The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 10

10. Baseball is a Game for Those Who Excel (3)

“That bastard Baek Ha-min is on fire again. He’s shooting lasers from his eyes.”

“Wouldn’t he be? Don’t you remember? After losing in the New World Cup semi-finals in the spring, he practiced his slider like crazy? Besides, that madman’s goal was to have no earned runs until graduation.”

“Seriously, how can a guy with such a good personality become such a competitive maniac only when he’s on the mound? He just can’t stand losing when it comes to baseball.”

“That’s why he’s so good.”

Anyone who knows Baek Ha-min praises his character.

He is exemplary, kind, and polite. He’s even humble.

But in reality, his nature isn’t about being exemplary, kind, and polite. Baek Ha-min is just trying to be that way.

From middle school, Baek Ha-min never doubted that he had the talent to go pro. So he put in effort after effort. And that effort wasn’t limited to just baseball.

Athletes have different physiques than their peers.

It can’t be helped.

Most kids start sports because they are evaluated as having talent. And those kids only do sports to death when others study or go to PC rooms to play games. As such, they were also easily tempted by bad influences. Having power originally meant that.

But Baek Ha-min was different.

Those who messed around in school, acting like bullies? He just found them funny.

Those who played along with them while doing sports? He just thought they were pathetic.

From that young age, he decided not to create any issues that could be used against him when he became a pro and succeeded in the future. And so, Baek Ha-min had been living a very exemplary life for as long as six years.

But he also had a unique space where he could shed that pretentious attitude.

That was the mound.

Of course, what sport in the world would be the same, but baseball has a very special aspect that is different from ordinary team sports. That is, all games ultimately start with a one-on-one match between the batter and the pitcher. Individual versus individual.

Therefore, no one touches the starting pitcher on the day he pitches.

Yes, the starting pitcher is king. At least for that day’s game.

Baek Ha-min stood on the mound and looked down at the batter.

The sight of the guy fixing his helmet and tapping his head wasn’t bad. Some old-timers might say that he’s just a show-off for a sophomore, but what age is there in baseball? A batter who hits well can do that much.

Yes, I acknowledge your skill. Although it was a bad pitch, it’s not common for a batter to hit my ball over the fence.

“I’ll face you with all my strength.”

Baek Ha-min, determined, wound up greatly.

***

What’s coming?

Fastball? Slider?

Of course, it’s not much of a concern.

I still have some experience, so I don’t have the experience to fiercely worry about what kind of ball will come against a high school student who is hard to play ace even if I go to the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] 2nd team, not even the KBO.

-Clang!!!

This is just what? This is just about what the pitcher’s tendency is like? It’s just a trivial question.

I lightly threw down my bat and ran towards first base. Baek Ha-min’s face on the mound turned pale, and the scouts behind him became very noisy.

Two consecutive first-pitch home runs.

Still, Jo Yu-jin, who had been sitting quietly in the dugout and greeted me in the first at-bat, ran fiercely to home plate and tapped my helmet.

“Choi Su-won!! You crazy bastard!! What? Are you Choi Su-won? Did you go somewhere and get batting lessons from Park Ga-ram or something?”

“What are you talking about? Hey, it hurts, so get out of here. It’s not like it’s the Major League, what’s the big deal about hitting a home run in the weekend league to make such a fuss.”

Batting lessons from Park Ga-ram?

Of course, that senior is the KBO home run king last year and is very likely to be this year as well, but that’s only until the next two years. From my second year as a pro until the moment I leave for the MLB [Major League Baseball], I have never given up the home run king title even once.

“Wow, what’s up, Choi Su-won.”

“What is it?”

“What’s the big deal about hitting a home run in a weekend league or something. That’s so cool. Hey, you guys all heard it, right? What Choi Su-won just said.”

“It sounds like showing off, so it’s a bit annoying, but I have nothing to say because he’s saying that after hitting home runs in two consecutive at-bats.”

“Hey, at that level, it’s not just showing off, it’s just objectively good.”

Perhaps it was because it was two consecutive home runs? The guys who had been watching An Byeong-yeong and offering a few words of congratulations when I hit a home run in the first at-bat were now excited and all ran over.

Seeing this, high school students are high school students. Certainly, there is still a pure side left.

Of course, not everyone was like that.

Not far away in the bullpen. I could still feel the hot gaze of Sea Squirt over the shallow fence. Of course, Sea Squirt wasn’t the only one sending a hot gaze.

The scouts gathered behind were also looking at me with quite a hot gaze.

It was a natural thing. Well, one first-pitch home run can be passed off as a coincidence. Even if the opponent is a first-round draft pick who hasn’t allowed a single home run in over a year.

But if that’s repeated twice in a row?

“Hey, find Choi Su-won’s batting record right away. Uh, not official games. All the way to practice games. And if you have any videos of his batting form, prepare them. I’ll take some here too. Geez. I’m telling you it’s different. He just hit two consecutive home runs against Baek Ha-min. Even two pitches in a row.”

“What? Pitching video? No, we need a batting video. Bat. Ting. Vid. Eo!!! What? What did you say? You don’t have a batting video? What does that mean? Choi Su-won is a .300 hitter. But why doesn’t the team have a batting video of him!!”

The ten club scouts were making urgent calls here and there and shouting, and that call was definitely related to me.

That’s because it’s a whopping two consecutive home runs. Ah, what’s so great about that? For reference, the most home runs in this year’s New World Big Mart National Tournament is 2 home runs. In the first place, home runs themselves don’t come out well in high school baseball.

It can’t be helped. How many home runs can kids who used aluminum bats until middle school hit when they move to high school? Usually, the most home runs in that year are only about 4-5 home runs in all tournaments in the first and second half weekend leagues. After using wooden bats, the all-time record was probably eight?

In that situation, two consecutive home runs against a sure-fire first-round draft pick pitcher is enough to cause such a fuss.

“Deputy Kim, Baek Ha-min’s pitch just now was good, right?”

“Yes, it was very good. A full inside course 150.3km/h fastball.”

“How many of our team’s players would be able to hit that over the fence if it came in like that?”

“Well. Even if it’s 150, it’s still a fastball thrown by a high school student, and if you time it right… Four or five people?”

“Deputy Kim, you really love our team’s players.”

“Yes, I’m a bit like that.”

“Stop talking nonsense and let’s stop by Jungang High School while we’re in Seoul. Can you postpone the train ticket for tomorrow? Let’s postpone it for 3 hours.”

I sat quietly in the dugout and covered my shoulders with a pitcher’s jacket.

Still, Jo Yu-jin still had some sense left, and didn’t even come close to my right arm while tapping my helmet.

Baek Ha-min’s face on the mound didn’t look good.

I understand. Honestly, it’s been so long since I was a pitcher that my memory is a bit hazy, but if I were hit with first-pitch home runs in two consecutive at-bats by one batter, the shock would be great.

In fact, when I saw it, the ball that Baek Ha-min was hit with was probably a ball that he himself would have been satisfied with immediately after throwing it. The course was good and the speed was good. Tsk, I have a slight feeling of guilt that I gave a hard-working young kid such a terrible memory…

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!!!”

The guy who caught a strike with a first-pitch slider looked at our dugout. He’s probably looking at me, right? He looks like he’s going to shoot lasers from his eyes.

Thanks to that, the slight feeling of guilt that was coming up disappeared. Of course, it doesn’t mean that he’s cocky or hateful. It just means that there’s no need to feel sorry for a guy like that with just this.

Sometimes, among pitchers, there are guys who get discouraged when they get hit and can’t show their skills. I call those guys sunfish-like guys. Usually, they are a type that is difficult to play in big waters, and they are really rare among starting pitchers, and once you catch a sucker, they are perfect for getting out of a slump during the season.

On the other hand, this guy’s case is a bit different.

The more you hit him, the more he crawls up. He’s the type that’s always fun to hit. And empirically, that kind of guy gets big.

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!!!”

Of course, that’s the story when he continues his career safely without getting hurt.

So, what happened to Baek Ha-min?

“Whoosh!!”

“Strike!! Out!!”

Fourth inning.

I took off the jacket that I had been covering too briefly and went back to the mound.

***

The world is unfair.

An Byeong-yeong clenched his fist tightly.

That day’s threat was still vivid in his ears. Of course, it doesn’t mean that he remembers the exact wording. Roughly, it seems like it was something like this.

“I don’t have to play baseball, but what are you going to do? Kneel down and beg to play baseball. Who knows? Maybe I’ll forgive you then. You moron.”

You son of a bitch.

It was an abusive language that An Byeong-yeong had never even imagined.

How dare he to a senior like the sky. Of course, it wasn’t that important that An Byeong-yeong himself had been steadily giving Choi Su-won a hard time for the past year.

That was all the warm heart of a senior who cares about his juniors. Besides, was An Byeong-yeong the only one who did that? From the beginning, in his rational and reasonable view, there was no one on the team who had good feelings for that bastard Choi Su-won.

It’s natural. What crazy person in the world would like a guy who gives an envelope to the coach?

“Good ball!! Good ball!! Su-won. Let’s go calmly. Calmly.”

Jo Yu-jin grabbed the wildly missed ball and gently coaxed him. Anyway, that guy is having a lot of trouble. No, to be honest, if you look at the pure performance alone, what would An Byeong-yeong himself be behind that guy?

What’s the point of having a speed of 150km/h?

Look.

-Bang!!

Runner on 1st and 2nd base.

Choi Su-won walked two more batters in a row.

In the end, the most important thing for a pitcher is to throw strikes. If he keeps piling up firewood like that and gets replaced, it’s An Byeong-yeong himself who will have a hard time. If that’s going to happen anyway, I wish he would just get hit hard and come down from the mound quickly.

-Clang!!

But a double play from one out, runners on 1st and 2nd base.

‘Lucky bastard.’

Choi Su-won managed to block the inning with the help of the defense.

As a result, the number of pitches by the 4th inning is already 84. It was obvious. He’ll probably pitch until the 5th inning today and take the win, then hand over the mound.

Damn it.

I need an opportunity. An opportunity that can catch everyone’s eyes.

“Byeong-yeong, get ready.”

“Yes?”

“What do you mean ‘Yes?’ Aren’t you going to throw the ball?”

5th inning.

Finally, in a situation where all the scouts from the ten clubs were watching, the opportunity came to him.