The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 23

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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 23
#23.
“Sit down.”
After the General Manager, the Manager called for me this time.
“You’re not tired, are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“The four of you all said the same thing out there.”
I know who those four are.
I saw the Three Hitters hurrying out of the Manager’s Office and Kang Do-bin, my senior, whom I’d passed at the entrance reeking of sweat.
“I understand that all of you just came up to the 1st Team and are overflowing with energy, wanting to seize every opportunity you can, but you can’t just carelessly say you’re fine.”
With those words, the Manager began discussing injuries.
Every word was sound advice, instilling in me a sense of responsibility as a player standing on the professional stage.
‘If it had been Manager Bong Jun-sik from the beginning….’
I found myself thinking that perhaps I wouldn’t have suffered such a meaningless injury during Spring Camp in my professional debut year.
At the same time, I erased that thought from my mind.
‘This is enough now.’
There’s something far more important than my past injury.
My Daughter’s life. Now that I’ve been given this chance, I’m not just satisfied—I have more than enough will to continue living.
For that, I need to play baseball well, and there’s no reason to stubbornly endure injuries and throw while on the mound like before I returned to the past.
I’ll stay healthy on the mound without injury, strong and for a long time, and I’ll have my recovered Daughter throw the ceremonial first pitch.
“Understood.”
So I told the Manager about my current condition and physical fitness first, and assured him I had no injuries or pain anywhere.
In fact, nothing was marked in the status window’s special notes, so it wasn’t a lie.
“Mm… that’s fortunate.”
The Manager looked relieved, and the meeting continued.
“The Bullpen is overworked, and the other guys haven’t fully recovered yet. For now, I’m planning to rotate the four of you who came up from the 2nd Team.”
To summarize the Manager’s words, it’s this:
The starting pitchers will cover as many innings as possible, and using the three seniors and me—the four who just finished our meetings—we’ll split the remaining innings as much as we can to hold the line.
In that process, consecutive games will be frequent, but we’ll manage it to a maximum of two consecutive games, and we won’t do three consecutive games unless it’s truly the worst-case scenario.
“And you’ll pitch from the Bullpen in the first half, but I’d like Ho-jin to shift toward starting pitching in the second half….”
From my perspective, that’s something to welcome.
Starting pitchers are definitely better for accumulating points than the Bullpen. I can prepare and pitch according to routine based on the starting schedule, so it’s actually preferable.
‘Besides, I spent more years pitching as a starter.’
I’ve always spent my baseball career as a starting pitcher.
Though I can’t pitch as a starter right away now due to the team’s situation and my physical condition, two months from the second half after the All-Star Game is enough time.
‘Two months….’
That’s enough.
No, by then I should be able to accumulate as many points as possible and train to increase my stamina.
“I’ll prepare accordingly.”
“Good. Thank you.”
I thought the meeting was over, but since the Manager didn’t tell me to leave, I waited quietly. After a long moment of deliberation, his lips trembled slightly before he finally spoke.
“It’ll be a heavy burden, but do you think you can handle the closer position?”
I met the Manager’s gaze.
His hands were visibly trembling, but within his eyes I could see the word “trust” written clearly. From this alone, I could sense how complex his thoughts were and how difficult this decision had been given the team’s circumstances.
“I can do it!”
I answered loudly.
I wanted to convey both my confidence and absolute conviction, so I spoke with conviction.
And above all, there was one more crucial point for me.
‘A save has more impact than a hold.’
A hold wouldn’t get me selected as the game’s MVP as often, but securing a save had far greater impact and higher probability.
Well, the closer position isn’t exactly an easy job.
One mistake determines the game’s outcome, and the psychological pressure demands an iron mental fortitude. Since you never know when you’ll be called in, the stress from waiting is severe.
‘But… is that harder than going out as a Big League starter?’
I didn’t think so at all.
Just look at yesterday’s game.
I not only shut down the bases-loaded situation in extra innings cleanly but escaped with a perfect inning. Throughout that process, my mental state never wavered or cracked under pressure.
If anything, that situation was exhilarating, and being able to throw with a healthy body was pure joy.
So this was nothing to worry about.
“Alright, I understand. Get out there.”
“I’ll prepare myself.”
With that, I finished my meeting with the Manager and stepped outside.
For now, my position was closer.
And since I’d be moving up to starting pitcher in the second half, I needed to build my stamina until then.
I had 2 points remaining.
I needed to use them wisely.
* * *
Busan Dolphins versus Daejeon Phoenix.
In the midweek three-game series between the two teams, the advantage naturally belonged to the Daejeon Phoenix.
The standings proved it.
– 5th Place: Daejeon Phoenix
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– 9th Place: Gocheok Unicorns
– 10th Place: Busan Dolphins
The Daejeon Phoenix was the 2nd-place team that had made it to the Korean Series last year.
While they hadn’t retained all their former strength, the vacancy left by the foreign mercenary had been well filled by new talent. They were slightly weaker than last year, but still firmly in contention for the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Busan Dolphins had orchestrated a miraculous 5% comeback last year only to plummet to the bottom, and this year they’d bottomed out completely at last place—their power already appearing diminished on the standings.
On top of that, after finishing yesterday’s grueling six-hour battle, the team had traveled for an away game, leaving the players at a fatigue level beyond words. Consequently, experts predicted a clean sweep by the Daejeon Phoenix.
But starting with Friday’s first midweek game, we shattered the experts’ expectations.
“Swing! Batter’s out!”
With the Umpire’s flourish, the Pitcher on the Mound clenched his fist and thrust it into the air.
“Woohoo!”
Despite being in Daejeon, the visiting fans called out the Pitcher’s name as he descended from the Mound.
“Kevin! Kevin! Kevin!”
Pitcher Kevin came down from the Mound with genuine joy written across his face, and greeted the one who had brought him such happiness at the entrance to the Dugout.
“Hey! Kang! You’re the best!”
“Uh? Yeah. Good, good.”
The one entering the Dugout amid the Pitcher’s welcome was none other than Kang Do-bin—a player who had risen from the 2nd Team to the 1st Team just days ago and claimed the starting Catcher position.
Kevin gazed at his Catcher with such affection that his racing heart refused to settle. Rather, he savored the moment as his pulse continued to thunder.
‘I can throw the splitter!’
Kevin was originally a three-pitch Pitcher.
A right-handed Pitcher whose arsenal centered on a fastball reaching 155 kilometers per hour, a changeup, and a splitter with devastating drop—that was the reputation he carried.
But the problem was that the Busan Dolphins had no one capable of properly handling that splitter. Both the starter and backup Catchers frequently mishandled it, often letting it sail past them, which had reduced his performance to a pitiful state.
Moreover, with him occupying the ace starter position, he faced each team’s ace pitcher.
The result: 3 wins and 5 losses over 10 games.
A record that could hardly be called befitting the team’s ace starter.
In truth, Kevin’s performance could not be attributed solely to his Catcher.
The team’s anemic offense played a role, as did frequent defensive errors and insufficient depth. But for Kevin, the most critical factor was that his signature pitch remained sealed away, preventing him from pitching complete innings and forcing the Bullpen to take the mound.
And as if to vent that frustration, the splitter appeared in every inning, every at-bat.
“Swing! Batter’s out!”
With the Umpire’s call, Kevin, having shut down five innings, entered the Dugout and shouted.
“Hey! Al! Kang is the best!”
The Busan Dolphins’ second Pitcher—a foreign Pitcher scheduled to take the mound tomorrow—who had been quietly observing the game from one corner of the Dugout, opened his mouth.
“Looks pretty good.”
“You’ll know when you throw tomorrow. Fucking great.”
With Kevin’s pitch count still manageable and planning to throw the next inning as well, he grew boisterous with excitement, prompting the Pitching Coach to come over with concern.
But there was no one who could restrain Kevin now that he was finally pitching at full strength, unleashing his arsenal without restraint.
“Hey Kang! Why were you in the 2nd Team?! You’re way better than the backup and Kim from before!”
A statement that openly disparaged the team’s previous Catchers.
But since only the Interpreter and the Pitching Coach, who had learned English, understood his rapid-fire English, there was no problem.
Upon hearing the Interpreter’s translation, Kang Do-bin answered with a smile.
“I wasn’t originally this skilled either, but with help from a friend, I’ve grown this much. That grateful friend is also a rookie who made his 1st Team debut for the first time this year.”
“What?! You got help from a rookie? How did that happen?!”
Kevin spoke with an expression of disbelief, while Kang Do-bin briefly shared his story from just months ago.
He had been merely a Catcher who knew only how to receive pitches, but through a junior, he began to feel his shortcomings as he caught, and by training together and building his body step by step, he had risen to his current position.
“Catching his curveballs makes you want to curse, I’m telling you.”
As he spoke, he glanced to one side, where sat a Pitcher whose face Kevin was seeing for the first time.
“He looks young, though…”
Yet he didn’t look extremely young, so Kevin regarded him with a skeptical gaze.
There was no way around it—Kevin and I weren’t joining the weekend three-game road trip to Seoul. Instead, we were here, building our bodies at a measured pace.
Kevin was the type who hadn’t watched the entire bloodbath that stretched into yesterday’s dawn, choosing instead to cut his routine short and get some sleep for today’s schedule.
“Trust me on this. He’s a pitcher you can really count on.”
“If you say so, I’ll keep my expectations up.”
With that, Kevin took the mound again and began to dominate the remaining innings.
One hundred and seven pitches over eight innings, five hits allowed, two walks, one run—he shut them down decisively. Our offense scraped together two runs, maintaining a precarious one-run lead.
I wanted to keep pitching—the win was too precious to waste—but the excitement of throwing splitters after so long had gotten to me. Once my pitch count crossed one hundred, my stamina visibly drained. In the eighth, I gave up three hits and allowed one run.
“Good. I’ll keep my faith in what you said.”
Kevin came down from the mound without hesitation and headed into ice therapy, now watching the relief pitcher making his way to the mound for the final ninth-inning defense.
“Play ball.”
The moment the first pitch was thrown at the Umpire’s call, Kevin was startled.
“What the hell! What kind of drop is that?!”
He was shocked by a curveball that reminded him of a penny stock he’d bought for fun on a whim—one that had crashed spectacularly.
Then he looked at the pitcher standing on the mound with something like fear.
Smirk.
The pitcher was grinning with obvious delight, and Kevin couldn’t believe such a pitcher existed in the 2nd Team.
“What is this team… do only monsters live in the 2nd Team?”
A Catcher who could receive his splitters and a pitcher displaying the kind of devastating drop you rarely saw even in the Big League—both living in Sangdong made Kevin feel an inexplicable dread.

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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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