The Extra in a Baseball Novel

Pitchers, being sensitive, are often influenced by the atmosphere of a game. Of course, being “influenced” isn’t always a bad thing.

If it’s a bad atmosphere, a pitcher might start walking batters in succession or throwing hittable pitches that get clobbered. But in a good atmosphere, they might deliver better-than-usual performances.

The Angels’ pitcher right now seems to be the latter, throwing better than usual.

“Ball!”

The curveball that dropped below the strike zone just now had a wicked drop. Most hitters would have swung at it.

It’s clear the Angels’ pitcher has caught a good rhythm.

It’s my job to disrupt that rhythm.

“Ball!”

The second pitch is also a ball. Even though the pitcher is riding the momentum, it seems he doesn’t want to face me head-on.

The ball leaves his fingertips and sails toward the outside. It’s slightly off the plate, but…

For me, someone known as a bad-ball hitter in the Majors, this is still a perfectly hittable pitch.

Crack!

I lean forward slightly and make soft contact, sending the ball just inside the foul line, well over the first baseman’s head.

“Safe!”

It’s disappointing that it wasn’t a double, but this should still take some wind out of the pitcher’s sails.

Of course, this alone won’t be enough.

With Sean White on the mound today, there’s no guarantee he’ll go the distance. Complete games are rare, after all.

At some point, Phoenix’s weak bullpen will be exposed. Knowing that, we need to squeeze out as many runs as possible now.

Trust the bullpen?

You trust what’s reliable.

Which means…

I’m running. No matter what.

More than that, Senior Lee Sangjin is at the plate right now. Even though Coach Lee Eun-seok jokingly calls him “a tub of lard,” he’s a slugger capable of hitting extra-base hits.

If I steal second, the chances of scoring increase significantly.

• “Taehyun, don’t steal. If you get hurt, I’ll die.”

Coach said that, but…

He just doesn’t get it yet.

If Phoenix is going to win the championship, we can’t hold anything back.

I get that rookies are more prone to injuries because they’re inexperienced and overly enthusiastic.

But I’m a rookie in name only.

I mean, I’ve gone 40-40 in the Majors before.

I take my lead—just far enough to make the pitcher uncomfortable. I’m confident.

The pitcher glances at me, squinting.

What are you looking at?

I give him a challenging look, and—

“Safe!”

He throws over to first immediately.

Fiery temper, huh?

I stand up and take a lead again, slowly.

Now the pitcher is probably starting to think, Is he going to run? Or isn’t he?

And that’s the essence of stealing bases—the mind game of whether or not you’ll go.

Sensing whether the pitcher will throw over or not is what determines success.

Base-running coaches always say that speed is important, but stealing bases ultimately comes down to instinct and natural base-running sense.

I’m confident in both.

And right now, my instincts and sense are telling me…

It’s time.

I pivot and take off.

The ball leaves the pitcher’s fingertips, heading not toward first, but to the catcher’s mitt.

That’s good, but it’s unlucky that the pitch is a fastball, not a breaking ball. I grit my teeth and sprint with everything I’ve got, sliding as soon as the catcher catches the ball and throws it.

I glance at the umpire, waiting for his call.

“Safe!”

As the umpire shouts, I clench my fist in celebration.

Standing up, I see Senior Lee Sangjin give me a thumbs-up from the batter’s box.

I’ve done all I can. Now I just need him to drive me in.

The pitcher, who’s been sharp until now, has given up a hit and allowed me to steal second. Even if he hasn’t completely lost his composure, he’s definitely not as calm as he was before.

As the pitcher goes into his motion, I can’t help but smile.

Is he feeling rushed?

Even from here, I can see that the fastball looks flat. Senior Lee Sangjin won’t miss a mistake like that. I get ready to run—

Crack!

The sound of the bat hitting the ball reverberates in my ears, and I immediately sprint, glancing at the ball’s trajectory.

It’s a hit, dropping in front of the right fielder.

The distance to home is tricky.

For a split second, I consider stopping, but my legs keep moving.

I hold my breath and sprint as hard as I can, slamming my foot on third base and heading for home. I can see the catcher getting into position, waiting for the ball.

Am I going to make it?n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The ball reaches the catcher faster than I expected, and as his glove comes toward my arm, I twist my body to avoid the tag, delaying contact as much as possible.

My fingertips touch the plate just as the glove brushes my arm.

Even I’m not sure if I’m safe.

I glance up at the umpire.

He looks at the plate for a moment, then spreads his arms wide.

“Safe!”

“Phew…”

Relief floods through me, and I collapse onto the cool ground, listening to the roar of the crowd.

“That guy’s amazing! He even contorts his body to make it in!”

“Is that even legal?”

“You’re the best, Cha Taehyun!”

“Cha Taehyun! Cha Taehyun!”

“I love you, Taehyun! Please stay with Phoenix forever!”

I appreciate the support, but forever with Phoenix? That’s a bit much.

“My luck never fails me.”

Thanks to the hitters’ run support, Sean White stepped off the mound after a strong seven innings, allowing just three runs. He’d proven his worth as a foreign pitcher.

The manager clapped in satisfaction, and Sean smiled, clearly feeling confident about the win.

It was the bottom of the eighth, and Phoenix led 7-3. Overcoming a four-run deficit with only two innings left wouldn’t be easy.

But…

Is it really time to celebrate yet?

Considering Phoenix’s bullpen.

And now on the mound was Kim Chanwoo, who had pitched twice in the exhibition games and given up two runs both times.

The scariest part? For Phoenix, that’s considered decent pitching.

I just have to hope he can handle the pressure in a real game…

Crack!

Huh?

Right on the first pitch, the Angels’ batter swung hard, sending the ball soaring over my head and way beyond the left fielder’s reach, clearing the wall.

“Man… I can’t catch a home run, you know…”

Phoenix’s bullpen sure isn’t making things easy.

└Kim Chanwoo, you useless piece of…

└His name’s ‘Chanwoo’—no wonder his skills are trash.

└Still, Kim Chanwoo isn’t as bad as Ji Chanwoo, right?

└Is a pile of dung better than diarrhea?

└That’s harsh, lol.

When Kim Chanwoo gave up a solo home run right after coming in during the bottom of the eighth, fans were annoyed, but they could still laugh.

After all, there was still a three-run cushion.

But when the next batter doubled, it started to feel like something was going wrong.

Crack!

“And another double! The runner’s heading home, and… SAFE! The Angels close the gap with another run, fanning the flames of their comeback! Remember, baseball’s never over until it’s over!”

By the time the score was 7-5, the chat was flooded with angry messages.

Sean, watching anxiously from the dugout, finally dropped his head when Kim Chanwoo allowed the tying run.

Fortunately, the inning ended with the game tied, but Sean’s chance at a win was gone.

“Suho… What did I do wrong?”

Lee Suho, feeling sorry for Sean, softly replied, “You didn’t finish the game yourself, Sean. Never trust the bullpen.”

“Then who am I supposed to trust?”

“Yourself. And Cha Taehyun.”

“Damn… I get it now.”

Hearing their conversation, Manager Lee Eun-seok let out a bitter laugh.

“We’re definitely going to need a trade.”

The assistant coach next to him flinched. He knew the manager had been considering trading prospects, but what had Phoenix shown so far to justify that?

They had only played three games, and this third game wasn’t even over yet.

Talking about a win-now trade when the playoffs, let alone a championship, weren’t guaranteed… was this really the right call?

“We haven’t shown much yet—do you think the higher-ups will approve?”

The assistant coach carefully phrased his doubt, but the manager was resolute.

“It’s true, it’s a short sample. But from what I’ve seen, this team has potential. Aside from the bullpen, do you see any major holes,

Coach Seo?”

Coach Seo fell silent.

He had to admit, for a team that finished in last place the previous year, Phoenix had significantly improved.

The infield defense, once hopeless, was now one of the league’s best with Andy and Cha Taehyun.

The offense had always been decent.

And the starting rotation, once a mess, now had foreign pitchers filling the third and fourth spots. That said it all.

“And besides, the chairman has my back. He’s the one who helped bring you and the other coaches here in the first place, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Exactly. As long as I take responsibility, it’s fine. Worst case, I get criticized and step down. But for now, I just want to win today’s game…”

Coach Seo nodded and muttered, “In the end… we’ll need Taehyun again.”

With the switch in innings, the Angels sent out their closer, Seo Joon-tae, and Phoenix fans groaned.

“Seriously, Seo Joon-tae now…”

“There’s no way we can get past him…”

Seo Joon-tae was an aging but reliable closer, known as the “Shield of the Angels.” For years, he’d ranked among the top three closers in the league. Naturally, Phoenix fans were nervous.

Seo Joon-tae lived up to his reputation.

“Strike three—out!”

“Strike three—out!”

He struck out two Phoenix batters in a row, one after the other.

└Did you see that slider? That was insane.

└Honestly, you can’t even blame Lee Joon for that…

└Look at Andy—he’s stunned. That guy’s throwing weird stuff today…

└Come on, we were so close… We need this third straight win…

└We still have Taehyun. There’s hope… Please, Taehyun…

└Taehyun, just do your thing…

With two outs in the top of the ninth and only one out left, Cha Taehyun stepped up to the plate.

‘Is this the kid they’re calling a monster rookie? He’s definitely got something different about him,’ thought Seo Joon-tae.

In this situation, even veteran players would feel the pressure. But Cha Taehyun showed no sign of it. In fact, he was smiling—perhaps a bit arrogantly.

Seo Joon-tae smiled back.

‘Yeah, this is how rookies should be.’

The pitcher and batter exchanged grins, but the fans on both sides were on the edge of their seats.

“Come on, Taehyun! We believe in you!”

“Just get this last out!”

Phoenix fans prayed for Cha Taehyun to pull off a miracle, while Angels fans desperately hoped Seo Joon-tae could hold onto the tie.

In that tense atmosphere, Seo Joon-tae threw the first pitch. It was a fastball inside, and Cha Taehyun swung hard.

Crack!

The ball soared high, and Phoenix fans leaped to their feet, screaming, only to sit down again moments later.

“Foul!”

“Ah! That was foul?”

“Can we get a video review on that?”

The ball had barely missed the foul pole.

Seo Joon-tae wasn’t fazed. If he were the type of pitcher to lose his composure over a foul home run, he wouldn’t have earned the title of the Angels’ “Gooardian.”

Still, knowing that Cha Taehyun was good at handling fastballs, Seo Joon-tae subtly changed his grip to a slider.

It was a bit early to go for the kill pitch, but against a slugger like this, holding back was a mistake.

He wound up and threw the pitch with a sharp flick of his wrist, like striking a match.

As soon as the ball left his hand, Seo Joon-tae grinned.

Even though the ball had just been released, a pitcher knows instinctively when they’ve thrown a perfect pitch.

This pitch…

There’s no way he can hit this.

But then—

Cha Taehyun’s bat was right there, catching up to the ball with frightening precision. His beautiful swing perfectly aligned with the slider’s wicked break, with not a millimeter of deviation.

Crack!

It was an incredible sight.

“The ball is pulled deep by Cha Taehyun! It’s going, going… it’s over the left field wall! Phoenix takes the lead again in the top of the ninth!”

└Taehyun, you legend!

└I’m in shock—I just flipped the dinner table, but I’m still happy!

└He steals bases, hits singles, homers—he does it all!

└Let’s have a moment of worship…

└Oh, mighty Taehyun…

└Without Cha Taehyun, this season would’ve started with three straight losses, no doubt.

“Ha! He really did it! That kid’s insane!”

“How far did that ball go? Another out-of-the-park home run?”

Cha Taehyun tossed his bat with a flourish, rounded first base, passed second, then third, raising his fist to the cheering fans as he sprinted home.

“Cha Taehyun! Cha Taehyun! Cha Taehyun!”

The fans chanted his name, standing and cheering in waves.

“Busan Phoenix, Busan Phoenix, we’ll soar high into the sky!”

As Cha Taehyun crossed home plate, the Phoenix team anthem echoed through the Angels’ stadium.