Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 177

※ 177. Opened it up?

Jiho’s question was simple.

He wanted to throw with a form and posture more like a fastball, but since the fingers used were different, the feeling was proving difficult.

“Hmm….”

But this,

“There’s no answer but to throw it a lot.”

It’s a lack of practice. I can say that definitively.

“Is that so?”

Fastballs are the easiest to throw with a certain finger shape, and he’s probably thrown them the most, so let’s move on.

“Are you comfortable throwing curves and sliders?”

“It’s not uncomfortable.”

“Why? Whether it’s a curve or a slider, you throw them with all sorts of finger and wrist angles, so how is that comfortable? Throwing a fastball should be the most comfortable.”

Curves, sliders, whatever, the act of throwing a ball itself is an uncomfortable motion from the start.

Why?

The pitching motion is never comfortable.

Kicking up the leg with all your might, extending the leg with all your might, squeezing the back with all your might, twisting the waist with all your might, and reaching out the arm with all your might.

It’s a very intense, uncomfortable, and painful motion.

But how can pitchers repeat these motions without any trouble? And very accurately, strongly, quickly, and consistently.

The reason is simple.

“The fastball is the most comfortable, but I’ve thrown curves and sliders quite a bit… Ah.”

“Get it now?”

Because he’s thrown them so much.

He knows the feeling so well that his body reacts before his head, without having to think about doing this or that.

“The changeup is the same. You keep throwing it and practicing it, creating your own changeup.”

He came full circle, but,

“So practice more. There are many seniors who can give you practice guides, you little kid.”

In the end, it’s all about practicing more.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Hmph! It’s not like I told you that so you could thank me.”

“That….”

“I think I’ll be going up in the 8th inning, so if you want to see me pitch, watch from the side.”

“…….”

Hmm….

“…Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

It’s new to me that Jiho has such a variety of expressions.

“Geonyeong.”

“Yes!”

My condition for pitching is that my team is winning by no more than three points when the top of the 8th inning ends.

The current score difference, with Jiho cleanly shutting down the bottom of the 6th, meets my pitching condition.

However, our team has two more offensive opportunities left until my scheduled appearance. And the opposing team has one offensive opportunity.

“Geonyeong, just do catch ball for now.”

“Yessir!”

I simply, really simply, calculated that our team has more offensive opportunities, so the possibility of breaking away from the three-point lead isn’t high, I thought.

“Hanul, let’s go up.”

But it was just a thought.

“Yes.”

During the two offensive opportunities and one defensive situation, the Wonha Challengers neither scored nor allowed any runs.

Exactly three points, maintaining the score difference as is, so the last two letters disappeared from the four letters ‘scheduled to pitch’ [meaning his appearance is confirmed].

“Let’s see….”

The Hanseong Winners’ batting order I’ll be facing is the 3rd, 4th, and 5th cleanup trio. In order, left-handed, left-handed, right-handed.

“This time….”

Ding-!

[Changeup]

– Throw the changeup 5 times or more and get 3 strikeouts in 1 inning with no runs allowed (0/1)

– Reward – Changeup +2

“…Changeup, huh.”

Maybe it’s because I was talking about the changeup with Jiho, but it seems like the concept for this appearance is the changeup.

But….

“Ugh, Jiho just has to not allow any runs, but why do I have to get three strikeouts?”

Why did the difficulty increase?

“It just means I pitch well.”

I had some unnecessary complaints, but I humbly accepted it, thinking it was a difference in class,

Whack-!

“Oh, nice!”

And started practicing pitching.

With the fastball grip, simply rotate the index and ring fingers counterclockwise to complete the changeup grip.

Whack-!

Not bad.

Just like the bullpen pitching earlier, maybe it’s because I did some catch ball with the changeup before the game, but I have a pretty good feel for the changeup today.

Even if I throw it like this,

Whack-!

Even if I throw it like that,

Wham-!

It falls exactly in the direction and angle I want.

“Two lefties….”

Right-handers are weak against lefties. Or left-handers are weak against righties.

Back in the day, those stories were accepted as almost gospel.

But it’s not exactly wrong. As everyone knows, the angle of the arm is easier to see for the opposite hand, or something like that, those explanations are true.

“Play!”

But that theory, with the appearance of the changeup, especially the circle changeup,

Whoosh-!

“Swing-.”

Has been obsolete for a long time.

Jung Seonghoon, the 3rd batter, swung his bat wildly at the first pitch, an outside fastball.

Outside fastball?

Wham-!

“Strike, one!”

That was a changeup earlier, and this is a fastball, sir.

Maybe he thought he should watch this pitch to make up for the wild swing from the first pitch, but thanks to that, he easily made it 2 strikes.

A hitter who is very strong on the inside. At the same time, a hitter who is very weak on the outside. Information that the battery [pitcher and catcher], as well as the hitter himself, knows best.

Since I got ahead in the count with outside pitches twice in a row against such a hitter, the range the hitter is thinking about naturally narrows to the outside.

“Ugh!”

Wham-!

“Strike, two!”

Sir, aren’t you looking at the inside?!

Jung Seonghoon, perhaps not expecting me to go straight for the win, or that I would go inside, flailed once like a freshly caught fish and returned to the dugout.

“Hmph….”

It’s good that I got a strikeout, but I suddenly felt a sense of regret in the deciding pitch.

The condition for this quest is not only to get three strikeouts, but also to throw the changeup 5 times or more in the process.

“Would it have been better to just throw the changeup….”

After all, it’s true that the changeup is easier to throw and more effective against opposite-handed hitters than same-handed hitters.

The original plan was to throw two to the left-handed hitters and one to the right-handed hitter to make up 5, but I unknowingly got caught up in the atmosphere, so I crumpled the plan with my own hands.

“Hmm….”

The 4th batter, Jo!! Tae!! Poong!!

I rubbed rosin on the newly received ball and briefly re-planned this at-bat.

The goal is to throw three changeups to Jo Taepoong. The first pitch for this goal is,

“Ugh!”

Thwack!

“Foul-.”

An inside high fastball.

And I’m going to throw a changeup that moves away from the outside following this, but,

“Ugh!”

Will he fall for it?

Whack-!

“Ball-.”

Eh.

Just like he easily dealt with the first pitch, Jo Taepoong relatively easily picked out the changeup, creating an even count.

Is a national-level hitter different?

It said to throw the changeup 5 times or more, not to get 5 or more counts with the changeup.

Thanks to that, I didn’t feel any regret that I didn’t induce a swing,

“Hmph, it felt like it went in pretty well.”

Rather than that, I regretted the result of a pretty well-thrown ball, which is a more fundamental part, quest or whatever.

Did something go wrong somewhere?

With a 1-1 count, I decided to throw a more proper changeup this time, and carefully adjusted the grip.

Maybe it fell too early because I gripped it too deeply.

This time, I got it properly on my fingers, held it moderately away from my palm,

Whack―

“Ball!”

I really thought I could induce a swing this time, but it was no use.

Why?

The trajectory of the ball, or the timing of the change, really, there was not a single flaw in this perfect changeup.

Jo Taepoong easily picked out the changeup once more and was reorganizing the Velcro on his batting gloves.

“It’s getting a bit ambiguous….”

Not hiding his discomfort, he started picking out the next sign.

The quest is a quest, but winning the game is the priority.

Two balls, one strike.

With the thought of getting one more strike first, Gyuhak asked for a fastball.

“Ugh!”

Nodding and throwing a fastball to the outside,

Thwack-!

“Foul, foul!”

The batted ball, slightly pushed back by the force, went into the stands on the third base side.

“Hmm….”

I tilted my head for a moment, watching the crowd enjoying the foul ball.

The trajectory of the ball, the principle of the ball, the rotation of the ball, even the form of throwing the ball.

Most of the key points of the fastball and changeup are the same. The only difference is the difference in speed.

This is the reason why the changeup can exist as a changeup, and it is proof that the changeup is the most powerful pitch.

But the bat comes out for the fastball, but he easily picks out the changeup?

“…Can he see it?”

Whether it’s the form, the angle of the wrist, the release point, or the axis of rotation.

Jo Taepoong is clearly not missing the advertisement that says, ‘I’m throwing a changeup!’ in a certain part.

Then, sir.

“Guh!”

Have you heard of a fastball changeup, sir?

Whoosh-!

“Swing, out!”

Well, it happens.

No matter how much I get worked up saying that the fastball and changeup are the same, that other hitters are fooled, it means nothing if this hitter picks it out now.

That’s why the card I pulled out is the fastball changeup.

“Nice!”

“Hey-!”

The name fastball changeup may be unfamiliar, but if you list the original words of this word and convert it to the word ‘fastball changeup’, it is very easy to understand.

It’s literally that. Throwing a changeup with the grip of a fastball.

What is the purpose of the changeup in the first place? Change of pace, isn’t it speed difference?

“Should I practice the fastball changeup a bit too? Not bad.”

In that sense, the fastball changeup may be the true changeup.

“Hyung [older brother/senior], two outs!”

“Hey, two outs.”

Heonhee, who is in third base instead of Seonghoon hyung, showed the number 2 by spreading his index and pinky fingers. I nodded and received the ball,

The 5th batter, Chae!! Ji!! Hoon!!

Unlike the previous two hitters, a hitter appeared from the right side of the plate.

“Then… do I just have to throw one more?”

One to Jung Seonghoon. Three to Jo Taepoong. The quest said to throw 5 or more, so I have to throw the changeup one more time to meet the minimum.

“Let’s see, let’s see, let’s see….”

I hummed a song I wrote and composed on the spot and picked out the sign.

Changeup, it’s a bit burdensome to throw it to the same-handed hitter, but it’s fun that I only have to throw it once in this at-bat.

“Guh!”

Whack!

Today I’ve been throwing only fastballs and changeups, so this time I threw a ball other than that.

“Strike, one!”

It was a curveball.

I thought it was a little low… but Gyuhak raised it about half a ball with a controlled motion, so I was able to get a good call.

I easily made the first count with a looking strike,

“Guh!”

I had some room to take one out [get an out].

Whack-!

“Ball-.”

The slider, which I allowed to escape to the outside, twisted its body hard to repay the favor, but it didn’t lead to the other executioner, the bat.

He flinched a bit, which is a shame. He should have just turned it around.

“Hmm….”

Somehow, regret remained, and I kept turning the ball around in my hand, planning the next ball.

If possible, I want to use the changeup as the deciding pitch.

I used the curveball once, so it’s out. It seems like he sees the slider well, so it’s out. The splitter is a changeup type, so it’s out. The sinker also doesn’t fit the image, so it’s out.

“Ugh.”

In the end, I went back to the fastball.

Then where?

Adding a layer to the location very briefly, really briefly, the next work proceeded smoothly.

First,

“Ugh!”

Whoosh-!

“Swing-!”

Throw a high fastball to make it a 1-2 count.

And,

“I’m going this time….”

The deciding pitch timing.

I’m thinking of throwing a changeup, but I felt a bit burdened to throw a changeup to the same-handed hitter.

There’s something like that saying.

A ball coming inside will get a count, a ball escaping to the outside will create a swing.

What I need now is not a count. It’s a swing.

“…Okay.”

Then I need a changeup that can easily take a swing from the same-handed hitter.

With the fastball grip, I lowered the ring finger that was touching the side of the ball. And in that state,

“Hoo….”

I put strength between the middle and ring fingers and turned it counterclockwise. This completes the grip where the ball is 끼게 [wedged] between the middle and ring fingers.

It’s the Vulcan changeup.

In fact, the Vulcan changeup is just an awkward name,

“Guh!”

If you think about throwing it 끼워 [wedged] between your fingers, there’s one word that comes to mind.

Whoosh-!

Opened it up?

In fact, the Vulcan changeup, which showed almost the same movement as a splitter, led Chae Jihoon’s bat and went into Gyuhak’s mitt.

“Yes!”

Ding-!

[Changeup]

– Throw the changeup 5 times or more and get 3 strikeouts in 1 inning with no runs allowed (1/1)

– Reward – Changeup +2

Control – Top

Power – Top

Stamina – Medium

Four-seam – 100

Curve – 99+2=100

Slider – 98+2=100

Splitter – 100

Changeup – 99+2=100

Sinker – 98+2=100

Traits

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

Uncomfortable – Makes the opposing hitter feel uncomfortable when they see the pitcher at the plate.

Comfortable – Those who see me feel comfortable.

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

Showdown – Four-seam +5 when I want to win.

Contagion – My emotions are contagious.

I wasn’t really thinking about it, but when I saw the stat window that popped up after completing this quest, all the pitches had reached a stat of 100.

“Wow….”

I went into the dugout with my mouth open, surprised by my performance.

“What are you doing?”

“…No, I think I’m awesome, really.”

“Are you crazy?”

“…….”

I don’t feel anything even if I hear that I’m crazy.

100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100.

Rather than that, I can only see the fact that there are six three-digit numbers.