The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 142

142. Fastball (4)

Sigh…

What’s got Jo Yu-jin, that idiot, grinning like that?

Jjo-yu [a nickname for Jo Yu-jin] trained hard under the coach’s guidance in the minors. Since it was a pro coach’s advice, he must have worked really hard. But that was practically a process of reverting to his original, terrible form. Jjo-yu has first base anxiety, so he can’t hit with a form that would fully unleash his potential.

Anyway, his current state is quite awkward.

He accepted my advice again during the exhibition games and was trying to regain his old form, but a person’s habits are truly scary.

Repeated practice ultimately means mastering the motion perfectly. That’s how baseball motions are. Especially hitting and pitching, it’s usually difficult to correct something once you’ve learned it.

Fortunately, Jjo-yu could consciously use that funny form again since he had ingrained it for a year, but the problem is that it gets messed up again in tense moments like now.

In the end, the only solution is for him to practice repeatedly and ingrain it in his body. After all, the form he’s used for longer is the hopeless three-stage separation hitting style, so if he swings without thinking, that habit will inevitably come out.

-Clang!!!

First pitch.

Kang Ra-on swung at Jo Chang-hyuk’s 157.1km/h fastball.

It seems that constantly timing fastballs has been effective.

But even so, his bat was late. It wasn’t so much a problem with bat speed as it was that Jo Chang-hyuk’s pitching timing was a bit faster. Besides, Jo Chang-hyuk’s pitch had so much power that he seemed to consciously swing the bat a little high, but it was too high.

Towards 2nd and 3rd base.

Chang-min, the shortstop, ran out quickly.

Jjo-yu was already running towards 2nd base at a crazy speed. Wow, for a moment, it looked like Lee Ju-hyuk was having a solo running race in the outfield. Moreover, Kang Ra-on’s speed was also unusual.

If it were Chang-min before his hamstring injury, he would have thrown the ball already.

But his start was subtly late. He received the ball a beat late and pulled it out of his glove a step late. A smooth, flowing motion. Chang-min threw the ball towards second base without a hitch.

At the same time, Jjo-yu’s bent-leg slide.

The second baseman lifted his body slightly almost simultaneously with catching the ball. And then threw to first base as is.

-Thwack!!

It was a hair’s breadth difference.

But clearly, the ball was a little faster.

“Out!!!”

[Double out!! Double out. Jung Chang-min’s smooth defense. Top of the 3rd. Turns a 0-2, no-out, runner on first situation into a 2-out, no-runner situation.]

Huh?

I could see Jjo-yu saying something towards this way. Could it be that he’s saying he’s safe?

[Ah, second base runner Jo Yu-jin. From what he’s saying now, it seems he took his foot off the base at second base before receiving the ball. That’s what he seems to be saying.]

[The Marines dugout is now requesting a video review.]

Some old baseball fans still mistakenly believe in the neighborhood play. That is, they believe that it’s still possible to tacitly call an out even if the shortstop or second baseman doesn’t step on the base accurately at second base, or takes their foot off the base a little early.

Originally, this neighborhood play was a tacit rule that arose because the first base runner was making aggressive base running plays, but in the 21st century, such aggressive base running itself has been blocked by rules. Naturally, the neighborhood play should have disappeared as well, and both the MLB [Major League Baseball] and KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] have completely eliminated it by allowing video reviews at second base.

[Ah, safe!! Safe. It seems almost simultaneous, but he took his foot off just before the ball arrived.]

[With this, it’s 1 out with a runner on 2nd. Lee Jung-hoon, the 2nd batter, comes to the plate.]

That’s a relief.

Even if our team’s batters have some problems with their bats, they all run like zebras running across the Serengeti, so the double play ended as a productive out. But seriously, how is Jjo-yu’s knee so okay when he’s a catcher who has to crouch every day?

As I walked out to the batter’s box with my bat, Jung-hoon hyung [hyung is a Korean term used by males to address older male friends or brothers] spoke to me.

“I’m in good condition today.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Is it a good thing? Of course, it’s a good thing. What else could it be?”

“No, you got out with an infield fly on the first pitch in your first at-bat. If you’re not in good condition, it’s because you’re not in good condition, but if you’re in good condition and you do that…”

“This punk? I praised you, I praised you, but you’re crossing the line too much? I’m going to take responsibility and get on base, so you have to bring me in. Just try not to.”

Lee Jung-hoon puffed out his nostrils and went to the plate.

It’s as intended.

There are hitters who hit well when they stand calmly and composed at the plate, while there are types who perform well when they push themselves. After watching Lee Jung-hoon for months, he’s the latter. From shamelessly telling stories about how he hit a hit because he was afraid of being criticized for drinking the night before and not hitting today, he’s not of sound mind.

-Thwack!!

He sharply picked out a ball that was missing on the first pitch.

He’s not swinging at just any ball, so although he had an infield fly on the first pitch in the previous at-bat, it seems he’s really in good condition like he said.

Second.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!!”

A slider that sharply cuts into the body.

The KBO has a very high percentage of pitchers who throw sliders. It seems that the coaching staff themselves are retired pitchers, and they tend to pass on the pitches they used well during their active careers, and that’s the slider. Well, thanks to that, even players who aren’t suited for sliders throw them all the time, so there are weirdos who throw with a slider grip but drop it vertically, and there are pitchers who drop the speed by about 15 miles like a real changeup.

In Jo Chang-hyuk’s case, he uses a more orthodox slider, but he’s not normal either. Usually, it’s standard to throw a slider that goes outside against the same-handed batter, but he doesn’t hesitate to throw the ball inside to the opposite-handed batter. That means he’s confident in controlling his slider.

Third.

A 156.8km/h fastball that comes in low.

If it were me, I would have swung the bat unconditionally. But Lee Jung-hoon’s choice was a little different. It was a wise choice. His swing trajectory itself wasn’t a very good swing to properly attack this kind of ball.

-Thwack!!

A precarious course.

The umpire’s hand didn’t go up.

Lee Jung-hoon’s expression, who stepped back from the plate for a moment to adjust his posture, looks good.

Ball count 2-1.

It’s a pretty good count for the batter.

In this situation, the pitcher has to make a choice. Whether to keep throwing difficult balls even if he’s willing to walk the batter. Or just overpower him.

And that depends on the pitcher himself. And who the batter at the plate is.

If it were Jo Chang-hyuk, he would naturally choose the latter. Especially considering that Lee Jung-hoon, who is now at the plate, has an average of less than five home runs per year.

And Lee Jung-hoon probably knows that fact well too.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!!”

Despite expecting it, a 158.9km/h fastball that slightly grazed the outside made Lee Jung-hoon swing in vain. It’s truly the power of a fastball. If it were me, I would have sent it over the fence, but there aren’t many batters like me in the world, so it’s worth learning from the mound how to be so brazen.

And the fifth.

Situation of 2-2.

There’s still one ball to spare, but if I were Jo Chang-hyuk, I could overpower him with strength. Of course, considering that the next batter is me, he might be afraid of adding more fuel to the fire, so he might take one out.

What will his choice be?

-Thwack!!!

This time, Lee Jung-hoon was lucky. In my opinion, it was a strike, but the umpire didn’t call a strike. Is that why? Jo Chang-hyuk’s expression wasn’t good.

Sixth.

Full count, he pushed the inside ball and hit a foul.

And the seventh.

A ball that was slightly centered.

-Clang!!!

Lee Jung-hoon, who had gained momentum, hit the ball. It wasn’t a very fast hit, but the location was good. A hit that pierced between 1st and 2nd base. Jjo-yu ran quickly. Is it possible to get to home? Maybe it’s possible. But the 3rd base coach didn’t wave his arm. It seemed to mean that he wouldn’t take a risky gamble since they were already leading by 2 points, and Noh Hyung-wook was the next batter with one out.

Lee Jung-hoon, who was on first base, stared at me intently with a smug expression.

Well, he got a bit of an advantage from the judgment, but anyway, his tenacious concentration that went up to 7 pitches was enough to prove the good condition he had mentioned.

The Braves’ dugout buzzed for a moment.

It’s probably a process of discussing whether to intentionally walk or go for the win.

Jo Chang-hyuk himself wouldn’t like this situation very much.

Anyway, he was a pitcher who was practically confirmed to advance to the major leagues, and I was a rookie who had only debuted a month ago.

But what can you do? That rookie is a great batter who is breaking KBO’s records one after another.

Personally, I thought the odds were about 7:3.

The reason why it’s not 10:0 is because Noh Hyung-wook is the batter behind me. He hit a back-to-back home run in the previous inning, and his recent hitting feel isn’t bad.

Above all, Jo Chang-hyuk’s pride was also at stake…

[Ah, the Braves’ dugout. They’re choosing to intentionally walk here. Choi Soo-won walks to 1st base. Now it’s one out with the bases loaded. Noh Hyung-wook comes to the plate.]

[Choi Soo-won’s hitting pace has been so scary recently that it’s not an incomprehensible choice. But still, considering that the pitcher on the mound is ace Jo Chang-hyuk… I’m curious to see what the result of this choice by the Braves will be.]

***

“Huh? What? They’re intentionally walking here? The manager is smart.”

“Hey, that’s not right. Even if it’s Choi Soo-won. It’s Noh Hyung-wook.”

“What’s wrong with Noh Hyung-wook? Honestly, if you have to choose between a confirmed 5:0 with the current score of 2:0, or giving up a few more points with a slightly higher probability, wouldn’t you choose the latter?”

“Hey, even if it’s Soo-won, the pitcher is Jo Chang-hyuk, so a confirmed home run is a bit… Besides, Hyung-wook hit a home run in the first inning.”

The fans watching the game whispered.

And that was the same for Eun-jin and Se-hee, who were watching the game in the VIP room.

“Is this that intentional walk thing? Automatically sending out a scary batter.”

“Yeah.”

“I heard that today’s pitcher is also a very good pitcher. As expected, it’s no match for Soo-won oppa [oppa is a Korean term used by females to address older male friends or brothers]. But unnie [unnie is a Korean term used by females to address older female friends or sisters], I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why is this an intentional walk? Intentionally dead ball? The pitcher just died without even throwing the ball. Is that what it means?”

“No, it doesn’t mean dead. In the first place, that ‘sa’ probably means a number. It’s intentionally giving up a walk. They don’t bother throwing the ball these days, but back in the old days, the pitcher had to throw four balls.”

“Ah, I see.”

Noh Hyung-wook came to the plate.

It felt like my blood was running backwards.

Honestly, I admit that Choi Soo-won is the hottest batter these days. But what I can rationally admit and what makes me emotionally angry are two different things.

And Jo Chang-hyuk on the mound was just as angry.

The hand holding the ball was clenched tightly.

Basically, Jo Chang-hyuk is the type of pitcher who deliberately gets angrier on the mound. Originally, that kind of thing suits a fastball that bursts like a flame.

How will the scouts who came to the stadium today evaluate this?

An ace pitcher who was scared of a rookie?

He glared fiercely at the youngster who had walked three steps out of first base. Was he nineteen years old? He was practically a babe in arms.

He wound up greatly.

After all, a steal is impossible. I’m going to end the inning by overpowering him with the strongest ball I can throw.

Top of the 3rd.

A time when the body is slowly warming up.

99.3 miles, just 0.7 miles short of the dream 100 miles.

A 159.8km/h fastball left his hand.

The command wasn’t very good.

But as seen earlier, a ball approaching 160 is powerful in itself.

Yes, if the batter at the plate wasn’t Noh Hyung-wook, who is now at the peak of his condition.

-Clang!!!

Just as the pitcher on the mound converted his anger into power, the batter at the plate also converted his anger into power. Thus, the slightly pushed bat was sufficiently filled with that enormous power.

Thus, Noh Hyung-wook’s consecutive home run pounded the center of the first floor of the Gocheok Dome outfield.

Jo Chang-hyuk’s face turned blue. His pitching was noticeably shaken. But even so, Jo Chang-hyuk was still an ace. He steadily finished the 3rd inning, blocking the Marines’ lineup starting from Lee Gyu-man with just one hit.

Thus, the score was a whopping 6:0.

Now, Choi Soo-won went to the mound with a sense of security that it didn’t matter how many points they gave up.