The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 38

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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 38
#38.
Two weeks remained until the first half of the season came to an end.
Manager Bong Jun-sik’s head throbbed as though it might split open at any moment.
Just when I thought the team was barely rolling along on the momentum of consecutive wins, successive drinking scandals erupted, and it felt as though every remaining hair on my head was turning white.
I had already exchanged calls with the General Manager several times, and we discussed countermeasures accordingly.
The only saving grace was that the backlash was less severe, perhaps because I had already announced through the media that we would be heading out with rebuilding as our objective.
‘Damn it! If only those wretched old fossils would just leave us alone….’
Manager Bong Jun-sik’s fist clenched involuntarily, trembling.
Buzz.
This was not a sound coming from my fist.
It came from the mobile phone on the table, and it was currently the source of my greatest stress.
They were the backroom elders called veterans of the Baseball World, receiving favorable treatment from the Baseball Association.
Dozens of calls had already come in.
Among them, some were from seniors with whom I had connections, so I couldn’t refuse to answer; even for the others, I couldn’t ignore them all, so I filtered through and answered as selectively as possible.
Yet Manager Bong Jun-sik felt stress accumulating more intensely than when running the pennant race itself.
Knock knock!
At the sound of the knock, I shoved my phone into the corner of the sofa and told them to come in, whereupon they filed in noisily.
After finishing today’s training and before the final meeting, everyone had gathered.
The Senior Coach, Pitcher Coach, Batting Coach, Defense Coach, Base Running Coach, Battery Coach, and lastly the Physical Coach—all were present.
In truth, it was rare for everyone to gather like this during the season, except before the opening or before meetings held prior to the second half’s start.
But at this point, with the Dolphins shaking both internally and externally, we had to convene and handle matters this way.
“Please provide reports by department.”
At Manager Bong Jun-sik’s words, reports from each department followed.
For now, a total of five players were missing.
Starting with one who was out due to drunk driving, combined with those who drank during the drinking ban and came to work reeking of alcohol, it totaled five players.
Perhaps this could even be considered fortunate.
At least there were no major incidents like drug use or altercations with fans. In fact, there was no significant damage to the team.
Of course, considering that drunk driving is an absolutely unforgivable act, one shouldn’t think this way, but from the perspective of team management, it was at least some consolation.
“As for the pitching staff… with the players who came up now, the Bullpen has actually improved. Especially Kim Jin-ho came up gnashing his teeth.”
Like a candle’s flame burning brightly one last time before extinguishing, Kim Jin-ho appeared as though this were truly his last chance, changing his pitching form and blazing brilliantly.
“Thanks to him, we’ve gained a left-handed pitcher and can finally breathe easier.”
Among the three Clutch Team relief pitchers scheduled for the second half, there was only one left-hander. But with Kim Jin-ho now added, we have two left-handers and two right-handers, making the operation of three innings much more solid.
“The other two players who came up are ones who occasionally move between the teams, so there shouldn’t be any immediate adaptation issues.”
The two additional pitchers who came up with Kim Jin-ho were players who frequently moved between the 1st Team and 2nd Team.
Naturally, they had adapted, and they were scheduled to take on long relief duties for the time being.
“So that makes five starters and four Clutch Team pitchers, with four on standby?”
With this, all thirteen pitchers are confirmed.
Since one of them is on standby, we can effectively consider it twelve pitchers.
“For Catcher, Kang Do-bin will be the starter, and we can rotate the existing backup Bang Ho-gun with the newly promoted Hyun Myung-su from the 2nd Team to build up their experience.”
Bang Ho-gun was originally a backup player for the 1st Team.
He was a player who quietly established himself and caught pitches despite the nagging and pressure from Senior Pitchers who had faced X-ball, and he possessed decent defensive and offensive abilities.
Hyun Myung-su was the player who filled Kang Do-bin’s vacancy on the 2nd Team, and his advantage is that he’s a fresh 24-year-old rookie—an investment for his future potential.
“Choi Ji-ho’s hitting has been heating up lately, thanks to his lucky home run. Han Seok-do has always worked quietly on his own, and left fielder Ham Ji-ha is the same type. The rest, however, remain uncertain. I apologize.”
Choi Ji-ho, at 25 years old, is in his third year as the starting second baseman.
In the Dolphins, called the Cannon Corps, he’s the only one who can fire a rifle, and with his stealing sense, he’s been active as the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. After a recent prolonged hitting slump, there’s been a gradual revival in atmosphere since his home run.
The two FA acquisitions, Han Seok-do and Ham Ji-ha, are veterans who quietly fulfill their roles.
As the 4th and 5th hitters, they’ve displayed powerful hits in scoring position and have been valuable acquisitions that contributed to our victories.
The problem lies with the rest.
The shortstop’s defense is poor—nearly a liability—and the third baseman, who was pushed out from his original first base position because of Han Seok-do, has weak defensive abilities.
The center fielder, who is crucial to the center line, has a wide defensive range but offensively weak power, and the right fielder is similar.
These are positions that must be changed immediately for the team to become a strong contender.
“The General Manager is looking into trades, so let’s push through a bit longer.”
That was the only thing Manager Bong Jun-sik could say.
Even now, the General Manager is working to match trade conditions against the other nine teams. Naturally, any team with weaknesses gets torn apart wherever they go.
The moment important positions like center field or shortstop are mentioned, what comes up is trading players like Kang Ho-jin or Kang Do-bin, and if not that, many teams mention Jo Sang-hyuk, Jung Ji-hoon, and Choi Sung-hyuk, who have been active in the Bullpen recently.
In the end, all we could do was patch things up with players already on the 1st Team or hope that players from the 2nd Team would develop and come up.
The defensive coach’s report passed without incident, and the base-running coach’s was the same.
“Most players are struggling physically. The players who came up from the 2nd Team have good stamina, so the pitchers don’t need much care, but for the position players, we should probably reduce training volume.”
At the physical coach’s final report, Manager Bong Jun-sik nodded and spoke.
“I know there’s been internal turmoil and a lot of outside chatter. Everyone should avoid being shaken by unnecessary noise. Especially when outsiders try to shake things up, send all recordings or messages received to the General Manager.”
Manager Bong Jun-sik and General Manager Park Ju-ho know better than anyone how those old men in the back rooms keep trying to grab and shake the Dolphins.
They’re called the Busan-Gyeongnam Region cartel and keep trying to grab and shake things, so this is the moment to handle them decisively and move forward—a plan already in preparation by General Manager Park Ju-ho.
If we prepare this well, from the second half onward, the team would truly become the clean, properly competitive team that Manager Bong Jun-sik and General Manager Park Ju-ho desired.
“Then let’s end it here and tomorrow’s game….”
“Um, Manager.”
The Senior Coach, who had been quiet until now, raised his hand.
The other coaches who were about to stand sat back down, and they all looked at him with curiosity about what he might say.
“Kang Ho-jin wants to start tomorrow.”
“Start?”
“Yes. More precisely, we’re thinking of it as a quick hook—he says he can definitely throw 4 to 5 innings.”
“Hmm….”
The meeting that should have ended stretched out a bit longer.
* * *
I proposed the quick hook to the Senior Coach for no other reason.
‘With our current pitching rotation, it makes more sense for me to start.’
Our pitching staff became much stronger with Kim Jin-ho’s unexpected arrival.
At the very least, even if Kim Jin-ho’s pitches are analyzed, they’re still effective enough, and it’s not a fastball that can be easily hit after seeing it once or twice. Especially if I take on the role of a relief pitcher throwing short innings, it will take much longer for batters to figure me out.
With the relief pitchers now much stronger than the starters, having someone quickly claim the starting position would be far more advantageous in terms of competition right now.
‘Of course, I’m scheduled to pitch from the second half onward, but it’s better to start now rather than wait until then.’
My desire to surge ahead first in terms of competitiveness, the chance to make a strong impression and create upward momentum at this moment when the team is on a losing streak, and lastly, it was all for my Daughter.
In truth, among these three reasons, the last one is the most urgent.
Points for my Daughter.
To earn them, it would be more advantageous to transition to a starting pitcher faster than my current role as a closer.
I currently have no points.
I plan to spend everything in training without any vacation once the first half ends soon, so I wanted to earn at least one more point quickly.
‘Two games.’
If the schedule spans two weeks, that’s how many times I could pitch if I move up as a starter.
I need to earn at least one point from those outings so I can meet my Daughter during vacation and help her recover.
That’s why I spoke directly to the Senior Coach.
‘Of course, it’s not something that happens just because I want it.’
Tomorrow’s opponent is none other than the Gocheok Unicorns.
They’re not a top-tier team, but rather the team sitting just one spot above us, composed mostly of prospects, making them perfect as a starting pitcher test.
Moreover, with the losing streak, the gap has widened to five games again. If possible, I want to win all three games and narrow it down to two.
For that to happen, it’s right that I pitch, and it won’t be bad for the team’s operations either.
‘The only problem is Manager Bong Jun-sik’s decision.’
Manager Bong Jun-sik is also a veteran manager of long standing.
He shares a similar temperament with Manager Kim In-sik, who is famous for trust-based baseball, but he’s quite stubborn. Moreover, he tends to employ the players he’s used before, and once a framework is set, he doesn’t deviate from it.
The only thing I can rely on is myself.
It’s the unconventional deployment as a closer—a different choice than before. Of course, this came about due to mistakes by the Senior Pitchers who were sent to the 2nd Team, but Manager Bong Jun-sik would have originally filled that spot with one of the existing 1st Team players, yet he gave it to me.
So.
It will happen.
As I wait for the result with some anxiety, the Senior Coach appears.
After that, the head of the Strategy Analysis Team appears as well.
“Do your best tomorrow.”
With this, my starting debut is confirmed.

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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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