Trade Debut – Blazing Strikeouts in Eagles Park

The midweek three-game series between the Eagles and Heroes was tied at one win apiece. Today's decisive third game would be held right here at Hana Eagles Stadium in Daejeon!

Today's matchup between the starting pitchers is highly anticipated! The Heroes are sending out their 22-year-old right-hander Choi Un-tae, while the Eagles counter with their 20-year-old lefty Seo Tae-woong.

Both young pitchers will take the mound from the first inning.

That's right. Choi Un-tae of the Heroes relies mainly on his two-seam and changeup, and he's particularly tough on left-handed batters. The key today will be how the Eagles' five lefty hitters tackle that pitch.

What about Seo Tae-woong?

He can throw five different pitches evenly, but the real question is how well his signature curveball will fare against the Heroes' hitters—that's the core challenge today.

This marks Seo Tae-woong's return to the first team after nearly 40 days. And just a few days ago, he was traded from the Wiz to the Eagles, right?

Yes. The Eagles gave up three players to the Wiz to get him. Excluding their No. 2 starter, the foreign pitcher Hiller, the other four were all right-handers, so they must have felt the need for a lefty.

If Seo Tae-woong performs well today, the Eagles could set up a right-left-right-left-right rotation.

Alternating like that would probably be more advantageous than back-to-back righties or lefties. It disrupts the batters' timing.

Can Seo Tae-woong shake off the pressure and deliver a performance like his previous two starts? Chairman Cha, a former ace pitcher yourself—what do you think?

Hahaha. Ace pitcher? The viewers might get the wrong idea. Anyway, he started for the Futures League last Saturday before the trade, and though the innings were short, his stuff looked as sharp as ever. You can look forward to it today.

Alright, the game is about to begin. We'll start with the top of the first, Heroes batting. Seo Tae-woong takes the mound.

"Tae-woong, don't overthink it from the start. Focus on one inning at a time, take it pitch by pitch. Your stuff looks great today—throw with confidence."

"Yes, Coach."

Before Tae-woong headed to the mound, Coach Song approached, patted his shoulder to ease his nerves.

He's probably worried I'll tense up since those three traded guys are performing well... but I'm not nervous at all.

Pressure? Tae-woong had never felt it. Having been through multiple trades in his past life, he knew that whether they succeeded or failed, he just had to focus on his own job and do it well.

— Seo Tae-woong: That's just how it is. Baseball players get flak even when they do well, and a ton more when they don't.

Whoosh. Thwack!

Tae-woong was already loose from the bullpen, so he lightly threw one of each pitch type—five in total—before finishing his warm-ups. The umpire's call signaled the start of the game.

— Seo Tae-woong: Contact hitter with precise swings... Good eye, power, baseball ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠IQ. Classic leadoff type.

"Hey, I was about to say that—why cut me off?"

"Ah, thanks."

Tae-woong decided to follow the catcher's signs today. "Of course, if it feels ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠off, I'll shake my head right away..."

"My pride won't allow it."

The catcher called for an outside curve on the leadoff hitter Lee Jung-ho—not to steal a strike, but to check if Tae-woong's curve dropped to the spot like in the bullpen.

But the changeup veered a full ball off the plate, and Lee Jung-ho swung.

Crack!

The ball soared beyond the third-base line. First-pitch out... no way! In that instant, the skill One More After Out's condition—"first batter of the first inning, first-pitch out"—flashed in Tae-woong's and Ace's minds.

Turning toward the flying ball, the same word burst from both, with different ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meanings.

"Please!"

Tae-woong's please meant let me get this freebie once more.

Ace's please begged for anything but that.

Song Kang-min, at third, leaped against the fence, stretching his glove skyward. The high fly was caught—in a fan's glove beyond the fence.

"Woooah!"

The crowd cheered the lucky fan and those around him.

Song Kang-min, reaching from the other side, gave a thumbs-up as if acknowledging the fan's catch, then returned to his position.

One watched in disappointment, the hologram in joy.

"Damn... even the glove color matches."

"Shut it since it's not."

Luck didn't hold for two games straight, but snagging a favorable count was enough. Tae-woong steadied his breath and continued the battle.

At 2-2, the catcher called for an inside curve.

Whoosh. Missed.

Sometimes hitters flip the bat and trot without watching the ball—palm feel tells if it's squared up, if it'll clear the fence. Pitchers feel it too.

On his fifth pitch today, Tae-woong sensed it first time: the grip wrapping perfectly at release, index and middle fingers snug.

Lee Jung-ho, plagued by past plunks, flinched at the head-high pitch. Swing or take? Instinct bent his torso back. The curve dove deep inside to the lefty, right in front.

Looking strike three. The ump thrust his right fist—first K of the game. A new message appeared before Tae-woong.

"Max velocity's up!"

Just 0.5 km/h for now, but fully grasping Go All the Way, Tae-woong envisioned glory. "10 Ks mean +5 km/h, 20 mean +10? Wait, better than my first skill?"

It rivaled—no, surpassed—One More After Out in cheat factor. With at least one K per inning, velocity climbed 0.5 km/h each frame. By the seventh-inning leadoff if he kept going, +3 km/h from the first.

"10 Ks by the fifth? 132 km/h from the sixth, and more after!"

One jab snapped Tae-woong's fantasy. "Damn, got too excited. Bad during a game."

"Yeah, yeah, got it."

Tae-woong agreed meekly. Records were a double-edged sword. A hitter chasing 30-30 might swing for power and strike out. Bases loaded, ninth, one-run lead? Even a grounder specialist might chase Ks with four-seamers, grip tightening, control lost.

Tae-woong knew pressure's toll intimately, refocusing swiftly. Just one out. Stick to the plan.

Thoom!

"Count 0-2! Seo Tae-woong fires the third pitch. Swing on the outside breaker! Bat whiffed! He strikes out cleanup hitter Park Byung-hoon to end the first! Two Ks!"

"Great start. Gave up a single to No. 2 Seo Gun-cheol but stayed steady. Curved out No. 3 Kim Han-seong and No. 4 Park Byung-hoon to close the frame."

"That curve is still a masterpiece."

"Guys with good eyes probably pick up the higher flight or spin compared to other pitches. Even swinging ahead, they bite—that's how nasty Tae-woong's curve is."

Tae-woong breezed through the inning, grinning with new teammates as he entered the dugout.

"Stuff's live."

"Great job, sunbae!"

"Curve's money."

"Thanks!"

The dugout was thrilled at the rookie's dominance; the eight fielders loved the quick hook. And Tae-woong beamed at the familiar message from whiffing No. 4 Park Byung-hoon.