Chapter 13

Magic Spring -1-

#

-Me: Did you see the heart???

-Yuri: No, I didn't???

-Me: Why???

-Yuri: I don't know, I didn't see it.

-Me: I got scolded on the bench for doing that... 😢

-Yuri: You didn't do it, right?

-Me: No, I really did it, why didn't you see it?

-Yuri: The video suddenly buffered and cut off.

-Me: Oh, come on.

-Me: I'll go ask if I can get the video. Wait a moment.

-Yuri: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

-Yuri: Actually, I saw it after the game was edited and re-uploaded.

-Yuri: Geonwoo.

-Yuri: I saw it.

-Yuri: Hey, I saw it.

-Yuri: Where did you go?

-Yuri: Hey.

-Me: (video)

-Me: You saw it???

-Me: I just found the club staff and begged desperately to get the video. 😢

-Yuri: Oh, you did, Geonwoo.

-Yuri: You even begged a stranger to show me the heart.

#

Coach Hugh Breadman thought after the practice game against Meteors.

'Is this what Korean professional baseball is like?'

He was already aware of the skill gap within the team.

Some players had decent or excellent skills, while others were barely at a professional level.

However, if other teams were in a similar situation, it might be okay. It's hard to gauge the overall level of the league just by hearing stories or watching videos.

Finally, he could get a sense of things through a match against another professional team.

The problem was that today's opponent, Meteors, was one of the two weakest teams along with Oceans.

Many experts classified the current KBO as three strong, five middle, and two weak teams.

The three strong teams were the Seoul Bulldogs, Incheon Vikings, and Changwon Pirates, who almost always made the postseason.

The five middle teams were the Seoul Angels, Seoul Thunderbirds, Suwon Diamonds, Daegu Engines, and Gwangju Irons. These teams had the potential to rise to the top if a foreign player performed exceptionally well, the team atmosphere improved, or a player with hidden potential emerged.

And the two weak teams were the Meteors and Oceans.

'If all teams were like Oceans or Meteors... damn. But that's not the case.'

Otherwise, they wouldn't be classified as the two weakest teams.

The club didn't expect Coach Breadman to elevate the team to postseason level in a short period.

More abstractly, he was supposed to show hope for the future.

And to escape the bottom. Additionally, to rise to the middle ranks during his tenure.

The coach inadvertently let out a word.

“Fuck.”

But he couldn't show weakness.

That's what being a pro is about. If you're labeled a loser before the real game starts, every team will treat you like prey.

An interview was scheduled soon. The coach regained his composure and began preparing his remarks for the day.

He needed to emphasize the positive aspects. To inflate himself, his team, and everyone watching from the outside.

“Gang, Geon, Woo.”

Korean players often have names that are hard to pronounce. After practicing the key player's name a few times, he called the interpreter to prepare for the interview.

[(Video Interview) Who is the player to watch this season according to Hugh Breadman, Oceans coach?]

- Gang-Geonwoo

- Pronunciation 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

- A foreign coach has come, and Oceans might do well this year.

- Even watching him get tagged out by Daeo was a happy moment?

#

The second practice game ended in a victory. The Wolfpack, who had ended the previous game with a double play and two strikeouts, hit back-to-back home runs.

“He really has incredible power.”

I agree. The mechanism for generating power is different.

I try to maximize my swing speed and place my hitting point as far forward as possible to use launch angle and velocity.

“Just making contact is enough...”

I agree with the hitting coach. Making contact is enough, but the problem is with pitch selection.

He's strong against fastballs but weak against breaking balls that drop vertically. He also has a weakness against changeups of a certain quality.

To be honest, he's not at the Major League level.

But in Korea, he might be quite useful.

“I'm the home run king now, baseball boy.”

He hit two in the practice game, so he has more than the one I hit in the previous game.

After being quiet for a while, he seems to have come alive and started joking with me.

He's a friendly type, so as long as he doesn't get too lost and break down mentally, he should adapt well.

“You can't be the home run king with those biceps.”

His biceps are enormous. They're disgusting. When I said that, the Wolfpack laughed and lifted his arm to kiss his bicep, then caressed it lovingly.

No Kyung-woo cautiously said,

“Teach me some English.”

“Why English?”

“Preparation for the Major Leagues.”

“Learn Korean properly first.”

“I used to get perfect scores in dictation.”

Shut up.

After a few casual conversations with the Wolfpack, another foreign pitcher approached me. It seemed he was looking for someone to talk to, and Kirk Simpson, the left-handed starter, started to get a bit clingy.

“Hey, want to bet on who will be the rookie of the year?”

“In Korea, foreign players aren't eligible for the rookie of the year award.”

“Oh, damn. Really? Damn. Why?”

“You've played at a higher level than this, right?”

“But I'm a rookie here.”

“No, you're not. A 31-year-old rookie sounds strange.”

“I'm 29.”

“In Korea, we have a different age system. Here, you're 31.”

“Damn. Do I have to retire two years earlier?”

He says it with a smile and a light-hearted tone. As a player, he throws in the mid-90s with a top speed in the low 100s. He focuses more on control than on his pitches. And from what I can tell, he doesn't get easily rattled even when he gives up hits.

Compared to Andy Garfield, he might not have the same stuff, but over a long season, his type might be more stable.

Andy Garfield doesn't get along well with the other players. He just sits in the corner, intensely watching the games.

I hope they all do well, but if they don't, there's nothing I can do. I'm not the owner, the general manager, or the coach.

Speaking of which, the coach seems to treat me a bit differently. The day after the game against Meteors, the coach called me in and asked a question.

“You speak English well, right?”

“Probably, yes.”

“Yeah. Hmm. Do you remember when I said I'd give you the green light at base?”

“Yes.”

I'm fast. In the early part of my Major League career, I used to steal 20-30 bases a season.

The coach saw me run well in training and gave me the green light to steal bases during practice games.

“Giving you the green light at base means you can steal whenever you want.”

“I understand.”

“Really? Because it seems like you're not trying to steal at all.”

Stealing bases carries a high risk of injury. That's why I didn't do it. The green light means I can do it at my discretion.

“Do you prefer aggressive base running?”

“Hmm. Well, I just wanted to see how you steal in a real game.”

“I once badly injured my ankle while stealing in an amateur game.”

“Really? Are you afraid?”

“I'm not afraid, but I think maintaining health throughout the season is more beneficial to the team.”

The coach likes it when players speak confidently. He dislikes players who change their words or gossip behind his back.

Knowing this, I spoke honestly, and the coach replied,

“Hmm. Okay. I understand. But I still want to see your skills. Can you give me a chance?”

Maybe it's a good thing that he's a foreign coach. If he were authoritarian, I might have had no choice but to say 'yes' when he told me to run.

So I answered that I would show my base running skills in the next practice game.

“Good. I'm glad we can communicate.”

My response.

“I'm glad I can communicate with you, Coach.”

I'll try to steal some bases in the next game.

#

The Changwon Pirates are geographically close to the Busan Oceans and are often considered rivals due to various events at the time of their establishment.

The Oceans, a founding team, and the Pirates, the 9th team with one of the shortest histories.

However, the Pirates have always been uncomfortable with being called rivals to the Oceans.

[Nakdong River Rivals: Pirates vs. Oceans practice game.]

-Stop calling them rivals. -_-

-After entering the first team in 2013 and winning three championships, the Changwon Pirates >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Founded in 1982, the Oceans have never won a regular season and have only won the KBO Cup twice.

-Oh, lol, it's annoying to be treated as rivals. 😂

Indeed, the Pirates were the champions last season, while the Oceans were at the bottom.

Of course, the Oceans have signed two good foreign pitchers this season, and rookie Geonwoo Kang is expected to be an immediate contributor, but objectively, they are not comparable.

“Alright, our opponent is the Oceans. You know what to do, right?”

Baseball is a sport where even with a power gap, it's hard to have a dominant record against a specific team. But against the Oceans, it's different. Losing is a loss, and winning is a break-even game. Moreover, last season, the Pirates won all but three games against the Oceans, with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses.

“Yes!”

“Let's go!”

As befits the defending champions, the Pirates' players were highly focused.

Even in a mere practice game, they couldn't afford to lose to the Oceans. Kang Tae-oh rallied the team.

Pirates' catcher Kang Tae-oh, while not as prominent as the national team catchers from the Vikings and Engines, is still one of the top catchers in the league.

In the first inning, he faced the much-hyped rookie Geonwoo Kang, who was batting leadoff.

“Oh, I've heard a lot about you.”

Kang Geonwoo slightly bowed his head and stepped into the batter's box.

It wasn't a formal bow, but Kang Tae-oh didn't mind and gave the sign.

‘He hit a home run and did a celebration against Park Yong-jae, so he might be a strong-willed type.’

This kid might be a regular presence throughout the season. With Jeong Gwi-hyun gone, the Oceans lack a proper shortstop.

So, it was necessary to understand his tendencies. When I reviewed his hitting video from the Meteors game, he seemed quite aggressive. Therefore, I asked the pitcher to throw a breaking ball.

“Ball!”

He didn't move at all. Maybe he didn't even think about swinging.

After all, it's his first time batting leadoff.

He might be trying to get a feel for the pitches.

A four-seam fastball to the center.

Crack!

A huge swing came out. The ball, launched at an incredible speed, just missed the foul pole and became a foul ball. Kang Tae-oh signaled to the pitcher that it was okay and then gave the sign for another breaking ball.

“Ball!”

“Ball!”

“Ball! Walk! Batter advances to first!”

The pitcher, Oh Tae-hyun, seemed a bit shaken by the near-home run and threw consecutive balls.

He's a left-handed pitcher with good stuff, but he often struggles with control. Kang Tae-oh shouted to the pitcher,

“Good pitch, good! Tae-hyun! Don't worry, let's get the next batter out!”

The Pirates' battery got the first strike on the Oceans' second batter. Then, when Oh Tae-hyun threw a curveball,

Kang Geonwoo attempted to steal second base.

#

“Safe!”

Coach Breadman nodded as Kang Geonwoo, who didn't even pretend to steal against right-handed pitchers, boldly stole second against a left-hander. He's fast and has good instincts. His timing for the start was perfect, and he reached second base long before the catcher's throw arrived.

“Huh.”

Kang Tae-oh was a bit annoyed. Oh Tae-hyun gets more nervous with runners in scoring position.

“Tae-oh, Tae-oh, our Tae-oh. Can you get me a run, bro?”

Not only was he annoyed at not catching Kang Geonwoo, but Bae Young-han was also needling him. Kang Tae-oh pretended not to care and replied,

“Want a changeup to the middle?”

“Changeup? Sure!”

What a slippery guy. So, I gave the sign for a changeup.

However, just as the pitcher was about to shift his weight from his right foot to his left to throw the ball,

Kang Geonwoo attempted to steal third base.

‘Damn.’

I have to catch him. He didn't even pretend to steal in the two games against the Meteors.

If I let him steal consecutively, I'll look like a pushover.

The timing was so good that the pitcher had no choice but to throw the ball. Unfortunately, it was a low pitch. Kang Tae-oh caught the ball and threw it to third base with all his might. Before the umpire could make a call, he knew it was safe.

“Safe!”

Getting angry would negatively affect the pitcher. Kang Tae-oh tried to stay calm and shouted to the pitcher,

“Tae-hyun! My mistake! Sorry!”

And the next pitch.

Bae Young-han pushed a ball outside the strike zone into a fly ball to the outfield. The left fielder caught the fly ball, but Kang Geonwoo scored quite comfortably.

‘Huh. Damn. This kid is not to be underestimated.’

#

[Oceans win 5-4 against Pirates in practice game!]

-Oh, lol, since they beat the champions, Oceans will win the title this year, right?

-The Pirates are a joke. 😂😂😂😂😂

-Look at the Changwon guys losing their minds. You're the shame of Busan and Gyeongnam. 😂😂😂😂😂

-These guys are acting like they won the lottery just because they won a practice game after a terrible season last year.

-The winner is the one who wins at the end. 😂😂😂😂😂

-If you're mad, you should have won. 😂😂😂😂😂

[Geonwoo Kang, with 3 times on base, 4 steals, and 3 runs, shows potential as a leadoff hitter.]

-Seeing Tae-oh's pissed-off face is satisfying. 😂😂😂😂😂

-He's past his prime. Did he get a shoulder injury? 😂😂