Talented FA Catcher - Chapter 356
Only Krnovel
Again 2001 – 3
#
-Pfft!
“Strike out!”
Mike White, who received the ball, calmly threw the ball to first base, but he laughed inwardly at the slight pain he felt.
‘The ball has become better.’
Mike White is a catcher who has been playing in the major leagues for nearly 10 years.
Although his defensive skills are often overshadowed by his hitting prowess, he boasts above-average defense that makes him a candidate for the Gold Glove.
Jun Nakamura’s pitch today was so powerful that Mike White couldn’t even receive it accurately.
As evidence, he struck out Warren McCoy, one of the league’s toughest hitters.
‘Yeah. I haven’t even started the actual game yet, but I need to do this much.’
On the other hand, the Diamondbacks’ first and second batters struck out in succession.
Even though Tom Snitker’s brilliant pitching in the top of the first inning was fading, the fans all cheered.
“No. 2, Catcher.”
“Su-ho Kim!”
The in-house announcer’s lead and the fans’ response.
A batter who turns the atmosphere around just by appearing and walks up to the plate.
Mike White muttered as he watched the batter.
“Now it’s really starting.”
“What did you say?”
“No. It’s nothing. By the way, I’m worried about your fans’ health. If you just appear like this, wouldn’t you faint if you hit a hit or a home run? Please think about your fans’ concerns too.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ve already tried 74 times and they’re all fine.”
“No, I’m worried. That’s why I’m telling you to go straight to the dugout today.”
“Let’s go in and hit a home run. Well, I’m ready.”
At that moment the atmosphere changed.
Until just now, the two players who hadn’t seen each other in a long time were joking around to catch up, but now all that’s left are the two catchers trying to somehow defeat their opponents.
‘It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for, but it’s still suffocating.’
The Mike White trade that took place right after the All-Star Game.
Mike White, who had maintained his no-trade right for so long, came to the Yankees for this moment.
And from that moment on, at the moment I gave the first pitch sign that I had been thinking about, Jun Nakamura moved.
A very careful first pitch.
The ball flew quickly through the dry air towards the mitt.
-Pfft!
“strike!”
The moment the ball dug into his mitt, Mike White shuddered.
‘If it’s this ball.’
There were still a lot of counts to catch and this was only his first at-bat.
But just now, I was convinced that with that determination, I could catch Kim Soo-ho.
‘Let’s calm down.’
It’s not time to celebrate yet.
Mike White, who had calmed down his excitement, asked Kim Soo-ho about his reaction.
“What do you think? Do you like what we prepared?”
“I like it, but it’s not everything, is it?”
“No way.”
Now, I’ve only thrown one shot.
And with this level of dedication, the other balls should be the best as well.
A determined Mike White is ready to sign and take the pitch.
Soon, a ball that did not disappoint expectations flew towards the meat.
-Ttaaak!
‘Okay!’
A dull thud, a powerless hit that rolls toward shortstop.
It was a very slow speed because Kim Soo-ho said he hit it.
That was the problem.
[Safe! Shortstop Swayze throws quickly, but Kim’s feet are just a little too fast!]
The shortstop, who had been defending deeper than usual in preparation for a strong hit, quickly advanced and threw, but Kim Su-ho, who did not give up until the end, won.
“Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim!”
Mike White took off his mask and looked up at the sky amid cheers from D-Backs fans who were excited by a scene that was harder to see than a home run.
“What the….”
#
As I returned to first base, the first base coach stuck out his fist.
“Not bad for your first hit in the World Series, huh?”
“You were lucky.”
“Luck? I got what I deserved for giving my all. Why would the fans cheer for nothing?”
I feel a little embarrassed.
To be honest, I didn’t react properly to Jun Nakamura’s ball.
I could feel that they had prepared thoroughly.
But anyway, it’s not a hit.
I left my equipment with the first base coach and slowly warmed up.
Jun Nakamura didn’t even look at me.
It was a pretty bad hit for the pitcher, and I even thought I could shake it up if it was me, but it didn’t work.
“Hey. Where are you going?”
Instead, it was first baseman Kyle Robinson who called me.
“Didn’t you see my speed just now? I have to get to second base like this.”
“Okay. I’ll tell White, so he runs right away.”
When you say something like that while preparing to receive the ball, it makes me feel very confident.
Anyway, Jun Nakamura, who hadn’t even glanced at me, hit a powerful ball toward Willis.
“strike!”
Four consecutive first-pitch strikes.
At this point, our batters could have come in with a plan to take advantage of the first pitch.
In fact, Willis swung hard too.
But Jun Nakamura’s ball was so powerful that it ended up being a wild swing.
There is no pitcher more difficult to hit than one who has great confidence in his ability to hit.
Even if that pitcher is Jun Nakamura, it’s too much.
Still, Willis is no pushover either.
The match continued tenaciously, 2-2.
And then when I reached first base again, a sign came out.
When Jun Nakamura lifted his foot to throw the next pitch.
now.
It was impossible to steal because I ran after seeing the throw.
But if it doesn’t work.
-Ta-aak!
After seeing the ball, he ran straight to third base.
It’s not a ball that can be hit as a long hit.
But the course was so good that the ball landed between center field and right field.
And before stepping on third base, I saw the third base coach’s violent hand movements and picked up my speed even more.
As you pass third base and look ahead, you see White come out with his mask off and look back and forth across the outfield.
The ball was already in the infield, it was too late to stop it.
If things continue like this, it’s a time when I’ll definitely be out.
It was just a moment.
I slowed down momentarily by doing a bent leg slide and scraping the ground with the soles of my feet.
As White’s tag, which was aiming for my foot, cut through the air, I put my hand into the back of White’s thigh.
It feels like a hard home plate, not dirt.
“Safe!”
At the same time, I felt the referee’s voice and the feel of the mitt placed on my leg belatedly.
“Is this how it is between two catchers?”
“sorry.”
He patted White on the back, got up, and headed to the dugout.
At that time, I made eye contact with Jun Nakamura, who was playing backup defense behind the catcher.
If I’m not mistaken, Jun Nakamura was definitely smiling at that time.
#
What Kim Soo-ho saw was not an illusion.
‘You always surprise me.’
I thought I caught the ball the moment it hit the bat.
But Kim Su-ho eventually reached first base alive and eventually scored.
It’s a situation that can certainly be regrettable, considering that he easily caught Taylor Jackson, the next batter after Baker Willis.
‘There’s still more to show you.’
But Jun Nakamura laughed instead.
As Kim Soo Ho’s rival, what could be more exciting than this?
They say they pushed Kim Soo-ho to the point where he had to show sides of himself that he had never shown before.
‘Okay. Show me more!’
From then on, the game progressed quickly.
The outstanding pitching of the two ace pitchers, Tom Snitker and Jun Nakamura, shone, but the concentration of the other players could not be ignored.
[Flies! Don Riley catches the ball flying over his head! Shows great defense!]
[Taylor Jackson, as soon as he catches the ball, he goes to second base! Out! Is this player really a rookie!? He snipes the runner with a tremendous throw!]
The game continued with a score of 1-0.
If the Yankees continued on like this, they would lose without being able to do anything.
The player who initiated that counterattack was Mike White.
Mike White came in with two outs and no runners on base in the top of the fourth.
-Taaaaah!
The ball that silenced Chase Field came, and Mike White silently rounded the bases, breaking the silence.
First World Series home run of his career.
And it was a precious home run that instantly brought the game back to square one.
Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, Tom Snitker finished the inning unfazed after the home run.
“It’s just a home run.”
From the moment the roof was opened at Chase Field, it was something that could happen any day.
The dry desert air makes the bats stretch out.
Of course, Tom Snickers didn’t bother to make excuses for that reason.
No matter what happens, he takes full responsibility and silently leads the game.
This is what it means to be an ace, as I learned from Kirk Long.
Meanwhile, the Yankees got even more excited.
“Now, one more hit is all it takes! It doesn’t have to be a home run! Just remember who our pitcher is!”
There are no two mistakes.
That was the Jun Nakamura that the Yankees players knew.
The game entered the 6th inning, midway through the game, with the two ace pitchers giving strength to the players in different ways.
[The aces of both teams are showing amazing performances! Yankees’ Jun Nakamura is showing what an ace is by allowing 3 hits and 1 run in 5 innings, and Diamondbacks’ Tom Snitker is showing what an ace is by allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run in 5 innings.]
When you think about how hot the batting lines of both teams have been so far, you can see how great the performances of the two pitchers are right now.
On the other hand, it was clear that the other lineup was below expectations.
The Yankees didn’t have much of a chance after Mike White’s home run, and the Diamondbacks were similar.
The 6th inning is when both teams’ top batting lines return.
The moment that would decide today’s match was approaching.
#
“Strike out!”
Oh, how did you do that?
Don Riley took a cool swing, threw the bat in the air, and caught it with his other hand.
Is this a new concept of fast food?
Anyway, perhaps because of the aftereffects of his first at-bat, Don Riley was unable to display his full potential in today’s game.
In particular, if you throw it only towards the body, it flinches and the reaction is slow, but if you’re lucky, it seems like you can use it throughout the series.
After overcoming that hurdle, now it’s time for the next one.
Like Don Riley, he went 0-for-2, but Pedro Sanchez, who you can never let your guard down, is back at the plate.
In particular, although he was out in his previous at-bat, he hit a ball that was long enough for McCoy to catch it in front of the center field fence.
No matter what his performance has been so far, one hitter you can never let your guard down against is Pedro Sanchez.
Even just stepping onto the plate gives the illusion of a change in the air.
No, it wasn’t a mistake.
“Ryan!”
Ryan, who had been cowering when I shouted, looked at me in surprise.
Pedro Sanchez is a right-handed hitter, so third base, the hot corner, is bound to be important.
If you shrink like that, you’re bound to miss the ball you could have caught.
Fortunately, the yelling worked, as Ryan quickly regained his composure.
“It was a waste of time. The ball was going to go to the outfield anyway.”
“Actually, Ryan is a left-hander.”
“I guess the rules are different in Korea?”
“Oh. There’s one peculiar rule. If you’ve been a military officer for 30 years, you have to serve for 40 years.”
“What a crappy rule.”
“Still, it was okay. There was a feeling of excitement that can only be felt after winning after 40 years. I hope you can feel that excitement too. What do you think?”
Unfortunately, no answer came back.
It was okay though.
We’ve already finished exchanging sneakers and autographs while we’re talking.
Snickers’ pitch started as soon as the conversation ended.
-Ta-aak!
And then, as if it had been expected, a rough swing followed.
Ryan dove for the ball but couldn’t catch it, and the ball rolled out of bounds and into the outfield.
“Foul!”
Fortunately, the decision was a foul.
Pedro Sanchez, who returned to the plate, immediately took up his stance as if nothing had happened.
It would have been regrettable, but the concentration is amazing.
It’s a pass to thread the bat through a similar course.
“cheek!”
There is no response to the high outer balls.
It was a ball, but if he was aiming this way, the bat could have come out.
Then the outside slider also becomes a ball, making it 2-1.
Is it difficult to use it three times in a row?
No matter how good Snickers’ pitching is, the opponent is the best hitter in the American League.
If you can’t get the bat out with this ball, there’s only one way.
Throwing the ball in the direction the batter wants it to go, but with a twist.
When I gave him my sign, Snickers nodded.
Now, there are three important things.
A pitcher who can throw the ball, a batter who can hit the ball, and a fielder who can catch the ball.
There is no doubt about the first two.
If it’s Snickers, I’ll throw whatever ball I want and Pedro Sanchez will definitely swing it.
The problem is the last one.
I met eyes with Ryan, who still looked nervous.
And then I saw Ryan nod his head for a moment.
I could be mistaken.
But even if I’m mistaken, I believe he can do it.
Soon Snickers threw the ball towards his body.
At the same time, Pedro Sanchez reacts.
-Ta-aak!
The ball disappeared before my eyes with a sound like it was splitting apart.
And what I saw was Ryan getting up from his prone position and then taking the ball out of his glove and throwing it to first base.
Snickers’ 95 mph fastball, thrown slower than usual, and Ryan’s good defense that caught the hitting point formed in front and the strong hit.
The result of these three combined is.
“out!”
It was a thrilling victory.