The Pitcher Who Wants to Strike Out the Pigeons
Choi Seungtaek had one small grievance that had been simmering for a while now, even if he never voiced it.
He wanted to work with Jo Oosoo more.
He had been pulling efficient pitches out of the foreign starters using the low-and-away fastballs combined with defensive shifts, but that was not what the foreign pitchers wanted.
So gradually Choi Seungtaek was losing the trust of the foreign arms.
*Damn, this is serious. These numbers matter. What the hell are the guys from the Majors supposed to do if they don’t understand that?*
It didn’t matter whether it was sabermetrics or not. In the end, a pitcher’s greatest strength was finishing innings on the strength of strikeouts.
That was why he understood why the pitchers were a little annoyed with him, but with 144 games on the schedule he had no choice but to look farther ahead.
*It really does preserve the body to throw efficiently like this… With Manager Han Geunseong wanting a four-man rotation, the pitch count will drop even more. This is driving me crazy!*
In the end, the foreign pitchers had been trying to find a better combo with Jo Oosoo, and Choi Seungtaek had been told in the meeting that he would be paired with the domestic pitchers.
But in the third game against the Busan Seagulls, the bench-clearing incident caused by Choi Seungtaek had forced him to miss two games, and Jo Oosoo had taken the mound instead. That gave Choi Seungtaek the opportunity to work with Antonio.
So today Choi Seungtaek was going to take advantage of Antonio and settle the game. Not with the efficient method he had been using—defensive shifts—but with overwhelming pitching that would target the opponent’s weaknesses.
In the end, he would have to regain the trust of the foreign pitchers. Only then could he trust them in crucial moments. For one day he would let them pitch exactly as they wanted.
“Seungtaek-ah, what kind of nonsense is that? You’re just handing everything over to Antonio?”
It was Lee Gun-taek, an outfielder fan who had been quietly seething at the heckling from the stands, who finally asked.
“I checked Antonio’s stuff a while back after I got sent down to the minors following the bench-clearing against Gangnam Parrots, right? That guy’s stuff is insane. Today is the day we’re going to catch these pigeons.”
“Huh? That’s it? You’re really that good?”
Choi Seungtaek didn’t make many boasts, so Lee Gun-taek’s face lit up with genuine surprise.
“If I can’t go the whole game, I’ll still throw a complete game. If I can go the distance, I’ll guarantee a no-hitter. Once we get past three innings the crowd’s energy will die right down.”
The moment Choi Seungtaek spoke, Hwang Ganggyeong shot up from his seat.
“Hey, we’re still busy, though. You throw so many shifts. So sometimes it’s nicer when a senior like Oosoo comes out.”
Hwang Ganggyeong muttered under his breath.
“Hah. The reason we’re giving up so few runs is because we’re throwing those shifts. The outfielders are feeding the ball pitchers the perfect targets and the pitchers are throwing with more confidence.”
“Still, man, you’re shifting every two batters and it’s too much, isn’t it?”
The benefit of the shift was that it tied the opponent up effectively, but it also had a downside.
It took a little time to set up, and if the batter got a ball in the empty space they had created, it became a nightmare.
But the gains had far outweighed the losses, so Choi Seungtaek’s shifts had continued without pause.
He could feel the runs had dropped by a noticeable amount, so even though the infielders grumbled, no one had ever voiced a real complaint.
*Sigh. The seniors really do hate the shifts when they’re thrown too often.*
Hwang Ganggyeong grumbled, but Choi Seungtaek understood. The other infielders had felt the same way. At least when Jo Oosoo pitched, the shifts were lighter, so for about two days a week they could skip the shifts entirely.
“Hey, we have to be that thorough so the opponent suffers. We get to play with them too, right?”
“That’s true. But today the pitchers are good, right? What’s different today?”
Hwang Ganggyeong asked again, and Lee Gun-taek, who was also curious, listened quietly.
“Yeah! It’s different. Today we’re not even doing shifts. It feels like everything can be handled right here on the mound with Antonio.”
“Insane?”
“Yeah. In that sense, maybe we won’t even need the infielders today. We could just lie on the ground and roll in when it’s time to defend, then walk back to the dugout. No, really. That’s what we’re doing.”
“What?”
The other infielders perked up at the sudden words.
“So no shifts today. For real.”
“You’re not doing it? For real?”
“Yeah. No need. Antonio’s pitching like a madman.”
Choi Seungtaek said it confidently, and the players’ faces lit up with relief. They had escaped the shift hell for a little while.
***
The game began and the bottom of the first inning, the Pigeons’ turn at bat, was upon them.
“Lee Gun-taek, you son of a bitch~!”
An outfielder fan had yelled at Lee Gun-taek as he walked out from the dugout to the outfield. It was clear someone in the stands was constantly provoking him, but finding the single die-hard fan in the crowd was impossible.
*Wow. He really keeps at it. With this many people around, it’s not easy to spit that much. Shouldn’t the staff be kicking them out?*
Choi Seungtaek, heading homeward, had heard the voice too. He pulled his mask on and walked to home plate.
From a distance he watched Lee Gun-taek.
“Lee Gun-taek, you bastard!”
The die-hard fan cursed again the moment Lee Gun-taek looked straight ahead, then went quiet when he looked back.
*This outfield is no joke.*
Choi Seungtaek scanned the Pigeons’ home stand once, let out a long sigh, and turned his attention to the mound.
Antonio was already loosening his arm on the mound.
*Antonio, you have to do it. There’s a lot riding on you.*
Choi Seungtaek was beginning another strategy, one that would come after the wrong-information purge.
*I’m going to make the whole team slow down its real scouting by showing off your performance today. So you really have to pitch well. But I won’t hand you all the spotlight.*
Choi Seungtaek had used a similar tactic before. Last time it had been with Russell. This time he was giving the spotlight to Antonio.
*Antonio is better than Russell. Today we’re going to crush the Pigeons. My analysis plus Antonio’s stuff equals perfection.*
Choi Seungtaek had finished analyzing every detail of the Pigeons.
When they had met before, the pitching staff had been weak, so it had been a little troublesome. Now the team was more complete and a three-game sweep was possible.
*The Pigeons are in rebuilding mode, and their hitters are in rough shape.*
Of the nine batters, only two were hitting .200. The third batter, Kim Muk-chan, and the foreign leadoff hitter Brett Pill were carrying the line.
But the rest of the order was dire. Half of it sat in the .200s and the other half in the low .200s.
*Plus the Pigeons’ lineup has one major weakness. A home run paradise for right-handers.*
Choi Seungtaek ran the Pigeons’ hitters through his head while receiving Antonio’s pitch.
Swooosh
Thwack!
“Nice.”
Antonio’s fastball felt powerful.
*Antonio’s command is good. Today is the perfect day to destroy them.*
Swooosh
Thwack!
Again the cold, fastball came and Antonio’s heavy pitch registered in Choi Seungtaek’s hand.
A perfect early 150 km/h fastball. The radar gun read 153, but the movement was even better, so Choi Seungtaek felt it coming in the high 150s.
*Fast, moving, and one change-up to play with.*
[SLIDER]
Nod.
Swoosh.
*Good.*
The slider came in looking, and Choi Seungtaek called for a slider that would break from the low-and-away pitch and ride down to the bottom-left corner of the strike zone.
Swoosh.
The ball came right in and Choi Seungtaek was satisfied.
*Good. The pigeon hunt begins now.*
Choi Seungtaek focused on Antonio.
[The System is assisting]
The System notification appeared immediately and displayed Antonio’s current status in numbers.
[Antonio: A-grade starting pitcher]
[Velocity: A | Command: A | Stuff: A | Endurance: A]
[Preferred repertoire: Fastball, slider, curve | Actual usage: Fastball]
[Status: Trying to adapt]
Choi Seungtaek saw overwhelming skill. Antonio’s command was good and his adaptation was evident.
*Good. This is a pitcher from the Yankees. Behind them.*
Both pitcher and catcher were ready when the batter stepped up.
It was Bong Jong-gil, the Pigeons’ leadoff hitter.
*The Pigeons’ only left-handed batter. Once Bong Jong-gil is out, it’s all righties. They can be worked over on the exact same path.*
The Pigeons’ biggest weakness was the lack of left-handed hitters.
*Bong Jong-gil is a leadoff hitter but barely .230, and he’s only been back from injury a short time, so his timing is off. Even if his condition is poor, he’s the only lefty they have.*
Choi Seungtaek checked the next batter on the scoreboard.
*Even if they put him second, the second batter, Bae Gak-gi, is hitting low .200s and has good plate discipline. They’ll probably platoon him there. This is something we can play with. We just have to be careful with numbers 1, 3, and 4.*
Choi Seungtaek chose the pitch Antonio would throw best.
[FASTBALL]
Every strike zone turned bright blue.
*Holy shit. How powerful is this? Every single part of the zone lights up. No thinking required. This is heaven.*
The System notification flashed again.