The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 293

293. Look Over There (2)

[Actually, it’s a nine-game hitting streak. In reality, it might not seem that impressive. Looking at the careers of many players, a nine-game hitting streak isn’t that rare. But if you narrow it down to players debuting under the age of 20, there are only three in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball. Even considering all the talented prodigies debuting before 20.]

[So, seeing this, I think Choi Su-won giving up billions to challenge the Major League five years early was a brilliant choice.]

[That’s billions we’re talking about?]

[Of course, it’s an unimaginable amount of money. I would definitely choose the money. But as you can see with Ohtani [Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, designated hitter and outfielder], great players have something more important than money. I think the record Choi Su-won is chasing now is part of that.]

[So, you’re saying that Choi Su-won gave up a huge sum of money and challenged America five years early for moments like these?]

[Yes, exactly. In that sense, I hope Choi Su-won stands alongside the great Ted Williams’ record today. And beyond that, I hope he sets new records, going on to 10 games, 11 games, 12 games, and 13 games.]

“Wow, every time I hear stories like this, I think Su-won is really amazing. Giving up billions to chase a record. That’s worth more than our company.”

“Well, yeah.”

Park Eun-jin’s shoulders lifted slightly at Kang Se-jung’s words.

“You must be so happy, unnie [older sister or female friend]. Your boyfriend is so handsome, tall, and even talented.”

“That’s not what it is!”

“Okay, okay. Then I’ll call him ‘potential boyfriend.’ But unnie, you talked on the phone for over an hour yesterday. I know a bit about men, and they never talk on the phone for an hour with a woman they’re not interested in.”

“Really?”

“That’s right.”

“But you don’t have a boyfriend. And your last relationship ended three years ago in middle school. How do you know that?”

“Come on. You can know that without direct experience. Are all movie critics movie directors? You become a movie critic if you’ve watched a lot of movies. I’ve read so many romance web novels and subscribed to so many dating experts on YouTube. I’m practically an expert when it comes to indirect experience.”

The thought that she was more of an ‘x-pert’ than an expert came to Park Eun-jin’s throat, but she swallowed it down. On the screen, Choi Su-won was performing his unique routine at the plate.

But is it really true that men don’t talk for long with women they’re not interested in?

Should I watch Su-won’s at-bat and then consult the collective intelligence of the internet’s anonymous message boards? Park Eun-jin pondered slightly.

***

-Thwack!!!

“Strike!!!”

103.1

That was the number on the scoreboard.

He was supposed to be a promising prospect who throws up to 104 mph. But even so, it’s only mid-April, and it’s the top of the first inning. Besides, he was throwing 99 mph to the previous batter, Anthony Volpe, and suddenly he’s throwing 103 mph?

“I know your situation, but today won’t be easy.”

Mason Martin, who was somewhat moved by my Ted Williams’ 6.25 WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a baseball statistic] participation story last game, spoke to me first again.

“I guess so. But isn’t this too much for the top of the first inning? I saw in the pre-game data that he throws up to 104 mph, but if he’s doing this from the start, can he even pitch properly for 5 innings today?”

“The Yankees’ data update is a bit slow. That’s last year’s record. People usually grow rapidly at that age.”

“Twenty-four is an age to grow rapidly?”

“Damn… I forgot you’re only twenty.”

Well, I questioned whether twenty-four is an age to grow rapidly, but in fact, twenty-four is the right time for skills to improve rapidly. Usually, it’s around the 2nd or 3rd year for a first-round pitcher. If Mason’s words are true, that means he’s throwing not just 104 mph, but 105 mph or even more…

Second.

A tall height of 1 meter 98 centimeters, arms longer than that height, and a three-quarter right-hander.

To exaggerate a bit, it felt like he was starting from behind my back.

A fastball barely catching the outside corner.

I moved my bat. I was confident I could hit it.

For about 0.05 seconds?

It was definitely a fastball.

But it was slow.

I forcibly pulled back my powerfully rotating body. It took just as much force to abruptly stop that full rotation and forward motion, and the collision of that force made my whole body creak.

-Thwack!!!!

[A 95.1 mph fastball slider!!! Mason Martin checks with the first base umpire about the check swing.]

[Well, it looks like he definitely stopped the bat.]

[Ah, yes. The first base umpire also calls it a check swing. Choi Su-won excellently picked out Mason Martin’s slider.]

Wow, a 95.1 mph slider.

Honestly, just considering this pitch, it’s a pitch that would be rated at least plus-grade even by MLB standards. So, let’s praise my own sharp senses for picking out that pitch for now.

Third.

-Thwack!!!

No, it was a pickoff attempt to first base.

Anthony hurriedly dove back to first base, dusting off his front, which was covered in dirt.

And he widened his lead by another three and a half steps. It was a clear threat that he could run to second base at any time. Or, if I hit a long hit, he could run all the way home.

-Thwack!!!

Another pickoff throw.

Again, Anthony successfully returned to base with ease. Pitcher Jerry McGuire adjusted his rosin bag. Again, that guy, who had glanced at first base once, threw his third pitch.

A fastball that grazed the outside low corner of the zone.

It was a pitch I liked. Depending on how you look at it, it was a slightly outside course, but it was a waste to just let it go to get another ball count.

The explanation was long, but the time it took for the bat to come out according to my instinctive judgment was not that long.

-Thwack!!!

The angle wasn’t great, but it was a fairly powerful hit. Anthony Volpe quickly ran towards second base.

[Leo Lucas!!]

Sometimes when you look at the internet, you see GIFs like ‘MLB’s crazy defense.gif’ circulating. People see that and think that all of Major League Baseball has that kind of crazy defense, but the overall level of fielders is only slightly higher compared to the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], and it’s not like they all show that kind of crazy defense.

But at this moment.

The defense shown by Toronto’s third baseman, Leo Lucas, was the kind of defense that would fit into that ‘MLB’s crazy defense.gif’.

Leo Lucas’s glove, with his arm stretched out and jumping more than 70 centimeters in an almost sergeant jump, caught the ball. Of course, the landing couldn’t be good. Leo Lucas, who caught the ball and fell to the ground with a -thud!!, tossed the ball in his glove to the shortstop who was quickly approaching him without taking it out with his opposite hand.

[Leo Lucas’s fantastic jump catch!! Leo Lucas steals Swan’s perfect hit!!]

And a light throw that continues straight to second base.

The unfortunate part here was that Anthony Volpe’s feet were too fast. If his feet were slow or his start was slow, it might have been enough to return to first base. But his body was already much closer to second base than first base. He turns his back and heads to first base, but there’s no answer.

-Thud

“Out!!”

Two out counts were accumulated in an instant.

[Wow, that was really an amazing jump catch. This could be nominated for defense of the year, right?]

[Leo Lucas himself, who caught the ball, will probably be a bit dazed.]

[Choi Su-won. It looked like he was going to continue his hitting streak in his first at-bat, but it’s a rather disappointing moment. But picking out that slider just now, his hitting condition itself looks pretty good. If it stays like this, I think he can continue his record today.]

[That’s right. In fact, there were many people who were worried about his hitting feel since he hadn’t had a multi-hit game recently, but you can put those worries away.]

[Now, bottom of the 1st inning. Two outs, no runners. Third batter Tyler Beat comes to the plate.]

“Too bad. Are you okay?”

“What’s not okay? It was just bad luck.”

Yeah, it was just bad luck.

But he was too much of a veteran to be depressed by just this, with 7 years in professional baseball, 9 years in Major League Baseball, and another year of hardship in the Marlins.

If there are times when you’re unlucky, there are also times when you’re lucky.

That’s what baseball is like.

-Thwack!!!

Tyler Beat hit a solo home run.

The game continued.

***

“Ah, shit. What the hell?”

I couldn’t help but swear.

-Boo-ooo-ooo!!!

Jeers echoed from all over the stadium.

That’s because it’s the bottom of the 5th inning.

I’ve had a total of three at-bats so far…

[Ah, the 7th pitch. A completely out-of-the-zone ball. Choi Su-won walks on a walk. This marks his second walk of the game. He records a multi-on-base game.]

[A walk with no outs and no runners. Normally, this would be a very welcome situation, but this is… the situation is strange.]

[This isn’t an intentional walk. It’s definitely not an intentional walk. Jerry McGuire has allowed a whopping five walks in today’s game. He’s definitely having some difficulty with his control. But given the situation, it’s a shame.]

3 at-bats, 1 hit, 2 walks.

He’s had two walks in a row.

Of course, since I came to the plate with the intention of actively hitting, the pitcher might be aiming for that and pitching mainly with tempting pitches. But looking at the pitches that guy threw just now, there are so many absurd pitches that it’s hard to say he’s trying to induce a swing and a miss.

“Gaining speed and giving up control doesn’t seem like a good choice.”

“!?”

Mason, that bastard.

The embarrassment filling his face can’t be hidden even by the catcher’s mask. Even if you look at it roughly, he’s determined to throw 105 mph with all his might against a pitcher who’s likely to beat him up, even if it means giving up a walk. That’s why his control is shaking even more.

Pitcher Jerry McGuire briefly took off his hat and wiped the sweat streaming down his face. It’s still cool weather in April, but he’s the only one showering in sweat, and even if you look at it roughly, it looks like this inning will be the end.

-Thwack!!!

On the 4th pitch.

Tyler Beat’s bat followed a ball that was leaving the zone.

Ground ball to the infield.

“Out!!!”

“Out!!!!”

Double out as it is.

And now there are 13 outs left.

So, the chances I have left are very likely to be two.

That was a more than sufficient number for a .500 hitter like me.

[By the way, you can really feel that Choi Su-won’s performance so far has been absurd. He had 3 at-bats, 1 hit, no hits, and 2 walks, but his OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a baseball statistic] actually decreased.]

[Ah, come to think of it, his OPS was 1.728 before the game with 0.500/0.536/1.192, but now it’s 1.697 with 0.481/0.578/1.148. Even though his on-base percentage increased like that, his OPS actually decreased.]

Anyway, that’s it.