The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 9

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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 9
Coach John barely contained his excitement at witnessing my batting prowess, struggling to compose himself.
“From now on, while you’re here, I’ll call you Soo-ho. And Mark mentioned that your Dodgers test is in two weeks, right?”
I nodded.
John first had me share my baseball journey with him.
From starting in a Korean High School baseball club to signing with a Professional Minor League team.
Not in exhaustive detail, but at least enough to understand how I’d grown, what my strengths were, and what kind of life I’d lived.
After listening to my story, John glanced once more at the A4 sheet containing my swing data.
“First, what exactly are you looking to correct?”
“Not correction, but rather I think I need to learn the mechanics properly.”
“My diagnosis isn’t much different. You possess incredible athletic ability, but you’re not utilizing it at all.”
John folded all the fingers of his extended right hand at once.
“Precisely zero percent. You’re not using it whatsoever.”
I couldn’t refute him. I acknowledged it myself.
I’d always relied solely on raw power and instinct.
But that was actually fortunate.
Because he’d made such an accurate diagnosis, I felt deep trust in him.
“You’re right. I need to learn from scratch.”
John looked directly into my eyes.
“Good. First, I have something to ask you. Or rather, it’s a choice between two paths.”
John raised his right index finger.
“The first is to build up gradually from the basics. Like teaching a newborn to walk, you’d reconstruct your batting fundamentals from the ground up. The advantage is that you could be reborn as an entirely different person.”
John kept his index finger raised and extended his middle finger as well.
“And the second is… why don’t you tell me.”
“To extinguish the immediate fire.”
John nodded briefly.
“Exactly. To do your best to achieve better results on the Dodgers test within two weeks. The advantage is straightforward—you’d have a better chance of passing the test. But there’s a downside too.”
“What is it?”
John handed me a bat as he spoke.
“You could actually perform worse than you do now. You’d end up being neither one thing nor the other, losing even your original strengths and failing the test.”
I took the bat and asked, “Which choice is better?”
“The choice is entirely yours. But remember this: how long do you think it would take to master the mechanics from the ground up?”
When I hesitated, John continued.
“Certainly more than two weeks. In fact, it could take twenty weeks, two hundred weeks. Learning perfect mechanics is that painful and lengthy a battle. So you must decide now whether you’ll chase the test in front of you or the enormous potential that lies ahead. Of course, if you learn from the beginning, I’m confident I can transform you into a completely different person within six months.”
Conviction filled John’s words, and I fell into deep contemplation.
The Dodgers test in two weeks was essentially my last chance.
But at the same time, I’d come this far having staked my entire baseball career on it.
I wanted to become a true baseball player, not just shine briefly with a temporary fix.
After a moment of silence, I lifted my head.
Soo-ho remained silent for a moment, then lifted his head.
“I’ll extinguish the immediate crisis first.”
John’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Why?”
“I want to learn the mechanics after joining the Dodgers.”
John smiled faintly and nodded.
My statement could have offended him, but it didn’t.
Because it was the truth.
The Dodgers were among the elite in the Major League.
They possessed the finest player development system in baseball.
If I could just join them,
I would be able to grow systematically under the guidance of experts.
“There’s no need to fumble with the fundamentals in just two weeks and lose the testing opportunity in the process.”
Right now, opening the door to the Dodgers was the absolute priority.
With our opinions aligned, I looked directly at John and spoke.
“Good. A wise choice. I’ll help you wholeheartedly. But we should handle the business side properly, yes?”
In the meantime, Mark approached and linked his arm through the coach’s, asking with shameless confidence.
“Business! That’s important! But it’s only two weeks, right? You’ll cut it in half, won’t you? You heard his situation. And there are so many places money needs to go!”
John laughed heartily at Mark’s brazen request.
“When did you start calculating everything? But honestly, that’s difficult. Because it would violate the rules of this facility. The other coaches who founded this place with me won’t allow it. And once we make an exception like this, there’s no guarantee others won’t come asking for the same thing.”
I quickly interjected into the conversation.
“Mark. I’m fine with it.”
Mark sighed as if resigned.
“I suppose that’s how it is… I apologize.”
“But!”
I thought the conversation would end there, but what’s this?
Instead, John made a counter-proposal.
“If you pass the test, I’ll cut it in half. The other coaches will understand this much.”
A player trained here passing the Dodgers test and becoming one of their Minor League prospects.
This would be tremendous honor for the Rehabilitation Academy.
Because undrafted players—
what Korea calls developmental players—would be joining the Dodgers, the greatest organization in the Major League.
The academy’s reputation would naturally rise.
Mark pouted his lips.
“Honestly, shouldn’t we be receiving money instead? We’d be giving you enormous publicity…”
“We need to make a living too. You’ll earn a fortune once you become Major Leaguers, but we won’t.”
I interjected into the conversation.
“Understood. I’ll definitely pass and receive training at half price, and I hope the academy gets the publicity too.”
John extended his hand for a handshake.
“Good. Deal!”
I clasped his hand, and the deal was sealed.
* * *
As John signed the contract, his expression shifted.
“Now tell me more deeply about your condition. In your current state, you absolutely cannot pass the Dodgers test.”
Soo-ho nodded briefly.
“Yes. I understand. That’s why I came here.”
“Do you realize how short two weeks is? It won’t be easy at all.”
“That’s fine. I’ll do my best. Even if I fail the test, I have no intention of blaming you or anyone else.”
John chuckled at Soo-ho’s exceptional mental fortitude.
“Good. Your batting was frankly unwatchable, but your mentality is world-class. Then I’ll need to explain things in detail.”
John’s expression grew more serious.
“What do you think you need to do to pass the Dodgers test?”
“I believe I need to display all my strengths, but also show the scouts something unexpected—something uniquely mine that they won’t anticipate.”
John smiled with satisfaction at Soo-ho’s answer.
“Exactly right. Since you’ve decided to take the test, they’ll dig up your records. They’ll know what kind of player you are.”
Soo-ho nodded.
John continued.
“So they’ll expect you to shake opponents with your speed after singles or reaching base.”
This was Soo-ho’s strength.
“But here’s the thing. What do you think would happen if you hit a home run there?”
“It would certainly make an impression. But Coach, I know myself well. With my current batting style, I won’t be able to hit a home run in that test.”
“That’s true. The level is completely different from the Independent League Tryout. The pitchers’ velocity alone is different, so even the same swing won’t carry as far. So here’s what I’m thinking.”
John smiled slightly.
“For the next two weeks, I’m going to teach you not baseball, but memorization.”
Soo-ho looked at John in confusion.
John continued without hesitation.
“I’ll teach you one swing. You’ll repeat it mindlessly until that swing becomes perfectly ingrained in your body. You’ll move like a machine, doing only exactly what I tell you.”
“Like a machine…”
“Yes. It will be harder than anything else. In fact, it might be far more painful and cruel than starting completely from scratch.”
John explained the reason for this.
“Knowledge is power. Do you know this saying?”
“I do.”
“That’s why. Even in baseball, people need to understand the reason behind what they’re doing.”
John continued.
“Humans instinctively experience the greatest pain when repeating something they don’t understand. And since the body doesn’t lie, repetition without understanding can lead to greater confusion and injury.”
There were indeed countless examples of this.
Repetitive training without comprehension sends players into slumps or causes injuries.
His cold words continued.
“And unfortunately, not a single person has succeeded using this memorization method. I’ve seen countless prospects over the years, and there have certainly been those as pressed for time as you. Among them were geniuses with Major League talent, but they all failed. However!”
John’s demeanor shifted.
“Perhaps you might be able to do it. No, actually, I can say this method isn’t suited for anyone but you.”
Soo-ho’s eyes posed a silent question, asking what that meant.
“When you picked up the pen to sign the Rehabilitation Academy contract, I caught a glimpse of your palm. You were swinging that bat with absolutely tremendous force. I’d wager that prospects your age—probably not even a quarter of them swing with that kind of power. And I’m talking about players currently in the Minor League and Major League too.”
It meant Soo-ho was swinging with more than four times the force of players his age.
“But the swings you’ve been executing all this time—there’s no way your understanding caught up with your body’s capabilities. Yet you’ve remained injury-free. That’s divine fortune. You possess an exceptional physique. Beyond that, you have the kind of insane tenacity and steel-forged willpower that makes it possible. So you’re absolutely capable of pulling this off. And if this method succeeds… I can guarantee it.”
Something incomparable to what came before.
You’ll achieve dramatically increased bat speed and distance.
“You might even become the player with the longest distance in that test.”
And it would lead Soo-ho down the path to passing the test.
At John’s words, Soo-ho flexed his arms, tensing his biceps with determination.
“Just leave it to me. Without that tenacity, I’m a corpse.”

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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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