On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 155

“Uh… if my control is good, I think it’ll work.”

“Really?”

Lim Jin-pil wrung his hands.

“Of all teams, it had to be the Foxes. It would have been better if we were up against the Phoenixes.”

After the starting pitcher finished warming up, pitching coach Yeon Woo-shik approached Song Seok-hyun and asked,

“How is it?”

“It’s okay.”

“No, really. Be honest. Do you think it’ll work against the Foxes?”

“Um…”

Song Seok-hyun bit his lip.

Yeon Woo-shik poked Song Seok-hyun in the side.

“Not really?”

“It’s not that it’s not really good, but…”

“But?”

“I think it might be difficult because he doesn’t have a reliable finisher.”

“I thought so.”

Yeon Woo-shik stroked his chin.

“Those kinds of guys are really ambiguous. They don’t have any glaring weaknesses, but they don’t have any strengths either… Hah, okay, I understand. We need to get Cheon Un ready too.”

As the game neared its start, Sajik Stadium’s first and third base infield seats were packed with fans.

The home team, the Foxes, recently defeated the Bulls and climbed to 6th place.

They were starting to see 4th place within reach.

It was fortunate for the Foxes that the Bulls, after being swept by the Goats, had fallen into a losing streak.

The difference in wins with the 5th place Whales wasn’t that significant either.

The possibility of reaching the Fall Classic [Korean Series championship] still remained.

* * *

“Hello, baseball fans. Greetings from Sajik Stadium. This is SBC caster Gu Jeong-yun.”

“Commentator Choi Hee-dong here.”

“Today’s game between the Goats and the Foxes has drawn a large crowd here to Sajik Stadium.”

“Both the Goats and the Foxes are on the rise, aren’t they? The Goats are now playing to go directly to the Korean Series, and the Foxes are playing for the postseason. Both teams’ batting lineups have come alive, and their bats just won’t cool down.”

“Originally, the Foxes were famous for their explosive batting, but if you had to pick the best lineup this year, you couldn’t leave out the Goats’ KSY. They’re considered one of the best cleanup crews of all time.”

“The power of Kim In-hwan, the well-rounded Song Seok-hyun, and the seasoned veteran Yoo Seon-ho. Now, it’s not a lineup where you can just avoid Song Seok-hyun and be done with it.”

“Clearly, the Goats are ahead in both pitching and batting, but today’s game is a bit different. The Goats are fielding a replacement starter.”

“It seems the Goats have some leeway. They’ve put Lim Jin-pil in as the starter. He’s a pitcher who hasn’t shown much in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] yet, so it’s either bold or a bit much. His KBO Futures League [minor league] record isn’t bad, but he doesn’t have any standout qualities either.”

“Today, the Foxes are starting Choi Young-kyung, their fifth starter, aren’t they? Both teams’ starters are a bit weak… Does this mean both teams’ lineups might explode again today?”

“If even Sajik Stadium turns into a slugfest today, both teams’ fans will have a hard time enjoying it. They’ll be on the edge of their seats.”

-Play ball.

In the top of the 1st inning, pitcher Choi Young-kyung is on the mound.

The first batter is Lee Ji-sung.

Choi Young-kyung got two strikes with his fastball and splitter.

Lee Ji-sung gripped his bat shorter and stood closer to the plate.

He was determined to get on base somehow.

Since the pitcher only had a fastball and a splitter, the batter’s options were limited.

For Lee Ji-sung, who has good contact, a pitcher with simple pitches was an easy opponent, but…

-Strike! Out!

“Strikeout. Choi Young-kyung strikes him out.”

“Lee Ji-sung couldn’t do anything, right? That curveball is really good. The angle is great.”

“Did Choi Young-kyung always throw a curveball? It’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

“It seems Choi Young-kyung has been working on a new pitch. A curveball is actually the easiest pitch to learn, but it’s also the hardest to use in a real game, but Choi Young-kyung is using it well.”

Lee Ji-sung, returning to the bench, shook his head.

“That curveball has a nasty break, huh?”

Song Seok-hyun asked.

“Is it tough?”

“It’ll be hard to hit unless you’re looking for it.”

Before Lee Ji-sung could finish his answer, Seol Jin-il grounded out.

He grounded out after making contact with the curveball.

“Ugh, why a curveball all of a sudden?”

Song Seok-hyun went to the on-deck circle and took his place.

The pitcher appeared with a new pitch.

It’s rare to add a new pitch during the season, but it’s something Choi Young-kyung would do.

A two-pitch relief pitcher.

To play as a starter, you need about three pitches.

Since Lee Ji-sung and Seol Jin-il were shaking their heads, it’s clear that he didn’t just learn a new curveball, but started throwing it again.

Whack!

-Strike!

“Choi Young-kyung is using his curveball well. The batters can’t adjust to the curveball.”

“Since the batters aren’t expecting the curveball at all, it’s understandable that they’re confused.”

Once the curveball started working, the fastball and splitter also started working.

Kim In-hwan, who is weak against falling pitches, struck out on a splitter.

Song Seok-hyun had to return to the bench again.

“Just my luck.”

Ham Seong-hoon’s brow furrowed.

Rising as a Catcher

The Wall of the Pros (2)

Bottom of the 1st inning.

Lim Jin-pil is on the mound.

The first batter is Park Chan-hee of the Foxes.

Song Seok-hyun scanned Park Chan-hee at the plate from head to toe.

His stride is narrow, and his center of gravity is leaning forward.

A typical hitter focused on contact.

If he were facing a fastball pitcher, he would be easily overwhelmed by the velocity with a couple of pitches inside, but today’s pitcher is Lim Jin-pil.

His velocity and power are nothing special.

‘Curveball.’

Check the batter with a breaking ball.

Whack!

-Strike!

“Lim Jin-pil gets the first-pitch strike.”

“The curveball looks good. The angle is decent.”

Song Seok-hyun nodded.

There’s a reason why he received good reviews in the KBO Futures League.

The completion of his breaking ball has surpassed the KBO Futures League level.

‘Four-seam [fastball].’

A four-seam fastball on the outside corner.

Following a curveball with a fastball is typical, but it’s not easy for a batter who is used to seeing curveballs to react.

That’s why veteran starting pitchers with declining velocity save their curveballs.

Clang!

Park Chan-hee rotated his shoulder and pushed the ball into the ground.

The second baseman dove, but couldn’t catch the ball.

“Park Chan-hee gets a hit.”

“He timed it well. It was a good pitch in a good location, and he hit it without being greedy.”

Lim Jin-pil shrugged as if it were nothing.

Song Seok-hyun replayed the situation.

A good pitch in a good location, but the batter hit it….

Park Chan-hee is good at making contact, but he’s the type who lacks power.

It’s unsettling that Park Chan-hee is getting hits from the first inning.

“Next up is the second batter, Kim Hyung-nam. He’s a strong second batter, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s a hitter who’s been on a tear lately. He’s leading the Foxes’ rise.”

Kim Hyung-nam wasn’t large, but he took a wide stride.

That means he’s confident in hitting with power.

‘Slider.’

At Song Seok-hyun’s signal, Lim Jin-pil threw a slider to the outside corner, but Kim Hyung-nam didn’t swing.

“…….”

Song Seok-hyun frowned.

The slider slid in well.

The fact that he didn’t swing means he either anticipated the first-pitch breaking ball or intended to take the first pitch.

He’s an experienced hitter.

‘Four-seam.’

Song Seok-hyun sat closer to the batter’s body.

Whack!

-Ball. Inside.

Kim Hyung-nam didn’t flinch and stood still.

“A bit too far inside. It’s a ball.”

“Kim Hyung-nam is picking his pitches well today. As expected, good hitters are good at picking pitches.”

“With a fast runner on first and two balls, it’s time for the runner to steal.”

Lim Jin-pil’s quick motion is decent.

First base runner Park Chan-hee hasn’t stolen yet because he’s gauging the pitcher’s timing, but it’s about time for him to start timing his steal.

‘Changeup.’

What the runner and batter are aiming for is an outside fastball.

Twist it once more with a changeup.

The ball thrown by Lim Jin-pil hit Kim Hyung-nam’s bat.

“Second baseman! The second baseman catches it and tosses it! The shortstop steps on the base and throws to first! A 4-6-3 double play!”

“They waste a good opportunity with a double play. That’s the Foxes’ weakness. They have a lot of double plays.”

“The Goats turn a crisis into an opportunity.”

The pitcher applauded the fielders.

They caught a well-placed ball well.

“Jung Dong-gyu’s defense is outstanding as expected. I thought that ball would get through.”

“Isn’t he the player the Goats picked in the first round of the draft? He debuted in the KBO as soon as he joined the team and became a starter. These days, there are many second basemen with excellent offensive skills, so it’s not as noticeable, but he’s a reliable player with a stable defense.”

Although they got a double play, Song Seok-hyun’s expression was dark.

That changeup was ambiguous.

It’s a textbook changeup, but neither the drop nor the velocity is anything special.

Kim Hyung-nam made a double play by hitting the ball at the timing of the fastball, but they overcame the crisis thanks to Jung Dong-gyu’s defense.

“Hoo.”

It’s different.

After catching pitches from pitchers like Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok, catching Lim Jin-pil’s pitches makes a sense of crisis creep in.

Lim Jin-pil’s power is similar to Han Min-seok’s when he’s not in good condition.

The fortunate thing is that his control is better than Han Min-seok’s.

With Jung Cheon-un settling in as the fifth starter, I thought that if you do well in the KBO Futures League, you can make it in the KBO, but I guess the difference between the KBO and the KBO Futures League is this big.

Clang!

Clang!

“Hit! It’s a hit! Lim Jin-pil allows consecutive hits. The Foxes’ batting is not easy to deal with.”

“Kim Kyung-sim and Choi Jae-guk are the Foxes’ ‘KS’ duo. If you add Oh Choong-jin, they have a league-class cleanup crew.”

“The Goats are in a scoring crisis as soon as they get a double play.”

The Foxes’ cleanup crew was as strong as expected.

Lim Jin-pil’s four-seam fastball can’t overcome the batter’s bat.

Lim Jin-pil’s breaking ball is good, but more than half of a pitcher’s pitches are four-seam fastballs.

If the four-seam fastball doesn’t work, it’s like starting with 50% less.

Clang!

“Over the center fielder’s head! Back! Back! Back! He catches it! Lee Ji-sung’s super play! He manages to catch it in front of the fence!”

“The Goats’ defense is solid today. They’re not just a team with good bats. They’re a team with balance in both offense and defense.”

“The Foxes get a scoring opportunity but fail to score. That’s too bad!”

Change of offense and defense.

The Goats’ leadoff hitter is Song Seok-hyun.

Pitcher Choi Young-kyung showed Song Seok-hyun a fastball inside on the first pitch.

-Strike!

“Choi Young-kyung starts with a first-pitch strike against Song Seok-hyun. He must be in good condition today because he’s throwing the ball with power.”

The Foxes’ catcher, Park Jin-hwan, opened his mouth.

“Young-kyung’s pitches are good today. It won’t be easy.”

“Yeah, it’s not easy today.”

Park Jin-hwan clicked his tongue at Song Seok-hyun’s lackluster reply.

‘Splitter.’

Choi Young-kyung’s finisher, the splitter.

There’s no better repertoire than a fastball inside followed by a breaking ball that falls outside.

Choi Young-kyung, full of confidence, threw the ball without hesitation, and Song Seok-hyun lightly swung his bat.

Clang!

“A hit that pierces the gap between left and center field! Song Seok-hyun steps on first base and runs to second with ease.”

“The splitter fell well, right? It’s clearly a ball, but Song Seok-hyun hits it.”

“Song Seok-hyun is unusually strong against falling pitches.”

Park Jin-hwan sighed.

He hit that? A ball?

At this point, you can only see it as intentional.

Was his strategy read?

The Foxes sent Yoo Seon-ho to first base with a walk and faced Choi Jae-wan.

‘Four-seam. Inside.’

A pitch that sticks close to the body from the first pitch.