The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 44

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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 44
#44
“Good evening, viewers. This is Love Baseball.”
The baseball highlight program began with the greeting of a beautiful announcer.
Other channels operated similar programs, and the three announcers were collectively called the “Three Goddesses of Baseball,” with viewership naturally divided by personal preference.
Love Baseball, one of them, opened with highlights from the Busan Dolphins versus Seoul Buffaloes, so Dolphins fans kept their channels locked in.
– Game over! Sung-hyuk delivers a perfect finish, leading the Dolphins to victory!
As the highlight ended, two Sports Commentators returned to the studio and began discussing the game briefly.
Then they moved to a particular topic.
“Actually, the most interesting part of this game was none other than the two pitchers.”
At the same time, footage of the two pitchers’ throwing patterns appeared on screen.
This was typically shown material that didn’t draw much interest, but the next scene captured viewers’ attention.
“What you’re seeing is the average pitch delivery time of both pitchers. Simply put, it’s the average of how many seconds into the 20-second pitch clock they released the ball.”
“Jake released at 3.2 seconds, while Choi Jin-ha released at 1.9 seconds.”
At the commentators’ words, the announcer’s face shifted to one of surprise.
“Wow, that’s incredibly fast?!”
The commentators’ expressions showed they were equally astounded.
One was a former pitcher turned commentator.
“Before a pitcher releases the ball on the Mound, he engages in a timing battle with the batter. Even with a single pitch, he might use pickoff attempts for that crucial moment. But these two are different. It’s as if the moment the ball enters the glove, they simply throw it.”
Then the former batter commentator beside him spoke.
“This looks like they predetermined what to throw. Or more precisely, it was prepared in advance. Looking at the current footage, between Choi Jin-ha and Do-bin, there’s almost no sign exchange happening. More accurately, you can see them manipulating the pitch-com only after throwing 3 to 4 pitches.”
True to the commentator’s words, Choi Jin-ha and Do-bin only began manipulating the pitch-com once they reached five or more pitches.
Of course, such situations didn’t occur frequently.
At most, it happened five times, with 3 hits and 2 walks among them. What mattered was that they didn’t give up runs and didn’t get hit consecutively.
“Because they came prepared with predetermined pitches to throw, this is the result. The pitch tempo accelerated, and naturally, the batters couldn’t keep their wits about them.”
“Wow… that’s incredible.”
Currently, many pitchers in the professional league still struggle to adapt to the pitch clock and lose count. But these two pitchers actively utilized it, conducting the game at a faster pace and leading the battle advantageously—it was almost miraculous.
“This isn’t just something Choi Jin-ha does. Looking at recent games, all the Dolphins pitchers have reduced their head-shaking frequency.”
The bottom of the ninth inning when Sung-hyuk took the mound.
He too gave the impression of throwing predetermined pitches right there rather than following pitch-com instructions, and the result was a clean three-up, three-down inning.
The two commentators continued their amazed assessments.
And Manager Bong Jun-sik, who had watched all of this, felt goosebumps crawl up his spine the moment he compared the tablet in his hands with today’s game record sheet.
“What… what is this….”
It was an analysis sheet that went beyond simply analyzing opposing batters and suggesting appropriate pitches for each situation—it practically laid out the minimum conditions needed to manage the game.
And Choi Jin-ha, who followed it faithfully, was equally remarkable, and Do-bin, who made subtle adjustments based on each batter’s situation to manage the game, was impressive.
But what was most astonishing was that this tablet was created by a rookie and youngest Analyst, and that Kang Ho-jin had worked together to complete the data.
“Beyond what I could conceive….”
Faced with analysis that far surpassed what Manager Bong Jun-sik had envisioned, he was simply astounded.
Thinking he should hear about this directly, he picked up his phone when he noticed the most recent sports article that had been posted.
[Seoul Buffaloes Manager Lee Jun-bae said, “Now that I’ve experienced it, I understand. How terrifying it is.”]
In an interview, the Buffaloes Manager admitted he’d only won by controlling the tempo with his own pitchers, and now that he’d experienced it firsthand, he understood how terrifying it truly was—at which Bong Jun-sik let out a quiet chuckle.
“I’ll have to talk about it tomorrow afternoon.”
Since it was already quite late by the time the game ended and the highlights were shown, I had no choice but to put my phone away.
Unlike me, Bong Jun-sik’s heart was pounding fiercely for the first time in a while.
Thump! Thump!
It was because I’d glimpsed hope in focusing our strength on the pitching staff rather than the batting lineup.
Just as I was about to look at the tablet with a satisfied expression to prepare for tomorrow’s game—
Bzzzzzzt—!
My phone suddenly vibrated, and I glanced at it, then froze in surprise.
It was a call from the Restaurant Owner himself, not the General Manager, so I answered immediately and realized tomorrow’s game had become far more important than expected.
“This isn’t the time for this.”
It was late at night, nearly dawn, and none of that mattered.
A VVIP was visiting Jamsil Baseball Stadium tomorrow, and there was no room for delay.
After making several calls, the most crucial person answered the phone, froze on the spot, and barely came to his senses.
“Ah, ah! Yes, yes!”
Kim Deok-hwan’s eyes, which had been half-drowsy, suddenly blazed to life and began burning with intensity.
* * *
The final game of the weekend.
Today’s start is mine.
I feel slightly fatigued from staying up a bit late last night watching the tablet, but it won’t affect my pitching.
Rather, the balance of moderate fatigue and moderate tension coexisted, fueling my vitality.
“Huff!”
I woke early in the morning and headed to a nearby park.
“Huff! Huff!”
I warmed up lightly while gazing at Seoul’s early dawn.
Truth be told, I wanted to visit my daughter in the Hospital Room. Now that I’d come all the way to Seoul, if I made up my mind, it was only a twenty-minute drive to where she was.
Even if not for my daughter, twenty minutes was enough time to reach my Parents’ home.
But rather than indulge my personal desires, I prepared my best for today’s game.
‘I have to perform well today, at least….’
This is the first time I’m playing baseball with my Parents watching from the stands.
To be precise, it’s my first time since debuting as a professional, and it’s different from my high school baseball days.
Because of my Parents’ support, I became a baseball player, and now I stand confidently on the professional stage, proving I’m a player who can throw in front of countless spectators.
On such a stage, I absolutely didn’t want to show them a losing performance or moments of failure.
It’s not simply that I dislike it. I wanted to show them that I, throwing for our precious daughter Ye-jin, stand tall and confident rather than crumbling—so that when Ye-jin awakens, she’ll have hope and faith to believe in.
“Huff! Huff!”
Running through Seokchon Lake Park, I could see others jogging at this early hour alongside me.
They were of all ages, and everyone was exercising diligently.
Among them, I spotted a familiar face.
The person also looked slightly surprised, removed an earbud from one ear, and greeted me.
“Good morning, Kang Ho-jin.”
It was Kim Ji-won, the Reporter who had gotten my autograph on her uniform, claiming to be a personal fan of mine.
Dressed in athletic wear that accentuated her physique remarkably well, her striking appearance drew the gaze of every man nearby—yet she seemed utterly indifferent to the attention.
“Ah, good morning.”
I found myself cautious, unable to avoid looking at her whether directly or peripherally.
Instead, I slowed my pace slightly and fell into step beside her.
How to describe it? It felt like an extension of an interview, and I simply couldn’t bring myself to pull ahead.
“Are you well-prepared for today’s game?”
“Yes, I’ve prepared as much as I can.”
“I’m personally cheering for you tremendously.”
“Thank you.”
Running alongside her for those brief moments, I felt the gazes of the men around us intensify.
Some eyes questioned why we were running together, while others carried unmistakable negativity, and still others burned with jealousy.
But it was only momentary.
Soon I would need to change direction anyway.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Yes! Fighting spirit! And I hope we can do an interview today!”
I understood what kind of interview she meant.
Today’s Dolphins broadcast was also with KBC, and since Kim Ji-won was their Reporter, I knew she was referring to the post-game interview with the standout player.
“I’d like that too.”
I thought it would be wonderful if that happened.
Interviews weren’t easy, but if I managed one, it meant earning points for my Daughter.
While my mind was fixed on points, I noticed Kim Ji-won’s ears had flushed slightly—perhaps for a different reason entirely.
But I paid it no mind and veered to the side.
I needed to shower and head to the Stadium.
Then I glanced briefly behind me, and in the direction where my Daughter was.
‘Ye-jin, Dad will do his best today too!’
With that silent promise to my Daughter, I headed toward the Hotel.
* * *
At that same moment.
Kim Ji-won continued running, her face slightly flushed.
‘Could it be…?!’
She had stopped and turned around, feeling Kang Ho-jin’s gaze upon her—which was why her face had reddened.
The truth was his eyes had been directed toward where his Daughter was, but Kim Ji-won, unaware of this, had misunderstood.
‘Is he interested in me?’
She tried to calm her racing heart at such a thought and continued her workout.
Normally she would have hurried through her morning preparations, but today felt different—she decided to spare some time for her skin, returning home to shower before applying a face mask.
Tap, tap.
Today, for some reason, she was investing extra time in her makeup.
* * *
Just before the game began.
A line of sleek black cars pulled up to the VIP entrance of Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
“Heh heh. I’m looking forward to today’s game.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
The owner of the Dolphins had arrived at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

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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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