Double Play Machine
It's not getting any better. Shit, I'm screwed. Looks like I'm really fucked.
Day two of the game against the Busan Siguls at Gocheok Turkeys Stadium. I'd finished my usual preparations and stepped up to the plate like always, but I was starting to sense something was seriously off.
Tak!
Batter hit!
I smacked the fastball coming in hot, but the ball hugged the dirt and rolled straight to the first baseman. I sprinted full tilt to first, but the guy leisurely tagged the bag.
The second at-bat was much the same. Tak! I thought I'd timed it perfectly and pushed it nicely, but the ball went right to the shortstop. He fielded it cleanly and fired to first for an easy out. I gave it everything, but came up a step short.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Not getting better at all? Still short…
I hung my head, my footsteps heavy as I trudged back to the dugout.
In the third at-bat, there was a runner on first. Desperate to do something, I put some extra oomph into it, but the result was a disaster. A solidly hit ball rolled right to the second baseman for a tailor-made double play. The inning ended in a flash, and the stadium fell silent.
I yanked off my helmet, caught my breath, and slumped onto the dugout bench.
"Kim Hu-seong."
It was Son Tae-ho sunbae.
"Yes, sunbae."
"Ease up. Stop trying so hard to do everything yourself. That's why you're playing worse."
"Ah… Got it."
But the fourth at-bat was no different. A slider came in, and I swore I'd crushed it. Nope—another grounder. The third baseman scooped it and tossed to first for the easy out.
Four at-bats, zero hits. One double play.
The worst day imaginable.
As I headed into the dugout after the game, the air felt unnaturally chilly. I pulled off my cap, head down, when Kim Young-ho manager's voice cut through.
"Hitting coach, he couldn't hit yesterday either, but this is even worse… You sure you taught him right?"
The hitting coach hesitated before replying.
"Yes, manager. Thing is… this player's launch angle has always been negative, so most of his contact goes for grounders. We were trying to fix that, but now the ball's rolling straight and true. Before, the irregular bounces gave him a chance now and then, but now it's just dying."
The manager crossed his arms and let out a dry chuckle.
"So that's why it's 0-for-8 over two days? And a double play today?"
"Yes. But… it's a process of improvement. Ball quality is getting better."
Kim Young-ho shook his head slowly.
"Improvement? If it's still 0-for, it doesn't matter. He's solid at second base on defense, so we'll give him fewer chances. But even as the nine-hole hitter, he can't keep hitting like this. Got it?"
The hitting coach nodded faintly.
"Yes, understood…"
I overheard the manager and coach. No words came to me. I just had to sit there and take it.
A few hours after the game ended, the internet exploded. Posts about the Turkeys losing again flooded in, with real-time threads popping up in the communities.
The vitriol poured in. The Turkeys didn't have a massive fanbase, so it wasn't a total onslaught, but even the diehards were sighing now.
The recent losing streak had dropped them near the bottom, turning the mood pitch-black. And the name mentioned most? Kim Hu-seong. 0-for-4 today, one double play. With a week's worth of stink piling up, fan frustration boiled over.
But amid the hate, a few fans offered a different take.
Gloomy.
My swing felt like absolute garbage for days now. Training every day, same shitty results.
I'd scoured videos of Jeong Ui-hoon sunbae and gotten help from the analytics team. Tweaked my stance bit by bit—higher swing path, weight back a touch. Nailed the higher launch angle artificially.
But the outcomes? Horrific. Not just no hits—I'd become the perfect double play machine.
Day by day, my average plummeted.
After practice, I sat on the bench in silence for a long stretch. That's when Son Tae-ho sunbae plopped down beside me with a water bottle.
"Hey, Hu-seong."
"Yeah, sunbae."
"Your swing's gone weird lately?"
I hesitated, then answered.
"Uh… yeah. Trying to hit better. Working on a higher launch angle."
"Launch angle?"
Son Tae-ho sunbae furrowed his brow.
"Changing your mechanics? Mid-season?"
"Yeah. My swing's all wrong anyway. Figured it'd keep tanking like this, so might as well fix it now…"
He let out a deep sigh.
"Hu-seong, changing form in-season is risky. Look at Jeong Ui-hoon. Bulking up for MLB next year, revamped his swing. Now he can't handle his own body—injured, and his timing's off in scrimmages. Guy who hit .350 easy was scraping .200 all spring."
Gasp… So the hitting coach is actually trying to kill me?
Son Tae-ho continued.
"Form's your rhythm. Mess with it mid-game, and your feel gets all jumbled. Even good theory—body might not keep up. I think leaning into your strengths would suit you better."
Maybe…
"Probably why the 2군 manager left your hitting alone. If tweaks were needed, they'd have done it in 2군 camp."
"But… current state's no answer either. All grounders… Feels like I'll pack for 2군 eventually…"
"Still, don't rush changes. Tons of pitchers wrecked themselves tweaking mid-season. Manager sees you producing a bit and gets greedy, but sudden shifts could backfire."
Son Tae-ho tossed me the bottle.
"Find your old swing. It's not bad. Plenty of guys thrived that way back in the day."
That hit harder. Find my old swing? How the hell did I even hit before?
I racked my brain—no memory. Wasn't trying to hit a certain way. Just swung at balls I could square up…
"Lots of guys hit like that?"
"Yeah. Lee Seo-jin sunbae, now commentator. And Lee Gyu-yong sunbae from our team, retired. Your infield grounders remind me of Lee Seo-jin. Fouling off good pitches to grind? That's Lee Gyu-yong. Might not hurt to study them."
Lee Seo-jin… Lee Gyu-yong…?
"Got it. I'll check their videos."
I headed straight to the analytics team, requesting data on those two's hitting.
They delivered fast.
"Oh! Like this? Lee Seo-jin sunbae manufactured a ton of infield grounders with his speed. Lee Gyu-yong had elite contact, fouling off heat to wear 'em down? Not bad at all."
Felt like I'd found a path.
But the manager and hitting coach might hate this direction… What now?