Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 116

There are opponents you absolutely must not lose to, opponents you absolutely cannot lose to, and opponents you absolutely cannot afford to lose to.

All three might sound the same, but if you break them down carefully, each case has a slightly different nuance. The usage also differs for each.

But, strangely enough, the country called ‘Japan’ was a case that included all three of the above.

Just being defeated is enough to earn tremendous criticism, but if you add the provocative interview of the opposing team’s cleanup hitter who hit the game-winning home run…

“Hey, you know.”

“Yes?”

“If we win today… no, just make sure to get that cleanup hitter. Even if it means hitting him, don’t let him get on base.”

The morale of the Koreans is further boosted.

Hyeok-jun, who’s starting today, answered my threatening request with a thumbs-up.

“And then do an interview like this: ‘Ah, thanks to the Japanese cleanup hitter’s blunder, we were able to solve it easily.'”

Hehe.

Since he’s been with me for quite a while, it seems he’s becoming quite like me.

How can he pick out only the comments I want like that?

Of course, the interview of Eno… whatever his name was, after yesterday’s game, also reached the ears of Team Korea members.

And there…

– Ishitani Atsushi, ‘I’m not looking forward to the final game.’

Today, just before the final, an additional interview with the Japanese starting pitcher was updated.

To put it simply, the interview was a rant about how Korea’s level is too low, so Japan’s victory is obvious, and the final game won’t be fun.

Adding another sin.

It’s only natural that Team Korea members get heated up about it. It’s also natural that this steam becomes another kind of morale boost.

“Hey guys. Can you go home after all this?”

Before the game started, Kim Gi-yoon, the captain of the Korean national team, gathered the team members and started a simple speech.

In some ways, it might seem like *kkondae* [a Korean term for an older person who is condescending or preachy], or a lecture, and some might say that if they saw it, but none of those listening to Kim Gi-yoon’s words showed a bored expression.

“You guys, they’re acting like that, can you go home after all this!”

“No!”

“Did you see yesterday? Eno… what was it?”

“Enokida Hideki?”

“Yeah, that guy. That guy and Ishitani Atsu something. That bastard also ranted. Can you guys go home after all this!”

“No!”

“Hyeok-jun, you can blow his head off, so don’t feel pressured. The *hyungs* [older brothers/mentors] will take care of everything behind you.”

“Yes!”

“Batters too. Show them properly.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

The short and impactful words lifted the spirits of the Koreans.

The 2019 Premier12 highly anticipated final began with Korea’s attack. The one signaling the start is Choi Woo-seok, the leadoff hitter of the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].

The Japanese pitcher facing Woo-seok is Ishitani Atsushi, who piled up sins with his mouth even before the game started.

He throws fastballs in the early 150km/h range, various changeups, and has pretty good control. He’s currently the best starting pitcher in Japan. He’s also a lefty.

It’s been almost 15 years since I became close with Woo-seok, but it’s really the first time I’ve seen him so focused.

Concentration.

Whatever the reason, the increased morale clearly shows its effect.

Bang-!

“Ball!”

The effect appears in various places. Whether it’s the decisiveness of the eyes, or the movement of the body.

Boom-!

“Ball-.”

Or maybe it’s being able to prove everything you have, 100 of it,

Crack-!

“Runnnnn!!”

“Go, Woo-seok-mon!!”

Whether it’s the result.

3-1, Woo-seok didn’t bother to pick more and pushed the ball coming into the corner of the zone as is, hitting a single in front of the left fielder.

Woo-seok, who stepped on first base, raised both thumbs towards us in the distance.

“Choi Woo-seok! Choi Woo-seok! Choi Woo-seok!”

“Thumbs uppp-!”

“Thumbs up!!”

We also responded with both thumbs up. It was a new ceremony created by the Korean national team ahead of this final.

When was it, was it the game against the United States? I remembered the thumbs up Park Hae-jin gave me and suggested it to the team members, and everyone nodded and agreed.

Show thumbs up when hitting a hit, scoring a point, or making a good play.

The new tacit rule of our team was being reflected very well.

When Seong-hyun bunted Woo-seok to advance, when Kim Gi-yoon made a well-hit ball even though he was caught,

Crack-!

“It’s goneeee!!!”

“Park Hae-jin! Park Hae-jin! Park Hae-jin!”

“Thumbs uppp-!!”

Even when Park Hae-jin turned the Tokyo Dome into a library [meaning it became very quiet due to the home run he hit].

The thumbs up were spreading like wildfire among the Koreans in the Tokyo Dome without fail.

“Awesome bastarddd!!”

“Take two thumbs uppp!!”

“I like Hae-jin!”

I, who couldn’t stand sitting in the dugout, also got up from my seat. I showed thumbs up with both hands to Park Hae-jin, who came into the dugout following the escort of Woo-seok, who was the lead runner.

Thumbs up!

Then, without fail, two thumbs came back.

In the evening of November 17, 2019, the 3rd base dugout in the Tokyo Dome stadium in Japan began to be covered with the players’ thumbs up.

I wonder if this ceremony was a bit provocative to the Japanese team,

Crack—

“Second! Cut, cut it!!”

Gyu-hak adjusted the direction of the 2nd batter’s batted ball. However, the slight problem was that the point in time was when it was coming into the infield, not when it was going out of the infield.

To briefly explain Hyeok-jun’s pitching in the bottom of the 1st inning, the starter of the Korean team today, Hyeok-jun was doing well.

Yeah, he did well.

Crack-!

Waaaaah-!!

“Oh my.”

It’s just that the opponent did better.

The Koreans in the dugout, who couldn’t stand seeing the sight of pulling the slider that goes down until just before it hits the ground and sending it over the left fence,

“It’s okay, it’s okay!”

“Hyeok-jun, take a thumbs uppp!!”

“Thumbs uppppp-!!”

Give thumbs up to cheer him up.

Whether it’s the batter’s bat flip that sends the bat far away after hitting a home run, or looking at us with provocative eyes around the time of stepping on 3rd base,

“Let’s go, Hyeok-jun!!”

“Thumbs up, thumbs uppp-!!”

Who cares.

The Koreans ignored the young Japanese man. Not ignoring his skills or appearance, but,

*Kuso!* [Japanese for “Damn!”]

Just ignoring his very existence.

What we can do, what we have to do.

Defining the scope of what I usually do as a team, not as an individual, had a very good effect.

Hyeok-jun’s expression, who struck out the next two batters after giving up a three-run home run, looked brighter than expected.

“Ah, score some points!”

“Thumbs up, thumbs up!”

“Thumbs uppp-!”

At this point, I wonder if the thumbs up have become so popular that normal conversation is impossible,

Crack-!

“Thumbs uppp-!!”

Well, who cares. It’s enough if we properly express our opinion that we’re doing well.

Ha Hae-jin, who came out as the leadoff hitter in the top of the 2nd inning, was retired with a fly ball to the right fielder, but the next hitter, Gyu-hak, hit another hit and sent a thumbs up from afar.

Although the next hitters were relatively easily retired and didn’t score more points, the atmosphere of giving and receiving thumbs up continued.

When Hyeok-jun struck out, when Ha Hae-jin showed a good defense, when Nam Dong-geun caught an ordinary fly ball to the left fielder.

Where did the excitement of the first attack and defense go? After that, both teams’ batting lines entered a temporary lull.

Quietly, quietly. Even until the end of the bottom of the 5th inning.

This silence is like a countdown whispered before a bomb explodes,

Crack-!!

“Let’s goooo!!”

“Thumbs up, thumbs up! Thumbs uppp-!!”

It seemed impossible to stop the wave of thumbs up that started to explode once again.

In the top of the 6th inning, Park Hae-jin once again liquidated the sins that Ishitani Atsushi had accumulated.

“Hae-jin, take a thumbs up!”

“Thumbs up.”

When I gave a double thumbs up to Park Hae-jin, who returned to the dugout, he also answered with a double thumbs up with a somewhat blunt expression.

Is he crazy?

4 to 3, the bottom of the 6th inning started with one point reversed again with Park Hae-jin’s two-run home run. Hyeok-jun was still on the mound.

If it’s the bottom of the 6th inning that started with the 2nd batter like our top of the 6th inning, then that guy will surely come out again.

“Let’s go, let’s go, Hyeok-jun, let’s gooo!”

“Show us! Show us, Hyeok-jun!!”

Takayama Masayoshi, who came out with the title of 2nd batter just like yesterday, made Hyeok-jun throw 8 balls and then trudged back to the dugout.

Next came Imanaka Shingo, who is perhaps the most wary batter in the Japanese lineup, but he didn’t seem to be very effective against Hyeok-jun.

Like the previous two at-bats, this at-bat was also cleanly retired with a three-pitch strikeout.

After that, he met Enokida Hideki.

“I really wish I could hit him in the head.”

“Really.”

“Hyung, do you want to try it when we meet later?”

“Are you crazy?”

I watched the cleanup hitter’s match while chatting with Ahn Chi-hyun of Visco, who had become a bit closer after joining the national team.

Bang-!

“Haik-!”

If you put aside personality or nationality and look only at skills and performance, Enokida Hideki is really the best batter in this tournament.

During the tournament, he had 13 hits and 5 home runs in 24 at-bats over 6 games. The strikeout he had against me yesterday was the first strikeout during the tournament.

What needs to be acknowledged must be acknowledged.

He’s probably one of the best hitters not only in Japan, but also in the world.

But they say he can’t control his emotions.

Boom-!

“Swing-!”

A count with two strikes first without any balls.

This is really something that happens when meeting people as people before baseball, so I know very well that I shouldn’t have these thoughts,

“Ah, I really wish I could blow his head off.”

“Really.”

I nodded my head without realizing it at Ahn Chi-hyun’s quiet mumbling next to me.

Whack-!

“Ball!”

The 3rd pitch seems to have been a curve. Judging from the side, the height was right, but it must have been a bit off to the side since it was called a ball.

And the 4th pitch,

Boom-!

“Ball-!”

He threw a fastball that was deeply embedded in the body, requiring a quick reaction. The batter was surprised and jumped back.

I’ll just go along with it up to this point. I’ll just go along with it, but…….

“…what?”

After that, Enokida Hideki was seen pointing at Hyeok-jun with his bat as if it were a finger and saying something.

Hey, heyyy!!

At that, Kim Gi-yoon, who is in charge of the team’s captain and has the most fiery personality, immediately ran out of the dugout.

I couldn’t leave him alone, so I immediately followed and stopped Kim Gi-yoon.

“No, what is that pig doing! Is he crazy!”

“Ah, hyung-nim, I think that friend wants to eat *jokbal* [pig’s trotters], or maybe pork stir-fry. He’s angry because you’re not matching him and making his flesh soft and tender.”

Even I think it’s nonsense, but what would the person listening think?

Kim Gi-yoon, perhaps bursting out laughing at the thoughtless words, eased the atmosphere and returned to the dugout.

For now, fortunately, it didn’t lead to a bench clearing. The American referee also seemed to have judged that the batter had crossed the line, so he ended the situation by giving a warning-like thing only to the batter.

“Play”

The temporarily suspended count of 2-2 was resumed.

From our perspective, we can only see the backs of the pitcher and batter, but there was a clear difference.

The pitcher, Hyeok-jun, is calmly waiting for Gyu-hak’s sign.

The batter, Enokida Hideki, is breathing heavily, wondering what he’s angry about, waiting for Hyeok-jun’s pitch.

“We won.”

I don’t understand how he bombarded the Japanese league with that kind of mentality,

Boom-!

“Swing, out!”

I don’t understand.

“Ah, thumbs up, thumbs up!”

Hyeok-jun blocked well with 3 runs in 6 innings and finished his mission and returned to the dugout. Countless thumbs up on the way back are a bonus.

What should I say, atmosphere, or mentality. It seems that our team is superior in such elements for now, so I hoped it would continue,

“Hmm….”

The top of the 7th inning ended with three people. After that, Kim Song-ju of Visco was seen going up to the mound for the bottom of the 7th inning defense.

Toc toc—

“Han-wool.”

“Yes? Yes, yes.”

“Please take care of the 8th inning.”

“Yes.”

As I was sharing thumbs up instead of fighting, the pitching coach came and gave the order to stand by for the 8th inning.

I nodded my head at once and went down to the bullpen.

First, I stretched to increase the range of motion. I wanted to go out in about an hour if I could.

Our defense is 5 minutes, our offense is 55 minutes, so one hour.

“Fastball!”

“Ayy!”

Boom-!

“Curveball!”

“Curve!”

Bang-!

“Ah, good ball, good ball!”

“Ayy, sinker!”

“Sinker!”

Boom-!

I guess it’s because I threw it for a long time of an hour in the first place,

“Han-wool, it seems like you’ll be going up in about 5 minutes.”

“5 minutes? Yes, yes.”

The suddenly thrown time of 5 minutes felt shorter than expected.

“Ugh… ah, fastball!”

“Hi!”

Therefore, rather than throwing a lot of balls, I continued practicing pitching while prioritizing mental preparation.

“Han-wool, last!”

“Yes, one more fastball!”

“Oi!”

Boom-!

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

Warm-up complete.

Since it’s highly likely that it will be the last pitch of this year, I decided to pour everything into it. It means I’m going to smash it properly.

“Ughhhh, haaa….”

When I arrived at the mound and stretched my shoulder, a strange moan-like sound came out.

Gyu-hak is in place behind the home plate, and after sending a sign that he will throw a fastball,

Boom-!

“Ah, good, good ball!”

I started practicing pitching from the fastball. What I felt while throwing all the pitches in general,

“Oh… good, today.”

It was already good, but I felt like my condition had been upgraded two levels due to the opponent’s unnecessary provocation.

Dding-!

[Thumbs up!]

– 1 inning scoreless (0/1)

– Reward – All pitches +1

I was smiling contentedly because I liked the name of the quest, and then the leadoff hitter for the bottom of the 8th inning defense appeared.

Looking at the familiar face and looking at the electronic scoreboard,

2nd batter, Takayama Masayoshi.

Another inning starting from the 2nd batter.

Then…….

This time, I turned my head and looked at the 1st base dugout. I saw a batter wearing batting equipment and glaring at this side.

“Hehe.”

Predicting that the last inning of this year will be quite fun,

“Play!”

The bottom of the 8th inning defense began.