Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 89

※ 89. Kim Kibum

A surprise bunt from a batter who’s quite fast on his feet. Judging by the angle and speed, it’s the third baseman’s play.

“First!”

I pointed to first base with my right hand and shouted. I hoped he could make a great running throw like Sunghoon *hyung* [older brother or male friend] and get an out—that’s what I thought.

“Ah….”

No way.

I saw the baseball whiz past the white infield glove. The ball, caught by Sunghoon *hyung* who had quickly backed up, stayed there for a moment.

“Sorry.”

“No, it happens.”

It happens.

I generously offered the best words of comfort I could.

It happens.

I nodded and took the ball again.

The pressure I used to rub the rosin on the ball was a little stronger than usual—enough to make a squeaking sound.

I glanced at Lee Youngho standing on first base and shifted my gaze to the center. I could see a very short batter and a catcher squatting down, sending signals.

One by one.

The reason for requesting a high fastball inside was clear. I glanced at the runner on first and got into my stretch.

One… two……

Bang!

“…High ball.”

Ah.

The bat should have come out, or it should have been in the zone to get a strike. I aimed for that again.

The umpire hesitated until the very end before calling it high. Seeing Gyuhak moving his mouth as he threw the ball to me, it looked like he was talking to the umpire.

163cm according to his profile.

The shortest KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] batter, even shorter than Gyujin *hyung*. Naturally, the height of the strike zone is also lowered to match.

What to do now.

I cleared my head and got back into my stretch. The next ball to throw is a low fastball inside.

One… two… three… four… five……

“Haik-!”

The change in the upper strike zone may be large, but the change in the lower zone is less so. I can put it in here anytime without much pressure.

Inside again?

Gyuhak answered my gaze with a single index finger. I nodded, thinking it would be okay.

Bring your hands together and bend your right leg slightly to complete the set position. It’s even better to twitch your head irregularly to pretend you’re deciding whether to throw or not.

…One!

Thud―

Swing-.

“Stop, stop!”

“Don’t throw it!”

After blocking the bounced splitter with his chest, Gyuhak quickly got up and glared at second base.

If there’s a pitcher who throws at different timings, well, I wouldn’t be able to take a lead comfortably.

The catcher, who had positioned himself for a throw until just before the throw, as if an effect sound of ‘thwack!’ would appear, released the stance and tossed the ball to the ball boy.

I naturally greeted the umpire who threw the ball to me. I rubbed the rosin here and there again to break in the ball.

Play!

Whoosh!

“Safe!”

This time, as soon as the umpire called play, I threw a quick pickoff throw. I aimed for the steps he was taking to get a lead, but failed for now.

There is one more strike than ball. If this is the case, even if the runner is fast, there is less they can do.

The ball that went into the glove at the same time as the set position rolled around as requested. The wandering ended only after the seams caught on the tips of the index and middle fingers.

One… two… three… four… five…!

Bang!

Whoosh―

“Swing, out-.”

Got one strikeout. The ball, which went to a similar spot as the first pitch, finally succeeded in getting the bat out.

The problem is the stance Gyuhak is taking now. The way he stood up as if to stop a steal made me bend my knees without realizing it.

“…Ah, you scared me.”

Sunghoon *hyung* was at second base, making an X with his arms, as if he had only tried to start. Checking the runner, he was well tied to first base.

I received the ball and checked Bang Eunmin entering the plate. Just a decent No. 3 hitter.

The first pitch was a request for a sinker. A sinker that looks like an inside fastball but sinks.

In this situation, with this ball, with this batter, I’d roll a slightly fast ball towards third base.

The calculation was completed in my head and I stretched once again.

One… two… three……

“He’s running!”

I thought he would run someday because he kept trying to time it, but I didn’t know he would really run.

Clang!

The batter’s hit interferes with Lee Youngho’s steal. But this is also a hit that helps Lee Youngho’s run.

“Two… no, first!”

The overall prediction was coming true. The runner would run someday, the hit would happen, and even the speed and direction of the hit.

But,

Thud!

“Home! Home!”

It was unexpected that the third baseman, overwhelmed by the atmosphere, threw the ball over the first baseman’s head.

“Why are you in such a hurry? Take it easy.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

While Sungmoon, who had quickly backed up, caught the ball and brought it into the infield, I approached Heonhee.

I hoped that the pressure of this moment wouldn’t carry over to the plate.

“Heonhee.”

“Yes, senior.”

“Don’t be discouraged. Just do what you always do. It’s okay, so what.”

“Yes!”

Time―

“Put honey on your glove. Then it won’t slip.”

“Huh?”

“That’s nonsense. Ignore it.”

I got two outs, but as a result, the runners were on first and third, in both corners. Gyuhak, judging it was a crisis situation, called a time and came up.

“Why?”

“Bae Deokhyun is coming up, how should we go?”

The lingering feelings about the quest made me focus on Heonhee. I could cover my mouth with my glove, but I couldn’t cover my gaze.

“…Third base?”

Gyuhak asked back, seeing the way my eyes were turning.

“Honestly, I’m a little worried.”

“It’s okay. You’ll do well. There’s no runner on second, so I’ll lead.”

“Yes.”

I reassured Gyuhak and looked at Heonhee. The brief moment of leeway while running to home plate, that would be enough.

“Heonhee!”

“Yes!”

“Look at me!”

“Yes!”

No, look.

“Hey!”

“Yes!”

He’s looking now.

The pose I showed to Heonhee, who was stiff, was as follows: thumping my left chest with a white fist.

“Yeeeeeeah!”

*Is he crazy?*

In response, Heonhee screamed like a madman.

*That’s how our team should be.*

Because I saw something unnecessary, the smile doesn’t leave my lips. Showing teeth the same color as the baseball, I swept down from my elbow to my glove with two fingers.

Whoosh―

“Swing-”

4th batter, chance, first pitch.

In a scene where you can attach words like that, Bae Deokhyun swung his bat with all his might.

But with an empty base and the pitcher being Kim Hanwool, he probably didn’t expect a changeup from the first pitch.

This time, I tapped the brim of my hat with just one index finger. Gyuhak also tapped the ground with his little finger.

I glanced at the runner on first, glanced, glanced, glanced, and quickly moved my left leg. The ball that left my hand reached a fairly high point,

“Haik-.”

And settled in the lowest corner of the zone. If I were to match the speed, it would have been around 106km.

– 107km

Close.

Swing on the first pitch inside changeup, looking on the outside curve on the second pitch. The results were both strikes.

Before I gave the sign first, this time Gyuhak moved. When I looked in to see what he was going to say, it was the same as what I was going to say, so I nodded in solidarity…….

Whoosh―

“Safe!”

…It was.

How did this batter interpret the pickoff in this situation?

I received the ball from Giseong and checked the signs again. All five fingers. It was no different from the previous sign.

Whew…….

I reduced the degree of the slide step a lot. My left knee came up more, and naturally the time it took to pitch also increased quite a bit.

It’s okay.

“Hiccup!”

The thrown ball was exactly on the outside of the left-handed batter. At some point, behind Gyuhak’s white mitt, I could see a piece of brown wood.

Forcibly matching the timing by sequentially watching the two slowest balls among the balls I had was natural,

Clang―

It makes you hit the fast ball from behind.

The ball, which started almost from the left-handed batter’s left knee, naturally headed towards the third baseman. The power itself on the ball hit by the 4th batter is strong,

“Second is late! First!”

“First, first!”

Still, if you’re an infielder with a professional title, you have to catch it.

“Heonhee, take it easy. Plenty of time!”

Even I shouted with both hands together. He caught the ball in a slightly uneasy posture, took four steps—one, two, three, four—and threw the ball.

It would have been the timing for other batters to step on first base long ago, but if it’s Bae Deokhyun, who’s terribly slow,

“Out-.”

Ting-!

[Defensive Instability]

– Catch 2 or more ground balls from the third baseman (2/2)

– Reward – Slider +2, Splitter +2

Control – Top

Power – High

Stamina – Medium

Four-seam – 69

Curve – 57

Slider – 49+2=51

Splitter – 49+2=51

Changeup – 53

Sinker – 53

Characteristic

Detachment – I’m okay with any hit or situation.

Discomfort – Makes the opposing batter feel uncomfortable when looking at the pitcher at the plate.

Comfort – Those who look at me feel comfortable.

I moved my steps slowly with a smile on my face. It was to be considerate of Heonhee, who would start behind me.

“Heonhee, you’re honey!”

“If you eat too much honey, you’ll get diabetes!”

*Is he crazy?*

I quickly followed Heonhee, who laughed at the nonsense and passed me.

* * *

Thursday.

One of the remaining two games against the Visco Runners was canceled due to rain, and Wonha easily won the Thursday game that resumed afterward.

In these two games on Tuesday and Thursday, the most noticeable was of course Heonhee. In batting, he was spitting fire, but in defense, he was setting fire.

Designated hitter, or keep him in the minor leagues a little longer and bring him up.

Wonha fans evaluated him with just two games. He was definitely lacking in terms of stability.

And today, Friday, the first day of the weekend 3-game series against KP at home again. There was another big change in the batting lineup and defensive positions.

Jeon Sungmoon, Kang Sunghyun, Nam Giseong, Park Jinhyung, Yoon Seungjoo, Moon Gyuhak, Lee Sunghoon, Kim Kibum, Yoo Hoon.

Hooni, who didn’t make a big impression in the No. 1 spot, is back to No. 9, and Sungmoon, who played well in No. 9, is back to No. 1.

Gyuhak, who has been slowly improving his batting sense, is pulled up to No. 6, and Kibum, who has a similar batting style to Gyuhak in the past, is in Gyuhak’s old spot.

“Wow… it’s been a while since I started.”

Kibum, who heard the news of his start, seemed to feel quite strange.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Quite tall. His physique is also solid. He’s fast, but not ridiculously fast. Kibum’s biggest strength is his base-running sense.

100 million [Korean Won, roughly $75,000 USD].

If I were to pick Kibum’s main position, it would be ‘pinch runner’. He only has base-running sense, but he is recognized as one of the high-income earners.

“You’re going to get a lot of balls today.”

“Okayyy. I’ll catch them all.”

If my prediction is correct, Heonhee will continue to start in the mid-week 3-game series, so Kibum will continue to start in the weekend 3-game series.

Test.

This is a kind of test. The 3-game series right before Myungjin returns, and when Myungjin, who will sign a FA [Free Agent] contract at the end of this year, leaves the team.

Of course, Kibum and Heonhee, who is fiercely swinging his bat over there, will also know that now is an opportunity that may not come again.

“Fungo!”

Clang―

Kibum, who caught the ball at the shortstop position, tossed the ball to second base. Sungmoon, who caught the ball that floated exactly on his right shoulder, turned and threw the ball to first base.

Clang―

This time, the other way around. Sungmoon catches and tosses to his right. It’s a slightly missed ball, but Kibum somehow catches it and spins around to throw to first base.

Wow…….

The starter today is also Junhyuk. Many balls are expected to go to the infield rather than the outfield, especially to the shortstop.

Even if he’s not as good as Myungjin, he’s stable enough. It’ll be comfortable to watch.

Bang!

“Strike!”

…You shouldn’t have those thoughts when you look at Kibum’s plate appearance.

Last year, the KP lineup, which had a slight slump, has regained its form this year. The pitcher is also Junhyuk, who throws for them to hit, so they swung their bats to their heart’s content.

Fast hits, slow hits, difficult hits, Kibum somehow caught them all and made counts.

Desperation.

The backup infielder with the desperation buff somehow showed 120% of his ability.

Only in defense.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, with two outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Kibum had to return to the dugout without daring to swing his bat even once while the opposing starter threw three balls.

Judging by the way he was biting his lower lip and making an uncomfortable expression, he was clearly blaming himself.

“Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay! You can hit it next time!”

All I could do right now was quickly run over and pat Kibum on the back.