that’s what I have to do anyway, even if he doesn’t ask.

‘And maybe…’

‘Yes?’

‘You said you’re close to Ms. Min Ye-rin. Can you ask her for a favor too?’

‘Why are you asking me for a favor from Min Ye-rin… Anyway, what is it?’

‘Please tell her not to shout that she’s going to kill me when I throw the ball. Every time I hear that sound, my heart pounds and I can’t throw the ball.’

His expression when he said this seemed beyond desperate, as if he was about to pass out, so I said I understood.

And before the game started, I said to Min Ye-rin, who was squatting right in front of the cheering squad stand, loosening her body and throat.

‘Ye-rin, Senior Lee Young-ju told me not to swear at him too much?’

‘When did I swear…’

‘You threatened to kill him if he just threw the ball.’

‘Oh my! That’s a big deal! That’s not true, oppa [term used by a younger woman to address an older brother or male friend]’

‘I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Anyway, do it moderately. That senior is already a scaredy-cat, so scaring him like that will backfire.’

I don’t know how effective my request will be. My role is just a messenger.

“Lee Young-ju, fighting! [a Korean expression of encouragement]”

“Fighting!”

Senior Lee Young-ju finished his final pitching preparation while receiving encouragement from his teammates.

“Play!”

Finally, the referee announced the start of the game.

And Senior Lee Young-ju slowly began to wind up with a nervous expression.

Shoo-oong

“Ball.”

A hopeless ball that goes out of bounds high on the outside.

At that moment, a loud woman’s voice echoed from the home team’s cheering squad stand.

“Hey, Lee Young-ju! Die! Is that even a ball!”

Hmm, I definitely told her, so whatever.