Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 57

Thanks to Seong-hyun’s clutch three-run homer in the top of the 7th inning, the Eastern League won 6 to 3. The MVP was, of course, Seong-hyun, who finished with two home runs and four RBIs.

Seong-hyun held up a sign announcing “Mr. All-Star” and posed for pictures in front of the reporters.

“You’ll get a car as a prize. Time for you to drive, rookie,” someone said.

The All-Star Game ended with everyone – including players from opposing teams who were teammates for just one day, and those who were rivals in a different way – watching the fireworks together in a friendly atmosphere.

I even made quite a few new friends.

I’m not sure how far the rumors have spread, but I’ve been getting a lot of requests to teach people how to throw a curveball or a splitter [a type of fastball].

I don’t know why they’re asking me, though.

I politely accepted their requests. While Hyun-jin was being followed by one, two, and then a third person, Park Hae-jin was watching the scene unfold next to him.

After politely accepting a request to teach the secret to a changeup and sending them on their way, I was sighing when he muttered something like, “Senior, you’re not only a good pitcher but also a good pitching coach.”

I wondered if he was the same guy I knew. When I waved my hand to tell him to be quiet, he smirked and walked away.

I felt like I had become a little closer to him without realizing it.

After the game, I went to see Min-young’s family. I said hello to Min-young, who was excitedly talking about how well I did, and to her father, who was proudly laughing and saying, “Ha! Ha! Hot!” before sending them off.

Just as Myung-jin came up to me and said, “Hyung [older brother/male friend], let’s go home now,” I heard a voice.

“Senior.”

“…Oh, yeah.”

Ah, he was here.

Myung-jin flinched when Hyun-jin suddenly appeared. He was subtly looking around, as if he was searching for Seong-hyun.

It seemed like something big would happen again if Seong-hyun showed up here.

I thought so too, so I gave Myung-jin a quick explanation and sent him back first. He could get home on his own.

“Let’s go. Where are we going?”

“There’s a training facility nearby run by someone I know. Would you like to go there?”

“Is it close?”

“Yes, it’s about a 5-minute drive.”

“Ah, then that would be better. What should I type into the GPS? Actually, if it’s close, it’s better to just follow you.”

“……”

“…Why.”

Why? Why are you looking at me like that?

“Senior.”

“Why.”

“I didn’t bring my car.”

“So what.”

“You came in your own car.”

“And.”

“……”

Ah. Ah, please.

“You can come this way.”

“……”

Un-com-for-table.

In the end, he took the passenger seat in my car.

I tapped the built-in GPS and entered “N Baseball.” As he said, the estimated time was about 5 minutes.

Is it really that great to get a ride in the car of a senior you respect and admire?

Please, don’t blush.

Most of the fans had left the stadium before the players took time to pack their bags, say goodbye, or change clothes, so getting out of the parking lot was faster than I thought.

Instead, it took 50 minutes to take pictures and sign autographs for the fans who were camped out on the way home, which was unexpected.

Wow, Kim Han-wool has really become popular.

The spot that should have been full of Wonha’s fans was filled with fans from all eight clubs, including Wonha. And fans from all those teams asked me for autographs and photos.

Hyun-jin seemed surprised by the situation, but when I picked up a pen without hesitation, he quickly joined in.

“I was surprised.”

“What again.”

“Your popularity is amazing. I’m even happier.”

“No. You don’t have to be happy.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Don’t be sorry, please.

“But how did you arrange the training facility? Don’t tell me you did something like when we went to eat last time……”

“Yes. I told my friend in advance.”

“What if I said I didn’t want to go?”

“It’s been a while since I met my friend, so I was just going to have a meal together.”

What a persistent guy.

It was only a short distance of 5 minutes, but the car ride wasn’t that quiet. It felt like Hyun-jin was doing most of the talking, and I was just responding roughly.

Whether he was happy with just that, he took my answers and continued with a bright expression.

“Is this it?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The time I arrived at the training facility in Incheon was 11 p.m.

It was the time I would normally be home, but since I had two more days off tomorrow and the day after, and I was planning to go to bed late today, it wasn’t a big deal.

Dling-dong―

The small bell rang as the glass door opened, announcing the arrival of a guest.

Clang―!

“That’s right, you have to rotate your waist like that to generate power.”

Clang―

“That was good, but a little more. Here, try rotating as if you’re crushing your balls.”

Clang―!

“That’s it!! That’s it. Look, even the members can see that the batted ball is different, right?”

“Yes, yes!”

“It’s good to push off the back leg! But in the end, forward, where should the ball go? Where are you hitting? You’re hitting forward. Then you have to send it forward. Okay, members, too.”

Ting―

“Hey, you’re putting in too much force. One more!”

There were a few people who seemed to be taking lessons.

I wondered if they were elite athletes since they were training until this hour? But looking at their faces, many of them seemed to be older than me. They seemed to be people from social baseball [amateur baseball leagues].

I walked to the office, watching them train. The members were sweating profusely, hitting the tee as if they were quite tired.

The coach, who was watching them, was just telling them with words, roughly with gestures, ‘Do it like this~’ But he was even bringing his own bat and showing them how to do it.

Cool.

I really like that passion.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Ah, he’ll be inside the office.”

“Who’s that person?”

“He’s the hitting coach here.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“He’s the director here and in charge of the catcher position.”

Oh? Kim Han-wool and Lee Hyun-jin.

Oh? Oh, oh, oh!

Okay, members, focus. If you get a good lesson today, I’ll ask the director to show you those guys’ pitches.

Oh, oh, oh!!

I watched him skillfully boost the members’ morale, greeted the people roughly with my eyes, and waited for Hyun-jin, who had entered the office.

Soon, a cracking sound was heard, and the office door opened.

“Hey, Ha-wool!”

“…Why are you here?”

“Why else? I’m working, you idiot.”

“Hey, is Kyung-bae the director here?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it, you should have told me in advance!”

I scolded Hyun-jin and ran to Kyung-bae.

A warm embrace between men!

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”

“I know. It feels like it’s been 10 years? If I knew this was your training facility, I would have bought something. This bastard didn’t tell me. I really just found out.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Are you still cool?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s go!”

School ties, regional ties, smoking ties – the best of them all is smoking.

The two smokers, who had reunited after nearly 10 years, made up their minds and quickly ran out of the training facility.

When they lit up and looked at each other, 10 years ago came to mind. Kyung-bae seemed to feel the same way, as he couldn’t stop smiling.

“I saw you on the news. They said you donated?”

“You saw it.”

“I saw it, man! Kim Ha-wool, you’re… wow.”

“Do you keep in touch with Taek-i hyung?”

“Taek-i? Man, that son of a bitch. Do you know him?”

“He’s a pitching coach in the 양안 [Yang’an – could refer to a specific team or region, but without more context, it’s difficult to translate precisely].”

“That bastard. I cleaned up his mess so much. He doesn’t even contact me once.”

I feel warm inside at the 걸쭈욱한 [thick/rough] curse I haven’t heard in a long time.

Back in my elite days, if I threw a bad pitch, Kyung-bae would calm me down with his 걸걸한 [raspy] voice and 걸쭉한 [thick] curses.

“Were you in touch with Hyun-jin?”

“Of course.”

“Man, you should have told me!”

Ah, when I talk to Kyung-bae, I start using the dialect too.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s okay if we know now.”

Kyung-bae put out his cigarette, which had reached the butt, and said again as he went down the stairs.

“I heard about it. They said you’re going to teach him something?”

“He asked me to teach him the curveball.”

“Curveball?”

“Yeah.”

“What a scary bastard, how much fire is he going to breathe. Man, it’s because of guys like you that the level of Korean pitchers is rising. You know!”

Hyun-jin, who was standing like a wimp, unable to join the conversation between the two seniors, looked a little pitiful.

“Leave him alone. Like you said, he wants to breathe fire.”

“That’s right, that’s right, Hyun-jin is good.”

“Th, thank you.”

“Ha-wool, are you going to throw one after a long time?”

“Ah, please give me a break.”

Kyung-bae chuckled and went into the office, then came out again with his mitt.

“Wow. Are you still using that?”

“Man, shut up. This is so good.”

“…I’ll buy you one.”

“Tsk, man. I make a lot of money. Go buy yourself some food. Okay, go and sign some autographs on your way out.”

Heh heh heh.

“How’s Gyu-jin hyung?”

“Gyu-jin hyung? I contact him.”

“No, this hyung too. He should have said something.”

“Forget it. That old man is a little crazy too. Man, how would a hyung who gets hit so much think of me?”

“Hmm.”

“Man, forget about that. Throw one.”

“Why should I throw one! You throw one!”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“That’s right.”

“Hyun-jin, what are you doing?”

“Ah, yes!”

Kyung-bae, who was my main battery [pitcher-catcher duo] in high school, is a senior two years above Hyun-jin, like the sky.

Moreover, his position is catcher.

It was natural for a freshman pitcher to freeze up in front of a senior catcher in his third year.

Thump!

Hyun-jin and Kyung-bae started playing catch.

As soon as the pitching of a national team’s first-string pitcher, not just a professional, began, the members who were taking lessons threw down their bats and started taking pictures of the beautiful pitching from their bags.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“But aren’t you tired? You threw 3 innings today.”

“If you calculate it today, it was my pitching day anyway. I only threw 3 innings, so I can just think of it as adjusting my routine.”

What a savage.

Thump!

He must be throwing pretty lightly.

While he was warming up, there was nothing for me to do, so I looked around and saw a speed gun. I picked it up and stood behind Hyun-jin.

Thump!

“…Is this real.”

143km [approximately 89 mph].

He must not be at 80% yet, but what.

I felt frustrated all by myself and put the speed gun down quietly.

“Hyun-jin, can you throw a slider!”

“Yes!”

“Throw one!”

Kyung-bae, who was wearing a mask, held out his mitt. From the lifting, his knee goes all the way up to second base. His leg is fully extended, and his right leg is bent. As his core turns quickly,

Thump!

“Wow, that’s good!”

The thrown ball also spun quickly. So that’s a national-level slider.

“Can you throw a changeup.”

“Yes.”

“Man!”

It’s a little fast for a changeup……? But the ball stops once it gets there and then suddenly drops.

Of course, that’s just how it feels.

It looks like this from here, but how much would it be from the batter’s box?

“Senior. I think I’ve warmed up enough.”

“Ah, okay.”

He’s a guy who can do well on his own even if it’s not me, so what’s the point of teaching him like this……

Dding―!

[Pitching Coach, The First Step]

– Teach Lee Hyun-jin how to throw a curveball. (0/1)

– Reward ― Curveball +1~5

– Additional stats will vary depending on the level of completion.

There is. There is, of course. Yes.

But what about the level of completion? Isn’t that too vague?

“First, throw it.”

Let’s just start.

“Yes.”

Whack!

“…Huh?”

“Is there something wrong?”

“Try one more.”

“Yes!”

Whack!

“Is that a curveball?”

“Yes.”

“…Ha, just one more.”

“Yes.”

This time, I picked up the speed gun that I had put down earlier.

Whack!

126km [approximately 78 mph].

“How is it?”

The fastball earlier was 143km. [approximately 89 mph]

He usually throws in the early 150km range [93+ mph] in the game. It’s a simple calculation, but if you apply about 10km to 126km, you get the mid-130km range [80+ mph].

“Hey, it’s too fast.”

“If it’s fast……”

“No, it’s not bad, but.”

How should I explain this?

I scratched my head and started explaining.

“How do you fall apart when you fall apart?”

“I usually get hit with a lot of hits or long hits.”

“What about walks then?”

“I hardly ever walk anyone.”

“Have you thought about that?”

“If I think about not walking anyone, isn’t it because I keep throwing it in the middle?”

“That’s part of it. If you think about it, it’s the days when your changeup doesn’t work.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right!”

He looks like he’s found a miracle worker. I can see his desperation.

“When I watch you throw, it’s all strong, strong, strong, strong, strong. One timing. Unless you’re in good condition and you can overpower them with your stuff, if you go in like that when you’re not in good condition, of course, they’ll get a hit if they just take one timing.”

His eyes are so bright that it’s a burden, but I can’t quit the role I’ve been assigned.

“That’s when you throw a changeup, but if that doesn’t work either, it’s even more one timing. The fastball was 143km earlier, and the curveball is 126km now? What’s the reason for throwing a curveball in the first place?”

“Ah……”

“Slow and sharp are different. You have to think about tempo and timing. You have to go strong-weak-weak-strong-strong-strong-weak-strong-medium-weak like this for the batter to get confused.”

“…Yes. But what is that timing?”

“What?”

“Strong-weak… what did you say?”

“Never mind.”

“Yes.”

After that, the curves continued.

Changing strong! strong! strong! to power! power! power!

It was quite difficult for a guy who had been throwing even his changeup with power to throw a slow curveball.

“Hey, come out.”

Ah, frustrating.

In the end, I chased Hyun-jin out and stood on the makeshift mound.

“Hey, fastball!”

“Ah, fastball!”

Whack!

Even if I didn’t warm up, I wonder if it came out to 120 [approximately 75 mph]. Suddenly, I feel pathetic.

“Hey, curveball.”

“Curveball!”

Swish!

“Did you see? It’s not power. Pull it with the tip of your finger here, here.”

Whack!

“No, I can clearly see the force going into your trapezius. I’m telling you to take the power out.”

Whack!

“Foot, left foot. Your left foot is coming in. Again.”

Whack!

“Why did you lift it now? You’re stopping mid-throw. You have to throw it harder than a fastball.”

Whack!

“Hey, I told you to throw it hard, not with power.”

Whack!

“…Okay. That’s enough.”

I threw a few more after that. The effect of the one-point lesson is… it’s ambiguous to say there was an effect, and it’s ambiguous to say there wasn’t.

He was able to lower the speed without changing his form to some extent, but as a side effect, the trajectory of the curveball became larger than necessary. Anyone can tell it’s a curveball like this. They won’t be fooled.

Dding―!

Ah, the quest has been completed.

[Pitching Coach, The First Step]

– Teach Lee Hyun-jin how to throw a curveball. (1/1)

– Reward ― Curveball +1

I’m sure the maximum was 5. It’s 1. Damn it. Weren’t you a genius?

“…Practice more. You’re still lacking a lot, Hyun-jin.”

But what can I say… he tried really hard in his own way.

As I swept my forehead and spoke, Kyung-bae took off his mask and approached.

“Did it help at all?”

“Yes.”

“His ball is 살발하네 [saebalhane – difficult to translate directly, but implies the ball is lively, sharp, or has a strong bite]. The curveball is a little 그릇타 [geureutta – means ‘off’ or ‘wrong’]. The ball has to go up this much for the batters not to see it.”

“Right?”

“That’s right. I think Ha-wool was saying that all along.”

“That’s right.”

“But still, the rest are all good. Take a long-term view. You can’t use the curveball right away even if you do this. You have to practice thinking about using it next year. You know.”

“Yes……”

He couldn’t help but feel disappointed, and a gloomy look appeared on his face.

I feel sorry for him. He’s been on a winning streak, but he feels like he’s hit a wall and is trying to do something about it, but even that isn’t making much progress.

“Man, but still, man. You have other things that are 타아! [taa! – exclamation, meaning ‘great’ or ‘amazing’] Good! Fastball, changeup, man, cutter?”

“Cutter.”

“Ah, right, cutter. Two-seam and everything is good! And! Slider! Wow, the slider is still 지기대 [jigidae – slang, meaning ‘awesome’ or ‘the best’]… wow.”

Certainly, Kyung-bae has a knack for fixing pitchers’ mentalities.

As I was looking at the scene with satisfaction,

Dding―!

The second quest appeared today.

[Seal Release!]

– Receive a slider from Lee Hyun-jin. (0/1)

– Reward ― Slider +1~5

– Additional stats will vary depending on the level of completion.

– Temporary stat buffs will be added depending on the level of completion.

No, what is this?