Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 189

※ 189. Salvation

[Kim Hyung-cheol’s Straight Talk – Kim Han-wool’s Victory in Game 5 of the Korean Series]

Game 5 of the Korean Series progressed very tightly, mirroring the series score of the first four games.

Unlike the previous games where the players were scoring relatively well, in Game 5, it was as if all the players were vying to be guardians of balance, strangely enough.

In the top of the 8th inning, with the score still 0-0 during Wonha’s attack, Kim Han-wool suddenly appeared on the mound.

[Kim Han-wool Takes the Mound in the Bottom of the 8th Inning of Game 5 of the Korean Series]

Of course, there’s nothing bad about Kim Han-wool appearing. No, it’s not just that there’s nothing bad; it’s actually very good.

In a situation where conceding even one point could completely shift the atmosphere, how reassuring is it to have Kim Han-wool, the most reliable player, come up?

But at the same time, a question arises.

Did Kim Han-wool really need to pitch?

To put it bluntly, I don’t think Kim Han-wool necessarily needed to appear.

I’ll elaborate on my conclusion a bit later, but what did the Wonha Challengers gain from Kim Han-wool’s appearance?

[Nam Gi-sung’s Two-Run Home Run Signals the Start of a Big Inning in the Top of the 9th]

The answer lies in the explosive power in the top of the 9th inning, where they scored a whopping 6 points in a single attack.

Let’s ask a series of questions. Then, where did this explosive power come from?

[Kim Han-wool Catching in the Bullpen to Prepare for the Top of the 9th After Successfully Defending in the Bottom of the 8th]

The saying that baseball is a mental game has become too common, but many people still don’t know where this mental aspect starts and how far it extends.

A person’s mentality is more flexible than they think.

I believe everyone reading this has experienced reaching emotional extremes over very trivial matters, whether in a good way or a bad way.

So, let’s talk a bit more about the conclusion I drew above.

I said that I didn’t think Kim Han-wool’s appearance was necessary. But there’s a hidden part to this statement.

That is the phrase ‘for the victory of Game 5 of the Korean Series.’

Then, what if we change this phrase to ‘I didn’t think Kim Han-wool’s appearance was necessary for winning the Korean Series’?

Well, considering the attack in the top of the 9th inning that followed immediately, and Kim Han-wool’s great pitching that cleanly blocked the attack in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Will this great pitching be limited to Game 5?

I want to mention in advance, just in case, that I objectively analyze the strengths of both teams. And I objectively predict the results.

If you’ve read this far into the column, you all know which team I’m predicting will win, but because of that, I’m also afraid of getting a lot of flak if my prediction is wrong, but I still have to say what I have to say.

This season, no matter what anyone says, the Korean Series championship belongs to Kim Han-wool.

* * *

Last year, after Game 5 of the Korean Series, we received a score of 2 wins and 3 losses.

At the time, the Wonha Challengers’ mindset heading into Game 6 was just one thing.

Absolutely no losing.

Of course, if we lose, it’s over.

And this year, with a complete reversal from last year, the Wonha Challengers, having received a score of 3 wins and 2 losses, completely reversed their mindset as well.

We’re definitely winning today.

“Let’s win today.”

We’re definitely winning, so let’s end it today.

“It’s not like it’s over if we lose today. There’s still tomorrow.”

Let’s end it today and get comfortable as soon as possible.

“But let’s not think like that.”

Let’s get comfortable as soon as possible and quickly raise a toast.

“Let’s win when we can win. If we drag this out any longer, the viewers won’t like it either.”

Let’s quickly raise a toast and let everyone know.

“We’re winning the championship today.”

Let everyone know that we won the championship.

“Yessss!”

“Yeeeeesssss!!”

“Waaaaah!!”

A person’s heart is a more malleable substance than you think.

If you think this way, it seems like this, and if you think that way, it seems like that.

With just a few simple words, the members of the Wonha Challengers branded the Sangsoo Tigers as ‘absolute evil’ and all headed out of the dugout.

Wonha- Challengers―

Before the game started, the ground, which was still littered with the Wonha Challengers’ cheering songs, suddenly became quiet.

No,

Waaaaah-!!

Hooooooo-!!

It became even louder.

“Hoo….”

During the short national anthem, I checked the condition of my teammates who would fight on the ground first.

Hyung-gyu, standing firmly on the mound and nodding.

Gyu-hak resolutely hanging his catcher’s mask in front of his helmet.

Myeong-jin pointing to the first base stands with his gloved left hand.

“They look fine.”

Since everyone seemed okay, I returned to the dugout without any regrets.

Ah, Hyung-gyu, let’s go, let’s go!!

Your ball is good, show it!

Show it, show it! Show us your fastball!!

I don’t know what they want to see so much, but the dugout was already noisy before the play call even came out.

Of course,

Wooo-! For the victory of the strongest Wonha! Wooo-! Shout it out loud to the sky―

Wooo-! For the victory of the strongest Wonha! Wooo-! Let’s run forward, looking only ahead―

The! Strongest! Won! Ha!

This commotion was less than the cheers from the stands.

They, more certainly and deeply than the players in the dugout and on the ground, are feeling it.

“Let’s win… let’s win….”

That today is the day the Wonha Challengers will win the championship.

Number 1 hitter, center fielder Go Dong-wook―

After the pitcher’s practice throws were over, the infielders’ rounding was over, the outfielders’ long toss was over, and even the catcher’s throw to second base practice was over, the first batter of this game appeared.

As usual, Go Dong-wook, appearing in the left-handed batter’s box and taking a simple routine, perfectly finished his batting preparation,

“Play ball!”

The umpire pointed to Hyung-gyu and shouted the play ball call.

Whether he has no tension or he just has no thoughts.

Thwack-!

“Shaiiik-!”

Hyung-gyu immediately threw a fastball from the first pitch,

“Hyung-gyu’s ball is good, good!”

“It’s good, keep going, keep going!!”

“Hyung-gyu, fighting!”

Immediately heating up the atmosphere of the dugout.

Overwhelming.

He’s only seen one ball, but isn’t this the moment when the direction of this game, this series, is roughly set?

Go Dong-wook, Kang Dae-hyun, Lee Yong-ho,

Thwack-!

“Shaiiik-!”

The reason they are being overwhelmed is not in some great place.

Atmosphere.

Whoosh-!

“Swing-!”

We’re going to devour you and end it today no matter what.

We’re going to win against you and win the championship today no matter what.

We’re going to surpass you and prove it today no matter what.

Thwack-!

“Shiaaaaak-!!”

The Wonha Challengers, Hyung-gyu, tied up his natural enemy, Lee Yong-ho, so that he couldn’t move at all, and made his intentions a little clearer.

Clap clap clap-!

“Ah, nice, nice!”

“Niiice, niiice!”

“Hyung-gyu is so good today!!”

Praises to the defense that cleanly blocked the first defense.

“Let’s score right away too!”

“Score right away, let’s run away!”

“Let’s run away, let’s go right away!!”

Cheers to the batting lineup heading out for the first attack.

“Uh, deal….”

“Don’t, you crazy bastard!”

An iron hammer to the crazy bastard who’s spouting nonsense from the start.

Is he crazy, really.

I somehow managed to stop Gi-sung from spewing crazy things next to me, but,

“Okay!”

Myeong-jin, who’s just as crazy as this guy, understood what he was saying and gave a thumbs up before heading to the plate.

Number 1 hitter, Lee!! Myeong!! Jin!!

I said that a team that records 2 wins and 3 losses in the series can only have one mindset.

Absolutely no losing.

This story is not a logic that is only allowed for last year’s Wonha Challengers.

Thwack―

“Out!”

Of course, this is also a logic that applies to this year’s Sangsoo Tigers.

Whoosh-!

“Swing, out!”

Myeong-jin too, Seong-hyun too,

Thwack-!

“Shiaaaaak-!”

And Gi-sung too.

Seong Sang-jin, who thoroughly unraveled his determination not to lose, finished the bottom of the 1st inning and returned to his dugout with dignity.

A fight between two strong teams with strong pride.

Thwack-!

“Shiaaaaak-!!”

We will definitely win.

Tap-!

Swoosh-!

“Auut!”

We will never lose.

Both teams shouted, covering their emotions without holding back.

“Gi-sung, nice!”

“What’s wrong with Gi-sung!!”

That we will definitely win.

That we will never lose.

In the top of the 4th inning, Gi-sung, who decorated the third out count with a great diving stop, returned to the dugout to receive the welcome of his teammates.

Gi-sung’s mitt, colliding with Seung-joo’s right hand, looks quite light today.

Gi-sung’s back, hit by Senior Kyung-seok, looks quite wide today.

Gi-sung’s bat, brought by Byung-cheon, looks strangely long today.

Clap clap clap―

“Gi-sung, I saw it earlier, I saw it!”

“You saw the fastball earlier, just hit it like that!”

“Nam Gi-sung, reduce the bat angle!”

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Gi-sung walked heavily to the plate, no matter what nonsense they were spouting in the dugout.

Hoo… I think I can hear the same deep breath.

“Play!”

With the umpire’s play call, Seong Sang-jin nodded. As he went into the windup, Gi-sung also waited to hit,

Thwack-!

“Ball!”

First, skip the first pitch [meaning he didn’t swing].

He grips the bat tightly with his right hand and readjusts his helmet with his left hand.

If he was in the cleanup trio [the 3rd, 4th, and 5th batters in the lineup, typically the best hitters], no one would say anything even if he swung as much as he wanted when a ball he liked came, even if he was the lead batter of the inning,

Thwack-!

“Shaiiik-!”

Gi-sung also watched the second pitch quietly and tried his best to pass on Seong Sang-jin’s information to the next batters.

Watching, cutting, watching, cutting, cutting, and cutting again.

“Oh, Gi-sung’s concentration is good, good!!”

“The timing is right!”

“Let’s go, let’s go, Gi-sung, let’s go!!”

On the 9th pitch,

Tap―

“Foul!”

Gi-sung, who created another foul ball, did not do anything to distract his concentration, such as leaving the plate or doing other actions.

He stared solely and solely at the opposing pitcher and confidently declared that he would somehow get on base.

The declaration made and announced on the spot is definitely,

Tap―

It was worth 10 balls [meaning it took 10 pitches to get on base].

Waaaaah-!!

Nam Gi-sung! Nam Gi-sung! Nam Gi-sung!

As can be inferred from the enthusiastic cheers of the home fans,

“Gi-sung, stop, stop!!”

“Don’t overdo it, don’t overdo it!!”

And as can also be inferred from the calls of his teammates, Gi-sung hit a clean hit to the right center and slapped hands with the first base coach.

The lead batter of the inning got on base in a tight game.

Usually in this situation,

“If it’s Jin-hyung, will he just hit it?”

“I think he might bunt? Jin-hyung’s tactics aren’t bad either.”

“That’s true, but considering the manager’s personality….”

You might expect a bunt, but considering that the next batter is the 4th batter and the current atmosphere,

Tap―

Isn’t there a high probability of a strong hit?

“Foul-.”

Although the attempt was unfortunately unsuccessful, it was not a completely useless act.

“Ah, Jin-hyung got a feel for it.”

Nod, nod, nod nod―

The way he nodded while preparing for the next ball after the slightly pushed foul ball looked like a student meeting the scope of the exam they studied on the test paper.

Ah, I know this. I saw this. If you do this here and substitute it here,

Tap-!

The answer comes out like this.

“Waaaaah-!!”

“Gi-sung, go to third, go to third!!”

“Jin-hyung, go to second, you have to go to second, you have to go!!”

The Sangsoo outfield ran to give a warm hand to the ball that fell alone in the wide right center, as if they felt sorry for it.

You don’t have to.

You don’t have to,

Swoosh-!

“Safe-.”

Yaaaah!!

Jin-hyung, nice, nice bat!!

Keep going, keep going!!

Gi-sung went to third base and Jin-hyung also landed on second base in advance.

You don’t have to,

Number 5 hitter, Yoon!! Seung!! Joo!!

The first base stands began to sing hymns to the most reliable batter in this situation.

It’s an area of faith.

Because all they can have is faith, those who can only watch from the stands.

He’ll hit it.

He’ll score a point.

He’ll lead the Wonha Challengers to victory.

They did not dare to allow the Sangsoo Tigers to confront their Yoon Seung-joo preacher [referring to his reliability and importance to the team, like a religious figure].

Hit! Yoon Seung-joo! Hit! Yoon Seung-joo! Hit! Yoon Seung-joo!

Bang―

“Ball-.”

Whether their prayer, which was shouting to step back, worked, the first pitch became a ball that was so far off that it was fortunate that the catcher blocked it.

It’s funny that things have to go evenly to make it a game, but when things go wrong like that from the start, the worry shifts to us.

“…They wouldn’t walk him, would they?”

I wonder if our Yoon Seung-joo preacher will lose the opportunity to perform.

“They can’t walk him [intentionally walk him to first base].”

“Why?”

But don’t worry.

Because there is a stronger all-out war than the all-out war to never lose,

“If they walk Seung-joo, Joo-ho might go out to bat in Hyung Seong-hoon’s at-bat.”

That is the all-out war to definitely win.

It’s only the 4th inning, but Joo-ho is already turning his bat around and warming up so that he can enter the plate at any time.

If Joo-ho, who is rated as similar to Seong-hyun, who is the strongest in our team in terms of batting impact, is waiting, it would be thanks to us if they walk Seung-joo in this situation.

“Just don’t think about anything and just watch.”

Checkmate.

We can just believe that Seung-joo, or at the latest the next batter, will break the series of 0s.

Tap―

Like that,

“Waaaaah-!!”

“Turn, come in!!”

“Everyone come in, Jin-hyung, Jin-hyung, come in too!!”

And then be saved accordingly.