The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 258

258. Arizona (1)

Number 0.

It’s not a common number. Considering that baseball jersey numbers originally corresponded to the batting order, it’s understandable. But that was 100 years ago, so number 0 isn’t entirely unprecedented now.

Even the Yankees, who pioneered jersey numbers in baseball, gave number 0 to Adam Ottavino in 2019, and three more players have worn it since.

Of course, as evidenced by the fact that only four players have worn it in the last 10 seasons, none of them have been particularly successful. Adam Ottavino, the first to wear number 0, signed a 3-year, $27 million contract with the Yankees but was traded to Boston after two years. The player who wore it the longest didn’t even last three seasons.

But at the same time, the fact that four players have worn this number in 10 seasons suggests that the number has some appeal. That’s because number 0 is the last available single-digit number for the Yankees.

Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, M&M (Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris), Bill Dickey, and Yogi Berra.

These are legendary Major League players whose names alone are enough to recognize them, as well as the great Joe Torre, who ended the Yankees’ long history of managerial failures. And Derek Jeter, New York’s darling, No. 2, who created a new dynasty for the Yankees with Joe Torre.

Not only that, but even the god of baseball, Babe Ruth, is among them.

The Yankees’ numbers 1 through 9 are filled with players who, without exaggeration, represent the history of baseball itself, and, of course, those numbers are all retired.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“No, it wasn’t that difficult. Considering the symbolism, I think the Yankees would have been happy to accept the offer.”

The current Yankees player using jersey number 0, Juan Chris, is a 26-year-old player from the Yankees’ farm system. He was once a top 100 prospect according to Baseball America (BA) and was even called up in his third year. However, after suffering a knee injury, his development completely stalled, and he is now considered, at best, a backup catcher.

“You negotiated for Juan Chris to receive a gift, right?”

“Yes, the team will provide appropriate compensation under Choi’s name.”

“Good.”

When I was playing for the Marlins, I didn’t really care much about my jersey number.

I just got 79 because it was available.

And it wasn’t much different in the Major League. I wasn’t the type to be attached to a jersey number in the first place. However, in the current situation, since there is a limit on money anyway, I felt like it would be a waste if I didn’t squeeze out something other than money.

It’s well known that the Yankees don’t put names on the back of their uniforms. They give it a grand meaning, saying, ‘No player is greater than the team,’ but, in my opinion, it’s just a combination of baseball’s unique conservatism, which doesn’t bother changing what they used to do, and a strange sense of pride that the Yankees are special. In the first place, the jersey number itself was just a number to indicate the batting order when it was first used by the Yankees 100 years ago.

But tradition is more about the meaning and history accumulated over the time it has been passed down than how it started. The Yankees’ jersey numbers are the same.

In that sense, I was a bit torn between number 11 and number 0. Single-digit numbers are meaningful, but number 11, along with number 1, has traditionally been the number given to prominent pitchers.

However, considering the various circumstances surrounding number 11, and considering the symbolism of number 0 as the ‘last’ single-digit number, my choice had to be number 0.

“The media has requested ‘a lot’ of interviews. There have also been a few guest requests for shows that aren’t major league level, but close.”

“Please reject them all for now.”

“Understood.”

James Miller didn’t ask why.

The fact that I was getting offers to appear on general talk shows, not even baseball-related shows, despite not having played a single game in the Major League, showed the impact I had made in the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) and the brand value of the Yankees.

But even though the standards were different, James Miller was also confident in my success. He also thought that there was no need to go on these small talk shows to raise awareness.

“Oh, but you have to appear on a few YES Network broadcasts. Of course, you don’t have to go to the studio, and we’ve agreed to just a few training videos and Q&As for now.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I was planning to train in New York until tomorrow anyway, so let’s finish it within that time.”

It didn’t seem like it would be of much help, but wouldn’t it be a subtle promotion for the Washington brothers’ pitching lab? After all, YES Network was a fairly large channel that averaged around 250,000 households per game.

***

Steve, an editor at YES Network, whistled lightly.

“Mary, look at this. The visuals are pretty good, aren’t they?”

“Was he the prospect from Korea?”

To be honest, when I first saw his profile picture, he wasn’t a very likable face. How should I put it? A bit too pretty? Considering that the biggest duty given to American men in the 21st century is to prove that they are not effeminate, Choi Soo-won’s handsome appearance was definitely a minus. But the image in the video was definitely different.

“What? Why is he so bulky?”

“Huh? Bulky? What nonsense are you talking about? There are still some areas that need improvement.”

However, Mary, a colleague on the same team, had a slightly different impression. The part she was in charge of was the highlight reel of Choi Soo-won’s KBO days, and Choi Soo-won in that video boasted a body that rivaled a model. Compared to that, Choi Soo-won’s body in the recent training videos and interviews was still solid, but too bulky.

Aesthetically speaking, it was like he was gradually moving from the skinny men that have recently started to become popular again to the muscle-bound physique that muscle freaks like Steve like.

The two people chattered about Choi Soo-won’s changed body. Like this, Soo-won’s body, which skipped a few months through the video, had changed so much that anyone could recognize it at a glance.

The short interview that followed after the training footage of Choi Soo-won ended.

The first question was about why he chose the Yankees. It’s a question close to a predetermined answer. But surprisingly, many players give unexpected answers instead of the predetermined answer to this question that is close to a predetermined answer.

But fortunately, Choi Soo-won was not such a player.

“Ah, why did I choose the Yankees? Well, is that even a question? It’s the Yankees. The New York Yankees. What special reason would a baseball player need to come to the New York Yankees if they had the choice?”

It was the most perfect, textbook answer imaginable.

The interviewer’s question continued.

“Here is Choi Soo-won’s scouting report. Hit is marked as 80. Power is marked as 75. The really unique thing here is that Arm is 55. In fact, Choi Soo-won is a pitcher whose fastball speed exceeds 100 miles per hour. What do you think about these hard-to-understand scores?”

“Actually, I thought that the Yankees scouts were very astute in that area.”

“Yes? You think it’s amazing that they evaluated the Arm of a pitcher who throws 100 miles like that?”

Choi Soo-won’s explanation began.

“These numbers are not the maximum abilities I have, but the abilities that the scouts thought I could show in the game.”

“Uh… What’s the difference?”

“It’s simple. I’m going to pitch as a starter. And I’ll also be up as a first baseman or designated hitter (DH).”

“Ah!! So, in the end, the numbers are based on the premise that your shoulder is not in perfect condition even if you go on the ground as a first baseman. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, you can’t say that it’s a commonly used number. But I think this is a more realistic number. In that sense, I think the person who wrote this report is a very capable scout. But there is one thing that I think is a bit wrong.”

“Can you tell me what part that is?”

If a player is not used to interviews, their gaze is fixed on the interviewer. It can’t be helped. It’s too common a habit to answer the person who asked the question.

But Choi Soo-won’s gaze was a little different. Was it because he was already the most famous sports star in Korea? His gaze moved to the camera very naturally.

It’s the interviewer who asks the questions, but he perfectly understands that it’s actually a question asked on behalf of the viewers watching this broadcast.

“I think of myself as a hitter who is more skilled than powerful. I think the scout who wrote this report had a similar idea, judging by the fact that they gave 75 points to power and 80 points to hit. But it’s wrong. The reason my hit is 80 points is just because the highest score on the 20-80 scale is 80 points. So, if I had to score my batting, both hit and power would be 80 points according to the existing 20-80 scale. If I scored it myself, it would be reasonable to score hit as 85 points and power as 80 points.”

“……”

A moment of silence.

The interviewer was momentarily speechless.

The people who were editing the video didn’t bother to edit out that brief silence. No, they even slightly increased the time that exceeded 3 seconds in the 15-minute video.

“Haha… It’s great to see such a confident attitude.”

“Well, we’ll know for sure in a few months whether this is just confidence or clear self-awareness. Yankees fans, I sincerely congratulate you. You are now watching the debut of the Yankees’ last number 0 player in real time.”

And blackout.

The short but impactful video about the rookie who was the talk of the town was released through the YES Network. And the interview, which seemed to be full of spirit itself, caused a considerable stir.

“Did you see that rookie’s interview on the Yankees this time? That guy who came from Korea.”

“Yeah, of course I saw it. This young kid is too confident because he did well in some independent league?”

“That’s how it is at that age. He’s a 73-home run hitter, even though it’s a small league. It’s like the world is his oyster. He’s like the main character of the world. But it’s good to see. You have to have that kind of spirit at that time. Don’t you think?”

“Well, Asians are generally quiet, which is a flaw. But he doesn’t seem like he’ll be like that when you see him doing interviews.”

“What are you talking about? Asians are quiet? What era are you talking about? Who are the quiet Asians playing in the Major League these days?”

“Ah, well, that crazy guy in Detroit is also Korean, right?”

And some of them were led to curiosity about the player Choi Soo-won. It was thanks to the fact that the pitching he showed in the training looked quite usable, and even the evaluation that his batting ability was better than that pitching.

“Swan, does he have a documentary on Netflix?”

“I guess he was a top star in Korea, so he has everything.”

The interest of New York citizens. Of course, it was only up to that point. There was no such thing as a global OTT (Over-The-Top) documentary going backwards in the rankings.

“This is getting a good response. Should we shoot another episode?”

“Swan? I heard he already went to Florida?”

“Anyway, there’s a team to send in preparation for Florida Spring Training. Can’t we send a few more people earlier?”

But at least to the long-time fans of the New York Yankees, to the die-hard fans who watch all the broadcasts about the Yankees’ game highlights and the players’ news in the winter when they don’t play baseball, the name Choi Soo-won was definitely cemented as the name to pay the most attention to next season.