The Extra in a Baseball Novel

Cha Taehyun’s home run brought joy to the Phoenix fans, but it didn’t last long.

“Strike! Out!”

As Lee Sangjin got out, and the sides switched, the fans were reminded of something they had forgotten.

“Can we hold onto a one-point lead…?”

“If we lose at the end, I’m not sleeping tonight…”

The Angels’ batting order for the bottom of the ninth was 8-9-1, which wasn’t the strongest part of the lineup, but considering how they had made up four runs in the eighth inning, a one-point lead didn’t feel like enough.

In the midst of the fans’ concerns, Phoenix brought in their closer, Kim Gunhyuk.

“Wait, they’re still using Kim Gunhyuk as the closer this year?”

“I don’t understand how long they plan to keep using Kim Gunhyuk…”

“Hey… but Gunhyuk-hyung is still decent. Without him, they’d have added at least ten more losses last year…”

Kim Gunhyuk, who was looking toward the stands, thought to himself:

‘These people are way too kind.’

Despite the fact that Phoenix had picked up a closer nearing retirement for a whopping 3 billion won, the Phoenix fans, while expressing regret, still seemed to like him.

Though it shouldn’t be said like this… to put it bluntly, they felt kind of like pushovers.

Giving up his rest days for extra practice was no big deal, but fans praised him, saying things like, “Gunhyuk-hyung is truly inspiring.”

They were even moved by his four straight appearances, which he had volunteered for because the bullpen was unreliable. After a blown save, if he shed a few tears, fans would console him with comments like, “Thank goodness we have Gunhyuk-hyung! Don’t cry!”

Kim Gunhyuk was just frustrated that he hadn’t lived up to his 3 billion won price tag.

No matter how he thought about it, Phoenix fans were just too kind. What was so great about a pitcher about to turn forty?

Kim Gunhyuk briefly glanced back at the scoreboard.

A one-point difference. It was quite a nerve-wracking lead, but Kim Gunhyuk wasn’t particularly nervous.

In fact, he was a little excited. He felt bad saying it, but until last year, the infield defense wasn’t up to the task. This year, however, the newly acquired infielders seemed pretty decent.

Kim Gunhyuk often thought that his body wasn’t rusting as fast as people thought, and that the bigger problem lay with the infield defense.

He would find out for sure today if that was true.

└ Ah, I feel uneasy about Kim Gunhyuk…

└ Haha, but there’s no other closer than him.

└ Gunhyuk-ham… just get through this year, please…

└ Honestly, Gunhyuk-ham only looks good because he’s with Phoenix. If he were on another team, hmm…

└ Come on, Phoenix, stop using Gunhyuk-ham. Let the man rest already!

└ How long are they going to use Kim Gunhyuk?

└ Phoenix’s tradition is to overwork older players.

└ For real, get another closer already.

As the batter stepped into the box, Kim Gunhyuk took a deep breath and threw the first pitch.

• Smack!

The ball shot towards the gap between third base and shortstop, spinning slightly due to a mis-hit, making the bounce a bit unpredictable. However, Cha Taehyun calmly fielded the ball and threw it to first.

“Out!”

“Nice catch.”

Kim Gunhyuk smiled and gave Cha Taehyun a thumbs up.

‘The infield defense really has improved.’

Kim Gunhyuk had always been a pitcher specialized in inducing ground balls with his two-seam fastball. He just hadn’t been able to throw it often due to the unreliable infield defense.

‘Now I can throw without worrying.’

Kim Gunhyuk inhaled deeply and threw the ball again.

“Strike!”

[144km/h]

└ Gunhyuk-ham’s desperate 144 km/h, wow.

└ I feel bad… He used to throw 150 km/h in his prime…

└ Should’ve retired with the Blaze instead of joining Phoenix…

While the fans were lamenting his reduced velocity, Kim Gunhyuk himself was satisfied.

‘At least my speed hasn’t dropped that much.’

With a slight smirk, Kim Gunhyuk gripped the ball with a two-seam grip and threw it again.

• Smack!

Once again, the batter swung, and the ball flew sharply toward second base. It was a fast hit, making it hard to handle.

‘This one might slip through… huh?’

“This is Andy John!”

The ball, which seemed like it would get through, was snatched by Andy with a diving catch. Kim Gunhyuk’s smirk grew wider, and Phoenix fans stood up, seemingly ready to celebrate the win.

His heart raced.

Touching the rosin bag, Kim Gunhyuk was surprised by the quickening of his pulse.

He didn’t recall being this nervous after joining Phoenix, but now, there was a distinct tension in the air.

Though it wasn’t a bad kind of tension. In fact, it was the type that made him focus even more.

After a brief contemplation, Kim Gunhyuk gripped the two-seam again.

‘Let’s trust the defense now. My two-seam isn’t bad yet.’

Kim Gunhyuk relentlessly threw his two-seam, and after a long battle that reached a full count, the batter finally swung.

“Huh…?”

A look of surprise spread across Kim Gunhyuk’s face. He had intended to induce a ground ball.

“Strike! Out!”

The ball barely grazed the bat and was sucked into the catcher’s mitt.

“That’s it!!”

Uncharacteristically, Kim Gunhyuk shouted and pumped his fist.

Though he had always loved baseball, he especially enjoyed the feeling of leading his team to victory through his own performance.

Up until now, he hadn’t been able to experience much of that satisfaction due to Phoenix’s dreadful defense.

“Gunhyuk’s still got it!”

“I love you, Kim Gunhyuk! Play for at least three more years!”

“I believed in you, Gunhyuk-hyung!”

Fans, arms around each other, stood up and began to cheer excitedly. Kim Gunhyuk smiled and bowed toward the stands.

“Thank you, Gunhyuk-hyung!”

“Kim Gunhyuk, the greatest closer!”

He had simply bowed politely, but the fans laughed brightly and cheered in response. How easy these fans were to please.

Before heading back to the dugout, Kim Gunhyuk picked up a ball that had fallen in a corner of the field and threw it into the stands.

It was just a random ball, but the fans were thrilled.

‘I’ll manage my image like this and squeeze everything out of Phoenix…’

The fans, oblivious to Kim Gunhyuk’s wicked plan, waved enthusiastically at him.