Chapter 15

# The Magic of Spring -3-

#

"Are you Kang Geon-woo? I've heard a lot about you."

I was exchanging greetings with faces I hadn't seen during the spring training camp.

In the exhibition games, not only the first team but also the second team and developmental players can participate without any restrictions.

The one who greeted me was Jo Hyung-oh, the closer for the Oceans.

I bowed my head and greeted him.

"Please take care of me. I'm a rookie, Kang Geon-woo."

He seems like a nice person. He's still in rehabilitation, so I'll have to see how well he plays later.

Judging from his record, he's a closer who barely manages to get the job done, making the spectators' hearts race.

In my previous life, the players I played with on the national team were, of course, the best in Korea.

But the Oceans... hmm.

Is it really possible for them to win a championship, even if not this year, at some point?

However, as I looked around, I saw some familiar faces.

They must be players from the second team or the developmental squad, since I didn't see them during the spring training camp.

Is that player on the Oceans?

I remember seeing him in another team's uniform.

There's also a player who, according to Yoo Ri, gets really angry and frustrated whenever he faces the Oceans.

When people say the Oceans are the graveyard of prospects, did they all end up blossoming on other teams?

The coach stepped forward and began his speech to the gathered players.

There wasn't anything particularly special in his speech.

"Professional players must strive to improve every day. The direction of your efforts is important. If a player who just works hard progresses by 1 point every day, a player who knows where to go and works hard progresses by 5 points."

As I listened, the interpreter seemed a bit flustered.

The coach then said, "Of course, a player who just works hard is better than a lazy, stupid bastard who doesn't work at all—"

The interpreter was telling the players, "Of course... um. Even a little effort is important. Effort is important. Effort."

Anyway, when the coach finished speaking, Kang Geon-woo shouted loudly.

"Old-timer!"

Most people laughed, even if it was a low chuckle, at the spirit of the newly signed rookie. The coach also looked quite satisfied.

Well, Go Eun-tae, who was sitting in a corner with a sour face, was glaring at Kang Geon-woo as if he wanted to kill him.

#

During batting practice, the coach tells the players to do what they do best. He asks what kind of hitting they want to do and has conversations about their swings.

During the pitchers' practice, he looks a bit dazed. He mumbles to himself, shakes his head, and sometimes sighs.

Still, from what I've observed, the starting rotation might be okay.

There's not a single Major League-level pitcher (among Korean pitchers, of course), but this is Korea, after all.

"Get some rhythm! You're not a log!"

However, during defensive practice, he becomes quite aggressive.

I haven't talked to the second baseman, but it seems that the coach and I agree that we need to find a second baseman.

He wanted to see the defensive play of the infielders he didn't see during the spring training camp.

I was a bit hopeful, thinking maybe someone would suddenly stand out.

But it seems there's no one who meets the coach's standards.

Well, if there were someone who stood out, they would have been brought to the spring training camp.

A player who can handle defense well couldn't even hit a proper ball during batting practice. If they showed some contact or power, their defense was terrible.

I told Kang Geon-woo,

"You might end up being the second baseman."

"Hey, are you a tsundere or something? You were acknowledging me all along, right?"

"..."

"Want to hear a secret?"

"I don't want to."

"Listen."

"I'll listen."

"Looks like I'll be the second baseman."

"..."

"Aren't you curious why?"

"Not really."

"Do you know how hard the coach clapped during my second base defense practice?"

"I haven't seen that."

The guy wiped his nose with his finger and said,

"Huh. Tsundere bastard."

...Well, if I were the coach, I might use Go Eun-tae, even if I don't like him. But considering the coach's personality, the chances of that happening are slim.

Anyway, we focused on the final preparations.

The coach didn't set the training time too long, so the existing players were a bit anxious. If I were a veteran, I would have told them to do personal training if they were anxious, but I'm just a high school graduate rookie, so I just went home and trained with Yoo Ri's help.

"You're not going to pitch, right?"

"Sometimes, I might be good as a relief pitcher."

"How about being a closer?"

Yoo Ri is now quite familiar with handling SMC. I smiled and replied to Yoo Ri's words.

"Well, I might be better off doing it myself."

"Right? Ha. Even I can see that the bullpen is really..."

I didn't say that it looks even worse to actual teammates than to baseball fans.

Reforming a pitching form is much harder than correcting a batting form. I have a bit of an obsession with not repeating the same mistakes I made in the past, remembering the injuries I had.

"Still, are you well-prepared for the season?"

I could see the expectation in Yoo Ri's expression.

I was about to tell the truth but decided to mix in a little white lie.

"I think I'll be fine."

"Your answer is a bit vague."

"Who knows how it will turn out... Come and watch the exhibition game, and you might get a feel for it."

Yoo Ri snorted and laughed sarcastically.

"Of course, you'll do well in the exhibition game..."

#

"Hello, baseball fans! As we eagerly await the start of the season, today is the opening day of the exhibition games! Despite the chilly weather, quite a number of people have gathered at Sajik Baseball Stadium for the exhibition game!"

"Hehe, Busan baseball fans must have been looking forward to this day. For them, just being able to watch baseball makes them feel alive."

On the first day of the exhibition game.

The Busan Oceans were preparing for a game against the Seoul Angels at their home stadium.

#NengolaSico

#Looking forward to the game

#I came to watch Nengola instead of my team's game ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

#Can't miss Nengola ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

"The Angels have finished in fourth place for the past two seasons and have frequently made it to the postseason. However, they tend to show a strange performance when they face the Oceans."

For Angels fans, it's a frustrating situation.

Considering their recent consistent performance in the postseason, showing a similar level of play against the Oceans, who have been at the bottom for two consecutive seasons, is surprising.

"It's a strange phenomenon, but I sincerely hope both teams will show good baseball to the fans this season."

"Let's take a look at the starting lineup of the home team, the Oceans! The starting pitcher is Andy Garfield! What kind of player is he?"

"He's a player with a strong fastball that comes down from his tall frame. His fastball can reach up to 158 km/h, and his sinker, curveball, and slider are quite well-developed. However, he tends to waver when there are runners on base, and his tendency to induce ground balls with his sinker might not be a good match for the Oceans' somewhat weak infield defense."

"I see. Now, let's look at the batters. The leadoff hitter is right fielder Bae Young-han, the second batter is shortstop Kang Geon-woo, the third batter is designated hitter Yang Daegun, the fourth batter is left fielder Wolfpack, the fifth batter is first baseman Lee Si-wook, the sixth batter is third baseman Hwang Seok-gyu, the seventh batter is second baseman Kang Geon-woo, the eighth batter is catcher Jo Yong-soo, and the ninth batter is center fielder Kim Sung-hoon!"

"Go Eun-tae, who was cut from the spring training camp, seems to be still adjusting his condition. It's also noteworthy that two rookies are included in the lineup."

"There are many fans who are looking forward to Kang Geon-woo's performance. I think it's safe to expect a good showing from him!"

#

"Please hit a ground ball."

This is what the not very talkative Garfield said to me before the game started. I replied that I wouldn't worry. Then Kang Geon-woo asked,

"What did he say?"

"He's asking for a good ground ball."

Since one of Garfield's main weapons is a sinker.

After hearing me, Kang Geon-woo approached Garfield, pointed to himself with his thumb, and said,

"Oh, ground ball? Trust me, 100%! Sinker, please!"

I think he thinks "100%" is English.

Garfield didn't seem to understand but patted Kang Geon-woo's shoulder.

Just before we went onto the field, the coach said simply,

"It's time to prove that you're ready."

I'm ready. Garfield seems to be ready to some extent.

"Damn, I'm ready!"

...I'm not sure if Kang Geon-woo is ready.

He has become a mascot-like figure within the team. Go Eun-tae's gaze when he looks at this guy is not ordinary, but since there was an incident during the camp, he won't do anything crazy.

"O-CEANS! Oceans!"

"Hey! You gotta beat the Angels! Get it right!"

"Geon-woo!"

As we stepped onto the field, the fans started to cheer. Some were singing, an uncle's face was already red from shouting, and Yoo Ri was waving her hand and calling my name loudly.

When I waved back to Yoo Ri, who was jumping around right next to the dugout, Kang Geon-woo grumbled,

"Ah, you must be happy to have a girlfriend."

"Sure."

"..."

I took my position between second and third base and took a deep breath.

I can't believe I'm really playing here.

The stadium wasn't full, but we sang the national anthem with the many spectators.

And with Andy Garfield's smooth windup,

*Crack!*

The game began.

#

"Out!"

The Angels' leadoff hitter hit a slightly floating ball, but I jumped and caught it.

The Angels have many left-handed hitters who like to push the ball. The leadoff hitter today is a type who produces more doubles than home runs and enjoys attacking the first pitch.

Right after the game starts, it's hard for fielders to maintain their focus. It takes a few pitches to get used to the field.

But if you understand the opposing batter's style and stay focused, you can gain a lot.

Like now.

"Wowww!"

"Kang Geon-woo! Kang Geon-woo!"

The Angels' leadoff hitter, Lee Jeong-gyu, looked disappointed, and Garfield clapped for me.

"Wow, I can do that too."

"Don't you try it."

Such plays also help to raise the concentration of your teammates.

"Geon-woo! Good!"

When senior Lee Si-wook, the first baseman, shouted loudly, the third baseman responded.

"Our Geon-woo is amazing!"

In the first inning, despite it being an exhibition game and the first time seeing the pitcher, the batters seemed to be more focused on hitting rather than getting used to the ball. The top of the first ended with seven pitches.

One fly ball to right field, one ground ball to the pitcher.

"Wow, Kang Geon-woo! Wow-Kang Geon-woo!"

Senior Yang Daegun, who was on the bench, greeted me with a strange expression. It's a weird catchphrase he's been pushing lately.

"Hey, your jumping ability is amazing. Did you eat something good on your own? If you have something good, share it with your senior. My back is stiff these days. Oh, in the old days, I could get a cycle hit after drinking all night."

Bae Young-han, who came in late from the outfield, teased me. But he didn't go on for long because he was the leadoff hitter and had to prepare.

The Angels' starting pitcher is Marc Panya, a Dominican national. I don't know much about him, but since he's in his third season in the KBO League, the scouting report is quite detailed.

His fastball can reach up to 156 km/h, and he throws a heavy, well-tailed four-seam fastball. His other pitches are a two-seam fastball and a changeup. He occasionally throws a splitter, but it's not very powerful.

His record last season was 14 wins and 6 losses with a 3.25 ERA. He recorded 141 strikeouts in 163.2 innings, making him the Angels' ace.

Bae Young-han confidently stepped into the batter's box, claiming he was strong against this pitcher. As a result, he hit a single to the gap between third and short on the fourth pitch, a two-seam fastball.

The fans let out happy screams. Yoo Ri was right. There are no people who can make Oceans fans feel as good as this. Well, they are also known as the best at making people feel bad.

My steps to the batter's box weren't particularly tense.

I've stepped into the batter's box thousands of times, and I was a shining star here.

Right now, I'm just a lucky person who got another chance after one failure.

Well, um.

Just do what I always do.

*Crack!*

#

"Geon-woo!"

Yoo Ri, who was sitting next to her, screamed and fell sideways.

"A, A! A!"

Her younger brother, who was sitting next to her, got angry and annoyed when his sister fell on him.

"A! Aaa! Because of my sister! A! I'm so annoyed!"

What annoyed him more was that he missed seeing the hit by the guy from the apartment above.

"Kang! Geon! Woo!"

"Kang Geon-woo! Kang Geon-woo!"

Kang Geon-woo's first-pitch swing didn't clear the outfield fence at Sajik Stadium, but it was a big hit that hit the fence.

Bae Young-han, who was on first base, scored. Kang Geon-woo stopped at second base, and Yoo Ri sobbed and said,

"Hehehehe. He's my boyfriend... Geon-woo... Sister is here..."

Jung Hyun-su, who was being leaned on and groaning by his sister, pushed her away in disgust.

"A, get away from me!"

Kang Geon-woo's father, a Pirates fan, also stood up and shouted. His mother, who doesn't know much about baseball, also joined in.

"Hey! This is Kang Geon-woo! Got it?"

"Yeah! This is my son!"

Yoo Ri's father nodded happily.

"I knew I would cheer for that guy, Geon-woo. Honey, right? Hyun-su, where's your mother?"

Jung Hyun-su pointed to the upper part of the stands, where a woman wearing dark sunglasses and holding two large flags stood with an overwhelming presence.

"Uh... When did your mom get there...?"

The Sajik Twin Flags.

The moment Oh So-hee, who hadn't been seen at Sajik Stadium for years, appeared.

The broadcast camera also focused on Oh So-hee.

-Oh, it's been a long time since I've seen this person!

-She's a famous person, right? Her nickname is...

-Sajik Twin Flags! Yes! The Sajik Twin Flags has returned with Kang Geon-woo's RBI double! She's a great person! Most Oceans fans know her!

#

[Wow, the Sajik Twin Flags is back at the exhibition game! The commentators are going crazy! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

-Sajik Twin Flags ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

-Goddess of Destruction