The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 222

222. A Great Record Beyond (5)

Kim Seung-jin was an All-Star-level catcher. This meant he had above-average defense and enough power to be expected to hit over 20 home runs in a season.

But this season…

One of the biggest reasons for the Blaze’s poor performance was the repeated failures of the backup catchers who were brought up.

Thanks to this, Kim Seung-jin had started in a whopping 121 out of the 134 games the Blaze had played so far this season, and came on as a substitute in 5 games. Catchers inherently have a greater defensive burden than other positions. It was more than enough reason for Kim Seung-jin, who wasn’t particularly physically strong to begin with, to be exhausted.

[Kim Seung-jin, the 7th batter, steps up to the plate.]

[He’s been showing a significant lack of focus in recent at-bats, but the Blaze have no alternative.]

[The Blaze didn’t particularly reinforce their catcher resources when they let go of Kang Jae-gu to the military, as Park Jae-gyun, who was their third option last year, showed that he could handle his share.]

[Park Jae-gyun’s slump this season is a shame for both Park Jae-gyun himself and the Blaze.]

16 home runs so far.

And among them, a whopping 12 home runs were hit before the All-Star break, making his slump in the second half of the season very clear.

“Hey, tell him to take it easy. Why is your friend so fierce?”

“Ugh, senior, what power do I have?”

“No, I’m saying, he broke the Asian home run record, so he should relax a bit. Look at him, so fierce.”

“Soowon is probably more concerned about grounding out to the outfield in the 3rd inning than his Asian home run record in the 1st inning.”

Kim Seung-jin, at the plate, faced Choi Soo-won.

‘Fast. Ball.’

Even if you weren’t particularly talented in lip reading, it was a lip shape that was too clear to recognize. Of course, Kim Seung-jin didn’t necessarily think that Choi Soo-won would keep his word just because they exchanged a few words at the batter’s box like this.

But at least it could put some pressure on him. Besides, Choi Soo-won is a pitcher who is confident in his pitches. It’s like he’s throwing with the guts to say, ‘So what if you know what I’m going to throw? You still can’t hit it.’ Well, if he doesn’t throw a fastball, there will be more to make fun of, so it’s not bad.

Moreover, Kim Seung-jin wasn’t the only one whose condition had deteriorated due to physical issues recently. Choi Soo-won, who was throwing 162km/h fastballs in games until the middle of the season, was also exhausted. The fastest ball in the last two games was 160.7km/h.

Of course, that’s still damn fast.

But that’s only the 최고 [highest] speed, and the average speed is around 158.

“Ha…”

No, it was still damn fast.

That’s why only one Blaze hitter has gotten a hit so far, and even that was a double play to end the inning.

Still, just erasing those awful curves from my mind is a big help.

First pitch.

A simple and clean pitching form, but a deception that feels strangely sudden.

The baseball left Choi Soo-won’s hand.

A beat early.

The bat started moving before I could properly see the ball.

It was timing 맞춰진 [matched] to the speed of 158km/h.

The trajectory drawn by the ball leaving his hand.

And the speed at which it was flying.

It was a fastball.

The predicted location is high and outside. It’s not easy, but if the timing is right!

Kim Seung-jin’s bat slammed into Choi Soo-won’s ball.

-Clang!!!

[Kim Seung-jin!! He hit it!! A high fly ball!! But it’s not going anywhere.]

[The bat was pushed back a lot. He guessed the fastball and went for a guess hit, but the ball was too good.]

If the course had been a little lower, he might have been able to do something with power.

But it was a high course.

The swing form 흔들렸다 [wavered]. And look at the numbers engraved on the scoreboard.

161.7km/h

“Damn you.”

It must have been a ball thrown with gritted teeth.

Kim Seung-jin stepped down from the plate.

And then Jo Gyu-hyuk, the 8th batter, came to the plate.

“Gyu-hyuk senior. Congratulations on your debut game.”

“Just words?”

“Haha, how can I throw a fastball at you?”

“Can you control the ball 배합 [mix] as you like?”

“……. Still, I sometimes get to put in my own thoughts.”

179cm and 107kg.

It felt like the batter’s box was full.

When I think about it, he’s only twenty-one years old. Even if he looks a bit older, compared to other veteran players, Jo Gyu-hyuk is still like a baby with soft downy hair. But is it because we spent our high school days together when one year felt so much longer than it does now? The feeling of ‘senior’ that Jo Yu-jin gets from Gyu-hyuk is more than what she feels from Kang Ra-on or Lee Jeong-hoon on the same team. It’s like facing a senior who is at least Noh Hyung-wook or Seo Kyung-joon, if not Lee Gyu-man.

Jo Gyu-hyuk stood firmly at the plate, spreading his legs wide. He was like a 태산 [Taesan – a huge mountain]. When I think about it, Jo Gyu-hyuk has had a sense of weightiness since high school. It was a composure that made it hard to believe that today was his first game in the first team.

First pitch windup.

Choi Soo-won threw the ball towards his high school senior without a moment’s hesitation.

-Thwack!!

“Strike!!!”

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!!!!”

-Whoosh!!

“Strike out!!!”

Three fastballs in a row.

It was all over in an instant.

Jo Gyu-hyuk blinked a few times.

What just passed by?

Is this a dream?

“Good work.”

“……. Yeah.”

Jo Gyu-hyuk, who was stepping down from the plate, was still 거대했다 [huge]. But Jo Yu-jin felt that the feeling of ‘senior’ that she felt from him was fading away a lot.

Yes, no matter what kind of relationship they had in high school, unlike Jo Yu-jin herself, who is a starting catcher who has played a full season, Jo Gyu-hyuk is just a rookie who is standing on the professional first team stage for the first time today.

The game continued.

***

It’s strange how baseball is. Just having a slightly different mindset changes a lot of things. I hadn’t hit a home run in the games when I was pitching recently.

But Jack said I was a little tired, but my physical condition was very good, and William told me that there was nothing wrong with my pitching form and that it was only natural for a pitcher to get hit with a home run.

Yes, that was all.

And with just that, I didn’t worry about how I should pitch today when I stood at the plate in the first inning. I just focused on the plate.

And I sent a home run out of the stadium.

And in the second at-bat in the third inning, I was a little disappointed that it was caught deep in the outfield, but the quality of the hit wasn’t bad.

Bottom of the 5th inning.

I gave up 1 point with a timely hit.

It was a bit dangerous with a runner on second base with one out, but I filled the bases with a walk and cleanly finished the inning with a double play.

And the top of the 6th inning.

Maybe before, I would have been constantly 신경 쓰였던 [worried] about giving up a point in the previous inning. Of course, I’m 신경 쓰였던 [worried] now too.

To be honest, it was impossible for me to be completely enlightened and say that it could happen if I pitched after hearing those few words from William.

But I had the memory of a strong success in the first inning.

I consciously tried to focus on the plate.

[Ah, the Blaze are changing pitchers here. Seo Nam-hoon is coming up to the mound instead of Ki Hee-cheol. Seo Nam-hoon has been showing a very good performance against right-handed batters this season, right?]

[Yes, his 피OPS [opponent’s on-base plus slugging] against right-handed batters is only 0.645. That’s a very good record, ranking in the top ten in the entire league.]

A new pitcher came up to the mound.

Seo Nam-hoon.

A right-handed sidearm pitcher who throws fastballs in the early 150s [kilometers per hour]. His fastball, two-seam fastball, and sinker all have similar speeds, making him a very difficult pitcher for right-handed batters. Sidearm pitchers inherently throw balls that fly in a parallel trajectory from a distance for batters of the opposite hand, but for batters of the same hand, it feels like the ball is flying from behind.

No, in fact, it’s not just a feeling.

In the case of pitchers with long arms like Seo Nam-hoon, the ball actually flies towards the home plate from behind the batter’s back.

It can’t help but be 까다로울 [tricky].

But even so, the reason why Seo Nam-hoon can’t become a top-level bullpen pitcher like a closer, or a starter, is probably because of the inherent weakness of sidearm pitchers, which is that they are weak against left-handed batters.

-Thwack!!!

[A ball that’s slightly 빠져나가는 [slipping away]!! Choi Soo-won doesn’t swing his bat. The count is 1-0.]

Control is not easy.

Besides, he hits a lot of batters with the ball. As far as I know, Seo Nam-hoon has pitched about 1/3 of my innings this season, but he has hit almost as many batters as I have. And that’s despite the fact that I’m not a pitcher who hits few batters.

Second.

-Thwack!!!

“Strike!!”

It was a little ambiguous, but the umpire called a strike.

Seo Nam-hoon on the mound smiles.

“What should we do? It seems like our Nam-hoon is having a good day today. You know? Right-handed batters can’t even touch him on days when Nam-hoon is having a good day.”

That’s not wrong.

If that kind of ball comes in properly, it will definitely be very difficult for right-handed batters to 공략 [attack].

“Still, it’s a relief that it’s a good day.”

“What?”

I didn’t answer Kim Seung-jin’s question. I just waited for the third ball at the plate.

Seo Nam-hoon on the mound 휘둘렀다 [swung] his long arm like a whip.

A pitching that seemed to tear through the air.

And a fast ball that started from his fingertips and exceeded 150.

Even the trajectory was slightly different from the ball he had shown before.

Fastball? Two-seam fastball? Sinker?

I don’t know.

But in fact, that wasn’t so important right now. What was important now was that the ball was coming into the zone. And the ball that I should be afraid of now was not a ball that was 긁히는 [scratched], but a ball that was not 긁히는 [scratched] and was 빠져 나가는 [slipping] out of the zone on its own.

My bat moved like lightning towards the ball coming into the zone.

-Clang!!!

The ball soared.

A ball that stretched out.

At that moment, I realized.

It’s not that Ki Hee-cheol’s ball was strangely light. It’s just that the air currents in Blaze Park today are moving towards the outfield.

The ball went over the fence.

His 62nd home run of the season.

Turning first base to second base.

Turning second base to third base.

And back home again.

I returned to the dugout calmly amidst the applause.

Is it because this isn’t the Major League? Or is it because the goal I’m aiming for now is a much higher number than that? Compared to what I had so desperately wanted before going back in time, my 62nd home run didn’t feel that great.

The only thing I’m thinking about now is 11 more.

No, 12 more.

I just think that maybe it’s possible.

[Choi Soo-won’s 61st!! And 62nd multi-home run!!]

[Choi Soo-won breaks the Asian record in 135 games!!]

[A monster-like performance in both pitching and hitting!! Choi Soo-won earns his 13th win of the season with 6.1 innings and 3 runs allowed!!]

[Choi Soo-won is ready to make an unusual appearance in the second game!! Playing games without a day off??]

***

“Wow, my head went completely blank. No, when I came to my senses, it was a swinging strikeout. I’m really glad I even swung my bat. If I had made a mistake, I would have just blinked my eyes and been struck out looking. Wow, it wasn’t like this in high school.”

“I know. I thought my skills had improved quite a bit since coming to the pros, but that Choi Soo-won is… ugh, don’t even get me started.”

“Jjo Yu, you’ve improved a lot too. You got a hit today.”

“Haha, I’m the starting catcher. The future of the Marlins. The new hope of the Marlins. Rookie of the Year candidate!! I have to do this much.”

Future, new hope, Rookie of the Year candidate.

Where should I even start?

“By the way, Soo-won, are you really going straight to America after this season?”