The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 12

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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 12
#12.
B-Rank Four-Seam Fastball.
B-Rank was certainly different—distinctly so.
‘I mean, I felt it even when throwing the curveball, but….’
What was certain was that the higher the rank climbed, the more the pitch quality became absolutely wild.
The drop on the curveball was truly absurd, incomparable to the curveball from my prime.
If anything, looking solely at the vertical drop, it reminds me of a forkball. In any case, even I have to admit this is excessive.
No wonder the Coach was so startled.
Still, I thought the four-seam fastball might be manageable, so I threw it with everything I had, and it displayed something absolutely insane.
“Let’s see. Right now in the 1st Team, if we’re just talking RPM, there are only nine guys above you?”
It was dizzying.
Assuming roughly thirteen pitchers are registered to a typical 1st Team roster, that’s one hundred thirty across all teams. Among them, I’m tenth, which essentially means I’m in the top ten percent.
‘I didn’t want to stand out this much….’
Somehow, all the pitchers from the 2nd Team Pitching Staff had come to watch me.
More precisely, they were alternating their gaze between the numbers displayed on the monitor and my face, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
‘I didn’t know it would come to this either.’
I meant it sincerely.
And I received an intensely embarrassing stare.
Sparkling.
Gleaming.
Blazing!
Jo Sang-hyuk, Jung Ji-hoon, and Choi Sung-hyuk’s eyes were completely ablaze.
It’s frightening to say it, but their gaze was as if they wanted to devour me whole, and when the seniors huddled their hands together as if making some kind of vow, even my spine tingled with unease.
“Let’s keep going.”
“Yes, sir.”
For now, what mattered wasn’t the stares of my seniors and juniors.
“Hah!”
I was curious about my own maximum capability, so I threw with everything I had.
Ten four-seamers, ten changeups, and ten curveballs—thirty pitches in total—and after throwing them, I removed the sensor attached to my body and descended from the Mound.
“Phew….”
It takes roughly ten minutes for my pitching analysis to come out.
The problem was how to endure these ten minutes.
‘Ugh, I need to escape quickly.’
I immediately bolted for the Restroom.
I had no confidence in handling such an enormous pack of hyenas. In fact, once I entered the Restroom, no one followed me any further.
I finally had a moment to myself, and I felt the sensation of throwing those thirty pitches through my fingers.
Grrrrgh—!
Power surged into my clenched fist.
The feeling of having returned to the past became vividly real.
* * *
Well… hmm….
I was at a loss.
And for good reason—regardless of seniority or rank, everyone kept approaching me with questions.
“What did you do differently to change like that?”
“Was it just lowering your arm angle?”
“S-Senior, how do you grip the ball?!”
“Please, just tell us once!”
After my pitching, they all crowded around, bombarding me with inquiries.
Of course, I couldn’t answer easily. Rather, I couldn’t answer at all. One careless word from me could alter the trajectory of their careers, and I couldn’t bear that responsibility.
There was only one thing I could tell them.
“I trained by finding exercises that strengthen core muscles and prevent injuries. For a long athletic career without injury, that has to be the top priority.”
At my words, everyone nodded and dispersed in an instant.
Was this it? The tide coming in and going out?
I, someone who’d never seen the ocean on the West Coast, could feel that phenomenon through people instead.
They surged forward all at once, then withdrew just as suddenly.
Well, except for exactly three of them.
They said nothing.
They simply nodded, their faces satisfied.
“Kang Ho-jin, go inside and rest.”
“Yes, Coach.”
At the Coach’s call, I hastily escaped the scene.
Tsk, I wanted to quietly move up to the 1st Team, but it seemed impossible now.
No, it already felt too late.
* * *
After completing his three-day evaluation of all the pitchers, Bae Ki-chan entered the Manager’s Office with eager steps.
“I’m here, Bae Ki-chan.”
At those words, a voice from beyond the door told him to enter. Bae Ki-chan handed a thick stack of documents to Manager Jang Si-hwan.
“I’ve evaluated all the pitchers today. Here are the results.”
Manager Jang Si-hwan silently accepted the stack of documents.
In the meantime, Bae Ki-chan prepared instant coffee for both himself and Manager Jang Si-hwan.
The sound of sipping echoed a few times, and after some time had passed, Manager Jang Si-hwan, having reviewed all the documents, nodded.
“This is going to get interesting.”
“I can guarantee that much.”
At the same moment, the face of the pitcher at the top of the stack came into view.
The face of the hottest pitcher on the team recently—the one who would be prioritized for immediate promotion to the 1st Team.
“Strengths are irrelevant. What are the weaknesses?”
Manager Jang Si-hwan held the authority to give final approval before sending anyone to the 1st Team.
No matter how much the 1st Team wanted someone, he had to understand exactly what was lacking and communicate that to the 1st Team Manager—precision was essential.
“Stamina. Today I tested him with thirty pitches, so he was perfect. But the moment he exceeds sixty pitches, his velocity and pitch quality drop noticeably.”
Right now, Kang Ho-jin has exactly one weakness.
It’s his stamina—he can’t throw more than sixty pitches.
Even though he tries to manage his pace and conserve energy, the three-day test made it abundantly clear.
The position that suits Kang Ho-jin best isn’t a starter, but rather a relief pitcher—someone closer to the Clutch Team, handling saves or setup roles.
“Though he himself hopes to be a starter.”
Objectively speaking, Kang Ho-jin as a starter is unrealistic.
A starter needs to pitch deep into the game, but with only sixty pitches, his absolute ceiling is five innings, no matter how well he executes.
Unless it’s a bullpen day or the pitchers before him eat up innings generously, you simply can’t deploy someone with a sixty-pitch limit as a starter.
Jang Si-hwan, the Manager, simply smiled as he stared thoughtfully.
“Stamina can be built up. Besides, there’s no opening in the 1st Team anyway.”
That statement was the truth.
There were currently no vacancies in the 1st Team.
Frankly, if we only considered raw pitching velocity, I’d promote Kang Ho-jin to the 1st Team immediately, but there was one problem.
Lack of experience. The 1st Team stage is a different dimension from the 2nd Team.
Especially given the Busan Dolphins’ nature, Sajik Baseball Stadium is a place where no rookie can easily adapt to the massive crowds, their jeers, and the treatment they receive.
“For now, let’s focus on growth and mental conditioning rather than appearances.”
“So you’ll promote him immediately if an opening appears?”
“It’s the best choice.”
Using Kang Ho-jin’s pitching in the Futures League right now would be wasteful.
While his skill certainly warrants such luxury, Manager Jang Si-hwan harbored a deeper hope—that by calling him up to the 1st Team before opponents had fully analyzed him, he could deliver a surprise strike.
The reason he couldn’t easily recommend it yet was the stamina issue; more conditioning was still needed.
“Compile the final data and pass it along. I’ll give it to Manager Bong Jun-sik.”
“Yes, understood.”
With that, Bae Ki-chan left, and Jang Si-hwan, now alone, picked up his cold coffee cup and drained it completely, then fell into thought.
‘Kang Ho-jin making it to the 1st Team… The end of the season is going to get interesting.’
Manager Jang Si-hwan anticipated it would happen at the earliest after the All-Star Break, or perhaps after the expanded roster period.
By then, it was almost tradition for the Busan Dolphins that someone would inevitably fall behind, whether physically or mentally.
But contrary to his expectations, an incident of a different nature erupted.
“Yes, this is Sajik Police Station.”
Someone’s response came through, followed by the words that came next.
“It’s a drunk driving case. Blood alcohol concentration at 0.09—complete intoxication.”
It was one of the worst possible incidents.
* * *
Buzz—! Buzz—!
My smartphone vibrated while I was deep in sleep.
Curious about what was happening, I checked the message, and my face went rigid.
“Se… Senior?”
“Yeah, I saw it too.”
My current roommate is none other than Kang Do-bin, my senior.
We both read the message on our smartphones and stared at each other in disbelief.
The message was straightforward.
One of the 1st Team pitchers had driven under the influence. So a drinking ban had been issued for the time being—everyone needed to exercise restraint. And since a pitcher was needed for the 1st Team, one person had to be promoted.
Was that why?
My heart had been racing since earlier.
Thump, thump, thump.
This was an opportunity to establish myself in the 1st Team.
A position that could only be reached by waiting for someone to retire or suffer an injury had suddenly opened up due to a player’s personal mistake.
All the pitchers were pushing themselves hard for that single spot.
Crack!
Thwack!
Thwack, crack!
Every day, the sound of gloves echoed through the Bullpen.
Everyone here was striving relentlessly, clinging to a glimmer of hope and a ray of light.
It was the desire to reach Sajik Baseball Stadium by any means necessary, and the wish to become the one who filled that vacant position.
However, since the evaluation rested with Pitching Coach Bae Ki-chan and Manager Jang Si-hwan, they were serious in their presence in a way they never were otherwise.
Still, it was Choi Jun-sik who received the first call to the 1st Team.
Choi Jun-sik was the player who always went up first whenever a vacancy opened in the 1st Team, and he was exactly who everyone had anticipated.
Yet when Choi Jun-sik was promoted, the other pitchers felt their motivation waver slightly, despite their hopes.
But there were still those who trained hard within their given circumstances.
None other than the Three Hitters, together with Kang Ho-jin.
“Huff! Huff!”
“Gasp! Gasp!”
“Pant! Pant!”
While everyone else struggled to catch their breath, Kang Ho-jin, the only one still composed, spoke.
“Our seniors are still here. Therefore, we move forward.”
The moment Kang Ho-jin moved, they all tried desperately to keep pace.
When everyone else had half-given up, only these four were being honed sharply, as if preparing for tomorrow itself.
And a week later.
The Busan Dolphins had dropped to 10th place, cementing their position at the very bottom.

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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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