Became the Problem Child of MLB - Chapter 206



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Episode 206: Nickname (7)

Great players bring more wins to the team. And even better players give the team a story. The Dodgers at this point can’t be explained without starting pitcher Devon Huffman.

He is the first piece of the starting rotation filled before the Dodgers established their current starting rotation, and he is the leader and ace of the pitching group.

The player who took the mound today as ‘Chloe’s dad’ was gaining the trust of Dodgers fans as well as his teammates.

It could be because of his fighting spirit that doesn’t give up even in a game that’s already over, or because I could feel his affection for the Dodgers team. I can say for sure that there is no sports fan in the world who would dislike a veteran who prepares for the next season by stamping his seal early for the fans who are anxious during the off-season.

Of course, this was possible because the Dodgers recognized the value of the ace, but it would have been impossible for the player to achieve this speed without being considerate of the team.

Now, baseball fans and players alike know that the end of players who showed loyalty to their teams was not so pretty. But that is why Devon Huffman’s consistent team loyalty resonated.

‘Ace’s prime is not eternal.’

Devon Huffman nodded to the columnists. Nothing in this world lasts forever, not just his arm. And if his prime is going to end anyway, he thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to blossom in the Dodgers this time.

Exactly!

“out!”

Devon Huffman continued pitching calmly, following his pregame plan.

1, 2 uses the two-seam. Hanjei has to play by feeling rather than a set plan. Victor Arswell catches him with a bold fastball, and Andy McGregor throws a curveball as a decisive pitch to induce swings and misses.

The lower-order batting lineup basically goes for a head-on match, but against Zimmerman, who has good batting eyes, they pitch with big changeups to gently tease him.

It’s not often that a pitcher’s pre-game strategy works completely in an actual game. However, an ace is called an ace because he does so more often than other pitchers.

“Family names are cheating. Huh, do you know anyone who doesn’t have a family?”

Bottom of the second. Victor Arouswell grumbled after being struck out by a 98-mph high fastball, and Hanjei scratched the ball. I didn’t get the feeling that the pitcher was pitching better because he had his family name on his back, but I just nodded. Just as his teammates had become accustomed to Hanjei, Hanjei had become an expert at handling veterans.

“Well, it’s definitely an old cliché. My father wouldn’t support it.”

“Hmm… Should I change my registered name now?”

“No. Just stay still.”

“why?”

“If you cook porridge like that, how will you get home?”

“…That’s true.”

Victor Arraswell nodded deeply to Hanjei’s words and looked back at the field. It was only the second inning, but a pitcher’s duel was expected.

This is the first game of a series where the strong teams from each region face off. No one will give up the game easily, and it seems to be advantageous for the players to think that it will be a close game throughout the three-game series.

After Johnny Garlick shut out the top of the third inning, the Cubs continued their attack. Victor, who had been watching the batter’s box with his arms folded, shook his head without realizing it.

“Strike, out!”

And he pretended not to see the ‘1 pound with a snout out’ who was startled by the ball on his body and retreated.

“Did you see that? Did he throw something else instead of a baseball? Victor, did you see that?”

The slider angle was not ordinary. It flew as if it would hit the body, but at the last moment it curved and passed through the zone. However, I had no intention of responding to Casey, who was grumbling in embarrassment for making a ‘kkuek’ sound.

‘Is this okay?’

One day, when he retires, Casey Martinez will have to take over as one of the veterans. It’s hard to imagine that happening now.

“Why on earth is he doing that?”

A brisk reply came from next to Victor, who was mumbling softly.

“Are you asking me just now?”

“…Cancel. Just pretend I didn’t hear it.”

Hanje shrugged his shoulders as he watched Victor sink deeper into the water.

‘They say that as you age, your hormones change. Is that why?’

It was fortunate that Victor Arouswell could not read Hanjei’s thoughts.

* * *

-Today’s game was a treat to watch from the beginning. The pitchers from both teams are putting up a high-level pitching duel!

– And as I was saying, the Cubs’ ‘sticky gloves’ struck out and the Cubs’ offense ended in the bottom of the third. In fact, Kyle Elias is a shortstop who is known for his defense rather than his offense, but he’s been getting good reviews for his batting as well, right?

-Yeah, but he couldn’t beat a pitcher named Devon Huffman.

-Hey, Miss Chloe Huffman! Are you watching? Your dad’s got the Cubs batting lineup locked up. And it’s only been one lap!

-It’s better to enjoy the present. You don’t know what will happen in the future.

-Yes. The Cubs’ big ‘garlic’ is also showing off his skills. The pitcher who recorded 3 scoreless innings is back on the mound.

-Hehehe, to be honest, I’m a little jealous of his uniform. What do you think? Don’t you want one?

-Okay, we will respect your personal taste. We will come back with great players after the commercial!

-I’ll be back!

* * *

I struck out on a foul tip in my first at-bat.

Although there are differences in degree, the ace of a team is a pitcher who possesses the skills, pitching ability, and experience to encompass all of these.

Basically, the bigger the angle of the changeup he throws, the more difficult it is for the pitcher to control it. So he has to choose one of the two.

Should he choose to pitch with a slightly narrower angle or cook up batters with a sharper angle? Devon Huffman is a pitcher who naturally falls into the latter category.

It doesn’t matter if the ball doesn’t go exactly where you want it to go, because you’re confident in the trajectory of your changeup. You know that even if the batter hits the ball, the chances of making a true hit are low.

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I stood at the plate remembering Devon Huffman’s pitch, but what actually came flying was a cutter-type fastball with a very low spin rate. It was a bit flat because the spin rate was lower than usual, but it was a surprising pitch for my bat, which was waiting for a difficult changeup.

The ball, which missed the bat, was sucked into the catcher’s mitt, and Grady Hopper hummed with laughter. I guess that’s a good thing, but whatever.

Anyway, I struck out in my first at-bat, but I didn’t panic. I knew the pitcher had a different plan, so I just had to change my response.

“I didn’t know, but today was the postseason?”

“At least Devon Huffman seems to think so.”

“Fuck. Then I’ll tell you in advance.”

Andy grumbled as he went out to the field during the defensive inning. There are days like this as the season goes on.

A day when the opposing team’s ace, who was already top-notch, throws the ball like a Cy Young pitcher.

In a game like this, you need to have some luck. Fortunately, Garlic is also pitching well without giving up a run, so it seems like we can just activate our winning formula in the second half of the game.

Taaak!

Taaaaaah!

Taaaaaaaah-!

…if Garlic can hold out until then.

-Stop mumbling and go catch the ball, slave!

Yes, yes. Let’s do it as ordered.

* * *

The two teams were tied 0-0 until the fifth inning.

Devon Huffman didn’t allow a single runner through five innings, but Johnny Garlick surprisingly also showed no signs of giving up against the ace.

Even though the score was the same, the Cubs’ starting pitcher was the fifth pitcher in the rotation, which meant the Cubs fans who filled the stands were more than happy to get going.

“Hey, Johnny! Maybe you can ride the next Cy Young?”

“Johnny Huffman!”

“No, Devon Huffman should be called Devon Garlick!”

“Garlic! Garlic! Garlic!”

When Johnny Garlick came down from the mound after ending the top of the sixth with a triple play, the players who came out to the dugout to greet him high-fived the pitcher one by one.

“Yandy and Wheaton should be nervous too, right?”

“The team should be the most nervous. They’re going to have to scrape together a bundle of money and give it to our team’s rookies.”

“Johnny, that was great!”

On the other side of the cheering Cubs dugout, Jeff McCormack, who had been in it until just two seasons ago, felt a strange sensation.

A sense of loss? A sense of betrayal? Well, it had already been two years. He was too worn out to express such soft feelings.

However, I couldn’t ignore the small regret that was raising its head in my heart.

‘You’ve got a lot to live for.’

At first, when I heard the news that he had been traded to the general manager, I was shocked. It was hard to understand why he had sent me instead of Lucas Martin, but then he traded the team’s starting player and called up an 18-year-old minor leaguer.

When I ran into Han Jae-yi in the team leader’s office, I felt like spitting on the floor. It’s true that I wanted to say to his face, ‘Let’s see how well you do.’

“…It was a good thing I didn’t do it.”

Looking back, it was a dizzying moment. There were many moments when I felt my heart sink as I watched Han Je-yi fly around the league as if it were my own living room.

But at the same time as feeling relieved, I also had that thought.

“Hey, McCormack! How have you been doing lately?”

“Cheer up! Except when you’re with our team!”

Every time he saw Cubs fans waving at him without a trace of regret, a petty feeling welled up in a corner of his heart.

It’s clear that there were many fans who missed him at the beginning of the trade, but now it seems like he’s not even in their sights. In fact, the atmosphere is such that they think he left for the good.

As Jeff McCormack stood at the plate, these fans’ emotions came rushing back like a tidal wave.

‘I’ll do whatever it takes.’

Jeff McCormack, burning with competitive spirit, gripped his bat tightly. Top of the 7th. The Cubs’ mound was taken over by Brian Elber.

And Jeff McCormack, the leadoff hitter, swung his bat as hard as he could at Brian Elver’s pitch.

Taaaaah!

The taste was good. Jeff McCormack threw the bat he had swung behind his back and started running with all his might. The direction of the ball and the speed were good.

The ball was supposed to land in an uninhabited field where no one was present.

‘Here we go again, here we go again.’

So, if the batter, Han Je-yi, hadn’t thrown his body, it would have been a hit that would have easily gone around second base and reached third base.

“JAY! JAY! JAY!”

“If you have eyes, look! Who is our king?”

“A toast to your youth! And condolences to the fallen corpses!”

Jeff McCormack looked dejectedly at the outfield as the crowd hollered.

There, Sejay Suarez, bent on one knee, was holding out the hat that had fallen to Hanjei.

“What, that kind of…….”

Jeff McCormack, who had cooled down in front of a cheering crowd, trudged toward the dugout.

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