On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 181

“Senior, you are undoubtedly our team’s ace!”

“Honestly, you or PC are the aces of our team. Not me.”

Lee Chang-hoon patted Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder.

“Anyway, let’s do well in the game later. Okay?”

“Yes.”

* * *

Goat’s meeting room before the game.

The atmosphere of the coaching staff meeting was not bright.

Director Ham Seong-hoon sighed at the pitching coach’s report.

“If the velocity has dropped, it may be an aging curve.”

“It could be, but since the velocity dropped suddenly, it’s more likely to be simple accumulated fatigue.”

“Hmm….”

Ham Seong-hoon was lost in thought for a while.

“Coach Yeon.”

“Yes.”

“How about going with the opener strategy today? The bullpen rested enough yesterday thanks to Baek Chan, so I don’t see why not.”

“Yes, I understand. Then I’ll set up the bullpen.”

“Assume that we leave the minimum bullpen for tomorrow’s game and bring up all the usable bullpen pitchers. If we lose even today’s game, we can’t be confident about second place.”

After the coaching staff meeting, pitching coach Yeon Woo-sik sat face to face with the bullpen coach.

The two opened their notebooks and wrote down the available bullpen pitchers.

“It’s sad, so sad. Don’t you think so, Coach Yeon?”

Yeon Woo-sik smiled bitterly at the bullpen coach’s question.

“Chang-hoon?”

“Yeah. He was our team’s ace until the first half, but now he’s subject to a quick hook, geez.”

“That’s how pitchers are. There are many days when they pitch well and then suddenly get hit hard, and then they retire without doing much. These days, there are a few bullpen pitchers who last a long time, but starters can’t help it. There aren’t many starters who play the ace role past their thirties.”

“Chang-hoon and Min-seok are really amazing in that regard. Maybe they’ve just lasted a long time.”

“I’m grateful that they’ve endured the starting rotation so far. I couldn’t say it honestly in front of the manager, but it’s not wrong to see Chang-hoon’s aging curve.”

“In the end, pitcher FAs [free agents] all end up like this. Even if they do well, 2-3 years is the max.”

“The better they are, the more they pitch, so they retire that much faster.”

“Chang-hoon is too good, and it’s a shame to see him go down already.”

“I’d be grateful if he could hold on until this year.”

“It’s hard to raise the velocity again once the starter’s velocity drops.”

“If the ball is fast, we can use him as a bullpen pitcher, but if the ball is slow, it’s honestly….”

“Then is this year Chang-hoon’s last in Jamsil [stadium where the Goat team plays]?”

“But we still don’t know, do we? Anyway, he’s been pitching well lately even though his stuff has declined.”

“We don’t know how long that will last. It’s luck, luck.”

“We’ll see if it’s luck or skill.”

* * *

-Play ball!

Lee Chang-hoon threw the first pitch as the game began.

First batter Hwang Ki-deok watched a ball coming into the outer corner without swinging.

-Strike!

Song Seok-hyun flinched as he received the ball.

The velocity on the scoreboard was 138km/h.

“Lee Chang-hoon starts off on a good note with a first-pitch strike.”

“He’s a player with good control. It’s a ball that hangs right on the border line.”

Ham Seong-hoon crossed his arms after seeing the velocity on the scoreboard.

Lee Chang-hoon’s second pitch was an outside curveball.

It was a ball that fell below the zone, but Hwang Ki-deok pulled it to left-center.

“A ball that pierces left-center! Hwang Ki-deok hits a double.”

“It was a good curve, but he hit it well. Hwang Ki-deok timed it well.”

“If Hwang Ki-deok is on second base, he can score on a short hit.”

“The next batter is Kang Kyun-seung. Lee Chang-hoon needs to be careful.”

Lee Chang-hoon threw an outside changeup for the first pitch.

Kang Kyun-seung let the first pitch go. Ball.

The second pitch was an outside fastball that missed. Ball.

The third pitch was an outside changeup. Ball.

The fourth pitch was an outside fastball. Ball.

“Walk. A straight walk.”

“The count got full because he was being too careful.”

Lee Chang-hoon also gave up a walk to the next batter, Jeong Dae-han, loading the bases.

The price of a bases-loaded situation was high.

Bang!

“Hit! Hit! Jo Yang-cheol’s bases-clearing hit explodes! It’s not a home run, but a double that brings in all the runners! Even the runner from first scores! 3-0. The Scorpions are leading from the beginning again today.”

“This is the power of the Scorpions. The best 1, 2, 3, 4 lineup. Fast and good-hitting 1, 2, 3 hitters and RBI [runs batted in] machine Jo Yang-cheol. It’s very difficult for teams facing the Scorpions to get through the first inning. It’s not easy.”

“Following yesterday, Goat is struggling in the early innings again today.”

Lee Chang-hoon shook his hand.

His face was already covered in sweat.

Director Ham Seong-hoon rested his chin on his hand.

“I can’t take him down already……. What to do.”

Lee Chang-hoon almost gave up a hit to the fifth batter, but Lee Ji-sung’s good defense added an out count.

After that, another walk to the sixth batter.

Song Seok-hyun went up to the mound.

“Senior.”

“Hoo, I know, I know. It’s because my body isn’t fully warmed up yet. The ball will be faster now.”

“No. I think it would be better to reduce the velocity even more rather than increasing it here.”

“Reduce the velocity?”

“Yes. Your control is good today, and your changeup is good too. How about lowering the velocity a little more?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Lower the velocity of both the fastball and the changeup to widen the range. If you throw the fastball around 130-140 km/h and the changeup around 110-125 km/h, there will be a 30 km/h difference in velocity range.”

“Slower……. Will that work against the Scorpions?”

“It doesn’t matter if your velocity is 150 km/h, but since you can’t increase the velocity now, isn’t it better to find another way?”

Lee Chang-hoon lowered his head and looked at his toes.

“Okay. Anyway, I’m going to get hit either way, so let’s do it.”

“Don’t throw the curve fast today, and mix in a slow curve too. If you slow down the tempo as much as possible, your fastball will look faster.”

“Okay. I know what you mean. You’re telling me to slow down the tempo as much as possible, the opposite of Baek Chan yesterday.”

“It’s about slowing down the opponent’s hitting tempo. I don’t think we need to kill the pitching tempo any more. Anyway, the less time the batter has to think, the better.”

“Okay. I got it. Let’s do it. Let’s do it.”

Song Seok-hyun went down from the mound.

Lee Chang-hoon muttered to himself.

“Slowly, more slowly.”

As the batter entered, Song Seok-hyun held out his mitt.

Outside fastball sign.

It’s a signal to put it in the zone, not to take it out.

Lee Chang-hoon threw the first pitch.

-Strike!

The velocity on the scoreboard was 136km/h.

The batter nodded.

“Good, good. Let’s go! Let’s go, Scorpions!”

“Lee Chang-hoon is washed up! Just watch and hit!”

“Let’s hit a home run! A home run!”

The cheering of the Scorpion fans grew louder.

Unlike the fans’ cheers, the Scorpion bench gave a waiting sign.

Bang!

-Strike!

“He gets two strikes with two consecutive outside balls.”

“He threw two fastballs in a row this time. Lee Chang-hoon, who was throwing more than half of his pitches as breaking balls today, has changed his strategy?”

The batter gripped the bat short.

Two strikes.

The pitcher threw the ball.

Bang.

The ball went into the catcher’s mitt.

The batter’s body flinched.

-Ball. Outside.”

“He takes a ball outside. It’s a ball.”

“Was that a changeup just now? It’s 128km/h, so it looks like a changeup, but the ball didn’t drop. He threw a very dangerous ball. It would have been a disaster if that had gone into the strike zone.”

The fourth pitch.

The batter confidently swung at the ball coming into the strike zone.

The ball dodged the batter’s bat as if mocking it and dropped down.

-Strike! Out!

“Strikeout. It’s a strikeout. Finally, the first strikeout comes out.”

“Lee Chang-hoon’s changeup has gotten really good these days, and he gets a strikeout with a changeup again this time. The speed and drop are both excellent.”

The number on the scoreboard was 128km/h.

The batter stuck out his tongue and returned to the bench.

“I told you to wait. Can’t you see the obvious?”

The batter hung his head at the hitting coach’s scolding.

Sitting on the bench, the other players asked the batter.

“I know he’s only throwing junk balls [slower pitches] today, but why did you try to hit it?”

“…… Hoo, I know.”

Lee Chang-hoon also struck out the next batter.

-Strike! Out!

“Consecutive strikeouts! Lee Chang-hoon gave up 3 points in the first inning but did not allow any more runs. With two consecutive strikeouts, Lee Chang-hoon escapes the crisis.”

“His stuff is still good. That changeup is really good.”
Ham Seong-hoon applauded the players coming in after finishing their defense.

Pitching coach Yeon Woo-sik went to the manager and asked.

“When should I start preparing the bullpen?”

“Chang-hoon seems to have caught on, so let’s watch him until the third inning.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The Scorpion’s pitcher was Dale Jaeger.

He was a left-handed foreign pitcher with a fast ball.

It wasn’t a very good combination for Goat, which had two left-handed hitters in the 1, 2, and 3 spots.

The result was three consecutive ground balls.

It was scoreless.

“Hoo. Let’s go, Seok-hyun.”

There was no scoring support, but Lee Chang-hoon’s expression as he went to the mound was more determined than ever.

Success as a Catcher

Genius (8)

Beginning of the 2nd inning.

Lee Chang-hoon ended the inning with a double play and a strikeout after the first batter’s hit.

The number of pitches in the 2nd inning was eight.

The Scorpion’s manager Lee Geon-hoo called the hitting coach closer.

“It looks like he’s barely getting it in, so don’t wait for a walk and be aggressive now.”

“Yes. Aggressively. I understand.”

Bottom of the 2nd inning, Goat’s attack.

Dale Jaeger walked Song Seok-hyun and faced left-handed hitter Yoo Seon-ho.

Tak!

“Shortstop! The shortstop catches it and throws to second base, from second base to first base. 6-4-3. 6-4-3 double play.”

“Dale Jaeger’s slider is quite sharp. If you touch it wrong, you often hit it off the end of the bat like that.”

“Is Goat starting late today? The start is disappointing.”

Sixth batter Choi Jae-wan was out on a ground ball.

It went to the top of the 3rd inning.

“Lee Chang-hoon comes up when he’s about to rest, and comes up when he’s about to rest. It must be hard.”

“It’s important to have a long offense and a short defense, but the offense was too short.”

“Jeong Dae-han is at the plate. He’s a genius hitter with both offense, defense, and running, right? He’s only twenty-one years old this year, but he’s already in the ranks of the league’s top hitters.”

“He has good contact, a good slugging percentage, and he’s fast, so he’s good at executing plays. He’s a really versatile player.”

Song Seok-hyun glanced at Lee Chang-hoon’s elbow and signaled to the pitcher.

As Lee Chang-hoon threw the ball, Jeong Dae-han stopped swinging his bat.

-Ball. Outside.

“The ball went slightly outside. It was a good course.”

“Jeong Dae-han held back well.”

Song Seok-hyun got up from his seat and threw the ball to the pitcher.

He sat back down and dragged his time by dusting off the home plate with his hand.

“Can you see the zone well?”

“Huh? Ah, I can see it well.”

Song Seok-hyun asked the umpire a question and signaled to the pitcher.

‘Curve.’

Lee Chang-hoon’s curve dropped sharply below the zone.

Whoosh.

The bat brushed through the air. It was a swing and a miss.

-Strike!

“1-1. Jeong Dae-han was fooled by the curve.”

“Lee Chang-hoon’s curve is textbook. The drop and angle are both good.”

Song Seok-hyun nodded as he received the ball.