Chapter 81

So, who is the main character -4-

#

In baseball, there is no position that is unimportant.

However, there are certain elements that need to be fundamentally covered.

Of course, the abilities required for each position vary.

It’s natural that the shortstop needs to have the best defensive skills on the team. However, defensive skills can't be expressed by just one aspect.

They need to be fast, have a strong arm, and be flexible. They also need a sense that goes beyond physical ability. It’s not something that can be described by just one or two things, and the same goes for the catcher.

One of the reasons Wolfpack moved to left field is because of this. While defense is generally not as important for left fielders and first basemen, it’s still better if they have good defensive skills. However, what the coach expects from them is hitting, not defense.

It’s the opposite for the catcher. There are similarities with the shortstop, as the players in these two positions prioritize defensive skills.

That doesn’t mean that hitting skills are completely unnecessary.

Snap!

“Out!”

“Out!”

A double play is an inevitable part of baseball.

Injuries are the same.

Personally, I think the biggest weakness of the Oceans is not the hot bullpen but the shallow depth of the infielders.

Just now, backup catcher Jo Yong-su, who rarely starts, missed a golden opportunity with one out and the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the first inning, he failed to block a pitch, leading to a run. In the bottom of the second inning, he allowed three stolen bases.

Well, there are days when things just don’t go your way, but the problem is that this player has always been like this. Actually, if I think about it, he might not have always been this way, but this is the image that sticks in my memory.

Anyway, Kirk Simpson, who always looked cheerful, now has a slightly pale face. Even though no one else would understand, he whispered to me.

“Hey. Gang. Have you ever thought about being a catcher?”

Catcher.

I can’t guarantee I’ll do well, but I might be better than him.

“Do you not need a shortstop?”

At my response, Kirk’s expression changed even more strangely. Is he thinking about those six games I missed?

“...”

Kirk, who was silent, wiped his face with his hands, looking frustrated. Then, in an even smaller voice, he muttered, but I heard it clearly.

“Damn. What the hell...”

He might have been thinking, “What kind of team is this?”

But what Kirk doesn’t know is that if I had decided to go to the majors, the situation would have been even worse.

Kim Se-wan and Ko Eun-tae as the keystone combo, with Jo Yong-su as the starting catcher.

The head coach would have constantly challenged the manager, and the senior player Yang Dae-geun, who would step in to help the team when juniors were in trouble, would have been sitting in a corner, watching the situation.

What about the others?

Noh Kyung-woo would have been on another team, and Bae Young-han, who has recently shown a lot of enthusiasm?

I should have watched the games with Yool when she cheered for the Oceans. If I had, I would have known more about these people.

I told Kirk this while thinking.

“Still, I’m happy now.”

“Hmm. Yeah. You’re right. Thanks for the advice. I’ll try to think positively. I got a new opportunity here when I was considering quitting baseball.”

Dreams are one thing, but if the interpretation is amazing, then what the hell.

Jung Joon-yeol slid into second base unnecessarily after hitting a double and waved his fist in the air as if he had hit a walk-off home run.

...As if he was showing off to me.

“Let’s go! Pirates! We will definitely win today! We are invincible!”

...

I wonder if it’s just my imagination that thinking about playing with Seokgi would be interesting.

#

There are days when things just don’t go your way. I had thought that the catcher’s defense might be a weak point, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

It’s a bit much to say it’s just because he hasn’t played in a while.

Today, Jung Joon-yeol had a two-hit game, reaching base three times, including one error.

One RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

The throw to second base was extremely high. I tried to jump as high as I could, but it was out of reach, and the runner advanced to third.

I also wanted to do my best because Yool was watching the game and I didn’t want to lose to that guy, but there are things that can’t be done alone in baseball.

Still, I got three hits. The team lost 10-5, but I have something to say.

[Chung Joon-yeol, “I thought about intentionally losing to hit a home run for that guy (Kang Geon-woo)…”]

└Haha, yesterday he couldn’t even touch the ball and struck out, then broke the bat and went crazy lol

└So you hit a home run today?

└Kang Geon-woo (3 hits) >>>>>>>>> Joon-yeol (2 hits)

└It’s not about the number of hits, it’s about the team’s victory, you idiots lol

└Yeah, but Kang Geon-woo is much better than Joon-yeol

└What has Kang Geon-woo achieved so far?

└Why are you comparing him to a left fielder and a shortstop?

└Are you trying to intentionally lose to help Kang Geon-woo? lol lol lol lol Joon-yeol is running so hard? lol lol lol lol

└Even I thought so. To avoid Kang Geon-woo, you have to be winning until the 9th inning lol

└Good job, Joon-yeol

└Shut up again

[Kang Geon-woo, “Home runs and saves are less important than team victory. Even if I can’t play, I’ll be satisfied if the Oceans win the championship.”]

└Of course

└Joon-yeol, learn from Kang Geon-woo lol lol lol lol

└Don’t you know that King Joon-yeol led the Pirates to victory last year?

└After always finishing last, their skills have dropped collectively

└Is this really the mindset of a 20-year-old? It’s so cool

└Even if you give me a truckload of Joon-yeols, I won’t trade for Kang Geon-woo

└Damn, if it was a full draft, Kang Geon-woo would be in the majors

└If it was a full draft, Kang Geon-woo would have gone to the majors

“If it was a full draft, I would have cheered for him to go to the majors.”

By the way, did Yool write that comment on the article?

Many Oceans fans are upset because I graduated from a high school in the Oceans’ home region. Yool mentioned this while talking about it.

“If it was a full draft, I would have lied and signed with the Oceans in the second round to come here.”

“Really?”

Yool’s eyes widened. Then she said again.

“You weren’t an Oceans fan, right? Why?”

Lately, I’ve been thinking that the me of the past and the me of now are completely different. I wouldn’t have been able to say such things in the past.

“Well, because my sister is an Oceans fan.”

Yool’s mouth opened wide, and she covered her cheeks with her hands, twisting her body.

“Ugh...”

“Why are you doing that?”

“I do it because I like it, because I like it...”

“If you like it, that’s fine.”

Sometimes I say things insincerely, but this is genuine.

After some conversation, Yool suddenly remembered something and asked.

“Ah, right. How is Park Eui-hyun?”

“He should be able to play in the next game.”

Yool closed her eyes and sighed.

“Really, it’s a relief...”

By the way, there was something I wanted to ask during the game.

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“What would the Oceans have been like without me?”

“Don’t say such terrible things...”

“What if Park Eui-hyun hadn’t joined our team?”

“...Are you trying to torture me?”

“No, I’m just curious.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted to watch baseball.”

“But you would still watch it, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Why did you become an Oceans fan?”

Yool hesitated for a moment, then shivered slightly and said.

“Dad...Dad always took me to the baseball field on Children’s Day instead of the amusement park...”

“...”

“Mom...Mom was the same...At some point, I realized I was...a fan...”

Indeed.

Is being an Oceans fan something that is passed down through generations?

“Don’t be too sad. It will be fine. I’ll make you happy.”

#

Baseball fans are people who pour all their energy into criticizing their own team and still watch the games the next day.

Of course, if this goes too far and accumulates, they might stop watching baseball, but fundamentally, they have this tendency.

However, they can’t stand it when others criticize their team.

And some people react strongly to issues related to the military service of team players.

[Who will be the shortstop for the Olympic baseball team?]

└I’m curious about the intelligence of the journalist who wrote this article;;

└Of course, it’s Kang Geon-woo, damn it lol

Coincidentally, several teams’ starting shortstops had not yet resolved their military service.

If it weren’t for Kang Geon-woo, the offensive shortstop Kim San of the Engines, the power-hitting shortstop Yoon Se-hwan of the Angels, and the defensive shortstop Ok Si-kyung of the Pirates would have been in fierce competition.

However, everything changed when Kang Geon-woo appeared.

└Isn’t the combination of Kang Geon-woo and Kim Man-jae better? Kim Man-jae can play all infield positions, so it’s natural to bring a utility player with a limited roster

└Ok Si-kyung can play shortstop, second base, and third base. His defense is the best

└What a joke, is Ok Si-kyung better at defense than Kim San?

└But Kim Man-jae is a veteran -_-

└Is the Olympics for solving military service? It should be composed of the best players

└Honestly, it’s Yoon Se-hwan

└Can’t we include Jung Jong-hoon?

└Where are you trying to push -_-, Jung Jong-hoon is out

Most fans agreed that Kang Geon-woo should be selected.

However, as expected, there was no selection without controversy.

└Is it right to send a rookie who hasn’t even played one season to the Olympics?

└The combination of Kim San and Ok Si-kyung would be the best. Good balance in offense and defense, and both have resolved their military service

└If you’re including Kim San, it should be Yoon Se-hwan

└Can Yoon Se-hwan handle the pitches of South American pitchers?

└A home run hitter like Yoon Se-hwan is better than a one-dimensional player like Kim San

└What are you guys doing? Arguing over Kim San and Yoon Se-hwan instead of Kang Geon-woo? lol lol lol lol lol lol lol Damn, it’s hilarious lol lol lol lol

└Kang Geon-woo is only 20, so he