Fastball Killer
"Baseball has no one true answer. The best way is whatever feels most comfortable and gets results. Hitting .300 as a lefty is just one valid method."
That was what Kim Ho-seong sunbae—former Gocheok Turkeys player, or rather, former Pittsburgh Pirates player—told me.
"But baseball is a game of probabilities, and the players who've mastered high-probability outcomes are the ones who've excelled. What we're learning now is how to replicate that high-probability swing. Alright, question: What's the best thing for a hitter?"
"A home run, obviously."
"Right. Home runs. And to hit home runs, you need two things: the right launch angle and solid exit velocity. Put them together, and you get a barreled ball."
With that, Kim Ho-seong picked up a bat and got into his stance.
"I can't say this is the absolute answer. It's just a stance that statistically produces high numbers. Master this first, then tweak the details based on your experience until it fits you perfectly."
Kim Ho-seong unleashed a powerful swing. Thwack! A sharp crack echoed.
"What I just did is straight out of the textbook. One: take-back. Load the power into your back leg. Two: stride. Step forward with your front foot before swinging. Like this. Three: coiling. Separate your upper and lower body, twisting your core. It should flow naturally during the stride. And four: swing. That's when you make contact."
Kim Ho-seong demonstrated slowly, and I watched intently.
"Adding a leg kick here... honestly, MLB guys don't do it much to prioritize contact. But it's not like no one does. Just go with what feels right for you. Alright, your turn?"
I mimicked his stance and started tee work.
"Take it slow. Stance... take-back. Good. Stride... yeah. Swing!" Thwack!
"Nice! Again! Stance. Take-back. Stride... swing!" Thwack!
"Whoa, you've got the feel already? Good. Now chain the movements together faster. Stance and go!" Crack!
"Huh... why'd it click so fast?"
"Whoa... their pitches are insanely fast."
"Yeah, what gives? Throwing nothing but 150km/h+."
Hwang Do-yoon and Gu Min-seok were stunned by the San Diego Padres pitchers' velocity.
"But this isn't even their real game tomorrow—they're just loosening up to check their arms."
"Makes it even more hopeless. No film to analyze either. Even if we sit fastball and swing hard, we can't touch 'em..."
It was only natural to struggle. MLB players weren't stars for nothing. These were the real deal from the 25-man active roster, not the 40-man taxi squad—their stuff was straight fire.
"Kim Hu-seong."
"Yes? Chief coach."
"Han-seong's pinch-hitting next. Min-seok's done—Hu-seong, you're up."
"Got it."
Huh... honey duty's over. I geared up: protective gear, gloves, helmet, bat. Good to go.
I headed to the on-deck circle and watched Kim Han-seong sunbae whiff helplessly ahead of me.
Fast... The scoreboard flashed 158km/h. Roughly 97-99 mph, give or take.
Velocity check: done.
Whiiip! Smack!
"Swinging strike three!"
Kim Han-seong struck out. My turn.
Stepping into the box as a right-handed batter at Gocheok Turkeys Stadium felt surreal. I eyed the pitcher: Yoenel de los Santos. Long name—Hispanic guy, probably.
I knew zilch about him. But that was fine. Until a few days ago, this was my bread and butter: bullying hitters with high-velocity fastballs. Perfect for showcasin' in exhibitions. He'd stick to it.
I decided to see one pitch first. Not hunting a plan—just feeling if it was familiar.
Whiiip! Smack! The ball zipped by.
Yeah. Manageable.
Normally, you'd battle counts here. He might mix a breaker or two—no sweat. But he wouldn't. Underestimating me.
Last at-bat: three straight fastballs crushed Han-seong sunbae. Same for me.
Thank you very much. This type was everywhere in the States—high school, college, minors. Most pitchers like this.
The pitcher nodded, set to throw.
I'm the guy who's faced this archetype the most. And sorry, buddy... now I'm...
Whiiip! Crack!
—Kim Hu-seong connects! The ball's screaming off the bat...
Kim Ho-seong sunbae, ex-MLBer, had dubbed me the Fastball Killer. I watched it soar.
—Over the left-field wall! Kim Hu-seong crushes one off Padres' Santos!
Only after it cleared did I toss the bat casually and trot the bases.
Haa... fuck yeah. This is the taste.
Back in the dugout, everyone stared, eyes wide.
"N-Nice!"
"Great hit!"
The guy furthest from power stroking a homer? Their shock was inevitable. I half-assed high-fives and slumped into my seat.
"Hey! What the hell happened to you?"
Chief coach burst over, face stunned.
"Me? What..." I grinned. "Guess I wasn't swinging for fun before."
"Kim Hu-seong, interview time."
Post-game, I got mic'd up. Turkeys lost big to the Padres, but my MLB homer made news.
Camera felt awkward after so long. Mic in, headset on. Then Lee Seo-jin's calm voice.
"Kim Hu-seong, you showed up completely switched today. What sparked the move to righty?"
Leadoff question. I breathed, nodded.
"Prepping for the new season, I realized righty felt better than lefty. So I switched."
"Impressive, even if it wasn't easy."
Lee Seo-jin couldn't hide his surprise before firing next.
"A homer off an MLB arm—walk us through it?"
Damn... wanna dodge this.
"Just got lucky. Super-fast pitch, but I didn't flinch and swung aggressive. That helped."
I kept it vague. But he pressed, like he'd heard something.
"I've got an MLB broadcaster and Padres analyst here swapping notes. The analyst called that homer technically perfect. Pure luck?"
Sharp... wait, why's an analyst booth-side?
"Even a broken clock's right twice a day. Pure luck."
I evaded again. But it dragged on.
"C'mon, the analyst's looping your tape endlessly. Says your swing matches elite guys like Tatis Jr. or Machado."
...Arghhh. Lee Seo-jin, mercy. Word'll spread!
I need this secret weapon to feast unnoticed. If they scout me early...
"MLB scouts might swarm you soon. If the chance comes, you heading over?"
This one hit deep. Sensitive topic.
I paused, then spoke deliberately.
"I love the Turkeys. They drafted a guy who wasn't even pro material."
Solid start.
"Fans joke some guys should 'GTFO to MLB ASAP.' Even if I reach that level, I'd stay. Dream's seeing Turkeys win at least once more."
Half-true, half-BS.
"Post after seven years? Not interested. Even if a fat offer comes, I'd do one more season, hit FA. Money's secondary—wanna stay long-term."
"Wow... real love for the Turkeys."
Damn right. My second-favorite team, after all.