The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 83

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 83
Mokdong Baseball Stadium in April.
A memory from five years ago surfaced in my mind—the Golden Lion Cup Tournament.
Back then, I was utterly consumed by the game.
Three home runs in a single match. I’d displayed a superhuman power that would be etched into high school baseball history, yet the result was elimination in the Round of 16.
Baseball wasn’t a sport you played alone.
That day when I had to pack my things because my team was outmatched.
The only person who came to find me—crouched behind the dugout, receiving not a shred of spotlight while the winning team basked in glory—was Reporter Han Ji-su.
The article she wrote afterward became the genesis of what would later be called the Orphan Syndrome.
‘From that point until the draft, things were so much easier….’
Baseball is a sport played with money.
A single glove, a single bat—both cost more than an average office worker’s monthly salary.
For a poor prospect who’d wrapped torn spikes with tape, miracles unfolded right after the article ran.
“I saw the article and wanted to reach out. I’d like to sponsor some equipment….”
Equipment worries vanished first.
Major brands sent top-tier gloves and bats by the box.
The quality of equipment couldn’t be ignored.
With tools that fit my hands perfectly, my technique flowed without hesitation.
Food was solved too.
A growing athlete could eat stone if hungry enough.
To me, who’d always filled my stomach with school meals, local benefactors and anonymous sponsors sent meat and nutritious dishes.
With strength returning to my body, the distance of my hits changed.
And most importantly of all.
‘Medical care.’
Sports rehabilitation centers lined up, offering free treatment for my overworked body.
The era of surviving on a single pain patch due to money worries had ended.
With systematic management and massage, my recovery accelerated, and I could throw my body into the game without fear of injury.
Equipment, diet, and medical care.
Once the lubricant of money was poured in, I could perform at an even higher level.
The results were overwhelming.
The Presidential Cup and Blue Dragon Cup Tournament that followed.
I literally hard-carried my team to championship trophies.
Of course, I would have made it to the professional league even without such support.
My skill was genuine.
But.
‘I never would have received such a massive signing bonus.’
First-round draft selection.
That wasn’t something earned simply by throwing and hitting well.
It was only possible because there was a story.
And the person who ignited that story was the Reporter Han Ji-su standing right before me.
It might have been the ambition of a reporter chasing an exclusive story.
But regardless of her intentions, the result was that she had become one of the benefactors who transformed Soo-ho’s baseball career.
Through her, Soo-ho learned how terrifying and how grateful a single article could be.
So.
“I’m counting on you.”
Soo-ho tucked away the old memories and offered a gentle smile to Ji-su, who stood before him brimming with emotion.
“This time too….”
No.
“You’ll make me look good in the United States as well, won’t you, Reporter Han Ji-su?”
* * *
The interview began.
Ji-su’s voice trembled slightly as she asked her questions.
“How have you been all this time? I heard some news from Korea….”
Her words trailed off.
She couldn’t bring herself to say the word “released.”
And for good reason—Soo-ho was her benefactor too.
As a rookie reporter, the article she’d written about a fringe high school baseball player whom no one paid attention to had become a massive hit.
Thanks to that, she herself had gained recognition within the company and climbed steadily upward.
So when she heard that this same player had been released without ever appearing in the Major League after being drafted into professional baseball, it was a profound shock and pain for her.
Yet Soo-ho himself laughed lightly, as if it were nothing at all.
“I was released.”
His tone was remarkably matter-of-fact.
Ji-su flinched in surprise and looked into Soo-ho’s eyes.
How could he speak of such a bitter past so confidently, as if it were someone else’s story?
But the reason was simple.
Soo-ho was happy now.
‘Of course, it’s regrettable that I never got to play on the KBO Major League stage….’
But this is the United States.
The dream of baseball players worldwide, a stage far grander and more glorious than the KBO.
Not only had I survived here, but I was now standing shoulder to shoulder with the finest prospects.
So there was no need to cling to the past with regret.
Rather, it was a blessing in disguise.
“I came to the United States on impulse and participated in a tryout.”
Soo-ho recounted his activities over the past three months matter-of-factly.
“After that, I attended a local academy while correcting my batting form, passed the Dodgers’ private tryout, signed with them, was assigned to the Low-A Team, and even experienced a championship. Finally, I came here on the Manager’s recommendation and was fortunate enough to play in the All-Star Game.”
It was a brief summary, but its weight was substantial.
Soo-ho shrugged his shoulders as he finished speaking.
Watching him, Ji-su found herself speechless.
‘All of this… happened in just three months?’
“All of this happened in just three months?”
My mind went blank.
It hadn’t even been three months since I’d arrived in the United States.
Yet here I was, selected for the All-Star Game—an invitation extended only to the most promising prospects in the Minor League, a place where the world’s most talented geniuses gathered?
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
Of course, if you dug through baseball history, there were monsters who’d blitzed through the Minor League and stormed into the Major League at breakneck speed.
But those were stories from an era before the system was established.
The modern baseball farm system was ironclad.
Under the guise of player protection and development, strict step-by-step promotion procedures were set in stone.
Climbing even a single rung typically took a year—sometimes several years.
And for an unproven Asian player like me, the industry’s nature was to be even more conservative.
‘Yet after winning Low-A, I’m suddenly in the Arizona Fall League and the All-Star Game?’
This meant the organization was deliberately pushing me forward.
If I’d been crawling painfully up an unpaved slope until now,
then this was proof I’d become a supercar racing down a wide-open asphalt road.
But what truly shocked Ji-su wasn’t my performance or position.
‘How is his mentality… even possible?’
The human heart is like a reed.
It bends and breaks easily with a single failure.
And when abandoned in baseball—a sport one has devoted their entire life to,
receiving a release, a death sentence, typically meant it took years just to stand again, or people collapsed entirely.
Reigniting a broken spirit was that painful and time-consuming, yet Soo-ho was different.
Rather than breaking, he’d crossed the Pacific, burning an even greater flame, standing here before everyone’s eyes.
‘This person… is the real deal.’
Ji-su felt a chill run through her.
That gaze she’d witnessed five years ago hadn’t deceived her.
If anything, it had grown far more solid and immense.
That he’d chosen to give this interview to her.
Another exclusive, just like before.
‘No—it’s even bigger than that.’
So she had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
Just as Soo-ho was using her to target the American market, she too had to package him as the perfect hero through this interview.
That way, Soo-ho would thrive, and she’d thrive covering him.
‘I’ll set the stage. You just hit home runs.’
Ji-su gave a signal to the camera.
The red light came on immediately, and she asked her question with a professional smile.
“What fans are most curious about is the adaptation issue. Just three months ago, you were still in Korea. The sudden move to America, the language barrier, the environmental changes—hasn’t it been difficult?”
It was a clever question.
It was essentially laying out a stage for me to demonstrate that I remained unshaken in any environment.
Whether he understood this or not,
Soo-ho answered wisely.
“Baseball is a universal language, after all. Watching the ball, hitting the ball—it’s the same in Korea or here. If anything, I’m enjoying it even more.”
“Enjoying it, you say… You certainly have nerves of steel. I’ve heard that among the local coaching staff, there’s widespread praise for Soo-ho’s analytical abilities. They even call you a prophet for seeing through a pitcher’s patterns.”
Ji-su subtly highlighted Soo-ho’s greatest strength—his baseball intelligence.
The intent was to emphasize that he was an athlete with a sharp mind as well.
“That’s too kind. I simply dig deeper than most others. If hitting this pitch is what it takes for the team to win, then finding a way to make contact is my responsibility.”
“That persistence is what made you who you are today.”
The conversation flowed naturally.
Ji-su’s questions were sharp, yet angled perfectly to draw out Soo-ho’s most impressive responses.
And Soo-ho, in turn, grasped her intent precisely and answered in kind.
And finally. Ji-su posed the most crucial final question.
“The tournament starts very soon. After this article runs, there may well be fans in Korea losing sleep to cheer you on. I’d like to hear your resolve going into the All-Star Game.”
Soo-ho gazed at the camera lens for a moment.
A typical rookie would have said they’d learn.
Or wrapped it up with something about doing their best.
But the words that came from Soo-ho’s mouth were entirely different.
“My goal for this tournament is MVP. I will win it.”
“…!”
Ji-su’s pupils trembled.
Arizona Fall League MVP.
The official name: the Joe Black Award.
As an expert, Ji-su knew the weight of that honor better than anyone.
Look at the caliber of players who had won it before.
The vast majority had been called up to the Major League.
‘They grew into All-Star superstars.’
In other words, this award was a golden ticket to the Major League and a certificate proving one’s right to stardom.
‘He’s saying he’ll win it among these monsters?’
Honestly, it could seem reckless.
His opponents were geniuses ranked from 1st to 100th in the entire nation.
To surpass them and stand at the peak could be seen as arrogance beyond mere audacity.
But.
‘He means it.’
Ji-su looked into Soo-ho’s eyes.
There was no wavering.
It wasn’t mere bravado.
His gaze was filled with conviction—conviction in the effort he’d already invested and the skill he would soon display.
It was the same look in his eyes from five years ago, when he had achieved a championship that no one believed in.
Ji-su swallowed dryly without realizing it.
‘That’s right. If it’s Oh Soo-ho… perhaps.’
No. He would definitely be able to do it.
Wasn’t Soo-ho’s current trajectory already beyond the realm of the impossible?
For anyone else, perhaps.
But for the man standing before her, the word “impossible” might not exist.
Ji-su offered a smile as clear and unblemished as the sky after rain.
“Shall we wrap up the interview here?”
My heart raced with urgency.
Every second felt precious.
I had to write the article quickly and broadcast this footage.
Once this interview went on air, once Soo-ho’s bold declaration of intent reached the living rooms of fifty million people—
That tremendous wave of support would cross the Pacific and gather here at Sloan Park.
This was the greatest support I could offer.
“Thank you, Reporter.”
Soo-ho bowed respectfully, then turned without hesitation.
His steps carried him back toward the Stadium.
‘I’ll do well.’
I clenched my fists.
For myself.
For the Reporter who had flown all this way to a foreign land and set the stage for me.
And.
For those few fans who would read this article or watch this video and feel their hearts ignite.
‘Oh Soo-ho is still alive.’
No—more than alive. I’m doing very well.
So you can keep hoping for more to come.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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