The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 302

302. Look Over There (11)

Who are the Yankees’ arch-rivals?

The answer to this question is too easy.

The Boston Red Sox.

Well, there are always people who argue for the sake of arguing, so naturally, some say the Boston Red Sox are no match for the Yankees or can’t be considered true rivals. But just looking at the ticket prices at Yankee Stadium when the Red Sox come to town, or at Fenway Park when the Yankees visit, it’s undeniable that the two teams are fierce rivals.

Frankly speaking, the rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox transcends baseball and is arguably the most famous rivalry in American sports history.

And, befitting such a famous rivalry, public interest is enormous. In fact, some criticize ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball for always scheduling Yankees-Boston games if they fall on a Sunday, regardless of the game’s importance.

Especially last year, they scheduled the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox game a whopping three times. Considering that Sunday Night Baseball itself was only broadcast 25 times in total, and that there were a total of three New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox games on Sunday, these criticisms are quite persuasive.

“Hey, no way. That’s a bit of a lie, isn’t it?”

“It’s true, I’m telling you.”

“Even so, it doesn’t make sense that your cousin, who you spend family gatherings with, won’t talk to you just because you chose the Yankees in free agency.”

“Surprisingly, the intensity of Boston fans makes it possible, you know?”

The conversation, which started with a warning not to wander around carelessly in Boston, had already moved on to Troy Johnston’s peculiar cousin.

“The way I see it, that was an overreaction. Maybe he just has some other issues with you, Troy.”

“No, I’m telling you, it’s true!”

“But even if what Troy says is true, you really have to be careful in Boston. It’s okay on days we lose, but especially on days we win. I went to buy a sandwich near the hotel, and even though I wasn’t wearing a uniform, the owner chased me out, saying he doesn’t sell to Yankees fans.”

“Ah, you’re talking about Wahlburgers, right? The owner there is a die-hard Boston fan. I heard he didn’t even sell hamburgers to Tom Brady after a picture of Tom Brady wearing a Yankees hat appeared in the newspaper.”

“Tom Brady? You mean *the* Tom Brady from the Patriots? The GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] of American football? Boston’s biggest superstar? That Tom Brady who landed a 10-year, 375 million dollar contract as a commentator?”

“Yeah. You seem to know a lot about Tom Brady. Isn’t American football almost non-existent in foreign countries?”

“Ah, I’m just personally interested.”

Since the 1980s, baseball has lost its No. 1 sport status to American football.

And Tom Brady is treated like the Babe Ruth of baseball or the Michael Jordan of basketball in the American football world. That’s not an exaggeration. After winning his last championship in the 2020 season at the age of 41, almost every media outlet was raving about how Tom Brady’s achievements surpassed Jordan’s. Of course, now that the hype has died down, it’s not quite to that extent.

“Anyway, don’t ever walk around alone in Boston. You might get shot.”

Volpe warned me with a serious expression.

As expected of the land of a thousand rays [referring to the potential danger]. Unlike Korea, where they might throw a soju bottle at you, this is a country where they’ll bring out an automatic rifle if things go wrong… But this was a little too obvious.

My teammates were crowded around me.

A few faces showed a subtle anticipation.

Above all, Massachusetts, where Boston is located, has some of the strictest gun control laws in the United States, going beyond soft rules like prohibiting carrying firearms in public places to making civilian possession of automatic weapons illegal. So, at best, you can only buy pistols, shotguns, or bolt-action rifles.

So, they’re just trying to tease me. Honestly, it’s too obvious, but should I play along for now?

“Hey, don’t push it too much. The rookie’s getting scared. Asian countries generally prohibit individual gun ownership, so they’re safer. That’s why they’re a little sensitive to those kinds of remarks.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Isn’t it more dangerous if you *don’t* have a gun?”

“Idiot. It’s much more dangerous when lethal weapons are freely circulating among civilians. How is it more dangerous *not* to have a gun?”

“What if a criminal with a knife attacks? It’s okay for big, strong guys like us, but how can women or young people defend themselves without a gun?”

It was Gerrit Cole and Domingo Rodriguez.

The guy who’s starting tomorrow and the guy who started today. Our team’s two aces were bickering as always. This isn’t so much a debate about gun control as it is something that happens because they just dislike each other.

Just as the argument between the guy who’s extra sensitive because he’s pitching tomorrow and the guy who’s in a terrible mood because he lost today’s game was about to get a little heated.

Volpe, who was the first to bring up the story about getting shot, hurriedly tried to defuse the situation. Of course, the only one who could directly stop those two right now was someone like Judge, who is currently on the IL [Injured List]. So, Volpe chose to change the atmosphere by reminding them that this was all a ‘show’ to tease me.

“Ta-da!! Surprise!! Soo-won. Were you surprised? But you don’t have to worry that much.”

“Oh my!! You scared me!! What? Was this all a joke?”

“What? Soo-won, did you already know?”

“Of course. Even in America, does it make sense for a major leaguer to get shot just for winning a game?”

As people’s attention turned back to us, Gerrit Cole and Domingo Rodriguez’s argument also subsided a bit. Volpe, you’re working so hard. But a true leader is born in this kind of environment. So, fighting [a Korean expression of encouragement]!!

***

I unpacked my luggage at the hotel. Boston was still quite close to New York, so the time was only 12:20 AM.

-Knock knock

Hmm? Who is it?

I opened the door and Domingo Rodriguez was standing there.

“Is it okay if I come in for a bit?”

“Yeah. Should we go down right away?”

“What bar? You can’t even drink alcohol anyway. Besides, I pitched today too.”

“Isn’t beer okay?”

“On days we win. I don’t drink on days we lose. Order some room service if you’re hungry.”

“No, I’m the type who doesn’t eat anything two hours before bed.”

“Good habit.”

In the dead of night.

Two dark men faced each other in a hotel room with a bottle of water each. It wasn’t a very pretty picture.

“What’s up?”

“Just. I’m a bit frustrated. And I have something to say.”

“Because we lost today’s game?”

“Those damn bastards. Do they even intend to play the game? Does an 8-inning, 1-run loss make sense?”

“George Rodriguez pitched really well, though.”

“Yeah, he was great. But be honest. Would the result have been the same even if you had played in today’s game, Soo-won?”

“Well, there’s no knowing that.”

Domingo voiced quite a long list of complaints.

In fact, from my perspective, having experienced the ‘Marlins,’ it was too much of a luxury for this guy to complain about the Yankees’ lineup. But as I listened, I got the feeling that this wasn’t just a complaint about the Yankees’ lineup.

“So, you’re complaining that I play in Gerrit Cole’s games without fail, but I don’t play in your games. Is that what you’re saying?”

Domingo’s face turned red as he protested.

“No!! That’s not exactly what I mean!!”

But that was exactly what he meant.

Of course, he didn’t just complain about Gerrit Cole throughout the conversation. If he had, I would have kicked him out a long time ago.

“You seemed to have learned some tricks with your curveball in your last appearance.”

“Yeah, I do it like this with my elbow.”

“That’s amazing. Usually, doing that results in a wild pitch or a hanger [a poorly thrown pitch that stays high in the strike zone]. You definitely have a feel for the curveball.”

“Oh, really?”

“But get it checked out precisely with your pitching form. It might be a bad posture for your elbow or wrist. You have a pitching lab you go to, right? Or should I introduce you to one?”

“No. It’s okay.”

Stories about my curveball and stories about the tricks he uses to throw the ball.

“Changeup? This requires a lot of practice as well as technique. If you’re too impatient, your swing might be delayed to reduce power. Then you’re really screwed. You should feel like you’re scooping the ball with your middle and ring fingers. Only feel like your thumb, index finger, and pinky are supporting the ball.”

Whether this was really helpful or not, well… I don’t know.

But it was definitely a time when I could feel that this guy, who grumbles every day, was really sincere when it came to pitching.

“I’m going to sleep now. Go back to your room quickly.”

“Already? It’s only 2 o’clock.”

“Hey, Domingo. You’re off tomorrow, but I’m starting.”

“That’s the problem!!!”

“Yeah, yeah, take that problem to the manager. You know I’m on a ten-game hitting streak, right? If my hitting streak is broken tomorrow, I’m going to say in the press interview that it’s because of Domingo Rodriguez, who came to my room at night and shouted loudly.”

2:20 AM.

Domingo finally went back to his room.

The first game against the Boston Red Sox.

The eyes of the Boston fans filling Fenway Park were full of hostility. Usually, there are a certain number of our Yankees’ pinstripes in any stadium, but today, without any exaggeration, you couldn’t find a single pinstripe even if you rubbed your eyes and looked for it.

[The second series of the season between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox!! The first game is starting now.]

[Today’s starting pitcher for Boston is Tanner Houck. He was sluggish in the last series, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings, but his performance has been quite good since then. He has only allowed 1 run in 14 innings over two games.]

[Anthony Volpe, the leadoff hitter, is coming to the plate. He had 1 hit and 1 walk in 2 at-bats against Tanner Houck in the last series.]

Tanner Houck.

A right-handed sidearm pitcher with excellent sliders.

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

Strikeout on four pitches. Anthony Volpe frowned and returned to the dugout. Tanner Houck’s pitches are good, but it’s clear that Anthony’s bat is slowly cooling off these days.

But well, it’s understandable that he’s trying to fill the void of franchise player Aaron Judge when he should be focusing on his own play, so it won’t be easy. He’s only 27 years old at best. He’s not quite a veteran yet.

[With one out and no runners on base, second batter Choi Soo-won comes to the plate. The best prospect this season who needs no special explanation. Will his 10-game hitting streak continue to 11 games?]

First pitch.

A slightly complacent outside pitch.

-Crack!!!

The pulled hit soared.

The feel was not bad. It was a feeling that could have cleared the fence in most stadiums. But I ran as hard as I could.

This is Fenway Park.

Because it is a stadium where the fourth outfielder guards the left wall.

-Thud

The 11-meter green wall.

The Green Monster [the nickname for the left field wall at Fenway Park] blocked my hit.

[Choi Soo-won past 2nd base to 3rd base!! At 3rd base!!]

“Safe!!!”