Performance Earns Trust
Because their performances backed it up, the two players' opinions were accepted without a single dissenting voice. The coach watching Ha Chan and Tae-woong wore a broad smile. From a strategy coach's perspective, nothing was better than players thinking for themselves and playing baseball that way, rather than being spoon-fed instructions.
"Oh, Coach, we're thinking of twisting the signs again starting this inning..."
"On the spot? Sure, good idea. We need to keep the Bears from cracking it, so let's take a look. But it won't be too complicated, right, Ha Chan? We don't have much time before you head out."
"Yes, it's simple, so I'll show you right now. First..."
As the brief strategy huddle wrapped up between the strategy coach and the battery, the Wiz offense wrapped up right on cue.
"Let's go, Tae-woong."
"Yes, hyung. Good luck this inning too."
The strategy coach returned to his spot, and the two bumped fists to steel their resolve.
In the top of the 4th, Woo Hee-gang allowed a leadoff out, then an error by shortstop Kim Jae-hong, a hit, and a HBP to load the bases. But he induced a grounder with a changeup fading outside to escape the jam.
Thwack.
"Striiike!"
Tae-woong's curve started outside and darted in just a bit. Leadoff hitter Choi Jun-hwan in the bottom of the 4th waited for it to sail high, but it plunged nearly vertically right in front of the plate for a strike call. Even for Choi Jun-hwan, vulnerable to curves, getting taken so easily on the first pitch stung.
Standing still, his count slid deeper into the hole. Hearing the ump's call, his mind raced.
He's a tough one. Is it the command? How does he mix pitches like that?
Choi Jun-hwan couldn't easily decipher Tae-woong's sequencing. Sure, they had Woo Hee-gang on the team—a guy who'd posted solid numbers for years with 130 km/h stuff—but their styles were worlds apart.
Woo Hee-gang's effectiveness swung wildly with each ump's unique zone. Against umps stingy on outer-edge calls to righties or low-inside to lefties, he'd struggle to snag strikes, leading to walks, then forcing pitches into the zone and getting tagged for hits and runs.
But this guy's different... If he was the same, it wouldn't be this frustrating.
Of course, as teammates, they rarely faced off outside spring training red-white games, but he had a rough counterplan.
Don't chase the dropers, foul off anything tunneling in, wait for mistakes.
He wasn't the only one who knew it. Every hitter in the other nine teams had seen Woo Hee-gang start as a rotation guy for years.
Knowing it doesn't help much... His breaking stuff has bite, and it comes at weird timings.
So what was this guy's weakness? Sub-130 km/h velocity? Sure, you could call it one, but exploiting it wasn't easy. Against lefties, the ball came from way behind their back shoulder—trickier than for righties. And that damn curve he'd been throwing all day, including now.
I can't read it. Even at the plate, it doesn't break until the last second.
Choi Jun-hwan's deliberations ended without answers, and with the ump signaling to dig in, it was time.
Second pitch'll be breaking too... Not falling for it this time.
The curve tailed in a bit more—borderline meat if it was—but the result was the same. As Tae-woong predicted, the batter's eyes tracked it high and wide, frozen, gifting another strike.
Tunneling it into the zone is tougher than dropping it below, for sure.
Choi Jun-hwan fiddled with his belt and glove instead of resetting, clearly deep in thought about the next one. Ace's intrigued voice piped up in Tae-woong's head.
Inside four-seam as planned?
"Yeah, as planned. Unless it's way in, he'll probably..."
Alright? Let's watch.
"You'll see."
Finishing with Ace, Tae-woong skipped the sign exchange with his catcher and fired a low-inside four-seam as scripted.
Whish. Thwack.
Choi Jun-hwan's eyes lit up at the inside pitch.
Inside curve this time! Thinks he can fool me twice?
Rookie daring to feed him back-to-back curves? Insulting.
Bold or cocky? Whatever.
To avoid any HBP or bad hop off his front foot, he pulled his left slightly back, coiling up.
1-1 count's okay—not great, but not bad. Third pitch fastball? He likes high heat to chase.
No thud off the dirt—dropping a bit?—as he crunched numbers pre-call. Then the dreaded shout hit his ears.
"Striiike!"
What?
Squinting at the mitt, it was glove-deep inside the zone. He hadn't caught the end—assumed a dropper framed up high.
Framing? Ump lost it?
Damn, can't grab the collar and brawl... Breathe. Suck it up.
He asked his buddy Ha Chan: "Hey, Ha Chan, what was that? Framing's gotten nuts."
Ha Chan shot him a baffled look. "Framing? What? Straight four-seam tunneling from the jump. Not even borderline—full ball inside."
"What? Coach, really?"
Choi Jun-hwan eyed the home plate ump, who fired back instantly. "Four-seam. Right into the mitt. Why?"
"Oh, no, thought it was a dropper."
"Questions over? Let's go."
"Yes, thank you."
If calls were off all game, maybe argue—but they'd been textbook outside a couple greys. He had to eat it.
Damn, his motion's identical across pitches—can't pick it. Plus lefty stretching me out, head on swivel sucks.
Count: 0-2. Deep hole. Brain spinning.
First: slow curve middle. Second: low-inside fastball. Third...? Crap, can't whiff looking. Fastball? Curve? Change?
No tell from delivery. Plus above-average command, nasty breakers.
Just hack anything tunneling.
Where to now?
Ace sounded annoyed that Tae-woong's plans were clicking perfectly. "No balls, two strikes—batter'll chase anything tunneling. Answer's obvious."
Tae-woong didn't spell it out, grabbing the ball from Ha Chan. But Ace clocked the mitt target and nodded.
Outside to his weakness again?
Tae-woong nodded with a faint smirk, his left hand flashing briefly in the glove—thumb anchoring the bottom, index and middle spread: four-seam grip. He fired.
Whish.
Choi Jun-hwan swung vertically as planned—the pitch grazed over the bat and snapped into the mitt.
Thud-whack!
Count 0-2. Seo Tae-woong's third pitch—high heat! Choi swings! Whiff! 123 km/h high four-seam—leadoff man down on three pitches again! Bottom 4th scoreless for Seo!
Batter Choi Jun-hwan struck out swinging.
Stamina recovered equal to pitches thrown against the batter.
"Feels like the first like top of the 1st?"
That's 'cause it's true. You're under one pitch total. Somebody nerf this damn skill.
"Take that back. Spit three times."
Can't spit, but I can hawk a loogie in your ear. Hack-ptoo!
"Get lost!"
Crack!
Count 1-2! Seo's sixth pitch—fading outside! Fouled off the end! Pops up shallow but not deep! Right fielder charges... Caught!
Batter Heo Kyung-man caught for flyout to right.
Stamina recovered equal to pitches thrown against the batter.
RF step stutter and that was a hit...
Crack! Roll...
No. 3 Park Geon-woong nubs the first-pitch middle dropper! Rolls to third baseman Hwang Jae-gun! To first—ball beats the runner! Third out!
Batter Park Geon-woong out on grounder to third.
Stamina recovered equal to pitches thrown against the batter.
Little grass clump at third and bad hop through the glove...
Crack!
No. 8 Lee Jun-young rips Woo's first-pitch! Clears infield! Drops in front of center! Leadoff on!
Whish. Thwack.
3-2 full count battle to 6 pitches—batter lays off! Walk! No. 9 Shim Woo-ju on! No outs, 1st & 2nd. Trouble for Woo again!
Crack!
2-0 count! Rohis swings at fading breaker outside! To the wall! Center Park Geon-woong races, backhands it! Runner from 2nd tags to third! Safe! Ball beat? No—foot first. Wiz keeps 1 out, 1st & 3rd chance.
One red out light flicked on as Rohis flew to center.
"Time to loosen up."
Tae-woong stepped out, stretching legs slow.
"Baek-ho needs to deliver here. Save Woo hyung for tomorrow, burn Bears pen early—better for us."
Why rush the stretch then?
"1 out, 1st & 3rd. Anything can happen—DP and inning over quick."
Just said Baek-ho's gotta do it? Trust or no?
"Could go either way."
Crack!
3-2 full! Woo throws—fading outside breaker! Baek-ho fouls down 3B line! Rookie focus vet-level. Fought back from 0-2, spoiled three sinkers.
Woo didn't watch the ball, crouching exhausted, staring skyward.
Pulls deep-inside fastball! Rips right! To right field! Paregiski chases to wall... gives up! Over! Kang Baek-ho three-run bomb! First run of the game! Top 5th—Wiz up 3-0 on Bears!
"He crushed it... Over again. Packed-inside, yet HR. Never go inside?" Woo marveled as it cleared.
Damn, clears that far. How many HRs now? Full season at this clip? Easy 30. What happened to him later?
"Went stateside. Majors. Posted, slow first year, exploded next. FA mega-deal—150 mil? All-Star, RF terror."
Makes sense. Doesn't belong here—different tier.
"You're a pitcher. What do you know about hitting?"
Just vibes.
"What kinda nonsense? Learn Korean again."
Ahem. Anyway, ROY his. HR title too at this rate?
"Don't worry. I got it."
You? Switching to bat?
"Nah, tried in minors—zero talent."
Then?
"I go 20 wins."
Ah, sure. Good luck. Moral support.
"Not moral—stuff it material. Upgrade tickets, skills. C'mon."
Sir Seo Tae-woong, unclear what you're saying.
"Why formal now?"
As their pointless deep talk dragged, Woo—singed by Baek-ho—gave up a gapper two-bagger to next hitter Hwang Jae-gun. But first-pitch change to Yoon Sung-min got a 1B grounder. First baseman Oh Jae picked it, touched the bag as Hwang tagged to third—two outs, runner at 3rd.
Finally, with pitch count ballooning and stuff elevating, Woo bowed out after the 5th.
Bears' hook gave Tae-woong extra time to warm properly.
Top 5th continued with Bears reliever Kang Bin—later ace, "Boss Bear" after Kim Dong-ju, but green now. Tense with runner at third? Or stiff? Centered first-pitch fastball for strike to No. 5 Yu Ha-jun, then four straight outside the zone. Yu walked without swinging.
Two outs, 1st & 3rd followed, but No. 6 Lee Ha-chan saw near-150 km/h heat, left-field pop to end the frame.
And bottom of the 5th. Tae-woong headed to the mound.