Talented FA Catcher - Chapter 361
Only Krnovel
Swan song – 2
#
I think that way sometimes.
What will my end be as a baseball player?
I witnessed the end of many players when I was in Korea.
I have seen both those who were forced to leave the field due to injuries or poor performance, like Kang Ki-ho, and those who retired while receiving congratulations from everyone, like Kang Joo-ho.
One thing is certain, most players dream of retiring like Kang Joo-ho.
I tried my best and in the end, I achieved my lifelong dream of winning.
However, Kang Joo-ho, who had said that he would give up his seat for his juniors at the retirement ceremony, said this when we met much later.
‘I still miss the ground. Is it because I don’t have a family, or is it because I couldn’t let go of my longing and came back right away?’
Of course, he is married now and has a son who is considered the future No. 4 hitter and ace by Marines fans, and he is doing well, but that was the case back then.
Even Kang Joo-ho, who seemed to have achieved everything, had a regret about retirement.
It would have been difficult for an ordinary player to not have any regrets.
What about long then?
He has already achieved his long-cherished goal of 200 wins.
But why do you keep throwing yourself like this, even taking medicine, instead of retiring?
I was wondering about that.
“Then let’s do it like this.”
Long talking to Ward about today’s game while I came back from hitting a home run and unpacked my gear.
As I was staring blankly at the sight for a moment, Long sensed my gaze and looked at me.
“Hey, don’t be an idiot. Come here when you’re done cleaning up.”
He is truly a consistent person.
“Yes, yes. I’ll go.”
“What is that tone?”
Long frowned, but soon continued talking seriously.
Actually, I couldn’t concentrate very well.
I looked at Long several times, wanting to ask him the reason right away, but I didn’t have the courage to do so.
The short meeting ended just as the long first half ended.
Although he didn’t score any extra points, Mark Dalio’s pitch count was a whopping 30.
Even if he finds stability after that, he won’t be able to pitch that many innings.
On the other hand, Long’s pitching was the best we’ve seen out of the bullpen.
There was no need for further comment since Don Riley was out without even being able to do anything.
If the game continues this way, our victory looks certain.
-Taaaaaaaah!
A swing came out that changed the mood.
Pedro Sanchez leisurely circling the bases and Yankees fans welcoming him.
But that wasn’t what caught my eye.
After the home run, Long unconsciously put his hand on his right shoulder, flinched, and then slowly lowered his hand.
It could be a trivial scene.
I could be overreacting, but the home run to Pedro Sanchez was a good one to begin with.
Strictly speaking, it was a ball that the batter hit very well.
Just brush it off as bad luck as usual and prepare for the next step.
We were still leading 3-1, and a home run could be repaid with another home run.
But it wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
“Ball! Base on balls!”
After walking Richard Rogers, he slowly made his way to the mound.
I clearly had something to say before heading to the mound, but when I met Long’s eyes, I didn’t know what to say.
But Long was still like a ghost.
“Hey, Aesong. What are you so afraid of?”
A question asked with a calm expression, immediately grasping my situation.
The voice was so calm that I asked without realizing it.
“Is today the last day?”
It was a question I was already half sure of.
And this time Long’s unwavering voice returned.
“If that’s the case, what will change?”
#
Kirk Long watched Kim Soo-ho’s back as he returned to his seat.
‘Even after 6 years, a lover is still a lover.’
Kim Soo-ho was special to him too.
Even Tony Cope, who had the longest breathing time, only had 4 years.
The catcher I met at the end of my baseball career and the one I spent the longest time with was Kim Su-ho.
But, as Kim Soo-ho asked, there isn’t much time left to be together.
‘This must be the punishment for dragging my shoulders here, which should have been finished long ago.’
Now, I can’t fall asleep easily without medication to relieve the pain.
Ironically, there is only one way to relieve that pain: quit baseball.
This is a moment that not only Kirk Long but countless other pitchers have pondered.
And there was only one answer to that choice.
retreat.
Kirk Long always chose the challenge at the crossroads of retirement and challenge, but this time it was different.
‘It’s really hard now. I’m sorry that this is all I can do.’
Not only Dr. Herdo said this, but every doctor I met said that throwing was no longer possible.
Even if you can throw, you can’t throw the ball at the level you want anymore.
But as he always has, Kirk Long took the mound.
His baseball career has always been so difficult that it’s almost comical.
The fact that the ending was so difficult suited Kirk Long in its own way.
‘Nothing has changed now, Suho.’
Kirk Long smiled as he confirmed the autograph given by Kim Soo-ho, who had returned to his seat.
Now, the Kim Soo-ho that Kirk Long knew has returned.
Now that the catcher has given the sign, there’s only one thing left for the pitcher to do.
I forced myself to move my shoulder, which was in pain just from raising my hand.
Even though the knuckleball doesn’t strain your shoulder, Kirk Long’s shoulder is now a pain in itself.
But there was no change in his expression.
His eyes were fixed on the ball until the moment he released it, and that was the case even when it hit Mike White’s bat.
-Taaaaak!
The ball disappeared in an instant with a loud sound.
The ball was headed towards Kirk Long’s glove, and he caught it.
“Ugh.”
A shock so strong that a groan escaped from my body was transmitted to my body.
“Long!?”
When Kim Soo-ho saw the sight and tried to run towards him, Kirk Long raised his hand to block him and threw the ball.
“There are still two outs.”
Kim Su-ho, who received the ball, hesitated for a moment and then returned to his original position.
Maybe it’s because of the shock just now, but now I feel pain even when I just stand.
But I could still throw the ball, and as long as I could throw the ball, I had no intention of leaving the mound.
So Kirk Long threw the ball again.
“Strike out!”
The long first episode has finally come to an end.
#
There was no need to explain the importance of today’s game.
If we win, we’ll have 3 wins in the series, if we lose, we’ll be tied.
It’s hard to predict a winner of Game 5 when you consider that tomorrow’s matchup will be between Sneakers and Jun Nakamura.
This means that today’s game has that much meaning.
Since it was a game with a lot at stake, it was only natural that both we and the Yankees would go all out.
Since both teams’ starting pitchers showed signs of uneasiness from the first inning, the bullpen was on standby early.
The first time seemed like a coincidence, and the second and third times passed quietly.
But everyone knew that this was a sign of the coming storm.
2 outs in the bottom of the 4th, which I thought would end quietly.
-Taaaaah!
He took care of the difficult fifth and sixth hitters in succession, but allowed a home run to the seventh hitter, who had only eight home runs this season.
The score is now 3 to 2, a one-point difference.
Fortunately, there was no movement on the bench, and the fourth inning ended with Long finishing the 8th batter.
But Long didn’t have many chances left.
“Kim. If we put a runner on next inning, I’ll replace him right away. I’m thinking about it.”
Our bullpen got a few days off after losing Game 2 and Stroud’s shutout yesterday.
It wasn’t a situation where I could save my winning combination, nor was there any need to save it.
That must be the Maginot Line the director is thinking of.
Probably nothing will change even if we score more points here.
Still, I plan to try everything I can.
Nothing changes just because it’s the last.
That’s right.
But even so, I didn’t want it to end like this.
-Ta-aak!
The leadoff hitter in the top of the 5th was Bryant.
Bryant hits a sharp hit, but the center fielder makes a good catch and it’s out.
I moved to the waiting area and watched McCoy’s at-bat.
-Taaaaak!
McCoy also hit a hard hit.
However, the second baseman was waiting where the ball was headed, and although he dropped it once, he calmly handled it, making it 2 outs.
Eventually, my turn at bat came back with no runners on base.
There were no runners on base with two outs, but the pressure was less.
A chance to focus solely on this at-bat without thinking about anything else.
Here, whether I hit a home run or not, if Long doesn’t get three outs in the next inning, I have no chance.
Still, if I can help ease Long’s burden even a little, I plan to do everything I can.
Mark Dalio has regained his composure since the first inning, but he has had home runs during the season and has already given up a home run in the first inning.
Although he was caught in his second at-bat, it won’t be easy to get in.
Maybe you can get a walk without even swinging once.
But that’s not what I came up to the plate hoping for.
No need for long distance.
97m, which would normally be an easy out.
It just has to be enough to get over the fence.
And to that extent.
-Taaaaah!
Even if the ball falls more than one ball from the zone, it is still possible to send it.
The ball flew very high and flew straight to the left fence.
I wasn’t sure until the end either.
To be honest, it was a hit that was worthless even if it didn’t go over the fence.
But the moment Pedro Sanchez jumped over the edge of the fence and saw the ball hit, he was certain.
My head is about to get beaten up by excited players.
#
My head is spinning.
I tried my best to protect my head with a helmet, but it was too thin to protect my head from the violence of players with forearms up to 20 inches long.
Still, it wasn’t a bad deal, since I got Mark Dalio to drop out in exchange for giving up my head.
Now we have to face those hitters who swing furiously to get the long ball out.
Considering what the director said earlier, Long doesn’t get a second chance.
We need to end this inning with just three batters.
Fortunately, the start was okay.
“Strike out!”
He started off by cleanly striking out the 9th batter, who had been struggling to get a feel for the knuckleball since his first at-bat.
Up to this point, it was within the expected range.
Now the real hardships began.
#1 Don Riley and #2 Pedro Sanchez.
In particular, Pedro Sanchez, who hit a home run in his first at-bat, was the biggest concern.
But I put it out of my mind for a moment because I knew that if I didn’t catch Don Riley, I wouldn’t have that chance.
Long’s ball was generally good today, but the occasional miss was a problem.
Both home runs were also errors.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t throw the knuckleball.
To begin with, Long wasn’t in a position to throw any other pitches.
In the end, it was decided from the beginning what to throw.
The other person knows that too, but it doesn’t matter.
It’s just a groundless conviction.
He gave the knuckleball sign and took a stance.
And then the ball came flying in with the thread clearly visible.
The ball, which appeared to be headed toward the center of the field, quickly curved outward.
Don Riley cared about his bat though.
“strike!”
Strike while hanging on the zone.
It was a count more valuable than any strike.
But the next two balls both went over, making it 2-1.
With Pedro Sanchez as the next batter, Don Riley didn’t seem to want to take it too far.
If this continues, we will have no choice but to make a bold move.
This time the pitch is a knuckleball and the course is center.
Perfect control of a knuckleball is impossible, but this level of control is still possible.
And the ball left Long’s hand and flew back with the wind.
-Taaaaah!
A long-range hit with a clear sound.
It looked like it went further than the home run I hit earlier.
“out!”
It was not enough to get over the central wall located at 124m.
Now there is only one out left.
Pedro Sanchez.
He was the perfect hitter to end Long’s run.
Pedro Sanchez came to the plate without saying a word.
Although the surrounding area was filled with loud cheers for Pedro Sanchez, the space we were in was extremely quiet.
It was Long who broke the silence.
A first pitch thrown without hesitation against Pedro Sanchez, who had already turned his knuckleball into a home run twice.
-Taaaaak!
I felt a little chilled by the bat that came out as if it had been waiting, but it went out of line.
“Foul!”
Could you hit a home run?
This is a given for a knuckleballer.
A pitcher who fears that can’t even think about surviving in the major leagues with a pitch that only clocks in at around 130 km/h.
There is only one pitch that Long can throw, the knuckleball.
Pedro Sanchez has only one pitch in mind: the knuckleball.
That’s why Pedro Sanchez didn’t spare his swing.
-Taaaaah!
This time, the ball goes even further.
It was a hit that almost went over the fence, but this time it went wide of the line.
“Foul!”
A favorable count of 0-2.
But even in this count, if we couldn’t induce a swing and miss, we were at a disadvantage.
Long, who knew that, took a moment to take a breath.
The ball that could soon be Long’s last left his hand.
The ball flew right past Pedro Sanchez’s body and landed in a spot where he could not react.
“Strike-out!”
That was the most perfect pitch I’ve ever received.