The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 44

44. Except for Him (2)

The red lettering on the black-wrapped bus.

‘Kyung-Ha High V29’

It was incredibly tacky.

But it was just as intense.

The number 29 was proof of the history they had built.

When Jung Byeong-cheol entered, the number on it was only 23. And with each subsequent victory, the number went up. Thus, finally, 29.

Unlike the 9, which was a vivid red because it had been changed recently, the old, faded 2 was quite displeasing.

“I need to replace that old 2 before I graduate.”

He took his bag directly from the bus and headed to the stadium. When he entered, Kyung-Ha High, befitting its reputation as a prestigious school, had many outdated traditions. Yes, despite the last championship being a whopping five years ago, the remaining outdated traditions were the most entrenched in the country.

He didn’t resist it. He just endured all the outdated traditions and steadily proved himself with his skills, and when he became a senior, he finally changed the team.

A senior player carrying his own luggage. It might not seem like a big deal to some, but it was something that Kyung-Ha High alumni would be shocked to see.

But no one could criticize the changes he made.

It wasn’t just because of the changing times.

Jung Byeong-cheol. Offensive catcher.

The biggest name in high school baseball.

Golden Lion Flag Tournament, first-half King of Kings MVP [Most Valuable Player].

Moreover, unlike Jo Gyu-chan, who was incredibly skilled but had a slightly strange personality, Jung Byeong-cheol was as outstanding in character as he was in skill. It was a well-known story that the coach didn’t hesitate for a moment when choosing a new captain at the end of last year.

Looking at the back of a respectable senior in every way, the Kyung-Ha High players entered the stadium.

***

“That’s an awesome team bus.”

“Right? I wonder if we’ll get something like that if we win a championship.”

“Hey, they need it because they have to come up from Gyeongsang-do [a province in southeastern Korea]. We’re right next to the stadium.”

“Cheonnam High is right next to the stadium too, and they have one. And we charter a bus for tournaments anyway.”

The chattering of the Central High baseball team’s freshmen echoed around.

They thought they were whispering, but it was quite clear because the surroundings were so quiet.

“What? Do you guys want a team bus too?”

“Yoo… Yoo-jin, senior!!”

“The school didn’t buy that. Cheonnam High didn’t buy their bus either. Well, most of them are like that. Usually, alumni raise funds together, or a successful alumnus suddenly gifts the whole bus.”

How many pros came from Kyung-Ha High School?

Of course, for the past six or seven years, Kyung-Ha High School’s generation was the worst, and no players had properly established themselves in the pros, but even so, the story still goes around that the Marines’ core is only from Kyung-Ha High. Perhaps because of that? Quite a few Marines fans gathered to watch today’s semi-final game.

“I see…”

“Well, don’t be too discouraged. We charter a bus, but if we succeed in the pros, our juniors can ride such a cool team bus too. In a way, we’re cooler.”

“Yes!! Ah, but senior. I have a question.”

“Oh, yeah, what are you curious about, Yong-ju?”

“That V29, I know it’s the number of championships, but as far as I know, Kyung-Ha High was V24 at the beginning of last year, and they won five national tournaments last year and another one this year, but it’s still 29, which is a bit confusing. It doesn’t seem like that 29 refers to the number of regional championships either…”

“Ah, it’s just their tradition. They exclude the New World Cup and the National Sports Festival and only count the four major tournaments: Golden Lion Flag, Blue Dragon Flag, Phoenix Flag, and President’s Cup.”

“Ah, I see.”

Jo Yoo-jin, who had kindly explained to his juniors, turned his gaze to Choi Su-won.

The guy with earphones in looked so relaxed. He was only a sophomore, but perhaps because of his position in the team? The freshmen were taking care of his bag. If the kids hadn’t taken care of his bag, Jo Yoo-jin himself would have probably taken care of it.

Today’s starting pitcher and third batter.

It was all too obvious that the outcome of the game depended on him.

The players warmed up lightly on the ground where Kyung-Ha High, the home team for today, had finished training first. After a light warm-up and catch-ball, Jo Yoo-jin put on his catcher’s gear.

If it were another pitcher’s ball, Chan-ju, a freshman, might have been able to catch it, but not Su-won’s ball. Among Central High’s catchers, only Jo Yoo-jin could handle the maximum speed of 156km/h that could go anywhere.

-Thwack!!

“Good!!!”

As always, the feeling of the ball sinking into the mitt was good.

Moreover, today it felt strangely more comfortable to catch the ball. Even Jo Yoo-jin felt a thrill when catching a 156km/h ball that came in randomly, but today it was a bit more comfortable.

23 fastballs.

And 11 sliders and 7 clumsy curves.

“What? That’s it? Aren’t you throwing more?”

Usually, he would have thrown a few more fastballs into the in-course and out-course to get a feel for it. But today was different.

“Oh, it’s enough today.”

Well, today his command wasn’t bad. Of course, that didn’t mean it was as precise as a knife. But the overall location was quite stable. In particular, the fact that two of the curves came into the zone was also encouraging.

After finishing pre-game training, Choi Su-won, wearing earphones, closed his eyes for a moment.

‘What is it?’

Why? Jo Yoo-jin felt an indescribable sense of reassurance from that sight. Of course, Choi Su-won was always reliable. He was sure that Choi Su-won was the best high school hitter right now. But the reassurance he felt now was a little different from that.

Jo Yoo-jin shook his head.

Anyway, the feeling of reassurance was the same, so it probably didn’t matter.

The game started.

***

Top of the 1st inning.

Jo Gyu-chan went to the mound.

He may have lost the MVP [Most Valuable Player] award to Baek Ha-min in the last King of Kings tournament, but no one would deny that he is currently the best left-handed pitcher in high school.

A fastball with a maximum speed of 150km/h, a curve that falls like a waterfall, and even a changeup that is hard to believe at the high school level.

Jo Gyu-chan’s pitches made the Central High hitters swing.

Swinging strikeout.

And a ground ball out.

Third batter Choi Su-won stepped up to the plate.

‘His curve is good today. Let’s test the waters with one first.’

Jo Gyu-chan nodded.

Intentional walk? Yeah, well, I can accept that. But typically, the pitcher has the advantage in the first encounter between a pitcher and a batter. Moreover, there were no runners on base, and the pitcher on the mound was the best left-hander in high school. To run away without even trying to compete against a right-handed batter? That’s impossible.

Kyung-Ha High’s coach also agreed with that.

Although Choi Su-won was showing an almost unbelievable hitting ability, Jo Gyu-chan, in his judgment, was skilled enough to make it to the pros right away. He knew that Baek Ha-min had allowed six consecutive home runs, but he also knew that Choi Su-won hadn’t managed to hit every pitch out of the park.

Choi Su-won’s swing is an extreme uppercut swing.

He was weak against high pitches, and although he did hit outside pitches thrown by left-handed pitchers, he didn’t create home runs.

There was enough reason.

Above all, the hottest hitter in this tournament right now is not Choi Su-won but Jo Gyu-hyeok, who is coming up behind him with 2 home runs and 17 RBIs [Runs Batted In]. There was no need to put a runner on base for a hitter who had single-handedly created nearly half of the RBIs that Central High had scored in the past four games.

197cm tall with an overhand throw.

It was truly the textbook example of a left-handed orthodox fireballer. Moreover, considering the length of his arms, it gives the illusion of being dropped from the second floor.

Absolutely impossible to attack at the high school level.

The opposing team in last year’s Blue Dragon Flag final chose to increase the number of pitches to force Jo Gyu-chan off the mound early.

Choi Su-won moved.

The ball that left Jo Gyu-chan’s hand floated slightly.

A time too short to even blink.

He recognized that the ball Jo Gyu-chan threw was a curve. The tunneling wasn’t very good. Ahn Byeong-yeong is a little better in that regard. He didn’t know where he learned it, but his curve was American-style.

Of course, if you only look at the ball, the drop of the curve thrown by Jo Gyu-chan may be greater, but in terms of the most important thing in a breaking ball, which is deceiving the batter, it is more effective to make them recognize that it is a curve a little later.

Will it be a ball that comes into the zone?

Or will it be a ball that falls out?

The course was high.

No matter how big the drop is, it won’t be a one-bounce.

He quickly shifted the power gathered in the take-back stage. Tremendous power is put into his left foot as he steps forward. His right heel is lifted, and his upper body turns like lightning. An incredible bat speed.

The baseball that was flying in from a high course began to fall like a waterfall.

It was a perfectly vertical 12 to 6 curveball.

The bat and the ball met in an instant.

It was a point slightly ahead of Choi Su-won’s body. Since the course was a little high, the angle of the wrist was not the best angle to put power into. But that was enough.

The beautiful curveball, which would have been absolutely impossible to attack at the high school level, bounced out at more than twice the speed it had been flying in, with a sound of something breaking. Choi Su-won, who lightly put down the bat he had been holding tightly with both hands until the end, began to run towards first base.

It wasn’t a full sprint. But no one could call it arrogant. At the moment it was hit, everyone gathered in the stadium, not just Jo Gyu-chan, who threw the ball, or Jung Byeong-cheol, who was trying to catch the ball, could tell.

It went over.

The high fly ball lightly crossed the fence and slammed into the outfield net of Mokdong [a neighborhood in Seoul with a baseball stadium].

Top of the 1st inning.

Lead-off home run.

There was a reason why that guy Baek Ha-min was grinding his teeth.

If it had been a bad pitch, there would have been an excuse, but it was a ball that flew exactly as he had aimed for, with a satisfying feeling immediately after throwing it. But seeing such a ball drawing such a clean arc and going over the fence made him strangely angry.

Jo Gyu-chan, who had been staring at it with a dazed expression for a moment, shook his head.

No. I’m not a hot-blooded idiot like Baek Ha-min. Today’s game was the last step to challenge for the V30 they had been so eager for. He couldn’t keep gambling on personal pride.

I admit it. That guy Choi Su-won is on another level as a hitter.

If today’s game was a less important game like the second-half weekend league, he would have kept trying until the end, but not today at least. He’ll pass on all the remaining at-bats.

And the following 4th batter, Jo Gyu-hyeok, was out on a fly ball.

1:0

It was a disappointing run, but Jo Gyu-chan trusted his teammates. Of course, Choi Su-won as a hitter is on another level. But as a pitcher, he was a good pitcher, but still a very immature pitcher. Moreover, his teammates are the strongest in the country, Kyung-Ha High. They would quickly catch up with just one point.

The question he had to worry about now was how many points he should have in reserve before handing over the mound so that Kyung-Ha High could win without difficulty. He shouldn’t throw more than 60 pitches today if he wants to pitch in the finals the day after tomorrow.

Choi Su-won went to the mound.