On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 278

Even more so with a high fastball after seeing a low curve.

Even if it’s not as good as Kim Young-hoon’s high fastball, it’s enough to face a batter like Park Sung-min.

Jung Jin-oh put his strength into the ball and threw.

The ball, heavily spun, flew towards the catcher’s mitt.

Just as he wanted, the ball came to the desired spot.

The batter turned his waist.

Thwack!

[It’s high!]

The ball hit by Park Sung-min flew towards the left fence.

Judging by the speed and angle, it looked like it could easily clear the fence.

However, the spinning ball kept curving to the left, further and further.

Foul or home run?

Thud!

The ball hit the foul pole and landed inside the fence.

[Home run! Solo home run! Park Sung-min hits a home run! The score is 3-2. Park Sung-min hits a solo home run here!]

[This is why high fastballs are dangerous. We can’t deny that Jung Jin-oh’s high fastball is a good pitch, but we must also be aware of the possibility of it leading to extra-base hits like that.]

[Park Sung-min’s 8th home run of the season. He’s not a player known for many home runs, but he hits one in an important game today.]

Park Sung-min ran around the bases with a flushed face.

As soon as he touched home plate, he went to the bench and stood in front of Kim Young-hoon.

“I will definitely win today, senior!”

“Y-yeah. Good fighting spirit. Yeah. Let’s work hard.”

Park Sung-min hit a home run, but Jung Jin-oh didn’t waver.

He only gave up one walk and ended the inning without allowing a run.

In the top of the 7th, the Goat’s offense ended with five pitches.

In the bottom of the 7th, Phoenix’s offense.

Goat changed pitchers again.

[Goat is making pitching changes early today.]

[Since the score is only a one-point difference, they’re trying to shut down the game for sure.]

[The pitcher is Jung Chun-woon. He’s a pitcher who can handle innings well, so he might be able to go until the 8th.]

[Yes. That’s highly likely.]

Jung Chun-woon induced two consecutive groundouts.

The next batter was Kyung Soo-in.

Kyung Soo-in walked.

[Goat is avoiding the matchup.]

[They’re saying there’s no need to force a risky match against Kyung Soo-in.]

[The 5th batter is Kim Chang-hyun. He’s a batter with power, but his batting average this year is .230… very low.]

[His career batting average is .220, so you could say he’s doing a little better this year.]

[Phoenix’s catcher always seems a bit lacking.]

[Kim Chang-hyun received opportunities with high expectations, but his performance is too inconsistent. He had nine games without a hit this season. His performance, which reached .280 at one point this season, has dropped to .230, which is a huge drop.]

Jung Chun-woon threw a curveball as his first pitch.

The sidearm curve bends further and wider to the outside.

Kim Chang-hyun swung and missed as if it were natural.

The next pitch was an outside slider.

“……!”

Song Seok-hyun’s heart sank when he saw the slider coming right down the middle.

Dead center.

Kim Chang-hyun may lack plate discipline, but he’s a batter who swings without hesitation.

Thwack!

[It’s huge!]

The ball flew towards the center fence, but the arc was enormous.

Like a rocket, the ball pierced the air and then slowly descended.

[Home run! Home run! A two-run home run here! 4-3! 4-3, a reverse! Phoenix continues to reverse the score with one home run!]

[Wow, I didn’t expect another home run to come out here. Kim Chang-hyun is really strong.]

Ham Sung-hoon stroked his brow.

Except for Kim Jung-ryul, there are no reliable aces in the bullpen right now.

Looking at the bullpen alone, Goat’s bullpen is in the middle of the league.

Even if you rate it highly, it would be hard to be in the top 4.

Jung Jin-oh and Jung Chun-woon are resources who could be the 5th starter in the league, but their career ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] hovers around 4.

Versatile pitchers are useful, but the bullpen needs a few aces who can reliably handle an inning.

“Okay! That’s great!”

Kim Young-hoon also cheered for the comeback.

Catcher Kim Chang-hyun returned to the bench and hugged Kim Young-hoon.

“I told you I’d show you, right?”

“You’re the best, my man! You’re the best!”

4 points.

Even though it was only a one-point difference, it was more than enough for Kim Young-hoon.

Kim Young-hoon finished the game without allowing a single runner to reach base until the 9th inning.

At the same time, the league rankings also changed.

Goat was still in 1st place, but Astro Boys was in 2nd, Bulls in 3rd, Scorpion in 4th, and Wolves and Phoenix were tied for 5th.

Goat was 0.5 games ahead of Astro Boys, and Phoenix was 1 game behind 4th place Scorpion.

A situation where 1st and 4th place could change in tomorrow’s game.

Ham Sung-hoon shook hands with the coaches and then looked at the Phoenix bench with a “uh-oh” expression.

Ace Pitcher

Good bye (6)

After the game, at the Daejeon accommodation.

Goat’s coaches gathered in one room.

Manager Ham Sung-hoon couldn’t hide his gloomy expression.

“No way. There’s no way he’ll come out again tomorrow…”

“Yes, that’s right. He definitely threw with his left hand today too.”

“The starting pitcher is Jung Kwang-woo, right?”

“Jung Kwang-woo is more of a number 1 reliever than a starter. If he falters even a little, there’s a 100% chance Kim Young-hoon will come in right away.”

“This isn’t high school baseball, will that even work?”

Ham Sung-hoon shook his head at the coaches’ words.

“He mostly threw with his right hand, and only faced three batters with his left hand. Even then, his velocity and control were weaker than usual. It’s right to think he was just warming up with his left hand.”

“Even so, will he come up tomorrow after pitching a complete game today?”

“As the coaches know well, we used to handle even tougher schedules in high school. There were times when we pitched three or four complete games a week.”

“That was in the past, and it’s not like that at all now.”

“Even now, there are complete games in two consecutive games, right? I think there was something like that in last year’s game… or was there not?”

“That’s… we don’t really know.”

Ham Sung-hoon rubbed his eyes with his hand.

“Well, anyway. The important thing is not whether that happens now or not. The issue of overuse is something the association will have to resolve. The important thing is that high school students *can* pitch a complete game the day after a complete game. Moreover, for Kim Young-hoon, throwing with his left hand the day after throwing with his right hand is not a big deal.”

The head coach coughed.

“Um, Manager. That only works because the level difference between high school students is so great that they can get away with pitching the day after a complete game. But this is the pros. When Kim Young-hoon won the championship two years ago, he mostly pitched with at least a day or two of rest. Even if he comes up tomorrow, we don’t have to worry too much if Kim Young-hoon is tired.”

“It worked because they were high school students…? Well, to be honest, isn’t it true that the level difference between Kim Young-hoon and Korean players is quite large, even though we’re in the pros? Besides, he’ll be throwing with his left hand tomorrow. It’s safe to say that left-handed batters won’t get any hits at all.”

The room was silent.

The hitting coach sighed deeply.

“Why did we have to meet Phoenix at a time like this…”

“There’s a limit to how much you can ruin a sure thing.”

“What if Kim Young-hoon really comes up tomorrow?”

Only then did the coaches realize that the worst-case scenario could become a reality.

Ham Sung-hoon waited for the coaches’ heated debate to end before opening his mouth.

“I want Seok-hyun to be the 2nd batter tomorrow.”

“Seok-hyun at 2nd? Not even 3rd?”

The head coach couldn’t believe his ears.

“I think it’s best to put Jung-deok at 1st and fix Seok-hyun at 2nd and Wook at 3rd for now.”

“May I ask why you’re doing that?”

“I know that our batting order has good left-right balance and balanced on-base percentage and slugging percentage, but we need to choose and focus now. It’s difficult to expect anything from left-handed batters. Also, a strategy to increase on-base percentage is meaningless against Kim Young-hoon. One big hit. We have to hope for one big hit from right-handed batters. Then we need to move Seok-hyun and Wook up to the top of the batting order so they can get as many at-bats as possible.”

The head coach groaned.

“You know that it’s more difficult to steal a home run from Kim Young-hoon. I know Kim Young-hoon has only allowed one home run this season.”

“A home run isn’t the only kind of extra-base hit. It’s best to hit a home run, but even if it’s not, extra-base hits are important. Jung-deok gets on base, and Seok-hyun and Wook connect with extra-base hits to score at least one point. That’s our strategy for tomorrow.”

The defense coach said.

“How about shaking up the opponent’s infield instead? Everyone knows that Phoenix’s defense is weak. If we put pressure on the infield with bunts and fake slashes, we’ll definitely get a few chances.”

“I’ve thought about that too. But in terms of probability, that’s more difficult.”

“Ah… is that so?”

“Kim Young-hoon isn’t a ground ball pitcher. When he’s a left-handed pitcher, he strikes out more than ten batters per 9 innings. Bunting is only possible when you can cut the opponent’s ball to some extent, but bunting a ball that’s over 160 km/h [~99.4 mph] to shake up the infield is too difficult. Above all, our players aren’t good at tactics. We’ve been winning with our bats so far, but now we’re going to compete with bunts, tactics, and fast feet… um… to put it simply, we’re using our weaknesses to attack the opponent’s weaknesses.”

The quiet pitching coach said.

“Is the strategy that the manager mentioned using our strengths to attack the opponent’s strengths?”

“Um, that’s right. Our strength is that we have many batters with good power, regardless of left or right. Even if left-handed batters can’t use their power, we have Song Seok-hyun and Kim Wook as cards. Both are among the top five power hitters in the league, so betting on those two, even if it’s luck, is a possible match.”

The coaches looked at each other.

The manager had already made a decision.

If there was a definite objection, they had to come forward here.

The existing batting order was close to perfect.

The on-base percentage of the table setters exceeded .400, and the slugging percentage of the cleanup hitters exceeded .600.

Moreover.

The left-right, left-right batting order made it impossible for the opponent to target specific pitchers.

The strongest batting lineup and batting order in history that made the team number 1 even when the mound collapsed.

In the last game with 1st place at stake, the manager put improvisation ahead of the existing batting order.

A shocking move to move Song Seok-hyun, the center of the team and the 4th batter, to 2nd.

Manager Ham Sung-hoon’s words had logic, but inertia is not easy to change.

Should they follow the manager’s words as they are, or should the coaches work together to put the brakes on it again?

While watching each other’s reactions, the head coach opened his mouth.

“Then it would be good to entrust the 4th spot to Jin-il.”

“…….”

The words of the oldest head coach were a final blow that cemented the manager’s claim.

“If there’s no hope for left-handed batters anyway, I think it’s the answer for Jin-il to take the 1st or 4th spot. But Jung-deok’s on-base percentage is unmatched, and Jin-il also has power, so I think 4th is appropriate.”

“I was also worried about that part, but if the coach also thinks so, let’s decide the batting order up to 4th like that.”

“Yes. Then, inevitably, the 5th spot will continue with left-handed batters.”

“We really have to hope for a home run in the lower batting order. It wouldn’t be strange if Sun-ho or In-hwan hit a home run at any time.”

“Yes. I understand. Then I think the batting order is roughly outlined… How about finishing the talk today? I don’t think we’ll be able to have a proper meeting tomorrow because we’ll be so busy.”

“Yes. Let’s definitely wrap it up by 1 o’clock and discuss it again at lunchtime tomorrow.”

* * *

Song Seok-hyun and Kim In-hwan’s hotel room.

Song Seok-hyun couldn’t close his eyes until after midnight.

If it’s the Kim Young-hoon that he knows, he will definitely pitch tomorrow.

He’ll also throw with his left hand.

If he puts fastballs over 160 km/h [~99.4 mph] into every corner, it’s difficult for even a major leaguer to hit it properly.

Moreover, it’s close to impossible to hit Kim Young-hoon’s all-out pitch in Korea.

Add to that a high-speed slider that falls vertically…

Two fastballs and one slider are a strikeout.

Song Seok-hyun, who is usually second to none in dynamic visual acuity, can’t easily distinguish Kim Young-hoon’s slider.

His deception is good, and the fastball itself is so fast that there’s no time to estimate.

“Aren’t you asleep?”

“Oh, hyung [older brother/friend]. Were you awake?”

“I was about to fall asleep because you were fidgeting.”

“Sorry. Did I make a noise?”

“Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you worried about tomorrow?”

“Kim Young-hoon might come out tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Um… that could be. That senior is really like a goblin. It wouldn’t be strange if he came up tomorrow and pitched a complete game.”

“If we lose until tomorrow, we can go down to 3rd place. Then the post season will be really difficult.”

“Is that so?”

Kim In-hwan raised his pillow with two pillows.

“Then what’s wrong with that? We can go to 3rd place and win the championship. It’s not a difficult thing.”

“The post season is a short-term series. No one knows what will really happen in a short-term series.”

“You have a lot of worries. I don’t think we *can’t* win the championship just because we go to 3rd place, do you?”

Song Seok-hyun smiled.

“You’ve become more confident, hyung. You were the one who was always worried.”

“On the contrary, you’ve lost a lot of confidence. Weren’t you the one who was always carefree?”

“Is that so?”

“A guy who used to say that he wouldn’t have any wishes if he just got into the first team is now worried that he won’t be able to get first place?”

“Is it the same as then and now?”

“What’s different from then? We’re playing baseball anyway.”

“Um…?”

Kim In-hwan pulled the blanket up to his neck.

“If you think it’s unconditional, you’ll only accumulate worries. I’ve experienced it too. I *have* to hit a home run unconditionally, I *have* to become a slugger, I *have* to stay in the first team. That’s when I was in a slump. If you only think about the result, your steps will get twisted. Just think about now. How can I do better now?”

“Heh heh. What, hyung. You’ve become a complete Taoist [someone who follows Taoism, a philosophical and religious tradition].”

“You’ve only been going up vertically since the beginning, but I’ve been up and down. It doesn’t mean you won’t fall if you worry about falling, and it doesn’t mean you’ll go up if you say what if you can’t go up. If you have the skills, you’ll go up, and if you don’t have the skills, you’ll go down.”

“But short-term games have a lot of luck.”

“Hey, luck follows as much as skill. Isn’t it the guy who buys the lottery who wins? The guy who buys a hundred tickets will win more than the guy who buys one, and the guy who buys every week will win more than the guy who buys once.”

Kim In-hwan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Phew. So sleep well and worry about tomorrow’s work tomorrow. And you, it’s good to be aware of Young-hoon senior, but.”

“…….”

“Don’t keep thinking of it as a wall. Then it will really become a wall.”

Kim In-hwan waved his hand at Song Seok-hyun.