The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 287

Victory Fairy (4)

A famous legal drama set in New York features a scene like this:

The protagonist, a successful lawyer, contemplates the opportunity to challenge for the position of MLB commissioner, considering it a chance to fulfill his ‘lifelong dream.’

Indeed, the MLB commissioner is consistently ranked among the top five most influential figures in the global sports industry. This position is elected by a vote of the 30 team owners, with a term of five years and eligibility for two re-elections.

The current MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, was elected in 2014 and has since been re-elected twice, completing the maximum number of terms allowed by the regulations.

During his tenure, Major League Baseball has undergone numerous changes. Considering the sport’s 150-year history and its inherent conservatism, these changes can truly be described as ‘revolutionary.’

Thus, 13 years passed.

Rob Manfred was now looking towards the end of his term.

Many people said it was impossible to restore baseball’s popularity to pre-1970s levels. The NFL’s dominance was solid, an insurmountable barrier. Therefore, they argued that it would be sufficient if MLB simply didn’t allow the NBA to overtake it.

However, Rob Manfred disagreed.

The global sports market is broadly divided into the United States and the rest of the world.

Breaking down the ‘rest of the world’ further, it can be divided into Europe, the three Northeast Asian countries, the Commonwealth [countries formerly part of the British Empire], and others.

Football (American football) conquered the United States but remains insignificant in other regions. They don’t even seem to have the will to expand beyond, already dominating half of the global sports market.

Soccer conquered Europe. Perhaps it is the most ‘global’ sport at the moment. However, in the United States, which accounts for half of the global sports market, it is treated as a minor sport played by children or girls before they move on to ‘real’ football.

Cricket, having conquered India, the world’s most populous country, naturally became the most popular sport in the Commonwealth. However, it struggles to gain traction in regions outside of Pakistan and parts of Southeast Asia.

So, what about baseball?

It is the second-largest sport in the American market and has virtually conquered two of the three Northeast Asian countries. But that was all.

However, Rob Manfred found hope in that very fact.

The NFL is not interested in globalization.

So, what if baseball could seize the ‘globalization’ initiative after soccer? Of course, baseball still lacks a broad base. But fortunately, the sport enjoyed by the largest population in the world is a ‘relative’ of baseball.

“How is the situation in Australia?”

“Statistically, it is continuously growing. Noah Smith’s performance in last year’s tournament seems to have had a definite impact.”

“What about Lucas Williams?”

“We are continuously trying to persuade him, but… he seems to be leaning towards the Indian Premier League [IPL, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India]. It offers a more secure baseline, and its growth rate has been quite rapid with India’s recent growth.”

“We are emphasizing that even the highest-paid players earn only about $7 million, right?”

“He earned $37 million last year with sponsorships… The Indian market is enormous.”

He consistently courted Australian professional cricket players and succeeded in bringing some of them to the Major League. Simultaneously, he continuously promoted the WBC [World Baseball Classic], and finally, in the 2027 WBC, a former cricket player turned big leaguer delivered a stellar performance, leading the Australian team to the semi-finals.

Rob Manfred has already changed much of modern baseball.

Of course, there were many failures along the way. However, he managed to keep baseball as the second most popular sport in the United States, a position it seemed to be losing, and he could confidently say that he had achieved at least the ‘world’ part of ‘globalization.’

“Oh, and it seems you need to pay attention to New York right now.”

“New York? Besides the rivalry between Alex and Swan, what else?”

“Ah, that’s right. But you might want to promote that even more.”

“Isn’t the home run race between Alex and Swan already on MLB.com’s main page? What more is needed? The Subway Series [games between the New York Mets and New York Yankees] is still a ways off.”

“Yes, that’s why I think more is needed. Please take a look at these materials.”

***

I stood at second base, replacing Aaron Judge, who had been taken to the hospital with a hamstring injury.

I thought we might have some friendly competition within the team, but he got injured right away. I hope it’s not a serious injury; I’m a little worried.

Was it because I allowed consecutive hits to Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge? Or was it because the score was a tight 7-8? Or perhaps it was both.

In the top of the 6th inning, with one out and a runner on second, the Washington Nationals replaced Richard Brown with Blake Romero. He’s 23 years old and a right-handed pitcher who throws a fastball at a maximum of 103 mph.

Two and a half steps.

I wasn’t thinking about stealing. Even without going to third, second base is a position where a decent hit can bring you home. There’s a reason it’s called scoring position.

[Tyler Beede, the number 3 hitter, is at bat.]

[This is his third year, and he’s been playing exceptionally well this season. Of course, he had a decent second year last year, batting .266/.320/.456 with 26 home runs, but this year, he’s taken a step up, batting .303/.351/.606 with 2 home runs.]

[He’s always struggled with weight control, but this year, gaining about 5 kg seems to have had a positive impact. For a corner outfielder, that weight isn’t bad.]

Tyler Beede was the teammate I was closest to, thanks to being neighbors during spring training. Every time he sees me, he jokes about how jealous he is of my metabolism, but when I see him, regardless of his metabolism, he just eats an absurd amount. Honestly, considering how much he eats, it’s amazing he maintains that weight.

– Whoosh!!

“Strike!”

A high fastball.

The scoreboard showed 101 mph.

[First pitch, swinging strike!! Blake Romero. You can definitely feel the ball extending.]

[It’s not just the speed, but the spin rate is 2,542 rpm, which is top-tier in the league. From the batter’s perspective, it must feel like the ball is rising.]

There is no rising fastball.

In theory, for a fastball to rise, to generate enough lift, the spin rate needs to be 3,500, but even the pitcher with the highest spin rate in the current league doesn’t exceed 2,800, so that’s beyond human capability.

However, considering that the mechanism of a batter hitting the ball is to ‘predict’ where the ball will pass based on the starting point and the middle position of the ball, simply passing through a point much higher than that prediction can give the feeling that the ball is rising. This effect is maximized when a pitcher throwing a so-called ‘straight four-seam’ with minimal horizontal movement has a high spin rate, like Blake Romero on the mound right now.

– Clang!!!

A foul ball that hits the net protecting the infield stands behind the catcher.

Tyler Beede stepped away from the plate for a moment, shook his head a few times, and then returned to the plate.

Third time.

Again, a fastball.

There’s a reason why a 23-year-old pitcher who throws a four-seam with a maximum speed of 103 mph and a league-leading spin rate comes out as a middle reliever, not a starter, setup man, or closer.

Either the command is not good, or the breaking ball is not good enough.

In Blake Romero’s case, it was the latter.

– Clang!!

Tyler Beede’s bat connected with a fastball that was inside on him.

The hard-hit ball sailed over the second baseman’s head and landed in right-center field.

[Choi Su-won!! He’s fast!!]

The third base coach’s arm waved him on quickly.

[Past third and all the way home!!]

Washington’s right fielder caught the ball and threw it straight home. A strong arm like a big league corner outfielder. A throw like a clothesline went straight into the catcher’s mitt.

Headfirst slide, avoiding the catcher who was blocking about half of home plate.

Maybe I didn’t even need to slide. My left hand brushed the home plate, and the ball entered the catcher’s mitt almost 0.3 seconds later.

“Safe!!”

[Safe!! Safe!! Top of the 6th, 8-8!! Tyler Beede’s RBI single!! Choi Su-won, who was on second base replacing Aaron Judge, scores on Tyler Beede’s hit!!]

[Wow, Choi Su-won is really fast. It seems like it took him less than 7 seconds to go from second to home. If it were Aaron Judge…]

[Ah, we just got news about Judge. He has safely arrived at the hospital and is undergoing a thorough examination. We can only hope it’s not a serious injury.]

The game continued.

We failed to score additional points in the top of the 6th inning. However, Washington unleashed another barrage of hits against Jace Whitaker in the bottom of the 6th, adding 3 points and successfully keeping Washington fans in their seats a little longer.

7th inning.

And the 8th inning.

One out.

No runners on base.

It was my turn.

[Choi Su-won is at bat. The current score is 8-11. The Yankees are trailing by three points.]

[Yes, although they are trailing by three points, the Yankees hitters are in good condition today, and there are still five outs left. They can definitely come back.]

The pitcher on the mound was Luis Rod.

Washington’s setup man, a right-handed pitcher whom Washington acquired in 2022 when they sold off their last star player. He is 26 years old this year. His maximum speed is 102 mph.

Considering that the star player who was sold off by Washington at the time has since been ranked in the top 5 of the MVP voting three times, including one MVP award, the trade itself was a complete failure. Still, Luis Rod was the only thing that comforted Washington fans.

That’s because, like Blake Romero before him, this guy only threw one type of pitch: a cutter. Yes, a cutter with a maximum speed of 102 mph.

There were two reasons why a pitcher who throws a 102 mph cutter wasn’t a closer: he was a nervous wreck, and his control was a bit erratic depending on his condition.

However, in a situation like today, leading by three points in the bottom of the 8th, the first weakness was meaningless, and the second weakness didn’t apply today, judging from how he faced Volpe earlier. Therefore, considering all those conditions, Luis Rod on the mound right now was definitely a top-tier reliever.

– Clang!!!

But what to do?

Actually, this guy was a bullpen pitcher on our team before I regressed. Of course, his speed is about 3 mph faster now, but the trajectory wasn’t much different.

[He hit it!! Choi Su-won!! A hard-hit ball, pulled on the first pitch!! Fence!! Fence!! Fence!!!! Over!! It’s gone!! Choi Su-won!! Choi Su-won’s fifth home run of the season!! An unbelievable performance!! Choi Su-won adds a solo home run against Luis Rod!!]

And thanks to my performance, Mari······, no. The Yankees lost 10-12.