episode_0087

[Hello, viewers. South Korea and Australia, Australia and South Korea. Opening match of Group B in the WBC. Live from the Tokyo Dome. I’m caster Lee Cheol-woo, with analysts Lee Sang-hyun and Kim Jong-geon.]

[Hello, this is Lee Sang-hyun.]

[Hello, this is Kim Jong-geon.]

[The tournament many baseball fans have been eagerly anticipating, the World Baseball Classic. Many citizens are looking forward to it, aren’t they?]

[That’s right. The national football team advancing to the Round of 16 in the Qatar World Cup brought great joy to the people. It would be wonderful if the baseball national team could show a similar impressive performance.]

[The Qatar World Cup was truly moving, wasn’t it?]

[Yes. This South Korean national team is being hailed as one of the best ever, so we hope they can achieve great results and bring home the gold, just like the football national team players did.]

[You mentioned that they are considered one of the best ever. How does the current national team compare to the one that claimed glory in Beijing in 2008? Mr. Kim Jong-geon.]

[Indeed, the Olympic team in 2008 was also formidable. Players like Ju Hyeong-jin, who was active in the Major Leagues, and Seong Hyeon, who won MVP two years in a row after debuting in 2006 and clinching consecutive Triple Crowns. There was the exceptional catcher Lee Gi-cheol, and Woo Gwan-hyeong, who set a record of four consecutive years with 150 hits and 20 home runs. Additionally, rising stars like Kang Han-beom and Lee Jin-hong showcased strong talent. However, this year’s team can be considered slightly stronger than the team back then.]

[Why do you think that is the case? Mr. Lee Sang-hyun.]

[There are significantly more players who have experienced the Major Leagues now. Besides active Major Leaguers like Seong Hyeon, Jung Woo-sung, and Choi Ju-tae, there are players like Ki Sang-joo and Kang Han-beom who were active in the Major Leagues until last year, and Lee Jin-hong, who is considered capable of entering the Majors anytime if he avoids injuries, emerged from the injury setbacks of the past two years to win consecutive Golden Gloves. There are also many talented pitchers.]

[But isn’t it true that the U.S. and Japan national teams also have many outstanding players?]

[That’s why this World Baseball Classic promises to be full of excitement. The power struggle between nations, and the powerhouse South Korean national team. As a baseball fan, I am very excited to see how this spectacle of competition will unfold.]

[Indeed. And for our South Korean national team to shine, they must win this game against Australia, right?]

[Correct. Australia. They may not be an easy opponent, but objectively speaking, their strength is inferior to that of the South Korean national team, wouldn’t you say? This game is a must-win. Just as there is a saying about fastening the first button properly, we hope to see a good performance in this first game.]

[So, the first button for the South Korean national team. Let’s begin the game against the Australian national team now. In the top of the 1st inning for Australia, on the attack. South Korea’s starting pitcher is the left-handed ace of the Hyundai Madcats, Choi Joong-hoon. He recorded 14 wins and a 3.15 ERA last season.]

*

“Play ball!”

The umpire’s call rang out, and Australia’s ace pitcher, Laim Hendrix, focused on the catcher’s signals. In the top of the 1st inning, Australia’s attack ended in three strikeouts, so Hendrix also aimed to assert dominance.

“Laim, let’s start with a light fastball.”

“Okay.”

Laim Hendrix, formerly a closer for the Chicago White Sox, transitioned to a middle reliever role and flourished. He was a player with a solid backbone, having won the Rivera Award twice, an honor reserved for the best closers, during his time in the Major Leagues.

“Let’s throw a light fastball inside, Laim.”

“Okay.”

The main weapon was a hefty fastball clocking in at 98 miles per hour (157 km/h) and a curveball with about a 20 km/h difference. An 89-mile-per-hour slider. While he used to mostly throw fastballs when going out to pitch in games, now things were different. He had to go out as a starter and take responsibility for long innings.

Pang!

The white baseball flew from Hendricks’ hand, passing through home plate in the blink of an eye, making a cheerful sound as it hit the catcher’s mitt. The speed displayed on the scoreboard didn’t reach the average speed of 149.6 km/h seen during closing moments.

“Ball.”

“Darn, a ball, huh? As expected from Choi. Can’t get a grip on these kinds of pitches, huh?”

Choi Joo-tae, the South Korean shortstop playing for the Angels. Debuting in 2019, he maintained a precise hitting average of .300 for four consecutive seasons. Even for Hendricks, who could easily be called the best closer in the American League, Choi Joo-tae proved to be a challenging opponent.

“But I was expecting this.”

Having faced Choi Joo-tae a lot during his prime overlapping with Choi’s debut in the Major Leagues, Hendricks knew that Choi wouldn’t handle such a pitch well. If Choi had managed a pitch like this, Hendricks would have been disappointed instead.

“The only batter to be wary of from South Korea. Once past Choi, it should be smooth sailing. Let’s go with a slider for the second pitch.”

Hendricks chose a slider as the second pitch to face Choi Joo-tae. An amateurish pitch wouldn’t fool Choi Joo-tae, who possessed refined hitting skills and foresight. To deceive Choi Joo-tae, a pitch like a slider that brushes the zone delicately was necessary.

“Okay. Throw with all your might.”

After taking a deep breath, Hendricks began his windup. Whoosh! Hendricks’ determined grunt echoed through the stadium as the 89-mile-per-hour slider passed through the strike zone.

“Strike!”

“Geez. That pitch is too good, isn’t it? Just as expected from Hendricks?”

Choi Joo-tae could only sigh in admiration at Hendricks’ pitch. The dropping angle of the ball was quite impressive.

“Other batters will struggle with this, won’t they?”

The leadoff hitter’s duty: see as many pitches as possible. Despite advancements in video analysis, there was a difference between watching pitches in videos and facing them in reality. The leadoff hitter needed to see as many pitches as possible for the sake of the following batters.

“But it’s tough to do it that way.”

However, intending to see many pitches and stepping into the batter’s box naturally led to a delayed swing. While the fastball’s speed wasn’t much of an issue coming out as a starter, that changeup was quite tricky. Setting aside the leadoff hitter’s duty, Choi Joo-tae resolved to focus on his own hitting.

“I’ve seen the fastball and slider. He hasn’t thrown the breaking ball yet. It’ll be risky if the count piles up. I’ll swing now.”

– Swing away, swing it out! Choi! Joo! Tae! Swing away, swing it out! Choi! Joo! Tae!

And just then, the familiar cheer heard in Korea reached his ears.

“For the fans who’ve come all the way here to cheer, I need to show something in this at-bat.”

Returning his focus to the pitcher, the diminishing cheers in his ears made it seem like it was just the pitcher and the batter. Maintaining that crucial state of concentration, Choi Joo-tae timed Hendricks’ quick pitch and locked eyes with him. As their gazes met, Hendricks threw the third pitch.

“Whoosh!”

“Here it comes!”

The batter’s attempt to time the pitcher’s pitch and the pitcher’s intention to disrupt that timing converged as the bat’s trajectory met the ball flying towards home plate.

Thunk!

“Damn!”

“Freaking yes–!!”

And the cheers erupted from Hendricks. In his typical fashion known for intense emotional displays even in the Major Leagues, Hendricks faced the first batter, Choi Jutae, and handled him with a pop fly, followed by a spontaneous ceremony. Although it was just the first batter and a crucial moment, the weight of the title “national representative” justified that ceremony.

“Senior, how’s the ball?”

“It’s similar to the video, but the fastball is slow. Seems like he’s adjusting well as a starter. But the changeup seems similar too.”

“Confirmed.”

After conveying his observations to the next batter, Ju Seungcheol, Choi Jutae headed towards the dugout.

“If it’s Seungcheol, he can handle it, right?”

While uncertain about other batters, there was trust in Ju Seungcheol. That thought strongly resonated in Choi Jutae’s mind. Even though there were other players who had been to the Major Leagues besides Ju Seungcheol, frankly speaking, Gisangju had failed in the Major Leagues, and Kang Hanbeom had shown good performance, but considering his recent season, he was a has-been.

No matter if they were former Major Leaguers, hitting Hendricks’ pitches, which were considered among the top in the Major Leagues, was no easy task.

However, Ju Seungcheol was different. A figure whose decision not to go to the Major Leagues was questionable from the start. The son of Korea’s baseball hero, Ju Hyeongjin, he had joined the 30-30 Club at Jamsil from his debut and secured the Golden Glove for two consecutive years, a monster.

“Someday, we’ll see him in the Major Leagues.”

Choi Jutae entrusted an unfinished mission to Ju Seungcheol and entered the dugout. Inside, there was fervent support for Ju Seungcheol.

“Cheol-a! Hit a home run!”

“Seungcheol! If you don’t hit, you’re dead!”

“Seungcheol hyung! Knock one out!”

And then there was Ji Maengho, a guy with an inexplicable confidence.

“Hmm… Doesn’t seem like much in the Major Leagues? If it’s 150, well, manageable.”

Having an inexplicable confidence, Ji Maengho seemed to possess a physicality comparable to Trout or Ohtani, not falling behind most soccer players. Yet, despite such physical attributes, never had Choi Jutae encountered a player so self-assured.

Moreover, more mysterious than his confidence was his mental state. He didn’t seem respectful towards seniors like a Korean would typically be. Especially when he heard Jinmo hyung’s story, he was shocked for a minute. And after watching the interview revealed by Cheolyoung, he was almost dumbfounded.

Yes, he could lack manners. There could be people without manners. However, what puzzled Choi Jutae the most were the questions he threw at himself; he couldn’t understand their meaning at all.

-“Senior, you said you were close to Ohtani, right?”

-“But why?”

-“Have you ever seen him suddenly spacing out or claiming to see ghosts?”

-“What nonsense are you talking about?”

-“Just curious. Anyway, it’s nothing, right? Understood. He’s certainly impressive.”

Ghosts? What a random topic. When a baseball player asks about Ohtani, it’s usually about routines, approaches to batting, or Ohtani’s own batting style. These are the usual questions. Or maybe about the women Ohtani meets. Those human questions.

But Ji Maengho’s question was entirely incomprehensible. A question completely unheard of in his life.

“He’s quite a peculiar guy.”

Nevertheless, despite his peculiarity, he was diligent in training. Perhaps because Gasangju supported him from the side, he worked hard in training. Moreover, his performance in practice games was quite decent. Particularly due to his superior physicality, his bat speed was faster than anyone else on the national team. Utilizing that bat speed, he hit fastballs or changeups indiscriminately.

“Hmm… That’s quite intriguing. It almost seems like he’s swinging without a care, but he’s knocking it out like a ghost.”

In general, batters are divided into two types: those who rely on psychological warfare for guessing pitches and those who rely on superior physical abilities for seeing and hitting. However, to Choi Jutae, Jimaengho didn’t seem to fit into either type.

“He definitely doesn’t fall into either of those batter types.”

Having conversed with top-tier batters in the Major Leagues, Choi Jutae was certain.

The timing was too perfect for guessing pitches with the fastballs and too precise for seeing and hitting off-speed pitches.

“What is this guy really?”

It was the cheers from the stands that shattered Choi Jutae’s contemplation.

“Wow! Ju Seungcheol! Ju Seungcheol! Ah~ Ah~ Ah~ Ju Seungcheol! The one and only Ju Seungcheol! (Home run~! Ju Seungcheol!) Ah~ Ah~ Ah~ Ju Seungcheol! The one and only Ju Seungcheol! (Home run~! Ju Seungcheol!)”

And the chants for Ju Seungcheol could be heard.

“As expected of Ju Seungcheol.”

“Great job, Cheola!”

In the bottom of the first inning, with one out, Ju Seungcheol reached base to assert dominance.