Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 30

The semi-playoffs ended with a series score of 1 to 3, a loss for us.

KP, who advanced after beating us, lost to the Dongsung Hornets in the playoffs with a series score of 2 to 4. Dongsung then crushed their opponents 4 to nothing, resulting in the most boring Korean Series ever.

So incredibly boring.

For the past few years, the league team rankings had been quite fixed. Sungsu was consistently in 1st place, Dongsung was always the runner-up, KP and Visco occupied the mid-upper ranks, Gaya and Wonha were in the mid-lower ranks, and Sungwoon and Hanseong were perpetually the weakest.

Even with slight shifts in the rankings, it was usually just teams jostling amongst themselves, moving up or down by a single position.

In that context, our Wonha’s performance this season was the most unusual event.

Usually, they’d only move up or down one spot at most, but this year they jumped two steps to 4th place. And because of that, the team’s strengths and weaknesses were laid bare in a very extreme series.

Strengths: Starting pitchers, defense, and that intangible ‘it’ factor.

Weaknesses: Bullpen, bullpen, bullpen, bullpen, no pen, fire pen [a humorous way of saying the bullpen was terrible].

Perhaps after this season ends and the free agent (FA) contracts expire, the club’s front office will have a major headache. They need to reinforce the bullpen, whether through FA acquisitions or trades, but neither will be easy.

FA is a straightforward contract, so there’s some possibility there, but trades… I don’t know.

What sane club would trade a decent bullpen to a team whose weakness is so obviously the bullpen?

If anyone would, they’d be a scammer. They’d offer a B-class bullpen in exchange for an A-class hitter. It’s like a gangster demanding a mansion in exchange for a dilapidated shack.

Running a club isn’t as easy as it looks.

Given that, our club will probably try to protect me at all costs. My previous salary was close to the minimum, my performance is A+ level, and they don’t have to give up a compensation player if they re-sign me… and so on.

“It’s been a while.”

“Oh, good to see you too.”

But considering the circumstances, the person who came to meet me doesn’t seem all that desperate.

“How have you been?”

“Thanks to you. You’ll be getting some incentives this year, Youngjin.”

“Me?”

“If it weren’t for you, I was going to retire after last year. Thanks to you, I stuck around and hit the jackpot, but I don’t even get incentives?”

“Oh… now that you mention it. I should bring that up with them.”

I was pleased.

Kwon Youngjin, a staff member of the club’s front office. He’s in his early 30s and has been taking care of me behind the scenes in many ways.

Yes, I was applying for free agency. I was starting to get a bit of ‘celebrity disease’ [a playful term for someone getting caught up in their own fame], and I wanted to buy things.

After the Korean Series ended, a total of 6 teams, including my original team Wonha, contacted me immediately out of the 8 KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] teams.

I can’t tell you which teams they were, but it indirectly shows how valuable my status was this season.

Unlike last season, which favored pitchers, this year was a hitter’s paradise. The average ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of the KBO League bullpen was 5.12. In the midst of that, my performance was outstanding.

58 games, 71 innings, 1.47 ERA, 10 wins, 1 loss, 35 holds, 10 saves, 71 strikeouts, 36 walks, 0 hit by pitch, WHIP [Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched, a measure of a pitcher’s effectiveness] 1.16. League Hold King. Ranked 1st in average ERA, wins, strikeouts, and WHIP among league bullpen pitchers. Completed a triple double of wins, holds, and saves.

Even considering the few weaknesses I have, I was definitely the biggest fish in the FA market.

“Buy me kimchi stew.”

“Alright!”

That’s what this man said before the season. If things went well this season, he’d buy me kimchi stew.

To keep that promise, we headed to a stew restaurant near the stadium. It was a stew restaurant with a simple, unpretentious interior.

The tables and pillars, made of wood, and the floor, made of plain concrete, showed signs of wear and tear, indicating a long history.

But Youngjin and I really liked this place. The food is good, and it makes us feel comfortable.

“Two servings of kimchi stew, please. Add ham. Oh, and also pork stir-fry.”

“The pork stir-fry is only available for two servings or more. What would you like to do?”

“Um… then one stew and two pork stir-fries?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then please give us that.”

As soon as I finished ordering to the auntie [a respectful term for an older woman, often used for restaurant staff], Youngjin looked at me with a smile. I felt guilty for no reason.

“Youngjin, you can have all the stew.”

“No. The stew is good here, but how did you know this place is famous for pork stir-fry?”

“…I guessed.”

Wow. A pork stir-fry 맛집 [mat-jib, a Korean word for a restaurant that is known for being particularly delicious].

Until the food came out, the conversation between us was far from FA contracts.

We were busy catching up on the past year, sharing how we had been doing. We also talked about the things we were grateful for.

At 2 PM, a slightly late lunch time, there weren’t many customers in the restaurant.

It was quite spacious, but there were only three tables occupied, including ours. Even the other two tables besides us paid and left around the time our food was served.

“Oh.”

Bright red and glossy seasoning. Plump meat. Hot, white steam rising up.

It seems it’s true that this place is famous for pork stir-fry. I quickly picked up a piece with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth.

“Kuh…….”

So delicious.

“Eat up. If you want anything else, eat more. Would you like a drink?”

“Then please get me a cider.”

“Auntie! One cola and one cider, please!”

I immediately called the auntie. Two bottles of drinks with the caps opened and two plastic cups were delivered.

“Oh, you worked hard this year.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. Hanwool, you worked hard too.”

I couldn’t drink alcohol in broad daylight, so I poured the drinks for each other with both hands politely, as if pouring alcohol.

After clinking glasses cutely in the air and taking a few sips, I felt refreshed, although not quite as much as with beer.

“Youngjin.”

“Yes.”

After that, we focused on eating without saying much, and then I opened my mouth.

“Wonha wants to sign a contract with me, right?”

“Of course. Besides Wonha, haven’t you already been contacted by other clubs?”

“Um…….”

I hesitated slightly.

“Yes. As soon as the FA talk started, they contacted me right away.”

“Oh, awesome.”

As if it were someone else’s business, he congratulated me sincerely.

“How many came?”

“Five besides Wonha.”

“Awesome. Oh, then should I say this line here? How much have you looked around for?”

“Crazy, a hundred million [a Korean expression meaning ‘not even close’].”

The sudden ad-lib made the chili powder in the kimchi stew go down the wrong pipe.

Cough cough cough cough.

I coughed awkwardly for a while until I calmed down.

“But I’m just going to sign with Wonha.”

“We haven’t even told you how much we’re offering yet?”

“You’ll take good care of me, right?”

“We have to take good care of you. But I think we need to add some to the amount set internally now.”

Hoo…….

“Then shouldn’t I be the one saying that? How much have you looked around for?”

“Here.”

He handed me a file folder. It had a neat typing on the cover that said ‘Wonha Kim Hanwool Player FA Contract Guide’.

I opened the cover and checked the first page. The facts stung badly from the first page because my weaknesses were listed there.

Numerous surgery records, many innings pitched, my speed that seemed to have reached its limit, and even if you add my terrible performance until last year to this season’s best performance, my overall record is still heartbreaking.

The second page, on the other hand, listed my achievements this season.

What I did well, when I was outstanding, and how I was expected to overcome these situations.

It was more interesting than I thought to see my story being evaluated by others.

The next page was a summary of the trends in FA contracts in recent years.

How much players who recorded similar but slightly lower scores than me received for a few years, and how much players who were worse than me received for a few years.

Interestingly, there were no players who signed contracts with better performance than me.

And the grand finale.

“…Really?”

“Yes?”

“Are you really giving me this much?”

“Oh, did you see the last page?”

Youngjin answered without stopping the chopsticks heading towards his mouth.

“…Yes.”

“Yes. First of all, that’s the primary amount. I’m a little concerned about the fact that you said you were contacted by other clubs. Please keep in mind that the guaranteed years and guaranteed amount there are the minimum, and I’ll go back to the club and say a few more things…….”

“I’ll do it.”

“…and proceed… Yes?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll just do it with this.”

“Oh…….”

He was genuinely surprised, and even the good-natured Youngjin looked a little embarrassed.

“Are you really only going to receive that much?”

“This is a lot too.”

“No, wait a minute. The amount itself is a large amount in absolute terms. A sum of hundreds of millions is definitely not a small amount. But Hanwool, think about it. You were actually contacted by other clubs.”

The fact that he even got up from his seat showed how embarrassed Youngjin was.

“It’s not just one or two, but five besides us? This is like, an auction. The amount may seem large because of your salary so far, but don’t think too quickly. I’ll talk to them well, okay?”

The player asks for less, and the club says they’ll give more.

A scenario you can never imagine in a normal situation was unfolding at a kimchi stew restaurant next to the home stadium.

“I know that saying this doesn’t make me a cool guy. I also know that cutting the money a little doesn’t make me a loyal guy. It’ll look cool in articles.”

After smiling contentedly, he continued.

“But… at least I’m a guy who knows gratitude. I want to be known like that. I already blurted it all out at Media Day. Do you remember?”

“What?”

“When I was talking to the reporters. I was going to retire, but the club stopped me. They even raised my salary.”

“Ah… yes. I remember.”

“Just, please think of it well at the club too. Ah, a 15 million won investment paid off properly.”

“…….”

He smiled and closed the document and handed it back to Youngjin.

“Save the money you were going to give me and bring in another bullpen pitcher. You saw it this year. Because of what I said at Media Day, please do that.”

“What else did you say?”

“I blurted out that we’d win the Korean Series in 3 years, ah, why did I do that. Am I crazy.”

“Hahaha!”

Youngjin nodded at that.

“I’ll go back and tell them that.”

“Yes. Let’s get up.”

We had already finished eating. We had also finished talking. As it was time to get up, they both got up from their seats at the same time. He took out his wallet from his pocket and headed to the counter.

“It’s 25,000 won.”

“Okay.”

I handed the card to the auntie. A beep sounded and my phone vibrated once.

“Then please come again.”

“Yes. You too, Youngjin.”

“Well, today is like a preliminary agreement. Come back in about… two days? And then you can really sign the seal. I’ll contact you tomorrow with the time.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll wait for your call.”

A handshake. I used a little force and hugged Youngjin.

Youngjin seemed to hate hugging a man a little, but I ignored it because I felt so good right now.

* * *

[Official] [Exclusive] Kim Hanwool completes 4-year 5 billion guaranteed FA contract with Wonha.

[The club owner and Kim Hanwool are shaking hands in front of a wall printed with the club’s logo.]

The fastest No. 1 FA contract was concluded after the end of the 2017 KBO League season. Kim Hanwool (28) of the Wonha Challengers is the main character. He will wear the Wonha uniform again for 4 years.

The contract period is 4 years, with a contract fee of 2 billion won and an annual salary of 750 million won, with a minimum guarantee of 5 billion won, and other incentives or options were not disclosed. It is by far the highest contract among bullpen pitchers in history.

Kim Hanwool’s performance this season was the best of any bullpen pitcher, a fact that no one can deny. Unlike last year, which was a pitcher-friendly season, this year was a hitter-friendly season. In the midst of that, he showed the best performance, allowing an average ERA of only 1.47 in 71 innings.

Among them, he appeared as a starter in three games, recording 5 innings without runs, 6 innings with 2 runs, and 6 innings with 1 run, showing the potential to be a starter. In the post season, which he entered for the first time in 6 years, he recorded 1 inning without runs in the second game, and in the fourth game, he started again and showed good pitching with 6 innings and 2 runs.

The statistics that demonstrate Kim Hanwool’s performance this year aren’t limited to these. He is the sole leader in the league with 35 holds, and he also recorded 10 wins and 10 saves. He was the overwhelming leader in average ERA, wins, strikeouts, and WHIP among bullpen pitchers.

A club official said that the amount was determined in consideration of the fact that the weaknesses of the Wonha Challengers were clearly revealed this season, and that there are currently no bullpen pitchers in the league who are better than Kim Hanwool, let alone slightly below Kim Hanwool.

In response, Kim Hanwool said, ‘I was going to retire after last season, but the club rather raised my salary and stopped me from retiring. Originally, the club was going to give me more, but I knew the grace and cut it more. But the club ignored my sincerity and arbitrarily raised the amount more. When I tried to cut it, they urged me to sign quickly before they raised it more.’

As a result, Wonha has once again embraced Kim Hanwool, the league’s best bullpen pitcher, and with this as a stepping stone, they will be able to forget the sorrow of this year’s semi-playoff defeat and try again.

―rk31****

└It’s done!!

Recommended 3,946 Not Recommended 335

―stoe****

└Wow… Is this the Kim Hanwool I knew? My heart is really getting bigger

Recommended 3,212 Not Recommended 121

―aiwd****

└I’m not worried about overpaying, but it’s true that people who are worse than him are getting paid much moreㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Recommended 2,255 Not Recommended 211