DH Preview Bombshell
Upon hearing that Shim Chando would start Game 5 for the Guardians, many nodded in agreement.
"Honestly, there's no surer card than Shim Chando."
Even with three days' rest. Even after losing to Jin Yuha in Game 2. Shim Chando was still the Guardians' most reliable starter.
"If they lose Game 5, it's all over, so pushing him makes sense. The Guardians have no choice but to go all-out."
On the flip side, the news that Jin Yuha would also appear in Game 5 left everyone scratching their heads.
"...Why? Really?"
"Gonna slam the door shut in Game 5? What if they lose?"
No matter how you sliced it, conserving Yuha seemed like the sensible, common-sense call. Especially since...
"James Gilbert's starting? So they're putting Yuha in the pen?"
Manager Jeong Hyeonho had locked in James Gilbert as the Game 5 starter. The questions only grew louder.
"Sounds like they're dead set on grabbing Game 5 for sure, but the Titans' bullpen is weak."
Some saw it as a move to shore up the Titans' glaring bullpen weakness this season.
"Jeong Hyeonho loves playing mind games off the field. Maybe Yuha won't even pitch. Just putting pressure on the Guardians with empty talk."
Others dismissed Manager Jeong Hyeonho's "Yuha's playing" comments as psychological warfare against the Guardians.
"...Did Manager Jeong Hyeonho say anything specific about how he'd use Yuha?"
"Not at all. He just smiled and repeated it like a parrot when I asked."
The manager kept parroting that Yuha would play but revealed zero details. And then...
On Game 5 day, everyone who saw the lineup card the Titans submitted was stunned.
"...So this is what he meant by Yuha playing?"
Busan Titans
- CF Jeong Suyeong
- 1B Kang Gihoo
- RF Frank Rodriguez
- 3B Yoon Gangyeol
- DH Jin Yuha
- C Park Cheongwon
- 2B Jegal Hoon
- SS Baek Jihun
- LF Kim Taeyong
Jin Yuha's name appeared in a spot no one had imagined.
It was during training camp before the Korean Series.
"Manager."
I approached Manager Jeong Hyeonho.
"Mind if I give hitting a shot?"
Honestly, I didn't expect a yes. It was a ridiculous ask. But...
"What?! For real? Finally?"
The manager's reaction was way off-script. He nodded eagerly, like he'd been waiting for this.
"...Kinda caught me off guard?"
The reason I'd volunteered as a hitter was Oh Daesoo sunbae's obvious drop in stamina as the DH. He was pushing hard for a storybook end to his retirement season, but age was catching up—he looked more strained with every game.
'Even with that reasoning, I figured it'd be a tough sell...'
Come on. There were plenty of other options for DH besides me. My teammate Jang Munwoo might stink on defense, but his bat was solid enough.
I'd never anticipated this kind of reaction.
"Yuha, you have no idea how long I've waited for this. I asked you before, remember? About swinging the bat."
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it."
Funny enough, that was during a Guardians series too.
"I could tell just watching. You can hit. And you're confident about it, right?"
Damn right.
"Of course."
The manager shrugged at my bold claim.
"I'm all for it a hundred times over... but what does hitting coach Park Hyungwoo think?"
He turned to hitting coach Park Hyungwoo beside him. The coach looked flustered at first, then got serious.
"I think it's fine too. Daesoo hasn't exactly lit it up in the championship series... and we all know Yuha can hit."
Guess he'd been watching my bored batting practice during training.
With the manager and hitting coach on board, my name was locked into the lineup. But...
"Will the other guys buy into it?"
Convincing the team was another hurdle. Sure, I had their trust as the ace pitcher, but that was pitcher Jin Yuha—not hitter Jin Yuha.
"Huh? That's your worry?"
Manager Jeong Hyeonho brushed it off like it was nothing.
"You've got the confidence, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'll set the stage. ...Though I doubt we'll even need it."
And that's how it went down.
"...What? You wanna go batter vs. pitcher? Do the Titans do casual events like this between drills?"
That was how I ended up in a hitting duel with Park Gwangho from the training partner Cavs.
CRACK!!
"..."
And why Park Gwangho posted on SNS that he'd never beat me in his life.
"Yuha... you're not gonna steal my job later, are you?"
"Nah. I suck at first base defense."
"...First base?"
"Ugh... you throw so well, I forgot—Yuha's Jin Yuseong sunbae's kid."
"Whoa, that's bloodline power right there. Head's spinning."
"Is that guy really a baseball player? What have I been doing all this time...?"
"Yo, Munwoo's broken. Someone fix him."
"Just have Yuha call him an 'idiot,' and he'll snap back."
"Yu-ha! Sign with the Mets already! Ace starter and cleanup—you're exactly what they need!"
"If they're missing ace and cleanup, isn't the whole team just trash?"
"Shh. Don't push James's buttons."
Luckily, I won over my Titans teammates too.
"...Hahaha! They went dark on training for this?!"
Oh, and I got the nod from the Titans legend color commentator. Not that we needed it.
Their sharp glares zeroed in on Jin Yuha, casually flipping his bat.
"Oof, that's some heat."
Kang Gihoo sunbae sidled up, joking.
"What is?"
"The stares from the Guardians dugout aimed your way."
Eh.
"Makes sense from their side."
"And they don't even know the half of it."
Didn't they just.
"Two-way players aren't exactly common."
Understatement of the year. In modern baseball, there'd only ever been one successful two-way star.
"But one guy on the Guardians knows we're dead serious."
"Who?"
Who else?
"Kim Beomjun."
The teammate I'd dragged to a high school championship win.
"Damn it! The Titans bastards aren't just ignoring us—they're pitching their guy as a hitter?!"
Amid the seniors' curses, Guardians rookie catcher Kim Beomjun—straight out of high school—couldn't hide his unease.
Baek Daegi from Rhinos, drafted first round on pure hitting. Kim Beomjun, hailed as high school baseball's top offensive catcher. Lee Hyung from Warriors, pegged as a future five-tool star.
Truth was, they all lagged behind Yuha in raw hitting talent. That's how it was rated back then, and that's how they felt.
'Pro-amateur gap is huge, sure...'
But Yuha was Yuha.
'They shouldn't underestimate him like this.'
At least...
"Beomjun. Yuha got hitting talent too?"
Today's starter, Shim Chando, hadn't dropped his guard on Yuha.
"Yeah. Honestly, among our class, he had the best pure bat."
"...Genius, huh."
Good. They wouldn't get blindsided.
Game 1—the Titans' lone Korean Series loss. Yet starter James Gilbert's 7 scoreless innings shone bright.
THWACK!!
"Strike three!"
Four days' rest later in Game 5, it was more of the same. James Gilbert fanned the side to end the top of the first.
Bottom of the first.
THWACK!!
"Strike three!"
Shim Chando, on short rest, lost some velocity but kept his pinpoint control.
CRACK!!
He gave up a single to No. 2 hitter Kang Gihoo.
THWACK!!
"Out!"
But induced a double play off No. 3 Frank Rodriguez to escape the inning.
Shim Chando proved in one frame why he'd been the league's top ace before Yuha.
Top of the second.
CRACK!!
Leadoff double put James Gilbert in a jam, but...
WHOOSH!!
"Swinging strike three!"
Just like Shim Chando in the first...
THWACK!!
"Out!"
He managed the threat masterfully.
And then, the moment everyone awaited: bottom of the second.
THWACK!!
"Strike three!"
Cleanup hitter Yoon Gangyeol went down swinging after a 5-pitch battle.
BOOM BOOM! Clap! BOOM BOOM! Clap!
The entrance music so familiar to Titans fans echoed through New Sajik Stadium.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Jin Yuha took light practice swings and stepped to the plate.
"Hey, Beomjun."
I greeted my classmate Kim Beomjun.
Tap tap.
Then stamped the edges of home plate one by one.
The preview of next season's Jin Yuha had begun.