Chapter 55 Crushing the Dinosaurs in Spring Camp
Crushing the Dinosaurs in Spring Camp
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title:
Crushing the Dinosaurs in Spring Camp -----------------------------------------------------------------
"Cha Tae-hyun's fantastic Jump Catch! Will he pull it off? Cha Tae-hyun! Incredible! It's the kind of defense that leaves you speechless!"
"That play was all about lightning-quick reaction speed. The moment the crack of the bat rang out, Cha Tae-hyun was already set... and he leaped right then! Man... what phenomenal defense! How is this guy a rookie?"
The Phoenix TV broadcast team was practically shouting in excitement, unleashing a torrent of exclamations.
"Doesn't it just feel like this year is different? The rock-solid stability of that infield defense! It's so effortless, it's like lying on a Simmons Bed! Check out Lee Su-ho's reaction on the mound too. Priceless, right?!"
💬 Comments — Anonymous Holy shit, Su-ho's face is in pure bliss lololol
— Fanboy123 Ji Chan-woo's face we never got to see lmaoooo
— AntiJi Never wanna see Ji Chan-woo again ^^
— RealTalk If Ji Chan-woo wasn't on Phoenix, he'd never sniff the big leagues
— NeutralFan Andy John's defense is pretty solid tho?
— VenezuelaHater At least he's not Venezuelan, that's a plus
The manager was just as pleased.
'Infield defense won't be an issue.'
Andy John had been brought in primarily for his defensive skills, and he was delivering exactly as expected.
But Cha Tae-hyun... this kid was the real deal.
Great Defense was one thing, but no matter what, Cha Tae-hyun was a fresh-faced rookie just stepping into pro ball.
Yet he showed no signs of nerves—in fact, he even smirked cockily at times.
It wasn't the raw bravado of an immature newbie.
To the manager, it felt like the relaxed confidence of a veteran who'd been around the league for years... someone who was genuinely enjoying the game.
'The more I watch him, the more I see he's something special.'
The manager was grinning contentedly at Cha Tae-hyun when—
"Strike... out!"
Shin Tae-seop, up at the plate, went down swinging.
The next batter followed suit. And the one after that.
The top of the second ended scorelessly with strikeouts and groundouts, but the manager's face remained serene.
'Just as expected.'
Disappointment or regret only came from expectations.
Lee Eun-seok, who knew Phoenix inside and out, had zero expectations.
The only minor regret was pushing the rookie Cha Tae-hyun down in the lineup out of consideration.
If he'd known the kid would thrive like a fish in water, he'd have bumped him up higher.
The teams switched sides, and the Dinosaurs' offense began.
The Dinosaurs put up a fight against Phoenix, but they were still a bottom-feeder team.
Crack!
"Out!"
Crack!
"Out!"
Against Lee Su-ho on the mound, and the keystone duo of Cha Tae-hyun and Andy John, they couldn't muster a single hit.
As the sixth batter, Lee Ji-ho, stepped up, the Phoenix manager's eyes gleamed with interest.
'They say he's the next big rookie after Cha Tae-hyun. That look in his eyes is different.'
Lee Ji-ho battled stubbornly, fouling off Su-ho's pitches until the seventh one—a tight fastball inside—and unleashed a vicious swing.
Crack!
A solidly hit ball. Lee Ji-ho sprinted full tilt toward first.
Even as he sensed a hit, his eyes instinctively flicked toward shortstop.
'He... caught that?'
Cha Tae-hyun was already on his feet with the ball, flashing a grin right at him.
And with that, a laser throw.
Lee Ji-ho gritted his teeth and dove for the bag. The ball arrived in the first baseman's glove at almost the exact same moment.
Ball first?
Or Lee Ji-ho?
After a tense silence, the umpire's call rang out.
"Out!"
"Whoa... that should've been safe. Don't let it get to you—our Tae-hyun's just on another level today."
Shin Tae-seop chuckled as he patted the dazed Lee Ji-ho on the back and headed to the dugout.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The teams switched again, and finally, all eyes were on the hot-topic rookie Cha Tae-hyun as he stepped to the plate.
💬 Comments — Newbie That's the 2 billion won rookie?
— Informed Yeah, the bottom-dwellers hyped him up nonstop after drafting him.
— HSBBFan Can't blame 'em, dude demolished high school ball.
— Skeptic How many high school hotshots fizzle out? Lol
— Hater Fr lol why the hype train? Lmao
— VetFan Why all the fuss lol
Kim Hyun-soo had heard all the hype—once-in-a-generation rookie, monster prospect—but it didn't faze him.
Bombed high school leagues? Most big leaguers had done the same.
Kim Hyun-soo himself had been a top high school ace, drafted in the first round.
—Cha Tae-hyun? The guy's a maniac—crushes every fastball, fouls off anything off-speed that doesn't hang too bad.
Kim Hyun-soo recalled asking Lee Ji-ho about him and chuckled.
Smashes fastballs, handles off-speed?
If that were true, he'd be in the majors.
Cha Tae-hyun knew his high school tricks only worked there, which was why he stayed.
So the catcher's sign to start with a chase pitch was spot on.
Playing it too safe, aren't you, catcher?
Shaking his head, Kim Hyun-soo gripped a fastball. After a few sign exchanges, he got the nod he wanted.
Stepping onto the rubber with a big windup, he fired toward the outer corner mitt with everything he had.
Kim Hyun-soo's fastball clocked late 140s.
Not elite velocity, but top-tier spin.
Even if contacted, it wouldn't go far.
And this one was perfectly placed—tough to even square up—
Crack!
Cha Tae-hyun's bat whipped through viciously. The sharp crack froze Kim Hyun-soo's thoughts.
Not pulled, just poked at a fastball that could've been called a ball—
...But why is it flying so straight...?
Kim Hyun-soo whipped his head around.
The right fielder had already given up chasing, stopping midway as the ball banged off the wall and caromed away.
He scooped it desperately and gunned it home, but—
"Safe!"
Cha Tae-hyun was already casually standing on second.
Staring blankly at him, Kim Hyun-soo suddenly remembered Lee Ji-ho's words and let out a hollow laugh.
—Cha Tae-hyun? The guy's a maniac—crushes every fastball, fouls off anything off-speed that doesn't hang too bad.
"He really is a maniac..."
Next up: the ninth-hole catcher, Shin Si-woo.
Kim Hyun-soo, rattled by the double, sprayed balls everywhere.
"Si-woo!!!!"
The Phoenix catcher everyone ignored walked.
💬 Comments — Dreamer Wait, is this a dream?
— PhoenixFan Our team's catcher... seeing the ball?!
— RookieWatcher Can catchers actually advance to first? Mind blown
— Conspiracy Check Kim Hyun-soo's bank account—bet Si-woo's name is on it. This can't be real
— Vet You newbies flooded in cuz of Tae-hyun—why act shocked? Catchers always suck a bit?
— OldTimer Don't even try to understand...
— Curious Do all catchers suck that bad?
— JustStop I said don't ask...
"Hyun-soo! It's just a scrimmage—loosen up and let it fly!"
The Dinosaurs manager visited the mound to steady his pitcher, but—
Crack!
"Jin Gyu-hyun crushes the elevated inside fastball! Slices cleanly through the three-four hole for a single—Phoenix riding the momentum!"
"Lee Jun jumps on the first pitch for another double! Back-to-back two-baggers. Lee Jun is feeling it at the plate!"
Phoenix's bats, now firing on all cylinders, erupted more fiercely than expected, plating five runs in the inning to close out their offense.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Phoenix led the league in "last place" stats across the board—except team batting average.
They ate errors for breakfast, starters and bullpen lit fires nightly, but their offense was decent. Today's scrimmage highlighted that perfectly.
They tacked on three more through seven, proving their bats could rake.
But it also proved they had nothing else—no answer beyond offense.
The moment Su-ho hyung left after the seventh, the pen imploded, surrendering eight in the eighth to tie it.
Anyway, top of the ninth—likely my last at-bat.
"Tae-hyun, right? You can hit."
As I stepped in, the Dinosaurs catcher chirped. His "senior's friendly praise" dripped with edge.
"Thanks."
Best to brush off trash talk.
"Our closer's pissed—best sinker guy in Korea. Want me to call for an easy one?"
Why so salty?
He's persistent with the chirps.
I caught him glaring after my double earlier—did my smirk piss him off that bad?
People say I smirk smugly, but dragging it out like this?
Pro ball's full of salty vets, huh.
"Asked for an inside fastball, so swing away nice and easy."
Fine...?
Psych war or underestimating me—who knows.
But if it's in the zone,
Hitting it? Piece of cake.
CRACK!!!!
I uppercut a low sinker perfectly.
The sweet vibration shot from my hands through my body. The pitcher turned to track it.
I watched over my shoulder, bat still raised, as it cleared the fence.
Started jogging to first feeling great—then it hit me.
This ain't high school.
Pro league, packed with vets who'd chirp over a smirk.
But... this was mutual, right?
"You called inside heat first, hyung—so you get the trot, yeah?"
His slack-jawed silence meant agreement.
Maybe not a total asshole.
Jogged to the bases in high spirits.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Breaking News [Phoenix Wins Spring Camp Opener vs Dinosaurs 9-8! Is This the Year Things Change?]
📰 Breaking News [Cha Tae-hyun Starts and Ends the Offense! Monster Rookie Dominates Scrimmage!]
📰 Breaking News [Lee Ji-ho: "I'm way behind Tae-hyun. Always striving to keep up!"]
📰 Breaking News [Nixon Baseball Sees Surge in Flagship Bat Sales Thanks to Cha Tae-hyun's Heroics...]
📰 Breaking News [Offense Heating Up... But Bullpen Still a Mess? Phoenix Relief Corps Disappoints Again]
Phoenix won their first scrimmage and kept rolling with four straight victories.
Fans were already toasting a championship, showering new manager Lee Eun-seok with nicknames like Lee Gold Stone, Diamond Stone.
"This is serious... really serious..."
But Lee Eun-seok's sighs grew heavier by the day.
Four wins were four wins, but all gritty comebacks or last-gasp holds—ugly games underneath.
The manager asked his chief coach.
"You said no usable bullpen arms? All injured?"
The pen was already weak—and half the so-called Closer Setup was banged up.
"Well... the guys are a bit fragile, get hurt easily."
The manager scoffed.
'What bullshit, said with a straight face.'
Last year's innings for those "closers" topped 70 easily.
Over 70 means heavy management needed—yet they blew past it. No wonder they're breaking.
This bullpen usage was ancient—back when the manager played.
The era of "shoulders get stronger with use" nonsense.
Starters' logs made it somewhat understandable.
Starters need to eat innings and hold leads for the pen to work. Last year? Phoenix starters ate nothing, held nothing.
The released foreign pitcher's 5+ ERA made him double-check the data.
Even so, preventing pen abuse is the pitching coach's job.
'Gotta overhaul the whole staff.'
Back in Korea, first order: fire the coaches.
"...Gonna need trades once we get intel. We got prospects, right?"
"Uh? Yeah, we do."
The chief coach tilted his head.
Prospects? Sure, bottom-feeders hoard 'em—but trades?
"Tr... trading prospects?"
"Yeah. Once the season starts and we show some results, package 'em for immediate-impact relievers."
The chief coach's jaw dropped.
'Is he serious?'
Prospects' value was self-evident—future assets to nurture.
Fans' hopes pinned high; botch it, and backlash could be brutal.
"Y... you're serious?"
"Dead serious."
"B-but manager, trading prospects is selling the future!"
The manager snorted at the desperate plea.
"Chief coach."
"Y-yes..."
"30+ years without a title—what future? How long you gonna chase 'tomorrow'?"
He eyed the coach before continuing.
"Phoenix fans want rings now, not promises. Waited 30 years—'one more year'? What if it's 100?"
Couldn't argue "100's too much."
Even to the chief coach, it didn't sound crazy anymore...