Chapter 1

Prologue

The life of a washed-up pitcher is not a happy one.

It's not that he was always bad; he was once called a genius.

It's even worse for those whose careers were ruined by injury.

They spend their days in despair and frustration.

Lee Jung-woo was no different.

"I'm sorry, but we, the Devils, have decided not to re-sign with Lee Jung-woo."

His one-year contract had ended.

As always, there was no extension.

It wasn't an outright release, but it made little difference.

But Lee Jung-woo remained calm.

After his cursed shoulder injury, this kind of thing had become all too familiar.

'Now, where should I go?'

An average fastball speed of around 130 km/h.

Even when he clenched his teeth and threw, his four-seam fastball could only reach a maximum of 135 km/h.

No movement to speak of. It was a typical straight fastball.

His two-seam fastball was a bit better but still slow, and below average.

His changeup and curveball, which were supposed to be his breaking pitches, were at an amateur level. At least his control was decent.

He wasn't anything special, not even in the 4A or 6A leagues.

A pitcher used to fill a gap in the rotation for a year.

A sacrificial pawn used in losing games.

A piece of junk that neither the team, the fans, nor his teammates welcomed.

That was Lee Jung-woo, the pitcher.

'If only I hadn't been injured...'

It wasn't always like this.

Just after graduating high school, he was so impressive that everyone was making a fuss over him.

A complete three-pitch arsenal with a powerful four-seam fastball that could reach 153 km/h and devastating breaking pitches.

A genius who didn't even struggle with control, a common issue for power pitchers.

He thoroughly dominated high school baseball and boarded a flight to Atlanta with a $2.5 million signing bonus. After smoothly bombing Single-A, he was waiting for a promotion to Double-A when his shoulder was ruined.

After that, it was all downhill.

Even after rehab, his performance didn't return.

He never made it to the majors, not even to Double-A, and was released a few years later.

He returned to Korea, spent two years refining himself, and entered the draft, but the atmosphere was completely different from before.

'Those people who were willing to give me everything changed their minds in an instant.'

After confirming that he wasn't the Lee Jung-woo they remembered, the teams naturally lowered their treatment. Just a backup player. An accurate assessment, given his actual performance.

Thus, he moved from team to team until he ended up where he is now.

'Should I retire?'

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about making a living.

He wasn't a lavish spender, so most of his signing bonus was still intact.

He had no family to support. So, even if he quit now, it wouldn't affect his ability to live.

But... he felt a sense of regret.

Desire.

His desire for baseball hadn't faded.

It would never fade.

A flame fueled by the dream of the big leagues.

It would never die out until that dream was realized.

So, it was impossible to quench.

He was now a piece of junk, unable to survive even in the KBO, let alone the majors.

'Should I have switched to being a batter back then? Would it have been better?'

Such thoughts occasionally crossed his mind.

Being injured before didn't matter.

His shoulder was bound to break down eventually.

He had always been meticulous in his management. A simple and stable pitching form, thorough stretching, and proper warm-ups. He never overpitched and would come out if he threw more than 100 pitches.

Yet, he still got injured, so he must not have been built for it.

His shoulder was just that weak.

So, his pre-injury days were meaningless.

Just during his minor league days.

He remembered the offer he received after a disastrous return from rehab.

The suggestion to switch to a batter.

At the time, Lee Jung-woo rejected it.

He firmly believed his skills would return.

He started baseball because he wanted to be a pitcher.

For him, baseball was about throwing a ball from a 10-inch (25.4 cm) mound.

But now, he felt a bit of regret.

If he had known he would end up like this as a pitcher.

Would it have been worth trying a new challenge?

Lee Jung-woo shook his head.

He found it amusing that he was still indulging in such fantasies.

'Thinking about it now is pointless. The bus has already passed.'

He muttered this to himself and tried to put the thought aside.

But the bus was coming back.