The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 335

335. The Best Hitter in the Big Leagues (2)

“Yes!! That’s it!!”

Watching Choi Su-won’s home run, Oh Gyu-hwan applauded loudly.

“So, his stats for this month were originally 10 hits in 29 at-bats, with only 2 doubles. And one walk and one sacrifice fly, so 0.345/0.375/0.414… Now, adding that home run… 0.367/0.394/0.533. Wow, crazy. A sharp rise from 0.789 to 0.927. Cumulative is… from 1.338 to 1.351? Awesome. Yeah. Don’t need hits or anything. Home runs are the best.”

The number 67 was prominently displayed on TV.

Yes, it’s the 67-game hitting streak record. Considering that until recently, Joe DiMaggio’s ‘The Streak’ was considered an unbreakable, legendary record in Major League Baseball, it’s truly a world of difference.

“I was a bit worried that his condition wasn’t great before the All-Star break, and the record might be broken soon. But seeing Su-won play like that, I don’t think we need to worry for a while, right?”

-Knock knock knock!!!

“Hey, Oh Gyu-hwan! Are you hiding in the bathroom watching baseball again?”

“Ah, no!! My stomach was a little upset!! I’ll be out soon.”

“Don’t overdo it. Don’t overdo it. Huh? Observe work hours. Maybe Manager Park Dae-chul was lenient before, but I can’t tolerate this. You shouldn’t just sit down at your desk when it strikes 9, but have everything ready to start working before then. If you want to leave on the dot at 6, you have to do that much. Isn’t that basic etiquette towards the company?”

“Yes, yes!! I’ll finish up and come out soon.”

8:57 AM.

Still 3 minutes before work starts.

Real life was tough, but that’s why Su-won’s performance, like a fantasy, was even more comforting. Oh Gyu-hwan stowed away the resignation letter he harbored in his heart once again, opened the bathroom door, and headed back to his desk.

***

There are many people in the world.

And among them, of course, there are those who shout No just to be contrarian when everyone else says yes. And there are more of those people than you think.

A slightly ambiguous time after finishing the game and returning home.

I opened my smartphone for the first time in a while and briefly delved into the internet world. I probably wouldn’t have bothered entering the baseball community if I hadn’t hit a home run today.

Yeah, on days like this, the haters quietly disappear, and the fans prevail. Sometimes, you need to gain courage by reading anonymous messages that support you.

[Choi Su-won is Overrated.]

It was a popular post at the top of the community.

Of course, it’s not sorted by recommendations but by comments.

“Wow, it’s a full house. A full house.”

There are over 4,000 comments.

With that many comments, you could almost compile a full-length novel.

Again, I wouldn’t have bothered clicking on it on a normal day. But today, I hit a home run in the first inning, recorded multiple hits, and even won the game. On days when confidence is running high, no matter what I read, it doesn’t affect me.

The records that currently define Choi Su-won are his consecutive game hitting streak and batting average.

Symbolism? Of course, there is. Who were Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio? Names that represented baseball during the golden age of baseball.

But is Choi Su-won’s record really as valuable as theirs?

Now, let’s think about it.

The value of a hit is ultimately…

.

.

(Omitted)

.

.

Therefore, Choi Su-won’s record can be seen as a huge bubble.

─What nonsense is this? Can someone summarize it in 3 lines?

─Choi Su-won is doing well, so they’re just jealous!!

─Are you guys even baseball fans? Ultimately, when OBP [On-Base Percentage] and SLG [Slugging Percentage] are the same, batting average is meaningless.

─What nonsense is that? If OBP and SLG are the same, the hitter with the higher batting average is obviously the better hitter.

─That’s right. How is getting on base with a hit when there’s a runner on second base the same as getting on base with a walk? The RBIs [Runs Batted In] are different from the start?

─Is this even a baseball community? TB/AB [Total Bases/At Bats]. If OBP and SLG are the same, the one with the higher batting average is a slap hitter, and the one with the lower batting average is a power hitter.

─What nonsense? How can one be more of a power hitter if the SLG is the same? Are you a miracle mathematician??

─Ugh… SLG is TB/AB, and since it’s a stat based on at-bats, walks are excluded… No. Never mind. Just live like that.

─Look at those fools getting baited by the troll and jumping around. No, Choi Su-won’s hits are what stand out. He’s the hitter with the highest OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] in the league, so why is this even a debate? NL [National League] home run king Alexander McDowell has an OPS of 1.227. But Choi Su-won is at 1.344 right now.

─Managing his schedule like crazy and playing 67 games with 1.344 vs. playing 89 games fully with 1.227.

─Is a two-way player the same as a full-time hitter?

─Yeah, so his ERA [Earned Run Average] is 3.72, and his FIP [Fielding Independent Pitching] is 4.00? If that’s the case, he should just focus on hitting.

─What nonsense? Did you even look at the league ERA? Choi Su-won is currently 41st in ERA in the AL [American League].

─Did you really count that?

Etc., etc.

Just reading through it roughly, it was full of stories from people who had nothing better to do. If my performance was a little worse, I might have gotten angry and left a comment, but since I hit a home run today? I just felt like, “Oh, okay.”

More than that, it’s not easy to get in touch with Eun-jin because she’s so busy in Korea.

A slight disappointment. But it was okay. I already knew what the answer was when I felt that way.

-Clang!!!!

[Choi Su-won!! He hit it!! Third at-bat!! 68-game hitting streak!! Choi Su-won records another hit.]

[Honestly, even though he didn’t get a hit in the previous two at-bats, I wasn’t worried at all. Why? Because it’s Choi Su-won.]

[In fact, I think everyone in Korea watching the game felt the same way, not just the commentator. The quality of his batted balls was quite good in the previous two at-bats as well.]

-Clang!!!

[Tyler Beet hits!! But a ground ball right at the shortstop!!]

“Out!!!”

[A double play in an instant. Bottom of the 6th. The Yankees fail to score again.]

[Ah, this game is really not going their way today.]

I succeeded in getting a hit, but I failed to score and trudged back to the dugout. Domingo, who pitched in yesterday’s game, approached me with a strange expression.

“I still think you need to change your rotation order. Fourth starter. Yeah, fourth starter would be good.”

“Are you saying that again?”

“Think about it. We probably wouldn’t have won yesterday without you. If that were the case, we would have been swept in the series as soon as the second half started. Ugh. Just imagining it is terrible.”

“The game isn’t over yet, you know?”

“The 7th inning has started, and the score is 13:1, so it’s pretty much over. Honestly, you might not even get another at-bat, you know?”

I quickly looked around at Domingo’s words, which seemed to disregard teamwork. Fortunately, most of the players were out on the field, so it didn’t seem like anyone heard the conversation.

“Domingo.”

“Ah, I know. But honestly, today it’s not really our problem, but that kid over there is going crazy.”

Reniel Diaz, the 22-year-old young pitcher who went down after 1.2 innings with 6 runs in the first series, was going crazy today.

So far, 7 innings, 3 hits, 1 run.

Considering that we scored 7 runs against the Mets’ ace, Spencer Kano, in 5.1 innings in yesterday’s game and scored a total of 13 runs by the end of the game, his greatness shines even more.

“That cutter he newly installed is very tricky. It felt like I hit it well, but it keeps ending up as a fly ball to the outfield…”

I clearly engraved that cutter in my head.

I must in the next at-bat!!

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

[Ah, the game is over. Bottom of the 9th, runner left on first. The score is 13:1, and the New York Mets take the second game of the series.]

[Our Choi Su-won player. Still, it’s a relief that he succeeded in continuing his hitting streak today.]

[Yes, 1 hit in 4 at-bats. Overall, the quality of his batted balls was all good today, but it was quite disappointing that the ball went straight to the fielders so strangely.]

Unfortunately, my opponent in the last at-bat was not Reniel Diaz but the Mets’ closer, Miguel Britos, and this time, my batted ball unfortunately did not go over the fence.

***

“No, there’s nothing wrong with your form. You were just unlucky.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I checked the video too. And I measured it separately with this. And honestly, you felt it too, right? That you were just a little unlucky.”

First, I had Christian Sanchez check my batting form just in case. Fortunately, the next game was also a home game, so there was plenty of time. The second half of the schedule is quite good, as I suffered from traveling around for away games in the first half.

On the way home after finishing a simple cool-down workout.

I got a call from Eun-jin.

“Congratulations on the 68-game hitting streak.”

“Congratulations for what? 1 hit in 4 at-bats. And it was just a single.”

“But the quality of your batted balls was good. You’ll do better in tomorrow’s game.”

“Yeah. Oh, right. How was the broadcast recording yesterday?”

“Oh, they really liked it when I talked about being classmates with you and studying together. Thanks to you, my entertainment schedule is exploding right now.”

“Do you have a broadcast today too?”

“Yeah, from 5 PM tonight.”

“What time is it there now?”

“1:20 PM?”

“Then you should probably start getting ready soon, right?”

“Ah, the manager just contacted me. Then go home and get some rest. Let’s talk again later.”

“Okay. Do a good job too.”

It wasn’t a very sweet call, but it still felt like it relieved the bad mood I was in because the game didn’t go as well as I wanted today. Unlike yesterday, when I leisurely opened my smartphone, I didn’t bother connecting to the internet today. It’s obvious that seeing the same kind of post as yesterday on a day like this would only ruin my mood.

“It’s definitely because I read that kind of post yesterday that I had bad luck.”

Ordinary days, continuing a special record, flowed by like that.

I pitched in the first game of the second half and rested for a day. Domingo looked like he was dying again. We won, lost, won, won, lost. The hits continued, and home runs were added. Oh, and I went to Canada for a while and came back.

And then one day, with the trade deadline not far away.

“Yo, long time no see?”

“Mr. Trout?”

“Mr. Trout, please. Just call me Mike. More than that, how have you been? Ah, was that too much of a formality? Well, just looking at the news, it seems like you’re doing well.”

“No, wait a minute. Mr. Trout, I mean, how did Mike get here?”

“How did I get here? If I came here at this time, it’s obvious.”

“Don’t tell me? No way?”

“That’s right. Trade. So, please take care of me from today.”

What the heck…?

Mike Trout was traded?

I guarantee that this was something that didn’t happen in the future before I came back, and it’s something that would never happen unless the LA Angels disbanded.

But that’s happening in reality?

Yes, the ‘former’ best player in Major League Baseball joined our team very unexpectedly.

It was one day, a few days before the trade deadline.