Chapter 29
29. So What?
Inside a dark room.
The light from a smartphone illuminated a fierce-looking man.
He had a thick body and developed shoulders matching his intimidating face.
“Damn it. Why is some freshman going to the national team?”
He angrily scrolled.
The screen displayed an article about freshman catcher Lee Jin-woo joining the national team.
The man’s lips twisted.
[Reserve Roster: Kim Geon-seok]
A pitching prospect who threw 155 km/h.
One of the top draft prospects.
But he had failed to make the final national team.
His velocity was attractive.
The problem was bad rumors.
School violence.
Kim Geon-seok refused to accept it.
“They’re making a huge deal because I roughhoused some juniors.”
As long as you played baseball well, that should be enough.
His eyes stopped on the comments.
, What is Seo Ji-tae doing? Why pick a freshman backup catcher?
, If you’re going to replace someone, choose Kim Geon-seok from the reserves. Doesn’t he throw 155?
, Right. If Kim Jang-woo is out, shouldn’t Kim Geon-seok be next?
Kim Geon-seok’s eyes lit up.
Public opinion wanted him.
The backlash toward Seo Ji-tae and Lee Jin-woo was benefiting him.
This was it.
He immediately opened his social media.
He wrote a short post.
[I throw 155 too. Wouldn’t I be better on the national team mound than some guy who played a few minor league games or a freshman parachute catcher?]
He posted it under his own account.
Five minutes later.
Kim Geon-seok deleted it and wrote something new.
[I posted while emotional. It was a mistake.]
An apology designed to pour more fuel on the fire.
The original post had already been captured and spread across baseball communities.
Exactly as planned.
Media and fans exploded.
Remove the parachute picks.
Call up the real ace throwing 155.
Then the controversy created an opportunity even Kim Geon-seok had not expected.
“Hello? Manager? What? Can I participate in the evaluation game?”
A national team evaluation match.
A chance he had never expected.
The moment Seo Ji-tae had brought Lee Jin-woo, controversy had grown.
Seo Ji-tae already had enemies.
Kim Geon-seok added fuel.
Several baseball insiders supported him.
[Will Kim Geon-seok receive another chance?]
[Korean amateur baseball association reviewing opportunity in the name of fairness.]
[Seo Ji-tae: It is unnecessary, but if it also serves as an evaluation game, fine. Other people besides me need to grow.]
Seo Ji-tae remained Seo Ji-tae.
He did not care.
Why?
Because he would win.
“Hahaha! Of course I should be going!”
The next day, Kim Geon-seok headed toward Mokdong for the national team evaluation game.
Lee Jin-woo was terrified.
W-Why? Suddenly? Why me?
He had not expected anything.
His name had been on the reserve roster, but Lee Jin-woo had never even checked.
He was not a third-year.
He was not a monster like Seo Ji-tae.
“Lee Jin-woo” was also a common enough name.
Even if he had seen it, he would never have believed it meant him.
Then the national team called.
Only then did he realize.
And panic.
Now Lee Jin-woo entered Mokdong Baseball Stadium under uncomfortable eyes.
National team bullpen.
“Seo Ji-tae is really inserting his own guy now?”
“What a mess.”
The other players in national team uniforms stared in disbelief.
Their eyes focused on first-year catcher Lee Jin-woo crouching behind the plate.
“Ugh…”
Lee Jin-woo shrank under the attention.
Only two freshmen were here.
Seo Ji-tae.
Lee Jin-woo.
I’m not ready yet…
Then he finally met his friend.
“J-Ji-tae.”
“Good. You’re here. Let’s catch some pitches.”
Seo Ji-tae spoke casually.
Lee Jin-woo could not believe him.
“I-I’m still not good enough. This is too sudden…”
“So you don’t want it?”
“…”
Lee Jin-woo hesitated.
The position felt too large for him.
“It’s fine. Everyone gets nervous when a chance like this suddenly appears. I explained it well.”
“Well?”
Lee Jin-woo remembered articles attacking Seo Ji-tae’s attitude.
No. Ji-tae has always been like this.
But Lee Jin-woo knew him.
If Seo Ji-tae had said it, he truly believed there was no problem.
He trusts me that much.
Before taking the mound, Seo Ji-tae looked directly at Lee Jin-woo.
“Imagine you’re in the second team of a pro club. Someone in the first team gets injured and suddenly there’s an opening. Would you say, ‘I’m only a second-team player, so I can’t go up yet,’ and refuse?”
“!”
Seo Ji-tae looked at him like a test.
Lee Jin-woo understood.
“Once the opportunity comes, I should use it to grow.”
“Exactly. So you’re not going to disappoint me, right?”
Lee Jin-woo raised his head.
He looked directly at Seo Ji-tae.
“I worked hard too.”
“That’s the answer. Who cares what outsiders say? When someone gives you a chance, prove yourself. Baseball is close to an individual sport. If your mentality is strong, you don’t collapse.”
Lee Jin-woo nodded.
“You gave me advice because you thought I might shrink under the pressure, right?”
“Hmph. If the catcher freezes, the battery falls apart. Don’t call it advice.”
Seo Ji-tae walked away grumbling.
Lee Jin-woo smiled.
He’s actually nice underneath.
“Let’s start bullpen work. I’m developing a new weapon in America too.”
“Really? Show me!”
The old battery reunited.
They began working together again after high school.
It looked like they would simply practice until the tournament opened on the thirtieth.
Then the next day, a high-ranking association official arrived.
The organization running the baseball tournament was not the KBO.
It was the Korea Baseball Softball Association, KBSA.
Officials visited manager Seo Dong-won.
“Manager Seo, you should have discussed this with the association. The controversy is huge.”
They scolded him.
Seo Dong-won pushed back.
“The catcher was selected because pitcher-catcher chemistry matters. Since it was an emergency call-up, compatibility was important.”
“You should have told us.”
“Selecting players is the manager’s authority.”
The officials laughed dryly.
“Technically, yes. But you should still read the room. We even placed veteran coaches beside you. Just follow them and your career will be fine.”
“Yes. But we already had an injury, so I need to adjust…”
“Hmm.”
Their tone stretched.
They clearly disliked the answer.
Seo Dong-won was still a baseball manager living inside society.
“I’ll listen more carefully from now on.”
“Good.”
“Yes.”
“Only five days remain before the tournament. There’s controversy over pitchers and connections. Can the players even focus with all this noise?”
“Results will silence it.”
“Still too careless. Let’s settle things properly. The television network had an interesting suggestion. You know the popular program Invincible Baseball Team, right?”
“I know it.”
A popular baseball entertainment program.
It gathered retired KBO legends and former players, then matched them against high schools, universities, and amateur teams.
The official smiled.
“Exactly. What’s the point of endless internal evaluation games and live pitching? They should face high-level players. And it’s entertainment. Even if they lose, it won’t be a disaster. You understand, Manager Seo?”
It was an order.
Accept it without complaint.
“There are plenty of famous names, but they also include amateurs, so the game should be fairly even against the youth national team. A good sparring opponent. Accept it.”
“I have no objection to that. We had discussed playing a KBO second team too, but even that level could hurt high school players’ confidence.”
“There is one condition.”
“Condition?”
“Come on. There is one person who created this controversy.”
“Seo Ji-tae.”
Seo Dong-won gave a bitter smile.
A boy whose existence itself was disruptive.
Now came the real subject.
“And you know Kim Geon-seok? He can pitch too. Probably reaches 155 easily. There’s controversy because he wasn’t selected. He thinks it was unfair.”
“He throws hard, but my analysis says his command is poor, and there are school-violence rumors.”
“Same as Seo Ji-tae, isn’t it? And Seo Ji-tae insulted Korean baseball. Plenty of KBO people want to see him fail. There’s no need to take unnecessary risk.”
“Seo Ji-tae has better command and is already succeeding in America…”
“America? He’s in the minor leagues. Korean baseball is better than the minors. Anyway, remember this. We’ll schedule the game on the twenty-sixth. That will also decide whether Kim Geon-seok replaces Seo Ji-tae.”
“!”
The meaning was obvious.
This was a stage built to remove Seo Ji-tae.
That was their real goal.
August 26.
Broadcast trucks and countless staff filled Mokdong Baseball Stadium.
Invincible Baseball Team.
Members of the popular program arrived.
Seo Dong-won met the producer and received the schedule from the writing staff.
“The stands are open too?”
They were not open yet.
Once the game began, spectators would fill them.
“Playing before a full crowd is good real-game practice.”
Seo Dong-won did not dislike that part.
Because it was entertainment, the match could provide useful experience without becoming too serious.
“To allow everyone to participate, the program members will split into two teams and play in turns.”
“I see.”
“Here is the Invincible Baseball Team roster.”
Seo Dong-won reviewed it.
“Familiar names. Former home run king Seo Yoon-dong, star foreign player Jasper, shortstop Park Jung-woo, Kim Gil-hyun with two thousand career hits. Hmm?”
Something felt strange.
“Overall… Team A is stronger. Some players retired only a few years ago, and there are even current college players.”
“Yes. Also, there is one agreed condition. Please have Seo Ji-tae face Team A.”
“!”
Seo Dong-won looked surprised.
“Why?”
“He has recognition. It makes good television.”
That was what the writer said.
Seo Dong-won looked silently toward the stands.
They came.
KBO officials and others were watching.
They wanted to bring Seo Ji-tae down.
Their feelings were obvious.
Seo Dong-won still did not refuse.
It looks unfair, but it is the perfect situation for Seo Ji-tae to prove what he has been saying.
“Then you need to dominate hitters at this level. Right, Ji-tae?”
Everything was ready.
Cameras and spectators filled Mokdong Baseball Stadium.
Heat uncommon for youth baseball filled the stadium.
Inside it, Seo Ji-tae chewed gum while warming up to face Team A.
