Chapter 8 : A New Opportunity

After deciding to appear on "God of Baseball," Jung-woo informed Kim Joong-ho of the news.

"You're going to appear on 'God of Baseball'?"

"Yes. I met PD Yang, who produced 'God of Baseball' during my time as a mercenary in the team. He made a great offer, so I've been invited to participate in Season 2."

"Hmm… There was a 'God of Baseball' PD there?"

Kim Joong-ho, initially surprised, soon adopted a serious expression and asked:

"Does this mean you have a desire to return to professional baseball?"

Jung-woo hesitated for a moment before choosing to speak honestly.

"I want to give it another try."

"You've already been released once. And the fact that no other teams have shown interest means they don't consider you a strong asset. Proving your worth after a year will be quite difficult."

"I'm prepared for that. And above all, I am confident."

Kim Joong-ho was intrigued by Jung-woo's confident words.

"Taeh-ho, my brother, also asked where someone like you came from after seeing your pitching. And the pitches I saw on CCTV were pretty impressive."

Kim Joong-ho had a close relationship with Sim Taeh-ho, so he was aware of Jung-woo's performance in the game where he had pitched as a starter. Seeing Jung-woo's pitching on CCTV further piqued his curiosity.

"Can I see your pitches?"

"Sure."

Jung-woo decided to demonstrate, believing that showing his pitching would convey his sincerity.

As the training session had not yet begun, preparations were quickly completed.

Jung-woo, warming up lightly, began throwing his pitches with a solid impact on the strike zone.

Thud—!

Thud—!

With each pitch hitting above 130 km/h on the scoreboard, Kim Joong-ho's eyes widened.

"You're throwing these at just 130 km/h during practice? Just warming up?"

Kim Joong-ho knew well about Jung-woo's past as a player with a top speed barely exceeding 140 km/h, and his inability to go beyond that despite his efforts. Thus, seeing this level of improvement in just a year seemed almost impossible.

"Did you achieve this change just by working at our academy?"

It was not impossible. Athletes from various countries had transformed significantly in a short period.

"Could the latest training methods from the U.S. have contributed to your progress?"

Kim Joong-ho had learned from watching Jung-woo's development over the past year.

He had studied various papers from the U.S. on sports science and incorporated these findings into his training programs.

"If you studied and implemented the latest training methods from the U.S., your growth makes sense."

"Yes, I agree."

Kim Joong-ho activated the program to perform a detailed check of Jung-woo's pitching.

"Let's see what kind of pitches you throw."

Kim Joong-ho's anticipation was high as Jung-woo began his wind-up.

As Jung-woo's body moved and his hips and upper body closed off, Kim Joong-ho observed the mechanics

"He's well-aligned with his upper and lower body. This is crucial for throwing a strong pitch."

Jung-woo then executed his delivery with a powerful follow-through.

Whoosh—!

The pitch sped through and hit the strike zone with a solid impact.

Thud—!!

"Wow..."

Kim Joong-ho's gaze shifted to the scoreboard.

145 km/h

The initial pitch speed matched the average speed of professional Korean baseball.

"Will it reach 150 once you're fully warmed up?"

"Ha-ha, I hope so."

"Keep pitching!"

"Yes!"

Jung-woo threw a series of pitches with focus and energy.

144 km/h 146 km/h 143 km/h

The statistics of Jung-woo's pitches were recorded on the computer.

After throwing 10 pitches, Jung-woo came off the mound.

"Did the results come out?"

"Yes, come over and see."

Kim Joong-ho pressed enter, displaying the results clearly.

"Your average pitch speed for the 10 throws is 144 km/h. What was your average speed before you retired?"

"My top speed was 144 km/h, and my average was 136 km/h."

"Now your top speed has reached 148 km/h, almost hitting 150. What's more, the difference between your average and top speed has decreased."

"So, I'm throwing more consistently now."

"Exactly. Your pitches are also heavy because your average RPM is 2,644."

"Wow..."

RPM, or revolutions per minute, is a measure of the ball's spin rate. In Major League Baseball, the average RPM for a four-seam fastball is 2,319, while elite pitchers achieve between 2,500 and 2,600 RPM.

"Are you saying I have a Major League level RPM?"

"Yes. It's an impressive number. Did you have good hand strength before?"

"Somewhat..."

"RPM is greatly influenced by hand strength. Since yours is high, your vertical movement is also better than average."

"That's why others felt my pitches were over 150 km/h."

"Exactly."

Kim Joong-ho sighed, seeing no reason to oppose Jung-woo's participation in the show given his talent.

"So, what's the schedule for 'God of Baseball'?"

"The PD said he would send the schedule this week."

"Once you get it, share it with me. I'll assign other coaches to the members. It's not decided if you're coming back yet."

"Thank you..."

Just then, Jung-woo's phone rang.

"Oh! The schedule was just sent. Can I use the computer?"

"Sure."

Jung-woo went to the counter to check the schedule, while Kim Joong-ho reviewed the data on his end.

'In just one year, the average pitch speed has increased by 8 km/h. But something feels off. With this RPM and vertical movement, it wouldn't be surprising if the speed was higher.'

Of course, pitch speed and RPM are not always directly correlated.

Kim Joong-ho's thoughts were interrupted as Jung-woo returned from the counter.

"Senior! The schedule is here!"

"Really? Is it quite packed?"

"Not exactly. There's an overseas schedule."

"Overseas?"

"Yes. It says there will be about two weeks of filming abroad."

Kim Joong-ho chuckled at Jeong-woo's surprised reaction.

_______________

The first filming date for Season 2 of "God of Baseball" was set for a month later. Despite the surprise of the overseas schedule, Kim Joong-ho was able to reassign Jung-woo's trainees to other coaches thanks to his consideration.

However, this process caused some dissatisfaction among the trainees.

"Oh~ I wanted to be trained by Coach Jung-woo."

"Why are you suddenly going to the U.S.?"

"Are you making your MLB debut?!"

There were some misunderstandings during the persuasion, but it was smoothly resolved by explaining it as a personal schedule.

"But you'll come back, right?"

"I'll definitely learn from you, Coach!"

"I'll be waiting!"

Jung-woo was touched by their words.

Having finished one task, Jung-woo began preparing in earnest.

"You're already throwing excellent pitches, but let's get your body in better shape to increase your speed."

"Is it possible in such a short time?"

"We'll keep your pitching form as it is and focus on strength training."

"Understood."

The reason for not altering his pitching form was simple. It was uncertain whether making adjustments would produce better results in a short time since he was already throwing well.

"Your pitching mechanism focuses on drive and separation."

"Yes. The recent mechanics study emphasized the importance of the drive phase."

"Correct. Drive and separation, or the separation of the upper and lower body, affect pitch speed."

"I think one of the reasons my speed increased is my understanding of separation."

Kim Joong-ho nodded approvingly, satisfied with Jung-woo's understanding.

"There's a big difference between understanding and not understanding pitching. Let's focus strength training on the late cocking phase after separation."

"That's a good method. Since late cocking is an area I haven't touched yet, strengthening there could increase my speed."

Late cocking is one of the most crucial stages in modern pitching. This phase generates about 80% of the energy needed for pitch speed, so focusing on it was the right approach.

Kim Joong-ho was pleased to see Jung-woo's immediate understanding.

"Let's start the training right away."

"Yes!"

Training for Jung-woo's appearance on "God of Baseball" began.

_______________________

A month later, the day before Jung-woo was set to leave, So-yeon visited his home.

"Hello, Dad!"

"Oh, our So-yeon is here?"

"Hehe, have you been well? Here's some red ginseng. Did you finish the ones I bought last time?"

"Oh, you remembered that?"

"Of course! And this is collagen for Mom!"

"Oh, you didn't have to..."

Despite the words, Jumg-woo's parents smiled warmly. Jung-woo chuckled at their reaction.

After greeting his parents, So-yeon noticed a suitcase in the room and asked Jung-woo:

"Did you pack enough underwear?"

"Yes, I packed four pairs."

"Four pairs? Are you going for two weeks? That's not enough! And what's this? Why did you pack ramen?"

"Oh, I figured ramen would be great in the U.S..."

"These days, you can buy Korean ramen in the U.S. too! Just buy it there! And why are the clothes so dull? Are you planning to appear on TV?"

"Well, most of my clothes are uniforms..."

"Ugh! You might wear casual clothes for the show too. Pack something nice!"

So-yeon quickly packed Jung-woo's things, replacing the missing items and removing unnecessary ones.

"That should be good! How could you be so disorganized without me?"

"You can keep doing this for me."

"Seriously."

As a peculiar atmosphere was about to form, their mother's voice interrupted:

"Have some fruit."

"Yes~"

The mood was disrupted, but they continued their conversation while enjoying the delicious fruit.

"Will you really make a professional comeback after appearing on 'God of Baseball'?"

"It's quite possible. Senior said my pitching is enough to succeed domestically."

"Really? Did the director say that?"

"Yes. Plus, thanks to the senior's help with training, I've improved even more."

"Improved?"

"Hehe, if you're curious, you should definitely watch the broadcast!"

So-yeon playfully jabbed Jung-woo in the side, and he gently embraced her.

"So-yeon."

"Yes?"

"Is it okay if I return to professional baseball?"

He had already made up his mind, but he wanted to confirm with the person he cherished most.

"I've said this before, but you should do what you want. You look best when you're pursuing your dreams."

"Thank you."

Jung-woo kissed So-yeon, briefly alleviating the sadness of their separation.

The next day, Jung-woo left for Incheon Airport, ready to start his new journey.