The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 389

389. Side Story 4) Slump, First

In the 2030s, the Yankees reigned supreme. Or, to be precise, the Yankees had been the dominant force since 2028. This was an undeniable truth.

You could tell by simply observing the baseball landscape. A decade prior, older fans, those who had grown up idolizing the Core Four [Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada, who were instrumental in the Yankees’ success in the late 1990s and early 2000s], would often remark, “They’re not as good as the Great Yankees,” or “They’re comparable to the Great Yankees.”

But now?

Those comparisons were nowhere to be found. In fact, anyone who dared to make such a statement would likely be dismissed as ignorant of baseball history.

Jack Hemingway, a prominent New York journalist and renowned baseball critic, once wrote:

“From 1920 to 1964, spanning over 45 years, the Yankees reached the World Series 29 times and emerged victorious on 20 occasions. This is a remarkable record that will likely remain unmatched in baseball history, encompassing several generations. Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, Maris – even amidst that era brimming with truly iconic players, Joe DiMaggio commands special attention. Setting aside his seemingly unbreakable 56-game hitting streak, consider his 16-year career from his debut in ’36 to his retirement in ’51. Excluding the years ’43 to ’45 when he served in World War II, he played a total of 13 seasons, reaching the World Series 10 times and winning 9. If we were to exclude Joe DiMaggio’s 13 years from the Great Yankees’ legacy, their record would stand at 19 appearances and 11 wins over 32 years. While still impressive, it pales in comparison to the former.”

A seemingly dry, historical account.

However, sometimes significant narratives require such extensive introductions.

“Everyone believed it was a record that would never be surpassed, much like the seemingly unbreakable 56-game hitting streak. Yet, Choi Su-won shattered that streak by an astounding 23 games, and he even began to challenge that seemingly unbreakable winning record. He surpassed the Great Yankees’ 3-year streak (1998-2000), as well as the Old Great Yankees’ 4-year streak (1936-1939) and 5-year streak (1949-1953), achieving an unprecedented 9 consecutive seasons (2028-2037) of winning right after his debut. Of course, there were crises, particularly in the 2034 and 2035 seasons… (omitted) …Therefore, I am convinced that the greatest 10 years in Yankees history are the 10 years with Choi Su-won.”

It was a somewhat lengthy and meticulous argument, but many found it compelling. The 2034 season was particularly noteworthy – the story of how the remaining team members rallied to win the championship after Choi Su-won’s season-ending injury. And then there was the 2035 season, where the Yankees, languishing in 3rd place in the league until September, miraculously secured a Wild Card berth after Choi Su-won’s return, achieving incredible victories and ultimately claiming the World Series title.

And now, in 2037.

The New York Yankees were enduring their worst slump in a decade, with Choi Su-won, the cornerstone of their dynasty, at the heart of it.

In 2037, Choi Su-won was experiencing the most significant slump of his career. While his slash line [batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage] of .371/.488/.801 was still remarkable, even his worst performance resulted in ridiculous stats like .300/.400/.500. However, considering his monstrous .400/.500/.800 stats from the previous year, it was undeniable that he was in a sharp decline.

Was it age catching up? Was it a decline after a decade of dominance, as seen with some legendary players? Or was it a major injury, perhaps a torn ulnar collateral ligament [a common baseball injury requiring Tommy John surgery]?

Given the tendencies of reporters in New York and Korea, numerous rumors could have easily surfaced. Surprisingly, however, there was little speculation, as the reason for the slump was quite apparent.

***

—Wahhhhh!

There’s a saying, “The Miracle of 100 Days.”

It refers to the phenomenon of babies starting to sleep through the night after being 100 days old.

But that seemed like a distant dream in our household.

A piercing cry echoed through the bedroom at 3 a.m.

But that was just the beginning.

—Wahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

—Wahhhhhh!!!!!!

As one child began to cry, the other woke up and joined in, each trying to outdo the other in volume. It was a symphony of chaos.

Park Eun-jin, jolted awake, rushed to the babies. The live-in helper, who slept in the adjacent room, also hurried over. They frantically tried to soothe the children, but it was no easy task.

I woke up quickly, but I was still a step behind them.

“Why did you get up? You should have tried to sleep a little longer.”

“No, I woke up just as I was drifting off. You should go and rest instead. You have to look after the kids all day tomorrow. I don’t have to be at work until noon, so I still have time.”

Park Eun-jin shook her head.

Her face, still puffy with sleep, was etched with fatigue, but her stubbornness, which had initially resisted the idea of a live-in helper, was still evident.

“Still, you played a game today and you have another one tomorrow, so you should rest. That’s why I told you to just book a hotel…”

“No, I need to see the kids’ faces, even if it’s just for a little while. I don’t get to see them often because of away games. Tyler said that if you don’t see the kids’ faces often at this age, you’ll regret it later.”

“Still…”

“I’m going to play baseball for another 10 years anyway. I can’t neglect my family to focus solely on baseball until then, right?”

Two to three hours.

Of course, I forced myself to close my eyes even when I heard crying in the middle of the night. But I felt far more exhausted than if I had slept a full eight hours.

I warmed up and played the game.

There was nothing physically wrong with me, but my hitting felt off.

—Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!!!”

[Ah, Choi Su-won strikes out! His second strikeout of the game today.]

[Indeed, Choi Su-won seems to be struggling to find his rhythm lately.]

[Well, it’s only been a little over 100 days since the twins were born, so it’s understandable.]

[Mr. Park Dong-sik, did you also experience difficulties when you were a player?]

[Haha, in my case, I had the unwavering support of both parents, and I wasn’t dealing with twins. However, some players occasionally struggle to adjust, though it’s not very common.]

“No, how can this be? A major league player can’t adjust his performance because of his kids?”

“I know, right? He should just have his wife and kids stay in Korea for a while and get help from his parents. If not, he has plenty of money. He could just hire someone, right?”

Those watching the game on TV grumbled with dissatisfaction.

“Hey, I saw him say in an interview a while ago that Choi Su-won is very attached to his children. And honestly, in a country where less than 200,000 babies are born a year… If his baseball performance dips a little because he’s prioritizing childcare, isn’t childcare more important?”

“That damn ball game? We’re about to lose our 10th consecutive championship. How can you say it’s just a ball game? And anyway, Choi Su-won’s kids aren’t even Korean.”

“What are you talking about? Even if they have dual citizenship, they’re still Korean. Their mom and dad are both Korean.”

“What does it matter if their mom and dad are both Korean? They were born in America, they’re going to live in America, and their dad is Choi Su-won. If you were them, which would you choose, Korea or America?”

“Choi Su-won already said he’s coming back to Korea later, okay?”

“Ugh. You’re so naive. Do you believe that?”

—Choi Su-won, 0-for-4!!

—Is even the All-Star Game in jeopardy?? Choi Su-won’s stats are the lowest since his debut, even worse than 2034!!

The tabloids that were plastered everywhere after the game didn’t bother me much. Therefore, my attitude towards the reporters who shoved microphones in my face remained unchanged.

“The All-Star Game? Go see how many hitters in the league are hitting .300/.400/.500. And at the same time, how many pitchers are recording 6 wins with an ERA [Earned Run Average, the average of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched] of 3.14.”

“My family is the most important thing to me right now. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m neglecting my career. I just think I’m in the process of finding a balance as a new dad.”

“You don’t have to worry about my start tomorrow. I’m planning to stay at a hotel tonight.”

“Yes, my wife usually suggests that I see the kids’ faces when there’s a home game and then sleep at the hotel. But why is family family? I don’t want that.”

—Choi Su-won, finally giving up on childcare? Declares hotel stay!!

—Troubled relationship between the couple. Wife requests separation!!

Of course, the way the reporters treated me didn’t change much either.

Those damn bastards.

***

10th year.

Thirty-year-old Choi Su-won was setting records that would be etched in history in many ways.

Among them, the most noticeable was his season batting average, which had been cut in half, to put it mildly. His batting average in the 37th season, during which he had recorded .400 twice in the past 9 years, was .299. I thought he would barely manage to reach .300 at the end, but in the end, he failed to reach .300 with 1 hit in 4 at-bats in the last game.

“I didn’t want to burden my children.”

His interview began like this after the World Series ended.

I imagine that if the greatest player in history’s illustrious career was disrupted because of his children, that would be valuable in its own way.

But as always, Choi Su-won exceeded everyone’s expectations.

3G 2GS 1GF 17IP 1R 0ER 23SO.

Appeared in 3 of the 7 World Series games.

Among them, 2 games as a starter. 17 innings pitched, 1 run allowed, 0 earned runs, 23 strikeouts.

Clearly, in 2037, he wasn’t a hitter who single-handedly dragged the team to the postseason as in previous years. But instead, he was an ace pitcher who single-handedly delivered the championship in the postseason.

Perhaps many people were surprised immediately after this World Series ended.

I was the same. How could the commentators broadcasting the league not be embarrassed?

“World Series MVP Choi Su-won!! Ah, wait a minute. Something’s a little strange… Good heavens!! No, that’s right. Choi Su-won wins his first World Series MVP award of his career!!”

It’s not that Choi Su-won was ineffective in big games.

He was always a formidable hitter. It’s just that opponents avoided him more actively in such important games, so he didn’t have many opportunities to be in the spotlight.

“I think this MVP is a gift from those guys. Do-yoon, Ha-yoon. Daddy won the MVP!!”

2028-2037.

The New York Yankees became World Champions for the 10th consecutive year.