The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 341

341. Two-Way Player (5)

So, it was 10:17 PM on August 1st, or 11:17 AM on August 12th in Korean time. I didn’t give up hope until the very last moment.

But Jose, the ninth batter, swung his bat through the air, and the game ended just like that.

Shohei Ohtani’s no-hitter.

And the end of my consecutive game hitting streak.

76 games.

It was a long enough time.

Yeah, considering that Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak was called an impossible record to break, I extended it by a whopping 20 games. Even I think it was an absurdly long record.

“Hello, Choi Su-won.”

“Mr. Kay?”

“Oh, you know me.”

“Of course. How could I not know the caster who calls my name on the broadcast every day?”

“Haha, then please just call me Michael.”

“Okay, I understand. Michael.”

“Yesterday’s game was really disappointing. The loss itself was a defeat, but what was especially disappointing was Choi Su-won’s last at-bat. 76 games. To think that the end of that great journey was just a walk.”

An interview before the second game started.

In fact, it was a pre-arranged conversation.

“Well, I don’t think so. Of course, the last one was a walk. But a hitless game can happen anytime, anywhere. It can happen even if you’re just not in good condition for the day. The same goes for a .400 batting average. Even with that probability, the chance of not getting a single hit in a particular game is over 10% every time you go to the plate four times.”

“Are you saying that…?”

“It doesn’t mean anything. Well, of course, every game has its own meaning… Anyway, it would have been better if the record had continued endlessly. But at least, isn’t it a better story if the end is ‘Choi Su-won, who caught a cold and was in poor condition, struck out four times in a row’ rather than ‘After a fierce battle with a pitcher who was on a perfect game, he ended the pitcher’s perfect game, but the pitcher ultimately recorded a no-hitter and blocked Choi Su-won’s hit’?”

“Now that I hear Choi Su-won’s story, it seems like there’s something to it. And the opposing pitcher was Shohei Ohtani, the best player in the league.”

“Yes, that’s right. Oh, and one more thing. I’m only twenty years old. And I want to continue to receive your support here at Yankee Stadium.”

“Oh, does that mean you’re planning a long-term contract with the Yankees…?”

“Yes, Michael. That’s enough. If you say one more word, my scary agency over there might make it very difficult to get interviews with YES Network [Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network] in the future.”

The short interview ended.

It might seem crazy to do this to a player who must be in a bad mood after his great record was broken yesterday, but the number of Yankees fans who were taken to the police station after yesterday’s game was a whopping three digits. Most of them were minor offenses committed while drunk, but some cases were serious felonies that could land them in jail for several years instead of just a fine.

So, the statement that he wanted to continue receiving support was not just a promotion to visit the stadium often, but more of a request not to do anything that would land them in jail.

“How are the people who got stabbed?”

“One person was in a bit of danger, but fortunately, they’ve passed the critical point. The others don’t have any injuries that will leave permanent disabilities.”

“Oh, so the person who was in danger…?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, the disability is unavoidable…”

There was a brawl at a bar after yesterday’s game, and it turned into a stabbing, injuring several people. My acquaintances in Korea read the article and reacted, ‘Why go to a bar and cause a ruckus when you’re upset about the game? And why carry a knife?’

The moment I heard that, I thought, ‘Ah, I’ve become a bit of an American.’ In fact, as soon as I heard the news, I thought, ‘If you’re a visiting team and you saw that at the stadium, shouldn’t you be careful and go straight to your accommodation, cancel today’s game ticket, and book a flight to LA? If you’re a New Yorker, shouldn’t you burn your Dodgers jersey at home to destroy the evidence? This is just like provoking a fight, isn’t it?’

Anyway, as a result, several LA Dodgers fans who were talking loudly in the bar were gang-assaulted and seriously injured, and Boston fans who were drinking next to them were stabbed. I heard that they weren’t even watching the game at the stadium, but they came out to drink in groups because my record was broken. Those Boston guys are really…

“Talk to the club and see if they can provide some support. Anyway, please take care of it.”

“Yes, I understand.”

***

There was a bit of time between the end of our practice and the start of the Dodgers’ practice. Originally, I would eat something and take a break, but Ohtani contacted me to have a conversation.

“Did the interview go well?”

“Yes, but what brings you here? The game is about to start.”

“No, I just wanted to talk about yesterday. Our team is returning home after tomorrow’s game, so I don’t think we’ll have time to talk tomorrow.”

Ohtani’s expression was a little dark.

“If you’re worried about the injured people, don’t worry. I heard that their lives are not in danger and they are all recovering well. And the club will provide appropriate care.”

“That’s a relief. Are you okay, Su-won?”

“Yes, I’m fine. How about you, Shohei? Are you okay?”

Shohei Ohtani shook his head.

“I was very uncomfortable. To be honest, I was thinking about breaking your consecutive hits streak even before yesterday’s game. But I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”

“Oh, I’m a little disappointed. You were thinking of breaking my record.”

A little joke to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

Shohei Ohtani took my joke seriously with a serious expression.

“Half of it was the desire to win the game. And the other half… I thought it would be good for you too. Of course, I’m a little disappointed that it ended like this.”

“Huh? How is breaking my record good for me? What do you mean?”

“Your home runs have decreased a lot since the All-Star Game. Your batting average has also dropped a bit.”

“That was the case even before the All-Star Game.”

“You said your form was a little off then. Even after you fixed it, your slugging percentage was almost the same, wasn’t it?”

“……”

Certainly, in July, my stats were 0.390/0.433/0.593, which was still MVP-level, but it was much less than the overwhelming performance I had shown before. The hit rate didn’t drop much, but the number of extra-base hits and walks decreased significantly.

“Judging by your expression, you seem to know the reason.”

Yeah, I actually know the reason too.

“I was hitting the ball a little late…”

“Yeah. You knew it. Well, I guess it couldn’t be helped. With the consecutive game hitting streak right in front of you, it’s hard to clear your mind and swing with the hitting point in front of you. You swung properly at the All-Star Game, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. It was a game where I didn’t have the pressure of a consecutive hitting streak.”

Maybe it’s because my condition was revealed so accurately? I felt a little twisted.

“But you don’t want me to thank you for breaking my consecutive game hitting streak, do you…?”

“That’s right. I just wanted to apologize for not intentionally walking you.”

“Pardon?”

“The last at-bat. It was really frustrating. The umpire’s bad call worked in my favor, and my pitches were really good, but I couldn’t see where to throw. Especially that foul home run at the end. It was a ball that was completely out of the zone… At that time, you weren’t just trying to continue your consecutive hit streak, but you were really trying to hit it properly, weren’t you?”

Hmm…

Actually, I don’t know. At that time, I was just responding to Ohtani’s ball without any thoughts, without any records or anything. It was a feeling I had never experienced before in my 17 years of professional life, from before the regression until now.

“But I really didn’t intend to walk you. I was thinking of throwing the ball on the border line… Yeah, I guess I was scared.”

Ohtani’s face was so clear when he said he was scared.

He just had his birthday a while ago, so he’s thirty-five. That’s exactly my age right before I regressed. What was I like at that age? Has it been almost four years already? It’s a bit vague. But one thing is for sure, I wasn’t the kind of person who could openly reveal my weaknesses in front of others like this.

“I promise. It will be different next time.”

“Next time…?”

“Of course, it’s the World Series. If only you guys can make it.”

“Hey, don’t say that. We’re definitely going to make it. Do you know that we, the Yankees, are currently number one in the league in terms of winning percentage? The Dodgers need to work harder.”

A meaningless squabble between people who are portrayed as almost mortal enemies in the internet world.

Although he ended my consecutive game hitting streak in a futile form of a walk, I still didn’t dislike Shohei Ohtani.

“No, I’m telling you, that’s absolutely impossible. How can you win all the remaining games in the first place? Our opponent today is our Yankees.”

“Su-won. The bigger the dream…”

“Ah, I know that saying too. ‘Even if it breaks, the pieces are big.’ Isn’t that what it means? And in addition to that, there’s also ‘A dream becomes a plan as it gets closer.’ But the Dodgers winning all the remaining games is too big, it’s a complete pipe dream. And what? If the Dodgers win all the games, are we just going to sit still? We’ll win all the games too and keep being number one in the league in terms of winning percentage, right?”

“No, even so, the Yankees winning all the remaining games is impossible. Our opponent today is us.”

“Wow, look at this shameless guy?”

Yeah, anyway, I didn’t dislike him.

***

The second game between the Dodgers and the Yankees.

The starting pitcher for the Yankees today is Stan Owens.

This ace-level pitcher, who signed a 6-year, $170 million contract with Washington last winter, was one of the items that Washington sold off in the extreme fire sale this summer, selling off everything down to the pillars.

The last piece for the Yankees to win the championship, which made the Yankees’ front office and manager Jeff Clark dream of a 6-man rotation.

Fastball, slider, changeup, and curve.

All four pitches are between 55 (above-average pitch) and 60 (plus pitch) based on the 20-80 scale [a scouting scale used to rate players, where 50 is average].

Stan Owens clearly proved why he is the league’s strongest third starting pitcher against the Dodgers’ lineup.

In 2 innings, only one of the seven batters reached first base.

Stan Owens, who came down from the mound, approached manager Jeff Clark.

“Manager.”

“Huh?”

“I think I’m hurt.”

First appearance since the trade.

The last piece for the Yankees to win the championship collapsed.