Chapter 18

# Sajik Bread House -1-

#

Incheon Vikings' Kwon Jong Kim.

A young left-handed pitcher born in 2003, he is considered one of the best among Korean pitchers, alongside Meteoros' Yongjae Park and Diamonds' Seunggi Min.

He is also known as one of the best domestic starting pitchers in terms of control.

He has been showing overwhelming performance against Busan Oceans for several seasons now.

[Isn't it weird that people go to the stadium on the day Kwon Jong Kim pitches?]

Despite this, the Sajik Stadium, preparing for the opening game, was nearly full, perhaps due to the good memories from the exhibition games.

[Oceans 30-year fan. Oceans' batters analyze weak-type pitchers.]

- Foreign pitchers, pitchers seen for the first time, left-handed pitchers, underhand pitchers, pitchers throwing over 150 km/h, pitchers with good breaking balls, pitchers who have served in the military, pitchers with good control, rookie pitchers, and the best among them is Kwon Jong Kim. If you disagree, you're a baseball noob.

- You know your stuff, man.

- Then, is there a pitcher who can hit well?

- When the Oceans' batters hit well: the bullpen explodes, and the opposing team hits even better.

- Damn, can't argue with that.

[Kim Kwan Jong, please leave for the majors soon;;]

[Why does Kim Young Jun always pitch Kwon Jong Kim against us?]

- If I were Coach Kim, I would do the same.

- lol, we win when he pitches, but not when he doesn't.

- Kwon Jong Kim should be grateful to the Oceans. Without us, his ERA would be in the 3s. lol

- If he's grateful, he should come to the Oceans when he's a free agent.

- I think that's what a person should do.

- Why is Kwon Jong Kim pitching against the Oceans, you bastards?

- Our Kwon Jong is too kind to pitch against them.

- Our Daegun is also kind, but he does well here.

- Just looking at that guy's face, if he didn't play baseball, he'd be a nationwide gangster. I almost peed my pants when I made eye contact with him once.

In fact, Kwon Jong Kim didn't like pitching against the Oceans.

Especially at Sajik.

"Kwon Jong! Come on, Oceans!"

"Oceans' ace, Kwon Jong Kim!"

"Buy me some pork bulgogi! Please!"

Unlike his intimidating presence on the mound, Kwon Jong Kim was a quiet and timid person.

He found such attention burdensome.

Moreover, if he didn't perform well in a game, Yang Daegun would hit him with a chicken leg. Even at 180 cm, he might get hit with a bat instead of a chicken leg.

Of course, he wasn't worried about not being able to pitch. He just didn't like it.

Andy Garfield, the Oceans' starting pitcher, had an excellent debut in Korea.

"Wow. Was that last pitch a sinker? It was a sinker, right?"

Kwon Jong Kim asked, wide-eyed, as Seo Chang Yeol, the Vikings' leadoff hitter, returned after striking out.

Seo Chang Yeol, known for his bad temper in both the Vikings and Korean baseball, didn't get angry at Kwon Jong Kim for striking out.

"I don't know. It could have been a two-seam."

"It didn't have much drop for a two-seam."

"It was fast for a sinker."

"That's true. Wow, he's killing the ball."

"...I want to kill it too."

"You'll be able to in the next at-bat."

"Not him, you."

"Ah, bro. Just kidding."

The second batter, Jo Hoon Ki, hit a ground ball to the shortstop.

If the regular shortstop had been there, it might have been a hit, but the Oceans' rookie shortstop caught a ball that other shortstops might have missed with a dive, then jumped and threw it accurately.

"Wow. He's killing the defense. Who is he? I wish he was on our team."

"..."

This time, Kim Man Jae, the same team's shortstop, looked at Kwon Jong Kim silently.

'Is he saying I should leave and let him join our team?'

The third batter, Liam McConnell, also struck out.

Kwon Jong Kim quietly muttered to himself as he prepared to pitch.

"Wow. I really want to learn that sinker. Is there any way?"

Vikings' bullpen pitcher Hyo Won Lee made a fist at Kwon Jong Kim.

'I wouldn't have learned your sinker even if you taught me.'

#

In the bottom of the first inning, Kwon Jong Kim struck out the Oceans' leadoff hitter, Seok Kyu Hwang, with three pitches.

The second batter, Young Han Bae, managed to go to five pitches but was out on a ground ball to third.

The next batter, Si Wook Lee, hit a fly ball to the outfield on the first pitch.

- Why is Si Wook the third batter?

- Swing already, damn it, Si Wook!

- Is it spring, and someone has a fan on?

- Don't insult fans. That's not a fan, it's a wind turbine.

- Sinker's Garfield and slider's Kwon Jong Kim! Today's game is expected to be a great pitchers' duel!

- This is almost a major league level game.

- Haha, we'll be back in the top of the second!

Even though he threw in exhibition games, facing a pitcher for the first time is never easy.

When a pitcher and batter face each other for the first time, the pitcher usually has the advantage.

Moreover, Garfield, who had primarily thrown four-seam fastballs and curves in exhibition games, was now using his main weapon, the sinker, against the Vikings' batters.

- Fourth batter, Ho Geun Kim! Strikeout! Oceans fans at Sajik are cheering for the new ace!

The sinker is a pitch that usually induces ground balls. However, with a form almost identical to a four-seam fastball and a top speed of 158 km/h, the Vikings' batters, who hadn't fully analyzed it, were helpless.

It's difficult to erase a 150 km/h four-seam fastball from your mind and step into the batter's box.

- He hit it! Ah, Geon Woo Kang! Geon Woo Kang made a high jump and caught the ball flying into the outfield!

- Wow, the batter must feel like he stole a hit.

- The quiet player naturally thought it was a hit and ran to first base, then stopped! He's laughing as he returns to the dugout, looking bewildered!

- Amazing. Geon Woo Kang's jumping ability is incredible. More importantly, he doesn't seem nervous at all, even in his official debut. That's not easy to do.

Garfield shouted to the shortstop, Geon Woo Kang.

"Good boy! Good! Fucking good!"

The Vikings' sixth batter also made an out.

Then, in the bottom of the second inning.

Oceans fans were intoxicated by two perfect innings. They almost forgot that the opposing pitcher was Kwon Jong Kim.

"Strike! Out!"

Yang Daegun struck out on the seventh pitch, completely losing his timing against a changeup.

Kwon Jong Kim subtly wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then the fans finally remembered who the opposing pitcher was.

"Hey, Yang Daegun! You're still the fourth batter!"

A fan sitting near the dugout shouted, and Yang Daegun slumped his shoulders and bowed his head.

Wolfpak, who was about to step into the batter's box, looked bewildered and shouted.

"What? You? Did that guy just call me 'you'?"

"In Korea, 'you' is a pronoun meaning 'you'."

"Oh, damn. Really? You're not messing with me?"

"Yeah. So don't go to the stands, go to the batter's box."

It was a brief incident. Fortunately, Geon Woo Kang, who was coming to the on-deck circle, knew English, or Wolfpak might have hit a person instead of a ball in his debut.

Crack!

A powerful swing from the first pitch.

The ball was caught just before the warning track.

Kwon Jong Kim whistled. It slipped a bit from his hand, but if the timing had been a little off, it could have scored.

Then, the interesting shortstop stepped into the batter's box.

National team catcher Jo Yong Han signaled for an outside four-seam fastball, and Kwon Jong Kim nodded without a word.

He had heard that the batter's hitting skills were considerable. He led the batting average in exhibition games.

Of course, you can't trust all the records from exhibition games. They are a good place to experiment with new pitches.

Kwon Jong Kim, known for his excellent control, wanted to test the promising rookie's hitting skills with a four-seam fastball just outside the strike zone.

The Oceans fans had high hopes for the rookie. So, even in his debut at-bat, they were singing his personal cheer.

"Geon! Woo! Geon! Woo! Oceans' Geon Woo!"

While the fans were singing, Geon Woo Kang calmly stepped into the batter's box.

He adjusted the strap on his elbow guard, tapped the end of the bat with his cleats, slightly turned the bat with his left hand, and took his batting stance.

Then, he finished the cheer by mimicking the coach's pronunciation.

"Geon! Woo! Geon! Woo!"

As if on cue, Kwon Jong Kim started his pitch.

He pulled the ball from his glove and hid it behind his back at a low arm angle. Even as he extended his right foot forward, the hand holding the ball was hidden from the batter. The same was true when his body rotated. The batter couldn't see the ball hidden by the pitcher.

At the last moment, he rapidly increased his speed, extended his left arm forward, and threw the ball.

His unique pitching form, which included top-level deception, was particularly difficult for foreign batters to handle. It took a lot of time to get used to this form.

A 150 km/h pitch outside the strike zone flew in, and Kwon Jong Kim thought it would be a strike.

Crack!

But Geon Woo Kang's bat met the ball perfectly in front of the strike zone.

Kwon Jong Kim froze, his hair standing on end, in the middle of his pitching motion. The catcher, without realizing it, threw off his mask and stared blankly at the ball.

"Wowwwww!"

"Kwon Jong Kim, you're done now!"

"It's going over!"

"Geon Woo!"

"Geon! Woo! Geon! Woo!"

Geon Woo Kang balanced the bat on his fingertips, then, when the outfielder gave up on the ball, threw it behind him with two fingers and started running the bases.

1-0.

This home run was the first score the Oceans had managed against Kwon Jong Kim in 7 months and 25 days.

#

[-Live: Incheon Vikings 0 : 1 Busan Oceans.]

- What a distance! Amazing!

- A home run on his debut at-bat! Incredible!

- A power-hitting shortstop! Amazing!

- Kwon Jong Kim's first home run allowed this season! Haha

- Now we have a batter who can hit Kwon Jong Kim! Damn, I'm so happy!

- I love it so much;;;;;;;;;

- Ah, Kwon Jong Kim, it's nothing, right???

- Kwon Jong is human too, everyone.

- Seventh batter, Kyung Woo No (second baseman)

- Kyung Woo! Let's go for a back-to-back home run!

- Am I the only one who confuses his name with Geon Woo?

- Big Geon Woo, hit one too!

- If he hits one, damn, the Oceans' rookies this year are amazing.

- First pitch strike.

- Good swing.

- It's still one. There's a chance.

- Second pitch foul.

- If he hit it a little better, it would have been a home run.

- Still, the swing was good.

- Yeah, the swing is smooth. There's a chance for a power-hitting second baseman.

- What's Goon Tae doing these days?

- His condition isn't up yet.

- He was getting hits in exhibition games.

- Third pitch, swing and a miss, strikeout.

- Damn, how did he swing at that?

- This guy is swinging blindly too.

- Tell him to swing, damn it.

- Who said the swing was good? This is Si Wook, right?

- Damn, little deer.

- Isn't calling him a little deer too much?

- Then call him a fawn.

- lol, lol, call.

- Hey, you fawn!

#

Garfield continued to pitch well. He maintained a perfect game until the fourth inning, gave up a hit in the fifth, but by changing his pattern to four-seam fastballs and curves, he held the Vikings to one hit and one walk until the seventh inning.

The score remained 1-0.

The fans in the stadium were cursing, but there was nothing to complain about.

The Vikings' starting pitcher today is really pitching well. Garfield is too.

Still, I feel relieved.

I fulfilled Yooli's request to hit Kwon Jong Kim once.

- Yooli: Really, just hit Kwon Jong Kim once.

- Yooli: He's so good, it's annoying.

- Me: Bench him???

- Yooli: No, what are you talking about, benching?

- Yooli: Just get one RBI, a home run or anything.

If you told me to bench him, I would have. Ah, is KBO benching different from MLB?

Anyway.

At the end of the eighth inning, Garfield had thrown 107 pitches.

But Garfield insisted on pitching.

Well...

He probably knew what our bullpen was like, so he didn't want to miss the chance for his first win in his debut.

But in the top of the ninth inning, Garfield gave up consecutive hits and a run.

With one out and a runner on first, he was taken out of the game. It was a pity, but it was inevitable, and from the way he was throwing, it seemed he could win soon.

Next situation?

Park Eun Su came in and allowed a stolen base, then walked a batter, and the coach immediately brought in Kim Jung Hyuk.

Kim Jung Hyuk, a former Viking, was now facing his former team.

To be honest, if No Kyung Woo had been the shortstop, we would have lost.

A ball hit deep between third and short.

I jumped fully for the first time today. I was maintaining a high level of concentration and, instead of wasting time checking the situation after catching the ball, I immediately threw it to second base while only raising my upper body.

"Throw it accurately!"

The batter wasn't particularly fast. An accurate throw was more important than a hurried one.

"Out!"

No Kyung Woo, who caught the ball, seemed to have heard me and threw it calmly.

"Out!"

No Kyung Woo shouted as the double play was completed.

"Yayyy!"

Garfield's shutout win was unfortunately lost, but we were ready to counter immediately.

Senior Si Wook struck out for the second time in the game.

Senior Yang Daegun walked and reached base.

Wolfpak's hit was a large fly ball caught just before the warning track.

"F*ck. The field is too wide."

While he was muttering, I headed to the batter's box.

What's wide? The fence is a bit high, but it's a short field.

It wasn't the right time to say that.

I stepped into the batter's box and took a deep breath.

Victory?

Of course, it would be great.

A great performance in my debut would be great too.

But what came to mind was Yooli's happy face when I ended the game here.

"Ball!"

The first pitch was a ball. It seemed to be a changeup.

If I hit a walk-off home run, what if Yooli faints from happiness?

"Ball!"

The second pitch was also a ball. A slider that slightly missed the strike zone.

But it didn't feel like they were trying to avoid me.

Moreover, the runner on first base is Senior Yang Daegun.

No matter how far I hit the ball, it would be difficult for that giant to run home.

The pitcher and catcher exchanged signs for a long time. The pitcher, who had been shaking his head, finally nodded reluctantly.

In this situation, a fastball is more likely.

He wouldn't want to waste more pitches, and although I hit a home run against the ace in my first at-bat, I'm just a rookie.

It could go either way.

Base