The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 291

After the game, he opened his smartphone.

As always, he paused before searching his own name. He erased his half-written name and instead typed Choi Soo-won.

The first thing that caught his eye was the title ‘8-Game Hitting Streak.’

Today’s game: 6 innings, no runs allowed, and 1 hit in 4 at-bats.

8 games, 28 plate appearances, 26 at-bats, 13 hits. Five home runs. .500/.536/1.192.

An absurd record.

Of course, the season was only a little over ten days old, and within such a short period, there could be plenty of hitters batting .500. In fact, Alexander McDowell himself would surely have a period like that if you cut out his best two weeks from last year.

But could he really be sure that this crazy performance would end in just over ten days? Sure, the .500 batting average wouldn’t last. Pitchers would make tougher plays, and the expensive big league analysis teams would break down Choi Soo-won into atomic units.

‘Damn it…’

Alexander McDowell muttered under his breath, annoyed. Of course, the reason for his annoyance wasn’t that Choi Soo-won was playing so well.

The reason for his annoyance was none other than Alexander McDowell himself. It was himself.

Right now, he wasn’t purely happy about Choi Soo-won’s performance. How cowardly not to be happy that his rival had safely landed in the league. And to search for someone else’s name instead of his own after the game. That too was a truly wretched thing to do.

It was a very peculiar way of thinking. But this way of thinking was also the reason why Alexander McDowell was special.

New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Game 2.

Soo-won, who had pitched just yesterday, was given a day off. Despite not playing in today’s game, many who visited Yankee Stadium purchased Choi Soo-won’s #0 jersey. Knowing this, the Yankees even placed the #0 jersey alongside the #99 jersey in the most visible spot in the stadium store.

And on the same day, just about 11 km away, at Citi Field.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets, Game 2.

Alexander McDowell had been consistently calling Choi Soo-won his rival since last year, but the relationship that the American media had been pushing since McDowell’s strong performance last year wasn’t that.

Bryce Harper.

And Alexander McDowell.

The two had many things in common.

They were both highly touted prospects since they were young. They both skipped college and quickly entered the draft by graduating from junior college, and so on.

A genius nearing retirement and a genius just making his debut.

Could there be a better story for the media to promote? Moreover, both the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies belong to the National League East Division.

Today was no different.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the two of them. In fact, Harper was playing as if he would win his fourth MVP [Most Valuable Player award] this season. Of course, Alexander McDowell was the same. He had already hit four home runs in just 10 games. This was an even faster pace than last year when he won the Rookie of the Year award.

“Harper! Over here!”

“Alex, what is it? Just tell me over the phone.”

The very image of two players, who were scheduled to face each other in today’s game, meeting and talking right before the game was unusual.

“Is it because you didn’t get a hit yesterday?”

“No, it’s not that…”

The way Bryce Harper looked at Alexander McDowell was a bit complicated, with the eyes of someone looking at a much younger brother and the eyes of someone looking at a threatening competitor.

“How did you feel when your stats weren’t as good as Trout’s?”

“So, it’s because Choi Soo-won is flying around.”

“…Yes.”

“Sigh, look, Alex. I’ll tell you in advance, your question was very rude.”

“Ah!! I’m sorry.”

Alexander McDowell hurriedly apologized. He had only played sports his whole life and hadn’t even properly attended high school. Still, he was different from Bryce Harper, who had at least attended the first year. He willingly accepted the apology.

“Well, Mike is a really great player. It was really tough at first. As you know, I debuted with all sorts of stories like the LeBron James of baseball or ‘The Chosen One.’ But even though I worked my ass off, the gap kept widening. It’s not like I’m not doing well…”

“So, are you okay now?”

“How could I be? It was really tough at first, and now it’s tough enough to die. Damn it. Mike has a long-term contract until 2030, so he’s going to play for two more years. And even after that, I don’t know if he’ll retire or play a little longer. How much better do I have to be to catch up…? Anyway, it’s really hard to fall behind a rival. Whether it’s a rival created by the media or a guy I really think is a rival. If there’s a season where you’re ahead, you’ll be anxious about when you’ll be caught up. And if there’s a season where you’re behind, you’ll be desperate to catch up.”

“What should I do in those times?”

“You have to play baseball hard. Hit, run, catch. What else can you do? You just have to think, ‘He’s probably thinking of me as a rival and is conscious of me. It’s the same for both of us. It’s a battle of who can endure longer,’ and work hard.”

“…”

Alexander McDowell’s expression turned gloomy.

He wanted a great answer, but all he got was that he had to endure and work hard, so it was a natural reaction.

Bryce Harper smiled bitterly.

“Alex. Everyone else has already been playing baseball like that. You and I just realized those feelings too late. So, the advice I can give you is to never, ever give up. In my first year, I won the Rookie of the Year award, and in my second and third years, the media and everyone else laughed at me, calling me a bubble. That was when Mike Trout was putting up all-time great numbers. When I won the MVP in my fourth year, those words quieted down, but after my fifth and sixth years, they changed to saying it was just a fluke back then. It took me another seven years to shut them up again. And it’s not like all those words have disappeared. Even now, with three MVPs, people still compare me to Mike. They say I’m lacking in this and that compared to Mike.”

“That must feel really bad.”

“I don’t know. The important thing here is that among the players who played in the same era as Mike Trout, I was the only one who could be compared to Mike Trout. And that comparison is still not giving up on catching up to him.”

“Ah…”

“Okay, the consultation is over! Damn it. Alex. And you should do this after the season, or at least after the series, and meet separately. Bring a 30-year-old bottle of whiskey. Got it?”

Bryce Harper ruffled Alexander McDowell’s hair.

The stories he told McDowell now might have been the stories he wanted to tell himself in 2012.

And the second game of the Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets series.

-Clack!!!

‘Huh?’

-Claaack!!!

‘Hmm…’

-Claaaaaack!!!

‘F!@#$!#’

Alexander McDowell went 4-for-5 with 3 home runs.

He recorded his first career 3-home run game.

[Alexander McDowell’s Season 5th, 6th, and 7th Home Runs!! Multi-Home Run!!]

[Alexander McDowell Records His Eighth Career Multi-Home Run!! Fastest Pace Ever!!]

[Alexander McDowell Reclaims League Home Run Lead!!]

[A Total of Eight Home Runs Between Both Teams!! A Crazy Slugfest Between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies!!]

[New York Yankees!! Narrowly Win Game 2 of the Series 9-7!!]

[Domingo Rodriguez Forced Off After 3.1 Innings and 5 Runs Allowed!! Tyler Beede Records His First Multi-Home Run of the Season!!]

[Bryce Harper’s Season 3rd Home Run!!]

***

“…Yeah. Good job. You must be tired today, so get some rest. I’m hanging up now.”

“No!! Just listen a little more. So, I grabbed the bat and went, ‘Clack!’ and…”

“I have a phone appointment. I’m really hanging up.”

Alexander McDowell on the other side of the screen was talking excitedly, but I ignored him and hung up. This guy. When I pitched 6 innings without allowing a run yesterday, he just sent me a congratulatory message, but today he hit 3 home runs and he’s making such a fuss.

Anyway, it’s already the 11th game of the series, and he already has 7 home runs…

I shouldn’t be saying this since I’m batting .500 with 5 home runs in 8 games, but that’s a crazy pace. I had a bit of a surge at the beginning of the season when the guys were a little careless, but Alex isn’t like that. Even considering that he was thoroughly analyzed this year after winning the Rookie of the Year award last year, it would be amazing even if he wasn’t a sophomore, but he’s on track to have an even better record than last year.

I slowly retraced my memories.

It’s already my fourth year since regressing [returning to an earlier state]. And even before that, it was a distant past. I couldn’t remember exactly when Alexander McDowell won the MVP and when he reached his full potential. In the first place, I was playing in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] at this point, not the MLB [Major League Baseball].

“Is he really getting stimulated by me and his stats are going up and up?”

The butterfly effect.

Yeah, well, it could be.

Even in the KBO, Jo Yu-jin, who should have been stuck in the minor leagues or grilling pork intestines, was holding down the starting catcher position for the Marines, and Ahn Byung-young, who wouldn’t have even stepped on the professional stage, reportedly had 1 win in the minor leagues.

Above all, with the Elitz, Marines, and Phoenix ranking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the league, nothing in the world can surprise me anymore.

-Vrrr

The smartphone on the desk vibrated loudly.

It’s Park Eun-jin.

Recently, Eun-jin has also been busy with her comeback schedule, so we’ve only been exchanging messages, so it was a very rare phone call.

We exchanged our daily lives and burst into laughter at ordinary stories.

I remembered when I first met Park Eun-jin. To me, who had gone from 34 to 17 overnight, Park Eun-jin felt like a niece. Of course, I didn’t have any siblings, but some of my teammates who had married early already had children who were in their teens or twenties.

And 4 years have passed. It has been more than 3 years.

Soo-won, who was 34 years old, remained there, and I, who was 17 years old, grew older by one year.

So, am I really Choi Soo-won, who is 34 years old? Or Choi Soo-won, who is 20 years old? I don’t really know. But one thing is certain: Park Eun-jin, with whom I have been in contact for several years, no longer feels like a niece.

Then isn’t that enough?

We’re not going to get married, just taking one more step?

“Eun-jin. I have something to say…”

“Oh? Ah!! Just a moment!!! Soo-won. My sister is calling me. Just a moment.”

@#%^#$^&!@!@#$!

Another girl’s voice was heard over the smartphone. Park Eun-jin, who had been talking for a short time, returned to the smartphone.

“No, I told you once before. We decided to add a new member.”

“I remember hearing that. You said she was two years younger than us?”

“Yeah, she’s going to be a senior in high school this year, and she’s really pretty because she was preparing to be an actress. But she said she’s a fan of yours, so she wants to say hello for a moment. Is that okay?”

“Really?”

“Come on, don’t be so picky. It’s just a quick hello.”

A very pretty face suddenly appeared on the unfolded screen of the smartphone.

“Hello!! I’m Kang Se-jung!!”

“What the…?”

Why are you here?

His divorced ex-wife appeared next to his potential girlfriend.