Chapter 74, China Money
The method for attacking a pitcher was simple.
You only needed to have seen his pitches before.
And I knew the white pitcher taking the mound right now.
Reginent.
His name sounded impressive.
He had been caught using steroids in an American rookie league and was released.
After receiving a severe punishment that prevented him from signing with a Major League organization for one year, he moved to China.
In my previous life, this game had practically become a showcase for him.
Korean hitters could do nothing.
They were completely helpless.
[Korea Dragged Around by China, Manager Heo Jun Announces Immediate Retirement]
[Heo Jun Apparently Fired During Olympics, Seen Crying at the End]
[Three Traitors Who Ruined Korea’s Olympics]
[Korean National Team Pelted With Raw Eggs Upon Returning Home]
[Korean Baseball Attendance Falls 20%, League in Emergency]
Korean baseball went through a slump for several years because of it.
Losing to China in basketball or table tennis was one thing.
But soccer and baseball were unacceptable.
That was how the Korean public felt.
“The lineup hasn’t changed yet. But today we’ll add a few tactical plays. Make sure you remember all the signs.”
The coaches taught the players each sign one by one.
Everyone learned them.
Because the opposing pitcher was unfamiliar, we did not know exactly what he would do.
This was one way to prepare.
Republic of Korea National Team Starting Lineup
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Starting Pitcher: Yoo Jong-hyeon, Incheon Dolphins
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1st Batter: Kwon Geon-woo, Left Fielder, Busan Oceans
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2nd Batter: Cho Seung-hun, Center Fielder, Colorado
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3rd Batter: Choi Seong, Designated Hitter, Busan Oceans
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4th Batter: Yoon Jae-jun, Catcher, Busan Oceans
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5th Batter: Lee Byeong-hwan, First Baseman, Daejeon Hawks
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6th Batter: Ahn Hong-gyu, Shortstop, Seoul Triples
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7th Batter: Kim Seong-mu, Third Baseman, Seoul Magicians
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8th Batter: Park Min-ho, Second Baseman, Masan Wolves
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9th Batter: Gu Ja-cheol, Right Fielder, Daegu Cats
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For reference, aside from me, only Kwon Geon-woo, Yoon Jae-jun, and Lee Byeong-hwan had gotten hits in the previous game.
Even then, each only had one.
Everyone had been obsessed with taking hero swings.
“For your first plate appearance, I’ll leave things up to you. Watch carefully and figure out how their pitcher works.”
“Yes!”
Since we had already beaten Japan, the team expected to finish first in the group, so we had a little room to breathe.
Of course, Cuba was still a strong team.
Though they had just lost to China...
“Finally, we’ll hear from the captain. Without Choi Seong against Japan, we definitely would’ve lost.”
Hitting coach Lee Jun-ho suddenly stepped forward.
The players gathered around me in a circle.
Suddenly?
Still, I did not panic.
I had something I wanted to tell everyone anyway.
“If we want to win, we need to shake their pitcher up until he loses his mind. He isn’t an old veteran. He’s a rookie. If we keep disturbing him, cracks will appear.”
“Doesn’t he already have plenty of weaknesses? He’s a drug cheat in the first place...”
Apparently my words irritated Cho Seung-hun.
Then again, he was probably annoyed because not a single article had been written about him.
The spotlight had been entirely on my pitching and home run, along with Kwon Geon-woo’s defensive play.
The media had practically presented the game as Choi Seong versus Japan.
“Then who was the senior who played in the same rookie league as him?”
Yoon Jae-jun immediately shut down Cho Seung-hun’s attempt to interrupt me.
Cho Seung-hun said nothing.
He had already lost our bet, and while the rookies got hits, he had done nothing.
“Seniors, don’t forget why we came here. We came to win the tournament, not to worry about China. But that doesn’t mean we can underestimate them. China beat Cuba, but they won’t beat us.”
“Right!”
“Let’s win. Then we can face Cuba comfortably.”
Everyone quickly united around my words.
Manager Heo Jun and Coach Lee Jun-ho looked at me with satisfied expressions.
The game soon began.
Korea batted first in the top of the first.
Reginent’s fastball was around 158 km/h, so it was not exceptionally fast.
But he used a three-quarter arm slot and had a wide variety of pitches.
I remembered him throwing a fastball, two-seam, knuckleball, and several others.
“Try bunting.”
I quietly advised Kwon Geon-woo just before he entered the batter’s box.
It was obvious Reginent would have the game of his life today.
But there was a way to prevent it.
All we needed to do was break his weak mentality.
“A bunt?”
“Just try it. You’ll understand.”
China was filled with players motivated entirely by rewards.
That gave them the potential to become an even stronger team than Korea.
But they had one major weakness.
They had no unity.
They were basically mercenaries with no loyalty to the country.
Their defensive coordination and fundamentals were especially terrible.
154 km/h.
A fast first pitch entered the strike zone.
But Kwon Geon-woo was already used to fastballs.
Recently, whenever I practiced pitching, I made Yoon Jae-jun and Kwon Geon-woo stand in the batter’s box.
Pitchers in Korea did not throw especially hard.
Internationally, however, 150 km/h was practically the standard.
Since fastballs were still the most common pitch, they needed experience watching that kind of velocity.
“A bunt? He could just swing away...”
Cho Seung-hun complained from the on-deck circle.
It seemed about time to say something.
“Senior. You’re bunting in your next at-bat too.”
“What?”
“Our agreement.”
