On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 127

“Why is your bat so slow today?”

“Yeah, tell me about it. My brain’s already hit a home run, but my bat can’t keep up.”

Yoo Sun-ho steadied himself by gripping the bench with both hands, blinking his large eyes.

The field was still vibrantly green, and the evening sun was setting.

Yoo Sun-ho repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Nah, it can’t be.”

Bottom of the 1st.

Gote’s starting pitcher, Michael Fish, took the mound.

As Gote’s ace, Michael Fish ended the first inning with three ground outs.

“This game is likely to be a pitching duel, wouldn’t you say? Both teams’ starting pitchers are in excellent form today.”

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th innings.

Both teams struggled to score, held in check by the opposing starting pitchers.

If Kim Seong-hoon was one of the top right-handed pitchers in Korean professional baseball, Michael Fish was a player who had experience in the major league’s 5-man rotation.

The tense 0-0 score through the 5th inning broke in an unexpected way.

“Ouch!”

Gote’s ninth batter, Jung Young-soo, clutched his buttocks.

Kim Seong-hoon’s fastball had struck him hard in the rear.

“Ah, a hit-by-pitch here.”

“Kim Seong-hoon doesn’t usually throw inside pitches, but this time he committed and it became a wild pitch.”

“This means the first batter gets on base. The batting order continues to the first batter.”

First batter Lee Ji-sung gripped his bat short and stepped into the batter’s box.

The Pegasus bench became busy.

Top of the 6th, 0-0 situation.

No outs, runner on 1st.

A perfect situation for a bunt.

Jung Yong-wook signaled for an inside fastball.

Kim Seong-hoon shook his head.

The most difficult pitch for a batter to bunt is a low pitch coming inside.

Even if an inside pitch is high, as long as it’s not in the middle of the plate, it’s difficult for the batter to touch.

He’s hesitant to throw inside because of the hit-by-pitch just now.

Jung Yong-wook changed the sign to an outside fastball.

An outside low fastball is also a difficult pitch to bunt.

The fielders also slowly moved forward.

As Kim Seong-hoon stepped off the mound, Lee Ji-sung took a bunt stance.

At the same time, the Pegasus infielders rushed forward.

“Oh? He’s swinging!”

Lee Ji-sung took a bunt stance, but as the fielders dashed forward, he waited and then swung, hitting the ball.

The ball didn’t travel far, but it passed over the second baseman’s head as he was caught moving in the wrong direction.

“The runner on first! To third! To third! Third!! Safe! He’s safe!”

“It wasn’t a bunt. It was a fake bunt and slash. Gote doesn’t usually use tactics, but the tactic was successful here.”

Sighs erupted from the Pegasus bench.

They knew it was coming, but they still fell for it.

Kim Seong-hoon calmly gestured to the catcher that it was okay.

“He hit that.”

Yoo Sun-ho clapped his hands.

He hit Kim Seong-hoon’s 150km/h [kilometers per hour] fastball with a fake bunt and slash to get a hit.

If it were the old Lee Ji-sung, his wrists would have loosened, and at best, it would have been a foul ball.

Just now, Lee Ji-sung hit with his top hand completely attached to his body.

The follow-through was cut off, so there was no extra-base hit, but conversely, he found a way to get the ball over the infield without a proper follow-through.

A top hand tightly attached to the body.

Isn’t that Song Seok-hyun’s trademark?

No outs, runners on 1st and 3rd.

Kim Seong-hoon walked the next batter, loading the bases with no outs.

“The mighty strongman! Kim In-hwan made of iron!”

Gote fans chanted his name in unison.

Kim In-hwan stepped into the batter’s box.

My style

Top of the 5th.

Kim In-hwan, chin in hand, watched Kim Seong-hoon’s pitching.

The plan to make him throw only until the 5th inning, even if they couldn’t score, and then take him off the mound had failed.

Kim Seong-hoon’s pitching was on fire today.

The 150km/h fastball filling the outside corner was like a boulder.

Kim In-hwan had strengthened his outside hitting this season by changing his batting form, but the outside course was still tricky.

Even if he hit the ball, the bat would be pushed back.

No matter how naturally strong Kim In-hwan was, it was useless because the bat was light and thin.

He hit other pitchers’ balls hard, but Kim Seong-hoon’s fastball, known for its heaviness, was impossible.

“Hoo.”

Yoo Sun-ho asked at Kim In-hwan’s sigh.

“Hey, are you gonna make the ground sink with that sigh?”

“Ah, sorry, senior.”

“What’s wrong? Why are you sighing like that?”

“I just don’t see a way.”

“What way?”

Kim In-hwan pointed to Kim Seong-hoon.

“I don’t know what to do. If I hit the way I’ve been hitting, I don’t think there’s any way to get a hit, and if I put the hitting point in front, it doesn’t feel right.”

“Why can’t you put it in front?”

“If I put the hitting point in front, I’m too weak against breaking balls.”

“How many breaking balls does he even throw? About 70% of his pitches are fastballs, so why are you talking about breaking balls?”

“Still.”

“Still what? If you don’t think something will work, you should change it to something that will, not keep pushing something that won’t.”

Kim In-hwan pointed to Song Seok-hyun, who was putting on his catcher’s gear.

“Looking at Seok-hyun, he sticks to his style whether it works or not. I’ve benefited a lot from following Seok-hyun, so…”

“So when has Seok-hyun ever been unsuccessful?”

“…Um.”

“He’s him, and you’re you. Only take what you can use as a reference. You two are different.”

Kim In-hwan hesitated.

He still rates himself as lacking in many ways, but he has been completely transformed compared to the beginning of the season.

It was thanks to the dramatic changes he made while training with Song Seok-hyun.

He puts the hitting point behind and hits while watching the ball until the end with the thinnest and lightest bat.

He sometimes made changes such as standing closer to the plate or in front, but he did not change his basic batting form.

“People are different; a hundred people have a hundred different ways of walking. If walking is different for each person, how different would swinging a bat be? Yesterday and today are different when it comes to batting. You have to adjust to it; you can’t do it that way. Sticking to the basics is different from being stubborn, you know.”

Kim In-hwan’s head buzzed at Yoo Sun-ho’s words.

Different from time to time?

Why does he have his current batting form?

It’s a swing he created to overcome his weakness against outside pitches and breaking balls.

In other words, because it’s a swing that’s strong against outside breaking balls, it’s weak against fast and strong balls on the outside.

To hit fast and strong balls on the outside, all he has to do is put the hitting point in front and time it faster.

“What if I’m aiming for a fastball and he throws a changeup?”

Yoo Sun-ho chuckled at Kim In-hwan’s question.

“Is that even a question? You just swing and miss. Are you not going to do it because you’re afraid of that? A batter is praised if they hit three out of ten, right? If a changeup comes, swing and miss. Do you think he’s just going to keep throwing changeups?”

At that moment, Kim In-hwan felt a chill down his spine.

Fear.

It was a word he had been trying to ignore.

He was anxious that he would be called blind again, that he would be pointed at as a burden.

He struggled to avoid striking out, to avoid swinging and missing.

Just as yesterday and today are different, the beginning of the season and now are different.

He is now recognized as Gote’s third batter and a key member of the cleanup [the hitters in the batting order who are most likely to drive in runs].

His weakness against outside breaking balls has now been overcome, so why is he still fixated on it?

He won’t be demoted to the minor leagues if he doesn’t do well for a few games, right?

“Ah…!”

Kim In-hwan stood up and looked around.

The person who met Kim In-hwan’s eyes was Choi Jae-wan.

“Jae-wan, give me your bat.”

“This one?”

Kim In-hwan grabbed Choi Jae-wan’s bat and examined it.

“How much does this weigh?”

“900g [grams].”

“You have a spare, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Can I borrow it?”

“Now? You’re going to use it now?”

“Yeah, just for today.”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], are you going to change bats during the game?”

“You can lend it to me, right? Just tell me that.”

“I have to lend it to you… But I don’t think it’s a good idea to change bats during the game. Besides, I don’t think a heavier bat is a good idea. And the pitcher is Kim Seong-hoon. His pitches are fast, so a heavier bat is a bit…”

Kim In-hwan cut off Choi Jae-wan and took the bat.

“That’s enough. This will do.”

Bottom of the 5th, after the defense, during cleaning time.

Kim In-hwan went out to the hallway and swung.

900g is a bit light for a cleanup hitter.

But after using 860g, using 900g felt like swinging in water; everything felt slow.

Kim In-hwan swung and swung again.

The more he swung, the more his old senses returned.

There’s no need to be obsessed with bat speed.

There’s no need to hit every ball.

He is not Song Seok-hyun.

He’s not a hitter who picks balls like a ghost and surprises the pitcher with amazing timing.

His strength is overwhelming power.

His strength was diluted because he focused on breaking balls.

Kim In-hwan, the mighty, is being pushed back by the opponent’s fastball?

Until last year, Kim Seong-hoon avoided head-to-head matchups against him.

Even if he misses the breaking ball, he can’t miss the fastball that’s coming straight in.

Accept the 70% failure rate.

30%.

Even if I only hit once out of three times, it’s my victory.

* * *

Top of the 6th.

Bases loaded, no outs.

Jung Yong-wook asked Kim In-hwan, who stepped into the batter’s box.

“Did you choke on your food? Why is your face so pale?”

“…”

Kim In-hwan didn’t answer.

Jung Yong-wook was about to say another word but closed his mouth.

Looking at Kim In-hwan’s face, he wasn’t ignoring him.

He was focused on the game.

‘Fastball, outside.’

There’s no need to make it difficult just because the bases are loaded.

Kim Seong-hoon’s stuff hasn’t died down yet, and he has plenty of pitches left.

Kim In-hwan was completely suppressed by Kim Seong-hoon’s stuff today.

Kim Seong-hoon isn’t the type to panic just because the bases are loaded.

If I were to pick Kim Seong-hoon’s strengths, I wouldn’t pick his control, fastball, or slider.

Composure.

He’s a perfect pitcher except for being stingy with inside pitches.

“Kim Seong-hoon is getting ready.”

“The first pitch is important. Very important.”

As Kim Seong-hoon threw the ball, Kim In-hwan swung.

Whack!

-Strike!

The bat passed after the ball went in.

Kim In-hwan exhaled.

“…”

Even though he got a strike, Jung Yong-wook frowned slightly.

The air pressure is different.

The wind, which was like a sharp whip until the previous at-bat, is now heavy, as if an axe had passed through.

Why all of a sudden?

“Kim In-hwan’s swing is late. His timing is off.”

“Kim Seong-hoon’s fastball is coming in at 152km/h. That means he’s pushing his pitch to the maximum.”

“Kim In-hwan is having trouble timing Kim Seong-hoon today.”

Jung Yong-wook called for a changeup for the second pitch.

Kim Seong-hoon shook his head.

His timing is late even on the fastball, so why bother with a changeup?

Jung Yong-wook, feeling uneasy, called for a changeup again.