Before the 15th Season (3)

"Play ball!"

The first game of the 2024 KBO spring training began.

Our team had been touring the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces in the middle of the schedule, then through Chungcheong, and finally to the capital region, and it was the final weekday before the opening weekend, so we had only just arrived in Seoul.

Since I wasn't scheduled to pitch today, the coaches told me to relax and enjoy the game.

The coaches, the die-hard fans, and the casual fans didn't care much about the spring training results.

They didn't pay much attention to the key players' performances either. Only young players get attention in spring training.

Today and tomorrow's opponents were the Gwangju Lions.

Normally, looking at the history of professional baseball, the Busan Marines, Gwangju Lions, and Daegu Tigers are called the Big Three.

Strictly speaking, calling them the Big Three would make the Marine fans angry, and considering the absolute top spot of the Marines, the Lions and Tigers are competing for second place.

The Busan Marines, who have won 15 times in professional baseball history and are currently on a three-year championship drought, are a team with an enormous fan base, led by the baseball city of Busan and the Gyeongsang region fans in the capital area.

Their financial power is at the top two in the industry, and another difference is that there are many promising players from the Gyeongsang region who say "I won't play in Korea unless it's the Marines," so they always have the strongest roster.

The Lions and Tigers below them are great historic teams, but compared to the Marines, the Tigers have legendary hitters and the Lions have legendary pitchers, that's about it.

And the Seoul Dragons, where I play, were a team that shone in the 1990s, sucked in Seoul's baseball fans during their prime, and still does decently with support from major corporations, but it's a team with a growing burden to produce results.

Most importantly, among the top 4 teams responsible for the league's popularity, the Big Three in this century have won championships twice, and unfortunately, the Seoul Buffaloes, who share Jamsil Stadium, have won five times in this century. Of course, during that period, the Dragons didn't win a championship or even make the Korean Series even once...

Although there is definitely an aura of darkness, the fact that it's a chance for me is because I believe that if we elevate this team to the top, it will bring more wealth and honor.

We beat the Gwangju Lions in both the first and second games. Even in spring training, since the Lions are rebuilding with promising players and were underperforming against us last year, it's a natural result to some extent.

We arrived in Daegu after the game ended.

"Coach, did you call?"

"Oh, you're here."

The pitching coach brought me, who hadn't debuted in the spring training yet.

"How's your condition?"

"I'm maintaining it at the highest level."

'Since I wasn't pitching in the first place, it doesn't really mean anything...'

"Regardless of the result tomorrow, you'll be pitching three innings. Are you confident?"

"Oh, now the pitching opportunity has come."

"I'm confident. Just leave it to me."

"Alright, Juseong is scheduled to start, and Juseong will pitch three innings, then you'll continue with three innings. And if you go over 50 pitches, we'll switch, so don't forget that."

Baek Juseong, a first-rounder from the same draft year as me... Is tomorrow his debut? Anyway, pitching three innings within 50 pitches is a piece of cake.

"I'll try to focus on pitch count as much as possible."

"Haha, you don't have to. Think of it as competing with our talent."

Hmm... Pitch count management is a virtue for starters, and throwing everything away is a virtue for relief pitchers. Is the pitching coach and manager trying to use me as a reliever?

"Understood."

"Alright, you must be tired from traveling, so rest."

"Thank you."

Yes, first, it's important to get results.

"Lee Junseong, ready in the bullpen!"

"Yes!"

I headed to the bullpen to loosen up.

The game score was 4th inning top: Seoul Dragons 0 : Daegu Tigers 2.

From what I saw, Baek Juseong's pitches weren't that bad, but he was nervous, had many walks, and didn't get lucky.

Since it's spring training, win or loss doesn't matter, but I hoped our batting lineup would have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠enough time to loosen up after my pitching.

"Out!"

The batting lineup didn't meet my expectations. I had to go to the mound faster than I thought. It seems like on days I pitch, the batting lineup struggles. If this happens in the season, it would be problematic. Since our team's batting is not weak, it would be even more frustrating.

Speaking of which...

The broadcast camera is visible. The last spring camp blue-white game was just YouTube broadcast, but this time it's broadcast by a broadcasting station. The viewership will be lower than in the regular season, but it's definitely my professional debut in a broadcast game.

I climbed the mound with a slight sense of excitement.

The Tigers' batting lineup is quite strong for a team with many prospects. And from the 4th bottom inning, starting from number one... I can't afford to be careless.

"Junseong, don't get tense and pitch. With your pitch, there's no one who can hit it properly anyway."

"Yes, senior."

Park Ujin, our starting catcher, said.

It was my first real game, but with Park Ujin's defensive skills, I felt at ease.

Although his batting average is low, he can hit 20+ home runs every year, and he has strengths in caught stealing and framing. He's the third highest paid player on our team after shortstop Kim Junsu and center fielder Gang Daeho.

Although he's overshadowed by Ma Dongsoo of the Seoul Buffaloes, who is the best catcher in pro baseball history and one of the league's best hitters, he's still an evaluator as the league's second-best catcher... a person who can help me in many ways.

The batter came to the left box. And he's holding the bat long. It seems they haven't fully warned about me yet.

I took a deep breath and prepared to throw the ball.

-Pang!

"Strike!"

151 km. Is the velocity not increasing yet? Actually, I can throw faster, but in real games, focusing on location makes this the best.

-Pang!

"Strike out!"

The batter swung at my high fastball in the air. My spring training debut started with three strikes.

"Three strikes! Lee Junseong starts the spring training with strikeouts."

"Amazing, at two strikes, if a body-high fastball comes in that course, you have to swing the bat, right?"

"Park Ujin's pitch mix is really a crowd-pleaser, isn't it?"

"Yes, but Lee Junseong, you have to pay attention to this rookie."

"In what way, Mr. Ko Seungmin?"

"This player is already famous among the Dragons' passionate fans; a left-handed pitcher throwing hard stuff, and his control doesn't waver at all. They see him as talent that will solve the Dragons' lefty problem at once."

"Oh, really?"

"But in my personal opinion, I don't think a reliever suits him as much as a starting pitcher. Haha, of course, it's up to the manager to decide."

Ko Seungmin, who had his prime with the Seoul Dragons, is famous among young commentators for having high-quality commentary. Even if he openly expresses interest in the Dragons in commentary, he receives support from many baseball fans to the point where rival fans don't curse him.

-Pang!

"Strike out!"

My body-high tight curveball made the batter freeze completely. I've always thought pitchers who catch looking strikeouts, making the batter look like an idiot, are cooler than whiff strikeouts.

I caught three strikeouts with ten pitches. If I go over 50 pitches, I'll be replaced? I had no intention of going over 40.

"Nice pitch!"

Park Ujin patted my shoulder when I returned.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"You just throw it where the glove is, right?"

"Throwing it where the glove is, and also throwing such a hard pitch is harder, man."

"If your mind is at ease, the ball is good too."

"Haha, kid."

The absolute starting catcher's breath is influential in the team to some extent. I had decided long ago to treat Gang Daeho, Kim Junsu, and Park Ujin with special respect.

"Strike out!"

"Lee Junseong! Lee Junseong! Lee Junseong!"

"Lee Junseong got another triple play! Even in the cold weather, the Dragons' away fans gathered in Daegu are cheering."

"Yes, you're throwing well, and seeing the bullpen ready, it seems this inning is Junseong's last. It was really amazing pitching. Nine consecutive hitless batters, seven strikeouts, and two outs without leaving the zone."

"Ko Seungmin said at first that Lee Junseong was famous among the passionate fans, but now he'll be a player that all Dragons fans pay attention to, right?"

"Haha, I can guarantee it. It won't take more than a few months to capture the hearts of not only Dragons fans but all baseball fans."

The fastball and curve were perfect. I threw only one slider, but the location wasn't perfect. Of course, I still believe I can handle fastballs and curves well for now.

"You worked hard, Junseong."

"Thank you, coach."

The pitching coach greeted me as I came down from the mound.

"You only threw 34 pitches, huh. It's embarrassing that I said 50 pitch limit."

"I just threw confidently. Since I have confidence in my control, I don't worry about pitch count usually."

It came out of my mouth, but thinking about the past, it's a generational gap.

"Right, but it's good to throw with the mindset of pouring everything out. That way, there won't be many batters who can hit your pitch properly."

The conversation with yesterday didn't really differ.

Manager Park Duseong is known for being stubborn, and coaches rarely change. So, most decisions come from the manager's whims.

"Anyway, today's pitching was really amazing. Since there's no scheduled start this weekend, you can rest well."

"... Understood."

Even with the opening, is the starting rotation plan gone for now? Good, good. I can perform well in the bullpen. If I half-ass it because I don't like it, only I will suffer.

I searched for my name in the community to find it. Seeing the clips of my appearance was very surprising and fun. If a ten-thousand-person crowd is added here, how much fun it would be?

Today's game, even after I came down, we couldn't come back and lost. Even though it's spring training, when the batting lineup is frustrating, fans get irritated, but the prospects' good performance always makes fans happy.

It's natural, but because I'm a rookie now, no matter what, I can get more attention and love from the fans.

When will the next spring training start? If the manager doesn't change his mind about my position despite my performance, I'll be angry, but if not, I'll build my position my way.

And no matter what position... Rookie of the Year, big salary increase, Asian Games selection after the season ends, I have the confidence to do anything.