Hustle Pays Off: Sweeping the Series
"Expect great things! My whole body was filled with euphoria. The play driven by my burning desire to win had succeeded.
"Well done. I didn't expect you to steal third."
"Thank you, sir."
The third-base coach said in astonishment, and I lightly expressed my gratitude before refocusing on the game. No matter what situation arose... I would score for sure.
Thwack!
- The batter made contact.
No. 2 hitter Gu Min-seok hit the ball, which grazed the pitcher and rolled toward second base. Was this a hit? Run first, think later!
But the second baseman, Moon Tae-kyung, charged forward, fielded the ball, and fired a running throw to first.
Pop!
"Out!"
- A near-hit is snagged by the second baseman's stellar defense!
But the Gocheok Turkeys took the early lead. The demon of the first inning had completed its mission!
I crossed home plate and returned to the dugout.
"Hey, Kim Hu-seong."
I was casually entering the dugout, exchanging high-fives, when a voice called from behind. It wasn't a cheerful tone, so I had no choice but to whip around quickly.
"Yes, sunbae?"
It was Gu Min-seok sunbae who had called me.
"Kim Hu-seong, are you insane? We talked about this yesterday. Their catcher is defense-oriented and syncs well with the second baseman, so stealing is risky. And you go and steal anyway?"
"... But it worked out, didn't it? I avoided it by reading their catcher and second baseman's movements."
It was a risky play, no doubt. But there was one key factor. The Phoenix second baseman Moon Tae-kyung was short. The Phoenix catcher Choi Woo-sung was a solid receiver. Those elements played into it.
Sure enough, the catcher threw accurately low to the second baseman's knee for an easy tag, and Moon Tae-kyung crouched to glove it. But I'd remembered the short second baseman's image and chosen to leap over instead. By sheer luck, the steal succeeded—but yeah, I should've been dead.
"No way. You were toast timing-wise, clean out. How'd you dive and survive? I thought that play failed. And even if you made it, it was way too dangerous. Don't steal recklessly against the Phoenix."
Ahem... Couldn't argue with that. Gu Min-seok sunbae was logical. I agreed rationally... but in the moment, I just couldn't do it any other way.
"I agree with you. Sometimes you gotta hustle to win. But dodging a tag is tilting your body a bit or tucking an arm once. Who flips in the air? It's way too injury-prone. And you nearly overshot it. Overshoot, and you're hurt and out. Too risky. Not a good choice."
... I had to shut my mouth at the chief coach's words. More reasons piled up why my play was bad.
"Even if the manager allowed that style, I'd have stopped it. No joke—I'd fight the manager over it. You get what I'm saying?"
The chief coach's words made the manager start to interject but then nod in agreement.
"Got it, sir."
"Be careful next time. And watch the bench signs properly. We called for a surprise bunt then."
"... Sorry, sir."
The situation seemed over, but Gu Min-seok sunbae sharply probed another point.
"And Kim Hu-seong. What was that third-base steal? Already risky, and you aim for third? What the hell were you thinking?"
I didn't answer right away and just grinned.
"...? You lost it?"
The third steal was my masterpiece. A trap exploiting the opponent's quick feedback.
"Lim Jong-hyun sunbae didn't show his pitch type. So I thought of something else."
"And that's stealing? Against a defense-first catcher? Third is a whole different level from second. You're going in dead certain. Not even a gamble."
"That's why I widened my lead. I fed the catcher bad info on purpose so he wouldn't think about my lead."
"The jersey tug and turn?"
"Yeah. Made it obvious, so no pickoff. I eased out my lead, but he thought I'd read the pitch and frantically signaled the pitcher for something else."
And...
"Plus, you were at the plate, sunbae. You swung quick seeing me go and messed with the catcher somehow. Bought about a second? That's all I needed to survive."
"Whoa... this guy's for real. Crazy bastard."
Ahem. "So, was that enough justification?"
"Nah, still short. Don't do it again, you maniac. Won't work next time."
"But it worked this time."
"... Good job. Table-setter material. You're something else. Different type from me, but... we need a guy like you."
Gu Min-seok sunbae patted my shoulder as he walked off.
"Chief coach."
Manager Kim Young-ho called with a deep frown. Calling only the chief coach carried a hint of hesitation, like he'd deliberated long before deciding.
"Yes, what is it?"
"We absolutely can't lose today. Use the whole bullpen ace trio. Kim Jin-ho, Lee Tae-sin, Jo Seon-jae... throw 'em all in and win."
The chief coach couldn't hide his surprise.
"Manager, we used all three yesterday. Doing it again today? Could be stamina issues for the schedule ahead."
He ventured carefully. Manager Kim Young-ho replied curtly without moving.
"Sweep the Phoenix this series. Grab 'em through tomorrow. They're starting their fifth guy tomorrow anyway, so win today and tomorrow's a cakewalk. Pour everything into today."
The chief coach still looked conflicted. But the manager's tone was ironclad, so he nodded.
"Understood."
"You know our momentum right now, chief. Fielders' morale is sky-high. We're rolling. Keep it going. Nail today to keep winning. Stabilizes my regime too. Lately, with all the trade showcase talk, we've dropped a few."
The manager's reasoning held water. His position was shaky; a losing streak could rock it further in this delicate phase.
"We're at the tipping point. Beat Phoenix, ride the wave up. I know the pitching staff's taxed. But surge now, and we'll get our shot in the second half."
The chief coach let out a tiny sigh and nodded.
"Got it... I'll relay to the pitching coach."
The Gwangju road trip ended. Back home, after a shower, I turned on the TV—and a baseball show started right then. The screen showed bold headlines with the Gocheok Turkeys logo big and prominent. I took a sip of water, planning a casual glance, but the host's first words glued my eyes to it.
The following graphic showed the standings shift, capturing Gwangju Pigeons' drop.
"And at the center of this three-game series was one Gocheok Turkeys player. In 20 at-bats: 18 hits, 4 steals, 10 runs, 5 RBIs. Kim Hu-seong! Commentator Jo Byung-hun, care to elaborate?"
Panelist commentator Jo Byung-hun broke it down.
"Among rookies, Daegu Eagles' Choi Kang-hyuk and Turkeys' Lee Tae-sin stood out. But Turkeys' Kim Hu-seong started showing his face, and now he's leading them both."
My name from the commentator's mouth strangely tightened my chest. But the praise that followed shocked me more.
"Kim Hu-seong isn't a five-tool player, but he's solid in two: defense and baserunning. S-grade by Korean standards, no question. He turns that speed into hits. Lately, he's laying off pitches well, shining at the plate too. Doesn't barrel it up, but fouls drain pitchers' stamina and legs out grounders to stay alive—his hitting's reached average now."
The TV flashed my slides, bunt singles, steals in quick cuts.
"But Kim Hu-seong's rising popularity? It's his hustle. Fans love those gritty plays. He injects energy beyond stats. Those highlight-reel moments stick in fans' minds. Can't hate a guy like that. Popularity will soar."
My edited plays rolled with the commentary, leaving my body tingling oddly.
"Turkeys fans must be thrilled. Great rookies keep coming, even as top talents head to MLB..."
"Exactly! Turkeys excel at developing rookies. Can't wait to see their second-half surge."
Good words. Expect it. I switched off the TV after that and flopped onto the bed.