Chapter 27

Baseball is fun and powerful -2-

#

“Nice to meet you! Please easy! My name is Yihyun Park! Relax! Call me Park! Not fuck! Good good! I’m your catcher! And your wife!”

Garfield, who was always serious, was taken aback. The cheerful Simpson replied.

“If my wife finds out about your existence, it won’t do.”

It seemed that to understand how to hit in a real game, one had to see it in action. Anyway, there were a few things he learned about the new catcher.

“I’m from the Underground Special Forces! That’s right! I worked at Hongdae Station!”

He was a former subway public service worker.

“Oh! You shouldn’t believe the interview I did in high school! It was all scripted! The PD of the broadcasting station was a Bulldozers fan, so that’s why!”

He was a Bulldozers fan and wanted to join the Bulldozers, but after being drafted by the Irons, he chose the Irons uniform in a coming-of-age ceremony.

“He was called the Yang Daegun of the 2nd League! Yang Daegun is my role model!”

In the 2nd League, his batting performance was quite good, and he was known as the quiet one, among other things.

His defensive skills looked good during training. He was the Irons' third catcher, but it seemed that he hardly got any 1st team appearances due to the established catchers.

Although he was never called the 2nd League Yang Daegun because of the different positions, his batting style had some similarities.

He had a good eye as a catcher.

He would be quite helpful.

However, his basic defensive skills as a catcher would be even more helpful.

“Believe me! Believe me! No need for an interpreter! I’ve taken English lessons in preparation for entering the major leagues! Ah, in middle school, I couldn’t play baseball, so my parents made me study! But I didn’t give up on baseball because of my passion and ended up joining the top team, the Oceans!”

...Anyway, he was a strong personality.

Bae Young-han chuckled and, when he asked if they could have a drink after today’s game, Park Yihyun, aware of the battery coach nearby, said:

“No alcohol during the season!”

And when the battery coach was not around, he whispered to Bae Young-han:

“Brother, I really want to have a drink with you. That was just a joke. I’ve always admired you.”

“No alcohol, he says.”

“Brother, it’s a misunderstanding! More importantly, can you watch my swing? You’re my role model!”

“You’re saying Yang Daegun is your role model?”

“A role model doesn’t have to be just one person. Master!”

“You’re crazy, man.”

“Indeed, your insight is extraordinary! I, Park Yihyun, am a man crazy about baseball! I ask for your guidance!”

#

April 7, Friday game.

The commentator for today’s game, broadcast by GSB, was Kim Yong-hwa, the former Oceans manager.

“Mr. Kim, I look forward to your commentary.”

“Oh, I should be the one to look forward to it. If I’m a bit lacking, please help me out, Mr. Kim Jihun.”

Despite his gentle nature, which led to his failure in controlling the Oceans and his somewhat dishonorable departure, his immediate re-employment showed that his reputation was still very good.

Of course, he couldn’t have good feelings towards the Oceans.

The general manager kept making bad trades. He traded away players who shouldn’t have been traded and brought in players who weren’t needed, and then blamed the manager.

The players were also divided, often fighting among themselves.

Although the Oceans had a good start with 4 wins and 1 loss, he remembered that his team also started with a winning streak.

But it quickly went downhill, and those good memories vanished.

He didn’t think this team would change just because they picked a good foreign player or a rookie had a breakout performance. Although he didn’t have good feelings towards them, he thought he could be neutral in his commentary.

Since the team was bound to fail anyway, showing a broad-minded commentary would only raise his own evaluation.

So, in the first inning, when Andy Garfield struck out two Thunderbirds batters and finished with a routine ground ball to the infield, he praised him without reservation.

“We’ve really brought in a good pitcher. His four-seam is great, and his sinker looks like it could be KBO-level. Plus, he has a curveball. Korean batters will have to do a lot of research to figure out this pitcher. It won’t be easy.”

“I think you might feel a bit of regret. If this pitcher had been here earlier... Ha ha. Is that not the case?”

“Oh, in baseball, hypotheticals have no meaning. I’m just a sinner for not showing more exciting baseball to these passionate fans.”

Last season, the Oceans’ foreign player strategy was a complete failure.

The pitcher they brought in as their ace complained of homesickness and fled back to the U.S. without a word halfway through the season, and the second pitcher failed a doping test.

The batter adapted well, eating pork belly and rice, but his batting average was only .214 with 7 home runs.

The replacement player brought in from the Dominican Republic played in two games before complaining of back pain. Oceans fans called him a medical tourist.

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