Chapter 100

Hello, it's me -7-

#

California is a land that holds meaning for me.

Whether it's for good or bad, I'll set that aside... No.

It's a mix of good and bad when it comes to baseball.

The same goes for my relationship with Yurie.

Just as I started my major league career here, Yurie began her career as a sports scientist and instructor in this area.

The difference between Yurie and me is that I moved to New York on the opposite side of the country, while Yurie stayed in San Jose, California.

...I shouldn't have done that.

I think that was the problem. Of course, it wasn't the only issue.

Yurie wanted a child, and I thought it would be difficult to raise a child while we were 2,579 miles (4,152 km) apart.

I was just a dumb guy who could throw and hit a ball. I didn't understand why Yurie thought that way.

Despite that, I felt proud of myself for thinking I was supporting Yurie.

I opposed Yurie moving to New York, knowing how hard it is for a baseball player to change teams, and thinking that Yurie, who had just started to settle in, shouldn't have to start over.

Looking back, I wonder why I acted like I knew everything when I was also new to changing teams.

Damn. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Anyway, after what I consider one of the biggest home runs I've ever hit, the pitcher was shaken.

I heard that it was the first time in 2 years and 2 months that he had given up a home run on a forkball.

Pitchers are like that.

They get trapped in their own world, think only of themselves, and believe they are the only ones who can carry the game and solve all the problems.

And I was exactly the same back then.

Seo Woo-ju and Yang Daegun, the 4th and 5th batters, walked without swinging a bat.

However, Park Jeongshin's hit was brilliantly fielded by the Japanese shortstop, ending the inning without additional runs and leaving runners on base.

Good defense.

"Hey, after watching our rookie play defense, that doesn't seem like a big deal anymore."

"It was frustrating when we faced him, but now that he's on our team..."

"Hey, the rookie is looking this way. Be quiet."

"Damn. I can't stand being so obvious. Why is Geonwoo looking at us like that today?"

Regardless of the conversation, everyone was chuckling and joking with me. Daegun was the culprit.

Well, to be precise, it wasn't that he was the culprit, but rather that he had asked everyone to be considerate of me because I had been crying while talking to my girlfriend.

As the team captain of the same club, he probably wanted to take care of me, but the others thought I was fine and, after seeing me hit a home run, step on home plate, and make a heart with my hands to the crowd, they thought it wasn't a big deal and acted this way.

Originally, players who can't play baseball well are enthusiastic about teasing new players.

Hmm.

Next time, I should bring No Gyeongwoo to the national team and use him as a shield.

I'll keep rolling until he asks to be killed.

#

Kang Geonwoo is a player who can shake off distractions when he steps into the batter's box.

After a verbal battle with a racist fan in the stands, he hit a home run and enjoyed a celebration in front of that fan.

If only I had honestly thanked Yurie when she said she would follow me, and if only I had handled the situation well and avoided strange misunderstandings by having a child as Yurie wished.

Bottom of the 3rd inning.

The score is still 1-0.

Kim Kwonjong allowed 2 hits and 1 walk over 3 innings but didn't give up any runs.

Nakajima Masato was nearly perfect except for the 1st inning.

With two outs and no runners on base.

Kang Geonwoo swung with all his might at Nakajima Masato's first pitch, a 154 km/h inside fastball.

There was no need to push or pull; he was determined to swing with his life on the line.

Thwack!

[-Live- Japan 0 : 1 South Korea.]

-2 outs, no runners on base.

-3rd batter, Kang Geonwoo.

-First pitch swing (154 km/h)

-Home run over the left field fence (distance 123m)

-Second home run of the game, third of the tournament (1 run)

└Haha, that's hilarious.

└Kang Geonwoo got another one from Masato! Haha.

└All 2 hits allowed by Nakajima were home runs by Kang Geonwoo. Haha.

└Lol.

└What the heck, how does he keep doing this??

└Now that it's the Olympics, he's experiencing a power surge.

└Info: This season, Nakajima has started 15 games in the NPB, averaging nearly 7 innings per start, but only gave up 2 home runs all season.

└It's hard to say the pitcher is having a bad day when other batters can't hit him at all.

└This is King Geonwoo. Get it??

└What's so special about him that he can just hit it and it goes over??

└Does it look like he just hit it? Watch the replay. His swing mechanics are specialized for hitting it over. His upper and lower body balance is excellent, and his hitting point is firmly established compared to other batters. Plus, his swing is clearly an uppercut, and you can see the bat tip slightly rise at impact.

└I was just impressed, why are you explaining it so seriously?;;

#

From behind, the trajectory of the pitcher's ball looks different from what you see from the batter's box.

Kim Kwonjong's pitches are definitely good. His slider can sharply break horizontally or drop vertically, and it's not easy to distinguish between the two because the pitching form is the same.

"Strike! Out!"

Both types of sliders have excellent movement. His fastball tops out at around 151 km/h, but his control is excellent, and his changeup is top-notch, making him a pitcher who could perform well in the major leagues. On the 7th pitch, a changeup perfectly hit the edge of the strike zone, resulting in a called strikeout.

Hmm.

Ideally, I'd like both Kim Kwonjong and Park Yongjae to come to the Oceans, but they are players who are supposed to go to the major leagues.

Anyway, after striking out, Japanese third baseman Jun Abe expressed his dissatisfaction to the umpire. It's a course that would make me feel wronged if I faced it, but it's a fair course when the other team faces it.

The Japanese cheering squad jeers, and the Korean cheering squad beats their drums.

The top of the 5th inning ended like this. Kim Kwonjong's performance today was 5 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, and no runs allowed.

But given the opponent, it wasn't an easy game for Kim Kwonjong. In KBO League games, he might easily pitch 7-8 innings, but by the end of the 5th inning, he had thrown 99 pitches.

Since only two pitchers, including the starter, were used in the first game against the Netherlands, the pitching staff is relatively relaxed.

Moreover, the next game is against Australia, which is considered the easiest opponent in the group.

The bullpen can be activated early.

"Wow, he's not kidding. I almost walked him. Good job, big brother. Don't you think so?"

There are many unique pitchers. Before I excelled in the national team, Kim Kwonjong was almost a dedicated pitcher against Japan, and I remember his career ERA against Japan was in the 2s.

He seems to know his limits.

Kang Geonwoo, Park Yongjae, Kim Kwonjong, and Min Seunggi.

Among the original big 4 of the national team, this lineup has the weakest ability to pitch innings, but he is a pitcher who clearly knows his limits.

"Oh, Daehoon is already warming up in the bullpen. I can trust him."

The manager seems to be all in for the game against Japan.

If the situation is right today, I might pitch, so I was told to be prepared.

If Lee Daehoon, who would normally be the closer for the national team, pitches in the 6th inning, there's a possibility I could pitch in the 9th inning as the closer.

Well, it's best to pitch in the 9th inning due to the designated hitter rule.

An inning was instantly deleted. Nakajima's continued excellent pitching and Lee Daehoon's three-up, three-down inning.

When I stepped up to bat as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 6th inning, Nakajima Masato, still on the mound, walked me on four straight balls.

He's scared.

#

"He's scared."

Jeong Yurie said proudly, crossing her arms. It's understandable since both runs were solo home runs.

There were no other runs besides those two home runs.

"Yurie, our Geonwoo is really good, right?"

"Of course. That pitcher, even if he matched up well against Geonwoo, is a likely candidate for the major leagues and can be considered the ace of the Japanese national team."

"Is Japan good at baseball?"

"They're good, but not as good as Geonwoo."

Yurie laughed strangely. But what can you do if it's the truth?

The next Korean batter was Seo Woo-ju.

And during Seo Woo-ju's at-bat, Kang Geonwoo attempted a steal of second base.

"Wowwwww!"

"Kang Geonwoo! Kang Geonwoo! Kang Geonwoo!"

Japanese catcher Junpei Aoki is known for his strong arm.

But Kang Geonwoo, regardless of his strong arm, read Nakajima's timing accurately and easily reached second base.

"Did you see that? Did you see that! Our Geonwoo is fast too..."

Jeong Yurie showered Kang Geonwoo with praise. No matter how exaggerated, it's a son's praise, so it's hard not to listen.

Moreover, with Kang Geonwoo's performance, any Korean would pour out praise.

Nakajima bit his lip.

'What the hell...'

After hitting an unbelievable ball, now he's stealing.

Even with Junpei Aoki's accurate throw, he was safe.

The problem was that he even successfully stole third base, which no one expected.

"Safe!"

As the umpire declared safe, spreading his arms wide, the Korean cheering squad went wild, nearly deafening the ears.

Instantly, runners on first and third with no outs. The catcher threw his mask to the ground in frustration, and Kang Geonwoo, with a smug smile, dusted off his uniform.

In this situation, it's right to give up a run.

But pride. I couldn't just give it up.

The opponent is Korea's 4th batter. Not a type who hits 30-40 home runs a year, but a quality hitter and a clutch hitter.

The Japanese bench moved the infield back slightly. If they hit, they want to keep the ball in the infield and consider a play at home depending on the situation.

However, Seo Woo-ju, contrary to the Japanese bench's expectations, held his bat low and leaned forward, attempting a squeeze bunt.

It wasn't easy. It's a burden for a manager to instruct a 4th batter to bunt, and for Seo Woo-ju, who doesn't usually bunt well.

Click!

An unexpected bunt.

The bunt wasn't that good.

The ball rolled near the pitcher, and Nakajima, after his pitch, tried to throw home greedily while off-balance but lost his footing and fell.

"Safe!"

Kang Geonwoo's run.

And Seo Woo-ju, running his hardest with his slow legs, was also safe.

Amid the cheers of Korean fans and the sighs of Japanese fans, Manager Choo Sung-tae smiled and sent in a pinch runner.

#

In short series, this kind of baseball is quite good. Leadoff hitter Yeo Jiho came in as a pinch runner with a runner on first and no outs. And Daegun's successful bunt completely shook up Japan.

A 3-0 score can be overturned at any time. There are still 3 innings of offensive opportunities left, and the Japanese players are no pushovers.

Nakajima Masato was pulled from the game. Nakajima, walking off the mound, threw his glove in the dugout in anger.

Japanese fans are probably cursing Nakajima. They're quite sensitive about this kind of thing. They probably think he gave up runs and ruined the team's momentum.

Anyway, Park Jeongshin was hit by a pitch from the new pitcher. Baseball may seem to rely heavily on individual skill, but it's called a team sport because when one part wavers, the whole team wavers.

Manager Choo Sung-tae didn't stop. Determined to mix up the Japanese national team, known for their small ball, he attempted a double steal and even succeeded!

"Damn Japanese!"

"Go back to your island!"

"Kill them!"

The bench was quite hyped up. Veteran players were banging on the metal railing, and Jo Yong hit a sacrifice fly to add another run.

Although Lee Hyundong's hit went straight to the third baseman, ending the inning, the score became 4-0.

When a right-handed batter came up as the leadoff hitter in the next inning, Manager Choo Sung-tae brought in underhand setup man Yong Jonghyeok and, after getting one out, replaced the pitcher with Chae Jiseong. Chae Jiseong got an out on a fly ball to the outfield from the first batter but walked the next batter and was replaced.

Three pitcher changes in one inning?

When a team is losing, their rhythm is messed up, and they get angry.

Well, if you're upset, win.

Even Bong Jaesuk, who came in to pitch, didn't face a batter but caught a runner trying to steal.

The dugout was in chaos. In fact, some of the worst curses imaginable were heard. But that's how baseball is. Fans don't know, but there are designated curse specialists in the dugout.

In the top of the 8th inning, Bong Jaesuk, who remained on the mound from the previous inning, got one out but then gave up a solo home run.

The manager brought in Jung Suho, who finished the inning without further damage.

The Japanese bench was very quiet. They must be boiling with anger.

After the defense, I headed to the bullpen instead of the bench.

"Ah, Geonwoo. You came on your own?"

"It's my turn to pitch, isn't it?"

"Can you pitch?"

"Yurie said to strike out three batters in a row against the Japanese."

#

When Kang Geonwoo stepped onto the mound.

Korean fans cheered, and while the Japanese batters didn't understand what it meant, they were preparing for revenge.

Kang Geonwoo's scouting report had been studied to the point of wear.

His main weapon is a four-seam fastball that ranges from the low 150s to 166 km/h.

He also has a two-seam fastball that reaches the mid-150s, two types of changeups, and a curveball with a large drop.

He's not an easy opponent to exploit, but they decided to focus on the fastballs.

Toshino Watanabe stood at the plate with a short grip on his bat. He had to get on base somehow.

4-1.

There was no intention to give up the game. They were determined to turn it around.

With that mindset, Watanabe watched the first pitch.

"Strike!"

The ball wasn't as fast as expected. But it was a sharp pitch that precisely hit the low outside corner, a tricky spot to hit.

The scoreboard showed 148 km/h.

'Slow.'

He gripped the bat tightly and swung at the