Thwack! Curve Clears the Outside Corner
Thwack! The curveball sailed right over the outside borderline and plopped straight into the catcher's mitt.
He didn't swing, just watched it go, and that confirmed it.
'That's about half a ball off. Now it's 1-2. Should I wait for one more? From the pitcher's side, he's got at least two more chances, so the odds are high the next one's another lure pitch...'
Stretching out his stiff body to loosen up while waiting for the umpire's curt ball call.
"STRIKE THREE!"
"Pardon? That went in?"
"What? Got a problem with it?"
Even though they'd agreed to keep things civil between umps and players, this ump—clearly with zero manners—snapped back in that pissy informal tone. His narrowed eyes and twitching shoulder said he'd toss him in a heartbeat if he pushed it.
'Hell yeah I got a problem, you prick? Calling that a strike means you're telling right-handed hitters to crowd the plate?'
...He wanted to fire that off, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Jang Young-seong just turned his head rightward to glare at the home plate ump—that was all he could manage.
"Sorry. I got a little heated there..."
"Then quit wasting time and get back in the dugout."
'Fuck, I'm only holding back 'cause you're not worth it.'
Jang Young-seong flashed his palm at the coach charging out of the dugout—stay put—and trudged back in.
"STRIKE THREE!"
"Calling a pitch that far off a strike? Heh, if you're handing 'em out, I'll take it."
The situation didn't end with that unintended gift of an extra strike. It was no-ball, two strikes, so it turned into a looking strikeout, netting another out...
Max velocity increased by 0.5 km/h.
Current max velocity: 128.5 km/h
D-rank Enhancement Ticket acquired.
And two more bonuses on top.
"What's with today? Another enhancement ticket?"
"Hey, saving pitches, grabbing outs, boosting max velocity, and an enhancement ticket? Hell yeah, grin city!"
"Nah, then it'd really split."
Tae-woong watched the back-and-forth between the ump who turned a miss into a strike and the baffled batter with a satisfied smile peeking through his mask. The ump's furrowed glare was visible. One more peep from the batter, and ejection was on the table.
Easy grab this time, but facing power hitters nonstop wasn't simple.
"Alright, one more question, then back to the dugout for some solid rest today!"
"Wasn't even thinking it, but it worked out. Stick to that zone against righties?"
"Probably, yeah? Just tossing it out there."
If the ump kept calling those far-outside ones like before, it'd be perfect for Tae-woong. But don't bank on overcalls like that. With internet and SNS blowing up instantly, public opinion hits hard. Ump names top search trends for hours on bad calls, articles flood with hate comments. That feeds back to KBO and the umps' committee—demotions to scorching second-tier games or pay cuts.
So umps huddle during breaks, tweaking strike zones based on feedback.
"Anyway, this time it wasn't intentional—control slipped, pushed it half a ball extra. Ji-hoon hyung's sign was for right on the border, but yeah."
"Gotta have some ambition!"
"Damn, already?"
The batter they were wary of: seventh in the order, Ko Jong-woo.
"Choi's in a slump, so he's the exception, but Ko Jong-woo..."
Finally here? The beatdown they'd been waiting for?
"I got ways to deal. Well, technically Ji-hoon hyung figured it out."
"Ko's on-base's just .020 over his average last 10. Means zero walks. Zero walks means he swings at anything in swinging range."
Ace jumped ahead, like he knew what was coming.
"Back in my pre-regression Double-A days, there was this saying at the home bullpen entrance."
"Shut up and listen. It said: Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing!"
"Skip that."
"You'll see."
"Look there."
Glove on right, ball in left, so Tae-woong nodded toward catcher Choi Ji-hoon's sign.
"Bingo."
As Ace said, Tae-woong's two-seam fastball rated 25—KBO fourth-starter level, nothing special. Slower than four-seam by 2-3 km/h, slight sink but minimal vertical movement. Just ran like a four-seam then veered left before the plate—horizontal tail, that's it.
"True."
But Tae-woong didn't budge under Ace's brutal roast. He had faith.
"Like this."
Wari Gari 1 used.
Selected pitch: Two-seam fastball.
Two-seam fastball horizontal movement +2cm.
Target: #7 batter Ko Jong-woo.
Tae-woong flashed a triumphant grin.
"Toughest guy today is just this one—no brainer. Handle him, we're golden."
"Was testing my growth, stat gaps firsthand—didn't forget. Now? Spam it every cooldown. Hoard it, and it turns to shit."
"Shit, gonna hit the 12-second rule. Used a skill for a strike cushion—can't take a ball now."
Agreeing himself, Tae-woong ignored it and fired the first pitch.
Whoosh.
Straight to the mitt, around Ko Jong-woo's thigh height.
'What? First-pitch meat?'
Thinking back to the slider that missed outside on the last guy, the pitcher's command didn't look sharp today. If he had 150 km/h mid with nasty movement, shaky control could still overpower crises—but without it? No Plan B for control pitchers.
'When a control guy's command starts wobbling... game over. No need to swing hard.'
Plus, Ko knew his bat was scorching lately.
'Yeah, keep shaking. Scatter a few more, pile up the count—that's your end.'
Stretch this hot streak a couple more games, and pitchers started respecting him, feeding junk. Which played right into his hands.
To fool peak-hot hitters, pitchers mix strike-like balls and ball-like strikes. But obsessing over command to "pitch perfect" often pushes lures too far out, while "corner strikes" leak middle.
'Threat inside to back me off, or aiming the edge? Either way, flubbed it. Catcher's brainiac plans flop if the pitcher's execution sucks.'
Now eyeing this hittable fastball coming in sweet:
'Rookie nerves or scared of me? Even our Heroes lean on scouting cheap rookies from the farm—parent company's stingy. Once a week, some no-name second-tier call-up.'
And they all felt the same:
'Rookies groove till they face name-brand or hot bats—then crumble.'
This guy's that type for sure.
'Bit inside, so pull light to 1-2 gap.'
When feeling it, intent alone delivers. 'Drop right, maybe stretch to second?'
Ball already rolling to right in his head.
"Hup!"
To evade second baseman Jeong Geon-woo's wide range, he needed to go more right—so Ko added wrist torque, whipping the bat.
But the four-seam-track ball suddenly bucked toward his body mid-zone, sinking low.
'Deeper inside?'
Thwack!
Smack!
"STRIKE!"