Autumn Camp 3
Ah… I’m going to die at this rate.
After the grueling nighttime training, every floor of the dormitory was thick with groans and sighs.
The beauty of intense training was that it could rapidly raise a player’s skills. But the downside was that players would simply die trying.
Whoa… I’m done for. Ugh-uh-uh. There! Right there!
Choi Seungtaek helped shortstop Hwang Ganggyeong pack ice and apply compression wraps. The infielder’s torso and thighs were covered in bruises.
Can you see it? All the infielders are dropping like this. The training is just too brutal.
Is this really how closing camp is supposed to be?
Of course not. Spring camp wasn’t like this either.
Hwang Ganggyeong explained how the previous Magpies closing camps had gone, given Seungtaek’s question.
Back when the Magpies closed camp, it hadn’t been much different from what Seungtaek remembered from his time with the Busan Seagulls.
I see.
Hey, but you’ve got an amazing body. I heard you were the type to throw yourself into training until you completely broke down. Are you hurt anywhere?
Choi Seungtaek had chosen his own ability and felt it was a good one.
The reason he could endure Manager Han Geunseong’s infamous harsh training was this trait’s power.
Even when pain flooded his body, he would recover overnight. Even in the terrifying moments right before injury, his body would always hold.
But he couldn’t let on, so Seungtaek simply shrugged it off.
I’m fine, really. It’s tough, but I can still make it.
You can make it? Hmph. Young ones have it easy. Just be careful. If you push too far and get injured, that’s the real headache.
Thanks for worrying, senior.
Why senior? Hyung, of course.
Yes! Hyung!
Hwang Ganggyeong checked the wraps and lay back on the bed.
Are you going to sleep right away again today?
Yes! I have to, right?
Of course. Sigh… so I can push through tomorrow too. Alright, Seungtaek. Thanks for the wraps. Now go rest and sleep.
Yes! I’ll turn off the lights.
Choi Seungtaek turned off the lights and lay down on the bed.
There was a slight ache in his body, but it would be fine when he woke up.
He had tested this many times. Even if he was badly hurt, he recovered fully within days. Tiny scrapes healed overnight.
Tomorrow morning would be almost completely back to normal.
Once Choi Seungtaek realized he truly could not get injured, from that day forward he threw himself into training without worrying about damage.
Because he overdid it, the coaches actually started worrying, and thanks to that he managed to leave a good impression on the veteran players too.
People don’t hate someone who works hard.
Daily stretching and proper exercise required.
Restricted intake of foods you can eat. Alcohol and unhealthy junk (fried foods, noodles, fast food) cause nausea.
Duration: Ongoing
But this was the problem.
Even though the already brutal training made eating a small joy, he was now limited to it.
One day a donkatsu was on the menu and he happily took a big bite—only to taste the bitter aftertaste and have to spit it out.
Meal times were short, so he had to shove in large amounts of lean protein like chicken breast or white fish and tofu along with vegetables.
The same penalty applied to alcohol. At the closing-camp farewell party the night before, Seungtaek had taken a sip and immediately vomited, earning him the reputation of “the guy who can’t drink.”
Sigh…
Feeling depressed that he couldn’t enjoy tasty junk food that everyone else did, Seungtaek muttered to himself.
Why are you on a diet in the middle of everything?
Excuse me? Diet?
You’re really something. Choi Seungtaek, right? A rookie and already thinking that far ahead? Amazing.
After repeatedly choosing only the healthy parts, his head coach noticed.
Haha… no, I’m not that special.
That’s right. I want some fried food or udon too.
That’s a good posture. Eating good food reduces inflammation in the body. But you still need to supplement calories so you can train. Don’t just pick the healthy stuff—eat properly.
Thank you, Coach.
No problem.
***
In the Daejeon Magpies’ main conference room, the general manager, scout, and strategy analysis team were holding a meeting.
We really need to perform this time. Otherwise the fans are going to start saying the president’s baseball team has been bought out and forgotten.
I’m sorry.
Of course the fans were just joking. But some people at the parent company might not like it, so please do your best.
The Daejeon Magpies were currently the funniest team in professional baseball.
They had finished last for three straight seasons from 2012 to 2014.
The surprising part was that even though a new team, Ulsan Egrets, had entered, the Magpies still finished below them.
Because of that, the front office had rarely been in a bright mood.
So what’s the closing-camp vibe like now?
The atmosphere itself is really good. Thanks to Manager Han being the captain, the veteran players have been participating voluntarily.
The Magpies’ parent company actually had a strong interest in baseball. They had been pouring money in, but three straight last places were unbearable.
So this time they had promised drastic support to ensure they escaped the cellar, and the first step had been hiring Manager Han.
The start was good.
They had also allowed a large-scale closing camp, so most players could take part.
More players and coaching staff meant higher costs, but proper evaluation of the team required it.
How did the internal evaluations go? The FA players are almost done negotiating with their current teams, right?
It’s a shame. Several positions still need reinforcement. But we also have players we must protect as FAs, so big money is hard to spend.
Tsk, so which positions do we need to fill?
According to the data we sent, one infielder and two pitchers seem necessary.
The general manager looked at the reports sent from the closing camp. A cellar-dwelling team for three years had many holes in its roster.
Especially a lot of negative opinions about the pitching staff and the pain of missing infielders.
What? No additional catcher requests? Weren’t we weak at catcher?
The general manager looked a little surprised that there were no extra catcher requests this time.
This year the rookie drafted in the first round is expected to handle backup catcher duties.
Really? Then that’s good news. You really nailed the first-round pick. We can put money elsewhere. Do we have any FAs we can target?
The scout immediately answered.
One good piece of news. We think we can bring in Park Hyeok from the Daegu Eagles.
Park Hyeok?
The general manager looked surprised again. Park Hyeok was a key left-handed middle reliever for Daegu.
That would be a huge upgrade for a weak pitching staff like Daejeon’s.
Yes! That’s right. Apparently Daegu hasn’t been paying Park Hyeok well. Maybe we can bring him in.
Then push it. Keep scouting other pitchers too.
Understood.
Then what about the foreign players?
Someone was already sent to the United States. However…
The mood in the meeting room grew steadily darker.
They had failed to secure a good player.
***
Choi Seungtaek had already been in Okinawa for closing camp for a full month.
His daily routine had been extremely simple.
Sleep, eat, train. The same three things on rotation.
And he had checked his progress.
Choi Seungtaek: C-grade catcher.
Blocking: C (1.2%) Framing: C (0.7%) Runner Control: C (0.8%)
Only one percent? That’s actually a lot. I worked so hard for that.
He had trained almost nonstop for a month except for sleep. Still only gained about one percent.
If he kept grinding like this for twelve months, ten years without rest, he would need to become a B-grade catcher.
Of course catchers had always been a tough position, but Seungtaek felt a little sad seeing the pain ahead.
Recalling the terrible night before, he sighed and started packing for the trip home to Korea.
He would fly back to Korea that evening, so he needed to pack quickly and rest.
After finishing his packing, Choi Seungtaek lay on the bed and checked his phone.
The screen was full of messages about the camp schedule.
Manager: Choi Seungtaek — November 24th, morning blocking training.
Manager: Choi Seungtaek — November 26th, afternoon batting practice.
Manager: Choi Seungtaek — November 25th, nighttime runner control training.
Whoa, that’s brutal. You’ve been working hard.
Choi Seungtaek! All packed?
Yes! Ready to go home!
Then let’s head out.
Yes! Understood!
Choi Seungtaek returned to Korea that way.
Late in the evening he arrived at Incheon Airport. After swapping his phone’s SIM back to the original, he saw messages he hadn’t been able to check earlier.
The top unread one was from Park Gayeong.
The date he had returned to Korea was November 27th. The college entrance exam had ended two weeks ago.
Ah… no way.