Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Translator Wjin
Chapter 41
After the first inning, the US national team was flustered by the unexpected turn of events.
Their first, second, and third batters had been retired in order, and their ace pitcher, Trigueros, had given up a home run in the first at-bat.
On the other hand, the Korean national team’s manager, Jeon Ho-cheol, was very calm. Having managed for a long time, he had anticipated this level of performance.
However, he had judged that it was inefficient to face the fourth batter, Tom Clancy, and that thought remained even after seeing Kim Chang-hyun’s good pitching today.
It was a good idea to avoid a showdown with Clancy, given his past performance, even though they didn't know his condition today.
“I’ll face him just once.”
So, he should have politely refused the still inexperienced pitcher’s challenge and persuaded him, but…
“Right. A pitcher should have that much spirit. Throw it with confidence.”
Jeon Ho-cheol calmly respected Kim Chang-hyun’s wishes. The reason was simple. He judged that Kim Chang-hyun, the pitcher he knew, would show a much better performance, even if he got hit once, if he was encouraged like this.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to the mound?”
“No… I was just surprised that you agreed so easily.”
“What kind of manager doesn’t believe in his players? Just get on the mound already.”
A short word. Honestly, he didn’t believe it, and he thought it would be difficult, but sometimes, such lies were necessary.
Kim Chang-hyun, smiling faintly, answered with a loud “Yes!” and went to the mound.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
After the change of innings, the giant batter, Tom Clancy, who was at least 190 cm tall, stepped into the batter’s box. Immediately, the US fans waved their flags and cheered.
“Tom Clancy! Tom Clancy! Tom Clancy!”
‘The popularity is definitely different.’
Although there had been cheers before, it was the first time Kim Chang-hyun had heard the batter’s name being chanted.
He tried his best to ignore the cheers and focus on the batter in front of him. He had decided to leave the pitch selection entirely to Jin Tae-hyun, so he threw a low curveball as per the sign.
A curveball that dropped sharply with a large break, a pitch that Kim Chang-hyun himself was satisfied with.
“Ball!”
‘He seems to have a good eye.’
Clancy, living up to his reputation, cleanly took the pitch without a hint of hesitation. The second pitch was a slider that broke away outside. It had a good break, but the control was a little off, and Clancy didn’t miss it.
Crack!
Kim Chang-hyun’s heart sank, and he quickly turned his head to check the ball.
Ah…
A sigh of disappointment from the stands, and a sigh of relief from Kim Chang-hyun’s mouth. It was a foul home run that had just missed the foul pole.
It was a relief, but the fact that he had hit that slider, which was just off the plate, so easily in two pitches was definitely a threat.
‘…He’s definitely a tough batter.’
For a moment, he thought about walking him, but his body was already throwing a fastball.
Craaaack!
At the same time, Clancy’s bat swung fiercely, and the ball soared high. Kim Chang-hyun nodded, sensing a home run, and Clancy, as if imitating Cha Tae-hyun, threw his bat with one hand and raised his fist to the stands.
└ Oh, for fuck’s sake, why did you have to face him when you could have just walked him?
└ What’s wrong with Kim Chang-hyun today? Giving up a home run in the second inning.
└ Oh, you baseball idiots. How was that a bad pitch? It’s just that Clancy, that crazy bastard, hit it so well.
└ We lost, I’m turning off the TV.
└ We lost, gg.
└ Volcanos, take back your number one starter, Kim Chang-hyun.
└ We’ve only given up one run, what’s with the overreaction?
└ Only one run? lol. He got shelled in the first inning too, but Cha Tae-hyun saved him. Just wait, he’ll get shelled soon.
└ He’s getting hit from the start. How can his mentality not break? lol
└ Right;; The problem is that he pitched well and still got hit. Is he okay?
The viewers were worried about Kim Chang-hyun’s mentality, but he didn’t seem to care.
‘I just need to be careful next time.’
He still had the two runs his teammates had scored for him. So, he just had to protect that lead as much as possible. That was all he was thinking.
“Strike out!”
Clack!
“Out!”
Kim Chang-hyun calmly finished the inning with a strikeout and two groundouts, not giving up any more runs.
└ Wow, he got out of that cheaply.
└ As expected of the Volcanos’ number one starter, Kim Chang-hyun!
└ Damn it, didn’t you just say to take back the number one starter? lol. What a quick change of heart.
└ But didn’t the Volcanos say they were going to draft Kim Shin-hwa last time?
└ Those bastards are the same as the Last Place Phoenix lol. They just claim any good player as their own lol.
└ Don’t slander the Phoenix. The Phoenix is fine with just Lee Seung-tae, Cha Tae-hyun, Jin Tae-hyun, Kim Shin-hwa, and Kim Chang-hyun.
└ ?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
Kim Chang-hyun was a man of great pride and self-respect. That’s what people said about him. And it was true. He believed in his pitches and never shied away from a challenge.
But he didn’t cross the line. If a moment came when he had to admit that his pitches weren’t working, even if he didn’t want to, he was the kind of person who would boldly give up the challenge for the sake of the team.
That’s why there were no more showdowns with Clancy after the second inning. He had judged it ‘impossible’ and had cleanly walked him. It was a little disappointing.
Opportunities to face an opponent of his caliber, even if not as good as Cha Tae-hyun, in a real game were rare.
Although he had given up a home run, the thrill of the showdown… the thrill of the split second when the ball left his fingertips and would either go into the mitt or hit the bat… was still lingering in his body.
Right. It was definitely a shame.
‘An ace has to protect the team’s lead.’
Thanks to that, he had saved his pitch count and had been leading the game with a 4:3 score until the top of the 9th.
And most importantly, the US, who were desperate for a tie, had tried to bunt with a runner on second and no outs, exchanging an out for an advance to third.
In this situation, it was a good strategic decision to walk even an ordinary 4th batter, not just Clancy, and aim for a double play.
‘Right… first, walk him and then aim for a double play with a two-seamer—’
“Hey.”
Kim Chang-hyun, who had been fiddling with the ball in his glove, widened his eyes. Jin Tae-hyun was standing in front of him, having appeared out of nowhere.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
Jin Tae-hyun looked at him for a moment and then tapped his chest with his fist.
“If you want to throw it, then throw it.”
“In this situation, that’s a little risky—”
“So what? If we give up a run, we’ll just score more.”
“No…”
As Kim Chang-hyun was flustered, Cha Tae-hyun shouted.
"Senior Chang-hyun, just throw it. I’ll take responsibility if you get hit!”
“He said so.”
Kim Chang-hyun chuckled and nodded.
"Right. An ace should know how to trust his team."
“That’s it! Kim Chang-hyun!”
Kim Chang-hyun laughed once more and tapped Jin Tae-hyun’s chest. Jin Tae-hyun returned to home plate, and Kim Chang-hyun’s grip on the ball had changed.
Not a slider that would break away outside, but…
…his most confident pitch, the fastball.
He pressed the seams as if to break them, stepped on the rubber, and swung his arm fiercely. He had already lost to this opponent once in the second inning.
Now in the 9th, the probability of losing was higher, but his face was filled with confidence.
Clack!
Clancy fiercely hit the fastball that jammed the inside. But Kim Chang-hyun didn’t turn his head and immediately prepared for the next pitch.
‘You’re late, Clancy.’
The ball flew far foul of the foul pole. A sigh of disappointment came from the stands, but Clancy nodded as if he knew.
Clack!
“Foul!”
Clack!
“Foul!”
“Ball!”
“Ball!”
“Ball!”
A tenacious at-bat. Soon, all the lights indicating the count were flashing. Full count. Jin Tae-hyun showed an “okay” sign instead of a sign, and Kim Chang-hyun chuckled, wedging the ball between his index and middle fingers.
A forkball he had been practicing hard since receiving advice from Cha Tae-hyun, now his proudest breaking ball. The ball, which had left Kim Chang-hyun’s fingertips, flew towards Clancy, and Clancy’s bat also came out at a terrifying speed.
Clancy twisted his wrist and made contact with the forkball, which was dropping with a beautiful break.
Crack!
The ball soared high.
“Waaaaah!!!”
“Tom Clancy! Tom Clancy!”
The crowd, sensing a home run, cheered wildly. And Kim Chang-hyun raised the corners of his mouth.
“Good pitch.”
Clancy, who had left a short word, walked to the dugout, not the bases, and…
“Out!”
…Clancy’s hit was caught by the center fielder in front of the fence. But there were still two outs. The runner on third came home, and the US had succeeded in tying the game.
“Alright! Kim Chang-hyun! We’ll finish it! Just get one out!”
Kim Chang-hyun laughed once more and continued to pitch.
“Strike out!”
He finished the top of the 9th with his own hands.
·
·
·
After a short change of innings, Kim Chang-hyun called out to Cha Tae-hyun, who was about to leave the dugout.
“An ace keeps his word, Cha Tae-hyun.”
“I know.”
Cha Tae-hyun said confidently and tapped his chest as if to say, “trust me.”
‘Of all people, I have to face him first.’
Trigueros spat nervously as he saw Cha Tae-hyun step into the batter’s box. Before he came to the mound, the manager had said to try to induce him with waste pitches and then walk him if it didn't work.
It was a blow to his pride, but it was also true that one big hit could end the game. The catcher also called for a curveball that would break wide, and Trigueros reluctantly nodded. No, he was about to nod.
“Hahaha! That crazy bastard, really!”
“He’s calling his shot here, hahaha! He’s a superstar, really!”
…until Cha Tae-hyun raised his bat and pointed to the outfield.
“Calling his shot…? Does he think he’s Babe Ruth?”
Gritting his teeth, Trigueros immediately changed his grip to a fastball and threw the ball with all his might. At that moment, Cha Tae-hyun raised one corner of his mouth so much that his teeth were showing, swung his bat fiercely, and…
Craaaaaack!!!!!!
Cha Tae-hyun’s called shot… became a reality.
“That’s it, Cha Tae-hyun!!”
Kim Chang-hyun, who had jumped up, and the entire national team, rushed out of the dugout. And the commentators started to go wild.
“Yes, it was a tie, but our batters are doing a very good job. Especially Cha Tae-hyun, I’m really looking forward to him. Now, Trigueros’ first pitch… Ah… Aaaaaaah!!!!! Is it going? Is it going? Is it gone! It’s gone! Go! Go! Go! He got it! He got it! It’s gone! Walk-off! Wow! Really, Cha Tae-hyun started and ended the game with a home run. He’s a truly amazing player!”
└ Damn it, really lol, you can’t help but worship him!
└ Shin Tae-hyun… I worship you…
└ Wow, look at that beautiful swing. I cried so hard, seriously 😭😭
└ ?
└ Phoenix’s championship-clinching home run lol
└ No, Last Place Phoenix, that’s not it. It’s a ‘major league-clinching home run’ lol
└ Shut up, damn it
└ It would be a ‘national loss’ if a player like this didn’t go to the majors. Isn’t he a player who will bring glory to Korea in the future? Thinking back to my days before I went to the New York Mets, I think Cha Tae-hyun’s performance is similar. Doesn’t it seem certain that he will go to the major leagues…?
└ Why is this guy spamming the chat with nonsense?