Proof (1)
— My Alter Ego: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
When he was young, Han Minwoo often came to Jamsil Baseball Stadium holding his parents' hands to watch baseball.
It was his parents' only pleasure, and at the time, both Han Minwoo and his older brother Han Jiwoo liked baseball because they played BnB.
The team they cheered for back then was the Daegu Gladiators.
Since Minwoo had only encountered baseball through games, he didn't know which team was based in which region yet.
So he simply thought they cheered for them because they were the 1st place team in the league. Even then, the Gladiators were a strong team in 1st place.
— My Alter Ego: Hahahahaha You said you're going to watch a game in person with dad and mom this time? Hahahahaha
The parent company of the Gladiators is the largest company in South Korea. Perhaps because of that pride, their financial support for the team was also abundant.
Maybe because of that, when the hottest players in the league became free agents, the Gladiators swept them all up.
Thanks to that, they used a star manager, and the team was filled with all kinds of star players.
At one point, there was a joke going around that if they held an All-Star game, they only needed to pick players from the Gladiators.
That much showed that the Gladiators were a traditional powerhouse. The performances those players showed back then were still vividly remembered in Minwoo's mind.
— My Alter Ego: Hahahaha Oh my gut Hahahaha Why is this situation so funny hahahaha Work hard, little brother^^
— Me: Yeah haha..
Most career wins team, highest career winning percentage team, most Korean Series appearances team, most consecutive Korean Series championships team, most Pennant Race championships team, most consecutive Pennant Race championships team, most postseason appearances team, most consecutive postseason appearances team, and so on...
There were countless words that described the Gladiators.
Moreover, most of them were the exact opposite of the modifiers used for the Wolves.
'It won't be easy.'
A three-game series against such Gladiators awaited the Wolves.
Their head-to-head record was 1 win and 8 losses. Including last year, it was 2 wins and 23 losses.
It was a truly shocking record.
At this level, rather than saying the Wolves played well to get 1 win, it was more accurate to say the Gladiators lost by mistake.
Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere of the Wolves players leaving Jamsil Stadium looked even heavier than usual.
"Han Minwoo."
"Yes, Pitching Coach."
Minwoo, who was warming up, tilted his head at the pitching coach's call.
'Why is this guy looking for me?'
Pitching Coach.
He had a rather ironic relationship with Minwoo.
In other franchises, he would be the coaching staff closest to the pitchers, but the Wolves were a bit different.
Because Head Coach Kim Youngseung was acting as the manager, the pitching coach was also acting as the head coach.
So the role the pitching coach was supposed to play was mostly handled by the bullpen coach.
Because of that, one could say Minwoo and the pitching coach had almost no point of contact.
'He's been hostile to me from the start.'
Minwoo approached the pitching coach with vigilance.
But the following reaction was unexpected.
The pitching coach massaged Minwoo's shoulder and said.
"Our Minwoo. Having any hard times lately?"
"...?"
What? Why is he acting like this?
Minwoo blinked rapidly.
A man who usually walked around with a face full of annoyance was faintly smiling today of all days.
When people face a situation that is too sudden, their thinking often stops.
Minwoo was exactly in that state right now.
"Yes, I'm doing well."
"Right, right. You're the players I'm responsible for, so of course you should be doing well. Why am I here? Isn't it to make our kids pitch well?"
"...That's right."
The pitching coach had played exactly zero part in why he was doing well, but Minwoo nodded.
Not offending the whims of superiors as much as possible. That was the basic virtue of social life.
"You know I've been walking with my shoulders squared these days, right? The kids I raised are guarding the back door of the mound and slaughtering the batters. Thanks to that, we've pulled the ranking up to 6th place. Do you think I feel good, or not?"
"You must feel good."
To be honest, the batters' performance was greater than the pitchers' in the Wolves' rise to 6th place. No matter how good a bullpen you have, if you can't score in the end, you can't bring home a win.
Moreover, despite the shaky starting rotation, the reason Minwoo could consistently appear was that the batters covered the runs allowed by the starters with their hitting.
Minwoo roughly nodded, waiting for the pitching coach to disappear quickly.
Every player has their own routine. Some players sweat first before stretching, while others take time to mentally prepare while checking the ground or the mound.
For that reason, the Wolves players had a certain degree of autonomy even though they were divided into pitchers and position players for training.
However, without any intention of leaving, the pitching coach continued to appeal his own achievements to Minwoo.
"I definitely have an eye for talent. Why did you come straight to Jamsil instead of going to Icheon? Isn't it exactly because I said I'd use you? So you should always be grateful to me."
"I always feel grateful."
"Right, right. If you're really grateful, mention my name when doing interviews like the Player of the Game."
"I understand."
The pitching coach patted Minwoo's right shoulder and nodded.
'Is he finally leaving?'
Minwoo glanced at the pitching coach's mood.
Just then, the pitching coach turned his head the other way.
As Minwoo breathed a sigh of relief at that sight, the pitching coach called the bullpen catcher.
"Hey, Mutt. Come catch some balls."
The bullpen catcher called Mutt, Im Deokgu, approached with an awkward smile.
"Whose balls should I catch?"
"He's right here. Are you blind?"
"...?"
The pitching coach gestured with his chin toward Minwoo.
At that sight, Minwoo and Deokgu were simultaneously surprised.
'What's wrong with this crazy bastard?'
Telling the bullpen catcher to catch his balls meant nothing other than telling Minwoo to throw a bullpen session.
It was before the game started.
Meaning, except for the starting pitcher, no one was throwing bullpen sessions.
Because the middle relievers would warm up their shoulders by throwing bullpen sessions during the game anyway.
'Is he really the pitching coach?'
One could argue he could just warm up early, but baseball games are quite long. Besides, there were still more than two hours left before the game started.
Even if he warmed up now, by the 5th or 6th inning when Minwoo would enter the game, his shoulder would cool down anyway.
In the end, throwing right now would only ruin Minwoo's condition.
"...I understand."
But Minwoo had no choice but to nod.
Korean professional baseball has a strong military-like culture.
If a superior orders you to do it, you have to do it. No matter how shitty the demand is.
"Let's go."
"Yes..."
Deokgu flipped off the pitching coach's back as he turned and headed to the bullpen.
'My luck is rough even before the game starts.'
Minwoo sighed.
Wolves Manager's Office.
Head Coach Kim Youngseung was frantically scanning the documents sprawled across the table, formulating a strategy against the Gladiators they would face today.
Daegu Gladiators.
A truly strong team.
Their starting rotation was league average. Their batting was top-tier in the league.
Nevertheless, the reason the Gladiators could build a dynasty and defend their 1st place in the league was precisely their bullpen. Because they had a back door that protected their leads as long as they got past the 6th inning.
They didn't give away games they should win. That one premise alone allowed the Gladiators to maintain their position as the strongest team.
'If we can't score early, we have no chance.'
In a way, they could be seen as a superior version of the current Wolves.
That was exactly the part giving Head Coach Kim Youngseung a headache.
The opponent would also analyze the Wolves' style and try to concentrate their firepower early on no matter what. He had to formulate a strategy with 3 out of 9 innings already eliminated from the start.
He had no choice but to be careful about when to send in a pinch hitter and when to call for a tactical play.
'Still, we won't lose helplessly this time.'
Their starting pitchers were also a step above the Gladiators. Their batting lineup was also a step above for the opponent.
The only thing Head Coach Kim Youngseung could confidently bet on was, similarly, thanks to a solid bullpen.
Especially Han Minwoo.
His weight was enormous. No matter how outstanding a closer and setup man they had, it was useless if they couldn't connect to them.
Their current record proved that.
The Wolves, who had a report card of 10th place until the mid-to-late first half, were now in 6th place.
Of course, it couldn't be said that it was entirely Minwoo's credit, but it was clear that he accounted for at least 50 percent.
'The situation is good too.'
In the 2nd and 3rd games against the Dolphins, they were able to secure wins without fielding Han Minwoo, Myung Sangwoo, and Kim Deokmin.
Thanks to that, the three must have been given ample rest.
On the other hand, the Gladiators' must-win relief corps all pitched in the three-game series against the Turtles. Meaning, it was impossible for them to pitch throughout the entire three-game series against them.
That part would determine the outcome of this three-game series. Being able to send out the must-win relief corps at the desired timing would be a truly huge weapon.
Head Coach Kim Youngseung nodded in satisfaction as he filled out the lineup card.
It was then.
"A-Acting Manager!"
"What is it?"
Seeing the hitting coach burst through the door of the manager's office, Head Coach Kim Youngseung suddenly felt a sense of anxiety.
"I think you need to come out for a moment..."
"I'm coming right now."
Kim Youngseung jumped up and followed the hitting coach.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Did a bench-clearing brawl break out before the game started like in the Dolphins series? Or did someone get injured?
Thwack—!
The place the hitting coach guided him to was the Wolves' bullpen. The sound of mitts popping could be heard from the hallway. It sounded like someone was throwing a bullpen session.
"I told you that's not how you throw a forkball? You need to snatch the ball a bit more! Yes, good!"
The pitching coach's shout was heard beyond the open door of the bullpen.
'Is Jin Seongsu already throwing a bullpen session?'
Head Coach Kim Youngseung tilted his head and stepped into the bullpen. Then, seeing the scene inside, his eyes widened.
"...!"
"Huh? What brings you here?"
The pitching coach tilted his head after seeing his face.
Kim Youngseung ignored his question and confirmed the person throwing the bullpen session.
Han Minwoo was throwing the ball, sweating profusely.
'He's been throwing for quite a while already.'
Kim Youngseung knew Minwoo's routine. At this time, he would be lightly running after stretching.
Since the pitching coach wouldn't have called Minwoo while he was running to teach him a forkball, it was probably right to assume that sweat was from throwing the ball.
'I was saving his shoulder for this three-game series...!'
Kim Youngseung's mouth trembled.
It looked like he had thrown at least 30 pitches. Taking out his strength before it even started, it was as clear as day that his condition would be a mess today.
"What the hell are you doing!"
Kim Youngseung's roar echoed loudly through the bullpen.