The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 43

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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 43
#43.
“Al! Al! Al!”
The fans’ roar echoed through Sajik Baseball Stadium.
Al Torado, today’s starting pitcher, completed his work without incident and made his way to the dugout with an unhurried stride.
Seven innings, one run allowed.
One hundred and two pitches, seven hits, two walks.
He’d achieved a quality start-plus and come down from the mound.
Naturally, the Dolphins activated their bullpen, and they shut things down cleanly.
A game where the starting pitcher consumed many innings and the bullpen sealed it tight—the Dolphins, displaying the hallmarks of a strong team, achieved three consecutive victories, their momentum soaring to the heavens.
Up to this point, everything looked good.
They’d decorated the midweek three-game series with victories, and now they could comfortably win the weekend three-game series as well.
The bullpen’s usage was negligible compared to before.
When Kang Ho-jin took the mound on Tuesday, Kim Jin-ho, Jo Sang-hyuk, Jung Ji-hoon, and Choi Sung-hyuk all pitched and secured the victory.
On Wednesday, Kevin pitched and Jo Sang-hyuk and Choi Sung-hyuk closed it out; on Thursday, when Al Todoro pitched, Jung Ji-hoon and Kim Jin-ho firmly shut the back door.
In the past, everyone except one long reliever would have pitched, but now they’d managed with just four pitchers—a decidedly positive development.
“Ugh… the problem is the batting lineup…”
Manager Bong Jun-sik’s face looked not just frustrated but practically burning with irritation.
And for good reason—the midweek three-game series had yielded only four runs total.
After two runs on Tuesday, the remaining games produced just one run each, and the batters couldn’t even manage to get on base, let alone put together anything meaningful.
Currently, the only way the Dolphins scored was when leadoff batter Choi Ji-ho got on base, the second and third batters somehow managed extra-base hits, and then Han Seok-do and Ham Ji-ha drove in the runs.
Of course, that had become a problem too.
“Another walk.”
“Ugh…”
Manager Bong Jun-sik’s brow furrowed deeper, his frustration mounting.
What good was it when Choi Ji-ho reached third base? The Seoul Buffaloes intentionally walked Han Seok-do and Ham Ji-ha, the two hitters they feared most in two-outs, runners-loaded situations.
And the fifth batter who followed swung at the first pitch.
Crack!
The poorly-struck ball headed straight toward the pitcher, and with the bases loaded and two outs, no run scored.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
This was already the third time today.
Following the first inning came the third, and then the fifth—the same scene repeated three times in all.
Two reactions emerged at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
Spirited cheers for the Buffaloes pitcher holding them scoreless coexisted with sighs of regret for the Dolphins, unable to score a single run despite their chances.
Since today’s game featured Kim Se-jin, the Dolphins’ homegrown ace, many Dolphins fans had gathered at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, and their poignant sighs, heavy with disappointment, flowed out continuously.
“Sigh…”
Manager Bong Jun-sik’s sigh, born from his frustration, filled the dugout.
Just as the pitching staff’s management was improving, problems had emerged in the batting that had been performing well before—it was unavoidable to feel exasperated.
The General Manager was supposedly exploring trades in every direction, but in the KBO, trades were a double-edged sword.
That meant they had to bring players up from their own 2nd Team, but while there were many prospects, they either hadn’t broken through yet or simply lacked the skill, and running the team with aging veterans from the aging 1st Team was impossible, no matter how much rest the All-Star break provided.
The Dolphins are undoubtedly a power-hitting lineup.
Excluding the leadoff hitter, batters two through nine all possess the ability to hit home runs, and the team consistently produces over 100 homers annually.
Yet watching the Buffaloes’ current batting order, that reputation as a slugging powerhouse seemed to evaporate entirely.
“Contact Manager Jang for me. I know it’s a long shot, but ask him anyway.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Manager Bong Jun-sik had no choice but to reach out to the 2nd Team through a Front Office staff member.
The game proceeded, and the scoreless tie persisted.
It was a contest that continued to demonstrate the overwhelming power of our strengthened bullpen, and we entered extra innings.
Crack!
A base hit off a short swing to start the inning.
After exhausting the entire Clutch Team through nine innings, the next pitcher I brought in gave up a hit, then visibly unraveled and surrendered a run, leaving me no choice but to concede the game on a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth.
“Sigh…”
My concerns only deepened.
* * *
Post-Game T-Time.
What had started as just me alone had gradually grown in numbers.
“Oh, hey.”
I was a bit taken aback.
Kim Jin-ho greeted me, then silently turned his attention to his tablet. When Kang Do-bin, standing beside him, mentioned he’d brought him along, I simply nodded.
Well, if he wanted to fend for himself, there was no reason for me to interfere.
In any case, with the growing crowd, we’d set up in a small conference room instead of a hotel room.
An Analyst from the Scouting team had also arrived, busily handing over materials and operating the tablet.
“I’m sorry for keeping you past your shift.”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
The staff member jumped at my words and waved his hands dismissively.
If I had to describe his typical appearance, he’d remind you of a nerd.
His distinctive glasses, unkempt hair, and the way his formal suit somehow looked rumpled—it was perfect. Add to that a lack of social grace; even after knowing him for over a week, his movements and gestures felt awkward.
Somehow, I found it endearing.
‘Is it because he reminds me of Jaybit?’
There was an analyst I’d hired separately during my time in the Major League—Jaybit. He was practically the textbook definition of an American nerd, but his abilities were extraordinary. By now, he’d still be a student, so I couldn’t hire him yet.
Perhaps if I waited a bit longer and brought him over, it would work out.
‘His analysis was sharp enough to devour even the massive Big League itself.’
He was my exclusive analyst—someone I’d never let anyone else take from me.
Anyway, instead of Jaybit, the nerd right in front of me—Kim Deok-hwan—was busily manipulating the tablet and showing it to Choi Jin-ha.
“H-here.”
“Oh, yes.”
Every time he made an adjustment, the breathtaking awkwardness between the two made my own breath catch.
But watching the data they were reviewing, I found myself genuinely impressed.
“You’re quite skilled, Deok-hwan.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Kim Deok-hwan bowed his head deeply.
It wasn’t a joke—compared to Jaybit, the data we had was genuinely lacking in many ways.
There was no helping it. Unlike the Big League, which invested astronomical sums of money, the KBO was little more than a frog in a well.
Still, I’d extracted every piece of data we could possibly obtain, and what pleased me most was that our analysis of the pitcher throwing the ball—in other words, our own analysis—was quite thorough.
It wasn’t just simple opponent analysis; it contained information about what kind of pitches I should throw, making it far more practical.
“It seems like this will take more than just work hours to complete?”
“W-well, we still have to do it. My body’s exhausted, but… seeing it right there in front of me, I just can’t help myself. A-and if the pitchers throw well, that’s even better for me.”
A satisfied smile played across his face.
Of course, the dark circles under both eyes and his hollow cheeks made it seem like he could collapse at any moment.
To obtain information of this quality, it seemed I shouldn’t leave things as they were.
And so we dove into the scouting analysis.
We compared the sensations I’d felt during today’s game with the data, preparing for tomorrow’s matchup.
“Phew, we’re done.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Senior Pitcher.”
“Let’s pull off something special tomorrow.”
We’d already decided exactly how to pitch against the opposing lineup from the first inning through the ninth.
In that process, we’d decided not to worry whether hits or walks came.
To put it bluntly, we’d become like a pitching machine throwing the ball and a catching machine receiving it—two people operating in perfect synchronization, and Kim Deok-hwan’s contribution to completing this was substantial.
‘I hope we both pull off something special.’
That way, Deok-hwan’s standing would rise, and I’d receive quality data in return—a win-win situation.
Then we’d have the justification to bring that perfect nerd over to our side.
And then, the next day.
The justification seemed certain to materialize.
* * *
The cheers of both teams echoed through Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
As if proving the amplifiers were working properly, quite loud sounds reverberated through the stadium, and cheers continued directed at the players running on the ground.
While some fans reacted to the cheerleader captain’s powerful voice and the cheerleaders’ energetic movements, the crowd surprisingly watched the ground with somewhat tense expressions.
“Why is the game moving so fast today?”
“Well, considering there haven’t been many hits or walks…”
“Wow… the tempo is incredibly fast.”
“The batters must be suffocating.”
The fans’ observations were accurate—today’s game boasted an incredible pace.
For the Buffaloes, it was the day their second-starter foreign pitcher Jake was pitching, and for the Dolphins, it was their fourth-starter Choi Jin-ha’s turn.
I’d naturally thought the Buffaloes would have the advantage in a matchup between a second-starter and a fourth-starter.
Not simply because of the starting rotation order, but because of Jake’s unique characteristic.
He was a pitcher who threw at an incredibly fast tempo, and one who robbed opposing batters of their rhythm with relentless pitching that barely acknowledged sign changes.
Against such a pitcher, the Dolphins’ lineup had become constipated, making it difficult to exploit him. No matter how many timeouts they called, he’d ignore them and push forward at such speed that even after the Umpire issued a warning mid-game, they could only suffer.
Knowing that Choi Jin-ha would be pitching against such a pitcher, I naturally thought he’d be bombarded.
Though it was evening, summer defense brought irritation and discomfort.
Naturally, concentration was consumed even more, and the physical burden was significant. Moreover, being in the final stretch of the first half, everyone was even more exhausted.
While it was typical for the Buffaloes to secure an advantage by minimizing their defensive time and concentrating their efforts on offense, the reality proved entirely different.
“What the hell are these guys doing?”
“Wait, they’re not even giving signs, are they?”
“This is insane… the moment I step into the batter’s box, it feels like the ball’s already flying at me.”
The battery of Choi Jin-ha and Kang Do-bin.
As if they’d predetermined exactly how to handle every batter, without a single shake of the head, they methodically shoved pitches into the zone with unwavering intent, leaving the Buffaloes’ hitters completely helpless.
Of course, there were base runners.
They’d managed four walks and three hits to reach base, but the pair paid them no mind—whether they stole or not mattered little. They simply kept their eyes fixed on the next batter and relentlessly forced strikes down the middle.
The result: eight scoreless innings.
One hundred eight pitches, ten strikeouts, five hits allowed, seven walks.
Choi Jin-ha descended from the mound with ease, having secured double-digit strikeouts.
He could have pitched through the ninth, but he handed the mound to Choi Sung-hyuk.
To be precise, the Dolphins had earned one run in the ninth inning thanks to consecutive hits, and Choi Sung-hyuk shut it down perfectly, securing the victory.
It was the perfect result of Analyst Kim Deok-hwan’s scouting work combined with the battery of Choi Jin-ha and Kang Do-bin.
* * *
[Seoul Buffaloes Manager Lee Jun-bae: Now that I’ve experienced it firsthand, I understand. How terrifying it truly is.]

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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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