Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 113

113. Debut

Australia, considered the weakest in their group, but certainly not to be underestimated.

Canada, a consistent producer of major league talent.

Cuba, the undisputed powerhouse of amateur baseball.

South Korea, grouped with these three countries in Group C, began their World Baseball Classic journey with their first group stage match against Australia on November 6th.

The venue was Gocheok Sky Dome, home to the Dongseong Hornets. While not quite as familiar as Jamsil Baseball Stadium, it was a significant upgrade compared to many international stadiums.

Waaaaah-!

Go-Korea! Go-Korea!

The fans weren’t just cheering for a specific team or player; their voices united in support of everyone representing the nation.

“Wow…”

The atmosphere was intense, easily dwarfing the pressure of the Korean Series or even the evaluation matches from just a few days prior.

I quietly sang along to the national anthem, offered a brief greeting to the Australian players, but even back in the dugout, I couldn’t shake the unnecessary tension.

I consciously amplified my energy to try and ease the pressure. I clapped and shouted with even more enthusiasm than I did with the Wonha Challengers.

Considering all that effort, the result felt somewhat… anticlimactic.

Hyun-jin dominated, allowing only one hit and racking up 10 strikeouts in 6 innings, and the two elite bullpen pitchers from Visco [a professional baseball team] efficiently closed out the game.

While the pitchers were in control, the batting lineup also delivered early runs, securing a swift victory.

The next day brought the second match against Canada. Again, the pitchers were the stars of the show.

Hyeok-jun, the starting pitcher, delivered a stellar 7 shutout innings, followed by Lee Kang-min from Sang-soo and Lee Song-in from Seong-woon, each pitching a clean inning.

The batting lineup contributed just enough runs to clinch the team’s second consecutive win in the tournament.

And the day after that, we faced Cuba, the team we were most wary of in Group C, and secured a perfect record in the group stage with a dominant 7-0 victory.

Lim Jae-hyeok from KP [Korean Professional baseball team], who learned the changeup from me, masterfully shut down Cuba’s powerful batting lineup for a remarkable 7 innings.

Son Seok-min, the underhand bullpen pitcher from Hanseong, pitched a clean 1 inning, and Park Chang-woo from Dongseong finished the remaining 1 inning.

“Hmm…”

Throughout the three group stage matches, my primary role had been warming the dugout like a sack of potatoes.

“Is this what it’s like to be on the national team?”

“The manager said you’re being saved for really important situations, hyung [older brother or respected senior].”

Important situations, huh…….

Of course, I wasn’t the only one on the national team who hadn’t seen game action yet. There were a few other fielders and pitchers in the same boat.

I understand the strategy, but still…….

“I’m just getting antsy.”

“Yeah, but…”

I accepted Hyeok-jun’s consolation and walked out of the airport gate. It felt strange to be heading abroad in the fall instead of winter.

I rolled my carrier and looked around. Teammates who were already close or had bonded during the tournament were pairing up and heading in the same direction.

Hyun-jin and Park Chang-woo, being from the same team, naturally stuck together.

The national team’s table setters [players who get on base frequently], Woo-seok and Seong-hyun, were deep in conversation.

The two national team catchers, initially awkward, seemed to have become quite close during the experience.

And next to me,

“Don’t you think you’ll get to play in the next game, hyung?”

“America?”

“Since it’s the first game of the Super Round, it’s even more important, right?”

Hyeok-jun’s words offered a glimmer of hope.

In terms of overall baseball experience, I had a significant edge, but when it came to national team experience, he was a seasoned veteran.

Perhaps the insight that comes from experience shouldn’t be dismissed.

Top of the 6th inning, with us leading 3-0,

“Han-wool, you’re going in the 7th.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Finally, the order to prepare for deployment had arrived. I swallowed hard and stood up.

“Hoo…”

I had assumed I’d be relaxed after watching from the dugout for so long, but that wasn’t the case at all.

I made my way to the bullpen with movements even stiffer than during my first professional appearance.

As I entered the underground area beneath Gocheok Sky Dome, I saw several pitchers already moving around and warming up.

“Yo, Han-wool.”

“Whoa, why am I so nervous?”

“Don’t be nervous. Just be yourself, do what you always do.”

“Hoo…”

Visco’s Ahn Chi-hyun, a veteran of numerous national team appearances, offered some calming words. Hoo-ha, hoo-ha, I took deep breaths, trying to relieve the tension, but it wasn’t very effective.

“Hoo… fastball.”

“Fastball!”

Bang-!

But it’s so strange, being a baseball player.

“Curve.”

“Cuurve!”

Thwack!

“Slider!”

“Sliiider!”

Bang-!

From the moment I gripped the ball, the tension began to dissipate noticeably.

Like usual.

Following Ahn Chi-hyun’s advice, I gradually began to rediscover my ‘usual’ self.

“Ugh!”

Bang-!

“Ayy, nice ball!”

The catcher’s enthusiastic encouragement, which always invigorates a pitcher, also played a role in suppressing the tension.

“Let’s go.”

The moment the baseball left my hand, the tension surged again. I couldn’t even recall how I got out of the bullpen and onto the mound.

Thud, thud―

What was currently relieving my tension was the sound of my spikes scraping against the plate and the feel of the baseball in my hand,

“Hey, let’s go!”

And Heon-cheol’s welcoming presence behind home plate.

Ding-!

[National Team Debut]

– Pitch 1 inning without allowing a run. (0/1)

– Reward – All pitches +1

With even a quest appearing, the situation felt remarkably familiar, and I was able to complete my practice pitches with a much more relaxed feeling.

“Play!”

Top of the 7th, with the score narrowed to a two-run difference after allowing one run while I was in the bullpen. The American batting order started with their cleanup hitters at number 3.

“The world is something.”

I never imagined the day would come when I would be pitching on a foreign mound against foreign players.

Heon-cheol, glancing at me with a mix of appropriate tension and a faint smile, focused on the batter standing to his right.

Not a domestic player, nor a particularly famous foreign player.

I had tried to find information about him, but it proved difficult to find any substantial details.

Rather than trying to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses,

“Ugh!”

Let’s focus on my strengths.

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

The ball, thrown just outside the strike zone in a borderline location, was called a strike with a distinct Japanese pronunciation. I immediately received the ball and threw the next one almost without hesitation.

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

The ball was about half a ball’s width outside of the previous fastball. The batter glared at the umpire, who responded with a questioning look. “What?”

It would be really fun to throw a changeup there.

Heon-cheol seemed to be thinking the same thing. I smiled, appreciating our shared intuition.

Perhaps angered by the pitcher’s smile, the American batter tightened his grip on the bat.

“Hmph!”

Whoosh-!

“Swing, out!”

Wow, his power is impressive.

Although I struck him out with a swing, I felt a chill down my spine watching his powerful swing.

After briefly acknowledging his strength in my mind, I turned towards first base, where the rounding was completed.

Thumbs up!

“…You little…”

Park Hae-jin was adorably offering a single thumbs up. The fact that his expression remained expressionless made the gesture even more amusing, and I chuckled as I received the ball again.

The next batter, boasting muscular arms, stepped into the right-handed batter’s box. Heon-cheol glanced at the American’s fourth batter and signaled for a slow curveball.

“Guh!”

The ball, released with a spin imparted by my middle finger, arced high into the air. The batter, watching the ball rise almost to eye level,

Bang-!

Was just hoping that this ball would be called a ball, praying for a ball call.

“Strike-!”

But no way.

At the world-class level, my fastball barely reaches 150km [approximately 93 mph], and the velocity itself isn’t a significant advantage.

So, what should I use to compete?

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

Control, and breaking balls.

The batter who watched the slider graze the outside edge showed a similar reaction to the previous batter, and the umpire mirrored his previous call.

I scrubbed the ball thoroughly and calculated the next pitch. With a count of 0-2, if I’m facing an American batter instead of a KBO batter,

Wham-!

“Ball-.”

A splitter, right?

But instead of throwing a splitter right away, I threw a fastball slightly high to set up the plan.

The batter, seeing the fastball heading high from the start, nonchalantly took the pitch for a ball,

“Hmph!”

Whack!

“Out!”

Right after, he unleashed a powerful swing at the falling splitter and returned to the dugout.

The fifth batter, who seemed to have received some advice from the fourth batter as he passed by, displayed a rather flamboyant routine in the right-handed batter’s box.

What is that?

Looking at the excessive bat movement near his ears, I wondered, ‘Can he even react properly with that?’

Then what is it? The fastest ball, right?

After mentally declaring that I would throw a fastball high and inside,

“Guh!”

I threw the ball with all my might.

Watching the ball hurtle towards the spot where the batter has to react the fastest, and observing the batter’s unprepared stance, I thought.

Clang-!

What is this?

It’s like, power is power, and technique is technique, and the ball, struck with a solid swing, sailed just past the left foul pole.

As soon as he made contact, the batter seemed to realize it was a foul ball, and he disregarded the batted ball, preparing for the next pitch.

Rather, the ones who felt embarrassed were me and the catcher.

Heon-cheol took a moment longer than before to consider the situation and then signaled for a slider that breaks away to the outside.

Bang!

“Ball!”

He flinched at the ball that was breaking out a little more than expected, but he managed to hold back his swing and received a ball call,

Wham―

“Ball-.”

The next sinker thrown inside was easily taken for a ball, and the count was reversed.

“Ahem.”

I squeezed my head with the rosin bag in my hand.

What should I throw, what should I throw to get back ahead in the count?

After a moment of contemplation, I roughly pieced together the information gathered from the previous three pitches.

The high inside fastball was hit solidly.

He showed an ambiguous reaction to the outside slider.

He easily laid off the inside sinker.

“…Outside then.”

Since he wouldn’t understand anyway because he’s a foreigner, I openly telegraphed my intention to throw outside.

I touched my glove and elbow with my index finger, then tapped the brim of my hat. Heon-cheol signaled for an outside sinker, confirming that my message was received.

“Ugh!”

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

That’s right.

He could clearly see the sinker approaching from afar, but the batter only flinched and didn’t take any action.

Heon-cheol must know by now.

2-2. In a situation where I had to throw the decisive pitch, I began to consider my best option.

The pitch I chose from my arsenal was a fastball on the outside. To a very, very precarious spot.

“Hoo…”

Concentrate. Concentrate again.

I carefully chose a deep breath, recognizing the need for precision in this critical situation, where even a centimeter’s difference could change the outcome.

The position I’m focusing on is exactly, precisely the pocket of the mitt that Heon-cheol is holding.

“Hoo… Hmph!”

The batter, with two balls and two strikes, had no choice but to react.

Bang-!

A very exquisite location, a place where he would obviously receive a ball call if he caught it normally,

Whoosh-!

“Swing, out!”

There was no need for that.

Ding-!

[National Team Debut]

– Pitch 1 inning without allowing a run. (1/1)

– Reward – All pitches +1

Control – Top

Power – High

Stamina – Medium

Four-seam – 84+1=85

Curve – 80+1=81

Slider – 79+1=80

Splitter – 78+1=79

Changeup – 80+1=81

Sinker – 79+1=80

Traits

Detachment – I’m okay with any batted ball or situation.

Discomfort – Makes the opposing batter feel uncomfortable when they look at the pitcher in the batter’s box.

Comfort – Those who look at me feel comfortable.

Concentration – The number of targets I can concentrate on increases.

“Nice ball, hyung!”

“Oh, Han-wool’s ball is good!”

On the way back to the dugout, those who were heading there faster than me offered words of encouragement.

As I matched the mood by shaking hands one by one, I saw a guy who had arrived at the dugout before me, holding out a first base mitt.

“Nice ball.”

I chuckled at his rather adorable appearance and gave him a thumbs up!