Chapter 4

Home Plate's Villain - Chapter 5 (5/363)

# 5

Hongbin, you are a moral book… (4)

1

Throughout my life, I never wanted to think that things had gone smoothly for me.

Strictly speaking, the biggest factor was the untimely accident that took my parents. Apart from that, to be honest, I can say that things have gone relatively smoothly. From a young age, I was always an expected player, all the way up to the pros. Of course, in the pros, if I didn't meet expectations, I also faced excessive criticism.

Thanks to the baseball fairy that came from my father's belongings, I did have an easier time playing baseball than others. But I also worked hard, to the point of bleeding. I really did bleed, and it wasn't just once or twice.

Because I had a gift that no one else had, I aimed to work even harder than others to become a player that was hard to surpass.

And because my life goal was to return with 3,000 hits, I endured countless temptations and even refrained from dating.

After all, when the time comes, I will have to leave that person.

If I had a child and developed deep feelings, I might not have the resolve to return to meet my parents again.

I didn't even look at anyone, which is why I once had the nickname 'Hongge,' short for 'Hongbin Gay.' At that time, I seriously considered filing a lawsuit.

Although I digressed a bit, in this life, I wanted to date a bit… Damn, that's not it…

"Giants and Tigers are not great, but please tell me the detailed conditions of the other three teams."

I'm lucky again. The list includes two of the teams I was targeting.

The Tigers have a solid starting catcher until they become free agents in four years, and the Giants have a monster appearing.

While I could aim for the starting position in four years with the Tigers, my ambition is to step onto the big league stage as soon as possible. So, it's time to hear about the remaining three teams.

"First, the Athletics have sold off all their starters this year through a fire sale and will start a full rebuild next year. If you can stand out quickly, it won't be bad. Small markets are usually like that."

And the Athletics, with their prospects breaking out randomly, will also be a team that brings chaos to the American League West in 2-3 seasons.

The catcher wasn't outstanding, but I remember they were in the middle of the league. In any case, the Athletics are one of the three teams on my list.

Mr. Arnold's words are based on the premise that my skills will back me up. The most important thing is my ability. I need to prepare and show it. I need to be ready to make a positive impression from the start, no matter what.

"The Rockies, with Coors Field as their home stadium, will be advantageous for high stats in hitting if you get called up. They are also the team that has shown the most active interest in you, Hongbin."

Hmm. I didn't really consider the Rockies.

It doesn't seem too bad. Active interest can't be bad for me.

"The Phillies' starting catcher is about to turn 41. He is also mentioned as a potential future manager for the Phillies, and the resources to back him up are weak. The team's farm system is almost non-existent when it comes to catcher prospects. But…"

"But?"

"The fans there are a bit different. In the less popular Athletics, you can grow your skills with less attention. The Rockies have relatively mild fans. The Phillies have the fans that major leaguers fear the most. They won't care how many miles a young catcher flew to get to Citizens Bank Park or what efforts they made."

"Hmm…"

Indeed. The fans' attitudes are important.

For a rookie debuting in the majors, it can be hard to maintain mental strength if they hear harsh jeers and taunts from the fans.

But me?

For 20 years, I played in front of the most passionate Busan fans in the KBO.

"Which conditions are the best?"

In pro sports, it's all about money. Of course, if I perform well in the majors, the size of the signing bonus will be peanuts, but it's undeniable that a team willing to spend even a dollar more is more likely to give me a chance.

In response to my father's question, Mr. Arnold shrugged his shoulders as if boasting about his ability and said confidently:

"The Athletics, Rockies, and Phillies offer $2.8 million, $3.5 million, and $3 million, respectively. Whichever you choose, it will be the highest signing bonus for a Korean high school player in history."

Which one is the best?

The two teams I had in mind, plus the other one doesn't seem too bad.

ㅇㅅㅇ: Hehe.

ㅇㅅㅇ: Don't you get happier the more you get criticized?

ㅇㅅㅇ: The more hate comments you get, the higher your batting average. What a pervert.

Hmm.

This kid definitely needs some proper education.

ㅍㅅㅍ: How insolent.

2

3

There are many opinions.

Some articles seem to curse me, as if wishing for my failure, and there are baseless speculations about illegal contacts.

It doesn't matter. That's what sports media does.

I chose the Phillies for several reasons.

In fact, I am a personal fan of the Phillies' catcher, Gavin Polcovich, and the biggest reason is that their catcher farm system will continue to be a mess.

I also included a spring training invitation in the contract. It's my first time in America, so I'll have a lot to learn.

I also really wanted to see former MLB stars.

It might sound strange to call them former stars when they are in their prime, but that's how it is.

"Make sure to get Ryan and Jim Thome's autographs. Please, son."

Ah, there was also my father's request for autographs.

The Phillies' farm system has quite a few good pitching prospects.

The problem is that most of those good pitching prospects end up breaking out with other teams.

My plan is to help at least one or two of those pitching prospects make it to the majors with me. I don't know how it will turn out, but if I can help, their potential might break out faster. If I can help them succeed, I might get a bit more recognition as a catcher. Especially Jim Florence… Haha, I'll get to see Jim Florence, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, in his early days.

In any case, after my move to the Phillies was confirmed, I focused only on training and didn't think about anything else.

I exercised to strengthen my lower body and built up my stamina.

"Hey, you've been acting a bit strange lately?"

"Is it because you're going to the majors, so you're different?"

At first, my teammates thought it was strange to see me so focused on training. Maybe they thought I was overdoing it after my move to the Phillies was confirmed.

But as my training continued endlessly, they seemed to notice and started training more seriously than usual.

"I'll also! Train hard! To go to the majors!"

"I'll also! Go to the majors!"

Maybe they thought my sudden skill growth after the regression was due to my training. That's why a training craze swept through our baseball club.

In any case, it wasn't bad.

From the coach's perspective, it's natural to be happy when players train.

He was even happier to see other players motivated and training hard.

And the result was…

Maybe I pushed the kids too hard, but… What can I say, I'm giving them a preemptive shot. After all, no matter how well they do here, they'll face challenges in the pros.

This winter.

I bled again while training.

Ouch. It seems I've only been exercising since the regression. But I feel full of vitality. Being young is great. No matter how many skills you have, aging is a different story.

Ah, there's another reason I chose the Phillies.

Pennsylvania, where Philadelphia is located, has no Powerball state tax!

ㅡㅅㅡ: You sly dog. Using regression like that.

Well, did I ever say you shouldn't buy a lottery ticket before the regression?