On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 139

The Goat’s lead over Pegasus widened to two games.

Using setup men in the final game of the three-game series complicated the pitching management for the weekend series.

The weekend series was against Pegasus, and the results weren’t ideal.

However, there was a silver lining: the starting rotation would feature their top three pitchers.

“They’re a tough team, Goat,” Director Lee Geon-hu mused, imagining a postseason matchup.

Goat, once reliant solely on their starting pitchers, now boasted the KS Cannon [referring to a powerful batting lineup], bolstered by the strategic mind of Lee Ji-sung and the addition of Yoo Seon-ho, the final piece of the puzzle.

While the bullpen still had question marks, Kim Jeong-ryul, Go Jin-seok, and Jeong Hong-min were performing well.

Even while facing Pegasus, Lee Geon-hu’s thoughts were consumed by the prospect of facing Goat.

* * *

On the bus back to Seoul, Ham Seong-hoon watched the highlight broadcast on his phone, earphones in.

– “Yes, in today’s game, Wales suffered an unexpected defeat against Phoenix, allowing Goat to close the gap to a single game.”

– “Wales’s surge is impressive, but Goat is even more formidable. Their schedule leading up to Pegasus and Scorpion was expected to be challenging, but they managed to take games from both teams.”

– “Does this mean the playoff picture is becoming even more unpredictable?”

– “Considering their recent performance, Goat is increasingly likely to secure a playoff spot. Their starting pitchers are consistent, and the batting order from 1 to 5 is well-coordinated. The lower batting order’s batting average has also improved from .220 to .240 recently, creating a virtuous cycle where the leading hitters set up opportunities for those following.”

– “However, Wales appears to have a more favorable schedule than Goat. Wales will continue to face lower-ranked teams, while Goat will face the Wolves this time, followed by the Bulls. Looking at the schedule alone, they will meet the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th-ranked teams in succession. The Bulls fell to 6th place today, but now Wales, Goat, and the Bulls are vying for 4th, 5th, and 6th place, constantly changing rankings. It doesn’t seem like an easy schedule.”

– “If Goat performs well in this series against the Wolves, they are almost guaranteed to secure 4th place.”

– “The Wolves narrowed the gap with Scorpion and Pegasus thanks to Goat, but now they’re facing the team that helped them.”

– “The Jamsil [a district in Seoul] rivals will have an unavoidable showdown.”

– “We naturally transitioned from talking about Wales to Goat. Haha.”

– “That’s how much buzz Goat is generating right now. There’s so much to discuss. Due to time constraints, we’ll revisit it next time.”

Ham Seong-hoon turned off his phone.

The Wolves’ starting pitchers were Suarez, Jang Gye-sung, and Kim Jun-gi.

Suarez was a strong pitcher, but Jang Gye-sung and Kim Jun-gi were the real concern.

With Lee Ji-sung, Kim In-hwan, and Yoo Seon-ho now consistently in the lineup, the number of left-handed hitters had increased to three.

Jang Gye-sung and Kim Jun-gi were both left-handed pitchers.

Jang Gye-sung, in particular, had a strong track record against left-handed hitters, and Kim Jun-gi also performed better against lefties than righties.

Even closer Jin Seok-nam was a left-handed pitcher with a blazing fastball.

The lower batting order had improved, but only to the point of being average compared to other teams.

That improvement was largely due to Yoo Seon-ho’s resurgence, which created synergy with the lower batting order. If Yoo Seon-ho faltered, that synergy would disappear.

“As expected…,” Ham Seong-hoon thought.

He initially believed Song Seok-hyun was the only reliable player, but now he wasn’t so sure.

The Wolves wouldn’t give Song Seok-hyun an honest at-bat.

There was a high probability they would intentionally walk him.

Lee Ji-sung and Yoo Seon-ho had exceeded expectations in the Scorpion game, but their consistency remained uncertain.

Their strong performance might have been due to their familiarity with the team.

If they navigated the Wolves series successfully, they would then face lower-ranked teams like the Bulls, Phoenix, and Fox.

They needed to finish in the top 4 in these next 12 games.

The ultimate goal wasn’t just making the postseason.

The ideal scenario was to finish first in the league, but that was a long shot.

The realistic best-case scenario was finishing second.

Avoiding the準-playoff [semi-playoff] round would make a world of difference.

“Wolves, Wolves…,” Ham Seong-hoon muttered.

Head-to-head, they were a more formidable opponent than Pegasus and Scorpion.

Ham Seong-hoon tossed and turned all the way back to Seoul.

* * *

“Okay, cheers.”

“What cheers, cheers.”

“Tsk. Hey. We have to cheers with this at least.”

Yoo Seon-ho and Lee Ji-sung clinked their iced Americanos.

“Keah, that’s refreshing. It’s very refreshing.”

Yoo Seon-ho finished his iced Americano in one gulp and then put a macaron in his mouth.

“It’s delicious, delicious.”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], leave some for me.”

“Here. Who’s going to steal it?”

Lee Ji-sung took a bite of the macaron and mumbled.

“Today is the brightest I’ve ever seen your face, hyung.”

“Really? Is that so?”

Yoo Seon-ho laughed heartily.

“Then why wouldn’t it be good? I showed Lee Geon-hu that I’m not washed up yet.”

“That’s right.”

“You did well too.”

“I just worked hard. It’s not like I was showing off in front of Director Lee.”

“I saw you trying to do better than Gi-deok, but look at you lying.”

“I was trying to do as well as Gi-deok, not better than Gi-deok. How can I compare to Gi-deok? Gi-deok is so far ahead now.”

“You’re a man, a man. A man shouldn’t say such weak things.”

“It’s not a weak thing, it’s the truth.”

Lee Ji-sung sipped his coffee.

“Hyung, you think it’s fortunate you came here, right?”

“It’s a stroke of luck. I would have retired if I wasn’t here.”

“I didn’t want to leave Daegu either, but it’s nice to be in Seoul.”

“People adapt and live anywhere.”

“I honestly didn’t think you would adapt, hyung.”

“Me? Why?”

“You’re the 5th hitter. You have your pride, hyung. You complained when you gave Yang Cheol-i the 4th spot.”

“What complaining, complaining.”

“We became closer here, but we weren’t that close before. Back then, I could see that you were very proud.”

Yoo Seon-ho chewed on ice instead of coffee.

“What can I do? You have to step back when you get old.”

“Are you really satisfied with 5th, hyung?”

“It’s good. It’s so good to bat behind Seok-hyun.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

“You rascal. Are you in a position to worry about me?”

“I was thinking this while playing in Daegu this time. Maybe Goat can go all the way to the Korean Series [championship series of Korean baseball].”

“Suddenly?”

“Something just clicked and it’s working well. In-hwan and Seok-hyun are doing so well, so if I don’t screw up, it’s worth a try.”

“Do you think Goat can win?”

“The Korean Series championship?”

“Yeah.”

“Well… Seeing them sweep Pegasus, it’s worth a try.”

“Scorpion also slipped up against Pegasus every time, so is that possible?”

“There’s such a thing as matchups. Maybe Pegasus is weak against Goat.”

“I don’t know, I always find Pegasus difficult.”

The two were silent afterward.

They must be imagining meeting Pegasus in the Korean Series in their heads.

Imagining stealing bases and hitting home runs.

Lee Ji-sung was just happy to have the opportunity to return to the starting lineup, but maybe, just maybe, he could dream big?

He saw the potential of the two while playing against Pegasus and Scorpion.

The possibility of becoming a strong team.

“Let’s get up now. We can’t sleep too late.”

“Yes. Let’s get up.”

The two didn’t spend a long time at the cafe.

Only two months until the postseason.

It’s a long time if it’s long, but it’s a time that will pass in the blink of an eye if it’s short.

“Well, why can’t we win the Korean Series?”

Lee Ji-sung laughed at Yoo Seon-ho’s joke.

* * *

The weekend three-game series against the Wolves.

As Goat’s performance surged, even black market tickets were circulating in Jamsil.

The Jamsil rivals, the weekend three-game series.

With just those two phrases, Jamsil was packed from the start of the game.

Fans of both teams wore baseball uniforms with the players’ numbers on their backs and headed to Jamsil.

The names most often seen on the backs of Wolves fans were Kang Je-gwan and Jang Gye-sung.

Wolves’ premier left-handed pitcher Jang Gye-sung was a star since his debut, and Kang Je-gwan was a Wolves’ homegrown hitter who had hit 30 home runs in Jamsil.

The most common player name on the backs of Goat fans was Song Seok-hyun.

Now Song Seok-hyun had surpassed nicknames such as rising star and man of outside-the-park home runs.

Recently, Song Seok-hyun’s nickname had been reduced to one.

The King of Jamsil.

Even Wolves fans couldn’t argue with the title King of Jamsil.

Because when Song Seok-hyun stepped up to the plate, they held their breath.

Still, there was pride.

When had the Wolves ever been behind Goat in their head-to-head record?

The Wolves were eager to defeat Goat and rise to 1st place, while Goat was determined to grab the Wolves by the scruff of the neck and claim sole possession of 4th place.

“Hello, baseball fans. This is SP Sports caster Yoon Joong-hyun.”

“This is commentator Yoon Sang-hoo.”

“Jamsil is already full of fans for today’s weekend three-game series.”

“The expectations of both teams’ fans are high. The Jamsil rivalry, which had been one-sided, has become tense again.”

“Goat’s mega-hit product: the KS Cannon. Since the KS Cannon came to life, Goat has the most fearsome cleanup in the league.”

“The powerful Kim In-hwan, the peak Song Seok-hyun, the veteran Yoo Seon-ho. It’s a lineup that’s hard to navigate.”

“Especially Song Seok-hyun is the key, isn’t he? I don’t know if this player even knows the meaning of the word ‘slump’.”

“These days, fans say Song Seok-hyun is in a slump if he doesn’t hit a home run.”

“Hahaha, then is it a slump even if he gets a hit?”

“That means the expectations for Song Seok-hyun are that high.”

“Usually, other Jamsil hitters have better records on the road, but Song Seok-hyun is the opposite. He’s stronger in Jamsil.”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s weak on the road. His road OPS [On-base Plus Slugging] is 0.892. His home OPS is 1.103. He’s just better at home.”

“A rookie catcher uses Jamsil as his home and has an OPS of over 1. Does that even make sense?”

“So he’s the King of Jamsil, isn’t he?”

“The King of Jamsil. I don’t know if it’s okay to attach the title of king to a twenty-year-old player. Usually, we use words like ‘prince’, don’t we?”

“There’s no player who performs better in Jamsil than Song Seok-hyun, so he becomes the king.”

“If he does even better than now, will he become the emperor?”

“Is it even possible to do better than now?”

– Play ball!

With the start of the game, Goat’s starting pitcher Michael Fish took the mound.

The Wolves’ lineup consisted of Kim Ha-gyun, Jeong Su-yeong, and Jeong In-ha.

All three hitters had batting averages over .300, but they were helpless against Michael Fish’s fastballs exceeding 150 km/h [approximately 93 mph].

“Goat’s three-man retreat. Wolves can’t capitalize in the first inning.”

“Michael Fish is a pitcher who could be a team’s ace wherever he goes. You have to focus on getting him off the mound quickly by making him throw a lot of pitches, not thinking about winning from the beginning.”

Bottom of the 1st inning.

Bernard Suarez took the mound for the Wolves.

“He’s a different type of starting pitcher than Michael Fish, isn’t he? His fastball speed is just over 140 km/h [approximately 87 mph], but hitters who have faced him say it’s a deceptive fastball. He’s a pitcher with a good fastball even though his speed is slow. His control is also excellent.”

Suarez grounded out first hitter Lee Ji-sung, but allowed a hit to Seol Jin-il.

When third hitter Kim In-hwan came to the plate, a sign came from the Wolves’ bench.

A showdown!

The Wolves decided that facing Kim In-hwan was preferable to facing Song Seok-hyun.

Kim In-hwan has a weakness for breaking balls, doesn’t he?

Song Seok-hyun is a hitter whose weaknesses are virtually unknown.

‘Okay,’ Suarez thought.

Suarez’s first pitch was an outside four-seam fastball.

Kim In-hwan flinched and missed.

– Strike!

After one strike, a curveball with a sharp drop.

Kim In-hwan swung and missed.

– Strike!

“Two consecutive strikes! Suarez shows off his pinpoint control.”

“Kim In-hwan is frozen.”

Kim In-hwan stepped away from the plate and warmed up.

As expected.

Once he falls behind in the count, the tempting pitches keep coming.

Kim In-hwan re-entered the plate.

‘Changeup,’ Suarez thought.

Show one more changeup and then challenge him.

A breaking ball after showing one two-strike fastball.

It was a textbook combination, but it was the pitch Kim In-hwan was waiting for.

Thud!

Kim In-hwan scooped the ball from below as if he were golfing.

Success as a catcher

Crisis (2)

Thud!

The ball that met the bat soared into the sky.