On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 150

Han Min-seok hung his head low.

Despite having the support of an all-time great lineup, he was pulled from the game before the 5th inning.

Considering his pitch count, he could have continued until the 5th, but Han Min-seok didn’t protest the early substitution.

He felt fortunate to have held on as long as he did with his current pitching form.

Han Min-seok would have been the first to falter if the Goats’ lineup hadn’t exploded offensively.

*Thwack!*

*Thwack!*

It was one of those days where everything clicked for the Goats’ hitters.

The bullpen pitchers kept rotating in as even the lower-order hitters relentlessly produced hits.

The Goats also brought up their bullpen, matching fire with fire.

Both teams scored heavily, sending in their ‘chase’ bullpen [relief pitchers used when trailing] rather than their ‘winning’ bullpen [relief pitchers used to protect a lead] due to the large score difference.

18-9, 22-10.

The final score was 22-11.

The Goats won by a double score.

Because the game between the Goats and the Bulls ended the latest, fans of all baseball teams tuned in to witness the Jamsil Massacre [a reference to the Goats’ overwhelming victory at Jamsil Stadium].

The baseball fans learned two things from the Jamsil Massacre.

The Bulls’ lineup is strong.

The Goats’ lineup is even stronger.

Thanks to the slugfest, the pitchers’ poor performance was overshadowed.

* * *

“Hoo.”

After the game.

Manager Ham Seong-hoon returned to his office and sank deeply into his chair.

It was a victory, but a disconcerting one.

He was happy that the Goats’ lineup had caught fire recently, but the starting pitchers, who had been reliable, were starting to have issues one by one.

Even an ace pitcher can’t deliver quality starts for an entire season.

Even an ace, assuming they pitch 25 games, will perform at their best in 15 games, be mediocre in 5 games, and be disappointing in 5 games.

Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok’s poor performances weren’t particularly unusual.

But it was still unsettling.

The same-age starting pitchers are thirty this year.

In Korea, it’s rare to remain an A-class starter [top-tier starting pitcher] past thirty.

The awareness of self-management is still lacking in Korean professional baseball.

There are always players who smoke or chew tobacco, and even those who drink and go to clubs until dawn during the season.

There are still players who believe that weight training stiffens the body.

Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok are also players who played before the trend of self-management emerged.

Han Min-seok, in particular, enjoys alcohol and socializing, so he often caused trouble with drinking.

It was almost a miracle that he had been an A-class starter for nearly three years since being signed as a free agent.

Since the free agency system was created, it was rare for an A-class starter to become a free agent, and even if they did, most of them turned into overpaid liabilities.

In Korea, pitchers are overworked from their school days and continue to be overworked in the pros, so by the time they apply for free agency, they are often considered past their prime.

Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok have been able to endure this long because they have healthy constitutions.

Considering their age and situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if they showed a decline soon.

He hoped it was just a worry, but even looking at FIP [Fielding Independent Pitching, a statistic that isolates a pitcher’s performance from the defense behind them], it’s clearly rising compared to last year.

At this rate, it’s questionable whether they will contribute effectively in the postseason.

“Is there time to discover a starter now…….”

Whether it turns out good or bad, a replacement starter must be found.

The problem is that the pitchers who were previously candidates for the 5th starter, Jeon Sang-heum, Jo Jae-jin, and Jo Seok-ju, are pitchers who are struggling to even be the 5th starter, let alone a replacement starter.

Taking out a bullpen pitcher is like robbing Peter to pay Paul [solving a problem by creating another problem].

Since there are no pitchers in the minor leagues who have shown outstanding performance, he feels frustrated, as if he has a big rock on his chest.

If Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok’s poor performance isn’t just a temporary slump, the outlook for the postseason isn’t bright.

Manager Ham Seong-hoon took out the Goats’ player records from the file folder.

He has to find a way, even if there isn’t one.

The starting pitchers also need a break.

Batting has cycles.

Believing that the lineup will always be on fire like today is wishful thinking.

* * *

*Thwack!*

*Thwack!*

*Bang!*

“Left field fence!”

“Right field fence!”

“It’s over!”

Second game against the Bulls.

The Goats’ lineup was just as potent as yesterday.

Kang Gwang-soo, who was considered a step below yesterday’s pitcher Jung Jin-woong, couldn’t stop the burning Goats’ bats.

3 points in the 1st inning, 2 points in the 2nd inning, 2 points in the 3rd inning.

The Bulls made a desperate move by pulling the starter in the 3rd inning, but the KSY lineup [likely referring to a specific trio or group of players] drove in 5 RBIs, creating a rare scene where three pitchers were used by the 4th inning.

“The Bulls are suffering from their starting pitchers yesterday and today.”

“Early substitution yesterday, early substitution today. Already, the pitchers who came up yesterday and today alone total seven. That means the bullpen is overloaded.”

“If the starters collapse, the bullpen’s burden increases, and if the bullpen collapses, there’s no hope left, right?”

“It’s a headache for the manager in situations like this. In fact, the most rational decision is to conserve strength in games like this. Whether you lose by 1 point or 10 points, it’s still the same 1 loss. But they suffered a big defeat yesterday, right? If they suffer another big defeat today… they’ll have to worry about the team atmosphere as well as the manager’s own position.”

Manager Ham Seong-hoon smiled bitterly as he looked at the Bulls’ bench.

If the starters collapse, it’s bound to become like the Bulls.

The Bulls’ lineup also has explosive power, but if the starters collapse, the game gets out of hand, and if the game gets out of hand, the lineup doesn’t even have a chance to exert its power.

That’s why the concern doesn’t easily disappear despite the Goats’ powerful lineup.

“It’s refreshing.”

They say batting has cycles, but it seems like the Goats are an exception.

Except for a brief lull against the Wolves, they’ve been on fire the whole time.

It also feels easier because they’re facing a 6th-place team after facing the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place teams, and even the starter is comparable to the Phoenix.

Already the top of the 5th inning.

The score is 14-3.

-Strike out!

“Jung Chun-woon strikes out another batter. That’s four today. Contrary to the image of a player who induces ground balls well, he surprisingly has a lot of strikeouts.”

“Because the ball is ‘dirty’ [difficult to hit cleanly], the hitters are reluctant to swing at ambiguous balls, and as a result, they get behind in the count and become impatient. That’s how I see it.”

“What’s an ambiguous ball?”

“A well-controlled ball. A ball that catches the border line well. Jung Chun-woon’s speed is slow, but because clean hits don’t come out, the bat doesn’t come out unless it’s a clear strike.”

“I see.”

*Thwack!*

-Out!

“Jung Chun-woon finishes this inning without allowing a single runner.”

“Jung Chun-woon has met the requirements for a win. Jung Chun-woon is truly a lucky charm. I think he’s the best 5th starter among 5th starters. The best thing you can ask for from a 5th starter is to digest innings without giving up big runs.”

Ham Seong-hoon went out of the dugout to greet Jung Chun-woon.

He would have been really nervous if it weren’t for Jung Chun-woon.

Even if the 5th starter is meaningless in the postseason, a reliable 5th starter is like a joker when playing the season.

Any team sets up a season plan with two foreign players and 1-2 domestic starters.

The 5th starter is a position to give opportunities to rookies and test existing pitchers.

The manager, fans, and team don’t have high expectations for the position.

But if you win from the 5th starter, you’re half a step ahead of others.

When a discarded card gives me a win, the half-steps I accumulate become a decisive step when the season ends.

The difference between the 1st and 2nd teams is big, but Jung Chun-woon is achieving similar results in the 2nd and 1st teams.

He has few walks and few strikeouts, but the fact that his 1st and 2nd team results are similar means he is good at inducing ground balls.

Even 1st team hitters are having trouble getting Jung Chun-woon’s ball in the air.

The game ended with a score of 17-5.

The Goats took the lead early and crushed the Bulls’ will to chase.

The next day, the final game of the 3-game series.

The Goats’ 1st starter Michael Fish versus the Bulls’ 5th starter Na Young-soo.

Not only was there a difference in the quality of the starters, but the Bulls’ morale had fallen as low as it could go after two consecutive defeats.

The Bulls, who had pulled their bullpen forward in the first and second games of the 3-game series, couldn’t avoid a big defeat in the third game either.

A sweep.

The Goats’ big win was the Bulls’ big defeat.

A sweep is painful, but a big defeat in all three games is devastating.

The 3-game series with the Goats was the last game for Bulls’ manager Park Jong-cheol.

The Bulls took the drastic measure of firing the manager before the season was even over.

The decisive factor was that the game time was lengthened as a hitting battle unfolded for three consecutive days.

Baseball fans turned to the Jamsil game after their team’s game was over.

Baseball fans across the country watched the Bulls’ big defeat for three consecutive days.

Sports articles constantly criticized the Bulls’ poor performance.

Even the high-ranking officials of the club no longer defended manager Park Jong-cheol.

After winning even the last game of the 3-game series, the Goats headed to Daejeon.

Away game against the Daejeon Phoenix.

The Goats players seemed to be excited, as if they had already sensed victory.

Success Story as a Catcher

Irresistible Force (4)

“Hello, baseball fans. MBS Sports caster Yang Beom-sik.”

“Commentator Oh Dong-gi here.”

“Today, the first game of the 3-game series between the Goats and the Phoenix will be held in Daejeon. A match between the rising Goats and the last-place team Phoenix. Many experts are predicting the Goats’ advantage.”

“That’s right. The Goats have a solid starting lineup, a stable bullpen, and an explosive lineup. The three elements are well-balanced, showing a truly fiery rise. Especially the lineup’s rise is, well, haha. How many points did they score in the 3-game series against the Bulls? It must have been over 30 points, and I think they scored over 40 points.”

“They scored more than 10 points in one game, but even in baseball, such big scores don’t come out often, do they?”

“That’s right. With Lee Ji-sung and Yoo Seon-ho joining the KSY lineup, it’s like giving wings to a tiger [making something already powerful even more so]. It’s soaring without knowing how high the sky is.”

“At this rate, can we seriously discuss the Goats as the *protagonist* of the postseason?”

“If they continue their current rise, they can aim for 1st place. If the Goats until now had no major weaknesses but also no clear strengths, it’s now harder to find clear weaknesses in the Goats. Of course, Pegasus, a traditional powerhouse and the 1st-place team, also has no weaknesses in starting lineup, bullpen, lineup, and defense, but the Goats’ explosive power is something you can’t deny.”

“The Phoenix fans are filling the seats again today. It could be a difficult 3-game series for the Phoenix fans.”

“Still, the Phoenix players have to cheer up. They have to do their best for the fans.”

-Play ball!

The first to take the mound was Phoenix’s starter Jung Gwang-woo.

He was the only pillar of Phoenix these days, when even the foreign players were struggling.

A right-handed fireballer [a pitcher who throws with high velocity] who throws close to 150 kmph [kilometers per hour, approximately 93 mph] at his highest speed.

His velocity is one of the best in the league, and his finishing pitch, the forkball, is also rated as top-notch, but his recent ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] is in the 4s.

He’s a pitcher who has a hard time throwing into the strike zone once his pitches start to miss.

But conversely, once he starts to gain momentum, it’s difficult for hitters to attack.

-Strike! Out!

“Lee Ji-sung strikes out. He’s a hitter who rarely strikes out, and he even swings and misses at a fastball.”

“That’s Jung Gwang-woo’s charm. Many fans think that Jung Gwang-woo’s forkball is the only good thing, but in fact, Jung Gwang-woo’s signature is that fastball. Many hitters swing and miss at high fastballs that go high. That means the ball has good ‘life’ [movement and speed]. When Jung Gwang-woo is in good condition, he throws a lot of those fastballs, so it won’t be easy for the Goats’ hitters today, will it?”

-Strike! Out!

-Strike! Out!

“Three consecutive strikeouts! Jung Gwang-woo! Roars on the mound!”

“It’s significant that Seol Jin-il and Kim In-hwan also struck out. They’re hitters who have been on a scary rise recently, but it seems difficult to attack Jung Gwang-woo’s forkball.”

“Two consecutive strikeouts with a forkball with a big drop. Jung Gwang-woo seems to be in very good condition today.”

Kim In-hwan shook his head and returned to the dugout.

When Song Seok-hyun asked how the ball was, Kim In-hwan made a gesture of slitting his own throat.

“I’m a bust today. There’s no answer.”

Bottom of the 1st inning.

Goats’ starter James McKinsey took the mound.

He was evaluated as a finesse pitcher in the United States, but as an orthodox pitcher in Korea.

His highest speed doesn’t exceed 145 kmph [approximately 90 mph], but in Korea, even a left-handed pitcher who exceeds 140 kmph [approximately 87 mph] is treated as a fireballer.

If a pitcher who is evaluated as A-class for his control even in Triple A [the highest level of minor league baseball] came to Korea with a speed in the early 140s and dirty ball movement?

-Out!

-Out!

-Out!

“James McKinsey. Finishes the 1st inning cleanly with three consecutive outs.”

“It’s not easy to hit a clean hit against James McKinsey. When you interview the hitters, they say that there’s not a single ball that comes in properly. He not only throws cutters and changeups well, but he also throws two-seamers well. Usually, pitchers throw various breaking balls based on the four-seam fastball, but McKinsey throws cutters and changeups based on the two-seam or sinker.”

“I know that sinkers and cutters are balls with opposite tendencies, so it’s rare for a pitcher to throw both well.”

“That’s usually the case. It’s difficult to throw a perfect sinker and cutter at the same time. But McKinsey’s two-seamer enters like a sinker.”

“If you say two-seamer, it’s not a pitch with a big change, but McKinsey’s two-seamer seems to have a particularly big change.”

“That’s McKinsey’s strength. Since he has a two-seamer with a movement that can be called a sinker, it’s natural for hitters to be confused. It’s obvious that hitters are confused because they can’t grasp whether the ball will move to the right or the left.”

“If you listen to this, McKinsey seems to be a player without any weaknesses, but if you look at his record, he’s a little behind orthodox right-handed pitcher Michael Fish. Is there a reason?”

“A type like McKinsey is the type that once hitters struggle, they keep struggling, but conversely, once the ball starts to be hit, they get hit endlessly. Defense is important for players who induce ground balls. If his condition isn’t good or the defense becomes unstable, even balls that would be outs become hits, and things get twisted. That’s why ground ballers are paid less than orthodox fireballers, no matter how good they are.”

“Like Michael Fish, who boasts the highest salary ever for a foreign player?”

“That’s right.”

“Today, both starting pitchers are starting comfortably with three consecutive outs.”

Top of the 2nd inning, the first hitter is Song Seok-hyun.

Jung Gwang-woo threw a fastball with power from the first pitch.

A fast ball that hits the outside border line.

Song Seok-hyun nodded.

-Strike!

“Strike with a fastball. Jung Gwang-woo is also bold against Song Seok-hyun.”

The ball is fast, but the sound of it hitting the mitt is crisp.

If you only look at the simple velocity, it’s not inferior to any pitcher.

If he can just get his control, he’ll become the league’s ace in an instant.

Jung Gwang-woo’s second pitch is a forkball.

Song Seok-hyun swung and missed.

“True to its reputation. A forkball that induces a swing and miss even from Song Seok-hyun. He’s a player who rarely swings and misses.”

“That means the ball is good.”

Song Seok-hyun takes a breath outside the plate.