On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 78

“I’m so grateful, but it’s hard to truly grasp. I heard it secondhand, that this kind of knowledge is rarely shared, even among teammates.”

“I’m not giving it to you for free.”

At the word ‘free,’ Song Seok-hyun swallowed hard.

“Th-Then what do you want?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not asking for money. Just say you turned out well because of me when you become a great catcher. That’s all I need.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, and if you can manage it, it would be even better if you become the best before Yong-wook *hyung* [older brother or respected senior] retires.”

“Jung Yong-wook, *sunbaenim* [respected senior]?”

“Yeah, I think you definitely have the potential to surpass Yong-wook *hyung*.”

“How could I……”

“It’s tough now. But read this and memorize it diligently. Then you’ll feel a little more confident.”

Park Shin-eon tapped his empty glass.

Song Seok-hyun brought another cup of coffee and handed it to Park Shin-eon.

“Thank you so much, *sunbaenim*. I will never forget this favor.”

“When you make it big, don’t forget my name and give me a shout-out.”

“Is that all? I will work really hard and become a catcher who can support you, *sunbaenim*.”

“You’ll have to shorten the time it takes as much as possible. I might not be around in the first half of next year.”

Song Seok-hyun could hardly believe his ears.

“Pardon?”

“Well, it’s something I’ll announce later, but I’ll give you a heads-up. There’s something wrong with my head. Brain aneurysm? Something like that, my blood vessels are a bit twisted. It’s not serious now, but I need to have surgery. If I have it after the season, the rehabilitation will take time, so I’ll be back in the second half of next year at the earliest. Until then, you and… well, never mind. You have a lot to do.”

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

“I’m managing it for now. I can handle it. I haven’t told the club yet. I’m planning to talk to the manager and the club together after I set the surgery date with the doctor.”

“Ah……”

“So, memorize this diligently. This is the current version. You’ll have to update it in the future.”

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

“If you do well, I’ll feel less guilty towards the team. I’m sorry for putting pressure on you, but that’s why I’m giving you this. I haven’t shown it to anyone else.”

“Thank you, *sunbaenim*.”

“Do physical training with the coach, and if you need to study the software, ask me anytime.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“What we talked about today is a secret between you and me. Don’t tell anyone else until the official announcement, okay?”

“Yes, *sunbaenim*.”

Park Shin-eon left first.

Song Seok-hyun stayed alone and ran his hand over the ten-volume notebook.

It was know-how that you couldn’t buy even for hundreds of millions of *won* [Korean currency].

For Song Seok-hyun, who had been learning alone by rummaging through books and videos due to the lack of guidance from senior players or coaches, it was the final piece, the last puzzle.

Song Seok-hyun, who was about to pick up the book and get up, stopped.

“But why only me when there’s also Il-hyuk *sunbaenim*……?”

Song Seok-hyun, unaware that Seo Il-hyuk was being considered for a trade, was happy with Park Shin-eon’s favor, but also puzzled.

Success as a Catcher

Advice

When he returned to the dorm, his roommate Kim In-hwan was sound asleep.

Song Seok-hyun turned on his phone’s flashlight so that Kim In-hwan wouldn’t wake up and opened the notebook.

If eight of the ten notebooks contained data from eight teams, including the GOATs, the remaining two contained a hodgepodge of condition management, catcher know-how, and baseball proverbs.

Some of them contained content that Song Seok-hyun had never considered before.

-Don’t throw unless it’s planned.

-Be careful when catching *휘* balls (high possibility of left thumb being bent) [likely refers to a specific type of pitch or ball movement].

-Catchers need different postures for each pitcher (but the first principle is to never move the mitt).

-Catchers must cooperate with the umpire: check that the zone is clearly visible to the umpire, form human bonds, and don’t argue.

-Pitch out only once. Refrain from throwing. It is more important to keep the runner close to the base.

-No matter how urgent, don’t snatch a bunted ball from the side; be sure to scoop it up completely.

-When the ball rolls, cover it with both hands, not one.

-Never do home blocking. Open the passage. Giving up 1 point is much better than the catcher getting hurt and disrupting the team’s operation.

-Health is the top priority for catchers. Catchers with many minor injuries can never stay in the first team.

Not doing home blocking or refraining from throwing were things Song Seok-hyun had never considered before.

Although it contained a lot of Park Shin-eon’s personal philosophy, Song Seok-hyun could understand Park Shin-eon’s basic mindset.

“Prepare in advance and don’t introduce unnecessary risks……”

In addition, there was content on body management and privacy management.

-Wake up in the morning, stretch, do 30 minutes of aerobics, drink a cup of tea, and then meditate.

-Shower with warm water, but always finish with cold water.

-After meditation, review the previous day’s game. Prepare for the game on the day.

-Don’t overthink things. Finish in about 30 minutes. No more than 1 hour at the longest.

-Before the game, eat enough carbohydrates (don’t be full, no flour, soda, or coffee), be sure to eat meat for dinner (not too much fat) and go to bed 3 hours later.

-Sleep for 8 hours or more.

-Don’t use social media.

-Personal contact with fans is prohibited.

-Be sure to review the game after it’s over.

-On days off, only one personal appointment (alcohol only up to non-alcoholic).

-On days off, organize the reviewed content and briefly prepare for the week to month’s games.

(Omitted)

It was packed with content.

Song Seok-hyun closed the notebook for a moment.

Park Shin-eon wasn’t the most naturally gifted catcher of his time, like Jung Yong-wook.

He didn’t have a cannon arm like Song Seok-hyun, nor did he have god-given framing skills like Jung Yong-wook, and his batting wasn’t outstanding either.

There were no standout qualities, but Park Shin-eon was the epitome of a self-made A-class catcher.

How did he land a lucrative FA [Free Agent] contract despite being Jung Yong-wook’s backup catcher and become the GOATs’ indispensable starter?

Inside the notebook, there were secrets, or rather, insights, written all over it.

“Hoo-oo-oo.”

Song Seok-hyun stroked the notebook once again.

It was content that he would have realized at least 3 years, maybe 5 years, or even 7 years later if he had learned it through experience.

It was an opportunity to gain Park Shin-eon’s 10+ years of experience in just a few months.

Park Shin-eon may have confidently given it to him because it was difficult to put into practice even if you knew it.

“Thank you. Thank you, *sunbaenim*.”

Song Seok-hyun clenched his fist.

* * *

“Ahahaha.”

Song Seok-hyun, who went out for breakfast and lunch, kept yawning.

Kim Jung-ryul approached and massaged Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder.

“Our Song Star seems tired. What did you do yesterday? Did you go to a night club or something?”

Kim In-hwan next to him muttered.

“Who goes to night clubs these days? It’s all about clubs now.”

“Really? Is it a club instead of a night club?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“How do you know that? Are you always out and about these days too?”

“I know because I have ears. You know, *hyung*, I sleep a lot. I can’t go out in the early morning.”

“Then did our Seok-hyun go to a club in the early morning? Did you go *booby-booby* [slang, possibly referring to dancing or partying]?”

Song Seok-hyun shook his head.

He was about to say ‘notebook’ but said something else instead.

“I’m a bit sensitive about where I sleep.”

“Really? Oh, what should we do? What are you going to do if a baseball player is picky about where he sleeps?”

“I’ll be fine once I adjust.”

“Of course, of course. You have to adjust. Our Song Star has to manage his condition so that our team can do well.”

“Hey, *sunbaenim*, you’re teasing me now, right?”

“I’m not teasing you, it’s the truth. The rumors have already spread. GOATs’s KS [Korean Series] duo. Didn’t you see the clip yesterday?”

Song Seok-hyun and Kim In-hwan looked at each other.

“What is it?”

“’Kim In-hwan, Song Seok-hyun head straight to the Korean Series with the KS duo!’ It was crazy yesterday, crazy. It was a bit underrated because it was Phoenix, but still, how many home runs were there?”

Kim Jung-ryul teased the two, saying that Song Seok-hyun and Kim In-hwan were the team’s last hope and heroes.

Song Seok-hyun looked for Park Shin-eon with his eyes while eating.

“But I can’t see Park Shin-eon *sunbaenim*?”

“Shin-eon? He’s usually the first to eat quickly and leave. He’s eating now and……”

“He must be taking a walk.”

Kim Jung-ryul blinked.

“How do you know that? He always takes a walk after eating.”

“Ah…… I think I saw him taking a walk before.”

“Did you?”

Kim Jung-ryul tilted his head.

“Shin-eon is famous for it. He eats and takes a walk and then disappears, fidgeting with something else on his own. He always keeps his distance from the younger players. It’s not like he has a bad personality, but it’s strange.”

Song Seok-hyun mumbled his rice instead of answering.

Park Shin-eon’s schedule can now be rattled off.

He won’t eat vegetables or fruits during away games.

After eating breakfast, he takes a walk; after the walk, he prepares for the game; after preparing for the game, he does weight training; and after weight training, he has a pre-game meeting, etc.

“But why does Jin-il *hyung* [older brother or respected senior] keep looking here?”

“Pardon?”

“It looks like he’s looking at you.”

Kim In-hwan suddenly brought up Seol Jin-il.

Seol Jin-il was glancing at Song Seok-hyun.

“Do you have anything to do with *hyung*?”

“No. I don’t have anything like that.”

“Then why is he acting like that?”

“I don’t know.”

Kim Jung-ryul added a word.

“Is Seok-hyun the type who is more popular with men than women?”

* * *

3rd game against Phoenix.

The away team arrives at the stadium at 4 o’clock.

After a short training session at 4:30, they have dinner at 5 o’clock.

Song Seok-hyun sat alone after eating and took out his notebook.

The notebook was filled with Phoenix player records.

There were also things that Song Seok-hyun personally added while transcribing the contents of yesterday’s notebook.

“……Kyung Soo-in has the lowest batting average with balls right in the center.”

While Song Seok-hyun was muttering, someone sat next to Song Seok-hyun.

“Are you planning to challenge Kyung Soo-in directly?”

“Oh, *sunbaenim*. You’re here.”

The person sitting next to him was Seo Il-hyuk.

GOATs’s backup catcher and GOATs’s franchise player.

Although he was a backup catcher, he was also a player that many of GOATs’s young players looked up to.

“You’re not even playing as a catcher, so what are you muttering about?”

“Ah…… I’m still a catcher.”

“Really? You’re good at swinging the bat, so why don’t you just switch to 1st base?”

“No. Hitting is just hitting. I’m still a catcher.”

“Is that so.”

Seo Il-hyuk sighed.

“Well, I can’t tell you not to do it. Huh? Hoo.”

Seo Il-hyuk smiled bitterly and got up from his seat.

When Song Seok-hyun tried to get up, Seo Il-hyuk patted Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder.

“Yeah, work hard. You and I have to prove our worth to the front office.”

Seo Il-hyuk drooped his shoulders and left.

As soon as Seo Il-hyuk left, Kim Jung-ryul, who had been watching this, approached Song Seok-hyun.

“What? What did Il-hyuk say to you?”

“No. He didn’t say anything special.”

“Really? Really?”

“Yes, he just told me to work hard.”

Kim Jung-ryul licked his lips.

“He must be dying inside. Try to be understanding unless he’s being too much.”

“I’m telling you, he didn’t say anything special, so it’s okay.”

“Well, he’s already thirty. How many hundreds of millions will he lose each year that FA is delayed? Professional players are always thinking about FA, so he must be frustrated.”

“*Sunbaenim*, you’re making me look like a really bad guy?”

“He might see you that way from his perspective.”

“Hey, really. *Sunbaenim*!”

“Just kidding, just kidding. Haha. That’s just how it is. Il-hyuk isn’t that petty, but if Il-hyuk says anything to you, tell me. Got it?”

“Il-hyuk *sunbaenim* really didn’t say anything, so it’s okay.”

“You never know. Don’t you think?”

After Kim Jung-ryul also left, Song Seok-hyun sighed in relief.

It’s like walking on eggshells.

How would Seo Il-hyuk feel if he found out that Park Shin-eon had given him his know-how without holding back?

Even if it’s not Park Shin-eon’s advice, no one should know that he received the notebook from Park Shin-eon.

* * *

Before the game starts.

A commentator and caster came out onto the field to conduct a game preview.

“Wow, can you hear this roar today?”

“Amazing. The atmosphere in the GOATs cheering section is really hot even before the game starts.”

“I can’t tell if this is Daejeon or Jamsil [cities in South Korea]. Daejeon fans are also famous for their enthusiastic cheering, but today the cheers of the GOATs fans are even louder.”

“Of course, the reason is the two days of great victories.”