On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 208

Of course, signing a Free Agent means losing a promising young player as compensation.

Thanks to that rule, the pool of promising players is always depleted.

Gote has been barely holding on by signing Free Agents, but the three Free Agents, who were supposed to be their strongest assets, caused an accident and the team fell into crisis.

Gote was caught in a vicious cycle.

Ham Seong-hoon traded three starting players and received one designated hitter, one backup center fielder, and six pitchers.

Anyone could see that Gote was getting the short end of the stick.

The public was outraged, and the fans’ backlash was fierce.

Still, the fans thought, ‘Even in the midst of all this, they’ve brought in bullpen pitchers, so maybe their performance will improve a bit now,’ but Ham Seong-hoon once again rubbed salt in the fans’ wounds.

He kept only two bullpen pitchers on the first team and relegated four young and promising prospects from the minor league [Wales team] to the second team.

And that’s not all.

Even when the bullpen was blowing leads in winning situations, he dragged it on for 2 or 3 innings instead of replacing them.

The nickname ‘Dol Seong-hoon’ [Dol translates to ‘crazy’ or ‘foolish’] and sarcasm became widespread.

But Ham Seong-hoon went one step further.

When the KSPO [Korean Series Playoff Opportunity], fueled by Lee Ji-sung, Seol Jin-il, and Yoo Seon-ho’s explosive batting lineup, had them dreaming of a post-season appearance or better in the second half of the league, he introduced a 6-man starting rotation.

At the time, Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok were both in a slump, and the 5th starter, Jeong Cheon-woon, and 6th starter, Jeong Jin-oh, were rookies making their first starts in the first team.

As the starters had to pitch long innings, he focused on increasing the inning count of the starting pitchers by fielding a 6-man starting rotation, or virtually a 7-man starting rotation including Monday games.

Even though Ham Seong-hoon brought out a 6-man starting rotation in the midst of an urgent need for a win and saved Gote from falling into the abyss, public opinion was divided.

There was also a counterargument that sluggish starting pitchers could be replaced by two rookies, as Gote had pitchers like Hong Dae-seong and Lee Baek-chan who were still young but showed potential as bullpen pitchers in the first team.

Ham Seong-hoon endured opposition, criticism, sarcasm, and swearing throughout the season, but always stuck to his own way.

He thought that this season would be the end of his opportunity as a baseball manager, so he closed his ears and pushed forward.

The club didn’t waver in its support for Ham Seong-hoon once the results started to come in.

Gote’s strength, and also its weakness, is that it is performance-oriented.

Gote’s identity as a team was that they would endure as long as the results were good.

Looking at the future rather than the current performance and waiting patiently was Gote’s reality throughout this season.

The fruits of patience were finally beginning to emerge one by one.

As they insisted on a 6-man starting rotation and guaranteed long rest for the starting pitchers, Han Min-seok came back to life first, and even Lee Chang-hoon regained his form.

Even if rookies like Jeong Cheon-woon, Jeong Jin-oh, Lee Baek-chan, and Hong Dae-seong perform well this season, they cannot replace Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok, who have a wealth of post-season experience.

The 6-man starting rotation was a last resort, but the reward for waiting was certain.

“If Chang-hoon pitches like that, we have enough potential for the post-season, enough.”

Ham Seong-hoon already had the Korean Series [championship series] in his head.

* * *

After 3-0, both teams settled into a pitching duel.

Suarez, who had regained his composure, was solid.

Before long, the 4th inning arrived.

It was Jung In-ha, the Wolves’ 3rd batter, who broke the tense balance.

“It’s big! It’s big! Left fence~~ It’s over! Jung In-ha’s solo home run! The score is 3-1. Jung In-ha starts a counterattack with a home run.”

“What’s scary about the Wolves’ batters is that Jung In-ha isn’t a so-called slugger. He’s a mid- to long-range hitter, but he muscled it out and got it over the Jamsil fence [large baseball stadium in Seoul]. Gote’s KSPO is so terrifying, but if you look at the Wolves’ batters, there are three more batters besides Kang Je-gwan who have hit 20 home runs in Jamsil. Lee Chang-hoon is doing well now, but the Wolves can rush if they get a chance.”

Lee Chang-hoon dusted off his hands.

It’s not always true that right-handed pitchers are strong against right-handed batters and left-handed pitchers are strong against left-handed batters, but there is a general principle.

Lee Chang-hoon’s slider and curve are practically useless against a left-handed batter with good eyes like Jung In-ha.

There are backdoor sliders or curves, but backdoor breaking balls are dangerous, so they can’t be used often.

The next batter, Baek Hyeon-seong, is a left-handed batter, and the batter after him, Jeong Byeong-soo, is also a left-handed batter.

Lee Chang-hoon gathered his focus while applying rosin to his hands.

Bang!

-Ball. Outside.

“3-1. Baek Hyeon-seong is being selective with his pitches.”

“Baek Hyeon-seong isn’t a batter with great plate discipline, but he’s a batter with good aim. Right now, I see that he’s narrowing the zone and waiting. This means that if Lee Chang-hoon doesn’t throw a ball on the inside part of the plate, the zone he can throw to is very narrow. At most, it’ll only be about one and a half balls on the outside.”

“He’s been pitching well so far, but Lee Chang-hoon is struggling in the 4th inning.”

“The batting order has turned over once. After all, if similar pitches in similar locations are thrown repeatedly, they become predictable.”

Song Seok-hyun took a breath.

It’s a turning point.

Even if Lee Chang-hoon throws the outside ball well, his control isn’t precise enough to compete only on the outside like Tom Glavine [famous MLB pitcher known for his control].

In the first place, Lee Chang-hoon is a well-rounded starting pitcher who doesn’t lack in speed, power, breaking ball, control, or stamina.

Recently, he has been focusing on outside pitches and seeing results as his speed has dropped and his power has dulled, but this is only a temporary measure.

If you meet a team like the Wolves where all the batters hit well, extreme outside pitching becomes more difficult.

Then again…….

Song Seok-hyun wiggled his right pinky finger.

Lee Chang-hoon watched the sign while covering his mouth with his glove.

Lee Chang-hoon’s immediate pitch.

Bang!

-Strike!

“3-2. Lee Chang-hoon tries an inside fastball for the first time today.”

“You can’t hit that. You can’t hit an inside ball when you’re standing so close to the plate.”

“Is Lee Chang-hoon saying he can’t keep pitching away? He shows one inside ball.”

Song Seok-hyun looked at the scoreboard.

143km/h [approximately 89 mph].

It’s not a blazing fastball.

It’s not good enough to overpower the batter.

Still, this is enough to work if it’s not a clean hit.

As the batter stood close to the plate, the umpire’s strike zone also became tighter.

The batter should use the zone narrowly, and the pitcher should use the zone widely.

“3-2, full count. What will Lee Chang-hoon choose?”

Lee Chang-hoon threw one ball outside.

Baek Hyeon-seong’s swing and miss.

It was a changeup.

“Strikeout! Lee Chang-hoon strikes out 4th batter Baek Hyeon-seong.”

“Show one fastball on the inside and a breaking ball on the outside. It’s textbook. It was a good combination.”

Lee Chang-hoon also blocked the 4th inning without giving up a run, but Gote’s batting lineup was also silent.

Kim In-hwan, Song Seok-hyun, and Yoo Seon-ho’s well-hit balls were repeatedly thwarted by good defense, cutting off the flow of the attack.

In the 5th inning, both teams scored no points.

Suarez went to the mound at the beginning of the 6th inning.

“Suarez has eighty-seven pitches. I think he can get through this inning.”

“This time, Gote’s batting order starts with Choi Jae-wan. Gote’s lower batting order isn’t that strong, so I think he can get through this inning easily.”

“Is there a reason why Gote’s batters are having difficulty hitting Suarez’s ball even though it’s not fast?”

“Suarez’s power is the first reason. The speed is in the low 140s [km/h, approximately 87 mph], but the ball has good movement. Usually, in Korea, pitchers would induce a ground ball with that speed, but Suarez is actually a fly ball pitcher. It’s natural that a fly ball pitcher is doing well with Jamsil on his back.”

“Jamsil is so spacious.”

As soon as the commentator finished speaking, Choi Jae-wan hit a single that slipped past the second baseman’s glove.

One short hit.

Suarez nonchalantly dusted the rosin bag on his hand.

Suarez envisioned himself finishing a quality start and walking off the mound to applause.

Success as a catcher

One ball

The next batter after Choi Jae-wan is Oh Jin-young.

Suarez dusted the rosin on his hand.

Gote’s lower batting order has surpassed the level of a so-called ‘dead spot’ in the lineup, but that was all.

The average batting average of the lower batting order is .230.

After passing Gote’s central batting order, which is over .300, the difficulty drops sharply.

There was no need to overthink against the lower batting order.

Show one fastball on the outside and one breaking ball.

It’s over if you mix fastballs or breaking balls while watching the opponent’s reaction.

“Whoa.”

Suarez lightly lifted his leg and threw the ball to the catcher.

A well-placed ball on the outside.

Oh Jin-young turned his bat concisely.

Thump!

A ball pushed to the right fielder.

The ball passed the second baseman’s glove like a déjà vu.

“Hit. Consecutive hits. Oh Jin-young’s advancement hit.”

“It’s a good chance. Now, if they get one long hit, they can score again.”

Suarez tilted his head and looked at the scoreboard.

The speed is 143km/h.

Suarez put his hands on his waist with a sullen expression.

“Hmm.”

Wolves manager Jang Tae-seop stroked his chin.

6th inning, it’s time to slowly lose strength.

“Coach Park.”

“Yes, manager.”

“Is the bullpen warmed up enough?”

“Yes. I’ve prepared it.”

“How many people can I pick and use today?”

“Everyone is at max except for Seok-nam. Only Hyeon-cheol can throw about thirty balls.”

“I see…….”

Manager Jang Tae-seop puffed up his cheeks.

“It’s impossible for two people to handle 4 innings, right?”

“It’s possible if Seok-nam takes on more than 2 innings.”

“Then he can’t come out until tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. What about Seok-nam’s condition?”

“Yes, probably.”

“I can’t not manage the closer. Hoo. Okay. Let’s watch.”

It’s just two singles.

The opponent’s batting order is also the lower batting order leading to 8th and 9th.

Suarez’s speed is also good, and his control is also good.

It was just the opponent’s luck.

“Jeong Dong-gyu is at bat. He must be very nervous as it’s a scoring chance.”

“Here, it’s better to aim for a ball that’s pushed into the zone with the intention of not hitting a double play than to try for a big hit. Jeong Dong-gyu is not bad at hitting the ball.”

“It’s a pity that he lacks power, but he makes up for it with defense.”

“Haven’t I interviewed Jeong Dong-gyu several times? I asked him if he should increase his muscle mass to increase his power? But he says he doesn’t gain weight even if he eats. Many of the balls that Jeong Dong-gyu hits well don’t have the power to get out of the infield. It would be a better player if he could hit it hard enough to get it through the outfield, even if he’s not a home run hitter, but it’s a pity.”

“It’s not for nothing that he has the nickname ‘paper doll’. Rather, it’s amazing that he plays second base so well with that body. He has good stamina.”

The count is already 3-2.

Suarez threw one fastball on the outside.

Thump!

-Foul!

A foul ball going into the first base stands.

Suarez gave the sign directly to the catcher.

‘Curve.’

Jeong Dong-gyu’s hitting skills are not bad.

It’s better to compete quickly than to increase the number of pitches here.

Even if he hits it, it’s a single.

Pat!

The ball that left Suarez’s hand spun around.

It’s a ball that has taken away quite a few strikeouts even in the minor leagues.

Suarez’s curve was as textbook as it was, and the drop was also great.

The ball, full of spin, plunged down from above.

Thump!

Jeong Dong-gyu scooped up the ball without much effort.

The ball hit by the bat couldn’t carry and floated high.

The left fielder took a step, a step back, and took his position.

“Left fielder! Left fielder! Left fielder! The ball keeps carrying! Left fielder! Couldn’t catch it! Home run! It’s a home run! Jeong Dong-gyu’s home run!”

“Is Jeong Dong-gyu hitting a home run here? Against Suarez in Jamsil? It’s a rare sight? Haha.”

“Jeong Dong-gyu’s three-run homer! Today, Gote’s three-run shines beautifully. It’s a home run that seals the deal.”

“Who would have expected Jeong Dong-gyu to hit a home run? I thought only Song Seok-hyun would hit that kind of home run, but Jeong Dong-gyu also hits it. It’s amazing, it’s amazing.”

Jeong Dong-gyu, who hit the home run, stared blankly at the fence.

All he did was hit the ball without any particular thought.

He didn’t hit it hard, and he didn’t think about getting it over the fence.

He thought it was a fly ball because the left fielder was taking his position…….

“What are you doing, run!”

Jeong Dong-gyu belatedly ran at the words of first base runner Oh Jin-young.

Gote fans were in a festive mood.

“Dong-gyu, Dong-gyu Jeong Dong-gyu! Jeong Dong-gyu! Jeong Dong-gyu! Dong-gyu, Dong-gyu Jeong Dong-gyu! Gote’s man.”

Jeong Dong-gyu enjoyed his cheer song to the fullest for the first time in a long time.

He stepped on the base with a bright smile, and then stepped on it again and came home.

Manager Jang Tae-seop wiped his face.

“Hehe. From Dong-gyu. Huh…….”

Skinny human, paper doll, skeleton, withered tissue, etc.

Jeong Dong-gyu’s nicknames focused on the fact that he was skinny.

He’s just one of the role players who plays good defense now, but he was a highly touted national prospect when he was in high school.

Gote’s first round pick in 2008.

When he was in high school, he not only hit well, but he also hit home runs often.

“Change Suarez.”

“Yes, manager.”

Jang Tae-seop put his hands together.

Changing pitchers is always difficult.

Who would have known that a home run would explode from Jeong Dong-gyu’s bat?

Suarez walked off the mound with a dejected expression.