On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 96

Choi Jae-guk grabbed his bat and returned to the bench.

Song Seok-hyun gave Lee Baek-chan a thumbs-up.

“See? You can do it.”

“You crazy bastard. We could have played it safe.”

“We could have gone safe, but you need to build experience in overpowering opponents at times like this. You don’t know how good your pitches are.”

“…Seriously?”

“Just throw according to my signs, and if the result is bad, blame me.”

Bottom of the 7th.

The Foxes brought up setup man Jeon Byeong-seop.

Jeon Byeong-seop and Song Dae-hwa were among the few reliable relief pitchers the Foxes had.

The best card the Foxes could play: setup man Jeon Byeong-seop and closer Song Dae-hwa.

The Goats started with left fielder Oh Jin-young.

“2-2. Jeon Byeong-seop has two strikes on him and keeps throwing pitches that miss the zone.”

“They shouldn’t let their guard down against the bottom of the order. If they allow a runner here, the opponent’s heart of the order comes up quickly. The Goats’ first three hitters are as good as a cleanup crew.”

Jeon Byeong-seop walked Oh Jin-young.

Curses immediately erupted from the Foxes’ cheering section.

“Again! Again! Again! Stop already, please!”

“Is it always a walk?”

If you had to pick the Foxes’ strengths and weaknesses, it would be their explosive offense and unreliable pitching mound.

The offense’s firepower was among the league’s best, but the pitching was a problem.

In particular, giving up walks was a chronic issue.

The Foxes also had the nickname ‘Classic Game Makers.’

The bullpen would set the game on fire, leading to back-and-forth chaos and forcing classic games.

Foxes fans were already feeling uneasy.

“Next up is shortstop Jeong Young-soo.”

“He’s a top-notch defender in the league, but he’s hardly noticeable at the plate.”

“Shortstop is a position where defense is important, isn’t it?”

“Yes, of course. Defense comes first, but it would be ideal if he could hit well too.”

Jeon Byeong-seop threw a slider as the first pitch.

Jeong Young-soo swung hard at the downward-breaking slider.

“Shortstop! Misses it! Oh Jin-young to second! Safe at second! The shortstop fielded the ball and threw to first, but safe at first! The Goats have a great opportunity.”

Shin Gyu-won simply smiled.

It’s not just the mound that’s on fire.

The Foxes’ defense is among the worst in the league, rivaling the Phoenixes.

The Foxes’ bench players were already anxious, sensing the ominous feeling.

“Next up is second baseman Jeong Dong-gyu. He’s a valuable player for the team, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. He’s a well-rounded player in offense, defense, and base running. He can even play multiple infield positions, making him very versatile.”

The Foxes went into a full shift [a defensive alignment where fielders are positioned atypically to cover a batter’s tendencies].

With a three-run lead in the 7th, they were aiming for a double play even if it meant allowing a runner to advance.

The plan was good, but reality doesn’t always go according to plan.

“Ah! Jeon Byeong-seop! Another walk!”

“Giving up a walk here? It seems like they’re making it too difficult for themselves.”

“This loads the bases. The Foxes are in a crisis in the 7th.”

“The next batter, Jo Ji-ho, is a dangerous hitter with the potential for an extra-base hit.”

The Foxes’ battery [pitcher and catcher] started with two balls against the power hitter.

Jo Ji-ho waited patiently.

He already knew the Foxes’ tendencies well.

A team that’s weak under pressure, a team that self-destructs if you wait.

Jo Ji-ho was waiting for a single pitch, a slider that came into the strike zone.

“The battery’s signs are getting longer in a two-ball count.”

“They need to challenge him here. If it goes to three balls, they’ll be in complete trouble.”

“Looks like the pitcher has made a decision. The pitcher throws!”

Jo Ji-ho swung his bat at the pitch that came into the zone.

It wasn’t a slider but a fastball, which he muscled into the infield for a hit.

“Second baseman! Can’t field it! A hit! A hit! The runners advance one base each, making it 4-2. The Goats are steadily closing the gap.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. It seems like the second baseman was too close to the base. He would have caught it with normal positioning.”

“Was it a defensive shift?”

“I don’t know. It seems like the second baseman didn’t secure his position properly.”

The bases remained loaded.

The Foxes’ bench hesitated.

If not Jeon Byeong-seop, the only card they could play was the closer.

They couldn’t bring in the closer in the 7th.

But there wasn’t a better option than Jeon Byeong-seop.

A dilemma.

While the manager’s decision was delayed, the Foxes gave up a fly ball, allowing the score to narrow to 4-3.

“Next up is Seol Jin-il.”

“Seol Jin-il’s bat has been good today. But they can’t avoid him. The next batter is Kim In-hwan.”

Seol Jin-il entered the batter’s box, swinging his bat.

His crouched stance showed his determination to hit the ball no matter what.

The catcher called for an outside fastball as the first pitch.

The pitcher shook his head.

Since the batter was crouching, it was obvious he was looking for a low, outside pitch.

The catcher looked at the bench.

A signal for a sign.

“Sigh.”

The battery coach signaled to throw a slider into the zone.

Seven out of ten hitters looking for the first pitch expect a fastball.

The idea was to get ahead with a first-pitch strike.

“How can the catcher be so timid? Tsk, tsk.”

The Foxes’ manager clicked his tongue.

The battery coach smacked his lips as if it were his fault.

“A catcher shouldn’t look at the bench for every little thing, right?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You can’t raise the kids too gently. If the catcher doesn’t give the pitcher confidence, the pitcher won’t have confidence in his pitches either.”

“…Yes.”

Seol Jin-il swung hard from the first pitch.

Strike.

He lost a pitch, but Seol Jin-il remained in the batter’s box, glaring.

‘Fastball, outside.’

The catcher’s choice was a safe, low, outside fastball.

The pitcher’s pitch was more than a ball’s width outside the zone.

Then another ball, ball.

3-1.

The battery, cornered, chose a slider that dropped into the zone.

The slider from the pitcher, who had thrown many pitches since the 7th, didn’t have proper spin.

Crack!

“Center-right! Center-right! Splits the center-right! Seol Jin-il! A go-ahead hit!”

“The batter timed it perfectly.”

“The runners are heading home! Home! Home! All the runners come home! 5-4! The Goats score four runs in the 7th alone!”

“The Foxes must be feeling terrible, having brought up Jeon Byeong-seop and still getting these results.”

“The Goats continue with their KS cannons [referring to the team’s powerful hitters].”

“The Foxes have no choice but to change pitchers.”

“Will closer Song Dae-hwa come up? They’ve already given up the lead, so I don’t know who will come up.”

The pitcher the Foxes brought up was Jeong Ha-gyun.

Aside from Jeon Byeong-seop and Song Dae-hwa, he was the next best option.

He was a thirty-three-year-old veteran, but he was experienced and had a good splitter [a type of pitch], which induced many swings and misses and ground balls.

The card they played, thinking Kim In-hwan would be weak against falling pitches, turned out to be a miscalculation.

Since Kim In-hwan changed his batting form, he had become weaker against pitches that broke outside, but conversely, he was aggressive against pitches that came near the zone.

The splitter that fell slightly below the zone was like food for Kim In-hwan.

Bang!

“Right field fence! Right field fence! Right field fence! It goes over! Kim In-hwan with a two-run homer! Kim In-hwan seals the deal with a two-run homer! 7-4! The Goats are comfortably ahead. The Foxes have been silent since their four runs in the 1st.”

Kim In-hwan smiled broadly for the first time in a while.

Song Seok-hyun high-fived Kim In-hwan as he came home.

Slap!

After Kim In-hwan’s home run, the Foxes intentionally walked Song Seok-hyun and chose to face the next batter, Choi Jae-wan.

The explosive offense cooled down after Choi Jae-wan, but the Goats were satisfied with the six runs they had scored in the 7th.

Lee Baek-chan was responsible for three innings and gave up two runs, but he didn’t allow a comeback.

Three innings, two runs, but no walks, five hits, and one home run.

It wasn’t a great performance, but Lee Baek-chan’s expression was bright as he entered the bench.

“Man, that was close. You ended up giving up a home run.”

Lee Baek-chan complained to Song Seok-hyun after securing the win.

Song Seok-hyun laughed loudly.

“Didn’t you see how the Foxes’ hitters were struggling even when you were throwing right down the middle? The home run was because of a mistake. Today, everything but your home run was a single. If they’re like this even when you’re throwing strikes, how do you think it would be if you expanded the zone?”

“Why were you calling such tight signs today?”

“You don’t trust your pitches. Even when you throw right down the middle like today, the worst result is this. Even if you make a mistake and give up a home run, it’s still three innings and two runs. You can always do better than this. So just throw it in there. From the next game, I’ll take care of the hitters properly.”

Seol Jin-il was chosen as the game’s MVP [Most Valuable Player].

He had the game-winning hit and played the role of leadoff hitter.

Seol Jin-il answered the MVP interview without any nervousness, even though it was his first time.

“Then, do you have any final words you’d like to say?”

“Ah, yes, I do. Ha-yeon! Are you watching? Your dad’s on TV. Honey, your husband is on TV now. People will believe you now when you say your husband is a baseball player. I love you, In-hye! I love you, Ha-yeon! Mom, Dad! Thank you for waiting! Your son is finally good enough at baseball to be on TV.”

After the game, the Goats fans sang their cheers and enjoyed the victory.

On his way home, Seol Jin-il was surrounded by a crowd for the first time, bombarded with autograph requests.

His body was tired, but the smile on his face wouldn’t leave.

Song Seok-hyun avoided the reporters and fans, quickly taking a taxi and leaving the stadium.

Through the car window, he saw Seol Jin-il laughing heartily and taking pictures.

“That’s a relief.”

* * *

As soon as Song Seok-hyun returned home, he was interrogated by his mother and sister.

Yoon Ro-mi.

A name that anyone with even a little interest in baseball would know.

“Are you sure nothing’s going on?”

“Yeah, nothing. I just met her because of my senior.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

His mother crossed her arms and said.

“I won’t stop you from dating… but be careful.”

“I know. I’ll be careful from now on.”

After his mother went into the master bedroom, his sister approached Song Seok-hyun.

“Oppa [Korean term for older brother used by females], are you really not dating?”

“I told you, no.”

“Oppa, did you text Nayeong noona [Korean term for older sister used by males]?”

“What text?”

“You have to clear up the misunderstanding.”

“Tsk, don’t overreact. You’re getting out of line?”

Song Seok-hyun frowned, and his sister backed away.

“…Okay.”

Song Seok-hyun went into his room and reviewed today’s game.

Shin Gyu-won.

A master of the changeup [a type of pitch].

He was the most difficult type of pitcher he had ever faced.

If Song Seok-hyun, with his keen eye, had a nemesis, it was a pitcher with no difference in his tells when throwing fastballs and breaking balls.

Every pitcher has slight differences, but Shin Gyu-won’s were hard to find.

Shin Gyu-won’s changeup was a masterpiece, and his slider was tricky too.

If it weren’t for the trick of gripping the end of the bat, he would have struggled all day.

“Should I not swing fully against this type of hitter…?”

Song Seok-hyun closed his eyes.

In his imagination, Shin Gyu-won was… still a difficult pitcher.

Rising as a Catcher

Explosion! KS cannons!

The next day at lunch.

Song Seok-hyun came to work early and was catching Kim Jeong-ryul’s pitches.

Whack!

“Good. I think that’s enough?”

“Really? Be honest, is it okay?”

“Yes, let’s stop for today. You need to save your shoulder.”

“Sigh. Well, if you say so.”

Kim Jeong-ryul sat down heavily, rubbing his shoulder.

Song Seok-hyun sat next to Kim Jeong-ryul with a drink.

“Why are you so impatient? Your pitches are good.”

Kim Jeong-ryul took a sip of the drink Song Seok-hyun offered.

“The manager called me in separately yesterday.”

“Really? What did he say?”

“Well… you’ll find out soon, but Mansung’s condition isn’t good.”