On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 194

“That’s a very slow changeup. But after seeing an 80 km/h curveball, it probably didn’t look that slow.”

The next pitch was a fastball inside.

Hong Seong-wook swung at the 141 km/h pitch.

Clack!

“A high fly ball. The left fielder runs in and catches it easily. Out. It’s an out.”

“Lee Chang-hoon gets out of the crisis well. Hong Seong-wook was completely led on by the opponent’s intentions.”

Lee Chang-hoon shook his hand a few times as he entered the dugout.

As Song Seok-hyun came in, Lee Chang-hoon put his arm around Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder and said,

“Isn’t baseball fun?”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

The game continued scoreless through the 3rd and 4th innings.

Pegasus’s foreign player, Steve Hoffman, proved his worth, justifying the expensive price they paid to acquire him.

Lee Chang-hoon gave up one walk without any strikeouts, but he handled all the other batters with routine groundouts.

The stalemate was broken in the top of the 5th inning.

Yu Seon-ho, leading off the inning, hammered Steve Hoffman’s curveball for a solo home run.

“Is Yu Seon-ho the main character of this series? He hits another home run today!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself thinking only about the Korean Series. Living legend Yu Seon-ho is backing him up. He’s a hitter who can go yard [hit a home run] at any time.”

“Yu Seon-ho’s solo home run makes it 1-0. The Goat breaks the tight balance and takes the lead.”

The Goat’s attack in the 5th inning ended there.

The next batter, Choi Jae-wan, tried to sneak Hoffman’s slider through the second base area, but it resulted in an out thanks to second baseman Choi Young-seok’s diving catch.

Seventh batter Kang Ha-young sent Hoffman’s fastball to right-center field, but it was caught by center fielder Shim Chang-gyu’s sliding catch.

Eighth batter Jung Dong-gyu struck out.

“Pegasus’s defense makes the Goat cry twice. Those were all balls that could have been hits, but they turned into outs.”

“This is Pegasus. This is why Pegasus is scary. There are no gaps in their defense. What team can withstand turning potential hits into outs?”

Manager Ham Seong-hoon drank water.

“They’re a good team, really.”

Objectively speaking, they are a level above the Goat in terms of overall strength.

The only area where the Goat is ahead is in the cleanup hitters.

Pegasus is also a level above in the overall batting lineup.

The current starting lineup is also superior for Pegasus.

The quantity and quality of the bullpen are also superior for Pegasus.

The Goat relies heavily on Kim Jung-ryul, Go Jin-seok, and Jung Hong-min.

Not only is the reliance high, but their utilization is also tricky.

Kim Jung-ryul is an underhand pitcher, so it’s difficult to use him against left-handed hitters, and Jung Hong-min is a left-handed hitter killer, but his batting average against right-handed hitters is almost 10% higher than against left-handed hitters.

If this is the level of pressure during the pennant race, I can’t even imagine what it would feel like in a short-term series.

Solid defense, a well-rounded and strong batting lineup, and a deep starting rotation and bullpen.

They have all the necessary conditions for a short-term game where 1 or 2 points determine the win or loss.

“How did the Phoenix win against a team like that, really?”

It’s a mystery.

I can’t even imagine it with a team like the Goat.

“Let’s get through this inning cleanly and go. Goat fighting!”

“Fighting!”

Song Seok-hyun raised the spirits of the bench, which had been down, and went out to the field.

Ham Seong-hoon’s gaze also turned to Song Seok-hyun.

Catching Success

No. 1 is Mine (5)

The Goat’s players packed their bags and left the dugout.

The scoreboard showed a score of 4-2.

The Goat had 4, Pegasus had 2.

“…….”

Pegasus’s manager Choi Seong-yeon put both hands in his pockets and stared at the scoreboard for a long time before leaving.

* * *

The Goat’s dorm.

Despite winning two consecutive games against Pegasus, the dorm was quiet.

The players washed up early and went to bed early.

Only the coaches gathered with a can of beer.

“Is there just one game left now?”

“I guess so. There’s only one game left now.”

Battery coach Kim Tae-woo poured a handful of peanuts into his mouth and chewed them.

“Isn’t it amazing? At the beginning of the season, we were about to be eliminated, but if we win tomorrow’s game, we’ll be tied for first place. I’ve been a pro for over 20 years, and this is my first time experiencing something like this.”

Defense coach Ahn Young-jae opened his mouth.

“Who knew this would be a legendary season? Honestly, we didn’t feel so good when we were called up to the first team. You were a bit grumpy too, hyung [older brother/senior].”

Battery coach Kim Tae-woo nodded.

“Who would like to be called up in that situation? It’s obvious that we’ll be used and thrown away.”

“We were also fifty-fifty when we came up. Actually, it was difficult to be confident about our performance.”

“Isn’t it all thanks to Seok-hyun in the end? He’s good at hitting, but being a starting catcher at that age is unprecedented. Isn’t that right? His catching is stable to this extent, and his throwing is at the highest level ever. Maybe it’s because he’s been a pitcher, but his sign calling is also above average.”

Ahn Young-jae chuckled.

“Ah, so it’s thanks to you, hyung, for raising Seok-hyun so well?”

Kim Tae-woo twitched his lips.

“I want to brag like that too, but I can’t do that with a clear conscience. Honestly, even if it wasn’t me, Seok-hyun would have exploded within this season. But I also contributed a little bit, right? Don’t you think?”

“Who’s saying otherwise? Hehe. You must be happy to have a disciple like Seok-hyun.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to call him a disciple. Hehe. But well, it’s not wrong.”

The coaches burst into laughter.

At this time, pitching coach Yeon Woo-shik, who had been quiet, said.

“Seok-hyun did well, but the reason our team is doing well now is thanks to Manager Ham in the end. Don’t you think?”

Battery coach Kim Tae-woo smacked his lips.

“Well, I can’t deny that. Everyone was saying it was a losing trade, but it was a success in the end. All of Lee-Choi-Kang’s kids will be able to play next year, so maybe we’ll be at a loss then, but somehow our win-now strategy worked out. Then it’s a success.”

“Even if it was a loss, we did business properly. Bringing Yu Seon-ho was also a big deal, but Ji-sung is a jackpot. Who knew he would explode after coming to the Goat.”

“Indeed. Ji-sung was a bonus, but who would have thought he would do so well? I don’t know if they knew Ji-sung would explode when they brought him, but it was a good choice.”

“When we were operating on and rehabilitating Man-seong, Seok-hyun, and Hwan-yoon, I wondered if our manager was in his right mind, but somehow the bullpen has stabilized. Rather, these days, the starting pitchers are the worry.”

“Starting pitchers always struggle at the end of the season. This is still upper-tier. We have a solid ace and enough pitchers to fill the rotation. Other teams would be furious if they heard us complaining.”

Hitting coach Kang Yeon-tae muttered.

“But what will happen to us next year? Can we continue with this lineup next year?”

“Hmm…….”

“…….”

The coaches couldn’t open their mouths easily.

“Our team’s performance has improved recently, so the rumors have died down, but until recently, rumors were spreading that they were looking for a new manager. If a new manager comes, won’t we be rolled back to the second team?”

“Our team isn’t going to bring in a newbie from somewhere, and a manager with his own faction will come…….”

“From our perspective, it’s good for Manager Ham to stay next year, right? Manager Ham doesn’t have his own faction. I know his relationship with Manager Lim’s faction isn’t very good either.”

“If we win the Korean Series, Manager Ham will continue, but our team is so obsessed with name value, really.”

Hitting coach Kang Yeon-tae said.

“Then we have to win this season no matter what. Then the front office won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“That’s right. If we win the Korean Series.”

The coaches got up from their seats.

“Let’s win one more game tomorrow. Let’s take first place and go straight to the Korean Series.”

“Let’s make the team win and protect the manager.”

“And protect our jobs?”

“Haha, yes. We have to protect our jobs too. Let’s do it. It’s time for us to win too.”

* * *

Thursday, September 12, Suwon Stadium.

Fans gathered to watch the third game between Pegasus and the Goat.

Not just fans.

More sports reporters gathered than usual.

If the Goat wins today’s game, they will be tied for first place.

If Pegasus wins, they will be two games ahead again.

With less than 20 games left, a two-game difference is like an insurmountable wall.

If Pegasus wins, they will practically have a ticket to the Korean Series in their hands.

If the Goat wins, the destination of the Korean Series ticket will remain a mystery until the end of the season.

Today’s game will determine the direction of the Korean Series.

* * *

-Play ball!

In the top of the 1st inning, Roy Scheber retired the three batters with routine groundouts.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, Han Min-seok was on the mound.

Both the Pegasus bench and the Goat bench were quiet.

At the plate was Pegasus’s leadoff hitter, Choi Young-seok.

Han Min-seok gripped the ball tightly with his fingers.

“The game has started. Does anyone need reminding of the importance of today’s game? Pegasus has been struggling against the Goat in this three-game series. If they lose today’s game, it’s not just a struggle, it’s like handing them their necks.”

“That’s right. If Pegasus wins today’s game, they’re practically going straight to the Korean Series, but if they lose today’s game, maybe, just maybe, the worst-case scenario that we don’t want to imagine could happen.”

“The worst-case scenario would be failing to win the Korean Series, right?”

“Last year, it was literally an accident, so everyone thought it couldn’t be helped, but if that happens again this season, it’s not an accident, it’s a matter of skill. It will be a big ordeal for manager Choi Seong-yeon, who has been on a winning streak.”

Han Min-seok threw two fastballs for two strikes.

They were fast and sharp balls that Choi Young-seok had difficulty even touching.

“Hoo.”

Choi Young-seok shortened his grip on the bat and stood closer to the plate.

He showed his determination to get on base even if he got hit by the pitch, but Han Min-seok threw the best ball a left-handed pitcher could throw to a right-handed hitter.

-Strike! Out!

“Choi Young-seok swings and misses! A three-pitch strikeout!”

“It’s a changeup that starts inside and then breaks outside. Has Han Min-seok’s circle changeup been that good? Choi Young-seok couldn’t even make contact with the ball.”

Song Seok-hyun took the ball out of his mitt and passed it to the fielders.

The changeup he had just seen was similar to a sidearm’s slow sinker.

As Han Min-seok transformed into a three-quarter pitcher, not only did his slider improve, but the trajectory of his changeup also changed.

The drop was similar to the existing changeup, but the horizontal movement that went outside became larger.

Choi Young-seok, who struck out, returned to the dugout and sighed.

“It doesn’t seem like a waiting strategy will work. We have to be aggressive early in the count.”

Second batter Shim Chang-gyu was out with a first-pitch fly ball.

Third batter Kim Han-sung went to first base after being hit by a pitch.

Kim Han-sung continued to groan, clutching his side.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

Kim In-hwan spoke to Kim Han-sung.

Kim Han-sung caught his breath.

“It’s killing me. I think I’ll have a bruise for two months.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“It really hurts so much that I can’t breathe. Why is the ball so heavy? I thought I was hit by a lump of iron.”

The confrontation between Han Min-seok and fourth batter Kim Wook.

From the first pitch, Song Seok-hyun called for a pitch inside.

Bang!

-Strike!

“The first pitch is a fastball inside. It’s a strike.”

“That was an unhittable ball. You should never swing at a ball like that with less than two strikes.”

Kim Wook licked his dry lips.

“Are you trying to hit me again? Take it easy, take it easy. You know that if I get hit, it’s a bench-clearing brawl, right?”

“Yes. I’ll give you an outside ball this time.”

The second pitch was also inside.

It was a ball that was a little bit over the plate, but Kim Wook couldn’t swing his bat.

-Strike!

“Oh, my. He called for an outside ball, but it came right down the middle.”

“I think it was an inside ball.”

“Hey, no way. It was obviously a hanging ball [a pitch that is easy to hit].”

“Are you going to call for a changeup this time?”

“Yes. It’s a changeup.”