Chapter 612 – Episode 599. The World’s Strongest. (3)

My best weapon is the first pitch strike and nothing else. This famous quote from Maddux, a legendary pitcher in the major leagues, spoke of the importance of a pitcher throwing the first pitch, getting a strike, and making the ball count advantageous.

‘Woowoo, let’s pick the fastball in the middle!’

Lee Yong-ki, Korea’s best catcher, could have talked for over an hour about the importance of getting a strike on the first pitch, but the reason he is asking Jang Woo-joo for a strike on the first pitch was simpler than you might think.

‘Yes? Right away? Wouldn’t it be better to go and see it once? Still, it’s Bets…’

‘No, just plug it in. Trust your balls. Trust me.’

This is because I want to instill confidence in Jang Woo-joo, who is on the mound representing his country in the finals. As a result of getting to know Jang Woo-joo to some extent while playing for the national team in the past WBC, Asian Games, Olympics, and this WBC, Lee Yong-gi concluded that Jang Woo-joo needs a certain level of confidence.

Even in the league, on days when the ball was scratched easily from the first inning, Jang Woo-joo was the type to throw better as the inning went by, and when he was full of confidence, he showed a perfect performance until he got too confident and excited, as he showed in the finals of the last Olympics. 〈 Br〉

Therefore, what Jang Woo-joo needs is a reasonable amount of confidence. I needed the right amount of confidence to not dig too deep or get too excited or high.

… Even more so now that it is the finals.

What Jang Woo-joo, who showed a lack of confidence in his power analysis, needs now is confidence. As he threw a first-pitch strike against Betts, one of the best hitters in the major leagues, he needed confidence that his pitch would work against a hitter like Betts.

Additionally, Betts is a hitter whose first pitch swing rate is not that high. If Jang Woo-joo gains confidence with this first pitch…

‘… ‘I understand first.’

Jang Woo-ju, perhaps aware of Lee Yong-gi’s thoughts, eventually nods to Lee Yong-gi’s ball combination.

‘Please. I don’t want to reach the borderline, so just throw it away from the middle…’

Lee Yong-gi saw Jang Woo-ju’s appearance like that and prayed earnestly and waited for Jang Woo-ju’s first pitch…,

“Strike!”

… Jang Woo-joo’s first pitch came cleanly into the strike zone.

[Jang Woo-ju’s first pitch! Strike! Jang Woo-joo hits a 101.3 mph (162.9 km/h) fastball into the zone!]

A ball so fast that it makes the catcher’s mitt tingle!

“Good! It’s space! Let’s go like this! The ball is perfect now!”

Lee Yong-gi threw the ball to Jang Woo-joo and raised the tension.

‘I heard that my elbow area has become much more comfortable since I was injured and treated last year. Is that why your velocity is improving? Please, let’s go like this until the end.’

Whether his speed increased as he healed his uncomfortable elbow or he was just throwing well, it didn’t matter right now. The important thing is to maintain this momentum until the end!

Perfect!

Once again, Jang Woo-joo sprayed the ball like fire, and this time Betts’ bat moved. But the result was a foul. Jang Woo-joo, who had no confidence until the game started, began to twitch the corner of his mouth.

‘… ‘It’s not as big a deal as I thought, right?’

Fastball called for twice in a row. The result is a strike and a foul. Jang Woo-joo had doubts about Lee Yong-gi’s ball combination, but he was slowly gaining confidence after seeing that ball hit twice in a row.

In fact, in a way, it was natural. No matter how many fastball pitchers the major league had, a pitch exceeding 100 mph was still a fast ball, and if a pitcher they had never seen before threw such a fast ball, even the best hitters in the major league had no choice but to be at a loss in the beginning.

Moreover, Jang Woo-joo is a pitcher who not only throws a fastball exceeding 100 mph, but also a curveball, slider, and high-speed changeup. He was a pitcher who could make it to the major leagues right now if he just corrected his control and mental issues.

Of course, the prevailing opinion was that he lacked pitching ability compared to major league pitchers…,

[Swing~ Strike! Out! This is Jang Woo-joo, who strikes out in a full-count game against former Major League MVP Betts!]

[Nice! Isn’t this what baseball fans are expecting from Jang Woo-joo? There were no fastballs whose velocity fell below 160? And he finished it off with a high-speed changeup that he started throwing last year. Jang Woo-joo is perfect today!]

… The position of the ball is meaningful when the batter hits the ball with the bat. Lee Yong-gi, who got two strikes first, made the game as difficult as possible and succeeded in striking out Betts. The combination of a fastball exceeding 160 and a high-speed changeup in the low to mid 140s was effective even against major league MVP-level hitters.

“Good! Let’s go!”

And Jang Woo-joo’s pitch, which boosted his confidence by striking out the first batter, was powerful.

‘Trout? This guy is a waste product anyway, right? Well, he’s rebounded, but he’s not as scary a hitter as he was when he won MVP. If it’s my restraint…’

“Out!”

[Jang Woo-joo catches the trout with a ground ball!]

[I think I was aiming for a fastball, but the timing was off with the breaking ball, right? The ball just appears to be a slider. Thinking about a fastball, if you encounter a ball like this, it is natural for an infield grounder to come out.]

“Good! It’s space! Let’s just keep going like this! One out left!”

Jang Woo-joo, whose confidence had soared, caught Trout with a ground ball,

Perfect!

[Uh?! Tucker’s batted ball! It’s big! It’s big! Ah! Fence! Catch it from the front! Jang Woo-joo creates a three-way inning! It’s off to a great start!]

Although the third batter, Tucker, hit a ball that was no different from a home run, the right fielder caught it right in front of the fence, and Jang Woo-joo blocked the first inning with a three-way throw.

“Brothers! I’m in good shape today, so just 1 point… “No, just give me 2 points!”

“Okay, wait.”

“Isn’t that guy so excited? Even during the Olympics…”

“Ay! Stop criticizing me. It’s space! “Don’t listen to that.”

“It’s okay. Because I have grown.”

Although the atmosphere in the Korean national baseball team’s dugout improved thanks to the three-way retirement that no one expected, it did not mean that the game was favorable.

Just as American sluggers were unable to attack fastball pitchers they had never seen before, it was natural that Korean batters would also be unable to attack fastball pitchers they had never seen before. And the pitcher that Korean batters faced was Trilling, the best pitcher in the American League last year.

Trilling, who came on the mound in place of Cole, did not throw a ball faster than Jang Woo-joo, but he was fast enough to throw a ball that exceeded the mid-150s.

[… Swing strikeout! Trilling to strike out Kang Han-beom.]

[96.9 miles (155.9 km/h) was recorded on the electronic display.]

[These days, in the KBA league, as the number of pitchers who throw fast balls increases, the number of pitchers who throw balls around 95 to 6 mph has also increased, and Kang Han-beom is sticking his tongue out.]

[It has to be that way. Trilling is currently the player with the highest four-seam pitch value in Major League Baseball. According to the data, among last year’s Major League pitchers, Trilling had the best vertical movement and rotation rate. He is literally the player with the best fastball in the major league.]

That level of restraint was enough for Trilling, who had sufficient pitch.

[… Weather warning, batted balls fly high in the infield. Out. … Swing strikeout! Trilling strikes out Lee Yong-gi with a falling curveball. The game now goes to the bottom of the second inning.]

Trilling, who came to the mound with one out in the bottom of the first inning and faced five batters, struck out three batters, disposed of two batters in the infield, and did not allow anyone to the outfield.

But it’s still episode 2. It was too early to be frustrated, and on the mound was Jang Woo-joo, who was reasonably confident.

[… Judge picks off the ball and gets on base with a walk. Now with no outs and 1st base. … Olson’s batted ball! Caught in the outfield! One out. … Seager’s hit! Judge goes all the way to third base. He creates 1st and 3rd bases with one out and one out in one go. … Riley’s batted ball! Shortstop! Choi Joo-tae! Catch it! Choi Joo-tae! To first base! Out! Runners can’t get home! Choi Joo-tae’s fantastic defense!]

[Hey, Choi Joo-tae, the starting shortstop in the Major League! Last year, I went around the infield and looked at the defense, but Choi Joo-tae’s shortstop defense is recognized even in the major leagues! This is it!]

They put two runners on base, but Riley’s well-hit ball became a line drive toward the shortstop, resulting in a double play that caught the runner on first base, and the U.S.’ S attack in the bottom of the second inning ended without much benefit.

It wasn’t unusual for the ball to pass by the shortstop, but it was a bit of luck. And Kim Su-ho, a veteran of the national team and the lead hitter in the top of the third inning, was aware that this situation was important.

‘After… Let’s focus. Here, you are always on base. All you have to do is lead to Meng Hao.’

In the previous inning, a combination of luck prevented the crisis, and if only one runner got on base, the batting line up to Ji Maeng-ho, the second batter, was enough to create the first run and bring the atmosphere to Korea’s side. It was that kind of situation.

[In the top of the 3rd inning, the leadoff hitter is number 8 hitter Kim Soo-ho.]

[The batting lineup is good. Kim Soo-ho is currently the best third baseman in Korea, having won a total of five third base Golden Glove awards last year, and he has a good pitching plan, so he can get on base well. And if only one player gets on base, even Ji Maeng-ho can come out.]

‘Let’s watch the ball as much as possible and aim for a walk.’

So Su-ho Kim, who won the AT Thunders’ 3rd consecutive league title and 3rd consecutive Golden Glove at third base, stepped to the plate to get on base,

“Strike!”

‘… What? The ball…’

As soon as I saw the first pitch hit the strike zone, I could instinctively feel that God could never turn his ball into a hit.

A pitcher on a different level from the pitchers I’ve met so far. Trilling’s fastball, which appeared to be about 156 km/h, had a trajectory that seemed to rise high, and the ball thrown in front of him seemed to be faster than the other pitchers.

Moreover, there was no reason for a player with such a ball to have a hard time competing against him. If he waits for a walk, it’s not hard to imagine him striking out on three pitches and returning to the dugout.

So here, I had to swing at all costs. And as soon as Kim Soo-ho thought that, Trilling started lifting his leg as if there was nothing to worry about.

[Trilling’s 2nd pitch… !]

Perfect!

Kim Soo-ho’s bat swung helplessly because he was not prepared. Kim Su-ho followed the hit ball with his eyes, desperately hoping for a foul, but unfortunately, contrary to Kim Su-ho’s wishes, the hit ball was inside the foul line.

‘Uh… ?’

But the speed of the batting is slow and dull. And Kim Soo-ho, who had been playing baseball consistently for over 20 years, was running towards first base before he even realized the situation.

‘Please, please!’

It feels like gravity is pulling you down. He had never felt so slow walking toward first base. Just 10 years ago, Kim Su-ho was a junior player who stole 20 bases, but now Kim Su-ho is 36.

‘If only I were 10 years younger, or even just 1 year…’

His heart was racing like it did in his 20s, but his legs weren’t keeping up and the first base coach’s shouts seemed distant. But even so, he couldn’t give up. One step, and then another step.

Drop.

A strange sound came from his body that could not overcome his passion, but the thought that if he could just get to first base, he could connect with Meng Hao, who always led the team to victory, made him forget such trivial things. However, the pain rising from his thigh told him that it was impossible to take his steps any further, so Kim Su-ho leaned forward.

‘Please… !’

So Soo-ho Kim took the final step toward the base and threw himself, and as he desperately wanted, his hand touched the base.

[Third baseman, catch the ball! Throw to first base! Suho Kim’s headfirst sliding! At first base! … Three leaves! It’s three leaves! Oh, but Su-ho Kim collapsed at first base and can’t get up. I hope it’s not a major injury…]

[Ah… These injuries are not good… I think I grabbed his thigh… Is it hamstrings? Hmm… Soo-ho Kim goes out with support, and Seong-tae Yoon, the pinch runner, comes in. In this case, Choi Joo-tae at third base and Yoon Seong-tae at shortstop. I think I plan to go this way.]

The result of sprinting with all one’s might was a safe first base. Although he was replaced due to injury, Kim Su-ho’s face showed more satisfaction than pain as he fulfilled his duty.

“What about the hospital? Do you know the rules?”

“I’ll see you until you get to the point where you get to bat, and I’ll go see you until you get to bat.”

After rejecting the manager’s words, Meng Ho, who was preparing to walk to the standby with a bat, approaches.

“Senior, are you okay?”

A voice mixed with slight concern.

“What is this…”

Since he did not want to add more burden to his junior who was carrying the team’s fate on his shoulders, Kim Su-ho answered as if nothing had happened as usual.

“Rather than that, Meng Hao.”

“Yes.”

“Do as usual. As usual. Okay?”

“Hey, have you seen me for a year or two? Senior, I’m waiting. “I’m going to hit a home run.”

[… Kim Jung-hyun’s bunt attempt! Give up second base! Out at first base! A runner advances to second base! One out, second base! South Korea sends a runner into scoring position!]

While we were talking, a successful bunt put the runner on second base with one out. As Choi Joo-tae, who was in the standby at-bat, walks to the plate, Ji Maeng-ho also heads to the standby at-bat. And the back was the same as usual, as if we had just talked.

‘Yeah, because he’s the guy who always does it…’

The same reassuring look as usual… Kim Su-ho, who had been with Ji Maeng-ho on the same team for three years, had no doubt that Ji Maeng-ho would score points and return to the dugout as always.