On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 84

Jang Gye-seong wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.

“I’d rather get beaten up all day and excuse it by saying my condition was bad, but getting hit only by him pisses me off even more.”

“He’s good at hitting, though. His swing is decent.”

“I feel uneasy. Getting hit by him today was just a coincidence, right? I didn’t get hustled [tricked or deceived], did I?”

“He just got lucky today. Your pitches were really good today, I’m not lying.”

“Tch.”

Both starting pitchers from each team were taken out after pitching through the 6th inning.

Jang Gye-seong and James MacKenzie, as their teams’ key starters, tightly contained the opposing lineups.

From the 7th inning onward, it was a battle of the bullpens.

In the 7th inning, rookie pitcher Hong Dae-seong came to the mound.

The Gote’s first-round pick in the 2013 draft and a left-handed fireballer [a pitcher who throws with exceptional speed].

The Wolves’ lower lineup couldn’t hit the left-hander’s pitches, which reached a maximum speed of 150 km/h [approximately 93 mph].

Even an incomplete prospect, a left-handed fireballer was like a natural enemy to batters.

While Hong Dae-seong was doing his part as a first-rounder, the Gote’s lower lineup was equally struggling.

The 3-2 score was broken in the bottom of the 8th inning.

“Left field fence! Left field fence! It’s over! Seol Jin-il! Solo home run! In the bottom of the 8th, the Gote takes the lead again!”

“The Wolves are taking an unexpected hit. Who knew the leadoff hitter would hit a home run?”

“Was Seol Jin-il a hitter with enough power to hit a home run in Jamsil Stadium [a baseball stadium in Seoul known for being difficult to hit home runs in]? Of course, the pitcher was trying to make an easy play and got burned, but both benches seem surprised by Seol Jin-il’s unexpected home run.”

“Today, the Gote is scoring only with home runs, with the cleanup trio [the 3rd, 4th, and 5th hitters in the batting order, typically the team’s best power hitters] missing. This is also a rare occurrence. Now, if the Gote can just shut them down, they’ll win. The problem is the 9th inning. Closer Park Man-seong is building up his condition in the minors [a lower-level professional baseball league]. That means the Gote currently doesn’t have a closer [a relief pitcher who specializes in pitching the final inning of a game]. In the Phoenix League games [Korean minor league], they won by a large margin, so the bullpen’s role was small, but in a tight game like today, the bullpen is very, very important. Do they have a pitcher to shut them down? Many of the setup men [relief pitchers who pitch before the closer] are currently injured or on rest in the minors.”

The next batter after Seol Jin-il was Kim In-hwan.

Kim In-hwan was out on an ordinary hit this time, ending the game with 4 at-bats and no hits.

Kim In-hwan exchanged the batter’s box with Song Seok-hyun with a dejected face.

The Wolves walked Song Seok-hyun intentionally [an intentional walk is when a pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone to walk a batter on purpose] and then ended the bottom of the 8th with two consecutive outs.

And the top of the 9th.

A pitcher ran from the bullpen toward the mound.

Gote fans shouted in unison.

“Kim! Jeong! Ryul!”

“Kim! Jeong! Ryul!”

“Kim! Jeong! Ryul!”

The commentator chuckled.

“Kim Jeong-ryul is coming in as the closer today, not the starter.”

“I didn’t expect Kim Jeong-ryul to come up in this tight situation. Kim Jeong-ryul hasn’t had good results until last year. He transformed into an underhand pitcher [a pitcher who throws with a low arm angle] this year, but he hasn’t shown any significant results either.”

“I don’t know what the result of this choice will be today.”

Song Seok-hyun took a breath at Kim Jeong-ryul’s appearance.

Soaring as a Catcher

The Owner of Jamsil (5)

Whack!

Whack!

Not only the Gote fans but also the Wolves fans watched Kim Jeong-ryul’s practice pitches.

Underhand Kim Jeong-ryul.

Kim Jeong-ryul, who was called the Crown Prince of the Gote, coming out as an underhand pitcher is a sight that never gets old no matter how many times you see it.

“The Wolves will start with the 2nd batter. Second baseman Jeong Su-yeong is coming up.”

“A career .300 hitter [a hitter who averages 3 hits for every 10 at-bats], he doesn’t have much power, but he’s a naturally talented hitter. He’ll be the highest-paid player on the market when he becomes a free agent.”

“A player who hits well, is fast, and plays good defense becoming a free agent at twenty-eight is a huge deal, right?”

“If Jeong Su-yeong gets on base, Kim Jeong-ryul will have a headache. Especially since underhand pitchers have a hard time checking runners [preventing runners from stealing bases].”

Song Seok-hyun put his hands together.

Closer Kim Jeong-ryul.

It’s the manager’s bold move, but it’s also the move Song Seok-hyun has been hoping for.

Three surgeries, an underhand style that puts a lot of strain on the back, and being over thirty years old.

Kim Jeong-ryul was a player who needed to be managed carefully.

The most managed player in the bullpen is the closer.

The Gote already had a closer, so they didn’t have high expectations, but now the closer position is vacant.

“Hoo.”

Kim Jeong-ryul stepped on the pitching rubber and looked at third base.

It’s the same third base scenery, but today the third base cheering section looks especially bigger.

It feels like the Wolves fans are watching to see how well he does.

“Kim Jeong-ryul throws the first pitch.”

Kim Jeong-ryul’s hand brushed the ground.

The ball soared up from below and suddenly dropped down at the last moment.

-Strike!

“Kim Jeong-ryul gets the first strike.”

“That was dangerous. The pitch was good, but the location was right in the middle. If Jeong Su-yeong hadn’t watched it because it was the first pitch, it could have been a long hit.”

“Didn’t that ball have good movement? It looked like it hooked.”

“Yes, the movement looks good.”

Kim Jeong-ryul loosened his arm.

A bad throw.

He put too much strength into his body.

Catcher Seo Il-hyeok wanted another sinker [a pitch that drops sharply as it reaches the plate] outside.

Kim Jeong-ryul’s second pitch went right outside.

The batter smacked his lips at the perfect location, stopping his bat.

“Strike! Second strike.”

“He’s going in aggressively. He’s refreshing. He doesn’t care that it’s a two-point game.”

Hitter Jeong Su-yeong called a timeout and stepped out of the batter’s box.

The ball has a dirty finish [a pitch with late movement that makes it difficult to hit].

He hasn’t been an underhand pitcher for long, so he probably doesn’t have many breaking balls [pitches that curve or change direction].

The target is still the sinker.

An uppercut swing is perfect for hitting a sinker, but Jeong Su-yeong held the bat short.

It’s the first time he’s facing this pitch.

There’s a way to hit it in the air with an uppercut swing, but he has to give up his greed.

He aims for a line drive with a level swing.

If it’s not a ball going straight at him, Jeong Su-yeong, who is fast, was confident he could get on base.

“The battery [the pitcher and catcher] is exchanging signs.”

“He got two strikes, but the opponent is Jeong Su-yeong. He’s not an easy hitter to take lightly.”

Kim Jeong-ryul’s third pitch.

This time, the ball shoots up into the strike zone.

Jeong Su-yeong held the bat short, turned his body, and swung.

Whoosh!

The bat swishes through the air.

This time, the ball didn’t fall but soared higher, rising to the batter’s belt height.

The batter looked at the mitt where the ball went in disbelief even after swinging and missing.

-Strike! Out!

“Swinging strikeout! Kim Jeong-ryul! What was that pitch just now?”

“It looks like a curveball [a pitch that curves sharply]. Underhanders often use curveballs, and underhand curveballs have a rising feel, right? But Kim Jeong-ryul’s curveball has an especially rising feel.”

The first strikeout.

Kim Jeong-ryul clenched his fist.

It’s Jeong Su-yeong, not any other hitter.

He struck out the .300 hitter Jeong Su-yeong with three pitches.

A conviction that his pitches work.

The next hitters are the cleanup hitters, 3, 4, and 5, but Kim Jeong-ryul was rather pleased.

He wanted to do more.

He wanted to see how far his pitches would work.

“The next batter is the 3rd batter, Jeong In-ha. He has power. He’s the Wolves’ first baseman.”

Kim Jeong-ryul’s pitches, which he saw from the on-deck circle [the area where the next batter warms up], were sharp.

The more you see a pitcher’s pitches for the first time, the better.

Jeong In-ha thought the opposite.

He aims for the first pitch.

He felt like he couldn’t touch Kim Jeong-ryul’s pitches today.

The sinker will come as the first pitch, so he has to scoop it up properly.

“Kim Jeong-ryul’s first pitch!”

As the batter expected, the knee-high ball came flying.

The sinker falling below the knees.

Jeong In-ha scooped up the ball.

“The ball flies high into the sky! The center fielder catches it easily.”

“It looks like he aimed for it properly, but it didn’t fly far.”

“Why is that?”

“It must be because the ball has a good finish, right?”

Jeong In-ha shook his head as he returned to the bench.

“Am I screwed today?”

Before Jeong In-ha’s words were finished, the 4th batter, Kang Je-gwan, was out on a ground ball.

Kang Je-gwan, who has 30 home runs in Jamsil, was no match for the unfamiliar pitch.

Kim Jeong-ryul finished the inning with five pitches and raised his fist upward.

“4-2! The Gote takes the victory with 4-2.”

“The score wasn’t high, but today’s game was really fun. Song Seok-hyun has been playing great recently, but the opponent was the Phoenix League. I was wondering if he could do his part against Jang Gye-seong, but he did it. He hit two home runs against the Wolves’ ace [the best pitcher on the team] Jang Gye-seong, properly asserting his presence.”

“Wales also took the victory today, so the Gote remains in a tie for 4th place. It’s a shame, but isn’t it thrilling to beat the Jamsil rival Wolves?”

“That’s right. Victory is always sweet.”

The MVP [Most Valuable Player] candidates for the game were three people.

Late-blooming rookie Seol Jin-il, who came out as the leadoff hitter and hit a home run and got on base.

High school graduate catcher Song Seok-hyun, who came out as the 3rd batter and made three RBIs [Runs Batted In] with 2 home runs.

Kim Jeong-ryul, the Crown Prince of the Gote, who showed potential as an underhand closer, although his performance was short.

All three players had achievements and backstories.

The result was unanimous.

Daily MVP was chosen as Song Seok-hyun.

“I did well too.”

Kim Jeong-ryul stroked Seol Jin-il’s head.

“Be jealous of something you should be jealous of. Who would they give it to if they didn’t give it to the hitter who hit the tying and go-ahead home runs?”

“…I want to be on TV too.”

“Well, what can you do? You can do better next time and come out. You should cheer and praise that young junior who became the MVP. It’s not like he’s always received it, right?”

“That’s true too…”

Yoon Ro-mi smiled and held out the microphone to Song Seok-hyun.

“Song Seok-hyun! Congratulations on today’s victory!”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Can you tell us your feelings on taking the victory against the Jamsil rival Wolves?”

“Um… I didn’t prepare anything special because it was the Wolves, and I’m not particularly happier either. I’m just satisfied that I contributed to the victory.”

“You hit 2 home runs against Jang Gye-seong. It’s a very rare record, did you know that?”

“I didn’t know.”

“Is there a secret to hitting a home run today?”

“Senior Jang Gye-seong’s pitches were so good that I just focused on hitting the ball. I think I was lucky that the ball I was aiming for came in.”

Despite Yoon Ro-mi’s efforts, Song Seok-hyun’s answers were short and concise.

Yoon Ro-mi continued to ask questions to prolong the interview, but Song Seok-hyun’s answers ended in one or two sentences.

Apart from Song Seok-hyun’s interview, the Gote players celebrated today’s victory and played around by splashing water on each other.

“Yes, that was the interview with Daily MVP Song Seok-hyun. Thank you to the viewers who have watched until now. Baseball is MBS Sports!”

As soon as Yoon Ro-mi finished the interview, Seol Jin-il filled a water bottle the size of a person’s head with water and splashed it on Song Seok-hyun.

“Congratulations on the MVP!”

It was a prank that Seol Jin-il got swept up in, but it was an unexpected timing.

The water that Seol Jin-il splashed went not only to Song Seok-hyun but also to Yoon Ro-mi.

In a split second, Song Seok-hyun saw the microphone in Yoon Ro-mi’s hand.

Since it was an electronic product, he thought it would be a problem if it got wet, so he pulled Yoon Ro-mi in and took the water shower with his back.

Splash!

“Hey! What are you doing!”

Kim Jeong-ryul also saw Seol Jin-il late and raised his voice.

Seol Jin-il looked at Kim Jeong-ryul, not knowing what was going on.

“Congratula…tions.”

“Hey, what are you going to do if you splash water when there’s broadcasting equipment? Ugh, I’m sorry. Are you okay? I’m sorry. Jin-il didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Kim Jeong-ryul, the oldest member of the Gote and the face of the Gote, bowed his head repeatedly.

The PD [Producer], who was about to get angry, held back.

Baseball fans are watching, and this is the Gote’s home ground.

There was no need to make a fuss here.

“The equipment is okay, but please be careful in the future. It could have been a big deal.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. I’m sorry.”

Song Seok-hyun took out the towel he had tucked into his waist, removing the clothes stuck to his back.

Yoon Ro-mi was still surprised and had her eyes wide open.

“Wipe it with this.”

“Yes? Uh? Ah, ah. Uh, uh.”

Song Seok-hyun bowed his head instead of Seol Jin-il.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be careful in the future.”

Yoon Ro-mi answered distractedly with the towel in her hand.

“No, no. It’s okay. It’s nothing.”

“I’m glad you didn’t get too wet.”

If the yellow dress had gotten wet, an embarrassing situation could have occurred in front of the audience who hadn’t left yet.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for your hard work today. Go home safely.”

Song Seok-hyun greeted Yoon Ro-mi, the PD, and the cameraman before leaving.

Yoon Ro-mi wiped the water on her arms and head with the towel Song Seok-hyun gave her.