Talented FA Catcher - Chapter 364
Only Krnovel
Last Chance – 1
#
If you think about it, the word revenge fits the Yankees better than us.
Revenge for 2001, or revenge for the funeral-like atmosphere that this World Series had after 30 years.
The last game, which could have been Long’s last, wasn’t the Yankees’ fault.
Instead, the Yankees players and fans were considerate of us, giving us some time to sort things out.
However, Snickers was unable to properly see the situation as he was carried out of the stadium immediately after Long collapsed.
So, strictly speaking, it wasn’t appropriate for Snickers’ revenge to be directed at the Yankees.
But that wasn’t necessarily a reason to correct it.
“strike!”
It is often said that it is not good to be overly nervous or excited before a big game.
I agree too.
Because a lot of players were like that in the big games I was in.
So, I tried to calm down as much as possible and approach the game.
However, there are cases where extreme tension or excitement can have a positive effect on performance.
“strike!”
Such cases are not common, but when you encounter them, it can be quite a headache.
They show a completely different side of themselves, to the point where regular season performances are useless.
On the other hand, if they are on the same team, and it is a case of a player like Snickers.
-Pfft!
“Strike out!”
What are you talking about?
He can throw a ridiculous pitch that will make even Don Riley, arguably the best contact hitter in the league, swing and miss three times before he gets out of the plate.
Of course, yesterday’s game may have had some influence.
Maybe it was because he had been seeing knuckleballs all day, but he showed that he couldn’t adapt to the pitches of our bullpen pitchers.
If that prediction is true, Yankees hitters will likely have a hard time adjusting to the fastball for a while.
The pitches thrown to Don Riley were also pitches to find out.
Now that the experiment has been somewhat successful, it’s time to put it to use.
Batter #2 Pedro Sanchez.
The ball thrown to him was not a fastball.
-Pfft!
“strike!”
Instead of the fastball he was obviously aiming for, the first pitch was a changeup.
It’s purely speculation, but it’s likely that Yankees hitters were trying to erase the rising trajectory of the knuckleball and the cup yesterday.
I probably timed it at 100 miles and swung it hard.
“Foul!”
We just took advantage of it.
Two consecutive breaking balls, the first pitch was a knuckle curve, and the second pitch was a slider.
Pedro Sanchez looked as if he realized something was wrong, but it was too late.
“Strike out!”
The finish is another knuckle curve strikeout.
It’s not a pitch that I usually use that much, but if I have the guts to throw it in this situation and have the right combination of pitches to catch the ball off guard, it’s a very powerful pitch.
The result is as you can see.
I glanced to the side and saw Pedro Sanchez saying something to the next batter on his way in.
But it didn’t mean much.
“strike!”
No matter how much experience you have and how much natural talent you have, you can quickly change your strategy and make a good hit.
“strike!”
The same goes for sneakers.
No, in fact, in terms of individual talent, Snickers was superior to the Yankees’ hitters.
-Wow!
-Pfft!
“Strike out! Foul tip!”
So today’s Yankees hitters will regret it.
Before the game, let’s talk about how much the reward of timing the fastball will be.
#
‘Tsk.’
Tom Snickers was a little dissatisfied.
Bottom of the 1st, 3 strikeouts on 9 pitches.
How could a pitcher who threw a flawless inning have any complaints?
‘I can’t give in today.’
No matter what anyone says, the player who will succeed Kirk Long should be him.
In that sense, the pitching in the bottom of the first inning was perfect, but that was largely thanks to Kim Su-ho.
Tom Snickers was confident.
He is confident that he can overwhelm batters with his main weapon, a fastball that goes over 100 miles per hour right down the middle.
But that wasn’t the goal of today’s game.
‘I should be the only pitcher to step on the mound today.’
There was a desire to take responsibility for the final World Series, but the bigger reason was Kirk Long.
The moment Kirk Long collapsed on the mound yesterday, clutching his shoulder.
“Sneakers! Hey! Wake up!”
Tom Snickers couldn’t breathe.
But even as his vision blurred and his eyes grew black, the image of Kirk Long remained like an indelible tattoo.
‘Long.’
My first year with him was over before I could appreciate its value.
Kirk Long, who we thought would never play again, has returned to the major leagues.
Even though it came with a lump I didn’t like, there was nothing I could do about it.
‘Kim Soo-ho.’
And yesterday, Kirk Long told Tom Snitker a story he had never told anyone before.
‘Long said something like that. Right. I am the only one who can grant that request···.’
“I think it’ll be okay to continue like this until the third inning. Let’s take a look at the batting lineup and then think about changing the pitching mix.”
Tom Snickers was briefly reminiscing about that time, but was soon interrupted by Kim Soo-ho who approached him and spoke to him.
Tom Snickers frowned, but he nodded obediently regardless.
Rather, it was Kim Soo-ho who was embarrassed because of that.
‘Did I eat something wrong?’
I’m not usually the type to be particular about the proportions of the bowls, but it’s rare for him to listen to me so obediently.
It was Tom Snickers who always grumbled and added a word to the end of each sentence.
‘I guess I changed my mind after seeing it the first time.’
I decided to think positively.
Anyway, the first pitch was perfect, and thanks to that, the flow of the game completely shifted to the Diamondbacks’ side.
For a moment, I thought that maybe the game would end blandly like this.
“Strike out!”
Kim Su-ho pulled himself together at the umpire’s call just one minute after the start of the second inning.
‘As expected, it’s not easy.’
The Diamondbacks have three chances, but if the Yankees lose today, they’re done for.
Jun Nakamura came on to prevent that.
“Strike out!”
“Strike out!”
[Following Tom Snitker, Jun Nakamura also ends the inning with KKK! He strikes out five batters in a row since the first inning!]
Jun Nakamura used his pitches instead of words to express what he wanted to say.
The game has just begun.
#
As baseball has a long history, there have always been players representing each era.
And the pitchers representing this era were these two pitchers.
Sneakers and Nakamura Jun.
If anyone has any doubts, just watch today’s game.
Both pitchers are giving their best performances, and as proof, not a single player has managed to get on base since the top of the first inning and now through the bottom of the third inning.
If you think about it positively, it means that the ball combination we came up with is effective, and if you think about it conversely, it means that Jun Nakamura is also pitching like that.
Anyway, we had a lot of fun with the early change-up-focused ball mix.
Because he faced 9 batters over 3 innings and finished with only 35 pitches.
If it were normal, there would be no need to take risks here.
This ball mix would have been maintained until the batting order went around one more time.
But considering the importance of today’s match and the opponent, it wasn’t a bad idea to make a quick change.
In the top of the 4th, the attack started with Willis.
In the meantime, we started preparing for the next inning.
“What do you think?”
As I spoke my mind, Long stroked his beard with his left hand.
“If it were me, I would have just left it as is. Changing a good situation would only cause confusion.”
He added a word while doing so.
“But it’s entirely up to you and Snickers to decide the ball mix.”
In other words, he was telling me to consult with Snickers rather than myself.
“Do you know what kind of wise man you’re talking about today?”
“It’s noisy.”
Anyway, Long is right.
In the end, it was Snickers who threw the ball and I was the one catching it.
Long’s words may be helpful, but it is we who decide.
And the choice of sneakers.
“Let’s change it. I’m going to make sure no one gets on base today.”
We had similar thoughts.
The ball distribution is one thing, but the biggest weapon today is the sneaker’s spin.
It’s time to use it.
-Wow!
“out!”
The inning ended with a triple play.
So Snickers goes to the mound and it’s Don Riley’s turn again.
-Wow!
His choice was quite unexpected.
“Foul!”
It’s a surprise bunt from the first pitch.
I know of almost no surprise bunt attempts during the season.
It must be that desperate and that they will try to get out somehow.
It’s good to shake up your sneakers while breaking the perfect balance.
I don’t think sneakers would be shaken by something like this, but I still have to let go of the feeling.
As soon as I gave the sign, Snickers started pitching without a moment’s hesitation.
-Pfft!
“cheek!”
For the first time in a game today, a 100 mph fastball was stuck in the mitt.
Although it was a ball, the desired effect was definitely achieved.
“Shit! Let’s try it? Huh?”
That kind of reaction was natural, considering the 100-mile bullet was stuck right next to his body.
This was the reaction we wanted in the first place.
“Oh, my control was shaken by the bunt. I didn’t mean to throw it here.”
Don Riley spat instead of answering and glared at Snickers harshly.
And again, body side.
-Pfft!
“Fuck! You’re telling me that Jegu is shaking again? Huh?”
“No, did you get it right this time?”
“You son of a bitch! Mr. Jack! Did you hear what this kid just said?”
“Sorry, sorry. But you still got the ball.”
Even though we live off of this, we can’t help but cringe when a 101-mile bullet flies right in front of us.
Of course, this was a bit over the top for Don Riley.
It was a little close, but it was definitely not close enough to touch without sticking my head in.
There, I apologized first, but the umpire simply said, “Catcher, be careful,” and the game started right away.
Even though it was only the 4th time, it was Don Riley who first tried to break the unwritten rule.
This side also had nothing much to say.
Anyway, we gave up 2 balls in return, so it wasn’t a good deal for us either.
But thanks to showing 100 miles in a row.
-Wow!
“Foul!”
-Pfft!
“Strike out!”
After that, he caught it easily with two balls.
Don Riley tried to stop the last 99 mph fastball, but it was already way back.
“Fuck!”
The umpire looks at him as if he doesn’t like the sight of him roughly breaking the bat with his knee.
Maybe I can use it next time.
With Don Riley out of the picture, it’s time for the toughest hitter of the bunch, Pedro Sanchez.
Then Yankee Stadium erupts.
You don’t have to listen very closely to know what Yankees fans want.
One move that will instantly balance the game as it drags on.
He was a player who could do that well.
As with any hitter, the first pitch is the most important, especially when facing Pedro Sanchez.
The first-pitch batting average is only in the 40% range, but the first-pitch batting average is over 40%.
In other words, he doesn’t hold back on swinging at balls that come his way, and he holds back on other balls.
It’s so tricky.
Still, it’s not like there was no way at all.
But when I gave the sign, Snickers’ head turned.
I had a hunch that the first autograph I rejected today would be a lie, but it turned out to be true.
It is nearly impossible for a catcher to break a pitcher’s stubbornness.
The ball that Snickers wanted was an inside fastball.
To put it simply, it means that he is going to press down on Pedro Sanchez with his fists.
It was a pitch that could do that, and the pitcher is capable of doing that.
But now there was no need to take risks.
So I tried signing again, but Snickers’ stubbornness did not waver.
Eventually, the sneaker moved the meat location as desired.
Then the sneaker pitching started again.
The ball slipped out of my hand without hesitation and flew exactly to where my mitt was located, as if it was being sucked in.
However, it wasn’t just the ball that came there.
-Taaaaaaaah!
The game resumed in the bottom of the fourth inning.