Whispers of Trade and the First-Inning Demon
Maybe it would be okay. As I mulled over my senior's words, a possibility suddenly flashed in my mind. Treatment improving... roster changing frequently... trying to shake up the team's flow mid-season...? No, that was too far-fetched. But the pieces were starting to connect in one direction. After hesitating a bit, I opened my mouth.
"Don't tell me... you're thinking about something like a trade?"
Gu Min-seok didn't answer right away. But that brief silence felt like a signal that I was half right. In the end, he nodded slightly and said, "It's just a hunch. But... there's a possibility."
His words left me stunned. A trade. Not just changes to the starting rotation, but the entire team composition could shift.
Gu Min-seok continued explaining. "Look at the revised roster—it's guys who started as regulars early in the season. Even if they're being used like backups now, it's not easy to make it this far. They have the skills."
I nodded. There had definitely been players who shone in the early games.
Gu Min-seok went on. "Anyway, the current momentum... it feels intentional. A team desperate for wins wouldn't tinker like this."
Not just roster cleanup, but prepping to boost their value and ship them out? I asked again, "But isn't this too rushed?"
Gu Min-seok slowly shook his head. "No. It's already early July. Trades lock on the 31st. Less than a month left. If they want to reshape the team fast, they need to move now."
Right. By system rules, all trades freeze at the end of July. So yeah, time to start maneuvering if they're serious.
Gu Min-seok crossed his arms and glanced down slightly. "That's why I have my suspicions."
Hearing that, I inwardly marveled, Oh... I see. Flows invisible to a player on the field started coming into view with his explanation. Suddenly, my exclusion from the starting lineup felt less unfair and more understandable.
"I can kind of see it now. How the team operates."
"Truth is, rookies like you don't need to worry about this stuff. Leave the scheming to the vets with experience. You focus on sharpening your skills."
"Haha..."
Players from the Daegu Eagles trickled into the stadium one by one, the buzz growing louder. Amid them, a familiar face caught my eye—Lee Su-creang, the friend I'd played baseball with since high school.
We'd both made it pro, but we hadn't crossed paths properly until now. Today, though, we bumped into each other at the stadium. Overjoyed, I approached first.
"Hey, finally seeing you at a game. Took forever."
Lee Su-creang grinned brightly. "Yeah. We've been alternating 2군 stints, so even when we could've met, one of us was always down there. That sucked most. Finally getting to face off properly?"
I gave a wry smile. "Sadly... I'm out of the starting lineup today."
Lee Su-creang shrugged. "You? Really? Your rep's been solid lately."
"Well... rest days happen. Too bad. I'm on the losing side today anyway... Our ace is starting, so it'll be a grind. Don't think I'll get in."
I waved it off. "Nah, you never know. And 'losing side'? Come on, call it the 'comeback crew.' Sounds better."
Lee Su-creang chuckled. "Is it? I figure it's the same thing... Actually helps me focus more thinking of it as the losing side."
"Fair enough. So... how's the losing side treating you?"
"Honestly, I'm good with it. Being in the 1군 is something."
"True that."
"Feels like you gain more experience in the 1군, even on the bench."
Then, with a more serious look, Lee Su-creang said, "If you're feeling that way, you're golden. Let's do our best out there."
"Yeah."
Short exchange, but it captured our situations and mindsets perfectly. We parted with quick good-luck words and headed back to our teams.
Tsk... As expected... The game unfolded. But Gocheok Turkeys' situation was worse than I'd thought. We knew the pitching was shaky, but with three main lineup guys out, the offense was completely stalled. Normally, we'd hammer the opposing starter early, but today it felt clogged, frustratingly stagnant.
I watched quietly from the bench's edge. No real chances, giving up runs easily, bats not clicking. The gap widened until the opponents didn't even need their closers.
Hmm... 6-run lead? Sitting on the bench dragged on irritatingly. My body itched; if I'd played, maybe I could've done something. Those thoughts crept in.
But glancing around changed my perspective. Plenty of guys waiting like me, eyes burning with the urge to play. Seeing that sparked a realization.
I'm a rookie. Most rookies should be grateful just to make the 1군 roster—they spend seasons in 2군. Yet I'd started often, locked in the order, and fans were starting to know my name.
Reframed that way, it felt more positive. Maybe moments like this are necessary?
From the bench, the game looked totally different. Stepping back sharpened views of fielders' movements; in this spot, I could sense optimal pitcher changes, the manager's lineup intentions.
Things I'd missed fixating on pitches up close now popped into view from the bench.
- Daegu Eagles changing pitchers. Lee Su-creang coming in.
Hmm... Su-creang, you said I didn't know? But our team getting shelled and needing the comeback crew soured the mood a bit.
Heading home, my mind was a tangle. Helplessness from watching a loss, trying to learn but the blowout left little to glean.
Maybe rewatching would help? Back home, instead of resting, I flicked on the TV with that in mind. The sports channel was already recapping today's game. After other news, it shifted naturally to Daegu Eagles vs. Gocheok Turkeys.
The commentator stated flatly from the start, "Turkeys threw away their own strength today. That's why Daegu Eagles won comfortably."
The host looked puzzled. "Threw away their strength? What do you mean? Which part?"
The commentator pointed at the monitor and continued. "Turkeys' biggest asset is their lineup. Especially shaking the opposing starter early to seize momentum, powered by perfect lefty-righty balance. But today's lineup tweaks erased that."
As he spoke, the screen compared today's starting lineup to the recent fixed one.
"Comparing to the usual fixed lineup. Starting with leadoff hitter Kim Hu-seong—see anything stand out?"
"Whoa, it's alternating?"
"Exactly. Leadoff Kim Hu-seong, lefty. No. 2 Gu Min-seok, righty. No. 3 Kim Han-seong, lefty... That powerhouse top three lefties made it tough to attack."
Hmm... So that's why opponents struggled...
"But today, too many righties made pitching matchups easy for Daegu Eagles. No need for closers. And the biggest issue? This player's absence."
Then "Kim Hu-seong excluded" appeared.
Huh... Was I that impactful?
The commentator pressed on. "Kim Hu-seong's absence hit hard. Turkeys score in the first from the jump—didn't today."
The host naturally dropped my nickname. "That... Kim Hu-seong's the 'First-Inning Demon,' right? Always scoring in the first, hence the name?"
The commentator nodded. "Spot on. In baseball, scraping that first run is huge. It flips early momentum. Opposing pitchers get rattled."
"They feel it slipping from the start?"
"Yes. Vets might shrug it off, but shaky ones unravel right there."
"Gets them anxious?"
"Exactly! Without that shaker, Turkeys lost their early rhythm today. Bigger absence than it seems."
I stared blankly at the TV for a while after that.
Sigh. Feels damn good? Even if the team struggled... getting recognized like this? Not bad at all.