The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 219

The Pitcher Who Just Hits Home Runs – Episode 219 (219/404)

219. A Great Record Beyond That (2)

“World record? That’s Barry Bonds with 73. Below that, is it Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa? But you can’t really compare him to those guys. The MLB [Major League Baseball] season has 162 games. The KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] only has 144. Plus, he rests sometimes because he’s a two-way player. More than anything, those other guys were using performance-enhancing drugs.”

“True, but after reading that article this morning, it said that after his 50th home run, he’s hitting almost one home run every 1.4 games. So, with 10 games left, it’s not entirely impossible. That’s what they’re saying.”

“Nah, no way. That’s a classic small sample size fallacy. It just looks that way because there were games where he hit 3 or 4 home runs.”

As of yesterday, exactly 134 games played.

With 10 games remaining, Suwon has 60 home runs.

“It’s a shame, that’s what it is. A real shame.”

“Everyone in the country feels the same way. I honestly thought he had a chance last week, but his ‘nine-itis’ [a slump or difficulty when approaching a milestone, in this case, 59 home runs] was too severe. It took him three games to go from his 59th to his 60th home run.”

“I think it’s not just the ‘nine-itis,’ but also the fact that his condition was great for a while, and then he started pitching, took a day off, and his rhythm was completely thrown off.”

“That’s right. He’s already running out of stamina at the end of the season. If he’s chasing this kind of record, shouldn’t he just stop pitching and focus on hitting? That stubborn Dol-Daecheol [Stone-Daecheol, implying inflexibility] is so frustrating.”

“Dol-Daecheol? Come on, Manager Kim Daecheol is a great manager. He’s got his eye on the first regular season championship since the Marines were founded.”

“Great manager, my foot! Seriously, is it even possible that he’s still at magic number 3 [the number of wins or opponent losses needed to clinch a championship] with 10 games left in the season with Choi Suwon on the team?”

“Baseball strategy doesn’t mean much anyway. A good manager lets good players show their skills. That’s why baseball managers are called ‘managers’ and not ‘head coaches.'”

“Yeah, you know everything. Anyway, if Choi Suwon had just focused on hitting, he would have set not only an Asian record but also a single-season world record. The games he didn’t play as a hitter are such a waste. If you just extrapolate, he would have already had 72 home runs. So, with 10 games left, 73 home runs would be totally possible.”

“There’s no ‘what if’ in baseball. The fact that he hit this many might be because he got some rest in between. Honestly, he’s a rookie, so his stamina will naturally decline in the second half. He hasn’t hit a single home run on the days he pitched in the second half. Anyway, 73 home runs are impossible, but he’ll break the clean hitter’s highest home run record of 62. That’s still something, right?”

***

Manager Kim Daecheol was not happy with the constant criticism he’d been receiving lately. He always did his best in his position. And frankly, he didn’t think he was particularly incompetent.

‘Why couldn’t I do more with Choi Suwon? Damn it, you guys try managing Choi Suwon on the Marines. The fact that I’ve gotten this far is because I’m managing the team well and making sure Choi Suwon can concentrate on baseball without worrying about unnecessary things!!’

Of course, he couldn’t voice his true feelings. After all, Choi Suwon would be leaving soon, and he was the one who had to stay with the Marines for the long haul and be the manager. There was no need to unnecessarily provoke the Marines players.

The fact that the Marines players had recently started to improve was also important. Maybe even after Choi Suwon leaves next year, they might be able to contend for a playoff spot.

Moreover, there was no point in provoking the media either.

“So, what kind of interview is this?”

“It’s an interview related to Choi Suwon’s documentary. It’ll be on Netflix.”

“I thought it was someone else yesterday?”

“I greeted you once before, but I guess you forgot. I’m Park Jubin, the general director. The person who filmed you was probably the cinematographer. We have a pretty good budget, so we’re using a lot of cameras.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve been so out of it lately. I told the players to cooperate as much as possible, but I don’t know if it helped.”

“Haha, thanks to you, we’re filming smoothly. The interview isn’t a big deal. I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and I’d appreciate it if you could answer honestly.”

“Yes, of course. I’ve been talking so much about Suwon lately that I think I can answer anything without hesitation.”

Park Jubin smiled at Manager Kim Daecheol’s confident words.

The beginning was the usual questions and answers. He was a super rookie since high school, did you know he would do this well in the pros? What was he like in spring training? Were there any difficulties during the season, and so on.

“I see. But what do you think about the talk that Choi Suwon would have had much better results if he had focused solely on hitting?”

“That might be true. Suwon’s hitting talent is really something else. It’s more accurate to say that it’s a skill that’s fully developed beyond just talent, considering his age. I think there’s a very high probability that Suwon will become an incredible hitter if he continues to play in the KBO. That’s not a bad thing, of course. Like Albert Pujols’ amazing 10 years, he’ll continue to produce amazing results beyond that.”

“Wow, you rate Choi Suwon very highly as a hitter?”

“If you have eyes, you can’t help but feel that way the moment you see Suwon. I’ve never seen a hitter as overwhelming as Suwon, except for Barry Bonds in his prime.”

“Then I’m even more curious. Why didn’t you let such an overwhelmingly talented hitter focus on hitting and instead have him play as a pitcher? Being a two-way player is an amazing challenge, but if he’s a hitter who reminds you of Barry Bonds in his prime at nineteen, wouldn’t it have been right to have him focus on hitting?”

To be honest, the contract conditions with Choi Suwon were like that from the beginning. But at the moment of giving this answer, there was no need to be so honest.

“I think Choi Suwon as a hitter is already a complete hitter reminiscent of Barry Bonds. But at the same time, I also think that Choi Suwon as a pitcher has the potential to rival Rocket someday.”

“Wait a minute. By Rocket, do you mean Roger Clemens? The 7-time Cy Young Award winner?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Manager Kim Daecheol regretted it for a moment after speaking.

Both of the players he used as examples were linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

“Ah, the reason I used Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens as examples is because those two players were the most amazing players I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, Manager Kim Daecheol, did you see those two players in person?”

“Yes, although I never made it to the big leagues when I was in the United States, I was always invited to spring training.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, back to the original story, his other talents were too good to waste by focusing only on his already complete hitting and using him only as a designated hitter. I didn’t think it was a good choice to train him in outfield defense either. I thought Suwon would eventually go to bigger leagues.”

It was a natural progression.

Manager Kim Daecheol also knew from the beginning of the season that Suwon had options related to advancing to the major leagues, although he didn’t know the exact details.

“I also thought that there must be a reason why God gave him so much talent. I can’t say that Choi Suwon’s hitting has improved compared to the beginning of the season. But Choi Suwon as a pitcher has brilliantly blossomed this season. And I think all of this was a much better choice for the overall development of Choi Suwon as a player.”

This was excellent spin.

And it wasn’t that difficult to say. After continuing to do similar interviews, Kim Daecheol himself had come to the point where he really thought, ‘Was that my intention?’

“I see. You chose Choi Suwon’s long-term future rather than immediate record. That’s what you’re saying. I fully understand. I think even fans who are disappointed about the record can understand.”

“Yes? What do you mean? Ah, did you not check what the other person filmed yesterday?”

***

Contradiction or dilemma.

People often face either/or choices. They may not want to choose, but they can’t help it. Because if you don’t give up what you have to give up and focus all your efforts on the rest, you will lose both.

Yes, if he had played as a full-time hitter, he probably could have set a more amazing record.
But he couldn’t give up being a two-way player.

But his hitting performance, or more precisely, his home runs, were better than expected.

60 home runs with 10 games left in the season.

With two more starts left, the number of games he can play as a hitter is eight according to the rotation. Considering that he hasn’t been hitting home runs on the days he pitches recently, he only has six chances.

Faced with an either/or choice, many people waver and fail to choose, losing both. Successful people boldly discard what they have to discard. If you can show boldness at the moment of either/or and grab at least one of the two, you can be seen as a person who deserves to succeed.

That’s what I was like before going back in time. With my arm broken, I gave up my attachment to pitching and quickly focused on hitting, succeeding as a hitter.

Yes, even now, if you really want to be picky, you can see it as an either/or situation.

“So, how about focusing only on hitting for the remaining games? The championship is practically confirmed, and if you don’t add three more home runs, it would be a shame.”

62 in a season.

Leaving aside the difference in leagues, it’s a milestone I wanted to reach so badly in my past life but couldn’t. Even No. 63 was beyond that.

So, in my opinion, saying that I will focus only on hitting here is a person who is qualified to succeed.

But the problem was that I had already succeeded enough. So, I don’t have to set my goal at ‘just’ success.

I realized it after succeeding.

That true greatness exists beyond simple success and failure.

Hannibal, who crossed the Alps, ultimately failed to conquer Rome. Yes, he was clearly defeated by Scipio Africanus.

But who remembers the name Scipio Africanus? What we remember is the great Hannibal Barca, who drove elephants across the Alps.

“Manager, I want to play in all of the remaining ten games.”

“Yes, you thought well. Skip the two pitching starts and be a designated hitter. How about adjusting the batting order to hit first or second if possible? You’ll get a few more at-bats in ten games.”

“No. I’ll do all the pitching starts too.”

“What?”

Choosing both seems not much different from not choosing either. So, what differentiates it is the will to jump into it. And the ability to support that will. Yes, like Hannibal, who didn’t conquer Rome in the end, but still crossed the Alps.

“I’ll go without a day off for the remaining ten days.”