Talented FA Catcher - Chapter 358
Only Krnovel
You don’t need three aces on a team – 2
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“…What? What are you talking about? Kim, did you hear what he just said?”
Stroud looked at me with bewildered eyes at Lynch’s sudden bombshell statement.
But it was the first time I heard about it too.
“Oh. What you heard seems to be correct?”
“Why are you surprised now? Kim, didn’t you expect this?”
“I thought about it, but I didn’t know it was true.”
The first time I thought Lynch was going to transfer was when he was talking about sneakers.
Given Lynch’s skills and pride, he wasn’t particularly fond of the title of the team’s second starter.
Still, I never thought it would be announced like this.
“The team wouldn’t even think about catching me in the first place. Kim, I’m telling you, they’re still racking their brains to catch you.”
“No, you just have to stay!”
“Speak sensibly. The club probably won’t be particularly happy if I stay. You might not be.”
Lynch was right.
Ironically, it was Lynch’s skill that was the problem.
Lynch, who has the advantage of being a left-hander, or perhaps even a sneaker, was the best deal in free agency this year.
But the Diamondbacks’ finances couldn’t afford to keep both Snitker and Lynch.
“Our team is not a stingy team when it comes to investment, but we don’t have an endless amount of money like the Dodgers or the Yankees. If they wanted to keep me, they shouldn’t have kept Snickers last year.”
Then he looked at me.
“It would be more effective to catch Kim with the money you used to catch me. Then Long would stay too.”
“Well, Long.”
Lynch shrugged at my words.
“Well, Long is a bonus anyway. Anyway, whether the club keeps Kim or not, I have to leave. No matter what you do, that won’t change.”
Lynch, who said so, could not look Stroud straight in the eye.
Meanwhile, Stroud continued to look at Lynch.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Oh, if I go to the Yankees, will they accept me? I didn’t do well against the Yankees this time.”
“Isn’t that actually a minus?”
“I see. Anyway, I don’t know right now. My agent will tell me in a week anyway.”
Lynch looked a little confused, but he seemed to have already made up his mind and spoke firmly.
“So, let me ask you one favor.”
“ask?”
“Oh. Give me confidence. Confidence that this team won’t be shaken when I leave. That’s something only you can do, Stroud.”
The place where I debuted and built my career.
Of course, money is important to pros, but there are many other things that are important as well.
For Wellington, it was family; for Long, it was opportunity.
It must not have been easy for Lynch to decide to transfer, as his closest friends and colleagues are still here.
Stroud eventually nodded, as if he understood her feelings.
“Okay. Thanks. Okay, I’ll be out, so talk to the players who have games tomorrow.”
A few minutes after Lynch left, Stroud spoke calmly.
“You’re pretending to be cool when you can’t even do it. You know what? You probably regret provoking me by now.”
“For what reason?”
“If we end it like this with 3 wins, the last game will end up being the worst. Do you think that your pride will allow that?”
“Well, I think a little differently.”
“What do you think?”
“Everything has its regrets, so there is a next time.”
Especially when the ending is perfect, even regrets disappear.
Maybe Lynch is hoping his next appearance will never happen.
That way, we can leave, looking forward to the next time, which may or may not happen.
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Today’s Yankee Stadium, built by George Steinbrenner, began its history with the cheers of countless people.
It opened in 2009 and was the first to celebrate the Yankees’ 27th championship.
First win in 9 years since 2000.
But no one knew at the time.
It was a long time without a championship, so long that even those long nine years seemed short.
While the Cubs overcame the Curse of the Goat and the Rangers enjoyed their first championship in 62 years, the Yankees were silent.
The Evil Empire has become synonymous with spending too much money, and the pinstripes that used to be special just by wearing them have lost their meaning.
No one denies the glory and past of the Yankees.
But history is boring and tedious.
No one talks about the old days when the players are competing fiercely right in front of them.
This year in particular was a year in which records that seemed like they would last forever were broken.
Kim Soo-ho’s 74th home run.
The moment the glories of the past that seemed eternal were pushed aside by the present, many things began to change.
Now, for the Yankees to represent the major leagues and become the team everyone dreams of, past glory is no longer enough.
The notoriety of the Evil Empire and the pride of the pinstripe ultimately come from winning.
So 30 years after the last World Series and the last championship.
Yankee Stadium was filled with fans wearing pinstripes.
All they want is one thing.
The return of glory.
Only 3 wins left until that reappearance.
That’s why the 50,000 Yankee fans gathered at Yankee Stadium shouted in one voice.
“Rogers!”
“Richard Rogers!”
Yankees tradition, roll call.
In the top of the first inning, Yankees fans call out the names of the center fielder, right fielder, left fielder, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman until a player responds.
It was no different in the World Series.
The game proceeded normally while the fans called out the players.
The Yankees’ starting pitcher is Kevin Broad.
The opponent is Kris Bryant.
In 2 games of the World Series, 1 hit, 1 walk, 8 at-bats out of 9 at-bats.
Despite the poor performance, coach Marco used Kris Bryant as the No. 1.
The reason is simple.
The distances to the left and right poles of Yankee Stadium are 97m and 96m respectively.
Although the average park factor of the stadium was close to neutral, Yankee Stadium was ranked first in home run park factor.
Unfortunately, the scene that Director Marco wanted did not appear in the first episode.
-Taaaaak!
“out!”
Aiming for the first pitch, the ball went out into the outfield, but was caught.
“Sanchez!”
“Pedro Sanchez!”
Meanwhile, the roll call continued.
The next batter to come in was Warren McCoy, a player Yankees fans will never forget.
He was the only difficult hitter on the Orioles, who were always at the bottom of the league.
And that discomfort was still evident in today’s game.
-Ta-aak!
The first and second basemen, who were positioned closely together, both tried to fly at the sharp hit, but the ball leisurely escaped into the outfield.
“Wooooooo!”
Yankee Stadium is filled with boos.
But the boos didn’t stop even after Warren McCoy adjusted his glove at first base.
The reason was simple.
Because there have been over 100 home runs hit at Yankee Stadium this season.
It is something that is logically impossible.
Although that hitter, Kim Su-ho, broke the record for most home runs in a season, with 74.
This was Kim Soo-ho’s first official Yankee Stadium game.
But Yankees fans didn’t forget.
Those hits that flew over the fence so easily with one swing, the nightmare of the Home Run Derby.
There was a home run preview from the All-Star Game and a home run from Game 1 of this World Series.
The player that Yankees fans absolutely could not like was Kim Su-ho.
“Broad! Destroy that guy!”
Kevin Broad gritted his teeth at the words of a fan who spoke too easily.
‘If it was easy, you could have come down and thrown it.’
Kim Su-ho was somewhat disappointed with only one hit in the second game.
But that doesn’t mean it was sluggish.
There, Yankee Stadium is a place where home runs pour in.
It wasn’t easy to overcome all of that and throw the ball.
But I had to throw it away.
As Kevin Broad, who had finally gathered his composure, threw the first pitch, Kim Su-ho’s bat swung in an instant.
-Taaaaak!
‘Fuck.’
Kevin Broad hurried toward third base, checking the hit.
The ball quickly reached the outfield end and soon hit the wall with a loud noise.
The only good thing is that Kim Su-ho was unable to reach second base because the hit was so good.
But the crisis still remained.
1st and 3rd base with runners on 1st and 3rd base.
Baker Willis wasn’t greedy.
-Ta-aak!
[High fly ball, as soon as Rogers catches the ball, McCoy runs! The ball is cut in the middle, and McCoy comfortably heads home! The Diamondbacks are the first team to take the lead in Game 3!]
The Diamondbacks’ first attack had to be satisfied with scoring one point.
Meanwhile, a pitcher was warming up in the outfield bullpen.
As a pitcher, he is deadly short at 5 feet 7 inches (about 170 cm).
Mid-season, the lips came unexpectedly.
And the postseason slump.
If any pitcher experienced just one of these things, it would already be enough to destroy him.
But Dan Stroud is back on the mound this time.
Perhaps if today were a regular season game, some Yankees fans might look at Dan Stroud with a more favorable eye.
Because Dan Stroud’s human triumph, regardless of the team he supported, was worthy of respect.
But today is Game 3 of the World Series.
“Kid! It’s okay to cry! There’s no Santa Claus in the Yankees!”
Rather than receiving favorable responses, he was met with ridicule and criticism.
Dan Stroud was there, throwing the ball silently and warming up.
“The ball is really good, isn’t it?”
Dan Stroud chuckled briefly at Eddie Ward’s remark.
“Has it always been like this?”
“Yeah. You, Snickers, and Lynch have always been good at balling. Okay. Then go and press down on that high nose today too.”
There was a light fist bump and the bullpen door opened.
Dan Stroud thought as he crossed the outfield through a barrage of boos.
‘You son of a bitch.’
A son of a bitch who always does whatever he wants and thinks he’s his own toy.
This time it was the same.
A selfish guy who made things worse with irrelevant words the day before his appearance when there was not enough support.
Maybe he’s trying to upset himself to create an opportunity to pitch.
‘…Even if he is that guy, this is not right.’
A determined Dan Stroud arrived at the mound.
Yankee Stadium, the home run park of the world, and a lineup full of sluggers the Yankees have amassed over the years.
And Dan Stroud, who competes with his appetite.
The compatibility was literally the worst.
Even Todd Lynch’s request to confuse himself with Hwa-ryong-jeom-jeong.
‘I really, really don’t want to listen.’
A request for reassurance that one’s presence is not necessary.
Even in what could have been the last moment, Todd Lynch was central to me.
But the Todd Lynch he knows doesn’t ask for things that are impossible for him.
‘You son of a bitch.’
Todd Lynch knew.
I know that Dan Stroud wouldn’t turn down this request, and he would do his best to make it happen.
Of course, even if it wasn’t for that request, I was determined to win this match.
Before the inning began, Dan Stroud took a moment to look toward the dugout.
There’s Todd Lynch looking at himself, smiling as usual.
Todd Lynch locked eyes with Dan Stroud, raised his thumb, and then slit his throat.
‘Go kill them all.’
“go away.”
Dan Stroud, who had been lip-reading Todd Lynch, spoke briefly and looked straight ahead.
No matter how much you think about it, Todd Lynch was a dog.
At the same time, he was also an inseparable friend.
therefore.
‘I’m a dog too.’
Since he was the dog’s friend, he had no choice but to become a dog himself.
It was a strange way of thinking, but it was quite effective in calming my mind.
If I had to compare Dan Stroud to a dog, I’d say a bulldog.
The bulldog’s characteristic short body, honesty, and tenacity.
And once you bite, you never let go and you never know how to give up.
‘I’ll bite you all off.’
-Pfft!
“strike!”
An off-leash dog named Dan Stroud started running wild at Yankee Stadium.