Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 34

※ 34. Last Year Returns

Exhibition games are more fun than I thought. After about three months of sufficient rest, it’s finally time to show the fans how much I’ve re-energized during training camp.

Nevertheless, you can’t read too much into them. A player can hit 10 home runs in just 8 games and be released during the season, or fail to get on base even once in 8 games and then become the batting king in the regular season.

It’s similar for pitchers. A pitcher who throws 15 scoreless innings during exhibition games can become an 8-run pitcher in the regular season and get cut, or a scrub who gets shelled during the exhibition games can rise to become the league MVP in the regular season.

Still, exhibition games are still games, so fans of teams or players who perform well during this mini-season are naturally excited, especially if it’s a team or player who struggled in the previous regular season.

“This year is different!”

That’s not to say that fans of teams or players who performed poorly in the exhibition games are discouraged.

“It’s all a lottery!”

Referring to the uncertainties mentioned earlier, they’re confident that they will rebound sufficiently during the season.

Last year, the Hanseong Winners, who were overwhelmingly in last place in the regular season, achieved an overwhelming record of 8 wins and 0 losses in this mini-season, touting that last year’s poor performance was just a fluke.

The defending champion, the Seongsu Tigers, had a middling record of 3 wins and 5 losses.

What about our team?

“…This is a bit much.”

1 win and 7 losses.

“What are we going to do about this?”

“How should I know?”

Three of the seven losses were charged to Senior Shin Kyung-seok, and three were to Senior Choi Eun-gu. Yes, the bullpen ruined it. All of them. Completely.

No matter how much I want to brush it off as just uncertainty, it was a bit much. The slump of the two externally recruited players, which started during the camp practice games, was just the beginning.

Ah, this is a bit…

Even for me, who usually tries to think positively, this situation was pretty dire.

No matter how well the starters pitch, and even if I, the absolute bullpen ace, am there, the starters can’t pitch 9 innings every game, and I can’t go out and pitch every game.

Problem.

If there’s a problem, you find it and solve it. It’s easy to say, but very difficult to actually do. I know. I know, but what are you going to do? What if it’s difficult? You have to solve it anyway.

Solution.

Then what is the solution? Release the two players who were recruited from the outside? That’s absurd; you have to adjust them. You have to overhaul them. You have to somehow modify them to make them useful.

Cause.

So what is the solution and cause of this slump? Since the two people have extremely opposite play styles, the solutions will also be different: sidearm and fastball orthodox [a pitcher who throws with a classic overhand motion].

The sidearm pitcher, who should be inducing ground balls with pitches in the mid-130km range [~80 mph] and sinkers and curves, was floating the ball in the air without it sinking to the ground, and the fastball pitcher, who easily throws 150km [~93 mph], wasn’t even getting the ball into the strike zone.

Batting average against of 0.362 and 23 walks in 7 innings.

These bizarre stats were real. Baseball is a team sport? A sport where individuals can’t run wild on their own? No, it’s definitely possible. Of course, in the opposite direction.

“What should we do, really?”

“What else? It’s Last Year Returns.”

“Will it be as bad as last year?”

“…….”

In particular, our manager and pitching coach Shin Young-joon’s faces haven’t brightened up for the past few days.

I’d be the same. Players only need to take care of themselves and somehow get compensated with their salary, but it’s different for the coaching staff. Their performance results in the team’s performance.

“Are there any rookies who are good enough to use?”

“…I don’t know.”

There aren’t.

Our team’s weakness is the bullpen. The front office must have felt it painfully. They swept the top picks with pitchers in last year’s draft.

Am I too picky?

But I didn’t see any rookie friends who caught my eye. And that was also reflected in the results.

In the opening game, which was held shortly after the end of the exhibition games, we still managed to win somehow. From the beginning, we beat up the opposing pitchers and didn’t give the bullpen a chance with a big score difference.

The problem was after that. Including the opening game, 2 wins and 3 losses in five games. Considering it’s the very beginning of the league, you might think it could happen, but when you look back at the game track, it wasn’t good.

All three losses were shared by the bullpen. They came on in situations where we were winning and sprayed walks and hits.

“…Damn it.”

And now, today, Sunday. The moment we lost the first Sunday game since the league opened and fell to 2 wins and 4 losses was right now.

We were winning 4 to 2, but in the bottom of the 8th inning, we gave up 4 runs and the 2-point lead was reversed, and we couldn’t score a single point in the top of the 9th inning, ending the game.

Looking over at the manager, his expression is naturally not good. Not only that, but everyone on our team. And the darkest expressions are naturally those of the people involved in this disaster. The two seniors couldn’t even lift their heads in the dugout.

It’s awkward to see Senior Shin Kyung-seok, who has a sociable personality, and Senior Choi Eun-gu, who is always full of confidence, acting like that.

What, how long has it been since they signed their FA [Free Agent] contracts and they’re already like this?

It’s hard to suspect the so-called FA bust [when a free agent signing doesn’t perform up to expectations]. As much as hundreds of millions of won are exchanged in FA, it’s true that it’s not a small contract.

But they weren’t contracts that would be splashed across the top of sports news. Small-scale contracts. It’s not like the contracting parties can say that they’ve made a big hit and now they can lie down!

They’re working hard. I saw it. Senior Shin Kyung-seok running so hard, Senior Choi Eun-gu working so hard with weights.

Purely, their skills are lacking. No, it’s not that they’re lacking, it’s that they’ve become lacking. I wish this hadn’t happened in the first place, but it’s better than being lacking from the beginning. Because you can find the missing parts.

However, this was not a part that I could get involved in. And I shouldn’t have.

“Kyung-seok, Eun-gu. Come here for a second.”

That’s the part that our pitching coach can do, and must do.

* * *

Let’s do what I can do now.

It’s a very obvious topic, but it’s a more difficult story to put into practice than you think.

What I can do now.

Bases loaded. No outs. The score is 2 to 0, bottom of the 8th inning defense.

The second game of the weekend 3-game series against the Visco Runners. We won yesterday’s game. The starter pitched well and the lineup scored hard from the beginning, forcing our team’s bullpen pitchers to rest.

Continuing that momentum, we scored the first point with Sung-hyun’s two-run home run in the top of the 1st inning, but that was all the points scored by both teams.

After that, it continued until the 7th inning, when Senior Shin Kyung-seok came on and allowed a double and a hit and was pulled.

Next, Senior Choi Eun-gu came on and loaded the bases with four pitches. A typical thrower’s appearance with no command at all.

I was rushed in.

“I think it’s okay to give up two points, so you can pitch comfortably.”

While I was tidying up the plate, Kyu-hak said something, probably thinking he was trying to relieve the tension.

I know, you idiot.

I shooed him away to home plate. I stepped back behind the plate, looked at the scoreboard, and wiped the ball.

Bottom of the 8th inning, bases loaded with no outs, leading by two points. I can face the 2nd batter. Our next attack starts with 9th batter Hoon-yi. I’m allowed two points of window dressing.

What I can do now.

To block this situation within two points, not to mention the 9th inning.

Ding―!

[The Dignity of the Bullpen Ace]

– Prevent the bases loaded crisis with no outs from scoring. (0/1)

– Reward ― Curve +2

…No, let’s block it without giving up a run. It’s not because of the mission. It’s not.

The batter entered the plate. 2nd batter Kim Wook. He’s very short. As far as I know, he’s the shortest in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization]. He was a batter who played the role of a short batter very well, which is commonly thought of.

Fast, good at executing plays, good contact, and stuff like that.

Looking at the compatibility. In some ways, I’m at an advantage, and in some ways, I’m at a disadvantage.

A batter who is good at creating situations somehow. A pitcher who doesn’t create variables somehow.

Maybe the commentators will talk about it with roughly similar words.

Play!

At the same time as the play call, Kyu-hak’s hands moved busily. After giving signs to the infielders, he crouched down and gave me a sign. What’s the first pitch? A low fastball that sticks deep inside for a ball.

It’s a call that I don’t quite understand, but because it’s Kyu-hak’s request, I nodded and put the ball in my glove. After checking the 3rd and 2nd base runners once, I lifted my leg.

There’s no stealing anyway, so let’s throw it with all our might.

Tick―

“Foul―!”

All.

The bat came out from the first pitch. On the ball. At that location. Why? Kyu-hak, me, and our defense have to solve the puzzle by taking the actions that Kim Wook and Visco threw as hints.

Swing on a ball deep inside with bases loaded and no outs. I fiddled with the rosin for no reason, trying to sort out my thoughts, but nothing really came to mind. I decided to think simply. He must have just expected it to come in from the first pitch.

Kim Wook and the umpire talk for a while. Kyu-hak also says something on the side, and then the play call is dropped again.

What hint did Kyu-hak get from this conversation? A similar sign to the previous ball came out. But this time, it’s in the zone.

Totally possible.

I’m in good condition today. I think I can control it to the cm unit.

“Ball!”

Eh.

The ball I threw with confidence went even deeper and became a ball. I’m just glad it didn’t hit the batter’s leg. I feel a little sorry for Kyu-hak. I can feel him having a headache. Okay, what’s the next ball?

A backdoor slider that nips at the outside corner of the plate. But I don’t like it. My slider isn’t very angled or very fast. On the contrary, there’s a high possibility of it being hit hard.

But it’s ambiguous to shake my head, so I took a set position and took my foot off. I glanced at Kyu-hak and shook my head.

He nodded as if he understood the sign. I even put my index and middle fingers on my left shoulder. After nodding, Kyu-hak’s fingers moved busily.

Tick―

The fastball that went high inside was hit awkwardly and flew slowly towards me.

Ah, this… if I miss it…….

“Infield fly!”

Too bad. I thought there was a possibility of an intentional drop because the trajectory was low, but the umpire immediately declared an infield fly out, and only one of the batter’s out counts went up.

Still, this is something. Since there was nothing particularly wrong with the ball I threw and received, I immediately stepped on the plate and waited for the next batter.

3rd batter Bang Eun-min. As much as he hits as the 3rd batter, he doesn’t have any particular weaknesses, but he doesn’t have any big advantages to be the 3rd batter, so if you say it nicely, he’s generally smooth, and if you evaluate it badly, he doesn’t have anything outstanding.

It would be nice to get a double play here.

By changing from bases loaded with no outs to bases loaded with 1 out, the range of options that the defense can take has become very wide. The most ideal thing is to get a few strikes and then induce a ground ball to 3rd base with a curve falling outside to get a double play. Next is a strikeout.

Now let’s look at Kyu-hak’s design. A splitter that bounces out of nowhere came out. What kind of atmosphere did he read? The ball I threw without any particular suspicion or thought bounced low as I wanted, and it was a difficult ball, but Kyu-hak blocked it wonderfully and prevented it from escaping.

But the batter didn’t really react and just watched. Only one strike was wasted. There was no time to be disappointed, and the umpire immediately threw a new ball and I had to receive it and continue the next play.

Next ball, fastball inside.

There are a lot of fastballs inside today.

“Strike!”

I think I know why the first ball in Kim Wook’s at-bat and the first ball in this at-bat were both balls. Visco’s lineup, which had been passive until the previous inning, is aggressive from the first pitch in this inning. In fact, even Kim Wook in the previous at-bat came out very boldly with his bat.

Because of that, Bang Eun-min was also induced to throw at a plausible ball from the first pitch, but he didn’t bite. So the gamble that came out was the fastball inside. It worked.

Tick―!

“Foul!”

Even the sinker inside that is connected from there.

Tak―!

“Foul―”

After that, the splitter that I wanted to fall below the zone was awkwardly gathered and I was momentarily startled, but on the contrary, it ended with a well-hit foul ball because I put in more power. So, what’s the next ball?

Slider on the outside…….

It is an undeniable fact that there are many pitches. But at the same time, it is also a burden. In the position of the bullpen, not the starter, there are too many useless pitches.

Slider with the lowest stats among my pitches. Can’t I evaluate it as a slightly faster curve? That’s how much I don’t want to throw it.

But let’s trust Kyu-hak.

Whoa…….

The ball I threw like that flew to the full outside zone of the right-handed batter.

Tak―!

It flowed out further to the outside from there. But it was hit well. No, it was hit well. The ball that flew quite quickly was flying towards right fielder Sung-hyun.

Ah, who was the 3rd base runner?!

Without looking back at the home line timing, I ran hard behind home plate.

8th batter Kim Young-cheol.

The base running sense itself is in the bottom tier, but the footwork itself is relatively fast.

By the time I arrived at the backup behind home plate, Sung-hyun was throwing the ball towards Kyu-hak, and 3rd base runner Kim Young-cheol was also seen gritting his teeth and running.

0. 1 seconds felt very long. The ball thrown by Sung-hyun, who is one of the strongest shoulders in the league, was stuck in Kyu-hak’s mitt without a bounce. As soon as he caught the ball, Kyu-hak turned his body towards Kim Young-cheol, who was approaching.

Tak―!

Chwaak―!

“Safe!”