The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 286

Harold Farmer, the head coach, frowned. “Manager, with a travel day tomorrow, is it really necessary to pull Suwon from today’s game…?”

“Harold, I feel the same way,” Manager Jeff Clark replied.

“Really?”

“It’s the deputy general manager’s call.”

“The deputy general manager? That bespectacled bean counter who probably hasn’t even held a baseball? The one who only cares about the bottom line?”

In modern baseball, the importance of the front office is so well-established it’s almost a cliché. The famous line from the movie “Moneyball,” ‘We are shockingly ignorant about the game we’ve been playing our whole lives,’ is actually a quote from legendary Yankees player Mickey Mantle.

And that quote perfectly explains why Major League front offices are increasingly filled with data-driven analysts from top universities rather than retired players.

“So, that bean counter is likely to be our general manager in a few years.”

“Damn it. Even if he is the general manager, should he really be interfering with on-field decisions like this? Isn’t player management the manager’s responsibility?”

“This situation is unique.”

“Yes, Suwon is a fantastic hitter, a truly great hitter. And a promising prospect. But you know as well as I do, Manager, you have to ride a hot streak when you’ve got one.”

“Hitting is getting him attention right now, but this kid was throwing 101 mph when he was only nineteen. He was dominating the AA league [the second-highest level of minor league baseball] at nineteen. Imagine if we had a pitching prospect like that in the minors?”

“……”

“Right now, the front office sees Choi Suwon as a valuable asset for at least the next six years. They’re even considering locking him down with a long-term contract. From Choi Suwon’s perspective, focusing on hitting might seem best right now, but he wants to do both. It would be a waste to ignore his pitching talent. And the two-way player rule [allowing a player to both pitch and play another position] has created opportunities in this area… It’s a different landscape than when we played.”

“Ha, but…”

Harold Farmer trailed off, unable to continue.

Looking at his frustrated expression, Manager Jeff Clark grinned. *Those front office guys must be good talkers with their fancy degrees*, he thought. He hadn’t been able to argue with them either.

“Of course, that’s just the front office’s opinion. Like I said, I don’t think Suwon needs two days of rest before his start. Sure, the Major League schedule is tougher than Korea’s. But it’s still early in the season. It’s too soon to be exhausted. Besides, we can monitor and manage his physical condition on the field.”

“So?”

“In-game decisions are still up to the manager. Isn’t that why electronic devices are still banned in the dugout?”

***

[Okay, the series score is already 2-0. The Yankees are on fire this season. They’re currently 6 wins and 2 losses, with the best win percentage in the league. Now, the Nationals’ starting pitcher takes the mound against the Yankees. He struggled in his last game, giving up 6 runs in 4.1 innings, but he had a very respectable ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of 3.44 in 21 appearances last year, right? It’s Jonathan Clark.]

[Well, Choi Suwon is ultimately missing from the Yankees’ starting lineup.]

[Haha, it seems like our Sterling [referring to the commentator] is completely enamored with Choi Suwon. But from the Yankees’ perspective, it’s an unavoidable situation since he’s scheduled to start the first game of the next series.]

[No, since tomorrow is a travel day, they’ll have a day off anyway. Besides, Washington to New York is less than a 2-hour flight.]

[We often forget because he’s having such a great start to the season, but Choi Suwon is a two-way player in his debut season in the Big League [Major League Baseball]. He’s only twenty years old. So, I think it’s because he’s still young that he needs careful management, right? The season is long, and they’ve only played eight games so far.]

The game began.

Getting called up to the Big League means your skills have been recognized to some extent. And the starting pitcher is generally the most skilled pitcher on the team. Unless it’s a special case, being a 4th starter means you’re still one of the top five pitchers on the team.

On their best days, they can perform like aces.

-Clang!!!

[A deep drive to right field!! A powerful hit!! Anthony Volpe is fast!! He rounds first and heads for second!! Anthony Volpe!! He’s not stopping!! He’s going for third!!! He’s at third!!]

“Safe!!!”

[Safe!! He’s safe!! Lead-off hitter Anthony Volpe with a triple!! The Yankees!! Their momentum is incredible.]

Of course, the reason they’re 4th starters is because those great days are rare. And today didn’t seem to be one of those days for Jonathan Clark.

[Now, at the plate is the number 2 hitter. Aaron Judge!! Aaron Judge steps up!!]

[Aaron Judge has hit 2 home runs so far this season. Seeing him still playing as a first baseman, it seems the effects of his leg injury haven’t completely disappeared.]

[Yes, his left knee surgery went well, but I heard his right ankle is still bothering him.]

[Then, with a runner on third, will he just try to hit a sacrifice fly? It would be great if Judge could walk in comfortably without having to run on that ankle.]

Aaron Judge took three pitches.

The count was 2-1.

And then the fourth.

-Clang!!!!!

A resounding crack of the bat.

The immense power from his 140kg frame was unleashed. Everyone knew it was gone the moment he made contact.

Deep to left-center. A towering home run that sailed far beyond the fence.

Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge returned to the dugout with light steps.

“I hit a single and ran like a maniac. I should have just waited comfortably at first base.”

“That’s why you should ask Aaron about his condition beforehand. Then you wouldn’t have had to run so hard. Right, Aaron?”

“Good idea. Hey, Volpe. I’ll let you know in advance. I’m feeling great today, so just get on base consistently.”

Lighthearted banter.

I took the number 2 spot in the batting order from him, and he didn’t seem thrilled, but a Hall of Fame veteran is definitely a veteran. He’s using that frustration as motivation to put on a solid performance. Frankly, Aaron Judge at his peak isn’t much different from me except for durability, so this kind of friendly competition within the team isn’t a bad thing.

The game continued.

Just as today wasn’t a special day for Washington’s 4th starter Jonathan, it wasn’t a special day for our 4th starter, Andrick Naba. In fact, it seemed like today was a bit special for Andrick Naba in the worst way.

-Clang!!!

Mark Thomas, who wasn’t starting today either, was talking nonsense to me.

“Suwon.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re going to be a 4th starter soon, aren’t you?”

Anyway, the game continued with both teams’ hitters racking up stats.

At the end of the 5th inning, the score was a whopping 7-9.

Top of the 6th inning.

Jose, the 9th hitter, stepped up to the plate.

-Whoosh!!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

A swinging strikeout that highlighted the frustration of not being able to improve your stats even in a high-scoring game.

But from Jose Trevino’s perspective, it’s also unfair that the pitcher on the mound wasn’t the starting pitcher Jonathan Clark, who had been shelled, or James Williams, who came in after him and was also ineffective, but rather Richard Brown, a fairly reliable relief pitcher.

Following Anthony Volpe’s at-bat.

As if proving he was a different class of hitter from Jose Trevino, he battled Richard Brown and finally singled on the seventh pitch.

Runner on 1st with one out.

Aaron Judge’s fourth at-bat.

[2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 home run in 3 at-bats today. Aaron Judge. Can he tie the game here!!]

Richard Brown glanced at first base and quickly pitched from the set position. A slide step, a quick delivery to home plate, that is rare in the Big League these days.

-Thwack!!

Aaron Judge calmly fouled off a ball that was going out of the zone.

Two, three, and four.

Aaron Judge, who fouled off the fifth pitch, stepped away from the plate for a moment to adjust his stance. The stands, which were a bit empty due to the two-game losing streak, were quiet. Maybe the feelings they’re feeling right now are similar to mine?

*That guy is going to do something.*

Maybe that’s the unique aura that a ‘superstar’ possesses.

The sixth pitch.

The count is 2-2.

Aaron Judge pulled a ball that was just inside the foul line.

-Clang!!!

Will it go over?

The force of the hit seemed sufficient. But the angle isn’t ideal. First base runner Anthony Volpe sprinted quickly.

Aaron Judge also ran at a surprisingly fast pace despite his heavy build. He had been moving slowly, complaining about his right ankle, but since his batting order was moved from 2nd to 3rd, it was as if that discomfort had completely disappeared.

Of course, even so, that speed wasn’t comparable to Anthony Volpe’s. By the time Anthony had passed 2nd base and was almost at 3rd, Aaron Judge’s foot had finally reached 1st base.

The Nationals’ left fielder fumbled the ball that bounced off the fence.

Neither Anthony Volpe nor Aaron Judge had any intention of stopping at 3rd and 1st base.

2nd base, and home.

As the Yankees’ runners sprinted, the Nationals’ left fielder made a decision.

Throw to 2nd base.

Aaron Judge dove towards 2nd base with the momentum he had.

A bent-leg slide.

A slide that felt like a massive tank weighing 140kg.

The second baseman, who caught the ball flying from afar, slightly avoided that heavy slide and extended his arm towards Aaron Judge’s body.

A moment of silence.

“Safe!!!!”

The umpire’s hands went up.

6-8.

The situation of a runner on 1st with one out in the top of the 6th inning quickly changed to 7-8 with a runner on 2nd. With a runner in scoring position with one out, the possibility of at least tying the score was now very high. The atmosphere in the stands was subdued, but the players in our dugout cheered loudly.

And Aaron Judge, who had dived to 2nd base, brushed off his rear end and stood up…

-Thud.

[Huh? What’s wrong? Aaron Judge?]

[Aaron Judge!! He’s holding his left leg and looks to be in pain. Is it his knee again?]

Fortunately, it wasn’t the knee he had surgery on last year.

It was a hamstring.

The tricky thing about leg injuries is that if you injure your left leg, your right leg gets overloaded, and if you compensate for your right leg, your left leg gets overloaded again. That’s what happened to Aaron Judge. His right ankle got worse because of his left knee injury, and he injured his left leg because he kept playing through the discomfort.

[Ah, Aaron Judge. I hope it’s not a serious injury.]

“Suwon, get ready.”

“Yes.”

[Top of the 6th inning. Runner on 2nd with one out. Choi Suwon is coming in to replace Aaron Judge, who is out due to injury.]