The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 11

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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 11
#11.
The day after finishing the game against the Sangmu Team.
As always, I dove into my recovery routine.
“Huff! Huff!”
I ran from early morning to build up my stamina.
Reviewing yesterday’s game, here’s what happened.
Since they were already a familiar opponent, I was able to attack them with ease. There were no mistakes in the process, and everything flowed so cleanly according to plan that I actually felt good about it.
I cleanly shut down the top of the order, got off to a good start, then effectively contained the middle and lower batters. Even after the batting order cycled through once, my pitches were still effective, and I managed to keep them scoreless.
‘There’s only one thing I need to reflect on.’
My breaking balls still weren’t sharp enough, and my control wavered slightly.
Well, realistically, if I assume I throw 100 pitches every time I take the mound, it’s impossible for every single one to land exactly where I want it without any mistakes.
But if the ratio of mistakes stays below 10%, you can call yourself a good pitcher. Drop it below that, and you’re considered elite.
Out of the pitches I threw yesterday, 8 could be called mistakes, which comes to 13% — so I’m not quite at the good pitcher level yet.
‘In the end, it’s just a matter of time. Keep throwing, and you’ll nail it.’
This will resolve itself once I throw enough to build muscle memory and my pitching form becomes completely ingrained in my body. I just need to take my time and prepare steadily.
Since it’s just a matter of putting in the time, I’ll set that aside. But there’s something else that’s been weighing on me since yesterday until now.
– Remaining Points: 1
It’s the points, nothing else.
There are two uses for points.
One is for treating my Daughter, and the other is for my own growth.
So far, I’ve earned a total of 4 points.
When I first returned to the past, I earned points that I used on my Daughter. The next points I earned, I used on my own treatment.
So the remaining point is the 1 point I earned from winning yesterday’s Sangmu game.
‘If I had my way, I’d use it on my Daughter…’
The problem is that my Daughter is in Seoul, and it’s not easy to make a quick trip there just to use the points.
While there’s still time and it’s not urgent, the fact that time is running out makes me anxious and frustrated.
But if I just save the points for my Daughter’s treatment, the important thing is that using them for my own growth also helps me develop.
‘Still, I’d like to know more precisely about how to use the points…’
Now that I think about it, I was so focused on earning points for my Daughter that I never properly examined the status window.
Since things have come to this, I figured I should take time today to properly understand the status window and the points system.
Since I’m running now, I’ll focus on that, and since I’m excused from afternoon training, I can use that time.
“Huff! Huff!”
I pushed forward with renewed vigor.
* * *
Evening.
Taking time to examine the status window and points system turned out to be a really good decision.
‘This is simple yet complicated.’
Let me list what I’ve discovered.
1. Just because I throw a new pitch type doesn’t mean it gets registered in the status window.
Fundamentally, every pitcher knows how to throw all types of pitches.
I too can throw most pitch types, and before returning to this era, I could throw an even wider variety.
But the system only registered the pitches I threw during this particular period.
2. Points are required to register new pitches.
Fortunately, registering new pitches is possible.
However, it consumes points—a full 5 points per pitch, no less.
3. Points are also consumed when upgrading a pitch’s grade.
Since registering a new pitch would allow me to upgrade it, this was welcome news.
4. When I tried to raise my stamina with points, a new message appeared.
– Would you like to consume points to increase stamina?
– Stamina can be developed through consistent training.
The key point was that stamina could be built without investing points at all.
5. Per point, velocity increases by 1 km.
Honestly, this surprised me quite a bit.
It’s an absurd figure, and one I don’t entirely understand. But since the system says so, I’ll take it at face value for now.
So I thought about it.
A starting pitcher plays roughly 20 to 25 games per year. If I assume the lower end of 20 games and earn Player of the Game honors in all of them, that means my velocity increases by a full 20 km.
My current velocity is 149 km, so after just one year, I’d be at 169 km.
If that happened, I’d immediately achieve the highest velocity in South Korea, and by Major League standards, that’s 105 mph—just shy of Chapman’s 105.8 mph record set in 2010.
‘Well, it’s absurd, but still.’
Pitching all 20 games is difficult enough, and I don’t have the stamina to earn Player of the Game honors consistently. It was just simple math—nothing I’d actually bank on.
‘So that’s where things stand?’
That’s all I’ve figured out.
Which is why I have a headache.
I have one point, and I don’t know where to spend it.
Truth be told, what I need most right now is stamina.
But there’s no reason to invest points when I can build it through training. If anything, I should save it and give it to my Daughter instead.
That means upgrading velocity or pitch quality is the smarter choice.
The improvement will be immediately visible, and I’ll have a much better advantage on my next appearance.
‘Right… I’ll upgrade a pitch. Especially the four-seam fastball.’
The four-seam fastball is crucial.
It’s the pitch that comprises the largest portion of my arsenal, and it’s the cornerstone of my pitching design.
In particular, when the four-seam fastball’s power increases, the pitch that truly shines is the changeup. It comes from the same arm slot, and to completely steal the batter’s timing, the four-seam’s power is equally essential.
The curveball is the same way.
When the four-seam fastball’s power rises, it creates the illusion that the ball is rising. In contrast, the curveball drops downward, so the batter’s eyes swing wildly up and down, allowing me to completely rob them of their timing.
Essentially, to maximize the value of the pitches I currently possess, upgrading the four-seam fastball’s grade is the best move.
I made this decision, but someone might argue otherwise.
Why not just keep raising velocity and overwhelm them?
That’s not wrong.
The faster the velocity, the shorter the time the ball takes to reach home plate. Therefore, the batter can’t react properly, and I gain the advantage in the count battle—that much is true.
But that was only true within South Korea.
In the distant land of the United States, there were plenty of monsters who could smash fastballs exceeding 170 kilometers per hour, and even if that weren’t the case, they could time their swings and connect with the ball if they set their minds to it.
When thinking of Major League Baseball, where abnormal monsters abounded, what was needed wasn’t just a mindlessly fast pitch, but proper control, and changeups that could steal the batter’s timing were crucial.
And at the center of it all was the four-seam fastball.
‘Yes, let’s go with this.’
With my decision made, I spent the points without hesitation.
– Points consumed. Four-seam fastball rank increases.
– Four-seam fastball C→B
Now that I’d upgraded it, I’d know tomorrow when I threw it.
Just how much better it had become.
I found myself too excited to sleep easily.
* * *
Bae Ki-chan, Pitching Coach of the Busan Dolphins 2nd Team.
Today, as always, he busily checked and recorded the condition of each pitcher one by one.
He approached his players with a clear philosophy.
“Shoulders and elbows are consumables.”
“If it hurts, say it hurts. Trying to push through only hurts you in the end.”
“Rather than fixing weaknesses, strengthen your strengths.”
Thanks to his philosophy, the 2nd Team pitching staff had definitely improved compared to before.
The previous coach had only passion.
He treated pitchers’ arms like consumables and forced nothing but the fork ball.
The result was predictable.
Injuries, poor performance, release.
Bae Ki-chan abandoned that approach.
He let them rest when they were hurt, and chose to develop their strengths rather than fix their weaknesses. As a result, this season’s pitching staff had a much softer atmosphere.
Some pitchers were finally displaying their talents late, while others were transforming themselves.
‘It’s not because I’m good. The guys are working hard.’
He believed he had simply shown them the way, watching his players’ growth with satisfaction.
“Kang Ho-jin.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Let’s do this properly today.”
Among them, the one who caught his eye most was none other than Kang Ho-jin.
Four days had passed since he took the mound against Sangmu.
During that time, he’d been consistently doing conditioning work, and I’d watched him meticulously complete weight training and stretching.
At first, I was worried his training might be excessive, but after observing from start to finish, it was flawless training with nothing to critique.
It was like watching a veteran who’d been rolling around the baseball field for decades, and he seemed to know his body’s condition better than anyone, pushing himself to the razor’s edge of his limits with precision.
‘That’s impressive. How did he come up with such a training program?’
When Bae Ki-chan, equally surprised, casually asked about it, the pitcher mentioned that YouTube was so good these days and even recommended it, which left him taken aback.
And during this time, Kang Ho-jin hadn’t done much bullpen pitching.
It was precisely for today’s test, and to check how much had changed using precision equipment, so his condition had been carefully managed.
‘Let me see, where did I put the previous data?’
He pulled out the precision measurements taken during the early season.
– Maximum Velocity: 137km
– Four-seam Average Spin Rate: 1,847rpm
There was plenty more information listed, but I paid it no mind.
Considering my recent outings, this data meant nothing now. Just my velocity alone had jumped by a staggering 12km, hadn’t it? The real key was identifying patterns—the subtle quirks in my delivery when throwing fastballs versus breaking balls from multiple angles, and pinpointing what had changed.
“Let’s begin.”
With that, Kang Ho-jin threw the first pitch with everything he had.
Crack!
The sharp pop of the ball striking the Catcher’s glove echoed crisply through the indoor facility.
At the same moment, Bae Ki-chan checked the velocity and spin rate first, then froze in astonishment.
“2,364rpm?”
The most striking number on the display.
Kang Ho-jin, who had previously fallen far short of the KBO League average, now possessed a spin rate that soared well beyond it.
“What did you do?”
At that question, Kang Ho-jin could only smile.
His expression betrayed his own bewilderment.

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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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