Yet Another Collapse — The Penalty Outing
Seungtaek was already sick of it.
Lee Chung-seong had been throwing pitches at full speed like some kind of punishment, but the real culprit was the endless requests for corner cuts.
Every single one of them.
And here he was on the mound, shoulder screaming, fingers trembling, yet still no relief.
[Lee Chung-seong: C+ Grade Starter]
[Velocity: B+ / Control: B+ / Stuff: B+ / Stamina: B+]
[Pitches: Fastball, Slider. Curve preferred: Fastball]
[Note: Extremely flustered. Has not yet fully accepted the situation]
Seungtaek tapped his mitt again.
He’d been waiting for the perfect moment to end this farce.
A straight fastball straight down the middle.
Lee Chung-seong stared at him for a split second, then gave a stiff nod.
Four innings had to end. That was the only way.
Shhhhiiik.
Pak!
Strike.
“Aigoo. Well, at least control’s finally coming back.”
Seungtaek’s mind was spinning, but he kept the game rolling.
This penalty outing carried three layers of meaning.
First, it proved Chung-seong’s control was intact.
He couldn’t just walk off now. From here on, the ball had to be thrown right down the middle, and if they were going to get out of the inning, Seungtaek had to help. That meant the control issue was about to be shoved in front of everyone on the news.
And that news would become a trade chip.
Second, he was burning every remaining inning clean, preserving the bullpen.
A lost game called for the cleanup crew.
But the Magpies had only one starter left who was even worth a damn. The pen had been decimated; they couldn’t afford to throw more arms at this.
Seungtaek’s plan fit perfectly.
Third, it was the only reason his stomach felt half as sour as it did.
“Just me. My stomach feels a little lighter now. Manager Han’s method is correct when it works like this.”
He watched Chung-seong’s face grow tighter with every pitch and felt genuine satisfaction.
[Chung-seong: C+ Grade Starter]
[Velocity: B+ / Control: B+ / Stuff: B+ / Stamina: B+]
[Pitches: Fastball, Slider. Curve preferred: Fastball]
[Note: Extremely flustered. Has not yet fully accepted the situation]
Another outside fastball.
Shhhhiiik.
Pak!
Strike.
The Sparrows leadoff man flinched hard. The ball had clearly been outside.
“Good. Let’s try something harder, Chung-seong.”
Seungtaek asked for the dropper slider. Chung-seong threw it without complaint.
Shweeeek.
Boong.
Strikeout.
“Aigoo. Suddenly control is perfect? I should’ve thrown it half that hard earlier. Let’s try to recover some of the damage I’m about to take. After all, you’re going to have to leave anyway.”
Seungtaek’s plan had been slightly derailed, but if they held the rest of the inning without drama, he could still sell it for the rest of the season.
* * *
He somehow survived the inning.
Chung-seong realized the situation had turned worse and walked over to the pitching coach, face pale.
“Coach…”
“What?”
“Can you sub me out?”
“No. Manager’s orders only. Don’t you have eyes?”
The coach gave a flat refusal. The veteran players around them shot Chung-seong looks that could cut glass.
Those eyes said, “You don’t even know you’re under penalty?”
Chung-seong finally accepted reality.
“Understood. I’ll keep throwing until the end.”
Not throwing now would brand him a total bust. He might not even make the Magpies roster, let alone renew his contract. He lowered his head in defeat.
* * *
Chung-seong kept coming out for the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.
“When the hell are they going to pull me? Are they seriously going to make me go nine?”
Each new inning crushed his nerves more.
Manager Han gave no signal. The pitching coach gave none.
His shoulder burned. His fingers started shaking.
In the top of the seventh, watching Seungtaek sit calmly in the dugout, Chung-seong finally felt some peace.
“Hahaha. You really look like shit.”
He had thrown over 140 pitches. More than seventy had already been used in the fourth. Of course the count kept rising.
‘Why am I the only one who has to dig in and throw now?’
Seungtaek sat down laughing inside. He asked for another corner cutter.
“Damn. Always telling me to throw it in the corners.”
Chung-seong steadied his trembling hand and nodded.
“Just throw it like you’re told in the first place.”
Seungtaek considered how to manipulate the count while still getting an out.
Control, not velocity. Perfect location for strikeouts. The downside was that the few pitches that grazed the line would keep the count climbing if the ump didn’t call them strikes.
Seungtaek, still lacking framing skill, could barely hold the line. And the ump was refusing to call strikes even on well-located balls.
Chung-seong was forced to pitch alone now, relying entirely on himself.
This was hell.
* * *
Something unexpected happened.
Crack!
Seungtaek’s leadoff man for the bottom of the seventh was Lee Gun-taek.
“Leadoff man Gun-taek gets a hit!”
Henry had thrown a quality start and left. The Sparrows brought up a prospect, and the Magpies’ revenge started immediately.
The team had been crushed early, but for the next game everything had to change.
Lee Gun-taek got a hit. Kim Hae-ja followed with one. The dugout suddenly came alive.
“Good! Nice!”
Captain Tae Pyung-yang pumped his fist.
“The Magpies’ offense in the seventh is deadly. Runners on first and second!”
Crack!
Cha Haeng-jin, batting third, ripped one.
The three outfielders had all gotten hits and the Magpies scored their first run of the night.
7-1. Six-run deficit. Bases loaded.
“What the hell is this?”
Seungtaek, batting sixth, had been relaxing when the mood shifted. He stood up.
Crack!
Tae Pyung-yang lined one between second and third.
7-2. Again. Two on, two out.
Lee Sung-sip stepped up next. Seungtaek moved to the on-deck circle.
“Eh? Eh? What is this?!”
Seungtaek watched from the on-deck circle in shock.
The Magpies’ batting was elite. The pitching was trash.
Crack!
Lee Sung-sip drove one deep. The ball cleared the fence and rolled out.
Two runs scored. Two on, none out.
Seungtaek stepped into the box.
“Crazy. This is directed at me.”
He stepped up confused.
They had planned to simply wear down Chung-seong. Then suddenly the Magpies were on fire. He had to stay sharp.
Kang Ho-jin was the new pitcher.
[Kang Ho-jin: C+ Grade Middle Reliever]
[Velocity: B / Control: C+ / Stuff: C+ / Stamina: C]
[Pitches: Fastball, Slider. Curve preferred: Fastball]
[Note: Extremely tense. Self-doubt. Mental collapse. Panic.]
“Oh ho?”
That made sense. Four runs in one inning could break a pitcher.
Second-year guy. Still raw. Seungtaek had the edge.
Seungtaek sighed and glared.
Thump-thump.
His heart started racing.
[System assisting]
Seungtaek saw the pitch sequence.
Both honest.
Shweeeek.
“Ball.”
Pop!
Seungtaek signaled to the runner.
Lee Sung-sip advanced.
He was even more nervous now.
Shhhhiiik.
“Center. Slow.”
Seungtaek saw the fastball with backspin rise and roll. The seams were perfectly visible.
“If I miss this, I’m dead.”
He yanked the ball toward him with everything he had.
Thud!
The sound echoed across the stadium.
The ball sailed toward the left-field fence.
“Oh my god! Choi Seung-taek! HOME RUN!!”
“Two-run homer by Choi Seung-taek! The score is 7-6! The Magpies are right on the Sparrows’ heels!”