On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 107

“A hit! Seol Jin-il gets a hit!”

“He swung at the first pitch again. It was completely out of the strike zone, wasn’t it? But he still went for it.”

“Hwang Si-wan is staring at Seol Jin-il like he can’t believe it.”

“With one out and the heart of the order coming up, he probably didn’t expect him to swing so aggressively. I’m surprised myself.”

The coaches on the Goats’ bench were equally dumbfounded.

They signaled him to take a pitch [wait for a better opportunity to swing], but he ignored them again.

“…Well, a madman is a madman, I guess.”

Manager Ham Seong-hoon let out a hollow laugh.

Swinging at everything, ignoring signs, and somehow turning a bad pitch into a hit—he really has a knack for driving people crazy.

As soon as Seol Jin-il reached first base, he took a lead, ready to steal second.

The next batter is Kim In-hwan, followed by Song Seok-hyun.

They need to avoid a double play so Song Seok-hyun can get his chance to bat.

Kim In-hwan is burdened with the pressure of not hitting into a double play, while Hwang Si-wan wants to end the inning before Song Seok-hyun gets a chance to do any damage.

The two players faced off.

Seol Jin-il was trying to time his steal, but the experienced Hwang Si-wan didn’t give him an easy opportunity.

As Seol Jin-il hesitated, Hwang Si-wan threw the first pitch.

Dominating with the Pitch

Ignited Batting Line

-Strike!

“A perfectly placed pitch on the outside corner. Kim In-hwan just watches it go by.”

“That’s Hwang Si-wan for you. That kind of control is why he’s had such a long career, over 10 years.”

Kim In-hwan loosened his shoulders.

He’d learned something from watching Song Seok-hyun.

Don’t get too hung up on whether it’s a strike or not.

Just as the batter is desperate to hit the ball, the pitcher is desperate to prevent it.

If a good pitch comes your way, just acknowledge it and move on.

The important thing is finding the overlap between the pitches the batter can hit and the pitches the pitcher can throw.

He can’t hit with the same pinpoint accuracy as Song Seok-hyun.

Song Seok-hyun’s eye and analytical skills are on a different level.

But after hearing the opposing pitcher’s tells from Song Seok-hyun and hitting a home run in the Fox game, Kim In-hwan’s thinking had changed.

Even if he can’t perfectly predict the pitch, shouldn’t he be able to narrow down the possibilities?

Pitcher Hwang Si-wan isn’t the type to overpower batters with pure speed.

He doesn’t have a go-to strikeout pitch either.

Moderately fast pitches, a variety of pitches, and pinpoint control.

If it weren’t for his age, he’d be a starting pitcher.

Fastball, curveball, slider, changeup.

A right-handed pitcher wouldn’t increase the number of curveballs and sliders he throws to a left-handed batter.

He’d only aim for a backdoor pitch [a pitch that starts outside the strike zone but curves back in] to get one strike.

So, the pitches he’s likely to throw are fastball and changeup.

He showed a first-pitch fastball.

Since he didn’t swing at it, there’s a good chance he’ll throw another fastball or try to get him to chase a changeup on the second pitch.

It’s also a good count to throw a backdoor curve or slider.

“Hoo.”

His head hurts.

Does Song Seok-hyun think about this much every at-bat, every count?

He has to make a decision.

He can’t try to hit everything.

So, it’s still… a breaking ball.

Aim for a backdoor slider, curve, or changeup.

If a fastball comes in by mistake, he can just push it to the opposite field.

Since he keeps his hitting point deep in the zone and uses the lightest bat, his reaction speed should be among the best in the league.

As he organized his thoughts, the bat felt lighter.

It felt like he wasn’t holding a bat at all, so he gripped it tightly again.

“The battery’s [pitcher and catcher] sign exchange is getting longer.”

“Whether they can get out of this situation here will determine the outcome of today’s game. The best-case scenario is to induce a double play from Kim In-hwan, but even if they can’t, they can’t allow an extra-base hit. The next batter is Song Seok-hyun. They’re only down by one run right now. If a runner gets into scoring position, they can tie the game or even take the lead.”

Hwang Si-wan took a deep breath.

Kim In-hwan, who used to swing and miss at breaking balls, is now a dangerous hitter.

The catcher called for another fastball, but Hwang Si-wan shook his head.

Kim In-hwan is weak against breaking balls, but he’s stronger against fastballs than anyone else.

If his control wavers even a little, it could easily lead to an extra-base hit.

The best option is to get two strikes with a fastball and then strike him out with a breaking ball, but another option is to show him one pitch and then get a strikeout with a backdoor curve.

Kim In-hwan’s weaknesses are low pitches and outside pitches.

A backdoor curve is slow, has a big break, and targets the outside corner.

Hide the backdoor curve as a finisher and use the changeup to gauge Kim In-hwan’s intentions…

“The pitcher winds up!”

Hwang Si-wan threw a changeup that floated right down the middle.

A tempting changeup that drops sharply.

-Ball, low.

“Kim In-hwan lays off it nicely.”

“Hwang Si-wan clicks his tongue in disappointment. The changeup had a good drop.”

“Kim In-hwan’s plate discipline has definitely improved. His .400 on-base percentage isn’t just for show.”

“Opposing pitchers tend to avoid him, and there’s a reason for that .400 on-base percentage.”

Hwang Si-wan blew out a puff of air.

He laid off the breaking ball.

It wasn’t even a late swing.

He tracked it all the way and held back.

Hwang Si-wan looked at his hand.

Is my changeup not working?

It seemed to drop well.

‘Fastball, outside.’

The catcher called for another outside fastball.

The pitcher didn’t shake his head this time.

Clang!

The catcher held his mitt out, motionless.

He caught the slightly off-target pitch, but the umpire didn’t call it a strike.

“Kim In-hwan lays off that one too.”

“That makes it 2-1. The count favors the batter.”

“Hwang Si-wan must be racking his brain.”

“He doesn’t have a good pitch to throw. Kim In-hwan perfectly laid off the changeup. That means it’s risky to use the changeup as a finisher.”

Hwang Si-wan rolled the ball in his hand.

When did Kim In-hwan become such a difficult hitter?

Kim In-hwan’s only weakness is a perfectly located pitch on the outside corner.

‘Fastball, outside.’

The catcher’s thoughts aligned.

Since the batter isn’t biting, they’re relentlessly targeting the outside corner.

Even if it’s a ball, it has to be outside.

Isn’t that a location where you can’t get a good pitch if you force it?

Just as Hwang Si-wan was about to throw the ball, Seol Jin-il took off for second base.

Hwang Si-wan’s pitch drifted a little more inside this time.

‘Yes…….’

Just when he thought the batter would let it go by again, Kim In-hwan belatedly swung his bat.

He felt like he was already a step late.

As if pulling the ball out of the catcher’s mitt, Kim In-hwan’s bat swung powerfully towards first base.

Thwack!

“He hit it! The right fielder is going back, back… he can’t catch it! Home run! Home run! A home run that barely clears the fence!”

“Kim In-hwan, he was late on the timing, but he still managed to get it over the wall?”

“Kim In-hwan with a go-ahead two-run home run! Wales brought in closer Hwang Si-wan, but Kim In-hwan hits a go-ahead two-run home run!”

“Wales must be disappointed. Hwang Si-wan has been on a roll lately, hasn’t he? Who would have thought he’d blow the save here?”

“With Kim In-hwan’s two-run home run, the Goats take a 4-5 lead.”

“What’s scary is that the next batter is Song Seok-hyun. Hwang Si-wan gave up the lead, but it’s still only a one-run difference. He needs to shut down Song Seok-hyun. There’s still the bottom of the ninth.”

Hwang Si-wan hung his head.

Throwing the same pitch in the same location repeatedly narrows the batter’s options.

If you have great velocity or an unhittable breaking ball, you can throw the same pitch in the same location repeatedly, but Hwang Si-wan was a pitcher whose strengths were his variety of pitches and control.

“Song Seok-hyun steps into the batter’s box.”

“He hit an out-of-the-park home run earlier today, didn’t he? He’s a very dangerous hitter. If he connects, it’s gone. There are no weak hits. He doesn’t even hit many foul balls.”

“It’s amazing how he can hit so many extra-base hits.”

Song Seok-hyun stepped into the batter’s box.

Hwang Si-wan took a breath.

The closer carries the team’s fate on his shoulders.

If they win, it’s the starter’s credit, and if they lose, it’s the closer’s fault.

The closer should only think about the batter in front of him, the single pitch in front of him.

So, what should I throw for the first pitch……?

“Hoo-ah.”

Song Seok-hyun stepped into the batter’s box and tapped his bat once.

He was only thinking about one thing for the first pitch: a breaking ball.

The pitcher threw an outside fastball and got burned for a home run.

There’s a low probability that he’ll throw another outside fastball to him, who is even stronger against outside pitches than Kim In-hwan.

Even less likely that he’ll throw an inside fastball after giving up a home run.

So, it’s still a breaking ball.

The pitch is more likely to be in the middle of the plate than on the outside corner where he gave up the home run.

He’ll either drop a changeup or a curveball, and if he were the pitcher, he’d definitely throw a curveball.

Isn’t a curveball the most difficult pitch for a batter to time?

Above all, since the batter behind him, Choi Jae-wan, isn’t hitting well, he’ll likely try to induce a swing and miss with a breaking ball rather than challenging him directly.

He closes his stance and waits.

For the first-pitch curveball.

Nod.

The pitcher finished exchanging signs with the catcher.

There are no runners on.

The batter behind him, Choi Jae-wan, is an easy out.

Getting a runner on first and then inducing a double play is the standard approach.

So, the first pitch is……

“The pitcher throws!”

Hwang Si-wan swung his arm with all his might.

Song Seok-hyun’s eyes tracked the pitcher’s release point.

The ball floats slightly upward.

Song Seok-hyun clenched his jaw to avoid getting overexcited.

The ball passed the batter’s recognition point and dropped sharply.

A high-level curveball.

The ball fell towards the spot where the catcher had set his mitt.

Bang!

Song Seok-hyun wasn’t about to miss the pitch he was waiting for.

“Another one to the left field wall! The left field wall! The left field wall! It’s gone again! Another out-of-the-park home run! Song Seok-hyun is having a crazy day! Absolutely insane!”

“Amazing. Truly amazing. How can a hitter like this suddenly appear? He’s a hitter who’s never played a full season.”

“The Goat fans are ecstatic. They’re going wild.”

“Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun. They’re completely on fire right now. If Yoo Seon-ho, who came over in this trade, can also perform to his potential, the Goats’ cleanup hitters will be an unstoppable force. It’s still a lineup with many question marks, but if those ‘ifs’ come to fruition, the Goats will have the scariest lineup this season.”

“4-6. The Goats extend their lead to two points, crushing Wales’s hopes of a comeback.”

“This will ease Kim Jung-ryul’s nerves, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Manager Ham Seong-hoon’s strategic move to bring in Kim Jung-ryul while trailing by one point is paying off.”

Hwang Si-wan showed that his skills hadn’t diminished by getting the next batters out, but the closer giving up three runs in the ninth inning was decisive in the team’s loss.

Kim Jung-ryul, who came in as the closer, only gave up one walk and secured the win.

Final score 4-6.

It was a hard-fought victory for the Goats.

* * *

After the game, at the Goats’ Incheon dorm.

Ham Seong-hoon finished showering and returned to his bed.

When he checked his phone, he saw several missed calls from the team manager.

“Yes, hello.”

-Yes, Manager. I have something urgent to tell you.

“What is it?”

-Yoo Seon-ho is on his way to Incheon right now.

“He’s supposed to come tomorrow, why now?”

-Yes. He’ll probably arrive in 10-20 minutes, so I’m calling you in advance.

“Okay.”

Ham Seong-hoon hung up and changed his clothes.

Just as he was about to make a cup of coffee, another call came.

It was an unknown number.

“Hello.”

-Hello, Manager. This is Yoo Seon-ho.

Ham Seong-hoon told Yoo Seon-ho to come to his room.

Yoo Seon-ho, standing in front of the door, was dressed to the nines in a suit and tie.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ham Seong-hoon. Come on in.”

“Hello. I’m Yoo Seon-ho.”