Chapter 8
8. The National Tournament
[A freshman hit 154 today at Mokdong. He’s Cheongryong High School’s starting left-hander. Seven innings, 15 strikeouts, perfect game.]
Are you writing a novel? How does a freshman throw 154?
Mokdong’s radar gun has been inflated forever. He probably threw in the low 140s, and it recorded it wrong.
15K perfect game, lol. At least make your fake story believable. If he were that good, he’d go straight to Major League Baseball next year.
A short eyewitness report appeared on a baseball community.
Because it was only the high school Weekend League and not a major national tournament, very few people cared.
The record sounded unrealistic enough to come straight out of a comic book.
Most internet users assumed it was either a radar-gun error or nonsense written by someone desperate for attention.
But the experts who had actually been at that single game reacted differently.
The scouting director of Seoul Magnus, a poor professional club, and reporters specializing in high school baseball began typing much faster.
Yes, General Manager. The velocity is real. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”
Their fingers also moved quickly across their phones.
It was definitely 154 km/h, and he struck out fifteen. It was only one game, but the talent is incredible.”
Scouts made excited reports.
A first-year high school student had thrown 154 km/h and recorded fifteen strikeouts in his first game?
Any scout who ignored that would not deserve the job.
However, it’s still too early to decide anything. He has only played one game.”
Right. He may still show the usual inconsistency of a freshman. We need to watch carefully until his ability to pitch repeatedly and his mentality under pressure are fully tested.”
They were excited about the appearance of a monster.
But they also began watching his high school career carefully.
Three weeks later.
The first half of the Weekend League was approaching its end.
Cheongryong High School had won five straight games and stood alone in first place.
Naturally, at the center of that success was the freshman monster destroying hitters from the mound, Seo Ji-tae.
Five games.
Three starts.
One inning as a closer.
A total of 24 scoreless innings.
ERA, 0.00.
WHIP, 0.08.
Sixty strikeouts.
Absurd numbers.
There were almost no hitters in the Weekend League capable of properly hitting Seo Ji-tae’s pitches.
Yet despite those incredible numbers, Seo Ji-tae did not look happy.
That bastard coach has started overusing me. How many innings does he expect me to cover?
This was before official pitch-count restrictions.
The abuse of ace pitchers in high school baseball was severe.
I’m only being controlled because I keep finishing innings so quickly. This really is the worst. I’m aiming for Major League Baseball. I can’t let them destroy my arm.”
Seo Ji-tae had kept himself below around eighty pitches per game.
It was not because Choi Dong-il had carefully managed him.
Seo Ji-tae’s pitches were simply so dominant that the low pitch count happened naturally.
In this era, other aces often threw eight innings, nine innings, and sometimes even stayed in long enough to finish a hitter before finally being taken out.
It was the perfect environment for abuse.
Seo Ji-tae could not ignore the issue.
He needed to directly tell the coach to stop.
He requested a meeting.
Unlike before, Choi Dong-il welcomed him warmly.
You’re starting Game Six tomorrow too. You know if we win this one, we secure first place in the first half of the Weekend League, right?”
I know.”
Then tomorrow, don’t worry about your pitch count. Throw until the end. I heard a player who went pro last year threw 130 pitches in a game. The media praised him like crazy.”
Choi Dong-il spoke as if it were an inspiring story.
But Seo Ji-tae knew what happened to that player.
His abused shoulder and elbow turned him into a regular visitor to the injury list by his second professional season.
Later, he became nothing more than an average player.
That is not an inspiring story. It’s barbaric. I’ll never repeat the path I walked before regression.
The ace sacrificing himself for the team.
Professional or amateur, it was always the same.
A vicious cycle that needed to stop.
The old Seo Ji-tae would have been fooled by the shallow excuse of doing it for the team.
He would have nodded like an idiot.
Then he would have forced himself to throw one hundred pitches, one hundred fifty pitches, until his left arm was destroyed.
Take responsibility until the end for victory? That garbage mindset is exactly why my arm was ruined.
Seo Ji-tae looked directly at Choi Dong-il with cold eyes.
Coach, I’d like to pitch only around five innings. And I don’t want to throw more than eighty pitches.”
What?”
At the firm refusal, Choi Dong-il’s face reddened.
He immediately slammed the desk, trying to intimidate him.
Y-You arrogant bastard! Can’t you see your seniors pitching until their arms nearly fall off for the team? You call yourself the ace, and you can’t even sacrifice that much? We’re right in front of a championship!”
I’m starting Game Six too. You just need to manage my pitch count.”
Do you not understand me? I said the first-half championship!”
Which we’re getting because of me. So I’m not throwing more than eighty pitches. Give your ace a little special treatment.”
Huh? You think you can talk to your coach like this just because you can throw?”
Then don’t use me.”
Seo Ji-tae did not back down despite the coach’s threatening voice.
You can play without me. And Coach.”
Hey. Are you acting like this because the school administration likes you?”
Managing a pitcher’s arm is basic common sense. Preventing overuse and protecting players is also part of a coaching staff’s ability.”
Choi Dong-il, with his outdated mindset, breathed heavily as if he wanted to hit Seo Ji-tae.
But he held himself back.
Go. I heard what you said.”
Then I’ll leave.”
Seo Ji-tae turned away from the fuming coach.
With his personality, will he actually listen?
Seo Ji-tae was doubtful.
The answer became clear in the very next game.
Out!”
The umpire’s signal cut through the air.
Top of the seventh inning.
Two outs.
The first-half championship was on the line.
Seo Ji-tae’s fastball slammed violently into the catcher’s mitt for a swinging strikeout.
Seo Ji-tae checked his pitch count on the scoreboard.
Eighty-one pitches.
Without hesitation, he crossed his arms toward the dugout.
It was an obvious signal for a pitching change.
Cheongryong led only 2 to 0.
The dugout exploded at the ace suddenly asking to leave the game.
Seo Ji-tae watched Choi Dong-il rush angrily toward the mound.
I knew it.”
Hey, freshman Seo Ji-tae! What the hell are you doing? We still have the eighth and ninth innings!”
I’ve done enough. You prepared the bullpen pitchers, right? Use Senior Dong-min or Senior Yeon-woo.”
Choi Dong-il pointed angrily at Seo Ji-tae.
Are you insane? We’re right in front of a championship and the ace wants to leave the mound?”
You’re putting Senior Dong-min in, right?”
Seo Ji-tae casually ignored Choi Dong-il.
Then he glared at starting catcher Kang Tae-ho, who had come to the mound but was only standing there awkwardly.
And Senior.”
W-What?”
Kang Tae-ho flinched and stepped back.
Seo Ji-tae looked irritated.
This is already our fourth game together. Stop calling pitches like that. You keep wasting pitches in situations where I can challenge hitters directly, so the innings become longer.”
W-Well, the hitters were fouling off a lot today…”
How many of them were really doing that? Have I allowed a single run in six games?”
A senior was being scolded by a junior.
Kang Tae-ho’s face burned.
They can’t even swing when I throw straight down the middle, so stop constantly calling for chase pitches outside and unnecessary breaking balls. We already understand each other’s styles, don’t we?”
This was not Seo Ji-tae picking a fight for no reason.
As the ace pitcher, he was correctly criticizing the catcher’s overly passive and fearful pitch calling.
So even in serious situations, if necessary, challenge them directly even if there’s a risk of allowing a run. Senior, Coach, I’m heading out.”
What? Hey! Stop right there!”
After saying everything he wanted, Seo Ji-tae began juggling the baseball in one hand as he walked toward the dugout.
Huh…”
It was incredibly rare in high school baseball for a player to remove himself from the game.
A player openly ignoring the coach’s authority and leaving the mound on his own was almost unheard of.
Even the umpire stared in confusion.
Choi Dong-il grabbed his forehead.
But no one could stop this arrogant ace.
He was an absolute monster who looked capable of succeeding even if he were placed on a professional mound immediately.
Hah, seriously… I’m letting this go just this once.”
With his face twisted in anger, Choi Dong-il signaled the umpire for a pitching change.
Monday, after the Weekend League schedule ended and the players had taken one day of rest.
Training immediately after an appearance was usually lighter than normal.
Around 6 p.m.
After regular practice ended, Seo Ji-tae focused on weight training.
A heavy baseball bag hung from his shoulder.
His powerful thighs were pumped and hot after training.
To improve my form even more, I need to strengthen the basic muscles through weight training!
Upper-body weight training was important.
But the lower body was always the roots of the tree.
A strong base allowed everything above it to grow properly.
His personal baseball style also demanded it.
Especially his submarine delivery.
Throwing over 150 km/h would inevitably place tremendous stress on the body.
He needed to endure the brutal load created by a submarine delivery.
That required monstrous lower-body and core strength.
He also needed a perfect kinetic chain, the biomechanical process where force beginning from the ground passes through the ankle, knee, pelvis, torso, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and finally the fingertips.
I’m already stronger than I was before the regression!”
Knowledge and experience from the future were giving him athletic ability far beyond his previous self.
At 7 p.m., after finishing his weight training, he met Lee Jin-woo at the practice field again.
You’re here, Ji-tae.”
I hope I’m not getting in the way of your rest.”
It’s fine. I’m never going to become the starting catcher if I do exactly the same thing everyone else does.”
Exactly. But we’re not going to overdo it. We stop before nine and rest properly.”
Seo Ji-tae put down his bag and lightly rotated his shoulders.
We’re doing that again today, right? Right-handed submarine?”
Seo Ji-tae held the white baseball in his right hand instead of his left.
He pressed his gloved left arm close to his waist and tilted his upper body extremely far to the right.
His right knee sank so low that it almost touched the dirt.
The feeling is completely different from my left arm.
An extremely low release point only a few centimeters above the ground.
Seo Ji-tae’s right arm shot forward as if scraping the dirt.
The ball flew with a sharp sound through the night air.
Like a snake crawling along the ground before suddenly jumping at its prey.
The ball violently rose toward Lee Jin-woo’s chest.
The main weapon of his right-handed submarine delivery.
The upshoot.
Lee Jin-woo’s eyes widened as he hurriedly raised his hand.
Ugh!”
Lee Jin-woo groaned and nearly fell backward onto his rear.
Even through the thick leather mitt, the impact made his palm feel like it would tear open.
Ji-tae, this pitch is seriously insane. It feels much heavier than last time!”
Lee Jin-woo pulled the ball from the mitt with shocked eyes.
Seo Ji-tae said nothing and prepared the next pitch.
He threw another right-handed submarine pitch.
But this time, the angle was slightly different.
A mid-level submarine delivery.
Higher than the extremely low one he had just used.
It was the form Seo Ji-tae had shown Lee Jin-woo when they first started training.
The velocity was even higher than from the low release point, and the pitch moved like a living snake.
Lee Jin-woo caught the ball as if hugging it and stumbled forward.
Then he laughed.
Ji-tae, this definitely feels like more than 140 km/h.”
Seo Ji-tae stretched and looked at his improved body with satisfaction.
Now that I’ve pushed my lower body and core strength further, the stress on my arm has definitely decreased. My body is becoming much better than it was before regression.
But Seo Ji-tae’s goal was far beyond this.
He wanted to surpass BK, who had reached 150 km/h from a submarine delivery.
Seo Ji-tae wanted an untouchable submarine pitch above 155 km/h.
Only when I reach that level will I become a more complete switch pitcher.
After throwing several more times and taking a break, Jin-woo approached him.
By the way, Ji-tae, you’re great with your left hand, but you also use your right really well.”
Things happened. A long time ago, I only used my left hand, then I got injured and started using my right. Then I got another chance, so I started throwing left-handed again.”
S-So you’ve been using both hands since you were young. That’s amazing.”
Seo Ji-tae gave a strange smile.
This was one of the advantages of regression.
Actually, I’m more familiar with my right hand than my left. If you count the years, I spent longer pitching right-handed.”
What? Then your real main arm is your right?”
Seo Ji-tae laughed at his friend’s shocked reaction.
Soon, both will be my main arms. I’m continuing to rebuild my game experience with my left hand too. Eventually, both will feel completely natural.”
So your left hand is actually the one you used less… Haha… You really are a genius.”
Later, if someone appears who plays both pitcher and hitter, wouldn’t that be even crazier?”
Come on, that sounds too much like a comic book.”
Hahaha, right?”
Seo Ji-tae laughed while thinking about a genius Japanese baseball player from the future.
I’m the same. I’m going to Major League Baseball as a switch pitcher.
He wanted to reach Major League Baseball as quickly as possible instead of staying in the KBO.
For that, he needed to capture scouts’ attention at the upcoming Golden Lion Tournament.
Jin-woo. We’re winning the Golden Lion Tournament no matter what. Cheongryong can handle the rest.”
Haha. We haven’t won anything yet. Though with you, maybe it really is possible.”
Don’t say it might be possible because it’s me. We’re just going to do it.”
Seo Ji-tae slapped his teammate on the back as he prepared for the Golden Lion Tournament, a competition that could become an important turning point in his life.
