The Prodigy Who Rejected the Major League – Chapter 7

Author: Cireng

Chapter 7

The ball kicked wildly to the side.

Good thing there were no runners on base.

In just three innings, I’d already messed up two blocks.

This was actually an improvement.

When I first practiced blocking after regressing, it had been a complete disaster.

Later, Coach even asked me, “Are you going through puberty?”

Why was someone who used to be solid suddenly playing like trash?

I knew exactly why.

But I couldn’t say it.

Unlike pitching or hitting…

Catching. That was the one place I struggled.

‘Because I’ve been away too long.’

Catching defense was completely different from throwing or hitting.

When I first regressed, it had only been a few years since I stopped catching.

But now, I’d come back after nearly twenty years without even putting on a catcher’s mitt.

Honestly, it was impressive that my body was even keeping up this much.

Maybe the repetition and training ingrained in my original high school body were surfacing reflexively.

At least with ABS in place, I didn’t have to worry about framing. Thank goodness for that.

‘My throwing hasn’t suffered, at least.’

That was probably thanks to the fact that I’d kept throwing all this time.

“Seongjun, you know Coach is worried you’re in puberty these days, right? Tighten it up.”

After the top of the third, as I was taking off my gear in the dugout, Hyunsu came over and started needling me.

“Think of it as tax. I already knocked in two runs.”

Shameless, sure… but not wrong.

Thanks to my first-inning homer, Seowon High was up 2–0.

Then came the bottom of the third.

“Ugh!”

“You okay?!”

“Seungju!”

Leadoff hitter Seungju took a pitch off the ribs and went down. The pitcher looked horrified, like the ball had slipped out of his hand.

Seungju got up quickly.

“Sit out.”

“I can run.”

“Sit.”

Coach replaced him with a pinch runner, who would likely take over left field on defense.

Then Coach signaled Yoo Junho for a sacrifice bunt.

The bunt was successful. One out, runner on second.

And my second at-bat came around.

“Juun~!”

“Seongjun!”

Wow. Those high-pitched voices were loud.

When the sisters combined forces, they were unstoppable.

I turned and waved.

Seunghye and Seunghee were sitting directly behind our dugout with the other families.

‘There really aren’t many spectators.’

Just families, a few regular fans, and some scouts.

No wonder I could hear them so clearly.

“Home run! Got it?!”

“Seongjun! Hit another one!”

When did they even prepare that sketchbook?

Seunghye was holding a giant sign that read: ‘Seongjun Home Run!’

Do they think ‘home run’ is a puppy’s name?

If you could just decide to hit one and do it, would it even be a home run? Ha.

As I stepped into the box, there was movement in Jeongchun High’s dugout.

Their manager spoke to the umpire and headed to the mound.

Pitching change.

“Hm? Moon Seungchan?”

Hyeongseo came down.

And up came Moon Seungchan.

Instantly, my competitive fire flared.

I wanted to hit something big.

Is it true that your mental age follows your body? Ridiculous.

Checking the records, my numbers against him this year weren’t good.

‘0 for 5.’

I didn’t remember any of it. Without memory, there shouldn’t be frustration.

But my body seemed to remember.

Was I bitter?

‘This might be my only chance to face Moon Seungchan.’

He wasn’t entering the domestic draft… he was heading straight to the U.S.

This President’s Cup would be his final tournament.

I remembered. I’d signed with an MLB team myself back then.

Come to think of it, even in the minors, I’d never faced Seungchan.

Strange.

***

“He changed his swing.”

“Yes, I saw.”

“Just focus on command. Got it?”

“Yes, Coach.”

Manager Mansu kept it short and came down.

Seungchan was the most reliable player at Jeongchun High this year.

He threw just four warm-up pitches.

He was that confident.

Sure, Hyeongseo had given up a homer… but Seungchan wasn’t concerned.

The batter stepping in hadn’t recorded a single hit off him this year.

He dusted his hands with rosin and glanced at the stands.

Fewer fans meant the scouts were easier to spot.

A lot of teams had come.

‘They’re all here for me.’

The batter had crushed a homer off Hyeongseo in the last inning.

‘But he’s been my food.’

This was the perfect stage to show himself.

‘I was planning to announce I’m going to America after the game.’

Maybe the stage was arranging itself for him.

His competitiveness surged.

I’ll get him.

First pitch!

Boom!

155 km/h.

Feeling good.

***

“Wow!”

Every scout at Mokdong let out a sound.

“Nice pitch.”

First pitch: 96.3 mph.

Second pitch, fouled off: 97.5 mph.

“Unbelievable. Very good.”

They were there for Moon Seungchan.

And he was delivering.

Every team had a shot at signing him internationally.

On the KBO side, though, the mood was heavy.

The rumors of him heading to America were nearly confirmed.

“They say Seungchan’s going overseas.”

“Not shocking. If he were staying, he’d have said so already.”

Rumored bonus: 1.8 million dollars.

If true, it’d be the second-largest since Kim Byunghun’s $2.25 million in 1999.

Nearly five times what domestic contracts offered.

“It’d be weirder if he didn’t go.”

“Even so, you can’t be sure. Going straight over there is that much riskier. But if this much information has already leaked, we probably have to assume they’re going.”

***

I fouled off the third fastball.

“Wow, nice fastball. Definitely better than Hyeongseo’s.”

“Could you be quiet?”

I only said one thing. Sensitive catcher.

Foul.

Fourth fastball… foul again.

Seungchan’s stuff was good. Movement too.

But did they realize?

Four straight fastballs weren’t doing them any favors.

MLB average fastball velocity exceeds 94 mph.

Bullpens are faster. Closers? 100 mph is standard.

I survived in MLB because I crushed closers.

In other words, I handled velocity.

And to hit heat, you must recognize breaking balls.

If you can’t lay off breaking pitches, you never get the fastball.

“Ball.”

Slider taken.

“Ball.”

Curve taken.

Full count.

When it’s full count, who’s under pressure… the pitcher or the hitter?

Depends.

“His curve has a tell. If you didn’t notice, pass it along.”

No reply again.

Think I’m bluffing?

Suit yourself.

My eyes were always good.

I just didn’t realize how good until after I regressed.

Crack!

I fouled off a borderline curve down the first-base side.

“Foul.”

Three straight curves.

Did they think I was bluffing?

Well then.

Three curves meant a high probability fastball or slider next.

Unless he doubled down on stubbornness.

He didn’t.

On the ninth pitch, I swung.

Crack!

The moment it left the bat, I knew.

Back-to-back home runs.

***

I rounded the bases.

Before entering the dugout, I said to the catcher:

“Tell him about the curve. I’m not bluffing.”

He’d believe me now.

He was headed to America.

I was staying in Korea.

“KYAAA!”

“Seongjun’s insane!”

“You punk! Come to Daegu, okay?!”

The sisters were screaming like pterodactyls.

So I stopped and waved with both hands.

“What are you doing?” Jinwoo asked from the on-deck circle.

“Who are they?”

“My girlfriend.”

His eyes went wide.

“Both?”

“You’re insane.”

***

“This is insane.”

“A new face just exploded onto the scene.”

No one expected Seongjun.

They were there for Seungchan.

He had already flashed 98.1 mph earlier.

And yet…

97 mph.

Home run.

Their attention shifted.

“Seongjun is unexpected.”

Cristian from Toronto smiled lightly.

Back-to-back off 94 and 97 mph.

Disciplined eye.

The previous footage showed poor plate discipline… leg kick days.

But today? Toe-tap. No chasing.

“The stance change must be it.”

Meanwhile, the Phillies scout wasn’t smiling.

He’d hoped Seongjun would be good.

Just not ‘this’ good.

“Damn.”

Another 130m-class homer.

One sample, but enough to prove MLB-level fastball power.

“Half a million won’t cut it.”

Video recorded. Report sent.

He was done.

“Not my problem.”

***

KBO scouts’ moods shifted, too.

They gathered, exchanged glances…

Then quietly dispersed.

“Manager! We need to revise our draft strategy.”

“Song Seongjun is insane.”

KBO teams value Song Seongjun highly… they want to draft him. But they can’t afford to pass on a pitcher in the first round, and if they do, he’s unlikely to still be available in the second.

However, after watching him hit back-to-back home runs off Jo Hyeongsu, a surefire first-round pick, and Moon Seungchan, who is almost certain to head straight to the U.S., their thinking began to change. The calculations suddenly became much more complicated.

***

┗ I’m at Mokdong right now. This place is going crazy lol

┗ Mokdong? What’s happening there today?

┗ President’s Cup. You lurk on baseball forums and don’t know?

┗ Isn’t Jeongchun playing? Did Seungchan pitch? Hit 160?

┗ Nope! Seungchan hit 158 and got homered on lol

┗ ???????

┗ Kekekekek.

┗ Is it April Fools ’?

┗ Saw a short post!! Seowon High’s Seongjun hit back-to-back bombs?

┗ ??? For real?

┗ 140m homer (off Hyeongseo) / 130m homer (off Seungchan)