The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 31

The human body needs adequate rest to recover. Of course, the duration of that adequate rest varies depending on several factors. Among these, cartilage tissue, ligaments, and tendons that make up the joints recover much slower compared to muscles, and cartilage tissue, in particular, is almost impossible to recover once damaged.

“Swan, you still need to rest for 12 weeks. That’s the minimum. What? You feel like you can move? Don’t talk nonsense and rest. Just because you feel like you can move doesn’t mean you’re fully healed. Hold out until your body is itching to move. Your ligaments have micro-tears right now. You just don’t feel the pain that much. Look at this. Even this strong tape can be easily cut if you just peel off the end a little. Ligaments are the same. Besides, Swan, you’re in your thirties now. Your recovery rate is different from before.”

Looking back, Paul’s nagging was annoying, but it was always helpful. And I, who had returned to my seventeen-year-old youth, followed his words very thoroughly. Through the method of feigning illness, I rested more than enough.

I regressed in early April. It’s the end of June now. Of course, I occasionally threw the ball in between, but that was just light exercise. From the beginning, it’s the right rehabilitation method to continue light exercise to prevent muscle loss even during recovery.

Anyway, I gave my shoulder, which was still fine, a very long rest of nearly 10 weeks. It was almost as long as the period between the end of the season and the start of spring camp. And another important point is that this body is still a vibrant seventeen-year-old.

Originally, my shoulder started to break down from the Wangjungwangjeon (King of Kings Tournament) in the second half of the season. From then on, I felt a slight pain when I threw the ball a lot, and it was completely destroyed during the Presidential Cup and the Bonghwangdae [Phoenix Cup, another major high school baseball tournament].

But it was different now. There were periods of rest in between from Little League until now, but I had never systematically rested my shoulder and elbow for such a long time like this.

Moreover, if I had just rested without doing anything, I might have lost a lot of muscle. But I didn’t skip strength and flexibility exercises within the range that didn’t strain my joints. In that regard, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Senior Gyuhyuk, who is drumming his mitt at first base over there.

I heard that the ball I threw in live pitching was 156km/h [approximately 97 mph].

The speed is still not displayed on the scoreboard. But I can tell from the blank faces of the hitters and the reactions of the scouts whispering in the stands.

Second.

I lightly used my lower body to grab the ball with the feeling of concentrating my entire body weight on my fingertips. Aiming for the center. Well, I can’t keep throwing like this forever, but it was enough for now.

– Thwack!!

“Strike!!”

Because there were few hitters who could hit a fastball that exceeded at least 155km/h [approximately 96 mph].

And the third. A clean three-pitch strikeout.

– Thwack!!

Ahem… Well, one pitch can always miss.

– Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!”

It was a little less clean than a three-pitch strikeout, but it was still a strikeout.

By the way, I was clearly aiming for the center, but it went too far outside. Unlike the batting mechanism, the pitching mechanism is just something I’ve heard, so I don’t know what the problem is. But I can’t really ask our pitching coach, Coach Yang Sejun… This guy is a typical elite athlete who tends to teach the methods he used when he was a player.

It’s natural that he doesn’t study the latest theories, and he doesn’t even research the principles behind what he learned when he was a player.

The pitching continued.

It was a bit precarious, but I completely tied up the opposing lineup without throwing a single beanball.

In fact, there was a slightly dangerous moment. Seeing the hitter collapse and turn pale after a ball whizzed past his face, I didn’t think I could aim for the very center of the strike zone.

Thanks to that, I aimed for a course slightly outside the zone, and thanks to that, I walked two batters in the process of facing three hitters.

But what was more dizzying than the walk was the ball that went perfectly into the high inside corner. Even though I had zeroed in on the outside, it went to that course. If I had aimed for the center of the zone, wouldn’t it have been a perfect headshot?

I think I need to spend money separately on pitching lessons. The amount may be a bit large, but considering the recent atmosphere, I think my father would be happy to make that investment.

Anyway, thanks to my good pitching, we completely shut down the 8th inning, and in the top of the 9th inning, we finally succeeded in reversing the score.

Senior Gyuhyuk hit a double, and surprisingly, Pumba recorded a timely hit, putting us ahead 7:6. Of course, a clean double play and a ghostly infield pop fly popped out right after that, which was very Joongang High-like, but the important point was that we were ahead by 1 point.

That was enough for me.

As I walked to the mound, Jo Yujin, who had already put on all the catcher’s gear, followed me and chattered.

“Ah, that’s a shame. My batting feel is so good today, I felt like I could hit a home run.”

“Yes, next zero-home run hitter.”

“Hey, Suwon, don’t worry about anything and throw hard. Even if you give up 1 point, I’ll reverse it in the 10th inning. Got it?”

I ignored Jo Yujin’s nonsense and thought quietly.

If the game goes to the 10th inning, the batting order is 7, 8, 9. I don’t know the middle process, but I can picture the inning ending with Jo Yujin’s double play.

As expected, the best strategy is to end the game by completely shutting down Cheonnam High in this inning.

“Your ball is good today, so just throw hard like you did before. None of those Cheonnam High kids can touch it.”

It was a fact I knew even if Jo Yujin didn’t say it.

At least at this level, Suwon Choi’s only opponent is his own control.

I stood on the mound and tapped the rosin bag.

In the previous offensive inning.

The voice of the pitching coach, Coach Yang Sejun, rang in my ears.

“Hey, Suwon. You, you. Gather your strength right here!! Huh? Like a bow, you know? You have to pull the bow as far as you can, and then pull it a little more and release it!! And you aim at that timing. Pitching is the same. Concentrate your strength once more at the high point and bang!! Okay?”

Certainly, he’s still a pitching coach, so he has an eye for it.

He accurately caught that I wasn’t catching the balance point at the leg lift top. But that’s the biggest reason for my increased speed, so there was no need to follow that traditional theory. Control? No, well, there will be other solutions for that.

– Thwack!!

The first pitch, a cool ball that sucked into the high inside corner.

“Strike!!”

The hitter flinched greatly.

It was a ball that slipped out of my hand a little, but the course was truly exquisite. Well, just like a breaking ball that you intentionally throw sometimes hangs, sometimes a slipped ball goes in exquisitely like this.

The hitter instinctively moved slightly away from home plate.

But that wasn’t important. Once again, the opponent I had to fight on the mound was my own control.

Bottom of the 9th.

A fierce battle with myself continued.

In that battle, I threw 19 balls and finally won.

And in the process, I only allowed one walk, which was a great improvement compared to the two walks I allowed in the 8th inning.

On the mound.

The victory I achieved in the fight with myself naturally led directly to the victory of the game. And that meant that Joongang High won the championship in our district with an undefeated record in this second half of the weekend league.

From the outfield, from the infield, from the dugout. The players ran madly towards the mound.

The coach and coaches were watching the scene from the dugout with a satisfied look. It was only the second half of the weekend league championship, but the atmosphere was almost like winning the World Series.

And surprisingly, Mungae was among those who ran out.

A hand as big as a house suddenly came in from somewhere and pulled me up. Could it be Senior Gyuhyuk?

“Ah, wait a minute!! Ah, seriously, don’t do this!!”

My desperate voice was completely drowned out by the cheers of the excited players. A loud command started from somewhere.

“Okay, one, two, three!!”

My body floated high.

Wow, crazy.

The World Series, no, at least the Korean Series championship, no, no. I don’t even wish for that far. It has to be the King of High School League, right? They’re giving me a toss for winning the second half of the weekend league?

The embarrassment soared as much as my body floating into the sky.

And that day, my picture with my face flushed as I floated into the sky was posted in an internet article.

[Suwon Choi, the home run king who throws 156km/h. Leads the team to victory!!]

***

Suwon Choi (RHP) [Right-Handed Pitcher]

Fastball: 60

Slider: 35

Changeup: 30

Control: 30

“Hmm…”

Jimmy Palmer stroked his prickly beard.

This was ambiguous. In his opinion, the hitting was good enough to be brought to the majors right away. The designated hitter slot was a bit ambiguous, but if he could be used as a useful pitcher, he would be worth it even if his hitting was a little lower, as a designated hitter who could be used as a pitcher.

So, can’t Suwon Choi be used as a pitcher?

That was the ambiguous part.

The fastball is a plus grade.

Yes, a mere seventeen-year-old kid is a plus grade based on the major leagues. The fastest ball he threw today was a whopping 97.1 miles. Of course, speed alone can’t be everything. I’ll have to analyze it with more equipment to know the details. But Jimmy Palmer’s sense, who has been watching players for a long time, felt that the ball was good enough to be given a plus grade.

Moreover, the potential for development was even greater. Considering that he is only seventeen years old, it is reasonable to expect that he will be able to reach 100 miles in the future.

But those terrible control and breaking balls that would barely work in the minors… I wonder if I can use it after polishing it for 2 or 3 years in the minors…

It was a difficult problem.

If he learns to play outfield defense instead… With that hitting potential, maybe he could aim for a home run king who will be remembered in history?

“Okay. Josh, rebook my ticket to come here in two weeks. Keep the accommodation as it is. I think I’ll be staying for about 2 weeks to 3 weeks at the longest. Ah, I think I need to watch a little more.”

***

“Senior Jinwoo, did you call me?”

“Oh, yeah. Suwon. Drink this first. It’s carbonated, but it’s also a protein drink. This much is okay, right?”

“Yes, I’ll enjoy it.”

Senior Jinwoo handed me a drink.

Certainly, Senior Jinwoo was the nicest person among the seniors on the team. He trained hard, didn’t harass the other kids, and, most of all, didn’t go around backstabbing like Mungae. He was handsome enough, and his grades weren’t bad. He was truly a model of a great senior.

The only downside was that he wasn’t good at baseball, but since there was no one good at baseball in Joongang High based on me, that didn’t matter to me.

We sat on the still humid stands in the shade and sipped our drinks together.

A moment of silence.

It was strangely uncomfortable. Ah, did Mungae thoughtlessly tell him all about writing a letter of apology? Or does Senior Jinwoo want me to teach him baseball? Well, the latter wasn’t really difficult.

But Mungae is wasting his life on something that has no potential, and I don’t feel any guilt in pushing him a little, but it’s a bit of a shame for Senior Jinwoo. Effort is important in baseball, but what’s more important than effort is talent, and to be honest, Senior Jinwoo has no talent to become a professional.

Okay, if he asks me to teach him baseball, I’ll just refuse.

In my opinion, the best thing for Senior Jinwoo is to work hard until the King of Kings, build up his record, study for the college entrance exam, and go to college.

And then Senior Jinwoo, who had been hesitating for a while, finally opened his mouth.

“I don’t know where to start… First of all, I want to say thank you.”

And that was a story I had never thought of.