Chapter 13: Mastering the Slurve: The Art of Deception

In truth, learning to throw a new pitch as a pitcher isn't particularly difficult. You just have to learn the grip and throw it a few times, and it will start to follow a similar trajectory. Jung-woo, too, was capable of throwing a variety of pitches—slider, curveball, changeup. He could throw all the classic pitches.

But when it came to whether these could be used as a second pitch, it wasn't so certain.

"In fact, this isn't just your problem; it's something a lot of pitchers struggle with. You can throw it, but increasing the mastery is the hard part," said Baek Seung-jin.

"Yes. That's why, when I was in the second team, I focused about 90% of my pitches on my four-seam fastball. Back then, I didn't have the stamina to pitch many innings, so I could afford to throw pitches that would disrupt the batters' timing in between," Jung-woo replied.

At that time, Jung-woo had also been obsessed with correcting his pitching form.

The coaching staff's dominant opinion was that he needed to increase his velocity.

"If you really want to make a comeback to the pros, you need to develop a powerful second pitch with command, and it should synergize with your main pitch, the four-seam fastball. Considering that, I think my slurve would be quite useful for you."

"I agree. If I could master your slurve, I think it would create good synergy with my fastball," Jung-woo responded with determination.

"That's right. Especially since your fastball has the characteristics of a rising fastball, the slurve's effectiveness would be amplified."

Baek Seung-jin then demonstrated the grip for the slurve.

"I grip my slurve like this, with the middle finger attached to the seam. This way, the pitch will break sharply," he explained.

"Like this?" Jung-woo asked, imitating the grip.

"Yes, that's it. Now, try throwing it," Baek Seung-jin encouraged.

Jung-woo stood on the mound and took his pitching stance. Sitting in the catcher's box was Im Woo-il, a catcher who had once represented the national team during his active career.

"Throw it whenever you're ready!" Im Woo-il called out.

Jung-woo nodded lightly and prepared to pitch.

"Hup!!"

With a sharp exhale, he released the ball.

Swaeaaek-!!

The ball left his hand, arcing dramatically before slamming into the catcher's mitt.

Thwack!

"Not bad for a first try," commented Han Young-jun, watching from the sidelines.

But Baek Seung-jin shook his head.

"It's not bad for a first attempt, but it's still too rough to use in a game. Jung-woo, throw your four-seam fastball," Baek Seung-jin instructed.

"Yes, sir."

Jung-woo wound up and unleashed his fastball.

Thwaaack-!!

The bullpen echoed with the powerful sound of the pitch.

But even Han Young-jun noticed something off.

"Ah… this won't work."

"Exactly. The motion is different between your fastball and the slurve. A batter could easily pick up on which pitch is coming," Baek Seung-jin explained.

"They'd figure it out quickly," Han Young-jun agreed.

"However, the positive thing is that the trajectory and movement of the slurve aren't bad. Your feel for the pitch isn't bad either," Baek Seung-jin added, mixing encouragement with critique.

"Thank you."

Baek Seung-jin was skilled at using both carrot and stick.

"Let's keep practicing," he said.

"Yes, sir."

Jung-woo's effort to equip himself with a second pitch continued.

______________________________________

Three days after the news broke in Korea, a visitor arrived at Jung-woo's residence.

"I'm Department Head Lee Woo-jin from the Daehan Spears."

The Daehan Spears. A Seoul-based team that had been around since the inception of the professional league, backed by the Daehan Group's unwavering support. They were always considered championship contenders.

"I'm here today to offer Jeong-woo a favorable contract," Lee Woo-jin got straight to the point.

"We would like to sign you, Jung-woo."

A professional contract offer. Jung-woo had never imagined he would receive such an offer so quickly.

What was even more surprising was that this was only the beginning.

"I'm Manager Choi from Suwon Wonderland. Our club is prepared to offer Jung-woo the best contract possible."

Suwon Wonderland, the 10th heart of professional baseball, based in Suwon.

"I know you've already received many offers, but Taesan is preparing a different level of contract. If you could spare some time, we'd like to discuss it properly."

Taesan Irons, another founding team of the league and a rival to Daehan Spears, also came calling.

And that wasn't all—D.S. Thunderbirds, Hanul Monsters, and nearly every other team sought him out.

And then…

"It's been a while, Jung-woo."

Even Fires had come to see him, with three representatives, including the very Manager Kim who had informed him of his release.

Manager Kim wasn't even in charge of the first team; he was responsible for the second team. Yet he had come along, likely as a gesture of goodwill.

'I feel kind of sorry for them,' Jung-woo thought.

He held no grudges. After all, they were just doing their jobs.

"It's been a while."

All Jung-woo could do was listen to their proposals without bias.

"Ahem, Jumg-woo, as you already know, we at Fires are very interested in signing you."

He was aware of this, but there was only one answer he could give.

"I'll think about it."

It was the same response he had given to every other team.

_____________________________________

Jung-woo had placed all offers on hold. When Baek Seung-jin heard this, he asked,

"Wasn't your goal to return to the pros? So why are you holding off?"

"Suddenly, I've received too many offers. I've heard that making a hasty decision in such situations often leads to regrets,"

Jung-woo replied.

"Who told you that?"

"Senior Jung-ho."

While working at the academy, Jung-woo had watched Kim Jung-ho run his business. Running a business required making a lot of decisions, big and small. Kim Jung-ho always made his decisions carefully. Watching this, Jung-woo had learned to do the same.

"Jung-ho is a cautious type, but I think he made the right decision this time. The truth is, from the clubs' perspective right now, they absolutely have to sign you."

A Korean player who throws 150 km/h.

This meant that he could compete in the first division.

Currently, only about seven pitchers in Korean baseball can consistently throw 150 km/h.

"Considering that the usual number of pitchers registered in the first division is around 10 to 13, it's a very small number."

Out of 100 to 120 pitchers, only about 7-8% could throw 150 km/h.

This meant that only one or two pitchers per team could throw at that speed.

But now, out of nowhere, a free agent had appeared who could throw 150 km/h.

"The clubs have no choice but to aggressively pursue you. In other words, you can choose the team and conditions that you want."

Jung-woo nodded at Baek Seung-jin's explanation.

"So, I'm thinking of being a bit more cautious in making my decision."

"Good. For now, go through the overseas schedule and listen to what they have to say."

"Yes, sir."

"By the way, how's your training with the slurve coming along?"

"I'm getting a feel for it, but it's still tough."

"You can't master it in a short time. Even pitchers with exceptional talent take months to get proficient enough with a new pitch to use it in actual games."

Baek Seung-jin offered words of encouragement.

________________________________________

Left alone in his room, Jung-woo accessed a website he frequently visited using his tablet PC.

It was a community site called World Baseball.

The site was based in English and served as a place where baseball enthusiasts gathered to share and discuss various topics.

It wasn't just casual chat; there were numerous discussions and materials posted that were studied in depth.

Jung-woo had found the mechanism materials on this site as well.

Various seasoned veterans debated using papers published in the U.S. or materials released by professional coaches.

And today was no different.

—What do you all think about extension?

ㄴ The wider, the better.

ㄴ Not necessarily; having a wide extension isn't always the answer.

ㄴ A wide extension is good for increasing velocity, but it also makes you less stable. You have to consider the pitcher's height first.

Jung-woo found the discussion interesting.

"Today's topic is extension, huh? In Major League Baseball, they say the extension is usually around 70% of the pitcher's height."

If the extension was wide, it would bring the release point closer, making the perceived speed of the pitch faster for the batter.

In Major League Baseball, there was even a player who exploited this by jumping to widen the extension to an extreme degree.

The league office had since banned this practice, declaring it illegal and creating a special rule.

"Anyway, that's not what I'm curious about today..."

Jung-woo searched for "slurve" in the search bar, looking for older posts.

There were various posts on the topic, but Jung-woo focused on one marked with an MVP tag.

It was a kind of best-of-the-best post.

"As expected, you can trust World Baseball."

The content of the post was incredibly detailed.

It explained everything from the origins of the slurve to the grips used to throw it.

"So the slider has this kind of history."

The slurve was essentially a type of slider.

Since it was a slider that broke a bit more sharply, it wasn't usually distinguished as a separate pitch.

In other words, its history was similar to that of the slider.

"If I can properly master the slurve that Senior Baek Seung-jin taught me, it will definitely be helpful."

However, using a newly learned pitch in actual games was not easy.

"Plus, the fact that I have to throw it against professional players is another problem. If I throw it half-heartedly, it will definitely get hit."

Jung-woo had a lot on his mind.

As he scrolled down unconsciously, his eyes caught the last comment left by the post's author.

[The slider is one of the pitches with a long history.

I personally think it's the foundation of all breaking balls.

Many variations have emerged over its long history, but the purpose of the slider has always been the same.

To deceive the batter, disrupt their timing, and induce a swing and miss.

I'll end this post with an interview from John Turner, the Maestro of the Mound, after he won his third Cy Young Award.]

[How to throw a good slider? It's simple. Just throw it like you're throwing a four-seam fastball.

All breaking balls are ultimately meant to deceive the batter.

To deceive the batter, you need to have the mindset of deceiving yourself first; that's how you throw a good breaking ball.]

John Turner.

He was one of the greatest pitchers in Major League history, with 213 career wins.

He had been inducted into the Hall of Fame and was known for fooling batters with not only his slider but a variety of breaking balls.

That's why he was nicknamed the Maestro of the Mound.

"A breaking ball is thrown to deceive the batter."

One of his interviews, passed down through time, now inspired a young pitcher.

"To deceive the batter, first deceive yourself..."

Jung-woo's preconceived notions began to shift.

While Jung-woo was honing his splitter.

Time flew by, and the last leg of Team Yashin's U.S. schedule was just around the corner.

As time passed without a clear answer from Jung-woo, the frustration of the club officials who had traveled to the U.S. reached a boiling point.

"What? Still no word from him today?"

"We agree he's a pitcher worth signing, but this is too much."

The officials from the Fires organization voiced their complaints.

"If he's going to turn us down, he should just say so. We're busy people, too.

"Exactly."

While listening to his superiors, Manager Kim checked Team Yashin's upcoming schedule.

"I think this might actually work out better."

"What do you mean?"

"Team Yashin's last game is tomorrow. It looks like Han Jung-woo will be starting. The opponent is the Angels' Triple-A affiliate."

"Really? Then we'll finally get to see his pitching firsthand."

"Yes. You'll be able to accurately assess his current condition. However, there's one concern: other clubs, including the Angels, might also see his performance and jump into the bidding war."

Manager Kim's words made the two superiors look at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Haha! Manager Kim, don't you think your imagination is running a bit wild? The Angels are a Major League team. Even if Han Jung-woo can throw 150 km/h, there are plenty of pitchers in the majors who can throw 100 mph."

"Right. And let's not forget that Han Jung-woo is already 27 years old. Do you really think a Major League club would be interested in a player his age who doesn't even have first-division experience in Korea?"

"But there's always a chance, however slim."

"There's a chance of anything happening, but some things just don't happen."

After hearing his superiors' remarks, Manager Kim thought to himself.

'I'm worried because he's the kind of player who has already made the impossible happen.'

When Jung-woo was informed of his release.

No one paid attention to him.

The fact that no other club reached out to him, even though he was removed from the reserve list as soon as he was released, was proof of that.

But now, a year later, he had reappeared as a pitcher who could throw 150 km/h fastballs.

This was something that should have been impossible from the start.

Who's to say that a pitcher like this wouldn't make the impossible happen again?

"Alright, let's get some rest today and watch Han Jung-woo pitch tomorrow."

"Yes. After that, we'll reassess the terms."

Seeing the still-relaxed expressions of his two superiors, Manager Kim held his tongue.

After all, he wasn't the one ultimately responsible.

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