Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 158

As July was nearing its end, most of the players in the Wonha Challengers maintained their original positions.

The only changes involved bringing in or sending out players from the second team or those around the 1.5 team level, assessing their future potential.

The core team members accepted this situation with comments like:

“This year, we really need to crush it.”

“I think we can do it.”

“Hey, hey, don’t get too excited.”

“This guy is a traitor!”

“Shall we chop his head off!”

“Do it!”

Are they crazy?

“Um, *sunbae* [senior/mentor].”

“Yeah?”

As I was watching the guys around my age acting foolish, Juho appeared.

He seemed to have something to say, but let’s talk sitting down. He’s standing there, facing me and bowing, making others uncomfortable.

“What’s up?”

“Um… do you have a moment to talk?”

“Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

“I’d like to talk about leading.”

Leading?

“Leading the pitchers?”

“Yes.”

Why to me?

“What about Gyuhak? And there’s the battery coach too.”

“I asked them both.”

“You didn’t like their answers?”

“It’s not that I didn’t like them. I’m trying to gather and synthesize information from as many people as possible.”

“Hmm….”

Juho had a good reason to come to me before the game and say this.

“Nervous about starting after a long time, huh?”

“Yes… a bit.”

Unlike other teams, Gyuhak holds the catcher position so firmly in the Wonha Challengers.

His defense is undoubtedly the best in the league. His batting form slightly declined after a period of awakening, but it’s still not bad for a catcher.

Moreover, he has that iron stamina, which is fortunate for the team and the pitchers but feels like a bolt from the blue for competitors in the same position.

“Haven’t lost your touch, have you?”

“Of course not. I train and practice every day.”

However, this inevitably makes one temporarily forget the concept of a backup.

Or, rather, the opposite.

If something were to happen to Gyuhak and a vacancy were to arise in the catcher position, then the meaning of a backup would become even more significant.

In a very paradoxical sense.

“What kind of practice are you doing these days? Still catching?”

“I catch every day. The coach and Gyuhak-*hyung* [older brother/male senior] both tell me to catch every day without fail.”

“Of course. Catching is important.”

I still can’t forget the countless strikes you turned into balls, Juho.

“What about blocking?”

“Blocking? Um… not really. They just tell me to catch the ball well and stand in front of home plate.”

Considering his size alone, he’s exceptionally large, not only in the team but also in the league, so he’s evaluated as surpassing Gyuhak only in blocking.

Of course, blocking runners requires some skill, but Juho can overwhelm with his physicality… The battery coach even said something like this once.

Ah… you just think about catching the ball. Catch it, block it. Block it like this. Just block it. Then the runners will fall away on their own.

But that’s not what I want to ask about.

“No, not that. Not runners, blocking pitches.”

“Ah.”

“How is that going?”

“It might sound funny for me to say this myself, but they say I’ve improved a lot.”

“That’s true. The completely absurd wild pitches from the past have decreased a lot.”

Juho has definitely improved compared to the past.

However, he still exposes a lot of anxiety,

“But I don’t really understand the ball distribution….”

That is, the ball distribution. And, going a little further, how to utilize the defense.

It’s been a while since he started, and he wants to show a good performance on this opportunity, so he seems to want to get advice from me, even if it’s just a crash course…….

“Well… first.”

“Yes.”

This isn’t something that can be taught in a crash course.

“What are you doing after today?”

“Um… I’ll do some *ma-mu-ri* training [finishing drills] and then go home.”

“Then let’s have dinner together after you’re done.”

“Dinner?”

“I mean, let’s have a chat slowly over dinner.”

“Ah, that’s great.”

He probably just expected some simple advice, but Juho was pleased and curled his large frame up when I took a more active approach.

“So, what should I do today for now?”

“Ah… today.”

“Yes.”

“First, let’s see. I think it’s better to see how you do first and then talk about it based on that.”

“That’s true, but could you at least give me some simple advice right away?”

“Advice….”

Reviewing today’s game over dinner will be very good for Juho’s future.

But that’s for later, and it won’t be of much help to Juho, who has to wear a mask shortly.

“Juho.”

“Yes.”

In this situation, what one simple and short word could twist Juho’s way of thinking?

“Gyujin-*hyung* is starting today, right?”

“Yes.”

“Just think of throwing everything right down the middle.”

“Pardon?”

“Fastball, curveball, changeup. Don’t mix these three pitches up in a complicated way, just simply. Think of leading by throwing everything right down the center of the zone.”

* * *

Just go simple. Think of throwing everything right down the center of the zone.

I don’t know what Juho took this to mean, but the result itself wasn’t bad.

Gyujin-*hyung*, who started, pitched 6.2 innings with 3 runs. Seokmin-*sunbae*, who came in as relief, urgently blocked 0.1 innings, Jiho 1 inning, and Gyeongseok-*sunbae* 1 inning.

However, it’s a bit disappointing that we didn’t secure the victory, even though Gyujin-*hyung* pitched relatively well and the rest of the bullpen also pitched well.

But what can we do? It’s not the pitchers’ fault that the batting lineup only scored one point.

Therefore,

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not the catcher’s fault.”

Using the plate holding the *saeng-gyeop-sal* [fresh pork belly] as a wooden board, and the plate to move the *saeng-gyeop-sal* as a wooden hammer, I banged and declared the catcher innocent.

“Still… if I had led well and prevented runs, it would have been a winning game, right? Just looking at the score.”

But catchers don’t think that way.

If I had read the batter’s mind better.

If I had caught better and made it a strike.

If I had given the pitcher more confidence.

It might depend on the catcher’s tendencies or personality, but all the catchers I’ve experienced so far have thought that way.

“I never thought a changeup would be hit there. I thought I had completely thrown off the timing, but he still managed to hit it….”

Juho was not far from this experience and was staring blankly at the *samgyeopsal* in front of him, thinking similarly.

“That’s about the hit by Gomyunghyun, right?”

“Yes.”

In the bottom of the 6th inning, after allowing a walk to Kimseokho, the leadoff hitter, and then getting hit by Choiyonghwan, he managed to catch his breath by getting a ground ball to first base from Joheejin.

However, he allowed 2 points by getting hit with a double to left field by Gomyunghyun, the very next batter.

Just as he seemed to be recovering by catching Namdongeun with a ground ball to second base, he was replaced by Seokmin-*sunbae* after getting hit with a right field hit by Myungseungju.

That’s how 6.2 innings with 3 runs was completed.

“If I were the catcher in that situation, well, if I were in Gyujin-*hyung’s* position.”

“Yes.”

“I would have walked Gomyunghyun.”

“Huh?”

What do you mean, ‘Huh?’

“Do you know the batting average of Gomyunghyun against Gyujin-*hyung*?”

“Um… I don’t know the exact numbers, but I know that Hangyujin-*sunbae* is a bit stronger.”

“That’s right. I don’t know exactly either, but it’s probably a little less than .200.”

“That’s right.”

But.

“In the 7th inning, what was Gomyunghyun’s plate appearance number?”

“The 7th was his third plate appearance.”

“Then what was Gomyunghyun’s record for the previous two plate appearances?”

“The first was a right field hit, and the second was a double to right-center… ah.”

Clap!

“Do you understand?”

“It seems like Hangyujin-*sunbae’s* pitches looked good to him today.”

Juho clapped, his eyes wide as if he had gained a great realization.

“No.”

That’s not it.

“Yes?”

“Tell me about the ball distribution for the first and second plate appearances.”

“Um….”

To dredge up the events of a few hours ago, Juho began to squeeze his large head.

“The first plate appearance was two inside fastballs to get the count….”

“No, no. You have to talk about how the pitches were thrown to get the count.”

“Ah, um….”

With the sudden addition of filtering, Juho’s answer became even more delayed.

“He watched the inside fastball on the first pitch, then another inside fastball that went foul… then he watched another inside fastball that fell out of the zone, and then he got a hit on an outside curveball.”

“Why are you leaving out that he had a check swing on the falling fastball, the third pitch?”

“Ah, right.”

“What about the second plate appearance?”

“He fouled an inside fastball and then got a double on an outside fastball.”

“And the third?”

“He watched an outside curveball and an outside fastball once each in order, then fouled an inside fastball, and then fouled another inside fastball once more. And then he got a hit on an outside changeup.”

“Now, list them all and think about it. Why did I say that if I were Gyujin-*hyung*, I would have walked Gomyunghyun in that situation?”

Juho started thinking without being greatly flustered by the suddenly presented problem.

He seems to be finding some connection, judging by the occasional gesturing in the air.

“Do you understand?”

“I don’t understand.”

…that was my mistake.

“Your statement that Gomyunghyun seemed to see Gyujin-*hyung’s* pitches well today is not wrong. But what I wanted was a higher-level story that included that.”

“What is it?”

“First, you now know that the two hits Gomyunghyun hit earlier were all pulled from outside pitches. And conversely, he couldn’t time the inside pitches at all.”

“Then shouldn’t we just compete with inside pitches? Why bother walking him so dangerously….”

Creating a bases-loaded situation by intentionally walking a batter with one out and runners on second and third does make it easier for the defense to defend.

However, even a single hit in that bases-loaded situation is 2 points, and a big hit is four points. Moreover, if Gomyunghyun were walked, the batter to face would be the cleanup hitter.

Juho’s question is natural when talking with that intention.

“How many times did Gomyunghyun foul an inside fastball today?”

“Um….”

After pausing for thought once more,

“Five times.”

“Excluding the third plate appearance where he got a hit, that’s three times, right?”

“Yes.”

“There’s no ‘what if’ in baseball, but if he had thrown an inside fastball instead of a changeup in the third plate appearance, he probably would have hit a home run then.”

“Really?!”

“He kept adjusting his timing to the inside fastball. Gomyunghyun is a batter who can do that much.”

Although the timing was late, he showed the inside fastball several times and adjusted the timing.

Compared to the inside pitches, he touched the outside pitches quite well and pulled out hits.

And a batter like Gomyunghyun can fully cope with inside pitches in the third encounter.

Because he’s originally strong on inside pitches.

“Ah….”

He makes a face that he understands, but he doesn’t seem to fully understand.

“The best thing is to just walk Gomyunghyun as soon as he appears. But honestly, I couldn’t have done that either. It would have been difficult to rashly walk him based on the first two plate appearances.”

“Didn’t you say you would walk him?”

“I would walk him. As soon as I gave him two balls first, I would have walked him right away. The hits he got earlier were all outside, and it’s time for him to time the inside pitches. I’d rather walk him than that.”

Perhaps because he was so focused on the story, he quickly pushed the *samgyeopsal*, which had become skinny, to the corner.

“Ball distribution is really difficult. It’s really difficult. Do you know why it’s difficult?”

“Is it difficult to go in the direction where you shouldn’t get hit…?”

“That’s right. To put it more… bluntly, there are too many factors to consider.”

The batter’s tendencies, the pitcher’s pitches, the umpire’s position, the current inning, the current score difference, the runner situation, the defensive position.

Even just the things that are visible can’t be counted on one hand, but if you try to find the hidden elements, ball distribution becomes endless.

“Do you know what’s best in those situations?”

“Studying hard?”

“What studying?”

“Studying things like how *sunbae* studies batters, studies pitching theory, and stuff like that.”

“No, that’s all useless.”

“Really?”

“…no, it’s not all useless.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that much because I was afraid Juho would get strange ideas.

“It’s simple. Get rid of the frame itself.”

“Frame….”

“Actually, even though there’s no right answer to ball distribution, there are still *jeongseok* [established norms/orthodox methods]. Showing a high fastball and dropping it low, showing something slow on the outside and stabbing something fast on the inside.”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t think about that. Just drop it on the ground from the first pitch. Throw a curveball inside and throw a fastball outside.”

If I were to apply my opinion to today’s match against Gomyunghyun…….

“If I were him, I would have thrown an inside splitter or slider on the first pitch in the third plate appearance.”

“From the first pitch? That’s a ball, though.”

“A ball is a ball. But not all balls are the same.”

He doesn’t seem to know what I mean.

“Why is ball control important to the pitcher and the catcher? If you have the conviction to take an out from the batter properly, if you have a reason, you can throw all three pitches to the sky from the first pitch.”

“Can you really do that?”

“Why not? I’m telling you to.”

“But isn’t that only possible because *sunbae* has good *ball-ppal* [ball charisma/deception]?”

That’s a very valid point.

“Hey, honestly, did I have good *ball-ppal* in 2017 and 2018 too?”

“That’s….”

But I also have a point.

“Of course, my case is a bit special. My image has been properly established from the beginning, so if I do something strange, they can’t predict it.”

“Ah… yes.”

“Why is he throwing this here? Is it a *sil-tu* [mistake/wild pitch]? Or is there something special coming up next? Actually, I threw that without thinking at all.”

It will be difficult for Juho to understand this story right now.

“Of course, there are prerequisites. Even if you perfectly understand what I’m saying now, it doesn’t mean it will work if you apply it to the next game as is.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m me, and you’re you.”

It’s a cruel thing to say, but it’s a fact. There’s no helping it.

“I still do that sometimes. If this batter is strong on inside fastballs, then I often throw inside fastballs on purpose. What do you think you’ll think when you see that?”

“*Sunbae* must have a reason for throwing it….”

“But if you ask another pitcher to throw an inside fastball because you demanded it, what will other people say?”

“It’s dangerous to throw it there, why are you throwing it….”

“That’s right.”

Faced with reality, Juho shook his head with a disappointed expression.

“But don’t be disappointed. And don’t stop the training, studying, and practice you’re doing now because of that disappointment. It will all be a huge help later on.”

“Is that so….”

“If I didn’t know that this batter was strong on inside fastballs, could I have thrown it there to aim for the reverse of the reverse? Wouldn’t there be a high probability of getting hit with a big one by throwing it at the batting timing?”

“That’s it. It’s also necessary to calculate what ball to throw at what timing.”

“That’s right, but that’s a more advanced course.”

Maybe it won’t be until the middle of next year at the earliest that Juho fully understands.

“It’s not the feeling of, ‘Does he not know I’m strong here?’ but the feeling of, ‘He knows I’m strong here, so why is he throwing this?’ That’s the point.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Juho nodded with a relieved expression,

“Imo [Auntie]! Four servings of *samgyeopsal* here!”

And started his meal comfortably.