End of the First Half (4)
Long ago, the Busan Titans and Gwangju Irons had two pitchers.
Their only commonality amid everything that was polar opposites: they were both insanely good at baseball.
That made those two pitchers legendary rivals who defined an era.
"Haa..."
And after a long time had passed, in 2040.
A pitcher had appeared on the Busan Titans who evoked memories of that past ace. To be honest, he even seemed superior in pure skill.
"That guy never maintained a sub-1.00 ERA through the first half either."
The Titans' ace, with blue eyes instead of glasses, was overwhelming the Irons' lineup.
CRACK!!
The problem was that the Irons didn't have an ace who could drink right up until game time and still shut out the opponent with a crisp complete game.
"This is so damn frustrating."
This wasn't the 1980s anymore.
"Pull him."
"...He still has plenty of pitches left."
"Didn't everyone say they wanted to win this game no matter what? That's what I heard."
But.
"That guy's shaking on the mound right now. Pull him."
"...Yes, sir."
The pitching coach couldn't retort with, "Can we really come back from a three-run deficit that's already happened?"
"Yeah... we still have to give it our best shot."
Even Manager Lee Jung-yu knew it deep down.
Even so.
'We can't let that monstrous guy break our legend's record again. At least not today...'
They were desperate.
[...This is something.]
[What's up, commentator Park Woo-hyuk?]
[Normally, if a starter allows just three hits through four innings, we'd say he's pitching well... but somehow, it's hard to say that about Jin Yuha.]
[Hahaha! You're right. It even feels like he's struggling.]
[No wonder he's shattering records left and right just half a season into his debut. And... there's a milestone he could hit today too, right?]
[Yes. If Jin Yuha pulls off a complete game today, it'll be his eighth of the season. That ties the all-time single-season record for most complete games.]
[Fittingly, it's the record set by the Irons' retired legend with the permanent number retirement.]
[Most of the records Jin Yuha's broken were originally his too. He was just that incredible.]
[Records we thought unbreakable are falling one after another this season. We're watching with great interest...]
[But not everyone feels that way. Especially the Irons—they don't want to watch Jin Yuha reach the same level as their legend right in front of them.]
[Then the Irons need to mount a comeback now.]
THWACK!!
"Strike three!"
[Easier said than done.]
The rainouts letting the team get plenty of rest was definitely lucky. However.
'Not all good things are purely good.'
Hitting feel is a mysterious thing. A bat that was scorching hot just days ago can cool off in an instant after a few off days. That was the Titans' lineup right now.
Tap, tap.
In the midst of that, the lineup managed to scrape together three runs. So.
WHOOSH!!
I had to do my absolute best to protect that lead. Ideally all the way to the ninth.
'Eh, just like always.'
Crack!
"Huh?"
One out, no runners on. The batter suddenly laid down a bunt.
Roll, roll.
The ball trickled into an awkward spot. As soon as I finished my pitch, I darted forward nimbly, snagged it, and...
WHOOSH!!
Fired to first.
THWACK!!
"Out!"
I got the out quicker than expected.
'Hmm...'
So.
"Lucky."
"Argh! Why's that guy's defense so good too?!"
"There's analysis that his compact delivery lets him transition to fielding extra fast after pitching."
"All the important analysis is wrong, but this crap's spot on. ...No more bunts. It's just wasting our pitches."
Some days are like that. Days when your condition is so good it gets in the way of pitching.
THWACK!!
"Ball."
My tailing four-seam had more movement than usual and barely missed the strike zone. Walk.
"Tch."
I'd secured two outs but put a lower-order hitter on. And it was a pitch I'd thrown with confidence.
A normal rookie might panic here. But.
'I'm not a normal rookie...'
Just feel a twinge of regret, laugh it off. No big deal for the game.
The Irons' foreign mercenary leadoff hitter stepped up for the first time with a runner on.
'If he doesn't get a hit here, he'll hear even more "sczz" crap.'
Not even a scoring situation, against me of all people, but fans would say it anyway. Sports fans aren't known for rational thinking.
Tap, tap.
First pitch: four-seam. Planted nicely in the zone.
WHOOSH!!
The ball rocketed toward the plate at insane velocity.
Pat, pat.
Then the unexpected happened.
'Huh? A steal out of nowhere?'
The Irons' ninth hitter—lacking bat but with league-top speed—bolted to second the instant I threw.
Startling, but no worries.
THWACK!!
"Strike!"
Even if I ignored the steal, my receiver wouldn't.
WHOOSH!!
Jeong Hanseong fired to second right after catching it.
His famously cannon arm, the first thing he'd been scouted for...
THWACK!!
Hit the bag in a flash. And.
"Gotcha!"
Baek Jihun sunbae, ever consistent on defense, tagged the runner diving headfirst. The guy twisted desperately to evade, but couldn't dodge the glove.
"Out!"
Inning over.
"Haa..."
The Irons' foreign hitter let out a hollow sigh from the box and trudged back to the dugout.
'At least he won't hear "sczz" now. Silver lining.'
As expected, the Titans' lineup went quiet after Oh Dae-su sunbae's three-run homer.
THWACK!!
"Strike three!"
"Ooh... nasty stuff."
"Right? 160 km/h is 100 mph, yeah? Hell of a fireballer."
"See? I wasn't the only one confused."
The trickiest thing when I first came to Korea was reading velocities. Probably for most foreign players.
"You're not a 'foreign player' though."
"You get the gist."
Anyway. The Irons, who'd lost their ace starter to injury, were second in the Western League thanks to their bullpen firepower.
"Hm... compares pretty favorably to our pen."
"Yeah."
The Irons' bullpen—especially their closers—all threw 150s to 160s with reliable finishers.
'Kang Gihoo sunbae homered off their closer in the series opener, but...'
That was just Gihoo sunbae being a beast. As far as I knew, it was that guy's first blown save this season.
CRACK!!
Jeong Hanseong squared up decently, sending it to the outfield, but...
"Out!"
Overpowered into a harmless flyout.
"No need to watch Jihun sunbae's at-bat. Time to warm up."
The Irons had given their all, and it paid off. No runs for the Titans since Oh Dae-su's homer.
"Haa..."
But Manager Lee Jung-yu's face was clouded with worry.
The Irons hadn't scored either.
Thud, thud.
Top of the ninth.
As Jin Yuha headed to the mound.
- ROARRRR!!
The home crowd at Shin Sajik Baseball Stadium cheered tirelessly, hot as ever. Even some Irons road fans started cheering him.
"Haa... that guy..."
Manager Lee Jung-yu, frustration building, glanced around. He spotted Titans manager Jeong Hyeonho leaning on the dugout rail.
"Ptoo, ptoo. Used to be good at this back in the day, but it's tough lately."
The guy was spitting sunflower seeds like it was a game.
"...That director's got it easy as hell."
While he racked his brain over bullpen management, that jerk just sent out his starter for another crisp gem and chilled in the dugout.
"Jealous..."
He meant it.
Top of the ninth.
The leadoff hitter being Kim Jung-hyuk was enough to put my mind at ease.
WHOOSH!!
I mean.
WHOOM!!
Guys like Kim Jung-hyuk, classic power hitters...
THWACK!!
"Swinging strike three!"
...love one hanging breaking ball.
One out.
Against the five-hole hitter, I stuck to today's game plan.
Crack!
"Foul!"
Grab a strike first.
THWACK!!
"Strike!"
Corner him with a curve brushing the zone.
WHOOM!!
"Swinging strike three!"
Finish with high heat.
Two outs.
"Pinch hitter!"
The Irons sent up a desperation pinch hitter, but I wasn't worried. My stuff today was shockingly sharp—even to me.
Tap, tap.
For a guy who'd sat the bench all game till now...
THWACK!!
"Strike!"
Four-seam.
WHOOM!!
"Swinging strike!"
Faster four-seam.
WHOOM!!
"Swinging strike three!"
Even faster. Full gas against our final first-half foe. Three pitches, three strikes.
- ...
The game was over, but the usual roar didn't come.
"Yo, why's the vibe off?"
I asked Jeong Hanseong approaching the mound, mouth agape in a daze.
"You... crazy bastard."
A random curse flew out.
"What's with the attitude?"
"You... look at the scoreboard. Just look."
I tilted my head and checked it.
So.
'103 mph...?'
First-half finale. I'd shattered my personal velocity record again. A speed I'd never touched even pre-regression.
"...At this rate, you'll be touching 170 soon, huh?"
Even I was scared of my own growth.
- ROARRRR!!
[Jin Yuha with 14 wins already in the first half. Even if he slumps in the second, he's as good as the wins leader. Triple Crown isn't out of reach for this guy.]
[When Jin Yuha first stated his goals in an interview, many called it arrogance. But now, at the end of the first half! We realize—he might've actually been humble!]
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