The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 97

97. Spring (2)

Jo Yoo-jin knew it the moment she saw the roster.

‘Ah, this is going to completely mess up the atmosphere, isn’t it?’

And, as always, her ominous premonitions never missed.

“Hey, Jjo Yoo, you must be happy?”

“Sir, honestly, this is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“Huh?”

A sudden outburst.

The guy who spoke to Jo Yoo-jin was taken aback.

“No, I get that there’s a tradition of taking first-round picks, but taking a guy who acts so independently to Arizona is a bit much. At least he should come to the first camp and learn some teamwork, and the coaches and manager should check out his skills, right?”

“Well… yeah, I guess?”

“He’s really… I mean, even in school, everyone lived in the dorms, but he commuted alone. Now he’s in the pros and still playing like a lone wolf… Ugh, it’s so frustrating. Sir, let’s go get some nice, hot pork and rice soup [a popular Korean comfort food]. I really can’t quit pork and rice soup because of this.”

“Should we?”

***

“So, you managed to defuse the situation by badmouthing me? Is that it?”

“Hey, the best way to handle someone who’s about to say something is to jump in first. Honestly, if I hadn’t gotten angry there? The atmosphere would’ve gotten even worse. Even though I took the initiative, the atmosphere is still crazy right now. That’s why I said he should at least come to the dorm for a bit and say hello.”

On the other end of the smartphone, Jjo Yoo was rattling on about the recent atmosphere in the minor league.

“Hey, it’s okay. It wouldn’t have made much difference even if I had gone. More importantly, are you okay?”

“Me? Why? Are you worried I’ll get flak for being from the same school as you?”

“No, just because you didn’t get to go to Arizona either. I thought they might take you since you’re the second overall pick and a catcher.”

“Nah, there are four catchers ahead of me. Honestly, it’d be too much to expect them to take me too.”

“I don’t know…”

True, there are four catchers older than Jjo Yoo. But…

“Ah, it’s time for training already. Okay, I’m hanging up now. Take care and good luck. I’ll call you later.”

Originally, Okinawa was the most popular location for spring camp. Even if the first camp was held in Kaohsiung, Australia, or the United States, the second camp was usually held in Okinawa. However, after the recent trade dispute between Korea and Japan, Okinawa started to be avoided, and the global pandemic that followed completely reset the process during the four years of domestic spring camps.

As a result, the Marines set up both their first and second camps in the United States, which I think is a very good thing.

One expert said that the gap between Japan and the United States wasn’t as big in the late 80s and early 90s as it is now. Back then, the total national product of the United States, with a population of 300 million, and Japan, with a population of just over 120 million, differed by less than a factor of two, and sports didn’t have the scientific approach they do now.

But things changed drastically after the 90s. Personally, I wonder if it’s really appropriate for the NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball] to be considered an AAAA-level league, surpassing AAA [Triple-A Minor League Baseball]. In my opinion, the NPB is now a bit too weak to even be called AAAA.

If MLB [Major League Baseball] is 10 and AAA is 1, it’s only about 2.5 to 3? Much closer to AAA than MLB. An AAA team could definitely win 30% of their games in the NPB. For reference, an AA-level team would have a hard time winning 30% of their games against an AAA team. It’s like the Marines or Phoenix playing in the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization]; they’d have a hard time winning 30% of their games. In that sense, the NPB and AAA are pretty much the same level of league.

Of course, even so, the NPB is still a league that’s hard for the KBO to catch up to, having adopted the advanced American system and experienced the velocity revolution first. But if you’re going to learn, it’s better to see it directly in the homeland than to learn it secondhand.

Checking in at Incheon Airport was quite difficult.

The crowds and reporters who greeted us were nothing like when I left for the national team. Front office staff were bustling around, and some players had to do interviews with the media. I was one of them.

And after finishing all the interviews and passing through the departure gate, I finally sat down near the gate. After spending some time taking pictures and signing autographs for those who recognized us, a huge player approached me first.

“Hello.”

“Oh, you’re that rumored rookie.”

Lee Gyu-man.

Born in 1986, he’s 42 this year. As the oldest player on the Marines, he’s one of Korea’s leading hitters, having signed a total of 8 billion won contract as a free agent for the third time in the winter of 2023, four years ago.

He’s been with the Marines for 22 years, the very history of the Marines itself.

“Wow, the front office is going to push you and Ha-min as the visual members. If you ever want to relieve some stress, call me. I’ll buy you a drink.”

And next to him was Lee Jung-hoon, a slightly frivolous-looking player.

Born in ’98, he’s 30 this year. He signed a 4-year, 4.2 billion won contract as a free agent two years ago and has been with the Marines for 10 years as an infielder.

“Hey, why are you trying to lead an innocent kid down a dark path? Just ignore him. More importantly, you look a bit skinny. I know all the best restaurants, so let’s go eat together. You need to eat some late-night snacks.”

And finally.

Seo Kyung-joon.

Born in ’94, he’s 34 years old. As a right fielder, he signed a 3-year, 2.7 billion won deal this winter for his second free agency. He’s also been with the Marines for 14 years.

“Kyung-joon hyung [older brother/male friend], you look great, what do you mean skinny? Times have changed, you can’t just gain weight like hyung just because you’re a baseball player, right? Isn’t this the era of self-management? A hitter with speed.”

“A hitter with speed is someone who hits .300 and steals 20 bases. You’re hitting .240, what kind of hitter are you?”

“Come on, that’s an old batting average. I’m an OPS hitter. An OPS hitter. On-base percentage.”

“OPS hitter, my foot. You had a .320 on-base percentage last year, how can you say that?”

“Well, that’s because I slumped a bit in the second half because of that Kang Ra-on. If I just do what I need to do, I can easily get a .370.”

“Yeah, you’re great. Anyway, Su-won, right? Let’s eat together when we get to America. Baseball is all about eating well. You have to eat heartily.”

“Yes, thank you.”

There were about ten players centered around those three. But they weren’t the biggest group among the players gathered.

From the group of about fifteen over there, a familiar face approached me. It was Ha-min hyung, who still looked like he came straight out of a romance comic, even after suffering quite a bit last year.

“Gyu-man sunbae-nim [senior/mentor], Kyung-joon sunbae-nim, Jung-hoon sunbae-nim, hello. Jae-young sunbae-nim is looking for Su-won, so would it be okay if I took him for a bit?”

“Oh, Jae-young hyung is?”

At Ha-min hyung’s words, Seo Kyung-joon tilted his head for a moment, then nodded as if he realized something.

“Ah, right. Come to think of it, he used to be a pitcher, didn’t he? Take him, take him. Pitchers need to get to know each other too.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The scale of this spring camp was not small.

There were a total of 47 people. Among them, 13 were coaching staff, 16 were pitchers, and 18 were hitters. Even this wasn’t the entire spring camp roster. There were still two players who hadn’t signed their free agent contracts, and three foreign players were scheduled to join us locally.

Kwak Jae-young.

At 35 years old this year, he was once expected to follow in the footsteps of the bespectacled ace. Of course, like many pitchers, he was overworked as a rookie and ruined both his elbow and shoulder, and his velocity, which once reached 150 km/h, has now dropped to a precarious 140 km/h. Like Seo Kyung-joon, he signed a 3+1 year (team option) deal for 800 million + 200 million won this winter for his second free agency, which was evaluated in the industry as the Marines giving Kwak Jae-young a generous contract above market value in consideration of his contributions.

“You must be Su-won. Nice to meet you.”

Slightly under 180 cm tall.

A solid build. A kind face. I heard he actually has a very gentle personality. In other words, he’s not a very suitable personality for a pitcher. Like Jin-woo sunbae.

“We’re finally seeing this precious body? I heard you trained at Dongho University?”

That pitcher with a grumpy face was Han Myung-hoon, a 23-year-old starter who recorded the best record among the Marines’ domestic starters last year with 6 wins, 11 losses, and a 4.11 ERA [Earned Run Average].

Actually, he wasn’t a very important person. After all, there are only five starting spots. Two spots are taken by foreigners, one spot is mine, one spot is Ha-min hyung’s, and the last spot will be taken by Choi Min-hyuk, the 1.05 billion won pitcher who’s returning this time.

“I’ve seen you on the news sometimes, so I feel some kind of inner familiarity. I’m Choi Min-hyuk. Personally, I’m grateful. The media was talking about 1.05 billion won every day, but thanks to you, it seems like that talk will disappear this year.”

197cm and 110kg.

Choi Min-hyuk was the tallest man I’d seen today, like an iron tower.

“Honestly, that’s an incredibly burdensome thing to say. Let me give you some advice in advance, on days when you’re struggling, it’s best to just disconnect from the internet.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Of course, I didn’t think there would be such days, but I nodded anyway.

“It’s almost time for the gate to open. Let’s talk more in America, and for now, let’s get ready to board the plane.”

“Yes.”

The destination was Tucson, Arizona.

Of course, there were no direct flights, and we had a layover in LA [Los Angeles]. The flight time alone was about 15 hours and 30 minutes. Considering the layover time in between, the travel time was over 18 hours. Just like when I went to New York two years ago, it was a very long flight.

“Oh? Choi Su-won. Where are you going?”

“Ah, I’m going to stand in line.”

“This guy is such a country bumpkin. Airplanes aren’t like buses or subways. You line up separately depending on your seat class. That’s the business class line, and our line is over here.”

“Yes. I’m in business class.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?? Business class?”

That’s when I realized.

Wow, it’s really impossible to go on a flight that’s over 14 hours in economy class. In the first place, economy class seats aren’t made for tall people over 190cm to sit in for long periods of time. After flying like that, my knees would ache. A player whose body is his asset can’t afford to waste that precious asset just to go train.

“Hey, did the team really give you a business class ticket?”

“No, I just asked and they said it was okay to use my own money or upgrade with my mileage.”

The players’ attention was focused on us. Of course, not in a good way. The expressions on their faces weren’t very pleasant.

Suddenly, Jjo Yoo’s advice came to mind. If the situation looks bad, take the initiative. I thought right now was the time.

“Ah, is there some kind of unspoken rule that rookies can’t drive cars over a certain cc [engine displacement] or fly business class?”

“Uh, uh? No, that’s… of course, there’s no such thing…”

The people gathered at this gate weren’t just our team.

The number of seats on the American-bound plane was over 300. The number of our team members was only about 50. That means there were 250 more pairs of eyes watching us.

An awkward atmosphere.

Lee Jung-hoon was the first to come up to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and raise his voice exaggeratedly.

“Wow, they said you’re a 2 billion won prospect. You definitely have to fly business class if you got that much signing bonus. Even if you divide that signing bonus over 5 years for expense processing, you’re going to get hit with a ton of income tax anyway. You have to expense things like this. Right?”

The plane departed from Incheon Airport.