Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 105

Seongun Hawks versus Dongseong Hornets.

One team that had been lingering at the bottom of the league every year, only to catch the last train to the postseason by sheer luck last year. The other, a team very familiar with the postseason.

Shall we put it another way?

A team that climbed one step higher in the standings with skills that have grown several levels compared to last year. The other, a team that has faltered and fallen two steps.

These two teams met in the semi-playoffs [a round before the final playoff series].

Who will win?

I weighed the odds while watching Wooseok and HyunJin, who were holding microphones and spouting confident words.

“Wow… Dongseong is in big trouble. What are they going to do?”

3 to 0.

Seongun, who had won two consecutive games at their home stadium before heading to Seoul, continued their momentum and secured their advancement to the next stage in just one more game.

How did Dongseong get so utterly crushed?

Seongun’s movements sometimes felt like watching our Wonha’s movements.

Barely making it to the league playoffs in 4th place, then advancing to the semi-playoffs. The following year, finishing the season in 3rd place relatively comfortably, and then winning the semi-playoffs as well.

If the movements of the Wonha Challengers and the Seongun Hawks are exactly one year apart…?

“I told you not to set up a flag [a jinx or prediction that could backfire].”

Like a ghost, Seongun was eliminated early in the playoffs. Just like us last year.

“No, think about it, hyung [older brother or male friend]. Don’t you see the flow is the same? Huh? Who was first in the regular season last year?”

“Sangsoo.”

“Right. Who won the Korean Series [the final championship series in Korean baseball]?”

“Sangsoo.”

“Right? Let’s apply this to this year.”

“No.”

Gyujin hyung contorted his face and pointed his finger at me.

“Then next year. Seongun is going to be first in the season, and we are.”

“Ah.”

That’s right.

“…Are we going to lose the Korean Series?”

“You crazy bastard.”

The semi-playoffs and the playoffs were completed, and the opponent for the Korean Series was determined.

Sangsoo Tigers.

They, who have always waited for the Korean Series from the top spot, are now wielding a knife sharpened from below this year.

October 14th.

With about a week left until the Korean Series, the Wonha Challengers’ roster is split in half to sharpen their senses.

It’s good to have rested for more than two weeks and recovered their stamina to the maximum, but as a countermeasure, they had to prevent their skills from getting rusty.

Bang-!

“Oh. Juho is scary.”

When Juho, wearing the home team’s uniform, fiercely swings his bat, the ball thrown by Hyukjoon flies far away.

Pow-!

“Ball three!”

“Right away to 1st base!”

With runners on 1st and 2nd base, Heonhee, who slid and blocked the batted ball, jumped up from his seat, stepped on the base, and threw the ball to 1st base.

“Heonhee’s defense has improved a lot.”

“I guess so.”

The uniforms of the players returning to the dugout after finishing the inning had a much higher proportion of navy blue than white [indicating they were working hard and sweating].

“Did you take good care of your body?”

“Of course!”

Although he allowed one home run, it wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like he’s going to be dropped from the roster just because he got hit by one home run.

Yes, the current period is very similar to spring training before the season starts.

The starting players are moving with the significance of regaining their senses, but the backup members are not at all, absolutely not.

Use me! Use me! Put me on the roster!

Juho’s home run a little while ago and Heonhee’s good defense showed that they were disobeying the order to rest and recover their stamina.

One week.

For 1.5-tier members [players who are almost starters but not quite], the chances of being selected are quite high, but for players below that, nothing is really decided.

They will not open their tightly closed mouths until right before Media Day to get even a glimpse of the end of the roster.

“Geonyeong.”

“Yes!”

An order to pitch was issued after a long time. It’s been a long time since I’ve held a baseball, but the feeling itself is not unfamiliar at all.

Too, too, I did catch ball with Geonyeong, who was standing up from his seat. The feeling I felt with my hands was familiar, but the feeling of moving my body was somehow awkward.

“Ah, wait a minute.”

“Yes!”

Why isn’t the sinker working?

“Sinker.”

“Yes!”

Bang-!

“Ah, good!”

Okay, it’s done.

I am also included in the aforementioned starting members. Whether I pitch and block without giving up a run or give up 10 runs in one inning, I will be on the roster.

Of course… if the latter happens, our team will think of me again at the beginning of this season.

“Let’s go up.”

“Yes.”

Is it because I experienced it during the away game against the Sangsoo Tigers? Even though it’s my home, heading to the mound from the third base side wasn’t as awkward as I thought.

“Hmm….”

I stepped on the plate and looked around the deserted stadium.

Soon, this place will be filled with people.

“Play!”

The umpire also needs to awaken his senses.

Strictly speaking, it’s a day off, but some umpires volunteered for free. Thanks to that, the game is flowing naturally like this.

The leadoff hitter is Seonghun hyung.

It was quite awkward to pitch against members of the same team for the first time in almost a year.

Something… I don’t know when it will be, but it feels like I’m making unnecessary mental preparations because something like this might happen someday.

That’s a story for then.

I tried to hide my uncomfortable feelings and proceeded with the pitch.

Bang-!

“Strike!”

* * *

“Hanwool.”

“Yo, it’s been a while.”

As soon as I came to the stadium, I met someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“How have you been?”

“Just living moderately.”

“How is it? Our team is going to the Korean Series soon.”

“That’s good.”

Youngjin smiled and handed me a canned coffee.

“It’s hard for us now… but Youngjin’s side will have a headache from now on, right?”

“Ah… that’s right. It’s starting to explode now. If the results were good before it exploded….”

With a hiss, one can whose lid had disappeared was quickly crushed.

“Let’s see… this year is Gyujin hyung and Myungjin, right?”

“That’s right.”

“What about next year and the year after next?”

“Next year is Nam Giseong, Yoon Seungju, and Lee Seonghun. The year after next is Yoo Hoon and Jeon Seongmoon.”

It is always welcome for a team to maintain its youth. Moreover, it is even more perfect if young players achieve good results.

“It’s starting to explode.”

“It really hurts my head.”

But if only a little time passes from there, you will know.

“How… are you roughly grasping the guide [understanding the situation]?”

“The goal is always the same. To catch them all [retain all the players]. Hanwool knows, right? There isn’t a single spot among our starters that we can send away and reliably fill.”

Because of this, a bomb explodes somewhere as soon as the season ends [referring to contract negotiations and potential player departures].

The Wonha Challengers must continue their battle of wits with other teams for a long time of 5 years.

The good news is that they have managed to defend the first two years somehow. What I’m worried about is,

“Is there enough money?”

I’m a little worried about the next three years because of the previous two years.

“Well, it’s definitely okay until this year. Next year… I think it’ll be okay, but it’ll be a bit tight.”

“The year after next is ambiguous, right?”

“Ah… my head really hurts.”

Myungjin and Gyujin hyung. Giseong, Seungju, and Seonghun hyung. Hoon and Seongmoon.

All seven of them are people who cannot be easily given up.

As I became close to Youngjin and heard about the team’s operations, I understood the team’s situation.

“Why… do you remember? It was something Hanwool said.”

“When?”

“When was it… last year or the year before last?”

Ah, it’s the year before last.

Youngjin, who added that explanation, told the main point.

“Why, you said that. When we were talking about winning the Korean Series and… something like that. I can only think of short-term things now.”

“What is it….”

“At that time, why… when I asked if there were any players you wanted from other teams, Hanwool said that he just wanted to do it among ourselves.”

“Ah… ah. I remember. I think that was right after the All-Star game.”

“That’s right, that’s right. That’s what we were talking about then.”

About 2 years and 3 months ago.

I dredged up my already faint memories and regained the feeling at that time.

“Why are you talking about that?”

“I don’t know if Hanwool was talking with the same heart as me now. I just have similar thoughts.”

“The thought of wanting to do everything among ourselves?”

“Yes.”

Youngjin, who laughed hollowly, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

“Actually, a club employee shouldn’t think like this….”

Cheek, cheek, cheek― [sound of flicking a lighter]

“Hoo… it’s actually business. Strictly speaking.”

“That’s right.”

“We give money, and the players give results.”

“That’s right.”

“But to be honest, the money given to the players isn’t my money. It’s the club’s money.”

I laughed at the unreserved words.

“So I don’t know if that’s why. I don’t want to send any of our team’s players away, and I don’t want to bring in players from other teams.”

“Bringing them in….”

“We have to bring them in if we need them. If we need them. That’s why we brought in Choi Eungu and Shin Kyungseok. Just….”

The cigarette smoke that had circulated deeply in Youngjin’s lungs spread out.

“I hope our backup players and second-team players do well.”

“They have to do well.”

“They have to do well.”

“But not everyone can do well.”

“I know. That’s why it’s a shame.”

Survival of the fittest.

In the world of professionals, ‘affection’ does not feed you. It’s not because Youngjin gives a lot of affection to the players that he’s in a key position.

“First of all, the front office is good to the… backup and second team. I know it’s not like the front office can do anything….”

“That’s right. Those players have to do well. It’s not like we can give them 1 billion and tell them to do 1 billion worth of work next year.”

“They’ll do well.”

Has his mind been relieved a little?

Youngjin put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray and got up from his seat.

“Hanwool, prepare well too.”

“Don’t worry about our side.”

Youngjin smiled contentedly at my last words and left.

* * *

Kim Hyungchul’s Straightforward – Will the Wonha Challengers’ Korean Series be remembered by everyone?

The 2019 KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] Korean Series is only two days away. Considering that tomorrow is the Korean Series Media Day, it is practically only one day away.

The Wonha Challengers, who are advancing to the Korean Series after many years, will show what kind of performance in the Korean Series. I can confidently say after looking at the calendar once.

First of all, if you put the Korean Series in the category of postseason, you have had indirect experience for the past two years.

In the 17th season, they finished 4th but were eliminated in the semi-playoffs, and in the 18th season, they finished 3rd and were eliminated in the playoffs.

Therefore, it is expected that the burden of advancing to the postseason will be significantly reduced.

In the 2017 season, Hwang Hyukjoon recorded a complete game victory in the first game of the semi-playoffs against the KP Stars, showing the aspect of a big game pitcher.

Yoon Seungju proved why his nickname was Clutch Hitter with a grand slam in the game.

Kang Seonghyun imprinted his nickname, which is a bit ambiguous to include in the article, by stealing hits and RBIs at random.

During the three series, Kim Hanwool fully demonstrated the appearance of a ‘guardian deity’, although it is a Japanese expression.

So, if we change the word ‘postseason’ in the previous sentence to ‘Korean Series’, is it okay to keep the following words?

Both the semi-playoffs and the playoffs are great stages. It is not enough to call it a great stage, and everyone deserves applause.

But the Korean Series is different. The number of games, or the odds, or the attention are all different, but the most important thing is the result.

In this world, which is said to remember only the first place, the Korean Series runner-up team is only clearly remembered by the fans of the team, to put it bluntly.

On the other hand, most baseball fans remember the winning team. Also, all the players who have confirmed their advancement are shedding blood and sweat to remain in everyone’s memory.

The 2019 KBO Korean Series is full of various viewing factors. Will the Wonha Challengers be able to remain in everyone’s memory after the Korean Series ends?