Fastball Fundamentals (2)
The four-seam is the foundation of pitching. But no one can deny that in modern baseball, its value has been steadily declining.
Even I, a fireballer, only threw it about 40% of the time.
Still, I always started games with a four-seam.
It was a declaration of sorts. A way to tell the opponents, this is the heat I've got.
Think of it as a privilege only fireballers who can touch 100 mph possess. In reality, everyone facing me knew the first pitch would be a four-seam, but none of them could handle it properly. And that's why.
Crack!!
- 163 km/h
163 km/h
A pitch that even big-league hitters couldn't touch? No way a KBO batter was handling that.
"Strike!"
The startled batter stepped out of the box. He tried to play it cool as he returned and set up, but I could see right through him.
He's spooked.
Funny enough, unlike his first at-bat where he'd crowded the plate, now he was backing off.
I'm not gonna plunk you anyway.
I only throw at batters when it's necessary. And honestly, I might not even need to do that anymore.
I'm a good rookie pitcher, and the KBO is surprisingly gentlemanly. A pitcher bowing to a batter after a beanball? Ridiculous.
Tap tap.
Park Cheongwon hyung tapped the pitchcom right away.
FOUR-SEAM
The sign in my ear was four-seam. No objections here.
Whoosh!!
Before the still-dazed batter could regroup, I fired again.
Bzzz!!
The guy swung on reflex, but.
Crack!!
"Strike!"
The ball had already blown past the zone into the catcher's mitt.
161 km/h
KBO average velocity has been climbing steadily over time too. That said.
Most hitters here probably have zero experience facing 160 km/h. Hell, even in the majors, 100 mph guys aren't that common.
Tap tap.
That's why the veteran catcher Park Cheongwon hyung called for this.
Whoosh!!
I threw exactly as signaled.
Crack!!
And.
"Strike three!"
162 km/h
A red light popped up on the scoreboard.
A Korean starter casually touching 160 km/h? Any baseball fan would lose their mind.
He was a type we'd never seen in Korea, and anyone could tell this was the birth of a future national team ace. Even Lee Hanyoung, a diehard fan himself, was fired up. And.
Whoosh!!
Ended quicker than expected.
Crack!
Bzzz!!
"Swinging strike three!"
I wrapped up my pro debut first inning—second life around—with three up, three down.
No big thrill. Me pitching well is a given.
"Even from the outfield, your stuff looked nasty, Yuha? Not a single ball came my way today, right?"
Center fielder Jeong Suyeong hyung joked.
"Haha. Take it easy on defense today."
I played along coolly.
"Just defense?"
Exactly.
"Obviously."
Pitchers can't score runs. The old me could, but this season, I'm sticking to pitching.
"Right, right. Gotta do my part to make our maknae the winning pitcher in his debut."
But.
Crack!
Jeong Suyeong hyung's bold claim didn't hold in the bottom of the first.
"Out!"
He hit a weak grounder to short after a five-pitch battle. Groundout.
"Ah... so close."
Hyung vented his regret, but it was fine.
Crack!
"Out!"
Crack!!
"Strike three!"
No. 2 hitter Kang Gihoo and No. 3 Frank Rodriguez followed with outs. Still fine.
"Yuha. Time to pitch."
It was only the first inning, after all.
Jin Yuha's pitching in the second was still shocking. No—even more impressive.
Bzzz!!
"Swinging strike three!"
A 138 km/h sweeper with massive horizontal break whiffed the cleanup hitter.
Crack!
"Out!"
A 140 km/h changeup induced a grounder from the five-hole for an easy out.
Crack!!
"Strike three!"
Finally, a 160 km/h high fastball fanned the six-hitter.
- Whoaaaa!!
The Daegu Warriors lineup facing him—and the fans watching—realized Jin Yuha wasn't just a fastball guy. And.
Thwack!!
Bzzz!!
"Swinging strike three!"
The Warriors' scoreboard still read zero.
Bottom of the fourth. Titans' No. 5 hitter and catcher Park Cheongwon thought.
Gotta score somehow.
Letting a high school rookie dominate solo while the lineup couldn't back him up? Embarrassing. Plus.
Yuha's eyes... a bit...
Jin Yuha said he was fine, but his gaze held subtle frustration and worry. Park felt bad.
"Ugh... guy's slow, but damn hard to hit."
The Warriors starter's fastball averaged low 140s—similar to Jin Yuha's changeup.
But he was no ordinary lefty. His deception tricked hitters masterfully. That's why a "slowball" guy anchored their rotation.
Damn... junkballer.
The type dubbed "black magic" pitchers—great league stats, but no national team call-ups amid controversy. Meaning.
He's good, period. Park had grounded out weakly last at-bat.
Swish swish!
Park took a few dry swings and stepped in.
One out, no runner. So...
He was the Titans' franchise star, national team catcher. Time to deliver.
A rookie fresh out of high school was owning the game; a high-salary vet couldn't just stand around. (Little did he know that rookie's true vet status outranked his own.)
"Groove me a four-seam down the middle."
Park tossed an impossible demand at the Warriors catcher.
"Yep."
At 35, the veteran got away with trash talk. Of course, no middle four-seam came.
Anything but the changeup, I can hit.
Problem was not knowing when that changeup would drop.
"No. Snap out of it."
Park shook his head, refocusing. Bad thoughts at the plate were poison.
He's no Yuha—no need to overthink.
Way better than facing Jin Yuha in spring training. Yuha had velocity, nasty stuff, top-tier deception—this guy didn't compare.
Grip.
Park squeezed the bat.
If I can hit it, I swing.
And.
Whoosh!!
The pitch came outside.
Here it is!
A four-seam off the plate—but well within a national team catcher's barrel range.
Thwack!!
He drove it hard toward the right-field fence. Too bad.
Didn't clear it.
Pat pat.
Age had slowed his wheels, but Park sprinted full tilt.
Tap.
First base touched.
Still in.
Glancing at the ball.
Pat pat.
Straight to second.
Whoosh!!
Right fielder Baek Sangyeon snagged the rebound off the fence. True five-tool talent, cannon arm—he fired to second. But.
Slide.
The ball arrived after Park's headfirst dive.
"Yeahhh!"
Park roared—he'd created the run-scoring chance for his battery mate himself.
"Whoa."
Jin Yuha, fiddling with Jeong Hanseong's bat in the dugout, let out a short whistle.
This guy's itching to swing himself.
Jeong Hanseong's read was spot-on—his starter had swiped his at-bat.
Man, runner on second is prime cleanup spot. Wish I could hit.
Jin Yuha smacked his lips inwardly.