Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Translator Wjin
Chapter 45
Toyama, a legendary pitching coach, had nurtured countless Japanese star players. In his eyes, Yamada Ryuji was a once-in-a-generation talent, a pitcher destined to be among the best not only in Asia but in the world.
So, what was the guy who had hit Yamada Ryuji's 160 km/h fastball, possibly the best pitch of his life, to the back screen?
He had spent his entire life as a pitching coach, indifferent to batters. But this Korean player, a rival at that, had piqued his interest, even to the point of coveting him.
“An interesting player…”
As Toyama muttered, Ryuji approached with a slightly dejected face.
"I'm sorry."
“No. It’s not your fault. You were just a little unlucky. And the game has just started. Tae-hyun’s at-bat is still to come. Challenge him again! I believe in you.”
The coach’s advice seemed to have helped. Ryuji returned to his position with a slightly more cheerful expression.
“Toyama-san, is that true? Do you think Ryuji can stop him?”
The manager asked him. Although he was the manager, he was quite polite, given his respect for Toyama’s experience.
“Of course not. Didn’t you see? The swing of that Tae-hyun player? That swing is just not on this level. He’s in a different league… I just advised Ryuji so he wouldn’t collapse.”
“Is that so… then maybe we should walk him…”
“That’s for you to decide as the manager. But… if there are no runners on base, it might be better to just face him. Pitchers are a sensitive bunch.”
“Yes… but he’s been doing a good job against the other Korean batters, so I have to hope he can stop him.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
“As expected of Cha Tae-hyun! I believed in you!”
“Thank you, Cha Tae-hyun! You’re increasing our chances of flying back home!”
“I worship you, Tae-hyun-shin…”
“An ace supports another ace. That’s it!”
As soon as I returned to the dugout, I was met with a barrage of high-fives. They were much harder than usual, to the point of being a little painful. Everyone must have been feeling the pressure of the Japan-Korea match.
“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so happily.”
Kim Yu-bin suddenly said something strange.
“I hit a home run, of course I’m smiling. Would I be frowning?”
“Usually, you don’t frown, but you always looked unimpressed.”
Hmm… thinking back, it had been like that since I came to Japan.
“So, what’s got you in such a good mood today?”
At that question, Ms. Mi-yeon immediately came to mind, and I couldn't help but smile again.
“What, you’re grinning again.”
“There’s a reason.”
Right. This wasn’t the time for that. I casually approached the manager.
“Oh, the future of Korean baseball! Korea’s treasure! Isn’t it Cha Tae-hyun! What’s up!”
The manager laughed heartily and patted my shoulder. Well, if I were the manager, I’d probably like a player like me too. Anyway, in that case, I should get something in return, right?
“Could you do me a favor?”
“Huh? A favor? What is it? Just say it! I’ll do anything!”
"Can I go see Ms. Mi-yeon after the game?" Of course, I couldn’t say that.
“Can I have some time to myself after the game?”
“Hmm… we haven’t won yet, but if we do, all the interviews and press conferences will be focused on you.”
“I’ll do the interviews. But… the press conference… could you somehow…”
The manager started to think, stroking his chin. Was this a bit too much to ask?
“Alright! Then win this game and get the MVP! Then I’ll somehow take care of it. You can go sightseeing or something!”
I hadn’t quite understood why this person was called a great manager until now… This person was indeed a great manager.
A manager who knew how to properly motivate his players. This was more than enough to be a great manager.
“Thank you!”
“That’s the loudest voice I’ve heard from you so far. Did you want to go sightseeing that badly?”
“Uh… something like that!”
“Right, I like your honesty! Hahaha! Then go hit another home run!”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
As the top of the 4th inning began and Cha Tae-hyun stepped into the batter’s box, sighs and gasps could be heard from the stands.
“Cha Tae-hyun again?”
“I get chills just looking at him now…”
“I wonder if Ryuji can stop him this time…”
“How can he? He hit a 160 km/h pitch to the back screen.”
“But that was right down the middle. Wouldn’t it be okay if he mixed in some breaking balls and moved the ball around?”
As the spectators thought, Ryuji had indeed decided to put his pride aside a little and face Cha Tae-hyun with mostly waste pitches. The first pitch was a slider that broke away outside. It had a sharp horizontal break, but Cha Tae-hyun stood there without flinching.
“Ball!”
‘He took that so easily…’
Ryuji clicked his tongue and threw another waste pitch, a low one.
“Ball!”
This time too, Cha Tae-hyun just watched the ball with a calm expression. He threw a forkball with a large break for the third pitch, but Cha Tae-hyun’s bat only twitched slightly.
Starting with three balls, a count extremely disadvantageous for the pitcher, the Japanese spectators’ faces turned pale.
“...He’s not going to hit another home run, is he?”
“I think he already has…”
“Damn it! Ryuji! Just walk him! There are no runners on base!”
“Right! Just walk him! Let Tae-hyun go!”
The spectators thought that would be better, but…
‘I believe in you!’
Recalling his mentor’s words, Ryuji decided to trust himself one more time. He surreptitiously gripped a changeup and threw the ball. A changeup, famous for deceiving batters with its deceptive arm action and slower velocity. And a pitch he hadn’t thrown a single time until now.
‘He has to be fooled at least once!’
The image of Cha Tae-hyun swinging and missing flashed through his mind, but…
Craaaaaack!!!
…it disappeared like a wisp of smoke, and the ball, with a loud crack, was soaring high and far. Ryuji didn’t even follow the ball and lowered his head with a deep sigh.
└ lol, you should have just walked him lol
└ Two consecutive home runs lol
└ Ryuji’s mentality is going to be shattered lol
└ Look at the Japanese fans, they were sighing, but then they caught the home run ball and are suddenly happy lol
└ Ryuji, are your parents Korean?
└ There was a spy on the Japanese team…
└ Why doesn’t our country ever send out the first-string?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
Although Ryuji had given up two consecutive home runs to Cha Tae-hyun, the game was still a tight 2:1 until the top of the 9th inning. Cha Tae-hyun was a bit of an anomaly, but Ryuji’s pitches today were by no means easy to hit.
The fact that he had managed to hold on until the top of the 9th with a relatively low pitch count, compared to Kim Chang-hyun, who had been taken out in the 7th after reaching his pitch limit, proved that.
But even if he had pitched well, the fact was that they were losing by one run. In the bottom of the 9th, the Japanese team was on the brink of defeat. So the Japanese team manager made a bold move.
“Get in the batter’s box, Ryuji.”
He had eliminated the designated hitter and put the pitcher, Ryuji, in the 3rd spot in the batting order.
This would cause a defensive shift, and if the player who moved couldn't play that position, it would be a problem. And that was the case for the Japanese team.
Because he had forcibly put Ryuji in the 3rd spot to match the batting order that started from the 1st batter in the bottom of the 9th, the defensive positions were completely messed up.
He could have put in a defensive substitute, but there weren't many good options for the current positions. It was a sign that he was putting everything on the line in this bottom of the 9th.
Ryuji also agreed with the manager’s gamble. It was a risky move with no backup plan, but he thought that he could at least tie the game or even get a walk-off hit against the Korean team’s bullpen.
“Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
The manager nodded and smiled slightly. He had no doubt that Ryuji would lead the team to victory. But… that was before Cha Tae-hyun came up to the mound.
└ ???? I thought the Japanese team was crazy, but what about us?
└ What? Why is Cha Tae-hyun pitching? Can a batter do that?
└ So many newbies. Don’t you know that Tae-hyun-shin pitches?
└ He was a two-way player long before that Ryuji or whatever lol
└ If you’re a Tae-hyun-shin fan, you probably expected this lol
└ Yep lol
└ Ah lol, we won. I’m just going to lie down and relax lol
└ Right, I’m already wearing my sleep mask lol
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
Tae-hyun, are you really okay? You don’t have to push yourself. I’ll give you time to yourself anyway.
It seemed that Jeon Ho-cheol was truly a great manager. In international tournaments, especially youth tournaments, it was common for players to be overused.
But the fact that he tried to stop a player who was volunteering to pitch as the closer made him a great manager in itself. Well, even I thought it was a bit of a stretch for me to pitch. I glanced at the first base stands.
As soon as our eyes met, I saw Ms. Mi-yeon’s smiling face. Since Ms. Mi-yeon was here, I had to push myself a little. She probably wouldn't want me to row back in a rubber basin either.
“Taichi! Taichi! Taichi!”
As soon as the first batter stepped into the batter’s box, cheers erupted, but they died down as soon as I threw the first pitch.
Thwack!!!
[156km/h]
Next, I threw two more fastballs with the same velocity, and…
“Strike—out!”
I cleanly struck out the first batter. The next 2nd batter was the same, three fastballs.
“Strike—out!”
A three-pitch strikeout.
“Nice! Nice, Cha Tae-hyun! Please get the next batter out too! I’m nervous!”
I chuckled at Kim Yu-bin’s voice from behind. I glanced back and saw that he was really nervous, with beads of sweat on his forehead. I looked back at the batter’s box, and the last batter of the game and Japan’s hope, Ryuji, was stepping in.
“Waaaaah!!!”
“Ryuji! Ryuji! Ryuji!”
Although there had been cheers throughout the game, this was the first time I had heard such a deafening roar. Well, it was a situation where the crowd would be excited. Their star player was up in the last out.
“Don’t be nervous! Cha Tae-hyun! Ignore all that weird Japanese!”
…Who was the one who was nervous?
Anyway, that guy’s gaze was definitely different. He was full of determination, and it reminded me of my showdown with Jin Tae-hyun. I took a deep breath and wound up.
I didn't have much time to warm up my shoulder, so it was a little sore, but… He had thrown a fastball right down the middle in my at-bat, right?
I was also quite spiteful. I gritted my teeth and gathered all my remaining strength, swinging my arm fiercely. Just as Ryuji had done, the first pitch was a fastball down the middle.
Swoosh.
“Strike—!”
Ryuji, who had swung and missed, immediately turned his head and checked the scoreboard, then let out a hollow laugh.
[158km/h]
Did the velocity come out well? I liked to have a fast pitching interval, so I didn't check. The ball felt good today. Should I be a little more greedy? I wound up and threw the ball with quite a bit of force this time.
Clack!
As if he couldn't be beaten by the same fastball, Ryuji’s bat immediately followed and made contact with the ball.
“Foul!”
“Aaaah…”
With a sigh of disappointment, the ball went foul. Ryuji, who had looked at the scoreboard again, opened his mouth slightly, as if surprised.
[159km/h]
It was a reaction that made me curious, but I didn't check this time either. The ball wasn't being pushed back, so it was right to maintain my pace.
I wound up again, and thinking that this 3rd pitch would be the last, I gathered all my strength and swung my arm. I had pitched so violently that my cap came off and briefly blocked my vision.
When the cap fell and my vision returned, the ball was about to hit Ryuji’s bat.
Clack!
The ball and the bat met. Then the ball should have flown forward.
Crack!
The bat broke, and the ball went up, not forward. I watched the ball and slowly walked to where it would land. I held out my glove and caught the last out of the game.
“Out!”
“Game set!”
It was the moment we stood at the top of the U-18 Baseball World Cup.