Talented FA Catcher - Chapter 297
Only Ranovel
Episode 297: You I Know – 5
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‘You read it completely.’
Tony Cope looked at Kim Su-ho with regret.
I felt more emotional about hitting a double now than when I hit a home run yesterday.
Only yesterday he threw a four-seamer due to Lee Ho-min’s stubbornness, and today it was all his lead.
Kevin Braff’s ball landed exactly where the mitt was, and everything went as Tony Cope wanted.
That is, until Kim Su-ho hit the ball perfectly.
‘Should I have just gone with a changeup? Or give up your greed and go for a slider?’
To put it bluntly, it is only one at-bat.
It’s not like he gave a score, so it’s right to quickly shake it off and focus on the next hitter, but Tony Cope was also sincere toward Kim Su-ho.
At first, I was very interested in Heo Ha-jun and Lee Ho-min’s words, but now it’s different.
As a catcher, it’s been a while since I met a catcher who made my blood boil.
Although I was disappointed that I didn’t have many at-bats left, I focused on the present, thinking that I had a chance to pay back.
Baker Willis is not an easy hitter, but he definitely had less pressure than Kim Su-ho.
Still, he is a player with solid slugging power.
Rather than approaching it carelessly, it was important to take it one step at a time.
“cheek!”
“Foul!”
A 1-1 count on consecutive four-seamers.
Since it was a no out on second base, the best thing to do was induce a strikeout or a ground ball to third base.
For that, it was important to get 2 strikes first.
Fortunately, there is a pitch that is effective against hitters who have timing on the four-seamer.
A 68 mph slow curve that was also used by Kim Su-ho.
‘The velocity is so slow that if you aim properly, it’s a long hit, but now is the right time.’
It was a lot of pressure to throw the same curveball that I used to the previous batter.
But Tony Cope instead took advantage of the gap.
‘This friend probably thinks so too.’
It had already been confirmed that Baker Willis was timing the four-seamer.
“strike!”
As Tony Cope expected, Baker Willis failed to react to the slow curve at 68 mph.
But before the umpire’s call, another sound rang out on the ground.
“Run!”
[Kim! I ran toward third base!]
Perfect timing that caught me off guard.
The runner on second base with no outs was Su-ho Kim.
Even veteran Tony Cope never thought he would attempt to steal third base at this timing.
To make matters worse, the ball had a slow curve.
I was caught off guard and couldn’t catch the ball properly in my hand because I felt like I had to throw it quickly.
As a result.
[Kim succeeds in stealing third base with ease!]
Su-ho Kim succeeded in stealing third base without any checks.
-Taaaah!
In the ensuing 1-2 count, Baker Willis’ fly ball came out.
Su-ho Kim scored on a batted ball that flew right in front of the fence.
When Kim Soo-ho hit home, Tony Cope asked a little question.
“Are you sure you were aiming for the timing of the curve?”
“well?”
“shit. “There is also an afterthought.”
It was an inexcusable loss for Tony Cope.
#
Bottom of the 9th inning, one out, runner on first base, 5 to 1, 4 runs.
Tony Cope is warming up at the standby.
Tony Cope’s performance today was 1 hit in 3 at-bats.
Unfortunately, Tony Cope did not return for his next at-bat.
-Wow!
“out!”
“out!”
The game ended with a clean 6-4-3 double play.
It was a game that achieved a lot.
While Snitker allowed just 1 run over 8 innings, the batting line scored 5 runs, and the game ended without Henney on the mound.
Personally, I gained a lot.
In particular, the intense fight with Tony Cope will be a memory that will be difficult to forget for a while.
It’s a shame that the trip to Boston is already over, but I’m satisfied because I got a hit with a stolen base.
This concludes our schedule in Boston.
I had time to meet both Lee Ho-min and Tony Cope briefly, but it was a bit awkward to ask to meet them first as the sweeper.
Is there even a scene going around among Red Sox fans where I, who played a decisive role, meet the two of them?
No matter what the relationship between me and Lee Ho-min was, there was no way anything good would come out of it.
Lee Ho-min was well aware of that fact and sent his greetings via text instead.
-If you don’t make it to the World Series, you’ll die.
It’s a pity that we parted ways without even saying hello properly, but it will all be okay if we meet at the World Series like that text message.
Our next destination after leaving Boston was Philadelphia.
This is where the most polarizing fans in the Major League, called Philigans, live.
“Damn it. “Why me first?”
I can’t believe Lynch, who has always been full of confidence, is so irritated.
Actually, this was my first time, so I had no idea what the place was like.
So I asked Wellington.
“hmm. So, it’s more polarizing than Marines, Friends, Wolves and Phoenix fans combined.”
“…There is such a place?”
“uh. “You will know the details when you experience it.”
Perhaps because Wellington’s analogy was so extreme, it didn’t hit me as hard as I thought.
However, when I arrived at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies’ home, and headed to the away team’s bullpen to catch Lynch’s ball, I immediately understood what he meant.
“Are you throwing something like that as a ball!?”
“My 4-year-old son can throw better than that! “Why don’t you just let my son pitch and you play as my son!?”
“Good ball! Just throw like that in games!”
For reference, the last ball was an absurd ball.
Due to the outcry from Phillies fans, Lynch ended up practicing faster than usual.
What Lynch said afterwards was truly unexpected.
“Today is less than I thought?”
“That?”
“Last year, the basics were saying things like I’m going to explode your head, and I’m going to throw it at you like a snake.”
As soon as the game started, I could see why.
“Stupid bastards! I just shouldn’t have come back! “You think I came here to watch a game like this!”
“Are you calling that guy a pitcher? You idiots! “Change the pitcher right now!”
Phillies fans poured out criticism as if they had been waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball.
It wasn’t even a walk, it was just that the first pitch was a ball.
Of course, it was true that the Phillies lost the previous game.
However, before that, they won two games and lost once, but ended up taking the winning series.
But this reaction?
Even when the next ball was a strike, cheers were heard as if it had never happened before.
“That’s it! “If only I had pitched it like that from the beginning!”
“If you throw the ball again, I’ll kill you! Throw it straight!”
No matter how polarizing it was, I had no idea it would be this bad.
On the other hand, Lynch looked at that and said indifferently.
“Don’t try to understand those people. Just accept it. “We just have to do what we do well.”
As Lynch said, having such a polarizing reaction to each ball was an area that was impossible to understand.
Still, I liked him because his personality was more distinct than that of other fans.
Of course, there were many criticisms of Bryant.
“Quickly strike out and get out!”
A Phillies fan was heard shouting, and soon Bryant responded.
-Taaaaaagh!
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
It is a representative hitter-friendly stadium, and when a Phillies player hits a home run, the neon bell in the center moves and sounds.
But what if the away team hits a home run?
“—-!”
Instead of ringing a bell, words pour out that I can’t say with my own mouth.
As I welcomed Bryant home and moved to the standby stand, I also heard him talking about me.
“hey! The red uniform suits you well! “I’ll give you this uniform, so why don’t you change right away!?”
The fan’s uniform was number 58, which was the uniform number of Phillies catcher Jim Allen.
No matter how bad Jim Allen is these days, I never thought he would say something like that.
If you buy a uniform, that means you are a fan, but you are a really scary fan.
Fortunately, Jim Allen didn’t hear the sound and was focused on McCoy’s at-bat.
-Taaaaaagh!
McCoy’s batted ball, which hit the first pitch, went over the fence.
Back to back home runs from the start of the game.
Of course, angry fans’ voices were heard.
The targets of criticism were McCoy, who hit the home run, the pitcher who hit the home run, the Phillies general manager and coaching staff who remained silent, and catcher Jim Allen.
“Fuck Allen! Take off that uniform right now! “I’ll tear it up myself!”
Hmm, I guess I definitely listened this time?
#
There were a total of five clubs that showed great interest in Kim Su-ho in the Stove League.
Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Red Sox, Rangers, and Phillies.
Among them, the Phillies are often misunderstood as a small market due to their poor performance and the title of the first all-loss team in professional sports, but the will to win was as strong at the front office as the passionate fans.
So, we made quite a bit of reinforcement in this Stove League, and were recording a good record of 2nd place by 3 games in the Eastern Division of the National League.
But regardless of the performance, fans were always dissatisfied.
To satisfy them, the Phillies must never lose a game, never throw out a runner, and hit a home run every at-bat.
Instead of this impossible story, there has been a hot topic among Phillies fans recently.
[Stupid front desk. Why didn’t you recruit Kim?]
ㄴ If Kim had used Citizens Bank Park as her home, she would have rang the bell more than 20 times already!
ㄴ Our weaknesses are clear. catcher! Imagine if Kim were our catcher! Fuck!
ㄴ You do know that Kim can exercise her opt-out next year, right? Be sure to bring it! Bring him in and get rid of damned Jim Allen!
It was about the failure to recruit Kim Su-ho from the Stove League.
Objectively, Jim Allen was a good catcher.
Although he lacks slugging power, he has a batting average in the mid-.200 range and a batting gap of over 1, so he has a good pitching plan.
The defense was also average.
However, Kim Su-ho, who was being compared, had ridiculous results, and there was no one who could give a clear answer to fans’ consequential comments.
However, that did not mean that fans were not dissatisfied.
In particular, catcher Jim Allen, who knows that he and Kim Su-ho are always compared by fans, has been waiting for this game against the D-backs.
‘Stupid fans. Open your eyes and look carefully.’
There was a reason why Jim Allen was so confident.
The Phillies’ home record this season is a whopping 70%.
The visiting team was always overwhelmed by the passionate(?) support of Phillies fans.
It wasn’t something the Phillies players were all that familiar with, but it was okay because they experienced it every day.
This was my first game where I started with such confidence.
“Fuck Allen! Take off that uniform right now! “I’ll tear it up myself!”
Jim Allen’s face turned white at the criticism heaped upon him.
Back-to-back home runs allowed after the game started without a single out count.
Jim Allen was not the only target of criticism, but due to the nature of his position as a catcher, he was always the target of criticism.
To make matters worse, the next batter is Kim Soo-ho, who ranks first in home runs in all of Major League Baseball.
Since he is a direct comparison to himself and the center of the D-backs’ batting lineup, he was analyzed with the utmost care.
However, the analysis results were unfavorable.
‘There are no weaknesses.’
Even if you look at the hot and cold zone, the only place that is below .300 is the outer high zone.
Even if you think of it as a small sample with just over 100 at-bats, it was a problem.
Conversely, it means that there is no data for meaningful analysis.
‘But it’s okay.’
No matter how good the opponent is, it has only been two months since he came to the majors.
It was impossible to show off my skills at Citizens Bank Park, where even veteran players were reluctant.
“Quickly swing three times and get out!”
‘It has begun.’
Jim Allen smiled at the sound of Phillies fans that started as soon as Kim Soo-ho entered the batter’s box.
There is a world of difference between seeing someone criticize you from afar and being the target of the criticism yourself.
Although he couldn’t see his face, Jim Allen made a sign towards his body, imagining Kim Su-ho’s face, which must have been very tired even if he didn’t see it.
That too, close to the body.
It was a fatal ball for a player who must have been very nervous.
A perfect match between polarizing Phillies fans and this ball combination.
‘There are more than one rookie who went through a slump because of this.’
I had no doubt that Kim Su-ho would do the same.
When the ball came out of the pitcher’s hand, Jim Allen felt something was wrong.
First of all, even though he was a Phillies player, he was not 100% immune to Phillies fans.
In particular, the pitcher on the mound is already distracted by back-to-back home runs and criticism from Phillies fans.
Jim Allen, whose perspective was narrowed by the barrage of criticism, was unable to check the pitcher’s condition.
In a way, it was natural for such a pitcher to have poor ball control.
The ball even came into a course that was perfect for hitting.
‘Still, it will be difficult to react.’
I thought it would be difficult for Kim Su-ho, who was completely frozen, to turn the bat from the first pitch.
-Taaaaaagh!
‘uh?’
That is, until I saw Kim Su-ho’s bat that had coolly returned.
This time, the batted ball easily went over the fence.
The distance was so great that it even hit the top of the stadium.
“You bastards who aren’t as good as these dogs!”
Jim Allen’s face turned white again at the criticism heaped upon him.
Back to back to back home runs.
It was the perfect way to drive Phillies fans into a frenzy.
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[Philadelphia Phillies 2:11 Arizona Diamondbacks]
[Phillies fans stormed into the stadium from the first inning, and the game was stopped for about 10 minutes.]
[First come first served D-backs with 30 wins! The batting lineup exploded with Kim Soo-ho’s 18th home run of the season, leading to a huge win in Game 1 against the Phillies!]
[A home run is soon to be recorded! With 18 home runs in 38 games, Kim Soo-ho aims for a new record for a major league rookie. Next goal is 19 home runs in 45 games!]