The Extra in a Baseball Novel

He pulled the first pitch and sent it over the fence.

Considering it was the first at-bat, it was definitely a satisfying result, but I still felt a bit disappointed.

Everything was fine, but the ball speed and distance didn’t quite meet my standards. If there had been even a slight breeze, it might not have made it over the fence. It was a close home run.

I really need to get my body in shape quickly…

After rounding the bases and returning to the dugout, I was unexpectedly greeted by Senior Kim Chang-hyun.

“I knew you could do it, Cha Taehyun!”

“Sorry?”

“That was an excellent hit. Yes… that’s exactly what we need.”

“…?”

Isn’t he the starting pitcher today?

“Aren’t you going to warm up?”

“I already told the coach that I’d warm up after seeing your at-bat.”

…Why?

The words almost slipped out, but I swallowed them when I saw Senior Kim Chang-hyun looking at me with a serious expression.

“Cha Taehyun.”

“Yes.”

“Make sure your defense is sharp, too… An ace should have a perfect balance between offense and defense. Of course, I’ll try to make sure you don’t have to field too much, but if the ball does come your way—”

“Yes, yes, Senior. Enough. Go warm up already.”

Seo Jia suddenly appeared and, as if she were used to this, dragged Senior Kim Chang-hyun away to somewhere.

“Senior Chang-hyun is a bit eccentric.”

“Oh. I can definitely see that.”

“How should I put it… pride? He has a lot of pride in what he does. But he’s incredibly passionate about baseball. He works hard to protect that pride.”

If he’s passionate about baseball, he can’t be a bad person. I nodded and returned to the dugout.

As expected, there were no cheers or applause. Far from it, everyone avoided making eye contact with me.

Is this the Major Leagues?

They reacted the same way when I hit my first home run there too.

– The others are just shocked by your hitting.

Suddenly, a whisper startled me.

When I turned my head and squinted, Seo Jia was grinning mischievously as she handed me a water bottle.

“I saved the coldest one for you.”

“…Thanks.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

I took the bottle and sat down.

Let’s see what Hyuksan High’s skills are like.

The second batter was Ji Chang-seop, the one who caught for my entrance test today.

Since I hit a home run right at the start of the game, the opposing pitcher was probably shaken.

In other words, this was an opportunity.

“Oh?”

I let out a sound of admiration.

Senior Ji Chang-seop swung at the first pitch, just as I had.

His swing was clean, and he brought the bat to the ball with precise contact. He was a skilled hitter.

The ball flew far, and Senior Ji Chang-seop easily made it to second base.

“A catcher batting second. There’s a reason for that.”

The third batter was Jin Myung-hwan, one of the few second-year starters.

When he grabbed his bat and stepped out of the dugout, he glanced at me in a peculiar way. Was he feeling some rivalry?

Smack!

Hmm… Looks like it’s over.

Even Jin Myung-hwan hit the first pitch, resulting in runners on first and third with no outs.

The pitcher’s mentality must have been completely broken a while ago.

And the next batter was our cleanup hitter, Lee Tae-hyung.

From his bulky physique, you could tell he was a power hitter. The pitcher seemed to be intimidated by him.

“Nice!”

“Loaded bases with no outs! This is good!”

The pitcher eventually lost control and walked him, putting a runner on every base.

If we could capitalize on this chance, a home run would clear the bases. Even a single could bring in at least one run, and we could potentially force an early pitching change.

Our fifth batter was Lee Jiho.

“This is it.”

Being the protagonist, Lee Jiho was practically unbeatable when runners were in scoring position. I expect at least an extra-base hit or a home run.

No, it’s not just an expectation; it’s a certainty.

In all the chapters I read, he never failed in scoring situations.

Wait, maybe once?

I vaguely recall a scene where his slump began because of Lee Seungtae.

I think he hit into a double play on a full-count basis back then.

I chuckled.

Even in fiction, hitting into a double play with the bases loaded is the worst.

Crack!

The moment Lee Jiho made contact, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“What…?”

Lee Jiho’s poorly hit ball bounced right to the shortstop, who threw it to home for the out. The catcher quickly threw to first base, resulting in a double play. We failed to score and only added two outs.

“…What is this?”

He’s not the type to hit into a double play here…

I’ve never seen Lee Jiho hit into a double play except when he was in a slump.

No way…

Could this be the start of his slump?

Trying to dismiss it as a coincidence, I stood up and approached Lee Jiho.

“Hey, you okay?”

Lee Jiho briefly glanced at me, his expression hardening even more.

“Yeah, anyone can hit into a double play once in a while. It’s just part of life. I’ve probably hit into a double play with the bases loaded before… probably. Besides, we’re still up to bat.”

“Just go away…”

I did my best to comfort him, but it had no effect.

This stubborn guy…

Having no other choice, I returned to my seat. Soon after, the next batter struck out, ending the inning.

The opposing pitcher, having escaped the jam, pumped his fist while we…

“What are we going to do about this atmosphere…”

…looked like we were at a funeral.

Where is the coach, anyway, when the team’s morale is this low?

Phoenix scouts Kim Eun-chan and Ji Soo-yeon, who had been silently observing the friendly match between Hyuksan High and Dongshin High, finally spoke up at the end of the first inning.

“Seems like the hidden gem is here, don’t you think? Soo-yeon, weren’t you saying we should head to Myungshin High?”

Ji Soo-yeon clenched her mouth shut and trembled slightly before sighing in reluctant agreement.

“Yeah… Where on earth did he come from…”

Indeed, despite her senior’s annoying provocation, Cha Taehyun showed an undeniable impact.

Targeting the first pitch isn’t particularly rare.

It’s quite an effective strategy, and many professionals go for the first pitch depending on the situation.

The problem was…

“How fast was the pitch Cha Taehyun hit?”

“151 km/h. As far as I could see, the control was spot-on, barely touching the edge of the strike zone. It was probably one of the best pitches from Dongshin High’s Seo Chang-hoon.”

It was a perfect first pitch.

“And he cleanly took it over the fence… Unreal.”

“Is that all? I think his fielding is just as unbelievable.”

“Of course, his defense was excellent… He’s fielding like a pro even though he’s just a high school student. Anyway, you get the picture, right? Put him on the watch list, and start looking up his data right now.”

Ji Soo-yeon sighed.

“I already checked his data while you were staring blankly at the game.”

“Oh, really? Let me see it, then.”

Kim Eun-chan reached out his hand, expecting the tablet, but Ji Soo-yeon only laughed helplessly.

“What’s the matter? Hand it over.”

“I can’t hand over what doesn’t exist.”

“What?”

When Ji Soo-yeon finally gave him the tablet, Kim Eun-chan quickly checked the screen.

On the screen, there was nothing but a blank page and a short message:

[No Record]

It was now the 5th inning, and Kim Chang-hyun was still on the mound.

He fidgeted with the ball and briefly turned his head to look at the scoreboard.

Next to his school’s name, Hyuksan High, the number “1” was displayed.

It meant the batters had barely given him any support.

However, Kim Chang-hyun wasn’t bothered or resentful about it.

“An ace should know how to solve things on his own.”

Next to Dongshin High, the score was also “0.” He hadn’t given up a single run.

Not only that, he had a no-hitter going.

“Looks like my pitches are on point today.”

Proud as he was of his pitching, he initially thought it was just his skill. But then, he corrected his thoughts.

“Acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.”

That’s the trait of a true ace.

Kim Chang-hyun looked over at Cha Taehyun.

“That guy really is different…”

Lee Chang-soo, the original starting shortstop, was skilled enough to secure a starting spot at Hyuksan High, a prestigious baseball school.

Even so, there was an undeniable difference now that Cha Taehyun had joined.

If Lee Chang-soo was an average bed…

Cha Taehyun was a Simmons mattress.

TL Note: I’m sure somebody, somewhere gets this reference.

“He didn’t break a sweat hitting my pitch…”

“Pitcher, what’s the hold-up? Are you going to throw or not?”

The umpire raised his voice, snapping Kim Chang-hyun back to his senses. He wound up his

pitch.

“Oh…?”

He threw the ball in a hurry, resulting in a bad release.

Realizing he had made a mistake, Kim Chang-hyun clicked his tongue.

Sure enough, Dongshin High’s batter made solid contact with the ball.

The ball sped towards the third base side.

It soared high, clearing both the third baseman’s and shortstop’s heads.

Everyone—Kim Chang-hyun, Dongshin High, and Hyuksan High—thought it would be a hit. However, Cha Taehyun tenaciously chased it down, leapt slightly, and extended his glove.

“Out!”

Having successfully caught the ball, Kim Chang-hyun grinned from ear to ear and shouted.

“Cha Taehyun!!!!”

“Yes…?”

“That’s it!!”

Run when the ball is hit.

Catch when the ball comes your way.

It might sound incredibly simple, just playing with a ball.

But I still love this game more than anything else.

I don’t even resent the author who put me in this world anymore.

In fact, I might even be grateful.

That’s how happy I am right now, playing baseball.

It was already the 7th inning.

Since this was a friendly match, it was scheduled to end at the 7th inning instead of the 9th.

The current score between Hyuksan High and Dongshin High was tied at 1:1.

Having loaded the bases at the start, I thought it would be an easy victory. But Dongshin High’s pitcher seemed to have found his stride after overcoming the crisis caused by Lee Jiho’s double play. He struck out most of the batters except for me.

As if he had received special orders from his coach, he only threw balls whenever I came up to bat.

Aside from my first at-bat home run, every other appearance had ended in a walk.

“Strikeout!”

As the umpire’s call echoed, sighs could be heard.

Since the opponent was our rival, Dongshin High, it seemed no one would settle for a draw.

Only two outs remained.

Since I was up next, I put on my helmet and prepared to step up to the plate.

As I picked up my bat and exited the dugout, Senior Kim Chang-hyun followed me.

“Cha Taehyun.”

He called my name with a very serious expression.

“I guarantee I’ll keep them scoreless in the next inning.”

“…Yes.”

“So you need to score no matter what. I hate ties more than anything.”

I thought Senior Kim Chang-hyun had been acting strange all day, but…

He made sense in his own way.

“You don’t need to worry. I hate ties, too.”

“Out!”

The ninth batter grounded out.

As expected, it came down to me.

Even if I managed to walk again, I doubted the following batters could bring me home.

I needed a home run. That was the only way to avoid a tie or a loss.

Oh, right, with Senior Kim Chang-hyun pitching, we wouldn’t lose, at least.

Hoping the Dongshin High pitcher would finally throw me a strike, I stepped into the batter’s box.

The pitcher wound up and threw.

“Ball!”

Of course, it was another ball. Two pitches had already missed, so it was clear they intended to walk me again.

Any other batter might have just accepted the walk, but I was different.

After all, I spent years in the Major Leagues.

Provoking a high school pitcher a little… that’s nothing.

The moment the pitcher raised his glove, as if preparing to throw, I loosened my stance and rested the bat on my shoulder.

His shoulder visibly tensed, but he still threw the ball.

“Ball!”

It missed again by about two ball widths.

I thought maybe he just lost control earlier, but now it was obvious.

This was definitely an order from his coach.

Would a hot-blooded high schooler ignore a provocation like this?

I needed to provoke him further.

Let’s test his patience.

This time, I tilted my head back, putting on the most nonchalant expression. The response was immediate.

“What are you doing?”

His voice was sharp. Though I couldn’t see him, I imagined a face full of annoyance.

“Aren’t you going to walk me anyway?”

I clearly heard him click his tongue.

By now…

Wasn’t the catcher setting up right in the center?

Figuring that’s what would happen, I prepared to swing just as the pitcher wound up.

This psychological battle was entirely in my favor.

If I guessed wrong, well… no harm done. But if I was right?

I was confident I could hit it.

And…

“I was right, huh?”

A grin crept onto my face.

Smack-dab in the middle.

This was practically…

Begging me to hit a home run.

My balance was slightly off since I hurried to get into my stance, but it didn’t matter.

The experience and muscle memory I gained from playing baseball for so long was enough to handle a high school pitch right down the middle.

Smack!

Sending it over the fence was a breeze.

After confirming the ball flew over the fence, I casually tossed my bat aside.

“You should’ve just walked me.”

Leaving that remark, I leisurely jogged toward first base.

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