Taunting the Mound, Defying the Manager
Focus, Hu-seong… Ugh, my body still feels heavy. I kept moving, shaking it out until it felt light.
Zing! Huh? What're you glaring at like that? I could feel the stare. Where'd that apologetic gesture from earlier go… I just don't get why he's glaring now.
I sensed it. Time to head back. The pitcher immediately threw to first. I'd already prepped to return, so I dashed back to the bag a step quicker.
Pop! The ball smacked into the first baseman's mitt.
- Ha Chang-hyuk picks off right away. There's a weird tension flowing between the runner and the pitcher.
What a pain. Back to checking my body…
I swayed side to side. My reactions were still sluggish.
- Kim Hu-seong taunting again.
A short, tense stance, ready to explode at any moment—that's ideal. Like a fully stretched rubber band, maintaining that tension. But today, it felt loose, my responses slow. My body swayed like reeds in the wind.
Sway, sway. At this rate, stealing probably wasn't smart.
- Ah~ Kim Hu-seong taunting once more. Ha Chang-hyuk's taking another look.
- This would rattle any pitcher. Veterans might ignore it and stick to their game, but Ha Chang-hyuk's young, so he could get shaken.
- Commentator, runners openly provoking pitchers like this are pretty rare, right?
- Well… yeah. Kim Hu-seong usually pressures hard with big leads, not this scratching, needling vibe… but today's different. Probably because of that hit-by-pitch. And the pitcher's apology earlier felt a bit half-hearted too.
- Makes sense. The Turkeys dugout seemed a little rattled, so it's plausible.
- Maybe the bench even instructed him to mess with the guy on purpose.
Hmm… one more test. I swayed again.
Tsk… still heavy. Whoosh!
As I kept balancing, the pitcher suddenly spun and fired to first. Damn… trouble! I dove back desperately.
Am I dead?
"Get up! Run!"
Huh? The first base coach's voice rang out. And I didn't hear the first baseman's mitt snap shut.
Thud! The ball dropped in foul territory down the line. Visible to my eyes.
Jackpot! Pitcher's mistake!
I sprang up, spun around, and sprinted full tilt to second.
- Safe! Oh… Incheon Cranes goofed. Brutal moment for the pitcher. Paying the price for minding the runner.
Nice. Was heaven on my side today? Reaching second, I felt great. I'd been worried sick about everything that happened, but at least this first inning wasn't bad.
No… it wasn't me playing well; the opponent screwed up. Would that even count as a win?
My quota was still short. Needed more highlights.
- That's why guys like Kim Hu-seong are so unnerving for pitchers. Tough to play your game when you're hyper-aware of them…
The commentary sounded sympathetic. Incheon Cranes starter Ha Chang-hyuk scowled and stomped the mound.
Screeech! Crunch!
"Arghhh!"
Huh?
- Wild pitch! Didn't go far, but that's enough…
I spotted the ball trickle away and bolted to third like a madman. Normally, you'd let the hitter decide. But needing more production, and it looking favorable, I just went for it. Shouldn't have, but… if you don't die, you win, right?
Swoooosh—
- Ah… catcher can't make the throw! Kim Hu-seong slides into third!
I brushed off lightly as I stood and eyed the opposing pitcher. Ha Chang-hyuk, who'd been grimacing, now had a stone-cold face.
So… what's your next move? No outs, runner on third. Batter at 3-0. You'd usually groove a strike here… In MLB, there's an unwritten rule for hitters to watch one, but we don't play that way. Might be looking?
Screeech! Pop!
- Ball! Walk issued.
- Eh… not bad, not great choice. Steadying up, facing the next hitter… but now the cleanup trio's coming.
Too bad. Pitcher bailed.
- Starters often wobble in the first, but this mental shake-up's rough. Ha Chang-hyuk's had solid results, but today's tough.
And then No. 3 hitter, right fielder Lee Sang-hyeon stepped in. I watched the pitcher and batter intently, tense.
Screeech! Thwack! Lee Sang-hyeon crushed the first pitch and froze, head up.
- Ball's screaming out… Huh? Over the wall? Hold at third for now…
- But… caught at the warning track.
Popopopopop! I raced home.
Nice. Scored today too.
- Sacrifice fly gives Gocheok Turkeys the early lead! Scoring in the first again.
- Turkeys are scary. Taking a run in the first so easily—think they've done it in all four recent games.
- But Turkeys are still 10th, Cranes 3rd. Real power gap, so we'll see how it plays out.
I prepped for my final at-bat in the on-deck circle. But…
- Hitter's ball goes to center. Center fielder catches it—game over. Incheon Cranes win a thriller, 8-6.
Hmm… close one. Needed one more hit… I trudged to the dugout, disappointed.
"Kim Hu-seong."
Manager Kim Young-ho called me the second I entered. Arms crossed, he stared.
"What do you think of today's performance? In your opinion, did you do enough to cover for your screw-up?"
Shit. No chance, huh… Cold sweat trickled down my back.
Today's line: 5-for-1, one walk, two groundouts, one K. On paper, underwhelming. Especially those last two at-bats—prime spots to build momentum, but I yanked one into an infield fly and whiffed on a check swing. Lingered in my mind.
Not terrible, but… yeah, there was that issue today…
Here, stammering "sorry" wouldn't cut it. Like being late to the clubhouse. What I needed was shamelessness.
"Manager, I think I was great today."
"…What?"
"As leadoff, I set up a first-inning run and rattled their starter. Their No. 4 guy, Ha Chang-hyuk, got yanked by the third—that's on me. I did well."
Manager Kim Young-ho looked dumbfounded. My boldness made his lip twitch.
"Hah, fine, say that's true."
He snorted.
"But that stunt today? Unacceptable. And we lost, so it stings more."
Ugh… So if we'd won, no scolding? That incident doomed me… Sure, lingering was my fault, but… this'd cement a bad image with him… Any other play?
Then I recalled a recent incident I'd seen. Yeah, this.
I dialed up the gall. Not for the team—just me. Or maybe the team too? Survive first.
Couldn't let him see me as just a selfish slacker.
"Manager, I'm happy with my stats today. But the result? Not so much."
He flinched again. What the hell's this kid on about?
"What?"
I pushed on.
"Honestly, dissatisfied with the game. Shouldn't say it, but other parts piss me off."
I looked emotional. But my rebellion had basis.
"From what I hear, Incheon Cranes have a team ERA of 3.81, second in the league. Our hitters put up 6 against that. Isn't that solid?"
Manager Kim Young-ho loved data. The whole first-team staff did. So… appealing with stats could work.
But data wasn't the point. What I meant was…
"Hitters scored plenty, but we lost. We could've won today too…"
Fielders unhappy with pitchers' runs allowed. He drew a sharp breath, ready to snap, then shut his mouth.
"Quiet. Get out."
I bowed and turned away.
Got him! This issue's perennial. Pro ball, high school, adult leagues… Familiar to him too. But he had to worry.
Sure, it might plant negativity. But better seen as "guy mad at pitchers" than "lazy latecomer." Latter's pure sloth; former could pass as win-hungry.
This negativity? Newbie pass! He'll forgive it!
Ah~ shouldn't stir pots like this. But gotta save my skin.