The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 23

23. Change (1)

“What’s wrong? Did you get shocked today or something?”

To Lee Jin-woo’s playful question, I would have usually responded with something like, ‘What nonsense are you spouting?’ But today, even Ahn Byeong-yeong couldn’t easily answer.

He just silently squeezed and released the hand grip strengthener.

Noticing his friend’s unusual behavior, Lee Jin-woo’s gaze shifted to the desk. It was covered with yellowish, discolored papers.

Some were neatly printed, while others were crudely handwritten. The phrases were all different, but their meaning was the same:

-It’s not the work that makes a person strong. It’s the effort to do it that makes a person strong.

-水滴穿石 [Shuidichuanshi: Water dripping wears away stone – a Chinese proverb about perseverance]

-Victory goes to the person who perseveres the most.

Effort.

Only effort.

Ahn Byeong-yeong’s eyes blazed.

“Damn it… Yeah. I got shocked. This world is such a mess. You know, right? That bastard’s been half-assing his pitching training lately. He hits a few home runs and suddenly thinks he’s a hitter, hanging out with Jo Gyu-hyeok. He only did three sets of pole and foul drills today and then quit. And the coach too. Why is he getting special treatment? Because he’s rich? Because he’s friends with the manager?”

“Because he’s good at baseball?”

“Hey!!!”

“Ah, you brat. Seriously, what’s with your temper? It’s a fact that Choi Soo-won is good at baseball.”

Ahn Byeong-yeong threw the hand grip strengthener onto the bed.

“Yeah, Choi Soo-won is damn good at baseball. He just does batting practice all the time. Did you see his pitches today? Ha, baseball is just a game to him.”

“Well, it doesn’t exactly look like a game. Seeing him play baseball while putting up with your crap.”

“My crap? Hey, honestly, is what I’m doing really that bad? Do you even remember what Jeong-hun hyung [hyung: older brother or male friend] did to me?”

“I remember. But telling someone who got their front teeth knocked out, ‘Oh, that’s nothing. I got my molars knocked out,’ isn’t going to be comforting, is it? Either way, you both got hit.”

“Hey, Lee Jin-woo!! Are you on Choi Soo-won’s side? You’re totally taking his side.”

Lee Jin-woo shook his head.

“You idiot, acting like we need to pick sides at our age. And honestly, if I had to pick a side, I’d choose you because comradeship is like loving your country. That’s why I’m here, listening to your pathetic whining.”

“Was I being pathetic?”

“Yeah, a bit too much. I told you to stop. You just kept going because he takes it without complaining… Ugh.”

“It’s so unfair. Some people work their asses off and end up like this, while others just swing a bat and their pitches get better. Huh?”

Tears welled up in Ahn Byeong-yeong’s eyes.

Lee Jin-woo sighed deeply.

“You crazy bastard, making such a fuss. Hey, is this really the time to talk about talent in front of me? You were called a prodigy back in first grade. Hey, I’m getting annoyed, so get out of my room.”

“The guys in my room feel uncomfortable when I’m there!!”

“Yeah, the guys in our room feel uncomfortable when you’re there too!! Can’t you see they all left?”

***

There were only ten days left until the start of the second half of the league.

The Golden Lion Flag National High School Baseball Championship was also nearing its end.

“Wow, Baek Ha-min is completely insane.”

“His form seems to have improved even more?”

In the original timeline, Cheonnam High School wouldn’t have made it to the National Championship as the second-place team in their district.

And in the second half of the National Championship, they would have met the championship favorite, Gyeongha High School, in the second round, resulting in a close game where Baek Ha-min would have used up all 105 of his pitches. Ultimately, Cheonnam, having exhausted all their energy in the battle against Gyeongha, would have suffered a cold game defeat in the following third round, a true ‘Slam Dunk’ ending.

But Cheonnam, who had advanced to the first half of the National Championship as the top team in their district, was different. Especially their ace, Baek Ha-min, whose form was completely insane. From the first game to the third game, they won by cold game [a game ended early due to one team having a large lead]. And they won the fourth game 4:1, recording a crazy record of 19 innings and 1 earned run so far.

And the final.

Even at this moment, when the greatest big match in high school baseball history was unfolding, a showdown between Gyeongha’s left-hander Jo Gyu-chan, who was considered the top prospect in this year’s draft, and Cheonnam’s Baek Ha-min, there were still more than ten scouts camped out on our Central High School’s field.

-Clang!!

Did I get stronger recently? Even though the timing was slightly off, the ball traveled quite far. But still, it’s not enough.

Actually, I’ve been wondering lately if there’s a need to use the batting form from right before my regression. That form was for when I was a monster, standing at 192cm and weighing 120kg. And that body could hit the ball over the fence without putting all my power into the bat.

Of course, it’s not really a necessary concern at the high school baseball level. With my natural potential, I’ll grow quickly anyway, but right now, even Gyeongha’s Jo Gyu-chan and Cheonnam High School’s Baek Ha-min, who are considered the top prospects in high school, aren’t even at the level of a professional team’s chasing group when it comes to their current skills.

As I’ve said before, the difference between the current level of high school baseball and my level is as significant as the difference between little league and high school baseball. In that situation, form and everything else is meaningless.

But if I consider whether that will continue to be the case in the future, well…

Honestly, I’m not sure yet whether I’ll go to the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization], go straight to the MLB [Major League Baseball], or even go to the NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball]. Of course, the third option is very unlikely, but I have to keep all possibilities open.

Anyway, there are many things to consider when I go pro. First of all, I’m planning to be a two-way player. That alone makes it clear that my body can’t be the same as before. A person’s body doesn’t grow infinitely just by exercising and eating. Just like game characters have a level cap, so does a person’s body. There’s a limit.

Jin-woo sunbae [sunbae: senior] wound up on the mound.

It was perfect.

The game against Pungcheon High School a month ago.

I hit that pitch that broke sharply over the fence with that batting form.

-Clang!!!!

With a refreshing sound of the ball splitting, the baseball hit the safety net set up high on the field as if it would break through it.

I need to seriously consider this as well.

After finishing batting practice and taking a short break, Gyu-hyeok sunbae approached me.

“Soo-won, can I ask you something?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Well, it’s nothing big. I’ve noticed that you never practice hitting to the opposite field during batting practice.”

“Well, yeah, I don’t?”

Among the coaches at our Central High School, the one who effectively plays the role of head coach is the hitting coach, Coach Seo Min-woo. Well, if you only look at his career, Coach Yang Se-joon, the pitching coach who briefly played professionally, is better, but Coach Seo Min-woo finished his teaching certification at university and even passed the employment exam, so there’s no way around it. In public high schools, even in the baseball team, you have to pass the employment exam to become the manager.

Anyway, Coach Seo Min-woo’s theory is this:

Just swinging to pull the ball, like in the fly ball revolution, doesn’t suit the Korean situation. Especially not in high school baseball. In the end, scoring points comes from hits, and you have to know when to hit to the opposite field. Of course, it’s hard in a real game. So, at least try to hit to the opposite field as much as possible during practice.

“Our coach said about hitting to the opposite field…”

Well, in some ways, it’s a valid point.

Of course, what’s been trending in the Big Leagues recently is the uppercut swing, also known as the fly ball revolution, which strongly pulls the ball.

But that’s only because hitting fast and strong balls in the air has a higher probability of becoming a hit or a home run, and the swing that makes it easy to create such balls is the uppercut swing that pulls the ball. If you can create fast and strong balls, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a level swing, a downward swing, pulling, or hitting to the opposite field.

And the biggest reason why most barrel hits in the Big Leagues are pulled hits is that the recent Big Leagues are not an environment where you can create barrel hits by hitting to the opposite field. Only 20 years ago, the average speed in the Big Leagues was in the low 140s [km/h]. That’s not much different from the current KBO level. But as of 2034, when I advanced to the Majors, the average speed in the Majors was 152 km/h. Even then, there were only a handful of pitchers in the KBO who could throw at an average speed of 152.

In the end, the reason why the uppercut swing that pulls the ball became the trend in the Big Leagues is closer to the fact that it was unavoidable in order to create proper hits against pitchers who throw 100 miles per hour. So, as Coach Seo Min-woo said, at the level of the KBO, or rather, Korean high school baseball, a downward swing and hitting to the opposite field are definitely not bad.

But all these stories about hitting to the opposite field not being bad have one prerequisite.

‘If you intend to hit to the opposite field, does it actually work properly?’

Sometimes, people who don’t know baseball properly say things like this:

‘Velocity is talent, but control is effort.’

That’s complete nonsense.

No, throwing the ball fast is talent, and throwing it accurately is effort? Then does that mean that fastball pitchers who can’t find the strike zone aren’t putting in the effort?

And the same goes for this part about hitting to the opposite field. Of course, you can get to a certain level with effort. But beyond that, it’s also talent in the end. And in that sense…

“So, what I’m saying is that you need to increase your wrist strength to hit to the opposite field, so I’ve been looking for some related exercises.”

“Sunbae. Just a moment.”

“Yeah?”

I shook my head, looking at Gyu-hyeok sunbae, who had come up with a wrist strength training routine to hit to the opposite field as the coach told him to.

“I’m not going to do things that I can’t do.”

“But…”

“I read somewhere that a pitcher who throws 160 [km/h] just needs to throw 160. If they try to throw breaking balls poorly, they’ll get hit. Of course, it would be better if they could throw both 160 and breaking balls well. But if you keep holding on to something that doesn’t work even after practicing, it’s a waste of a 160 ball. If you work harder to hone that 160 ball, you might not be able to be a starter, but you could be the best closer.”

“That’s true, but you shouldn’t give up without even trying.”

“Sunbae, if you’re a third-year in high school, you’ve tried enough. The second half of the league and the National Championship are coming up, and then there’s the draft. Now, we need to give up on our weaknesses and focus on our strengths. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who you like so much? He became the best in the world by highlighting his chest, which was his strength, and downplaying his legs, which were his weakness.”

Choice and focus.

Honestly, there was no guarantee that his skills would improve significantly if he started doing that now. But if things continued as they were, he would go to a local university to study sports-related subjects, graduate, and become the owner of a large fitness center, just like in the original timeline…

Wait a minute…

Maybe it’s better for this sunbae to just leave him alone?

“That’s right!! You’re right, Soo-won!! Thank you!!”

Five days until the start of the second half of the league.

Two months until the start of the National Championship.

Two months and fifteen days until the start of the 2025 draft.

Gyu-hyeok sunbae gripped his bat with eyes blazing with determination.