On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 196

Roy Scheber cursed after getting tagged with an unexpected home run by an unfamiliar batter.

“Home run! It’s a home run! Oh Jin-young with a solo home run! Roy Scheber allows a home run to Oh Jin-young.”

“Oh Jin-young certainly has the potential for a long hit, but we haven’t heard much about his home runs lately. With the recent competition for a starting position with Kang Ha-young, his at-bats have decreased, but this home run might be meaningful for him.”

“A home run breaks the tense balance in the 5th inning. The Goats take the lead 1-0.”

Scheber struck out the 8th and 9th batters in quick succession.

It was a smooth flow, but the 1st batter, Lee Ji-sung, started to get under Scheber’s skin.

Ttak!

“Foul. It’s a foul. Lee Ji-sung is battling hard in this full count.”

“It’s already the 11th pitch. Scheber is wiping away sweat. He’s clearly annoyed.”

“Ball. It’s a ball. It’s a walk. Scheber ends up walking Lee Ji-sung.”

“Pitchers, you know, feel really deflated at times like this. So empty. After working so hard, giving up a walk instead of a hit is incredibly frustrating.”

Scheber then allowed Lee Ji-sung to steal second base.

Two outs, runner on 2nd.

Scheber took a deep breath.

The first pitch to Seol Jin-il was a changeup.

There was no need to give an honest pitch to a batter who likes to swing at the first offering.

Tang!

“Center-right! A hit that gets through to center-right! The runner on 2nd rushes home! The batter even makes it to 2nd! 2-0. It’s 2-0. Seol Jin-il’s RBI single!”

“That was a textbook uppercut swing, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, he aimed perfectly and lifted it.”

Just as every team knows that Seol Jin-il likes to swing at the first pitch, Seol Jin-il also knows that he won’t get a good pitch on the first pitch.

What if they don’t give a good pitch on the first pitch?

There was no need to worry.

Song Seok-hyun from the same team had already shown the answer.

Few teams give Song Seok-hyun an honest match.

Song Seok-hyun is a player with a good eye [ability to discern balls from strikes], but sometimes he aims for pitches that are clearly outside the strike zone.

Even if it’s a pitch outside the zone, if the batter connects, they can get a hit.

Hasn’t Song Seok-hyun even hit an out-of-the-park home run on a pitch like that?

If they don’t give a good pitch on the first pitch, aim for a bad pitch from the start.

“What the…….”

Scheber clenched his teeth.

Choi Seong-yeon, the manager of the Pegasus, closed his eyes for a moment.

He knew that the Goats were a team with power, but the upper and lower batting orders, which he thought were relatively weak, were also quite fierce.

Maybe.

Maybe even the Korean Series…….

“Change. Get the pitcher ready.”

“Yes, Manager.”

Choi Seong-yeon shook his head to banish the unsettling thought.

If he fails even in the Korean Series, his division will be looking for a new job.

He has to win today’s game no matter what.

The sentence ‘I can’t lose’ was the only thing floating in Choi Seong-yeon’s head.

Success Story as a Catcher

1st Place is Mine (7)

“Already taking me out?”

Roy Scheber couldn’t contain his anger at the news of his substitution.

“It’s only 2 points, 2 points! Does that make sense? Does that make any sense?”

The translator carefully filtered the curse words and conveyed the sentiment to the coach while sweating profusely.

The coach was also human, so it wasn’t that he didn’t understand the curse words, but he pretended not to notice.

“Good job. Go down.”

Roy Scheber went down the mound with a flushed face.

Arriving at the bench, Roy Scheber threw his glove and went behind the bench, out of sight.

“……Hah.”

Choi Seong-yeon frowned deeply.

The returning pitching coach said cautiously.

“Well, the culture is different.”

“If this were the major league, would he act like that? He must think this is a joke.”

“……I’ll warn him.”

“The season is practically over anyway, what’s the point now? I won’t be using that guy next year.”

* * *

A player came out of the bullpen and headed to the mound.

The cheers and sighs of the fans were mixed.

The surprised commentator and caster said.

“Jo Jin-ho is coming up. Jo Jin-ho is coming up in the 5th inning.”

“He’s one of the best left-handed relief pitchers in the league. Excluding closer Oh Gyu-ok, he’s the best card the Pegasus can play.”

“Jo Jin-ho came up in the 5th inning with a 2-point deficit. It’s surprising that he’s coming in so early, especially in a losing situation.”

“That shows how determined manager Choi Seong-yeon is to not give up today’s game. Of course, the timing isn’t bad. It’s two outs, but it leads to the cleanup hitters [the 3rd, 4th, and 5th batters in the lineup, typically the team’s best hitters]. If they allow a big hit here, it will be difficult to catch up in today’s game.”

“Kim In-hwan is a left-handed batter, right?”

“Yes. Jo Jin-ho is a left-handed pitcher and is strong against left-handed batters. Kim In-hwan is known to struggle against left-handed pitchers.”

Kim In-hwan smiled wryly even before stepping up to the plate.

Jo Jin-ho stood on the mound and practiced pitching.

Even though it’s just a warm-up, none of the pitches exceed 140km/h [approximately 87 mph].

Despite the slow speed, Jo Jin-ho is a top 5 relief pitcher in the league.

A pitcher who gets batters out by persistently working the outside corner of the plate, despite the lack of velocity.

One of the few pitchers in the league who can consistently hit the edges of the strike zone.

“Hoo-oo-oo.”

Kim In-hwan took a deep breath.

He stood close to the front of the plate and relaxed his shoulders.

There are no fastballs to worry about.

Wait and hit.

Wait-.

-Strike!

“Jo Jin-ho throws a fastball right down the middle on the first pitch to get ahead in the count.”

“Kim In-hwan looks disappointed. That was a mistake. He should have hit that. Was he overthinking it?”

Kim In-hwan tapped his head.

He was too thoughtful.

Jo Jin-ho’s second pitch.

Kim In-hwan’s bat swung.

-Strike!

“Slider. Kim In-hwan swings and misses the slider.”

“The reason why Jo Jin-ho has good results regardless of whether the batter is left-handed or right-handed is because of that slider and changeup. It’s well known that Jo Jin-ho’s circle changeup is the best in the league, but the slider is underrated. The angle isn’t sharp, but that’s precisely why it’s harder to distinguish from the fastball. It often catches the end of the bat and induces weak ground balls.”

“Is Choi Seong-yeon’s move paying off?”

“It seems like they might be able to extinguish this immediate threat.”

Song Seok-hyun, who was in the on-deck circle [waiting to bat next], repeatedly sat down and stood up while gripping his bat.

Kim In-hwan’s swing has become more compact, and both his fastball and breaking ball hitting have improved, but his inherent weakness, his plate discipline, is now only at the league average.

A pitcher with the best control in the league, who can paint the corners of the strike zone, is a tough matchup for Kim In-hwan.

“Is he going to get out as the lead runner again?”

The moment Song Seok-hyun muttered, Kim In-hwan swung.

A ball that breaks outside, a slider.

The ball hit the end of Kim In-hwan’s bat.

“A slow roller towards the shortstop! The shortstop runs to field it and throws to 1st base! At 1st base…… Safe! It’s safe! Kim In-hwan is safe!”

“Kim Han-sung is arguing the call. The timing looked incredibly close. Can we see it in slow motion?”

“Ah, here it comes. Shortstop Kim Hyung-woo fielded the ball cleanly and made a good throw…… Ah, the throw was slightly off-line. Still, Kim Han-sung made a good catch, but the call at first base is safe.”

“Show me the base, focus on the base.”

“His foot didn’t even come off the base. So, is the ruling that Kim In-hwan was faster?”

“Yes. It appears so. Then it’s fair to say that the safe call was thanks to Kim In-hwan’s all-out sprint. It was an out timing, but the ball was weakly hit, and the speed of the ball died. Thanks to that, Kim In-hwan seems to have reached first base safely.”

“With this, it’s 2 outs, runners on 1st and 3rd. Song Seok-hyun comes to the plate with runners on base. The Goats have capitalized on the opportunity.”

“To have the opponent’s best hitter come up at a time like this, after getting a favorable call like that. The Pegasus fans must be cursing their luck today.”

Kim In-hwan returned to first base, panting.

A full sprint after making contact.

It’s normal to run to 1st base after hitting the ball, but if it looks like an out, you tend to jog.

A full sprint also consumes stamina.

After Yoo Sun-ho was traded to the Goats, Kim In-hwan changed his habits.

It wasn’t that Yoo Sun-ho forced him to, nor did the coaches pressure him.

However, he saw Yoo Sun-ho, now considered a veteran, sprinting so hard that his helmet flew off, even when it was obvious he would be out.

Yoo Sun-ho argued that even if a full sprint to 1st base doesn’t significantly increase the batting average, it’s more than enough to get one or two more hits in a season.

“Hey, take it easy. You’ll get hurt.”

Kim In-hwan smiled at Kim Han-sung’s advice.

“If you don’t like it, you run hard too.”

The smile disappeared from the face of Pegasus manager Choi Seong-yeon.

Even his secret weapon backfired.

He even brought in Jo Jin-ho early to shut down the opponent’s cleanup hitters, but instead, he loaded the bases and brought Song Seok-hyun to the plate.

‘Walk him.’

Choi Seong-yeon’s sign was relayed to the pitcher.

The next batter, Yoo Sun-ho, is a left-handed batter.

If they challenge Song Seok-hyun and he hits a home run, it’s 3 points, and if they challenge Yoo Sun-ho and he hits a home run, it’s 4 points.

Although it’s a 1-point difference, facing Yoo Sun-ho is a safer choice in terms of probability than facing Song Seok-hyun.

“Ball. It’s a walk. They’re walking Song Seok-hyun.”

“It’s understandable. In the current situation, it’s better to face Yoo Sun-ho. Isn’t Song Seok-hyun also strong against outside pitches? It’s a bad matchup for Jo Jin-ho, who relies on the outside corner.”

“But Yoo Sun-ho has been performing well in this 3-game series against the Pegasus.”

“In the end, it’s about probability. Song Seok-hyun is a more dangerous hitter than Yoo Sun-ho, even if Yoo Sun-ho is in good form.”

Yoo Sun-ho stepped up to the plate.

Jung Yong-wook and Yoo Sun-ho, who usually joke around, didn’t exchange any words.

Jo Jin-ho didn’t show any signs of tension.

A bases-loaded situation is familiar to veteran bullpen pitchers.

A situation where they only need to get one batter out.

Jo Jin-ho’s first pitch was an outside slider.

-Strike!

“Swing and a miss! Jo Jin-ho went right after him with the first pitch, and it’s a swing and a miss.”

“The first pitch is crucial. It seems that the Jo Jin-ho and Jung Yong-wook battery [pitcher and catcher] have a good understanding of Yoo Sun-ho’s tendencies. Veteran batters often come to the plate looking for a specific pitch to hit, rather than reacting to what they see.”

Yoo Sun-ho took a breath.

There’s a reason why he’s considered a bullpen ace despite his fastball speed being in the low 140km/h range [low 80s mph].

The breaking ball appropriately misses the strike zone, as if toying with the batter.

A ball that’s neither too far inside nor too far outside.

Manager Ham Seong-hoon asked the pitching coach.

“Is their head-to-head record in the .200s [batting average below .299]?”

“Yes. Sun-ho has historically struggled a bit against Jin-ho. Jin-ho is particularly effective against left-handed batters.”
The second pitch was a changeup that dove downwards.

Yoo Sun-ho barely checked his swing.

“No swing. Yoo Sun-ho held back just in time.”

“That was close. It would have been a strike if he had swung a little further.”
Yoo Sun-ho puffed out his cheeks.

Walking Song Seok-hyun to face him.

Regardless of how well Song Seok-hyun is hitting, it’s something that bruises the ego of any batter.

Yoo Sun-ho crowded the plate.

He’ll go for it, even if it means getting hit by the pitch.

Jung Yong-wook glanced at Yoo Sun-ho’s feet and changed the sign.

‘Changeup. Outside.’

Jo Jin-ho’s circle changeup is a backdoor changeup that starts outside and then breaks back over the plate for left-handed batters.

He had been saving the dangerous backdoor changeup, which is already effective with just the slider against left-handed batters, but the opponent is Yoo Sun-ho.

You have to catch a batter who is good at anticipating pitches off guard.

The moment Jo Jin-ho released the ball, Yoo Sun-ho’s body shifted.

A stance where he held the bat with both hands and laid it horizontally.

It was a bunt.

The ball that left Jo Jin-ho’s hand floated low.

Tuk.

The defense, which had been playing deep in anticipation of Yoo Sun-ho’s power, quickly charged forward.

“3rd baseman, 3rd baseman, the 3rd baseman scoops up the ball and throws it to 1st base! To 1st base! Safe at 1st base! Safe! Yoo Sun-ho’s bunt is successful! 3-0. It’s 3-0. The Goats extend their lead by another point.”

“The bunt came at a completely unexpected time. It was a bases-loaded situation, and he’s not known as a good bunter. A bunt in the 5th inning, with a cleanup hitter at the plate, not the 8th or 9th inning. This is a move that neither the Pegasus nor we anticipated at all.”

“There have been criticisms that manager Ham Seong-hoon has been managing with too much faith in his players and seems to be passively observing, but looking at today, he seems to be using tactics effectively.”

“It was successful, but I’m not sure if it’s a good tactic in the long run. In these kinds of situations, the best approach is usually to trust your hitters to drive in runs.”

Jung Yong-wook hung his head.

It was like serving up a slow pitch to let him bunt openly.

He didn’t expect a bunt in this situation either.

The Goats, who don’t typically rely on small ball, bunt in the 5th inning with two outs and Yoo Sun-ho at the plate…….

Pegasus manager Choi Seong-yeon gave the sign again.

“It’s okay. It’s not bad. Give up 1 point and get out of this inning. Just focus on the next batter.”

From the Pegasus’s perspective, they conceded 1 point, but they avoided the worst-case scenario.

The next batter, Choi Jae-wan, is a less dangerous hitter compared to Song Seok-hyun and Yoo Sun-ho.

If they can get Choi Jae-wan out, they will escape the 5th inning having allowed 3 runs.

If they only allow 3 points, they still have 4 innings left to mount a comeback.

Wasn’t the reason for bringing in Jo Jin-ho early to maintain a manageable score difference that they could overcome?