Chapter 61

Ting Ting Tang Tang -5-

#

“Sir, I’m in trouble. Please save me.”

Ocean’s head coach Bae Yu-hong was talking to someone on the phone. He seemed dissatisfied with the conversation, sighing repeatedly as he spoke.

“Team leader Jung isn’t answering his phone... Yes, yes. No, that’s not it. Yes. If Byung-gu and Tae-yong go to the minor league and fail to re-sign next year, it will be hard for them to find new jobs...”

Bae Yu-hong frowned deeply as he heard a shout from the other side of the smartphone and pulled it away from his ear.

“Hey, you bastards! Remember, I’m the one who worries about your rice bowls!”

“Yes... I’m sorry. I... Yes, I understand. Yes.”

After ending the call, Bae Yu-hong bit his lip tightly. He wondered how things had come to this.

“That reporter...”

Kim Tae-yong had been a bit hasty, but it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

The manager had reduced the role of the pitching coach in managing the pitching staff. After a conflict with the manager over teaching a forkball to Kukmin-sung, the situation worsened, and Kim Tae-yong told a reporter that American managers looked down on Korean baseball, leading to this mess.

Perhaps it was natural for Bae Yu-hong, the head coach, to be confused in this situation.

Originally, the coup should have succeeded.

The team owner had simply shown more interest in Ocean’s recent games.

Now, the owner has become a complete fan of Kang Geon-woo.

The owner was impressed by Kang Geon-woo’s persuasion to join the major leagues, the signing of two foreign pitchers who have been performing well since the start of the season, the trade for Park Eui-hyun, and the call-up of Kukmin-sung.

From the owner’s perspective, it seemed that the current general manager was reforming the team.

Thus, the general manager gained more power. The baseball team president, who received a direct call from the group chairman to “push Park hard,” wouldn’t have the luxury of playing around with the head coach.

Bae Yu-hong was furious with the reporter who had relayed Kim Tae-yong’s words to the general manager.

According to the reporter, since they were still in first place and had only suffered a few consecutive losses, he had just cross-checked with the general manager before publishing the article.

“Damn it. Really. Ah.”

His head ached. He had tried to bring Kang Geon-woo into his camp, but now Kang had become an indispensable player without needing to join anyone’s camp.

The two players who used to communicate well with him?

One was suspended for drunk driving.

The other was traded to Irons.

There wasn’t much he could do now. The line to the president was rotten.

He could either resign voluntarily or surrender now.

#

Changing a coach won’t turn a losing game into a win.

If it did, major league teams would change coaches every day. That’s how it works in the major leagues.

However, we have lost quite a bit recently.

Today, with the pitching coach position vacant, the starter is senior Lee Hoon.

A pitching coach doesn’t just deal with the technical aspects of pitching.

While there are some differences between teams, they often handle pitch selection and the timing of pitcher changes.

A pitcher’s performance can change 180 degrees depending on the pitching coach. But today, there is no pitching coach. I thought the bullpen coach or the head coach would take over, but the manager and the quality control coach are directly handling Lee Hoon.

“I’m worried that a splitter might cause an injury.”

In response to the manager’s concern, Lee Hoon shook his head.

“No, that’s not it. I do want to learn the splitter.”

“Really? I thought you were being careful with the forkball.”

Lee Hoon answered with a slightly embarrassed look.

“Well, I was told to only throw the forkball after two strikes...”

In a way, that might not be entirely wrong.

It’s not surprising that a forkball can cause injuries.

However, if a pitcher always throws a forkball only after two strikes, it becomes easier for the batter.

Lee Hoon’s four-seam fastball is fast but not much else, but his forkball is of a high level.

In other words, before getting to two strikes, the batter just needs to hit the four-seam fastball that comes into the strike zone.

A rigid pitch selection can be dangerous. Park Eui-hyun is a good catcher, but the signs usually come from the bench.

No wonder he kept trying to win with a four-seam fastball that wouldn’t work.

Anyway.

“Anyone can talk to me. Whatever it is.”

Before the game, the manager started a somewhat meaningful conversation with the players. I also heard that he asked the interpreter to translate his words exactly as he said them.

“Communication is important. We need to talk to each other, and there should be no lies in our words. But the conversations we have cannot open doors. Doors are opened by people. If anyone has something to say to me, open my door.”

At first glance, it might seem like he was talking about Lee Hoon, but I don’t think that’s the case. It seems someone tried to spread rumors.

With the pitching coach and hitting coach gone, it’s likely one of them.

And that side was the head coach’s line. Given how the head coach is crouching, it’s clear the manager has the upper hand.

Well, since I’m not in trouble, I don’t need to worry much.

Hmm.

What if Yul becomes the pitching coach...?

No, that’s probably not going to happen.

#

After a three-game losing streak, Lee Hoon felt a sense of relief as he stepped onto the mound.

It might be because the batters scored three points in the first inning.

Or maybe it’s because the pitching coach who always looked at him with a displeased face is gone.

“Hoon! Hit a grand slam!”

A Meteoros fan’s shout reached him, but he didn’t pay much attention.

‘Better than Sajik, at least.’

Of course, some Ocean’s fans had followed the game.

“Ma! Lee Hoon! If you don’t throw straight, you’ll die!”

In the first inning, Hwang Seok-gyu hit a single, and Bae Young-han was out on a foul. Kang Geon-woo then drew a walk.

The next batter, Yang Daegun, struck out.

Wolfpack hit a clean single for one point, and Lee Si-wook, who focused on training before the game, hit a line drive to left-center for two more points.

Looking back, it seemed that the opposing pitcher, Yi Do-yun, was putting a lot of effort into the game from the start.

Perhaps he felt the pressure of extending the winning streak.

Which is more significant: the pressure of extending a winning streak or the pressure of ending a losing streak?

After No Kyung-woo was out on a fly ball to center, Yang Daegun patted No Kyung-woo’s shoulder and smiled.

‘Hey, it’s okay. If we always hit, what would pitchers eat?’

Of course, Lee Si-wook did hit a single.

‘If you had hit a single and said that, it would have been cooler, but you struck out. Anyway, I hit a double for you, so it’s fine!’

Well, no one can perform well every day.

At some point, Lee Hoon had thought:

‘I wish I could just have one bad day. I can’t perform well every day.’

With various thoughts in his mind, Lee Hoon stepped onto the mound and threw a forkball to the leadoff batter.

Snap!

Actually, it was a bit less sharp and sank a little more than usual.

But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the ball rolled straight to the shortstop.

He felt at ease. Kang Geon-woo caught the ball with a proper stance and threw it accurately to Lee Si-wook, who was waiting with his mitt.

“Out!”

There was no pitching coach forcing him to throw a four-seam fastball on the first pitch, no catcher who would start fidgeting before the pitch for fear of a bunt, and no shortstop who would complain about not getting a strikeout.

Feeling relieved, he threw a four-seam fastball to the next batter. The feeling of throwing it voluntarily was completely different from being forced to do so.

Crack!

Of course, the outcome might have been different.

“Out!”

“Wowwwwwww!”

“Ah! Damn!”

Wolfpack, with his heavy build, lunged at the ball and made the out. Lee Hoon thought, maybe I’m a great pitcher?

“Strike! Out!”

After striking out the Meteoros’ best hitter, Bok Hyun-sung, Lee Hoon clenched his fist and shouted without realizing it.

“Hoon!”

Was it because of what Min Seung-gi had said before?

But there was a difference between Min Seung-gi and Lee Hoon.

Min Seung-gi had a catcher who was embarrassed by him, but Lee Hoon had a catcher of the same age who wasn’t embarrassed at all.

“Yes! Hoon! That’s it! Hoon! The best pitcher, Hoon! I’m here for you! We are the best battery of Ocean! Let’s go! Our goal today is at least a shutout!”

There was no catcher to apologize to Bok Hyun-sung.

#

[Damn, 4-game losing streak is sharp. All the starters are struggling, and it’s Hoon’s turn]

If Hoon fails and the next one, Kukmin-sung, also fails, a 5-game losing streak is possible.

Even the Irons’ batters become power hitters when they face Hoon.

Without Hoon, the league’s home run total would drop by 10%.

LOL

Hoon should be distributed to every team. If every team had Hoon, Kang Geon-woo would have 30 home runs by now.

Why is Hoon getting so much hate? What did he do wrong?

Does this look like hate? It’s a fact.

Ocean’s fans generally had high expectations for Hoon.

Who wouldn’t like a starting pitcher who can throw in the mid-140s and has good stamina?

However, it was hard to hide the anxiety, even while hoping he would break out.

His 2027 season stats were a 6.45 ERA with 4 wins and 11 losses.

Not only were his visible stats poor, but he often gave up home runs when his potential seemed to be breaking out.

Ironically, this pitcher, who gave both hope and anxiety, often performed better on the road than at home and was also considered a jinx by some fans.

If you praised him for a good performance, he would struggle.

Of course, being hated didn’t mean he performed well.

By the end of the fifth inning, the online opinion had completely reversed.

[It’s Hoon’s day, and these guys are talking about a 4-game losing streak. Get your heads in the game!]

LOL, lack of faith, LOL

Hoon leaves the country, and God-Hoon arrives.

Bread Dong, take Hoon with you everywhere.

Is Hoon real? LOL

Hoon was showing an unexpected performance, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out six in five innings.

[Is Hoon throwing the forkball almost randomly?]

I thought it was my stock chart. It dropped so sharply, it made me shiver.

I’ve seen this somewhere before.

World’s first stock-type forkball, LOL

Today’s game wasn’t just about Hoon’s good performance.

In the top of the sixth, with Ocean leading 4-0.

Bases loaded, two outs, and Kang Geon-woo at the plate.

[I’m Yul’s brother. Yul said if Geon-woo doesn’t hit a grand slam today, she’ll take away his dates for a week.]

Is this real?

Damn, LOL, if he doesn’t hit a grand slam, he’ll lose his dates for a week.

(Old fan) Kang Geon-woo, grand slam.

Real talk, if he hits a grand slam, he’ll get the goddess’s favor, LOL.

Yul didn’t say that to Kang Geon-woo.

She just said that since he hasn’t hit a home run recently, he should check his swing when he gets home.

So, this is just Jung Hyun-soo’s joke.

Kang Geon-woo stepped up to the plate with a light heart.

A 4-point lead is good, but it could get even better.

It doesn’t have to be a home run