On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 42

Thanks to that, Jung Jin-oh was able to remain on the team despite being a young left-handed starting pitcher when free agent (FA) compensation players were traded.

“It would be great if you could hit a home run.”

“Haha, I’ll try my best.”

After a brief joke with Jung Jin-oh, Song Seok-hyun quickly became serious.

It’s rare for a 20-year-old high school graduate catcher to start.

This is an opportunity, no doubt about it.

Isn’t opportunity just another word for crisis?

If I don’t seize this opportunity, the time it takes to step onto the first-team stage could be longer than I think.

-Play ball!

The game started.

The attack started with Wales.

The leadoff hitter is Jo Yang-sun.

As Jo Yang-sun stepped up, Song Seok-hyun scanned him from head to toe.

“I’ve never seen you before. Are you a rookie?”

“Yes, please take care of me.”

“Sure, give me a good ball.”

Jo Yang-sun joked with a friendly demeanor.

27 years old, Wales’ starting shortstop.

Good contact and fast feet.

Currently raising his pace in the minor leagues due to a calf injury.

“Okay, okay. Give me a fastball right down the middle.”

Song Seok-hyun gave the sign without a word.

The first choice was an outside slider.

Bang!

-Strike!

The ball curled into the strike zone, but the batter didn’t swing.

As a leadoff hitter, he intended to watch ambiguous pitches.

“You’re already trying to trick me. That’s not a good habit.”

“I called for the middle, but your pitch went outside, senior.”

“Pfft, really?”

“I’ll give you a good one this time.”

‘Outside, fastball.’

The pitcher, having caught the first strike, aggressively placed the ball outside.

Tock!

The batter hit the ball, but it was a foul.

0-2 in two pitches.

The batter stepped back from the plate for a moment to buy some time.

“Did it miss again?”

“Of course. I asked for a fastball right down the middle.”

Song Seok-hyun gave the sign again.

‘Outside, curveball, bounce.’

Song Seok-hyun pointed to the ground with his mitt.

The warmed-up pitcher didn’t hesitate.

The batter flinched but held back from swinging.

1-2.

The pitcher’s timing to compete.

The batter looked back and forth between the catcher and the pitcher.

“It’s good for me to see the ball for a long time if we take the at-bat this long from the first batter.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t trust the bench’s pitch selection too much. Being too safe is dangerous, you know.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jo Yang-sun gripped his bat and leaned forward slightly.

It was a signal that he would give up on extra-base hits and only go for singles.

The catcher is a rookie, and the pitcher doesn’t have a finishing pitch.

He was confident that he could pick out the balls as long as he didn’t swing big.

Song Seok-hyun gave the pitcher a series of signs.

The pitcher shook his head twice at the catcher’s sign.

“Tsk, tsk, when is the pitcher going to compete if he doesn’t compete at this moment?”

The Goat’s pitching coach sighed.

The more a pitcher lacks a finishing pitch, the more he invites a difficult match even when he has a favorable count.

The batter subtly moved his foot closer to home plate.

Thwack!

The pitcher lifted his leg and threw the ball with force.

Bang!

The batter couldn’t even move his bat.

Song Seok-hyun’s mitt remained near the batter’s side.

-Strike! Out!

“Nice.”

The pitcher clenched his fist.

Song Seok-hyun took the ball out of his mitt and returned it to the infielder.

“Hoo, I guess that one really missed?”

The batter looked at the pitcher and catcher once each and then came into the bench.

As the batter came in, his teammates on the bench asked.

“Why did you just watch it when the ball wasn’t even fast?”

“I didn’t expect a pitch inside there.”

“Hey, if he only threw outside pitches, then he’s bound to throw one inside next time.”

“It’s Jung Jin-oh. He’s all about safety first, so why did he throw an inside pitch?”

“Did the catcher ask for it?”

“No way. He’s a rookie, right? Then it’s either the bench or the pitcher.”

Song Seok-hyun nodded once towards Jung Jin-oh.

Jung Jin-oh also nodded back.

The battery’s [pitcher and catcher] signs matched.

Jung Jin-oh adjusted his hat and smiled.

“This is fun.”

After catching the first batter, Jung Jin-oh made the next two batters ground out in succession.

Three up, three down.

Jung Jin-oh, heading into the bench, held out his fist to Song Seok-hyun.

“Good job.”

“Your pitches were great, hyung [older brother or respected senior].”

“Really? Hehe.”

“Try speeding up the pitching tempo in the next inning. They can’t focus when the tempo gets faster, right?”

“It seems like that to me too. Okay, I got it.”

Kim Jung-ryul, sitting in the corner, looked at Kim In-hwan and said.

“Seok-hyun is settling in faster than I thought. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, well…….”

Kim In-hwan just nodded with a blank look.

“What’s with that answer? You’re so bland.”

Wales’ pitcher was Gu In-sun.

Gu In-sun was Wales’ homegrown second starter, but his joining the spring camp was delayed due to an injury, and he was currently raising his pace in the minor leagues.

He was Wales’ only left-handed homegrown starter and a fastballer.

He was often criticized for not having good control, but…….

-Strike! Out!

-Strike! Out!

-Strike! Out!

He saved the face of Wales’ homegrown second starter with three consecutive strikeouts.

“His forkball is really good.”

“I can’t get the timing.”

“He got us from the start.”

Unlike Jung Jin-oh, Gu In-sun had a finishing pitch called a forkball.

It was a pitch that was rated as top-notch even on the first-team stage.

It wouldn’t be easy for minor league players to hit it from the first inning.

“Oh, no time to rest.”

Jung Jin-oh groaned and went up to the mound.

Song Seok-hyun looked at the batter walking towards home plate.

Shim Soo-kyung.

Wales’ next fourth hitter.

He was only 23 years old, but he was one of the first-team regular members.

His performance was still inconsistent, but he was a promising player who had an OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] of over 80% in the first team last year as well.

“Hoo.”

The pitcher sighed as Shim Soo-kyung stepped up.

When a pitcher without a finishing pitch meets a slugger, his mind is bound to go blank.

Song Seok-hyun called for an inside fastball as the first pitch.

‘No way.’

‘Outside fastball?’

‘No way.’

The pitcher shook his head twice in a row.

Song Seok-hyun sighed inaudibly and changed the sign.

‘Breaking ball?’

‘Okay.’

‘Outside curveball.’

‘No way.’

‘……Slider?’

‘Okay.’

Song Seok-hyun examined Shim Soo-kyung’s feet.

The catcher must read the batter in the box.

Shim Soo-kyung is a slugger, but his stride was moderate, and his hitting position was not high.

A balanced hitter who didn’t give up contact despite being a slugger.

Having good balance means that weaknesses are not easily revealed.

Against a batter with good balance, the pitcher invites a difficult match.

Song Seok-hyun tried to throw an inside fastball to see the opponent’s reaction, but the pitcher was adamant.

“Ugh!”

The pitcher shouted and threw the ball.

Three up, three down, followed by the fourth hitter.

A determination not to easily allow a runner on base.

Thwack!

“Ah, damn it.”

The pitcher’s face contorted.

The slider that didn’t break far enough outside was an easy target for the batter.

Shim Soo-kyung pushed the ball to the outside, creating a double that fell along the right field line.

“Ha, this is annoying.”

The pitcher who was hit hung his head.

Song Seok-hyun examined the footprints in the batter’s box.

The difference between the stance and the stride is not significant.

He is a hitter who hits the ball without much effort.

For a pitcher without a finishing pitch, a slugger with good contact would be the worst match.

“Hmm.”

Song Seok-hyun looked at Shim Soo-kyung on second base.

How can Jung Jin-oh catch Shim Soo-kyung?

Is there a way?

“Catcher, you need to sit down.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Song Seok-hyun took his position after hearing the umpire’s remark.

With a runner on second base, the next batter stepped up.

No outs, runner on second.

Song Seok-hyun gave the sign without delay.

‘Outside curveball.’

‘Okay.’

With Shim Soo-kyung on base, Jung Jin-oh didn’t argue with Song Seok-hyun’s sign.

No runners on first base.

Jung Jin-oh threw a curveball as the first pitch.

Tuk.

The batter hit the ball as if he was just putting the bat on it.

The ball went straight to the first baseman for a groundout.

“Yes!”

The pitcher smiled.

The runner advanced, but he got an out count with the first pitch.

One out, runner on third.

As soon as the batter stepped up, he looked at the bench’s sign.

Jung Jin-oh kept glancing at Shim Soo-kyung on third base.

‘Inside fastball.’

‘From the first pitch? No way.’