On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 98

Why would someone who’s already off work be here?

Kim Hak-in stood up to answer the phone.

“Yes, Director.”

-Where are you right now?

“I’m still at the stadium. I’m getting ready to leave work now.”

-Is that so? Then wait there. I’m on my way.

“Pardon? Here?”

-Yes, go to my office and wait.

Kim Hak-in hung up the phone.

His voice was full of anger.

* * *

“Look at this, look at this!”

The director handed Kim Hak-in the documents as soon as he entered the office.

Kim Hak-in took them absentmindedly and opened the envelope.

The director sat on the sofa and pounded the table with his fist.

“Aren’t they trying to screw us over?”

Kim Hak-in frowned as he read the documents.

“Director, isn’t this… a medical record?”

“That’s right. It’s Park Shin-un’s medical record. Did you see that? They say he has a cerebral aneurysm [a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain], and from what I hear, it’s like a time bomb in his head.”

“How did you get this?”

“Is that important?”

“Isn’t it difficult to access personal information like this unless you’re the person involved?”

“Ha, the director of Hye Sung Hospital and I know each other through a mutual acquaintance. He gave it to me, so the only people who know about this are me and him.”

“Ah… yes…”

“Isn’t it infuriating? Shouldn’t he have notified the club immediately about something like this?”

“Of course, but does he need surgery right away?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s immediate, but they said he needs surgery. They said the prognosis might not be good after the surgery.”

“I’m not a doctor, so I can’t say for sure… but seeing as he’s still playing, it might not be necessary right away. Athletes often play with injuries. This could be one of those cases.”

“Ahem, Team Leader Kim. The important thing is that he didn’t tell us. Aren’t the players part of the club? We pay them their salaries and take care of everything for them, but Park Shin-un hid something this important.”

Kim Hak-in pressed his lips together.

“It’s very infuriating. Ha.”

The director crossed his legs and breathed heavily.

Kim Hak-in lowered his head and watched the director’s reaction.

The director suppressed his anger for a long time.

“Team Leader Kim.”

“Yes, Director.”

“We’re in the middle of trade discussions right now.”

“…Yes.”

“Try to push it through with this. If Park Shin-un is available, isn’t he a good asset?”

“Park Shin-un? He’s our starting catcher.”

“We have Seo Il-hyuk and Song Seok-hyun too. What’s the problem?”

“There’s a big difference between a starting catcher and a backup. There has never been a case of trading a starting catcher.”

“Why can’t we do it? He needs surgery anyway. Then another year or two will fly by, right? Officially, we didn’t know he was sick because Park Shin-un didn’t tell us. Is there a problem with the trade?”

“Then let’s ask him and proceed. If the doctor says he doesn’t need surgery right away, we should let him play until the end of the season. We can’t have our starting catcher out in the middle of the season.”

“Ahey, this guy. You’re so dense.”

The director pointed at Kim Hak-in with his finger.

“If we ask him, he’ll know we know he’s sick. We can’t let that happen. We shouldn’t contact him. Proceed right away. It’s not bedtime yet, is it? Call now. Call and find a team that can give us a bullpen pitcher and finish it by tomorrow morning. Don’t drag it out. Finish it by the game tomorrow, no matter what.”

Kim Hak-in squeezed his eyes shut.

‘It’s hard to persuade him.’

‘At this point, I have to force it.’

Trading a starting catcher in the middle of the season.

Manager Ham Sung-hoon came to mind.

Building a team with backup catcher Seo Il-hyuk and rookie catcher Song Seok-hyun?

His mind went blank.

‘This is a bad move.’

Trading the starting catcher is a problem, but the aftermath of the trade will be even more problematic.

Trading like this will lose trust, and losing trust will make the next trade difficult.

“What are you doing? Call now, hurry!”

* * *

Song Seok-hyun looked for Park Shin-un, who was sitting in the back row of the catcher’s section at the baseball stadium.

Park Shin-un was sitting there with a blank expression.

“Senior.”

Park Shin-un turned his head.

“You came? Sit down.”

“Yes, Senior.”

Song Seok-hyun sat down one seat away from Park Shin-un.

Park Shin-un gave a bitter smile.

“I ended up telling you first, of all people.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been traded. I’m going to the Bulls.”

Song Seok-hyun blinked his eyes.

“Yes? Traded?”

“Yeah, that’s what happened.”

“Ah, ah, no. That doesn’t make sense. What team trades their starting catcher?”

“Apparently, this one does.”

“Isn’t something wrong? This isn’t right. This… this isn’t right!”

Song Seok-hyun stammered.

Trades are like shadows that follow baseball players, but sudden trades are rare.

Those involved usually get a sense of it before the trade.

Trades go through countless negotiations and breakdowns behind the scenes, and only one or two of them actually happen.

A player who is frequently mentioned in trades knows, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, that they are a trade target and prepares themselves mentally.

Not only the player but also the team can guess to some extent.

Park Shin-un is an answer that wasn’t in the choices.

Changing the starting catcher?

Seo Il-hyuk is a good catcher, but he can’t replace Park Shin-un.

His head was spinning.

“Why did this happen?”

Park Shin-un frowned.

“I don’t know. They didn’t tell me the reason. Anyway, I have to go down today. That’s why I called you. Ha. I was going to help you with your training when this season was over, but that won’t happen now.”

“…Senior.”

“It’s absurd, but what can I do? This is professional baseball. You’re keeping the notebook I gave you safe, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“You haven’t leaked it anywhere, have you?”

“No, never.”

“Good. I can’t take it back now anyway, and I guess I’m going because you have a connection to it. Learn and master it well. That’s just past data anyway, so you know it’s useless unless you keep updating it, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Yeah, I was traded and it was absurd, but when I thought about who to tell, no one came to mind. I thought of you, so I called you before I went down.”

“Thank you for calling me like this.”

“I guess we’ll meet as opponents from now on.”

“…”

“I’m going to have to face scary hitters. I’m already worried.”

“…I’ve always been grateful to you, Senior. I’m sad that I didn’t have much time with you.”

“I’m always a person who’s chased by time, so I didn’t have time to spend with you anyway. Looking back, it feels a bit empty. I’ve lived like that all my life, so I would have made it to FA [Free Agency, the ability for a player to sign with any team] with my skills, but I don’t have any close friends, haha.”

Park Shin-un lowered his head.

A player who was just a backup of a backup catcher grew into a top-notch catcher who received a huge amount of money as a free agent.

To succeed with ordinary physicals, he watched and studied players’ videos every day.

He didn’t rest a single day to find even small habits and to understand the opponent’s habits.

It was a routine that he thought was natural to make up for his lack of skills, but looking back, he doesn’t have a single close friend to confide in.

He knows more about baseball than anyone else, but there is no one to discuss baseball with.

The only person he has seriously discussed baseball with is a rookie who has just turned twenty.

Park Shin-un laughed.

“You’ll have more chances to catch from now on. What did I tell you to do before and after the game?”

“You told me to get a massage.”

“Yeah, that’s right. A catcher’s hands are just as overworked. Catchers often have their fingers bent. A lot of fatigue builds up in the joints. Don’t soak them in cold water. Always use warm water. And heat up a warm pack or beanbag and massage them often. Minimize the amount of grip strength you use. Do exercises like deadlifts or pull-ups for a short time. Players often retire because of minor injuries rather than major ones. Catchers injure their knees, fingers, and shoulders the most. Just because your shoulders are good doesn’t mean you shouldn’t warm them up properly and throw with just your shoulder strength. Make sure to manage your weight. When a catcher starts to gain weight, it damages their knees. A catcher sits down and stands up at least two hundred times in a game. Make sure to lose weight. When you sit down and stand up, don’t put pressure on your knees, stick your butt out and stand up like you’re squatting. This has to become a habit. Don’t be overconfident just because you’re young. Your joints are consumables. Save them and save them. Of course, alcohol and cigarettes… you know?”

“…Yes, Senior.”

Park Shin-un stood up.

A smile lingered on Park Shin-un’s lips.

“Well, I guess I was thirsty for words too. Rambling on and on, geez. Haha.”

“Senior…”

“I was nagging a lot. I wrote it all down in my notebook, geez. I’m being a busybody.”

“No. I’m listening to everything.”

Park Shin-un held out his hand to Song Seok-hyun.

Song Seok-hyun hesitated for a moment and then took Park Shin-un’s hand.

“We’re on different teams now, but we’re catchers. Right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll think of you as a good junior.”

“I will always be grateful to you, Senior.”

“Saying it like that makes me feel awkward and grateful. But it’s not bad.”

The two men’s handshake ended.

“Do well in the future. You’re going to be a good catcher. It’s your style, but don’t be too aggressive, think about it one more time.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

“Okay, okay, let’s see each other often in the future.”

Park Shin-un went down the stairs.

Song Seok-hyun bowed his head behind Park Shin-un’s back.

Even though it was summer, the wind swept across his face.

Song Seok-hyun looked up at the sky.

“This is professional baseball…”

Rapid Success as a Catcher

Explosion

[Shocking 1:2 Trade! Park Shin-un ↔ Go Jin-seok, Kim Jin-seok]

[GOAT! Starting Catcher Traded in the Middle of the Season? Baseball World Puzzled]

[Why Did GOAT Urgently Recruit Bullpen Pitchers?]

[GOAT! Aiming for the Championship This Season? Many Point Out It’s Hard to Understand]

* * *

Ring, ring.

Buzzz. Buzzz.

Ring, ring.

There’s a call~ There’s a call~ There’s a call~.

Bomb.

GOAT’s office was like a bomb had gone off.

The article that was released after lunch shocked not only GOAT fans but also baseball fans.

“Yes, yes. Yes. Yes. Please calm down. Yes, yes. That’s right. I understand you’re very angry-.”

“Could you please refrain from swearing? …The club has its reasons-.”

“Stop asking me. How would I know! Reporter Kim! How many times are you going to call? Huh?”

They traded their starting catcher even though their relationship with the club wasn’t strained.

It was an unprecedented case in KPBL [Korean Professional Baseball League] history.

The players, club staff, and fans were all bewildered, not knowing what was going on.

As the confusion intensified.

Manager Ham Sung-hoon was standing in the director’s office.

“Manager Ham, tell me again. You knew about this?”

“Yes, I knew.”

Director Kim Myung-soo didn’t even bother to put on a polite expression.

“Then why didn’t you tell the club?”

“The player said he would tell the club after consulting with the doctor.”

“No, that’s not the point. If you knew in advance, you should have told the club. Why wait for the player?”

“The doctor said there was no problem playing the game, so wouldn’t he be playing the game? We have to respect the player’s wishes.”

“Ha, Manager Ham. No, Acting Manager Ham Sung-hoon.”

Director Kim Myung-soo jumped up from his seat.

“How can you take our money and side with the player?”

“I’m not taking sides. It’s because that’s the principle.”

“Principle? Is it a principle to not say anything about a sick player?”

“It’s the player’s personal matter.”

“How is a player being sick a personal matter! It’s a significant loss to the club! If the player hides it, isn’t it the manager’s job to reveal it?”

“The doctor said it was okay, and he said he would tell the club after discussing the surgery date with the doctor. It wasn’t hiding, it was a legitimate process.”

“This guy really doesn’t know his ass from his elbow!”

Ham Sung-hoon snorted.

“Answer my question first. Why did you do that? Why did you illegally obtain personal information and proceed with the trade? This could definitely turn into a big problem later.”

“Big problem? Are you threatening me now? Hey! Ham Sung-hoon! Are you really trying to mess with me!”

“Director, I’m saying this for your own good. If the illegal acquisition of personal information is revealed, not only will the club’s image plummet, but you will also be in trouble.”

“Is this guy threatening me because I’ve been too nice?”

The director grabbed Ham Sung-hoon by the collar.

“I’m already pissed off, what are you trying to do? Hey! Do you think you’re something just because you’re the manager?”

Bang!