Chapter 23

Chapter 23. I’ll Beat You

Their pitches were pretty flat.

That applied to Wright, who would later become a dependable mainstay for the Oceans.

And it was the same for Park Geonwoo, who was supposed to enjoy a long prime.

Were they simply not ready for the season yet?

But the biggest problem was…

The pitches from the players who were supposed to become the team’s major future assets were even worse.

I hit two solo home runs, but the score still ended up 7–5.

Kwon Geonwoo kept reaching base with singles, but they rarely turned into runs or RBIs.

Every ball Yoon Jaejun hit looked like it had extra-base potential, but unfortunately, the outfielders kept catching them.

“Ha…”

Park Seunga let out a long sigh.

This troublemaker had changed his batting form quite a bit over the past month.

But it still looked awkward, like he was wearing clothes that didn’t fit him.

Everyone kept showing their worst side one after another, and in the end, the White Team lost 9–6.

Even though it was just a meaningless practice game, I could clearly see how tense the pitching staff had become.

“Ah, man… Am I even going to make spring camp?”

Yoon Jaejun grabbed his head as his confidence dropped again.

I calmly patted his shoulder.

“You’ll probably make it without much trouble.”

“Huh? I didn’t even get a hit.”

Yoon Jaejun had gone hitless in two at-bats, but the quality of both his batted balls had been good.

Another positive was that he had handled bouncing pitches well behind the plate.

“You’re not the problem.”

“Then what is?”

Even though it was only an offseason game, every pitcher on this team had a problem.

None of them could even properly locate their pitches.

“…Everyone else.”

And the hitters were also a problem.

The pitchers kept handing out walks, yet the batters still couldn’t bring runners home when they were in scoring position.

Between the Blue Team and White Team, there had been sixteen walks in total.

With that many free passes, both teams should have scored double digits.

Yet neither of them did.

“Today’s game was extremely disappointing.”

Manager Rodriguez must have been thinking the same thing as me, because his face had gone completely stiff.

“An offense that cannot score, and a mound that only gives away walks. Everything is a problem.”

Every time the interpreter translated his words directly, the players’ expressions darkened.

This team was similar to Saeum High.

It lacked a winning DNA.

I had to make sure they developed one.

“This year, our spring camp will be held in Japan. I expect you to show me something better when we play against Japanese professional farm teams.”

After saying that, Manager Rodriguez announced the spring camp roster.

I hadn’t expected him to reveal it this quickly.

I made it.

So did Yoon Jaejun and Kwon Geonwoo.

Among the White Team, the three of us had been the only ones who truly stood out.

The rest of the spots went to Blue Team players.

That was unavoidable.

From the start, the whole thing had been arranged almost like a cooking competition, dividing the skilled players from the challengers.

“You two have plenty to fix once we get there too.”

I said that to Yoon Jaejun and Kwon Geonwoo, who looked ready to jump for joy after making the spring camp roster.

If you thought about it, they had only just graduated from the high school level.

They were practically semi-pros.

[Monster Rookie Choi Seong Hits Two Home Runs… Earns Spot at Spring Camp]

[Rodriguez Blasts Team: “The Worst Hitters and Pitchers”]

[Choi Seong Chooses No. 30… Fans Say, “We’re Ordering Jerseys Early”]

[Can Choi Seong Become the World’s Greatest Two-Way Player?]

[All Three Saeum High Players Make Spring Camp… This Year’s Oceans Are Different]

Articles poured out one after another.

But there was no room for relaxation.

At this rate, forget postseason baseball.

The fans would start throwing garbage at us before summer even arrived.

And then…

I would die.

The ringing in my ears wasn’t happening right now, but if things continued like this, I would die.

Professional baseball wasn’t a joke.

Carrying a still-immature high school team was one thing.

Doing the same in professional baseball was much harder.

“Damn…”

The problem was the people on the roster.

We definitely needed upgrades.

Spring camp might be short.

But it was enough time to rebuild their mentality.

I calmly packed my bags alone.

Where were my parents?

I sent them on a trip to enjoy Japanese outdoor hot springs.

They got along so well that I was starting to wonder if I might suddenly end up with a younger sibling.

Spring camp in Japan.

Some teams went to Hawaii, Australia, or Taiwan.

Others chose Japan.

Being more or less fixed as a first-team starting player gave a certain sense of stability.

Starter competition was one thing, but at least the first round of selection was over.

“Let’s drink all the sake we want once we get there, guys!”

Park Seunga tried to act like a senior, but nobody played along.

Kim Hakseong simply stared at him in silence.

Park Seunga had improved somewhat after changing his batting form, but by my standards, he was still far below what was needed.

I valued ability more than personality.

Even so…

That guy was still a no.

When the rookies heading to spring camp gave him indifferent reactions, Park Seunga’s face twisted.

I had chosen one concept for this trip.

“How come you’re not hanging around with your trio today? Why are you sitting with me?”

Captain Kim Hakseong asked curiously.

As soon as we landed in Japan, we boarded a bus and headed straight toward Fukuoka.

I had deliberately chosen to sit next to Kim Hakseong, which was why he asked.

Obviously, I came here because you’re supposed to be the heart of this lineup, and I need to wake you up…

I kept that thought to myself.

Right now, two things were most important for this team’s offense.

Reviving the left-handed power hitter Kim Hakseong.

And reducing the strikeouts of Yugam, who always seemed emotionally numb.

“If the three of us keep hanging around together, it’ll actually be bad for the team. It’s not like we’re some kind of faction.”

Kim Hakseong burst out laughing at my answer.

And staying together all the time wouldn’t be good for Yoon Jaejun and Kwon Geonwoo either.

It would be obvious that they wouldn’t properly blend into the team.

Fans had already started calling us the Choi Seong Trio.

I had absolutely no intention of creating some rookie faction and starting a rebellion against the veterans.

That would just be a waste of time.

Especially when the team needed results.

“Yeah. Still, I’m a little happy that our top prospect wanted to sit with me.”

“Top prospect? I’m nothing like that.”

It wasn’t because I felt pressured.

I simply hated being labeled a prospect.

In my previous life, I had already reached the point where my future induction into the Major League Hall of Fame was practically guaranteed within two years.

Being called a prospect now just sounded ridiculous.

“Then tell me this. From a junior’s point of view, how have I been lately? Am I doing well?”

Kim Hakseong came straight at me with the question.

Players had liked that straightforward way of speaking in my previous life too.

At least, that was what I remembered.

The Kim Hakseong I knew had fulfilled his responsibilities as captain in exactly that way.

That was also why he had publicly called out Park Seunga last time in front of everyone.

“You’re not doing well.”

Since Kim Hakseong asked honestly, I answered honestly.

If Kim Hakseong couldn’t hit around .300 with twenty home runs, this team couldn’t win the championship.

Through free agency, they had only patched up the bullpen, which had been a genuine hole.

Judging by Park Geonwoo, middle relief probably wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

But the closer was still an issue.

Anyway, a last-place team didn’t finish last for no reason.

There were weaknesses everywhere.

We had to fill them.

“Haha… Seong, you really are bold. That’s why I like you. What do you think my problem is?”

Kim Hakseong was surprisingly cool about it.

Plenty of veterans would have shouted, How dare a junior talk to me like that?

He didn’t.

Maybe giving him one piece of advice wouldn’t be a bad idea.

No matter how much this team needed to change, I had no intention of giving advice to people who refused to listen.

It would be better to weed those guys out and win next season instead.

“It’s simple. Stop wasting opportunities with runners in scoring position.”

“Are you saying I choke under pressure?”

“Yes.”

Kim Hakseong had hit .285 last season.

It wasn’t .300, which was a little disappointing, but .285 was still a respectable batting average.

The problem was his batting average with runners in scoring position.

.220.

“I should probably fix that. Do you have a solution?”

Honestly, he could have just asked the coaching staff Rodriguez had brought in.

But I knew one way to cure someone who choked under pressure.

“That’s simple too.”

Once again, I recalled a memory from my previous life.

During my NPB days, there had been a retired hitter who once spoke to me at an official club event.

His name was Shinichiro.

A bench player who held the record for the most pinch-hit home runs in NPB history.

Standing onstage during the event, Shinichiro had shared one of his theories.

In professional baseball, batting as a pinch hitter and pitching as a starting pitcher were similar.

I had always treasured the advice he gave that day.

His mentality was simple.

There was never any reason to be afraid, no matter where or when you were thrown into the game.

He was a Zainichi Korean who had endured countless forms of discrimination from childhood.

“From now on, whenever there’s a runner on base and you fail to advance him, think of it as earning a beating with the bat.”

The best way to cure fear was to introduce an even stronger form of shock therapy.

Some hitters developed that weakness because they had grown up too comfortably.

From what I could see, Kim Hakseong was one of them.

He had been one of the only decent hitters during the Oceans’ dark years.

That was why he now led the team as captain.

He had never seriously competed for his position.

He had never felt a true sense of danger.

“…A beating?”

Kim Hakseong sounded completely dumbfounded.

That was exactly why this team was in its current state.

The face of the franchise would become nothing more than a slightly above-average player if he moved to another club.

Last year, the team had ranked second in overall hitting.

Yet they had failed to produce many RBIs.

In my opinion, there were two main reasons.

A lack of desperation.

And choking under pressure.

“Yep. You get hit once for every runner you leave stranded.”

It was a drastic prescription.

Still, I had no idea whether Kim Hakseong would actually accept it.

Beating the emotional leader of the team sounded ridiculous anyway…

I had only meant it as advice.

Something like—

That’s the kind of mindset you should have.

But Kim Hakseong was even more easygoing than I expected.

He laughed so loudly that it felt like the entire bus shook.

“Kuhahaha! Fine! Next time I leave runners stranded, you can hit me yourself. Getting beaten by the youngest player should be perfect for curing a choker like me.”

I could only think one thing.

Just how easygoing was this guy?

He was actually willing to let a junior far below him beat him with a bat.

Of course, I wasn’t going to refuse.

For the sake of changing the team’s culture, I could do worse than that.

Even if the locker room atmosphere became terrifying…

“Yes. I’ll take responsibility for it.”

If it was for a championship, I would gladly play the role of the team’s Dark Knight.

The moment Manager Rodriguez stepped off the bus, he gave us an order.

It was something none of the players had expected.

“Everyone will unpack at the hotel and then report to Fukuoka Citizens Baseball Stadium. After individual training, we’ll play Hiroshima’s farm team the day after tomorrow.”

The players immediately began murmuring.

Normally, during the first week of spring camp, teams focused on team training.

Practice games against other farm teams usually began in the second week, once everyone had adapted to the local environment.

I was excited for a completely different reason.

I would get to see the prime versions of players I had once endured hardships alongside.

“We’ll start playing games earlier than everyone else. That’s the only thing this team needs right now.”

I agreed with Manager Rodriguez.

No matter how generous I tried to be, this team needed reality beaten into their heads through actual games.

“Choi Seong will start the game two days from now. The rest of the lineup will be decided that day based on condition.”

We all entered Fukuoka Citizens Baseball Stadium.

Every player wanted a starting spot.

No matter what happened, they needed to catch Manager Rodriguez’s attention during spring camp.

I calmly went through my windup in the indoor pitching facility and threw.

A lot of players from other NPB farm teams were training there as well.

It looked like the only time we had actually rented the main field was right now.

I put on my glove and began throwing quickly.

There was one thing I needed to work on.

Making the delivery for my four-seam fastball, slider, circle changeup, and regular changeup all look identical.

I kept throwing practice pitches with that goal in mind.

Then I heard applause behind me.

“You’re really good, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t Korean.

Nor English.

It was Japanese.

The voice sounded quite familiar.

I immediately turned around.

“Choi Seong. You don’t know me, but I know you. The high school perfect-game pitcher. Maybe you can’t understand me since I’m speaking Japanese?”

There was excitement in his voice.

I knew this person very well.

He was a pitcher with a name as white as snow.

He was the same age as me.

And in many ways, we were quite similar.

Back when we were in the Major Leagues, we had called each other fairly often and checked one another’s pitches.

“I understand.”

When I answered in fluent Japanese, Yuki’s eyes widened.

“You must’ve studied hard in high school.”

“No chance.”

I had simply picked it up little by little in my previous life.

It wouldn’t make sense for me to act like I already knew him right now.

He had dominated Koshien and joined the Hiroshima Toyo Carp as the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

In my previous life, he had also been my teammate.

Five teams had tried to sign him, and Hiroshima had miraculously won the negotiating rights through the draft lottery.

Yuki had accepted the result.

He consistently posted ERAs in the 1.00s in NPB.

Then he moved to the Dodgers and helped lead them through a golden era.

And a player like that knew about me.

It was surprising that he knew me this early.

“I watched your high school game. The one where you threw the perfect game. I couldn’t forget it. I’ve never thrown a perfect game myself.”

Later, when the two of us brought Hiroshima its first championship, both of us threw perfect games during that season.

That should happen around eight or nine years from now…

“I was in pretty good condition that day.”

“Really? Oh, right. My name is Yuki. Hoshino Yuki.”

“Yeah. Nice to meet you, Yuki.”

With that, we naturally shook hands.

“We’re scheduled to play each other two days from now, right?”

Yuki spoke first.

I calmly nodded.

In Hiroshima, he would be remembered as an unfortunate ace.

But with the Dodgers, he would soar.

“I’m starting that day. Are you playing too? I heard your hitting is overwhelming as well. In Japan, your nickname is Samurai.”

Why the hell was my nickname Samurai?

Whatever.

There was no need to care about that.

The only thing that mattered was the slight excitement I felt at the thought of facing Yuki.

People would eventually say—

If Korea had Choi Seong, then Japan had Hoshino Yuki.

What would he be like at this age?

“Really? Then I’ll beat you. I’m starting that day too.”

Yuki’s eyes widened.

Then one corner of his mouth curled into a crooked grin.

That was the expression Yuki made whenever he was excited.

Whenever his competitive spirit caught fire.

He had always been like that.

“Sounds fun. But I’m the one who’s going to win.”

Inside the training facility, we bumped fists.

Then we both returned to pitching.

Neither of us said anything else afterward.

But I was sure we were both thinking the exact same thing.

At this point in time…

I can beat him.