Chapter 74

Hidden Fastball -3-

#

If you were to ask a pitcher what is most important, it's not something that can be easily answered.

To be a good pitcher, a complex set of skills is required. The ball must be fast, the control must be precise, the movement must be excellent, and the mental fortitude must be solid.

Velocity is generally something you are born with.

While other factors are somewhat similar, they can largely be improved through training compared to velocity.

I'm talking about my past self, before the regression. Even before the regression, it was a long time ago, probably during my high school days or just after entering the major leagues.

I believed that everything was possible with talent. In fact, I think it's somewhat true. Even in the minor leagues, I had a considerable amount of talent, and the same was true in the major leagues.

But what broke the mold, and now I admit, was thanks to Yurii.

Yurii helped me throw and hit the ball more flexibly. The program's main focus is on deconstructing and reconstructing a pitcher's throwing form, with the key being to throw all types of pitches with the same form.

"Strike!"

Angels' powerful hitter Mida Valdez swung and missed at a 151 km/h two-seam fastball.

Actually, a two-seam fastball is not specialized for inducing swings and misses.

It breaks and bends outside near the strike zone, making it good for inducing ground balls.

However, if the batter is not expecting a two-seam fastball and the pitch speed is above a certain level, it can easily induce a swing and miss.

The battle between pitcher and batter is a kind of psychological warfare. The batter cannot read all of the pitcher's moves and approaches the plate with a certain level of strategy.

Song Byung-jae, who was looking for a four-seam fastball or a changeup, lost his balance and fell over when he encountered a two-seam fastball. When an unexpected pitch comes, it's impossible not to be flustered.

And Mida Valdez, who swung hard at a changeup thrown as the second pitch, completely missed the timing.

"Strike! Out!"

The bat swung helplessly, and the umpire declared a strikeout with a dramatic gesture.

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

"Ah! Damn it!"

While the Oceans fans cheered, the Angels fans' anger also erupted.

The next batter hit a ground ball to the shortstop on the first pitch changeup. It seemed he was only thinking about the 150 km/h fastball, and his swing was off, only grazing the ball with the tip of the bat.

"Ugh!"

Lee Yeon-ho, who moved to the shortstop position when I came in as a pitcher, slightly fumbled the ball.

'What the hell.'

But since the batter was quite slow, it seemed he could catch it even after fumbling... but the throw was a bit high.

Still, he was out by a hair.

"Wowwwwwww!"

"Oceans will win!"

"Kang! Geon! Woo!"

In any case, I managed to get a save with a three-up, three-down inning.

I understand why the team's pitchers keep losing their composure and why the infielders try to catch ground balls themselves.

No Kyung-woo approached me and said,

"Kang Geon-woo..."

"Why again?"

"Bad guy..."

...What a guy with a grudge. And Park Eui-hyun threw his catcher's mask into the sky and ran towards me.

"Kang Geon-woo! Your pitches today... Ah!"

It was hard to describe how he stumbled and fell after being hit by the mask he threw.

"That guy did it on purpose."

"On purpose? Why?"

"To get attention."

"No Kyung-woo! You cheap talker! How could you expose our secret like that! I trusted you!"

Really, all sorts of things.

No Kyung-woo and Park Eui-hyun, the No-Park duo.

#

[Oceans beat Angels 5-2, ending a six-game losing streak with two consecutive wins!]

[Kang Geon-woo's return effect? Oceans' turnaround.]

[Kang Geon-woo, who flipped Jamsil with a 162 km/h fastball yesterday, now with a 152 km/h two-seam today!]

└Geonwoo-nim T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T

└Why didn't you throw 160 today T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T

└Two-seam at 152 km/h lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

└Trying to ruin the game lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

└Can't just send Geonwoo to the majors next year? For the greater good ;;

└I want to see Geonwoo in the majors, but next year seems a bit much ?????

└Damn, let's be happy for a bit ;;

└Can't we make a special law for Geonwoo?

└What a joke lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

[Oceans' pitching coach Ron Berger, 'Kang (Geon-woo) was already a complete pitcher. It might sound funny, but it's true.']

[Angels' manager Park Jae-jeong, 'What, there are guys like that?']

└Calling him a guy ;; Show some respect to God -_-

└He's a senior in baseball, can't he even say that?

└Honestly, it's fine because it's a compliment ㅎ

└Park Jae-jeong must be pretty shocked, suddenly coming out and getting two consecutive saves lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

[Angels' outfielder Song Byung-jae, 'Wow...it breaks there...']

└Baseball expert ㅇㅈ

└Nice ass, sir

└Is there a hitter in Korea who can hit Geonwoo's pitches if Song Byung-jae can't?

└(Bul) Stop overrating Song Byung-jae

└(Ang) Song Byung-jae just stared blankly and got a strikeout

└(Bul) He won't fall like Song Byung-jae

└(Par) From what I see, you need to aim precisely to hit Geonwoo's pitches

└(Met) Don't worry, Kang Geon-woo will finish it off at the Meteoros line

└lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol 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