The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 186

The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well – Episode 186 (186/404)

186. Leading (9)

No one can be in peak condition all year round.

If they could, they’d be a god or a demon.

No one can be in poor condition all year round either.

If that were the case, they’d be like the Busan Marines or the Daejeon Hawks [teams known for consistently underperforming].

People’s condition naturally fluctuates. Especially in a sport like baseball, it’s impossible for a player to perform at their best throughout the entire year. Even that ‘demon’ [referring to a player with exceptional skills] has periods where they weaken.

Therefore, winning teams have a cycle where one player gets stronger when another weakens, so the team’s overall strength consistently remains above the threshold for victory.

This season, the Marines were supposed to be like that.

Ah, of course, the Marines’ cycle was consistently similar to their usual selves. Without any particular finesse, they wavered far below the possibility of victory.

However, Choi Su-won’s existence forcibly dragged them up by the collar.

Today marks the 73rd game of the season.

Based on the stats up to yesterday, he has played in 54 games, with 232 plate appearances, 131 at-bats, 58 hits (11 doubles, 3 triples), 27 home runs, 3 stolen bases, 1 stolen base failure, and 92 walks.

0.443/0.655/1.191 [Batting Average/On-Base Percentage/Slugging Percentage]

And in 14 games with 14 starts, he pitched 86.1 innings, allowing 74 hits, 34 runs (23 earned), 5 home runs, 106 strikeouts, 27 walks, and 3 hit-by-pitches.

ERA 2.55, ERA+ 156, FIP 2.34 [Earned Run Average, Adjusted ERA+, Fielding Independent Pitching].

His current WAR [Wins Above Replacement] is a whopping 9.31.

In fact, with stats like these, he’s forcibly dragging the team to victory even if his teammates are trying their best to lose. Arithmetically speaking, this meant he was forcibly increasing the win rate by at least 10% in almost every game.

But despite all this, the Marines still hadn’t reached first place.

And today, when Choi Su-won’s pitching is faltering, proving that he isn’t a baseball god either, the Busan Marines also had to prove that they don’t always play like the usual Marines to win.

– Clang!!!

Kang Ra-on’s bat connected with Jo Chang-hyuk’s pitch.

A hit that barely cleared the infielders.

It wasn’t the decisive home run he had imagined, but anyway, runners on first and second with no outs.

It was Choi Su-won’s turn.

Earlier, during the defensive inning, he had shown a bit of erratic fastball control on the mound, giving up a run. But no one predicted that his condition would be terrible just because of that. And that was the same for Jo Chang-hyuk, who was full of self-confidence.

In the bottom of the first inning, with only a 1-point lead, intentionally walking a batter who had 16 home runs this season was not an easy choice.

However, the story changes when the batter you’re walking has insane stats of 0.443/0.655/1.191.

[Ah, automatic intentional walk. The Braves’ dugout is signaling for an automatic intentional walk. This now loads the bases with no outs. Crisis for the Braves.]

[It’s really tough for teams facing the Marines this season because that player, Choi Su-won, is just too out of the ordinary. An on-base percentage of over .650 means he’s getting on base almost two or three times every game. But if you don’t give him walks, his batting average is .443 and his slugging percentage is 1.191. When he hits, it’s always for extra bases.]

[But on the mound is Jo Chang-hyuk, the best pitcher in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], likely to advance to the Major League next year. No Hyung-wook steps up to the plate.]

Bases loaded.

Choi Geo-noh.

It was a scene he had already seen throughout the season.

Therefore, No Hyung-wook was no longer excited. He simply stepped into the batter’s box as usual and held his bat as usual.

That was enough for the cleanup hitter, No Hyung-wook.

Fierce concentration.

Jo Chang-hyuk, standing on the mound in front of him, smiled. He had clearly experienced through a series of events long ago.

That the world is like Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s old poem [referencing the poem “Solitude”].

That joy must be borrowed in this old and sad land, but pain is already abundant.

That everyone may come to laugh and rejoice with you,

But everyone will turn away and ignore you in moments of weeping and sorrow.

So laugh, and the world will laugh with you.

He gripped the ball tightly and looked around.

Then he took a deep breath and threw the ball with force.

– Bang!!!

“Strike!!!”

A perfect pitch.

No Hyung-wook didn’t swing.

“Hey!! Are you crazy? A fastball is coming right in, why aren’t you swinging!! You’re always hitting useless home runs that don’t contribute anything. Are you even a cleanup hitter?”

The cheers from the Sajik Stadium stands were not much different from usual.

Jo Chang-hyuk’s smile deepened. All pitchers learn to have a poker face. Pitching is like gambling in some ways, so it’s very important not to reveal your hand. But sometimes, some pitchers were okay even if their hand was revealed.

In Jo Chang-hyuk’s smile, No Hyung-wook felt the desperation of a man standing at the edge of a canyon. And the madness to leap across that canyon in one bound.

Fastball.

159.4km/h [approximately 99 mph]

A powerful velocity that was hard to believe for the bottom of the first inning.

But even more impressive was the control of the pitch, following up the full outside corner with a full inside corner.

– Bang!!

“Strike!!”

No Hyung-wook took a half-step back.

It was clearly a strike, but it was a very excellent pitch that deviated from the virtual zone that No Hyung-wook himself had created.

Two pitches in a row.

“Kim Dae-cheol!! Did you get something good from No Hyung-wook? Why are you putting a guy like that at cleanup? Choi Su-won is always getting on base, but how can a guy with such a low RBI [Runs Batted In] be at cleanup? Are you even making sense? Hey, No Hyung-wook, just strike out quietly. If you swing at anything and hit into a double play, I’m going to kill you today. Got it?”

The enthusiasm of the fans cheering for him grew even louder.

No Hyung-wook didn’t waste time.

Clearly, the momentum of the game was flowing towards Jo Chang-hyuk, but No Hyung-wook now felt that his concentration was also at its peak.

0-2 count [no balls, two strikes].

Jo Chang-hyuk was the league’s best power pitcher. And that wasn’t just because he could throw a ball reaching 160 km/h.

‘What makes a power pitcher?’

It was similar to asking whose heart is stronger, a finesse pitcher or a fireballer.

The courage to throw a strike in a no-ball, two-strike count.

That would be the most important requirement for a power pitcher.

And No Hyung-wook knew very well that the pitcher on the mound now was a true power pitcher.

No Hyung-wook’s bat was drawn out like lightning.

– Clang!!!

It was heavy.

The power of the talent that Jo Chang-hyuk possessed was combined with the power of the skill that the Braves’ system had cultivated. And there, the power of the history that the Marines’ system had built up also lent a hand.

The countless fans filling Sajik Stadium held their breath.

No Hyung-wook didn’t let go of his bat.

If only the best-hit balls could be sent over the fence, the 10kg of muscle he had gained over the past 5 years would have been worthless, and his reduced defensive range and running speed would have been just stupid nonsense.

The ball soared.

The angle was a bit high. The ball speed was not satisfactory.

The Braves’ center fielder, Kang Ho-chang, ran in Sajik Stadium, which was still more familiar than the Braves’ home stadium. And in front of the outfield fence where he had bumped his back countless times, he jumped high with his arms outstretched.

But he couldn’t reach it.

The baseball went over the fence, leaving a truly large margin to regret.

[Home run!! It’s a home run!! Bottom of the 1st!! No Hyung-wook’s grand slam!! The Marines!! Add 4 points at once and succeed in reversing the score to 1:4!!]

[No Hyung-wook!! No Hyung-wook hits a home run for the second consecutive game following yesterday!! He recorded his 17th home run of the season!!]

Sajik Stadium was filled with various screams.

“No Hyung-wook!! What did I tell you!! Huh? Eat well, put strength in your stomach!! If you swing the bat hard, it’ll go over!! I knew you would do really well since a long time ago.”

No Hyung-wook lightly waved his hand to the crowd cheering for him. It didn’t matter that he was the same person who had been cursing at him a little while ago. After all, if he struck out, grounded out, or hit into a double play in the next at-bat, they would shout curses again, and even after cursing like that, they would sing his cheer song at the top of their lungs in the next at-bat.

1:4.

The game continued.

***

Baek Ha-min breathed lightly.

According to the original schedule, he should have pitched today. Due to yesterday’s rainout, his appearance was pushed back a day, so he had also performed his pre-start routine again today.

And as the Marines’ defensive inning in the top of the 1st inning was coming to an end.

“Ha-min, to the bullpen. Get ready to pitch.”

“Yes?”

The head coach gave him unexpected instructions while he was waiting in the dugout for his next game in two days.

Of course, Su-won had given up a run. But was it enough to make him prepare to pitch?

Above all, even if an emergency situation occurred, the Marines’ bullpen had been quite solid recently. There was no reason to use him, the 4th starter, as a long reliever in the current situation…

“It’s the manager’s order. Today’s an important game. Even if you don’t go up, you’ll have another day off tomorrow.”

The head coach added a word to him, who had a doubtful look. The hand patting his back contained warmth, telling him not to feel bad.

“Ah, yes. I’ll go prepare right away.”

Of course, the head coach knew that he had no intention of disobeying. Unlike Choi Su-won, Baek Ha-min wasn’t that kind of guy.

And in the bottom of the 1st inning.

No Hyung-wook’s grand slam.

The moment Baek Ha-min saw that home run, he thought his turn wouldn’t come. It was obvious. The Choi Su-won he knew was a superhuman who never disappointed them when he had run support.

– Clang!!

Top of the 2nd inning. And top of the 3rd inning.

– Clang!!!

The score of 1:4 had changed to a tight score of 4:4 before they knew it.

Runner on 2nd with one out.

– Ring

The bullpen phone rang.

The bullpen coach, who answered the phone, nodded several times. And Jo Yu-jin and the pitching coach were already on the mound, talking about something.

It was an obvious situation.

“Ha-min.”

“Yes.”

A slightly different situation from the appearance of typical bullpen pitchers.

The Marines’ fourth starter, who was originally scheduled to start today, had warmed up very sufficiently.

[Ah, Marines!! Pitcher change. 3rd inning. Runner on 2nd with one out. The Marines’ dugout is making a very quick pitcher change.]

[That means today’s game is that important. In fact, when you’re playing a season, there are many times when you just hover back and forth in front of a crisis and end up slipping. So, there are times when you have to push hard to get over it when you can and ride the momentum. It seems that manager Kim Dae-cheol has judged that now is such a time.]

[Now, Baek Ha-min, Baek Ha-min, is coming up to the mound.]

It was an awkward feeling.

Going up to the mound in the middle of a game.

Receiving the ball from the pitcher standing on that mound.

And above all, that pitcher was Choi Su-won.

“Good job. Su-won.”