On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 177

Lee Baek-chan’s expression twisted.

“Squeeze bunt! A squeeze bunt is on! Lee Baek-chan grabs the ball, throws to first! Safe! He’s safe!”

“Lee Baek-chan didn’t catch the ball cleanly just now, did he? That kind of fundamental mistake lowers Lee Baek-chan’s ceiling. His fastball is fast, and his slider is good, but his fundamentals are a shame. Hwang Gi-deok is a fast runner, but if he had caught it cleanly, it would have been an out.”

“Lee Baek-chan is biting his lip in disappointment. One out, runner on first. Scorpion’s guaranteed scoring formula is in play.”

Batter number two, Kang Gyun-seung, stepped up to the plate.

“Lee Baek-chan seems to be having trouble with his quick motion, doesn’t he? Hwang Gi-deok is stealing… and he throws right away. Strike!”

“They’re not giving us any time to talk. It’s really tight.”

Lee Baek-chan threw his second pitch, a slider.

-Strike!

“Two strikes! Lee Baek-chan is showing an incredibly fast pace.”

“It’s fast. Really fast. It’s so fast, I wonder if it’s okay. Why is his pitching tempo like this? Is he even breathing properly?”

Lee Baek-chan’s shoulders heaved.

As soon as Kang Gyun-seung was ready, he threw another ball.

Kang Gyun-seung fouled it off.

Hwang Gi-deok went to second but returned to first.

“Hwang Gi-deok will now run aggressively. To avoid a double play, the runner on first needs to run with some sense.”

The fourth pitch was also a foul.

The fifth pitch was also a foul.

Lee Baek-chan threw a changeup for his sixth pitch.

Bang.

Kang Gyun-seung flinched at the changeup that was slightly outside, but he didn’t swing.

“Hwang Gi-deok attempts to steal! Seo Il-hyuk throws! Safe! He’s safely in!”

“Hwang Gi-deok is amazing. He finally steals the base.”

“Lee Baek-chan pushed him hard without giving him a chance to steal, but it was no use. Hwang Gi-deok’s legs were faster.”

“Now, this is another scoring chance, right? With Hwang Gi-deok’s speed, even a short hit can immediately lead to a score.”

Lee Baek-chan took off his hat.

He was already covered in sweat.

After wiping the sweat with his sleeve, he picked up the rosin bag [a bag containing powdered resin used by pitchers for a better grip].

His panting chest slowly calmed down.

“Hoo.”

Lee Baek-chan shook off the rosin and threw the ball with all his might again.

Bang!

-Strike! Out!

“Swinging strikeout! Lee Baek-chan strikes out Kang Gyun-seung with a slider. It was a slider that Kang Gyun-seung couldn’t help but swing at.”

“Lee Baek-chan’s pitches are really attractive. He’s inconsistent, but when he’s on, he’s definitely a good player.”

“But we can’t rest easy yet. Genius hitter Jung Dae-han is coming up.”

“Jung Dae-han is a left-handed hitter. Lee Baek-chan, whose main weapon is the slider, is a right-handed pitcher. The power of his slider, his go-to pitch, is bound to be reduced.”

Lee Baek-chan threw an outside fastball as his first pitch.

Jung Dae-han hit the ball, but his bat broke.

“Ground ball! It’s a ground ball! Towards the second baseman! The second baseman… Ah! He missed the ball! Jung Dae-han goes straight to first, oh? In the meantime, Hwang Gi-deok rushes home! The second baseman’s reaction was slow! A play at the plate! A play at the plate! Home! Home! Safe! He’s safe! Hwang Gi-deok’s picture-perfect head-first slide! He narrowly avoids Seo Il-hyuk’s tag and scores another run!”

“Hwang Gi-deok’s reaction was amazing just now. He took a moderately long lead and, when the ground ball came, he ran straight home. He didn’t go to third; he ran home. He saw out of the corner of his eye that the second baseman flinched because of the broken bat. Usually, other runners would stop safely at third because it’s ambiguous, but Hwang Gi-deok stepped on third and accelerated. He turned it into a score.”

“Hwang Gi-deok’s base running is truly the best of all time. It seems like Hwang Gi-deok will be taking the stolen base king title in Korea from now on.”

“This cuts off Lee Baek-chan’s momentum, which had been good, right? It was a flow that would have been easily an out just now, but he was unlucky in many ways. The second baseman couldn’t field properly because of the broken bat, and the runner on second happened to be Hwang Gi-deok, so he rushed home. Jung Dae-han’s sense was also good. He didn’t panic when the bat broke and ran to first. Jung Dae-han is also fast, isn’t he?”

“He’s fast. Quite fast.”

“This is the power of the Scorpion. Hwang Gi-deok and Jung Dae-han, two genius hitters, manage to score even in situations that seem impossible. It’s a pretty big additional point at a time when momentum could shift to the opponent.”

Lee Baek-chan’s eyes became double-lidded.

The next batter was the cleanup hitter, Jo Yang-cheol.

Jung Dae-han stole second base from the first pitch, shaking Lee Baek-chan.

“Wait a minute. I’ll call a timeout.”

Seo Il-hyuk got up from his seat and walked to the mound.

Lee Baek-chan greeted Seo Il-hyuk with unfocused eyes.

“Baek-chan.”

“Yes.”

“Throw like you did before. Don’t think too much.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t slow down the tempo.”

“Yes.”

Seo Il-hyuk smiled wryly and pinched Lee Baek-chan’s cheek.

“Get a grip.”

“Yes.”

Seo Il-hyuk returned to home plate.

Lee Baek-chan threw the ball before Seo Il-hyuk even gave the sign.

Bang!

-Strike!

“He throws an inside fastball. Jo Yang-cheol is disappointed. That means he missed the ball.”

“He was probably expecting an outside fastball, but he was caught off guard. The battery’s [pitcher and catcher] choice was good.”

Lee Baek-chan received the ball thrown by the catcher.

“…The ball is slipping.”

Lee Baek-chan closed his eyes and opened them again.

The next ball was an outside slider.

Jo Yang-cheol’s bat turned.

The third pitch was also a slider.

-Strike! Out!

“Lee Baek-chan gave up one point but blocked Scorpion’s top hitters well. Lee Baek-chan finishes the top of the fourth by striking out cleanup hitter Jo Yang-cheol.”

“I think this inning shows both the strengths and weaknesses of Lee Baek-chan well. When he throws the ball, he definitely has the power to intimidate the batter, but when a runner gets on base, he can’t hold them and gives up hits. His bunt defense was also disappointing.”

“But he’s still a young player, isn’t he? I believe he will show a better performance in the future.”

“Of course. He definitely has the talent.”

Lee Baek-chan, who returned to the bench, was depressed.

The pitching coach stroked Lee Baek-chan’s head.

“Hey, you only gave up one point. You did well.”

“…Yes.”

“Let’s block as much as we can. Okay?”

“Yes.”

Lee Baek-chan’s eyes were on Jung Dae-han, who was running to first base.

Song Seok-hyun came to Lee Baek-chan’s side and gave him a thumbs up.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], your pitches are really good today.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Unlike his words, Lee Baek-chan sighed deeply.

“What’s wrong? Is it because you gave up a point?”

“Hoo, no.”

Lee Baek-chan shook his head, looking at Jung Dae-han.

“It’s nothing.”

Kim In-hwan tapped Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder and called him to his side. As Song Seok-hyun left Lee Baek-chan’s side and approached Kim In-hwan, Kim In-hwan lowered his voice.

“He’s probably jealous. Jung Dae-han is his peer and a fellow first-rounder.”

“He’s doing well today…”

At that moment, the hitting coach called Kim In-hwan.

“Aren’t you going to prepare for the on-deck circle?”

“Yes, yes! I understand!”

Kim In-hwan left a word for Song Seok-hyun and left.

“Who isn’t jealous?”

The champion’s stuff broke Seol Jin-il’s bat.

Seol Jin-il aimed for the champion’s fastball with his changed bat, but it was a flyout.

Kim In-hwan stepped up to the plate.

-Four-seam. Outside.

The catcher brought his mitt to the outside.

The ball, thrown with all the pitcher’s might, failed to reach the mitt.

Kwang!

“Right field! Right field! It soars right over the right field fence, beyond the stadium! Kim In-hwan hits a solo home run! The Goat reignites their will to chase! In the bottom of the fourth, the Goat’s cleanup hitters score again. Even without runners, the Goat’s cleanup hitters can score!”

“Kim In-hwan is hitting home runs out of Jamsil Stadium like he’s just clearing a neighborhood wall. It didn’t even seem like he put in much effort just now, but a huge home run came out.”

“If the Scorpion has genius hitters Hwang Gi-deok and Jung Dae-han, the Goat has the Hulk, Kim In-hwan! If Hwang Gi-deok is the best runner of all time, Kim In-hwan is the strongest slugger of all time. If he hits it, it’s gone. The champion has an expression that’s hard to understand. Kim In-hwan is a hitter who makes even pitchers who were in the top ten of Major League prospects shake their heads.”

“The score difference is still big, but if the Goat keeps chasing like this, you never know what will happen in the game. It’s only the fourth inning.”

“It doesn’t end here. The Goat doesn’t just have Kim In-hwan.”

Song Seok-hyun headed to the plate with his bat on his shoulder.

Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun high-fived.

“Song Seok-hyun is now at the plate.”

“Hwang Gi-deok and Jung Dae-han are geniuses, right? They’re great players. But in Jamsil, or at least this season, can we talk about geniuses without including this player? These days, fans are saying this: The Goat might as well have won a 20 billion FA [Free Agent] lottery.”

“The champion has a lot of pride. Will he face the hitter who hit a home run against him again today head-on?”

Song Seok-hyun raised his bat above his shoulder and took a shallow breath.

The pitcher on the mound swallowed hard.

Success as a Closer

Genius (4)

“Walk. It’s a walk. The runner advances to first base on a walk.”

“The champion is walking Song Seok-hyun.”

“We were looking forward to the two players’ showdown, but it’s a shame.”

The champion’s expression was dark.

The Scorpion’s manager called the pitching coach closer.

“I don’t care if we leave runners on base. Make sure Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun have a tough time today.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Yoo Seon-ho hit a hit against the champion, but it did not lead to additional points.

No score for both teams in the 4th and 5th innings.

During cleaning time [mid-game break], Ham Seong-hoon called Lee Baek-chan.

“Baek-chan.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“Can you pitch more?”

Lee Baek-chan nodded.

“I want to pitch more.”

“You look very tired. Are you okay?”

“I’m a little tired, but I think I’ll be okay if I rest now.”

“You were unusually fast today. Is that a strategy?”

“I tried to make a change.”

“Tell me right away if it’s too hard. I’ll have the next pitcher ready.”

Lee Baek-chan hesitated and said.

“Manager.”

“Why?”

“If it’s okay, could you give me a little more chance today?”

Ham Seong-hoon smiled.

“Chance?”

“Could you let me give up to 2-3 points? I want to throw as much as possible.”

Manager Ham Seong-hoon looked at the pitching coach.

The pitching coach nodded slightly behind Lee Baek-chan.

“Really? Are you confident?”

“Confident… I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

Ham Seong-hoon patted Lee Baek-chan’s shoulder with a smiling face.

“Okay. Do as much as you can. It’s not your fault that the score spread in the beginning. Think of yourself as a starting pitcher and get a quality start [a game in which a starting pitcher lasts at least six innings and allows three or fewer earned runs]. I’ll trust you with up to 2 points. I’ll decide on 3 points or more depending on the situation. No objections?”

“Thank you. Thank you, Manager.”

After Lee Baek-chan left, the pitching coach approached.

“Baek-chan is definitely different today.”

“It seems like he’s trying to break the mold a bit. I thought it would be difficult because he shrinks back as soon as he gets a chance, but it seems like he’s gaining confidence from being in the first team for a long time.”

“Making the tempo so fast seems extreme, but it seems to be effective. The Scorpion kids can’t easily figure him out.”

“There’s definitely something about raising the tempo. The pitcher doesn’t have time to think, so he concentrates more. Baek-chan is the type who has a lot of stray thoughts and worries. I don’t know if he can keep throwing like that, but if he keeps throwing like that, he’ll be even better next year.”

“I was going to send him to the military early next year, but at this rate, the military won’t be a problem.”

“If he improves his skills, he might be able to aim for the Olympics next year, right? Our team doesn’t have many Olympic spots, does it? Besides Seok-hyun and In-hwan… Oh, is there Dae-seong? It won’t be easy for Baek-chan to get in. But if he pitches well early next year…”

“Dreaming of the Olympics is too far ahead, but if that happens, I’ll be full even if I don’t eat. Haha.”

Top of the 6th inning.

Lee Baek-chan went to the mound.

He seemed to falter for a moment after giving up a leadoff double from the first batter, but then struck out two batters in a row.

Even Hwang Gi-deok couldn’t hit Lee Baek-chan’s slider cleanly.

Tang!

“Right fielder~~! Caught it! Seol Jin-il’s fine play! Seol Jin-il cuts off the chance for additional runs, and the Goat gets through the top of the 6th without giving up a run.”

“Seol Jin-il’s hitting is overshadowed by his hitting, but Seol Jin-il’s outfield defense is also good. It’s stable. His hitting is rushed, but his defense is very stable.”

“Lee Baek-chan seemed to hesitate for a moment, but at this rate, he might be able to aim for the next inning as well?”

Bottom of the 6th inning.

The Goat created a bases-loaded situation with consecutive hits from the 7th, 8th, and 9th lower hitters.

It was luck accompanied by a Texas leaguer [a weak hit that falls between the infield and outfield for a single].

The Scorpion immediately pulled the champion and brought up the bullpen.

“They’re taking the champion out here. He had plenty of pitches left today. It was just bad luck just now, it wasn’t a clean hit.”

“Manager Lee Geon-hoo is originally quick to change pitchers. The Scorpion’s strength is that they have a lot of bullpen pitchers. And the batting order starts with Lee Ji-seong. That means it’s the top of the order. It seems like he’s judging that it’s necessary to cut it off for sure.”

“The pitcher is… Kim Young-hee. Kim Young-hee is coming up.”

“They’re bringing up left-handed pitcher Kim Young-hee to face left-handed hitter Lee Ji-seong. It seems like they’re not going to take any risky chances, even though there’s a score difference.”

“Kim Young-hee is a pitcher with a really good fastball, right? His slider is also sharp against left-handed hitters. Lee Ji-seong will have to be prepared for a difficult battle.”

Kim Young-hee came to the mound.

Lee Ji-seong watched Kim Young-hee’s practice pitches with his bat on his shoulder.