episode_0088

“Wow, is that Ju Seung-chul after all?”

“Go, Gisang-ju, fighting!”

As Ju Seung-chul stepped onto first base, the atmosphere in the dugout began to liven up. The coach was giving various signs for strategies.

“Let’s see, so that sign meant a steal, right?”

A steal sign for Ju Seung-chul… It seemed like I could understand what it meant.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“What does it mean?”

“Gisang-ju is a good hitter, but he’s a left-handed batter. Moreover, he tends to pull the ball, so he often faces defensive shifts. Last year, Gisang-ju failed in the majors because he couldn’t beat the left shift. So, isn’t the intention here to send Ju Seung-chul to second base to reduce the risk of a double play?”

“…What’s going on? You’re quite knowledgeable.”

“Oh! Don’t call me knowledgeable. I’ve been playing baseball for about 10 years now. Even knowing this much is beneficial. To catch a steal, you need to throw a fast ball, which alone benefits the batter. If it results in a pitch out, it also leads to a favorable ball count.”

Well, the pitcher could ignore the runner and throw an off-speed pitch, but that’s a psychological game, not something I needed to worry about.

“…Knowing this is boring.”

“It’s basic knowledge!”

Who do they think I am? I’ve been playing baseball since elementary school, starting from the fourth grade, for several years. Fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, middle school… Anyway, about 10 years of playing baseball.

Anyway, as the strategic battle between the two coaches of South Korea and Australia intensified, Gisang-ju’s turn at bat began.

With the first pitch, Ju Seung-chul made a motion to run, but being a major leaguer, Hendricks confidently threw a fastball around 150 mph to Gisang-ju, who received a strike call.

“It’s tough to hit a first-pitch strike.”

“Still, since Sang-ju is a lefty, it won’t come in easily.”

“Hey, hey! Aren’t you cheering? Raise your voices! Guys!”

“Gisang-ju, fighting!”

“Knock it out of the park, Gisang-ju!”

“What kind of pitch would you throw here?”

“I’d just trust my fastball and throw it. Honestly, what trickery does a pitcher need to strike out a batter? A dominant fastball is enough.”

“But he’s a starter, so he’ll probably adjust his speed.”

The footage showed Hendricks, an average 150-mph fireballer. His ability to throw 100 miles per hour was also casually noted. However, as Rossby mentioned, perhaps due to speed adjustments, the starter’s pitches ranged from the late 140s to early 150s.

“Gisang-ju won’t be easy to hit.”

Thud!

“Oh! Ah… That didn’t connect.”

But it was too hasty. Gisang-ju fiercely swung at Hendricks’ second pitch, only to hit a foul ball curving to the right. And when pushed to a two-strike count like this, any batter would tend to get anxious.

Whooosh!

Amidst the crowd’s cheers, the sound of Gisang-ju cleanly cutting through the air was heard.

“Hah, Senior Sang-ju got too greedy.”

“Still, thanks to that, Seung-chul made it to second base.”

Facing Hendricks’ final curveball, Gisang-ju struck out without a chance. Nevertheless, with two outs, he managed to advance the runner into scoring position.

“Nice swing there.”

“What nice swing…”

Seemingly displeased with his swing, Gisang-ju sat quietly on the bench. However, with a question in mind, I approached him without hesitation.

“Senior, how good is the curveball?”

“…Huh?”

“Wow, you’re bold. Asking right now.”

Despite someone muttering in the background, I ignored them.

“The curveball… it’s around 130 mph and has a big break. It breaks more than most curveball pitchers’ sliders in terms of speed. Since it’s a curveball, it has a large break angle.”

“Um… I see.”

“But why are you asking me this? You probably won’t even go out anyway.”

“That’s something I don’t know.”

“The people who should be asking aren’t asking…”

“Ha, ha. Senior, I was also going to ask. Is there anything unusual other than that?”

As I opened my mouth to speak, Park Cheol-yeong, who held a spot in the starting lineup, followed behind.

“It’s hard to distinguish his form. Usually, pitchers should have differences in their form when throwing fastballs or changeups, but Hendricks is different as expected.”

“It was indeed difficult to differentiate even when watching the video.”

“And the setup position is so fast that it’s hard to time.”

“I understand.”

Thunk! Just as we were engrossed in our conversation, a loud noise erupted from the stadium. Is that Kang Han-beom after all?

“Oh! Kang Han-beom.”

“Is it going over?”

“It’s huge! Huge!”

-Wow!!!

Although the Tokyo Dome is known for its spacious field, it creates an environment where many home runs are hit. With this kind of distance, could it go over?

The players in the dugout watched Kang Han-beom’s hit with one heart and one mind. However, unfortunately, Kang Han-beom’s hit was caught right in front of the warning track.

“Ah… If only Han-beom senior were 10 years younger…”

“What’s 10 years. Even if he were just an hour younger, it would have gone over.”

“What a waste. For a monkey. No, is that guy a pig?”

“Oh, saying it’s a waste for Ross B., are you possibly cheering for Korea?”

“Not cheering. It seems like you might not even get to play a single game at this rate.”

“So you’re worried about me? Either way, it’s a good feeling, right?”

“Shut up, you little monkey.”

Unable to be honest.

“Good job.”

“Hee, my energy is drained. Can’t even handle this.”

“Can’t handle it, can’t even come out to play.”

“Alright, alright. Although it was disappointing not to score in the first inning, it’s not like we can’t beat that guy. Right? Let’s focus on defense and prepare for the next attack. Okay?!”

“Got it!”

Perhaps because it was the first game, the atmosphere in the dugout was good.

‘Ah! Whatever happens, I hope we win by a big margin so I can get in the game… I also want to face off against Hendricks.’

Watching a game where I’m not playing is boring no matter if it’s a national team match. I’ve had my fill of such games since high school and didn’t want to experience them anymore.

‘Why? Should I break that guy’s leg then?’

“Who? Cheol-yeong hyung? Ah, then Kim Hwan-yeong will cover second base.”

Since Kim Hwan-yeong was an infielder and defense was crucial in short-term battles, it was only natural for him to cover second base. And breaking someone’s leg, how do you see people? I am a law-abiding citizen with a strong sense of democracy.

“Heh, is that guy threatening a woman in the video?”

“Oh, that’s because Hyun-ah provoked her. From Hyun-ah’s perspective, who do you think wanted to watch it? It worked out well for Hyun-ah. A handsome guy like me watched it.”

“Your rationalization is impressive. Good mindset. Heh.”

What rationalization, it’s a fact. Anyway, to finish this boring game and get a chance to bat as a pinch hitter, the score needed to widen, so I shouted loudly.

“Choi Jung-hoon, fighting! Block and go on the attack!”

“Good to see the youngest fighting. Hey! You guys should cheer too.”

*

“As expected, it’s a pitching befitting a major leaguer. Hendricks. It’s regrettable for our national team, but Hendricks’ pitching today was truly remarkable.”

“That’s right. However, among the WBC tournament regulations, there’s a player protection rule. In the main round, there’s a limit of 65 pitches, and now Hendricks has thrown 56, so this inning is likely his last.”

With two outs in the bottom of the 5th inning and no runners on base, South Korea’s 8th batter, Park Cheol-yeong, stepped up to the plate.

“The coach did say to see as many pitches as possible, right?”

The initial strategy of South Korea against Hendricks was to attack at the earliest opportunity, as engaging in a slugfest with a Major League pitcher would not be advantageous.

However, as Hendricks’ pitch count was being filled, there was no need to rush for quick hits. Starting from the bottom of the 5th inning, the batters’ strategy shifted to seeing more pitches. Consequently, the 6th batter, Kim Suho, and the 7th batter, Lee Yonggi, stepped back with bunt attempts. The strategy of overloading Hendricks’ pitch count was being well received.

[Park Cheolyoung previously recorded a hit and a steal against Hendricks.]

[In fact, Park Cheolyoung’s strength lies precisely there, right? His universally acknowledged speed. Once he reaches first base, it’s almost automatic to get to second, so Hendricks will likely face him cautiously.]

[Moreover, there are only 9 pitches left now, right? Park Cheolyoung should be able to bring Hendricks down.]

Following the commentator’s wishes, Park Cheolyoung persistently battled against Hendricks. After becoming a regular starter for Silla Triggers and achieving a .300 batting average for four consecutive years, he was a precise hitter who excelled in his strengths.

Thud!

“Oh… too late.”

It was a timing where he could have easily made a hit with a 140 mph pitch, but knowing this was Hendricks’ final inning, he was throwing with all his might.

“156? This is a pitch over 60 balls for a closer? If he comes to Korea, I’ll crush him.”

Naturally, imagining Park Cheolyoung facing the Major League top closer Hendricks sent shivers down one’s spine.

“Let’s stop these pointless thoughts now and focus again. It’s a full count.”

Park Cheolyoung’s mind started to get complicated. Until now, every time Hendricks struck out, it was always with a curveball. But would he throw a curveball here too? It could be his last pitch. As a pitcher, wouldn’t he go for a fastball? No, but he had a winning shot, so why a fastball? However, according to the pre-game data, he was a pitcher with a fastball usage rate of over 60%… If he throws a slider, that could be even riskier. No, no…

“Time!”

“What the heck!”

In response to the called timeout to clear his confused mind, Hendricks reacted intensely.

“The umpire granted it, why the fuss? That’s why pitchers…”

But this was a good sign for Park Cheolyoung. A pitcher showing intense emotions meant losing composure, and for sensitive pitchers, losing composure could only lead to a decrease in pitching accuracy.

“Alright, let’s wait.”

Deciding to wait, Park Cheolyoung awaited Hendricks’ pitch.

Normally, Park Cheolyoung’s thoughts were correct. In this situation, most KBA players would walk. However, Hendricks was a Major Leaguer, and among them, a top-class closer.

“Whoosh!”

When Hendricks’ determination resonated, Park Cheolyoung instinctively knew the ball was coming inside. And he had no choice but to swing the bat late.

“Darn it! Hit it-!”

Whether it was Park Cheolyoung’s fervent desire or not, the end of the bat managed to catch the ball just before entering the catcher’s mitt.

Thunk!

A resounding sound. But Park Cheolyoung didn’t give up. As the ball hit the bat, his foot was already heading towards first base. Australia’s third baseman and Hendricks also started running to catch the missed ball.

“First base!”

Touch it! With first base within reach, Park Cheolyoung stretched his leg out.

“Ugh!”

Feeling pain in his ankle.

“Cheolyoung!”

Trainers and coaches began rushing towards where Park Cheolyoung had fallen near first base.