TBITWAM 04

Episode 4

ER Hawks.

The team that had been in last place for 10 consecutive years. And,

The team that first made me dream of becoming a baseball player.

At the baseball stadium I went to holding my parents’ hands, knowing nothing, the championship team that day happened to be the ER Hawks.

And the winning pitcher that day was Ahn Chung-hee, the pitching coach now standing in front of me.

Unlike his sharp impression from the past, Coach Ahn Chung-hee now looked gentle. But that was just an impression.

“Use your lower body, not your upper body. What’s the point of just flailing your arm?”
“You’re putting strength into it. Relax.”
“Look from the side. You have to twist it minutely. Focus.”
“You have to catch it high. Check if the ball sinks at the end.”

Whenever the second-team pitchers threw the ball, Coach Ahn Chung-hee would come beside them and pour out sharp words. And the movements of the pitchers who changed their form after listening to Coach Ahn Chung-hee’s advice changed instantly.

“Wow…”

It was at that moment I unconsciously let out an admiration. After instructing for a while, Coach Ahn Chung-hee’s gaze turned towards me.

“Huh? You’re the new guy, right?”

Seeing Coach Ahn Chung-hee approach, I quickly took off my hat to greet him.

“Hello.”

Among all those pitchers, I was the only one who joined the ER Hawks as a developmental player. I knew quite a few fielders and hitters had been picked.

That meant the pitching situation was that dire. Or maybe I was just that impressive.

Just then, Coach Ahn Chung-hee, who had been quietly watching me, opened his mouth.

“You know you weren’t picked because you’re truly amazing or better than the other pitchers, right?”

He hit the nail right on the head.

“The reason you were picked even though you’re not immediate first-team material is that the Director believes in your potential. I’m just here to help realize that potential.”

Coach Ahn Chung-hee lightly tapped my shoulder.

“So go ahead and make it happen. That potential.”

For some reason, my heart started to race. At those words, ‘that potential.’

“Yes, sir!”

When I answered in a voice brimming with discipline, Coach Ahn Chung-hee let out a short laugh.

“Alright, then throw. Last time, I saw you throw a pretty interesting ball.”
“Yes!”

I answered briefly and stepped onto the mound.

“Whew.”

I felt a nervousness I hadn’t even felt during the tryout. The pitcher I had respected so much was watching me. Moreover, standing far away with his arms crossed was Director Yoon Sung-geun. Everyone was watching me.

I took a small breath and gripped the ball. Pressing the ball against the nails I had meticulously trimmed last night, I lifted my arm just like that.

Whoosh-,

I thought I threw it properly. The arm swing was fast, and the ball I pushed with my fingertips had no spin. The speed was also quite fast for a knuckle ball.

I thought it was the perfect knuckle ball I could throw right now.

If only that ball hadn’t landed precisely between the catcher’s legs.

Thwack-!

“Ugh!!”

Whether it was because the ball hit a vital spot, the catcher immediately threw off his mask and rolled on the ground.

Just looking at it was dizzying. I hurriedly ran towards the catcher.

“Are you okay?!”
“Ugh, do I look okay?! Do you know how important this is? Of all places, you had to hit here…!”
“I’m, sorry.”
“Whew. Can you throw properly?”
“I understand.”

As if telling me to go, the catcher tilted his head. I quickly returned to the mound and readjusted my pitching form.

Why? I definitely threw it properly. According to expectations, the ball should have headed for the borderline, but it slipped between the catcher’s legs instead.

Was the movement too weak? Then it would have spin. Let’s focus more this time, I thought, gripping the ball.

The catcher extended his mitt as if ready. And at the same time, the baseball was also thrown from my hand.

Spin was only two rotations. It was a ball thrown towards the inside borderline at a moderate speed. This time, it was thrown properly, and catching it would be the end.

But there was a problem.

“…Huh?”

The catcher’s mitt, which should have extended towards the inside, was aimed towards the outside. Naturally, the ball got past him.

The catcher tilted his head, seemingly quite flustered.

“Throw it again.”

At Coach Ahn Chung-hee’s words, I pulled myself together and threw again. But the result was the same. The catcher placed his mitt in the wrong place again.

Coach Ahn spoke to the catcher, who took off his mask in disbelief.

“Tell all the second-team catchers to come out.”
“Huh? Ah, yes!”

And so it began.

The ER Hawks second-team catchers attempting to catch the ball.

Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.

As I threw the ball, only the sound of the wind could be heard, not the sound of it slamming into the mitt.

That meant none of the catchers who had come out so far could properly catch my ball.

Occasionally, they’d catch it once or twice, but then they’d miss it again. It got to the point where I wondered if the catchers were deliberately messing with me.

It wasn’t even a wild pitch. It was a knuckle ball with proper control. It wasn’t so fast that they couldn’t catch it.

But why can’t they catch it?!

When even the catcher who caught my ball during the tryout dropped it, I finally stopped pitching.

“Ha, right now…!”
“Why can’t you all catch it? Can’t you see the ball?”

It was Coach Ahn Chung-hee who cut me off. And at Coach Ahn Chung-hee’s words, the catchers opened their mouths as if they each had something to say.

“No, it was definitely coming towards the right!”
“The ball suddenly disappeared…”
“The trajectory is really weird, I’m telling you?”

It was when the catchers were complaining that the ball was strange.

“Ha ha.”

A laugh completely out of sync with the situation. At that laugh, everyone’s gaze turned towards where the sound came from.

It was Director Yoon Sung-geun.

Jaeyul-ah.”

At Director Yoon Sung-geun’s call, someone walked out. A man walking out wearing catcher’s gear.

There was one catcher left who hadn’t caught my ball yet.

Jaeyul. A name I’d heard often somewhere.

Jaeyul, Jaeyul… Ryu Jaeyul?

I finally remembered. He was the catcher from the opposing team I met in the President’s Cup final. A very sensitive and arrogant catcher who even ignored his own teammates.

“I think that kid might be able to catch it.”

At Yoon Sung-geun’s words, Coach Ahn Chung-hee nodded and asked Ryu Jae-yool.

“Jae-yool-ah, can you catch it?”

In response to Coach Ahn Chung-hee’s question, Ryu Jae-yool leisurely put on his catcher’s mask. Heading to the catcher’s spot, Ryu Jae-yool seemed to pause for a moment before staring directly at me.

Then, with a blank expression, he opened his mouth.

“It’s easy.”

Silence flowed. It’s a common expression, but it really felt like someone had thrown cold water over the training ground.

Easy?

Well, it’s better to hear it’s easy for your teammate catcher to catch than to hear it’s easy for a hitter to hit, I guess.

But the other catchers apparently didn’t think so. They were all glaring at Ryu Jae-yool as if they found him ridiculous.

Just then, Coach Ahn Chung-hee walked over to me.

“Your name is Chae Kang-woo?, right?”
“Ah, yes sir! That’s correct.”
“Right, Gang-wu-ah.”

Coach Ahn Chung-hee, standing in front of me, took the baseball in his hand and continued.

“The pitcher cannot control it, the batter cannot hit it, and the catcher cannot catch it.”

“…Sir?”
“That’s what a Major League umpire said about the knuckle ball. Do you know why I’m bringing this up now?”

The pitcher cannot control it. The batter cannot hit it, and the catcher cannot catch it?

It was very simple. It meant no one can get a handle on the knuckle ball.

But I couldn’t understand why Coach Ahn Chung-hee suddenly brought that up at this timing.

“I don’t know.”
“It’s also the reason it’s called a mystery ball. Even if you know the trajectory, it’s hard to hit, but with a knuckle ball, you can’t even grasp the trajectory. If a pitcher throws a knuckle ball and has control? That would truly be the perfect knuckle ball. Moreover, if you’re a high-speed knuckle ball like yourself,”

Coach Ahn Chung-hee’s eyes gleamed.

“If you develop well, there won’t be a hitter in the KBO who can hit your ball.”

My heart started to race. For a pitcher, there’s probably no more thrilling words than hearing that hitters can’t hit your ball.

“But that’s only if the catcher catches the ball.”

A crack formed in my surging confidence.

“…Sir?”
“What’s the use of even the best ball? If the catcher can’t receive it, it’s just a wasted effort.”

Ah.

I finally understood why Coach Ahn Chung-hee brought up the Major League umpire’s words.

“So if the catcher can catch my ball unconditionally, that’s it? That’s easy. We can exchange signs—”
“Signs?”

Coach Ahn Chung-hee cut me off and snorted.

“Are you going to tell the catcher every time by exchanging signs? Do you think that’s feasible?”

It… wasn’t feasible.

“No matter how good the battery relationship, it’s impossible.”

It was both the advantage and fatal weakness of the knuckle ball. The fact that no one can hit it, nor catch it.

As Coach Ahn Chung-hee said, no matter how good the ball, if the catcher can’t receive it, it’s over. I recalled the catchers who couldn’t catch my ball just moments ago.

If no catcher can catch my ball?

Naturally, no one would even think of using me.

“So, hypothetically, let’s say there’s a catcher who understands you perfectly with just one glance and can catch your ball. You two are the best battery with perfect chemistry.”

Coach Ahn Chung-hee continued in a meaningful tone.

“Let’s say the catcher knows in advance where you’ll throw through glances or hand signals. Then, can you plant the ball exactly where you agreed with the catcher every single time?”

After letting out a short breath, Coach Ahn Chung-hee spoke his final words.

“So, what I’m asking is, can you achieve 100% control?”