The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 103

103. VS MLB? (1)

It was a bit strange.

“Hello. I’m Lee Ji-yeon from the Korea Daily.”

“Ah, yes, hello.”

“We met a few times two years ago, do you remember?”

How could I not remember?

Ji-yeon was the first celebrity-level woman I dated before I went back in time. Back then, I was in my third year in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] and just starting to break out. I was chosen as the MVP of the game and interviewed. Unlike now, I was too shy to even look her in the face.

Of course, Ji-yeon was a bit prettier back then. There’s bound to be a difference in the effort put into appearance between working as a reporter for a newspaper and working as a reporter for a broadcasting station. But still, the original is still there. The reason I can look at her now without feeling anything is probably thanks to the numerous experiences I’ve had since then.

“Yes. When I was setting home run records. Right?”

“Ah, you remember.”

“Of course. Teenagers in puberty never forget pretty older sisters.”

“Pardon? Pretty older sister?”

Ji-yeon covered her mouth and laughed.

“Ah, Choi Soo-won, you’re very funny. Anyway, thank you for agreeing to an interview with the Korea Daily today.”

Of course, agreeing to an interview with the Korea Daily wasn’t just because of my past connection with Ji-yeon. That’s how newspaper articles are these days. They inevitably chase traffic. But even when dealing with the same issue, articles have a direction and a tone.

‘6 Games Without a Hit!! The 20 Billion Won Hitter’s Silent Bat.’

‘6 Games in a Row with Walks!! Batting may have slumps, but the eye doesn’t.’

It’s the same result, but the feeling is completely different just by looking at the title.

At least since I went back in time, the Korea Daily’s articles about me have always been closer to the latter.

“Unlike other teams that are actively holding exchange games, the Marines are conducting their spring camp mainly with internal scrimmages. Some say the reason for this is Choi Soo-won’s usage. In fact, looking at Choi Soo-won’s recent performance, it’s understandable. But unlike Major League Baseball, the KBO doesn’t have an Ohtani rule yet, does it? What are your thoughts on this?”

“Well, it’s only February, so it’s too early to call it a performance. What’s important now is to get in shape, not the results of the camp, so I don’t think it means much. And I can’t know what the manager is thinking.”

I picked up a water cup and moistened my throat.

“And in the case of the Ohtani rule, MLB [Major League Baseball] is an advanced league, but I don’t think we need to follow everything they do. We can just adapt to the league situation. Major League Baseball created the Ohtani rule after Ohtani showed incredible performance.”

“It sounds like a humble answer at first glance… But it sounds like you’re saying you’re going to create a Choi Soo-won rule in the KBO in a couple of years. Is that a misunderstanding?”

I didn’t bother answering Ji-yeon’s question. My mouth was itching, but I’ve been backlashed more than once for saying everything I thought in interviews. Reporters will write about these things even if I don’t say them. And I can talk about it enough on TV shows in about 7 or 8 years.

“Thank you for the interview today. Lastly, this is a personal question. Of course, you don’t have to answer. This spring camp, are the Marines really not planning to have exchange games with other teams?”

“Well… The schedule is entirely up to the manager and coaches. However, there’s a rumor among the players. I think you know that rumor better than I do.”

“Thank you for your answer. If you play against another team, I’ll ask for another interview. Please take care of me then too.”

“Yes. I understand.”

***

Time flew by, and it was already the end of February.

Marines fans were thirsty for information. Other teams released their information through exchange games, but the Marines, who only conducted internal scrimmages, were so secretive that the information was rarely leaked.

Of course, not all scrimmages were held in private. If it had been a domestic spring camp like during the pandemic, or even a Japanese spring camp like before, there might have been quite a few people watching the games and spreading stories. But America was too far away.

“So!! That’s why I came here myself.”

A hefty physique. A face that’s hard to call likable even with kind words. But still, a YouTuber with a whopping 140,000 subscribers. It was BJ Bongmin [Broadcast Jockey Bongmin, a popular term for online streamer].

“Brothers. See this? Wow, really. I’ve been to the Okinawa League in Japan a few times before. But this is completely different. Of course, Okinawa was quite warm compared to Busan [a major city in South Korea]. But I still had to wear a light padding or at least long sleeves. But see this now? Short sleeves. The temperature here today is 24 degrees Celsius [approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit]. It’s not quite summer weather, but this is honestly late spring, early summer weather. And see that over there? Ten fields. Ten. The Marines are really serious this time.”

─MarinesDissolutionPrayers: What’s the point of having a good training ground? The team is a mess.

─9TeamsGaza: It’s obvious without even looking. How bad must it be that they don’t even have one exchange game.

─ChoiDongSoowon: Are we finally seeing Soo-won?

─FlowerHaMin: Get Bongmin’s ugly face out of the way and zoom in on our Ha-min’s face.

─AutumnMarines: Tsk tsk, you’re so slow with the news. Don’t you know the Marines are having an exchange game tomorrow?

─SajikYagaDa: With who? All the other teams that went to Arizona have games scheduled with each other, right?

─GlassesAce: I heard it’s an American team?

“Wow, you guys are amazing. Your information is no joke. It hasn’t even been properly reported yet. That’s right. Our Marines, who have only been doing internal scrimmages, will finally have an exchange game. With an American team, no less!!”

[SajikYagaDa donated 2,000 won.]

─If it’s an American team, is it Major League?

[NeugaProga donated 1,000 won.]

─Major League? At best, it’ll be NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association]. Or maybe an AAA [Triple-A] team.

[MarinesReverseBetAllIn donated 3,000 won.]

─Even AAA is two levels higher than the Marines. KBO is said to be a league between AA [Double-A] and AAA, but the Marines have a winning rate of 20% in that league.

“Oh, thank you for the donations. Actually, the team they’re having an exchange game with hasn’t been properly announced yet. But looking at how much anticipation there is, I don’t think it’s a college team… Anyway, they’re going to announce it soon, so let’s wait and see.”

***

“Manager, this practice game. It feels like a bit of a waste of time…”

“I know. And it’s not a little. It’s a complete waste of time.”

“Then why?”

“Damn it!! Why do you think? Because they told us to do it from above. You know the atmosphere in the office these days. Globalization or whatever. They’re groveling to those damn chinazi [derogatory term combining ‘China’ and ‘Nazi’] bastards, and they’re trying to get the jap [derogatory term for Japanese] bastards and the gook [derogatory term for Koreans] bastards to join the Cactus League [a spring training league for MLB teams]. The general manager bit on it. Damn it. We’re the ones who get blamed if our kids get hurt. And why Marines of all teams?”

Manager James Cole relentlessly cursed the general manager who came down as a parachute [someone appointed to a position without proper experience]. Even if it’s trendy to put a young, highly educated guy in the position of general manager, it’s only in cases where they have experience working in the team’s front office. But the guy who came down as general manager this time was just some moron who made apps and played baseball games. The only reason he was appointed as general manager was because he was a college classmate of the team owner.

Faced with James’s endless outpouring of anger, the coach who said the practice game seemed like a waste of time changed his tune. He had a feeling that the complaints would never end unless he talked about the positive aspects, even if he had to force them.

“But you said it’s a league close to AAA. And since they started training a month earlier than us, it might not be a complete waste of time, right?”

“A league close to AAA? Don’t make me laugh. Well, maybe the KBO could be, but not the Marines. Absolutely not.”

Manager James Cole.

He knew the Marines well.

“But wouldn’t it be different from when you were there, Manager?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t know because you haven’t been to that team… That team is… That team is… the abyss.”

Three years ago.

The Marines were the team he managed.

***

“Hey, Swan. Why did you go to Arizona? If you were going to come, you should have come to Florida.”

“Well… That’s not something you should ask me, but rather call our team and inquire about. Why we came to the west, which is closer and has better weather, instead of the east, which is farther away for spring camp.”

“Tsk, that’s too bad. If you had come to Florida, I would have introduced you to a lot of guys. You’re quite famous on our team.”

“Me?”

“Of course. You’re the rival of Alexander McDowell, the best super rookie in the nation who crushed the minors and debuted in the majors in just 8 months.”

“Oh… Um… Well… Didn’t you get called up briefly during the expanded roster in September last year and then get demoted back to the minors after going 2-for-27?”

“… Still, one of them was a home run. And my condition wasn’t great because they suddenly called me up at an unexpected time. This year will be different. Anyway, good for you. This year, I’ll win Rookie of the Year here, and Swan, you win Rookie of the Year there and let’s meet. Oh, that Korean league has a Rookie of the Year award, right?”

“McDowell, you need to use that organ called a brain inside your forehead a little more. It’s good to use that organ when you talk.”

“Ah, sorry, sorry. I apologize if that was offensive. Anyway, you and I, the rivals of the century, are winning Rookie of the Year at the same time. How about it?”

“Well… I’m thinking of winning MVP too.”

Alexander McDowell, with his stubbly beard, leaned his face into the smartphone with an exaggerated expression.

“Yessir!! My rival. Even if it’s the minors, it’s still professional. Declaring MVP out of the blue. Yeah, that’s what it takes to stand shoulder to shoulder with this Alexander McDowell. Then I’ll aim for MVP beyond Rookie of the Year this year too. Yeah, the debut that suits me is winning Rookie of the Year and MVP at the same time.”

“Yeah, 2-for-27.”

“Keuk…”

Alexander McDowell ended the call with a wounded expression. I didn’t particularly care. He’ll probably call again tomorrow like nothing happened.

What I need to focus on more right now is the practice game today.

Almost a month since spring camp started. After more than ten scrimmages, the atmosphere within the team has gradually settled down to some extent.

In fact, players can tell for themselves if they play a few games.

Ah, he’s going to be picked as a starter this time. He’s going to have a hard time. Things like that.

Of course, people tend to be a little lenient towards ‘themselves’ in this judgment. But that leniency only applies to opponents who are similar to or slightly better than themselves, thinking ‘I’m better than him.’

Appearing in a total of eight games, 19 innings, 11 runs allowed, 6 earned runs. ERA [Earned Run Average] of 2.84.

And 27 plate appearances, 23 at-bats, 11 hits (2 doubles, 1 triple), 4 home runs, 4 walks.

Slash line of 0.478/0.556/1.174. OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] is 1.729.

Even if spring camp is focused on conditioning, it’s just crazy to treat me like a rookie who doesn’t know anything with these kinds of results.

Of course, seniority and experience are factors that can never be ignored in this industry. They are very important. But the law of ‘exceptions for those who are hot’ is valid everywhere.

The league hasn’t even started yet. There aren’t even exhibition games yet. But at least the Marines players knew.

‘He’ is definitely going to be a hit this season.

Starting with today’s game.

[Marines Spring Camp First Exchange Game!! Opponent is MLB’s Oakland Athletics!!]