Rookie Revolution: Slowball Mastery and Power Surge
The Wiz had safely completed their first camp in Arizona without any injuries and moved to San Bernardino in California for the second camp.
The first camp focused on checking players' stamina and condition, with individual training and intra-squad scrimmages taking center stage. In contrast, the second camp evaluated how well players adapted to tactics and regained their game sense through exhibitions against other teams. If the first camp was about warming up for the new season, the second was true combat. Performances in these exhibition games determined positions.
Starting with games against minor league affiliates, the Wiz played eight exhibitions, and Tae-woong, starting in two, showed he was a fit for the remaining rotation spot. Building on his hot streak from scrimmages, he was pegged as the top candidate for the fifth starter role.
Though he gave up hits and runs in every outing, the coaches gave him high marks for keeping his composure after runs scored or runners reached base, shutting down innings on his own. Evaluations of Tae-woong improved daily. Today, in the final exhibition, he was slated to pitch three innings as the second starter. To loosen up, he headed out from the hotel before breakfast.
"Uhmm, the smell of Los Angeles is ve~ry ve~ry good. Good morning, boy?"
"Ugh, you're at it again. Such bullshit..."
"Tae-woong-ah, can't you smell the California air?"
"Yeah, man. Whatever. Why do you act like a terminal case of America fever every time we go somewhere?"
"Heh... Gotta get used to it in advance, since who knows where I'll end up later?"
"Ah, so Wiz's super rookie plans to retire and emigrate. Gotta tell the coach."
Kang Baek-ho bristled at Tae-woong's jab.
"Emigrate? You psycho! Obviously Major Leagues!"
Pfft.
"Huh? What's that reaction?"
Tae-woong couldn't help but chuckle.
'As expected, a guy who's gonna make it shows it from the start.'
"Hey! You mocking me? Psycho! I'm serious...!"
"You'll make it."
"Huh?"
"You'll be a Major Leaguer."
"Uh? Y-yeah. Thanks."
"Work hard. You can really do it."
"You on drugs? Why the sudden nice guy mode?"
Leaving a baffled Kang Baek-ho behind, Tae-woong broke into a run. After two steps' distance, he muttered under his breath, just audible.
"This time, I'm going too. Major Leagues."
"What? 'This time'? What the hell does that mean? Hey! Wait up! Let's go together!"
"Catch up quick. I'm busy right now."
Thwack! Thwack!
"Tae-woong-ah, all loosened up? No pains?"
"Yes, ready. Feeling good."
"Alright, let's go."
"Yes."
Ju-geon, who had held the Dinos to two runs over three innings, stepped down. Right into the top of the fourth, Wiz rallied with Hwang Jae-geon's solo homer.
Bottom of the fourth. Tae-woong took the mound as the second pitcher for Wiz. At the plate stood the Dinos' leadoff hitter, No. 3 right fielder Na Sang-beom, adjusting his gloves. A big-framed power hitter, he was seen as the most MLB-ready alongside Wyverns' Choi Jin after earning FA eligibility this season. He'd torn it up in 2019 to reach the majors but returned to KBO two years later.
'My stuff can't overpower him now, but targeting weaknesses...'
As the batter settled, the predetermined sign from catcher Lee Hae-chan flashed from the dugout.
'Inside high fastball.'
Just as the batter gripped his bat, shaking it to time up—
Thwack!
"Strike!"
Tae-woong's first pitch safely nestled in the catcher's glove. The batter didn't even swing, taking a strike.
"Whoa, Hae-chan hyung, first pitch of an exhibition and you're coming that hard? Go easy."
Na Sang-beom joked with the catcher.
"Hey, I wanna, but his ball's slow—if I don't do this, no answer. Heh. Cut the junior some slack, sunbae."
"Ugh, hyung, give me two more years for FA—I gotta grind."
Na stepped back half a pace to handle inside high. He focused to avoid the fast tempo.
Snaring a first-pitch strike against a tough matchup gives pitchers a lighter mindset. Tae-woong was no different.
"Nice! First-pitch plan perfect! Let's get it!"
Glove over his mouth, Tae-woong grinned.
'If it clicks like this from the start, today's game-on.'
Na Sang-beom hit .300+ yearly but barely .100 on inside high. Not a secret—Tae-woong knew every pitcher targeted it. But jamming a guy who crushes anything middle-in wasn't easy. Hell, pitchers got released lifelong for failing it. Control to hit spots plus the mentality to stick? Rare combo.
'Next, operation two.'
Power hitters like Na shared a weakness: drop balls—curves, splitters, forkballs, changeups. They sacrificed precision for max distance.
Fans called it "drop-ball K"—"ddel-gong-sam."
'Low outside dropping curve.'
Identical form to fastball, same release—then the curve spun out. In that split-second from Tae-woong's hand, his wrist flicked ever so slightly upward.
Whirr.
The pitch approached lefty Na at face height, then arced sharply down before the plate.
'Heard about it, but this is...'
Pre-at-bat, Na heard from the dugout: rookie pitcher like Woo Hee-gang. He turned on the first pitch.
'Drop bigger than expected? On the edge?'
Before thought finished, wrists whipped the bat out.
Crack!
The slow curve missed the zone by a ball width outside—bat chased it.
'Damn, shorter than I thought.''Yes! Yes! Second pitch out. Sweet!'
Tae-woong knew from the sound: weak grounder. It rolled slowly to shortstop.
SS Jang Hyun stepped forward twice, snagged it, tossed leisurely to first.
"Out!"
Na, nursing last year's hamstring woes, jogged slowly, knowing he was toast. He walked it off after the call, heading to the dugout.
Up next: cleanup hitter, import Scruggs. Better power than Na, sharp eye for balls—today's biggest hurdle for Tae-woong.
'Pin him down same way.'
Truth: with his stuff, precise location was the only play. Slowballers vs. patient sluggers? Brutal. One fat pitch, and boom—extra bases. They didn't chase junk either. Technique guys without overpowering heat dreaded them.
'Inside low slow curve.'
Scruggs' Achilles per scouting: weak inside low. Normally, lefty's outside low changeup fools righties, but Scruggs crushed it. With Tae-woong's velo/control, targets were outside high or inside low. Textbook: jam low inside, back him off, then outside breaker for count.
Whiiir!
Thwack!
67 km/h slow curve—Scruggs' bat whiffed through air, pitch arriving late.
Scruggs shook his head, stunned by the sudden slow breaker.
"Wow! Good curve!"
"Haha, thank you."
Hae-chan tossed back while chuckling at the praise.
'English... I'm kinda... no, really bad at it.'
Hoping no more chit-chat, Hae-chan rushed the next sign.
Second: high outside curve. Bat half-committed, pulled back.
"Ball!"
Third: inside high four-seam. He laid off.
"Ball!"
Both higher than signs—balls. Scruggs didn't bite the elevated stuff.
'Whew... Top-tier hitter limit for now?'
2-1, batter's count. Even perfect pitches, his level couldn't handle Scruggs. 123 km/h fastball plus average breakers vs. elite? Near impossible. Everything hinged on four-seam—the fastest weapon. At 140 km/h, strikes would come easy. But now? Grind with what he had. No overpowerers. Patient eyes like Scruggs were nightmares. Control above average, but velo lacking to back it. Not fatally middle-missing, but zone-missers like these? Cold sweat.
'Still cool weather, hitters off—but regular season like this? Disaster.'
Tae-woong pitched to system stats, maintaining peak like midseason. Hitters? Not yet. By April, weather warms, bats heat up. This level wouldn't survive first team.
'Gotta max rewards till then. One new pitch at least...'
Catcher called time, climbed the mound seeing Tae-woong's distraction.
"You good? Don't overthink—just throw. Even back-to-back bombs here, no Wiz pitcher better than you right now."
"Ah, yes. Thanks."
"Body okay?"
"Yes, fine."
"Alright, one more time. Wrap quick, rest up."
Chat done, pat on shoulder, down she went. Play resumed.
2-1. Curve sign again. Tae-woong agreed, nodded, gripped.
"Alright. Fool him once more."
Then he pulled the mission reward skill.
Wari Gari 1 used.
Pitch type: Curve selected.
Curve vertical movement +2cm.
Target batter: Cleanup hitter Scruggs designated.
"This curve's gonna be a little different."