The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 400

400. Extra Story 6) Recruiting Party Members (8)

It was nearly 20 years ago, but Baek Hamin remembered it clearly.

No, what was 20 years? The despair and inferiority he felt that day would be hard to forget until the moment he died.

Back then, he was competing with Jo Gyuchan for the title of high school No. 1. He had been full of hope that he would lead his team to victory against the absurdly strong Gyeongha High School, like a character in a manga, but that monster had sunk him.

It wasn’t even a strikeout.

It was just a fly ball to the outfield.

That was the only result Baek Hamin, who had been proud to be the best among his peers, had managed to get against him. But what was even more infuriating was that he had been ‘satisfied’ with that one fly ball to the outfield. Yes, not even a strikeout, just a fly ball. But at the same time, that memory was the only small victory he had in his high school days, which were marked by numerous defeats.

Perhaps if Baek Hamin had been the kind of man who could find solace in an incomplete victory, calling it a victory, he would not be standing here now. He was not that kind of man, and that was why he was able to stand here, reflecting on his past self who had been satisfied with that victory that could not be called a victory.

If you were to ask if he hated Choi Suwon, the answer would be absolutely not. What Baek Hamin hated was himself for never achieving a proper victory against him, so perhaps this stage was prepared for him.

-Clang!!

[He hit it!! Alexander McDowell!! Deep to right field!! Deep into right field, but fortunately, the right fielder catches it easily on the warning track in front of the fence. Three outs, change. Top of the 1st. Choi Suwon shuts down the Mets’ offense with a three-up, three-down inning.]

[Now, the Yankees’ offense continues. Baek Hamin is on the mound. Baek Hamin is coming up. It’s amazing, a match between Korean pitchers in the final game of the World Series. A few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine, but in recent years, Choi Suwon and Baek Hamin have been showing their faces in the World Series so often that it just feels like something that was bound to happen eventually. That’s the feeling.]

The best stage in the world.

Baek Hamin came up to the mound.

[Here’s our Baek Hamin. This player is truly amazing, isn’t he? To be honest, when he first entered the US, I knew he would do well, but I really didn’t know he would do this well.]

[That’s right. When he signed a $200 million contract with the Mets, there were a lot of comments like it was an overpay, and the Mets were being amazing again. But now, with one year left on his contract, it’s being evaluated as the best pitcher contract the Mets have made in nearly 20 years.]

When he was young, his father had told him countless times that talent could never beat effort. That dripping water breaks the rock, and victory only goes to those who work the hardest with the most persistence.

Of course, Baek Hamin didn’t believe that. Because there were countless ordinary people around him who worked much harder than he did. The reason he was better at baseball than them, and the reason he had constantly won, was not because he worked harder than them. It was simply because the size of Baek Hamin’s innate talent was overwhelmingly greater than theirs.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

[A circle changeup that perfectly disrupts the timing!! A swing and a miss!!]

[He’s an amazing player. Even when he was in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization], he was already evaluated as a very complete pitcher, but he’s gone to the big leagues and improved his completeness every year with a slightly different look.]

[Baek Hamin is off to a very clean start, striking out two batters in a row. Now, the batter at the plate is number 3. Choi Suwon. Choi Suwon is coming up.]

Just as the monster Choi Suwon, who was now at the plate, had a talent that was overwhelmingly greater than Baek Hamin’s own talent, or rather, the talent of all baseball players in the world.

Effort can never beat talent. No, in the first place, effort is not an element that can stand alongside talent. All effort can do is to bring out the limits of his innate talent.

Baek Hamin thought that was closer to the truth.

A story of overcoming innate talent with grit and effort?

That’s too old-fashioned.

But…

Baek Hamin, who was more arrogant in his teens.

At 36 years old, closer to the age of his father, who used to tell him how important it was to be a little more diligent, to work a little harder, and to do his best, thought.

There are things in the world that one hopes to be true, even if they are not. Or rather, because they are not true. And perhaps the word ‘effort’ was such a word to his father.

Yes, just like himself, glaring at Choi Suwon on the mound like this.

[The Mets are choosing an automatic intentional walk without hesitation. Choi Suwon is walking to first base.]

[That’s right. There’s no reason to face Choi Suwon when the bases are so empty.]

It wasn’t much different from high school.

No, high school was better. Back then, it wasn’t to the point where they were completely avoiding a showdown with him like this.

If there was any consolation, it was that he was getting old.

In the past, when he was sent to first base, he would put on a crazy performance, even stealing bases as a starting pitcher, but he doesn’t do that anymore.

[Ah, Choi Suwon is taking a very wide lead. Does this mean he’s going to run if he gets the chance?]

[Well, the last series was decided by very small score differences overall, wasn’t it? There’s a high probability that today’s game will be the same, right? But this isn’t so much about stealing a base as it is about using his quick feet to run all the way home without stopping at third base if there’s an extra-base hit. Honestly, stealing a base as a starter is too risky.]

So that lead is just a trick to get on Baek Hamin’s nerves.

-Whoosh!!!

[Choi Suwon!! He’s running!! Past first base to second!!]

“Safe!!!!”

[Safe!! It’s safe!! Wow, Choi Suwon’s surprise steal!! Bottom of the 1st, the Yankees get a runner in scoring position.]

Damn it.

He’s doing a headfirst slide here?

The sight of him dusting off the dirt on his chest after stepping on second base was truly horrifying.

His father said.

Victory only goes to those who work the hardest with the most persistence.

Then, Father.

If a guy with more talent than me works just as hard as I do, what am I supposed to do?

No answer came from his father in a transparent form, like in a movie. But it was okay. Because the answer his father would give him was too obvious.

Work harder than him with more persistence.

In the most old-fashioned way possible.

Baek Hamin threw the ball.

The game went on.

***

“Hey, Dutton, are you okay?”

“Huh? What?”

“No, your lips are blue right now.”

“Oh, I’m just a little cold. I’ll be fine if I stand near the heater for a bit.”

That wasn’t it.

Of course, the weather in November was quite chilly, but this level of cold was nothing to Dutton, who was born in North Dakota. He could jog in short sleeves in this weather.

‘As expected, Choi Suwon…’

Dutton, who was 23 years old this year, first watched baseball one day 16 years ago.

On a hot day in June, two months before entering junior school. His grandfather, a longtime fan of the Boston Red Sox, took him to Fenway Park to continue the family tradition. The Davis family had been longtime fans of Boston since his grandfather’s grandfather’s time.

But regardless of his grandfather’s wish to continue the tradition of being a Boston fan, Dutton Davis became a fan of Choi Suwon through that game, just like many other kids his age.

The boy, who had fallen in love with baseball through Choi Suwon, was now sitting in the opposite dugout on the grand stage of the World Series, waiting for his turn.

-Clang!!!

Top of the 5th.

The batted ball split the gap between first and second base.

No outs, runner on first.

Dutton Davis headed to the on-deck circle.

Fanboying is fanboying, and work is work.

Standing in the on-deck circle, he watched Choi Suwon’s pitches and matched the timing.

Four-seam.

Curve.

Slider.

Changeup.

This season, Choi Suwon had significantly increased the proportion of changeups.

His overall velocity had decreased, but his power was the same, and his strikeouts had decreased slightly, but the number of line-drive barrel hits he allowed had decreased even more.

-Bang!!

Theodore calmly picked out the pitch.

He had 1 hit and 1 walk in 2 plate appearances earlier today. He’s a weakling, but he definitely has a good eye for the ball.

Choi Suwon on the mound wound up greatly.

Dutton Davis widened his eyes and watched it.

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

The fastest ball in the high zone.

The number 101.1 was clearly marked on the scoreboard.

Considering that the fastest ball he had thrown until then was 99.7 mph, he had increased his velocity by a whopping 1.4 mph.

Even though his teammate was struck out swinging, Dutton unconsciously shouted inwardly, ‘See, I knew it!! What did I tell you!!’ His face flushed red.

‘The morons on the internet who were saying that Choi Suwon couldn’t throw fastballs anymore and was forced to change his style must have seen this, right?’

But the joy was only temporary.

The red light disappeared from Dutton’s flushed face.

101.1 mph.

Well, it’s not a very fast ball.

If you’re a decent starter in the league, throwing over 100 mph is a basic requirement. But the opponent is Choi Suwon. Choi Suwon, who throws tricky breaking balls, is showing the velocity of his prime?

Suddenly, he was reminded of his grandfather, who had been suffering for 16 years since he first took him to Fenway Park.

-Gulp…

Choi Suwon was huge.

Ah, of course, Dutton was physically half a head taller, but perhaps because of the height of the mound, or perhaps because of Dutton’s shrunken heart, Choi Suwon felt like a 2.5-meter giant to him.

Choi Suwon on the mound threw the ball with force.

A ball that dug into his body.

He swung his bat with force.

-Clang!!!!!

It was a changeup.

The weakly hit ball didn’t leave the infield.

The most powerful baseball player that a 7-year-old boy had ever seen was still the most powerful player on the mound 16 years later.

[The shortstop catches it and throws to second!! And back to first!! Double out!! Top of the 5th. Choi Suwon once again shuts down the Mets’ offense cleanly.]

Without any special ceremony.

Choi Suwon left the mound with an expression as if he had just done what he was supposed to do.

The game went on.

***

0-for-2.

Both were batted balls that flew all the way to the warning track.

But it’s okay.

Originally, a hitter only needs to succeed one out of three times.

There was an abnormal guy who was evaluated as struggling even though he succeeded one out of three times at the same time, but anyway, that’s enough for a hitter.

Top of the 6th.

Fortunately, the score was still 0:0.

And the third chance.

Alexander McDowell picked up his bat and walked to the plate.