On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 158

“At first, I thought it was a fluke, but seeing the catcher actively calling for it, I think he’s using it intentionally. Jung Jin-oh isn’t known for his blazing speed, you know? Usually, high fastballs are thrown by pitchers with high velocity, but Jung Jin-oh uses it effectively even though he’s not that fast.”

“Could it be Jung Jin-oh’s secret sauce?”

“In my opinion, the ball’s spin has a significant impact. I’ll have to analyze it more closely after the game, but the spin rate seems quite high. I’d guess it’s at least in the late 2,000s rpm [revolutions per minute]. If the spin rate is high, a high fastball can be effective even without overwhelming velocity. Of course, it’s still risky. Even pitchers who can really bring the heat don’t use high fastballs often because they’re dangerous.”

“I see.”

Jung Jin-oh grinned after retiring the cleanup hitter.

Two more outs until he qualifies for a win.

Jung Jin-oh struck out the fifth batter, walked the sixth, and struck out the seventh.

“Yes!”

Jung Jin-oh pumped his fist.

Song Seok-hyun congratulated Jung Jin-oh before heading back to the bench.

“Looks like you’re on track for your first win today?”

“Please, get us some more runs. Knock one out of the park.”

“If it were that easy, I’d be happy to.”

In the sixth inning, the Foxes made a pitching change.

The new pitcher was left-hander Jung Ha-kyun.

A pitcher who relies on fastballs and splitters, he was a terrible matchup for left-handed hitter Kim In-hwan.

Kim In-hwan struck out.

Song Seok-hyun slapped a single just in front of the right fielder.

Yu Seon-ho grounded into a double play.

The top of the sixth inning ended quickly with just three batters.

Jung Jin-oh nervously bounced his leg and chewed on his fingernails.

Bottom of the sixth.

The Goats brought in reliever Jung Hong-min from the bullpen.

“The Goats are making a quick move in today’s game. They’ve pulled Jung Jin-oh, who still had pitches left, and brought in Jung Hong-min.”

“This signals that both teams are heading for a bullpen battle. The Goats used their bullpen extensively yesterday, so they’re working with limited resources.”

“The Foxes’ attack in the bottom of the sixth starts with the bottom of the order.”

Jung Hong-min’s first pitch was a ball.

Song Seok-hyun caught the ball and stood up.

The ball lacked zip.

It meant the pitcher hadn’t gotten a good grip on the ball.

Jung Hong-min wasn’t on his game today.

Bang!

“Jung Hong-min walks three batters in a row. All three went to full counts. A disappointing performance.”

“They should have been more aggressive since it was the bottom of the order. It’s a shame. They should have challenged them to hit, even if it meant giving up a hit. The situation is critical, but he threw too many pitches. It’s only the sixth inning. If Jung Hong-min is pulled early, the bullpen will be stretched thin.”

Ham Seong-hoon walked to the mound.

Jung Hong-min gripped the ball tightly and avoided the manager’s gaze.

“Good effort. Let’s do better next time.”

Jung Hong-min lowered his head.

“Sigh, I’m sorry.”

“You’ll get ’em next time. Good job.”

The next pitcher was Go Jin-seok.

Go Jin-seok strode to the mound.

“Manager Ham Seong-hoon is taking a gamble. It’s a clear sign that they’re determined to win this game at all costs.”

“They’re bringing in two of their high-leverage [most trusted] relievers in a row. If they lose this game today, it’ll be a major setback for the Goats. They also leaned heavily on their bullpen yesterday.”

Song Seok-hyun received Go Jin-seok’s warm-up pitches.

A typical closer who relies on fastballs and forkballs.

He was one of the few pitchers in the country who could throw a truly devastating forkball.

Bang!

Song Seok-hyun nodded after catching the ball.

The ball had serious heat.

The next batter was the second hitter, Kim Hyeong-nam.

Although he was batting second, he possessed considerable power.

‘Four-seam fastball, outside.’

The first pitch should be safely outside.

Song Seok-hyun positioned his mitt outside, but the ball sailed far inside.

Thwack!

Kim Hyeong-nam didn’t flinch and was hit by the pitch.

Song Seok-hyun stood up and argued, but the umpire shook his head.

“He leaned into it.”

He didn’t actively avoid it, but he didn’t make an effort to get out of the way either.

Forced run scores.

The score was 3-1.

Go Jin-seok gestured apologetically.

The next batter was Kim Gyeong-sim, the third hitter.

Song Seok-hyun anticipated that the batter would be looking for a four-seam fastball on the first pitch, so he called for a forkball.

The batter swung and missed as expected.

The next fastball also resulted in a swing and a miss.

Song Seok-hyun held his mitt outside.

A signal for an outside fastball.

Go Jin-seok’s ball flew accurately towards the mitt.

Clang!

“Down the right field line! It’s past! It’s fair! It’s a hit! The runner on third scores, the runner on second scores too! Even the runner on first… he’s going for it! Safe! He’s safe! A bases-clearing double!”

“Kim Gyeong-sim finally comes through! That was a really well-hit ball.”

“It sailed just past Kim In-hwan’s head, and it stayed fair instead of hooking foul. The Foxes score four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead, 4-3.”

“Manager Ham Seong-hoon took a gamble by bringing in Go Jin-seok, but his move backfired. This is a major blow to the Goats.”

A ball that should have been a foul became a hit.

Jung Jin-oh retreated to the back of the bench.

A one-run lead reversal.

Yu Seon-ho raised his voice and shouted.

“It’s just one run, one run! We can turn it around again!”

Encouraged by Yu Seon-ho, Go Jin-seok finished the bottom of the sixth without allowing any further runs.

The Foxes didn’t score in the top of the ninth, but neither did the Goats.

The score was 4-3.

The Goats lost.

The Goats played aggressively by bringing up Kim Jeong-ryul, but they shot themselves in the foot by hitting into four double plays.

The next day, Michael Fish pitched well, allowing only one run in seven innings, but Kim Jin-seok and Lee Baek-chan added two runs and one run respectively, leading to another reversal.

The result of the three-game series against the Foxes was a three-game losing streak, a sweep.

* * *

[The Goats’ Risky Move. Steps Get Tangled]

[The Goats Become Complacent with Consecutive Wins. Questionable Starting Pitcher Decisions]

[The Goats’ Weaknesses Hidden by Consecutive Wins. An Unreliable Bullpen]

[Manager Hong Gi-won’s Scathing Remark. Baseball is a Pitcher’s Game]

[Already Searching for a New Manager Behind the Scenes? The Goats’ Internal and External Troubles]

The fallout from the sweep was significant.

As the most popular team in professional baseball, articles were plastered everywhere as if the media had been waiting for the Goats to stumble.

When articles even hinted at the team searching for a new manager, fans engaged in heated debates from morning till night.

On baseball forums, the article about the Goats’ potential manager change ignited a discussion with over 1,000 comments.

Even the players were taken aback by the report that the team had lost faith in Manager Ham Seong-hoon and was seeking a replacement, and they were scrambling to figure out who the next manager might be.

And when they realized it wasn’t just a rumor, the players began jockeying for position, trying to align themselves with the perceived frontrunner.

Trouble piled upon trouble.

It was the start of a downward spiral.

Regardless of their stance on the potential manager change, the fans were busy arguing over the merits of various candidates, expressing their approval or disapproval.

To compound matters, their weekend three-game series was against the first-place Pegasus.

The team atmosphere was chaotic, but the Goats had a starting rotation of Mackenzie, Lee Chang-hoon, and Han Min-seok.

Their ranking had slipped to fourth.

A weekend three-game home series against the top team in the league.

Before the game, Kim Jeong-ryul gathered the players together.

“Okay, everyone, listen up.”

Rising to Success as a Catcher

Team Goats

“Let’s be honest. This isn’t the first time we’ve been through something like this, is it?”

At Kim Jeong-ryul’s question, the players hesitated and exchanged glances.

“At the beginning of the season, we start strong, but when our performance starts to dip in the second half, the reporters start churning out articles like, ‘The Goats are weak in the summer,’ ‘The team that’s destined to fall will fall,’ ‘The Goats strike again!’ I know it’s almost the end of summer when I see those articles. Autumn is just around the corner.”

The players chuckled.

Players who had been with the Goats for a long time and grown accustomed to this pattern couldn’t muster a genuine laugh and offered wry smiles instead.

“It’s always around this time. Are we getting a new manager? Who’s the next manager? External hire? Internal promotion? Which coach wields the most influence? Who should we cozy up to? Oh, what if the manager stays and we back the wrong horse and get screwed over? You’re all thinking about that, aren’t you?”

“Ahem.”

“Let’s cut it out. Whether the manager changes or not. Whether the media is stirring the pot or not. Why can’t we just focus on baseball and stop getting distracted by everything else? Let’s be real. Are we a powerhouse team? Are we legitimate championship contenders? When was the last time we actually won a championship? More than 20 years ago. Just because we consistently make the playoffs doesn’t mean we’re a strong team. We barely squeak into the postseason by throwing money at the problem and then get bounced early. We spend even more money and barely make it to the postseason, only to get eliminated early again. Ugh, it’s exhausting.”

Kim Jeong-ryul clapped twice.

“We might lose. We might win. It’s baseball. But whether we win or lose, we shouldn’t be ashamed of our effort. Why are you guys glued to your phones and making so many calls when you should be playing baseball? Why are you pestering the front office so much? Are you trying to extract information by twisting their arms? Let’s say you do manage to align yourself with the right person. Let’s say you get a starting position because you’re in someone’s good graces, even though your skills aren’t up to par. Do you think you won’t feel a sense of shame? We’re baseball players. Don’t you know who’s truly good at baseball and who isn’t? Do you want to play baseball while being silently judged by your teammates? If you’re good, you’ll rise to the top, and if you’re not, you won’t. What does it matter if the manager changes or not? What does it matter what the reporters are saying? Isn’t the most important thing whether you’re good at baseball or not?”

Seo Il-hyeok chimed in.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Kim Jeong-ryul surveyed the players without saying a word.

“Is there anyone here who genuinely believes we’re underperforming because of our manager? Did our manager overuse the bullpen, or did he fail to give opportunities to rookies? Or did he stubbornly stick with the same starters without giving them a break? No, right? If the manager isn’t actively sabotaging us, then the results ultimately hinge on how well the players perform. I’m telling you in advance, if any of you guys leak information to the media, you’re dead to me. You’re going to be bombarded with calls from your reporter buddies right now. Ignore them. Even if they threaten to expose your dirty laundry, deal with it. We’re a team. If the team implodes, it doesn’t matter if you try to make a name for yourself individually. I know this firsthand. I know what it’s like to wear out your arm three times. Unless you’re as crazy as Kim Young-hoon, you can’t accomplish anything significant on your own with a fractured team.”

Kim Jeong-ryul paused to take a breath.

“We might not be the odds-on favorites, but we have a legitimate shot at winning the championship. This is the best chance I’ve had to win it all in my entire career. The veterans understand this. Once the window of opportunity closes, it rarely opens again. Oh, we’ll have a better chance next year. That’s a load of crap. If you adopt that mindset, next year will be even worse. Change your perspective. Let’s give it our all this year. This year is our last chance. I’m not telling you to push yourselves to the point of injury like I did. I’m not saying to overexert yourselves. But pour every ounce of your energy into baseball. If you find yourselves thinking, ‘Ah, I should have tried harder back then,’ when the season is over, it’ll be too late. The same pattern will repeat itself next season. You’ll just coast along and retire without achieving anything meaningful. Look at our team.”

Kim Jeong-ryul pointed to the ground with his finger.

“The only true veterans on our team are me and Il-hyeok. At our age, we’d be considered seasoned veterans on most other teams. You’ve all witnessed what happened to our predecessors. Our team is notoriously ruthless when it comes to aging and underperforming players. But did any of the veterans who left our team find success elsewhere? None of the former starters managed to retire gracefully. Playing for the Goats means your career lifespan is a few years shorter compared to other teams. It’ll be even shorter if your performance is subpar. So…”

Silence descended upon the team.

“Let’s approach each game as if it’s the final game of the Korean Series [championship series]. Let’s show everyone that our team isn’t a team that crumbles in the summer, but simply a team experiencing a temporary slump. And let’s make it to the Korean Series and win the championship. We have a chance this year, right? If our pitchers can just hold their own a little longer, they’ll carry us to the championship. Right?”

Kim Jeong-ryul pointed to Song Seok-hyun and Kim In-hwan.

Song Seok-hyun, who had been standing casually, suddenly tensed up and darted his eyes around.

“Me?”

“If we don’t win the championship, it’s all your fault. You know that, right?”

Kim Jeong-ryul winked and playfully patted Song Seok-hyun on the shoulder.

The players erupted in laughter as Song Seok-hyun stammered in response.

“Even the youngest rookie is keeping his head down and working tirelessly. Shouldn’t the seniors feel a little embarrassed to be outworked by their juniors? Right?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s not bring shame upon ourselves. Huh?”

* * *

The weekend three-game series against the Pegasus at Jamsil Stadium.

The Goats started with their foreign ace, Mackenzie, but suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat.

A four-game losing streak.

They were now only one game ahead of fifth place.

The media pounced on the Goats’ struggles, as if they had been anticipating their downfall.

The scheduled starters for the remaining games of the series against the Pegasus were Jo Jin-hee and Kim Seong-hoon.

The Goats also had Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok, whose recent performances had been lackluster.

Everything seemed to be stacked against the Goats.

Thursday evening.

Song Seok-hyun was stopped as he was getting ready to leave for the day.

“You want to throw now?”

“Yeah, is that possible?”

The one who stopped Song Seok-hyun was Han Min-seok.

“You’re starting the day after tomorrow, but you’re planning to throw today? Didn’t you warm up in the bullpen earlier?”

“I warmed up briefly and then stopped. There’s something I want to experiment with. Can you help me out?”

“Um… yeah. Okay.”

Song Seok-hyun retrieved his gear and headed to the indoor practice facility.

Han Min-seok stood motionless with his eyes closed, waiting for Song Seok-hyun.

Song Seok-hyun studied Han Min-seok’s face.

His cheeks appeared slightly gaunter than they had a few days ago.

“Senior, I’m here.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry for the late hour.”

“It’s no problem.”

What a transformation.

Han Min-seok, who had once been arrogant and disrespectful, had undergone a noticeable change in just a few weeks.

His hair was shorter, and he had visibly lost weight.

The anxiety stemming from his recent slump was clearly more than just a temporary dip in form.

Other players and staff had expressed their concern, so he must have been acutely aware of it himself.

“I’m tinkering with my pitching mechanics these days.”

“In the middle of the season?”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can continue down this path, so I’ve lowered my arm slot a bit.”

“Ah.”

Song Seok-hyun nodded.

The last resort for pitchers struggling with control is often to lower their release point [the point at which the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand].

Lowering the release point makes it easier to maintain balance, and improving balance can lead to better control.

However, as the arm slot is lowered, the effectiveness of downward-breaking pitches diminishes, and there’s a risk of losing velocity, so it’s generally considered a desperate measure to regain control.

“Did you discuss it with the pitching coach?”

“Not yet. He’ll probably be against it.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? Making such a drastic change in the middle of the season.”

“I have to try something. I can’t afford to be stubborn.”