The Prodigy Who Rejected the Major League – Chapter 18

Author: Cireng

Chapter 18

My home run tied the game 1–1 in the sixth inning.

Coach immediately sent in another pinch hitter.

It was senior Jeong Dongju, who hadn’t been in the starting lineup.

After the President’s Cup, people had been saying his batting had taken a step forward. He swung at the very first pitch.

Crack!

The ball flew to the outfield, splitting the gap between center and right, rolling all the way to the fence.

And then…

“Wow!”

A triple?!

Sure, Jangwon High’s right fielder failed to field it cleanly in one motion.

But still.

I didn’t expect him to push for third.

It was an extremely aggressive piece of baserunning… everyone was shocked.

“Jeong Dongju! You’re insane! Hahaha!”

“Sunbae! That was amazing!”

Then our coach sent in yet another pinch hitter.

Was he planning to carpet-bomb this entire sixth inning with pinch hitters? Hahaha.

Well, technically, these were starting seniors who just hadn’t been in today’s lineup.

‘Jang Sanghyeon is a good choice.’

After me, he had the best plate discipline on the team.

Jangwon High’s coach went out to the mound.

I didn’t think he would change pitchers.

Their first-year pitcher had already struck out fourteen through five innings, and he had thrown only 65 pitches.

Which meant…

We had been getting out very efficiently.

Of course, his pitch count had probably climbed quite a bit this sixth inning. I alone had seen nine pitches.

After exchanging a few words with the pitcher and catcher, their coach stepped off the mound. He must have been giving instructions on how to handle the next batter.

“Swing! Strike!”

First pitch… slider.

Second pitch… slider again.

“Ball.”

That one was too far outside to bait Jang Sanghyeon’s bat.

And the third pitch…

“Ball.”

Wait.

Don’t tell me… did he tell him not to throw the splitter with a runner on third?

“Ball.”

Three balls, one strike.

Now the count was in the pitcher’s disadvantage.

From what I had seen of that freshman pitcher… to put it bluntly.

He was basically a splitter one-trick pony.

His fastball was ordinary. His slider wasn’t fully refined.

In short, the splitter was so devastating that it made the rest of his arsenal look better than it actually was.

So here, he should throw the splitter.

And the catcher should block it no matter what, even if his life depended on it.

Crack!

But it was a fastball.

Jang Sanghyeon yanked it.

The ball split left-center.

Jeong Dongju trotted home from third as if he were out for a stroll. Jang Sanghyeon made it to second.

2–1.

We had turned the game around with a go-ahead RBI.

“So they really told him not to throw the splitter.”

I could understand why.

If the splitter bounced and got away again, that was another run given up.

And that would have been an immediate deficit anyway.

“Sunbae, what did you just say?”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

“Lately, you seem to talk to yourself more. Are you worried about something?”

“Worried? I’m worried because I have nothing to worry about.”

“Huh? How does that make sense?”

“What do you mean by how? I’m right here.”

“Come on~ You can tell me. Where are you going? That’s what you’re worried about, right?”

Lately, Choi Minsu had been sticking to me more and more.

Before my regression, though my memory was hazy, I didn’t remember Choi Minsu being like this…

‘…Actually, I don’t remember much about him at all.’

At the very least, I was sure he hadn’t been this close to me before.

Anyway, there was a reason he kept asking.

The deadline to apply for the rookie draft was three days away.

And I still hadn’t made any decision about my future.

Stories were flying around…

Famous MLB teams are trying to sign me.

A domestic club is persuading me to stay in Korea.

Talk about signing bonus figures.

But despite all the rumors…

Nothing had been confirmed.

Reporters had even come to Shinwol Baseball Stadium.

Still, none of them shoved a microphone in my face directly. I was still technically a student, so they were probably being careful.

If my parents had come today, they might have been the ones harassed.

But they hadn’t.

The stadium seating was small enough, and worse, the sun blasted directly into the stands.

I had even told Seunghye absolutely not to come.

Said she’d tan in that sunlight.

And then Seunghee noona made a huge fuss instead.

“Since when did you get so sweet? Are you really Song Seongjun? You’re not a doppelgänger, right? Let me pluck a hair.”

All because I said one thing like that?

Does that really warrant questioning my identity?

***

The manager’s love for substitutes continued.

After Jeong Dongju and Jang Sanghyeon, Jin Woo-won was sent in as well.

Four consecutive pinch hitters.

Jin Woowon delivered a timely hit, bringing Jang Sanghyeon home from second base.

Three runs in the sixth inning alone.

The score widened to 3–1.

Jangwon High School’s coach then called for time, summoned his catcher, and gave him a few instructions.

“Swing! Strikeout!”

The first-year pitcher went back to his splitter.

The second-year catcher blocked the one-bounce splitter cleanly this time. It didn’t skip far.

Third out. Swinging strikeout.

In the bottom of the sixth, several pinch hitters entered the game.

There were multiple defensive substitutions as well.

The pitcher changed, too.

Kim Jewoo, who had allowed only one run over five solid innings, was replaced by Hong Chansik.

Hong Chansik relied on sharp breaking balls, though his fastball sat in the low- to mid-140 km/h range.

Jangwon High’s offense ended that inning quietly… two grounders and a routine fly ball.

In the top of the seventh, the same first-year pitcher from Jangwon High returned to the mound.

He had thrown 28 pitches in the sixth, and his pitch count had been managed well through five innings.

Whether he threw 93 pitches or reached the 105-pitch limit, he would need four days of rest anyway. It seemed Manager Jang Won-go intended to let him go the distance.

And the freshman delivered.

The seventh batter grounded out.

The eighth batter struck out on a splitter.

The ninth batter, Kim Minjae, hit a shallow infield fly.

Inning over.

Seventeen strikeouts. 102 pitches.

It was clearly one of those days when everything clicks for a pitcher.

Unfortunately, our team happened to be facing him on that day.

Well… what can you do? A record was set.

Even so.

Hong Chansik did his job as well. Although he allowed runners in the bottom of the seventh, he escaped without surrendering a run.

In the top of the eighth, Jangwon High brought in a new pitcher.

Leadoff hitter Yoo Junho attacked aggressively and reached first base.

Watching from the batter’s box, the new pitcher looked composed enough.

So I made up my mind.

First pitch.

I swung.

The gap stretched to four runs.

Bottom of the eighth.

I took the mound from Hong Chan-sik.

“Seongjun, show them properly. You understand?”

The manager handed me a new ball before stepping away.

Since I had ‘received’ that 17-strikeout performance, it seemed he wanted me to answer properly.

Sure.

We were winning.

I could just close it calmly.

To be honest, that alone doesn’t satisfy me.

The result of the game might be different, sure.

But hair loss is hair loss.

I wasn’t the one who got rocked.

Still, it didn’t feel very good watching the younger guys on the team get beaten around.

So from here on out…

I’ll handle everything.

“Minsu, you’ve got your glove on properly, right?”

“…Yes?”

“If you’re wearing one, put another on. Got it?”

“…Yes?”

Jangwon High’s eighth-inning lineup also started from the seventh batter.

Leadoff was Kang Dongwon, a sophomore catcher who had supposedly been hoping I’d take the mound.

Did he really want me out here?

I didn’t ask. Who knows.

But if I heard correctly…

He wanted me to pitch.

Then shouldn’t I welcome him properly from the start?

“Four-seam. Middle.”

Choi Minsoo’s shoulders flinched slightly at the sign I gave.

I couldn’t see his expression behind the mask.

Ah, you punk.

If you’re going to be surprised by this, I’m definitely teasing you when we get back to the dugout.

Swoosh!

Bang!

“Strike!”

This stadium has ABS, so velocity isn’t displayed.

But from the feel of it… that had to be over 155 km/h.

Second pitch.

Bang!

“Strike two!”

And once again, four-seam.

Bang!

“Swing! Strikeout!”

Kang Dongwon swung hard, but didn’t touch it at all.

Next up was the left-handed hitter, Ojio.

“Four-seam.”

I gave the sign again.

This time, not down the middle… inside.

Bang!

“Strike!”

After catching it, Choi Minsoo shook his gloved hand and then asked the umpire for time.

What, are you seriously going to run to the dugout and come back with another glove?

He took off his mask and looked at me with the most pitiful expression.

My eyesight’s good, I could clearly read his lips.

“Senior! Are you really going to do this?”

Yes.

“Oh, this guy’s such a joker.’

Unbelievable.

Seriously.

I gave him a thumbs-up again.

From the start, I planned to throw nothing but four-seam fastballs this entire eighth inning.

I have absolutely no intention of changing that.

Bang!

“Strike two!”

This time, it would be more accurate to say the batter failed to swing rather than chose not to.

It was low and off the outside corner against the left-hander.

He just leaned his head back and shook it.

And the third pitch.

“Four-seam. High this time. Catch it cleanly.”

I elevated it.

The bat came out.

Miss.

“Swing! Strikeout!”

Three pitches.

Three strikes.

Another clean strikeout.

Although the stadium’s seating area was small, quite a crowd had gathered, including many of the players’ parents.

There was no need to say who they had come to see.

“This is insane. Except for the very first pitch, his fastball hasn’t dropped below 156.”

The first pitch had been 154 km/h.

After that, it read 156, 157, 156, 157, 157.

Of course, there are differences between radar guns. And professional stadiums equipped with TrackMan might show slightly different numbers.

Still, it was nothing short of overwhelming dominance.

Where on earth did a player like this come from? And his mechanics didn’t look like something built over just a year or two. A player who had only recently converted to pitching should show some awkwardness somewhere. But Song Seongjun showed none of that.

The third batter was a pinch hitter.

Since he had thrown only fastballs so far, perhaps the opposing bench had noticed as well.

But what could I do?

Bang!

“Strike!”

The first pitch went low and inside.

The second pitch went outside.

The batter tried hitting it but came up empty.

“He swung and missed at the outside pitch.”

This time, the radar showed 157.

“At this point, the batter must know a fastball is coming, right?”

“Yes. It would be strange not to.”

“Then the reason he still can’t hit it… is simply because it’s too fast?”

The thick-mustached man nodded.

At that moment, Song Seongjun threw his ninth pitch.

Bang!

“Swing! Strikeout!”

The final pitch was right down the middle.

The batter was clearly sitting on a fastball, yet his swing didn’t even come close.

“This is crazy! It just hit 159, Team Leader!”

“I expected around that. Honestly, Song Seongjun isn’t playing at a high school level. I’m curious what his RPM looks like.”

“I heard the national team evaluation game will be at Gocheok Sky Dome. We might be able to check it then.”

Song Seongjun had already been named to the U-18 national team roster the previous month.

Since all professional stadiums have TrackMan installed, both velocity and RPM could easily be measured during the evaluation game.

Of course, there was one variable.

Three days from now.

If he did not apply for the rookie draft, he would be removed from the national team roster.

Which would mean he was heading to the United States.

“If that’s the case, Daegu Bays absolutely have to sign him.”

“It’s possible. If he hasn’t decided on going to the U.S. yet, they must be working hard behind the scenes.”

“Even so, how can you compete with the American signing bonus?”

“That’s difficult from the start. We have to approach it differently.”

“What, something else…?”

“Well, in the end, you have to give the player what he wants.”

Even Team Leader Mustache did not sound confident.

There had already been talk of offers reaching up to 4 million dollars… about 5.59 billion won. And yet the player was still hesitating.

If he stayed in Korea, he would never receive that kind of signing bonus.

Which meant he might actually want to stay domestically.

And if so, there must be specific conditions he wanted.

Otherwise, he would have already made up his mind.

Whether to go to the U.S. or stay.

“Anyway, three days left.”

Three days until the KBO rookie draft.

***

The second-round game against Jangwon High School ended in a 5–1 victory for Seongun High School.

The losing pitcher was Song Kanghan of Jangwon High School. The winning pitcher was Hong Chansik of Seongun High School.

In that game, I took the mound in the 8th and 9th innings and struck out all six batters.

In the 8th, I needed only nine pitches to record three outs.

In the 9th, since Choi Minsu kept joking that his palm was going to burst, I mixed in a two-seamer and a changeup.

“Seriously, Sunbae. Isn’t this too much? A human shouldn’t be like this. If my hand explodes, who’s going to catch for you? You know that, right?”

But he had also said something else.

“I’m done after the Round of 32?”

Even if we won the Round of 32 and advanced to the Round of 16, I would have to leave for national team duty and could not continue in the Bonghwangdaegi tournament.

And depending on circumstances, the Round of 32 might not even be played.

Which meant today could have been my last game.

“Huh? Really?”

Minsu’s eyes widened.

You always act so clever, but you didn’t know that?

“From now on, Minsu, you’re the starting catcher for our school. Do your best.”

I smiled and patted his shoulder.

In the past, we had lost ridiculously.

The ending had not been pleasant.

But this time, it felt like I could finish things properly.

***

◆ Song Kanghan of Jangwon High School struck out 17 over seven innings in his national tournament debut, allowing three runs. He took the loss but impressed! The home run he allowed to Song Seongjun in the sixth remains a regret.

┗ 17 strikeouts as a freshman? What is this?

┗ Isn’t Seongun High the President’s Cup champion? 17K against them? That’s insane.

┗ Guess he got bitten by a dog.

┗ 17K? Is he some kind of recluse monster? LOL

┗ There’s a video of him pitching? His arm swing looks smooth and relaxed.

┗ But that freshman’s splitter was ridiculous.

┗ Ridiculous? Did you go watch in person?

┗ Yeah, I went myself, haha.

┗ The seats were so cramped that it was unbelievably uncomfortable.

┗ Watching with all the players’ parents, there was even worse smh.

The tournament was being held at three venues: Mokdong, Sinwol, and Guui. Except for Mokdong, the other two were not exactly comfortable places to watch games.

┗ Someone actually went in person lol. So how was it?

Everyone was shocked that a freshman had struck out 17, but hardly anyone had actually watched the game.

Then an eyewitness appeared.

┗ That splitter was insane. Incheon Ports’ Lee Minjun has been famous for his splitter since high school. I think this kid throws it at least that well.

┗ Lee Minjun throws like that? Are you crazy? He’s our pick in two years lol.

┗ That would definitely wreck high school hitters lol.

┗ I don’t know if I should believe it, but 17K means he must’ve been legit.

┗ But then how did they score three runs?

With 17 strikeouts, everyone wondered how three runs had even been scored.

┗ Song Seongjun came in as a pinch hitter and knee-shot a splitter lol.

┗ kekeke-Knee shot-kekeke

┗ As expected of Song Seongjun! High school’s top monster hitter lol.

┗ Did you actually see it?

┗ Yeah! I was there in person! It was uncomfortable the whole time, but that moment made up for everything hahaha.

┗ Wow, that’s awesome. So jealous.

┗ What about when he pitched? Did you see that too?