“Cha Tae-hyun’s fantastic jumping catch! Can you catch this? Cha Tae-hyun! Seriously! This is amazing defense!”
“The defense just now was incredibly fast in terms of reaction speed. The moment we heard the sound of the hit, Cha Tae-hyun was already prepared… and then he jumped right here! Wow… this is truly incredible defense! How is this player still a rookie?”
The Phoenix TV commentators raised their voices in excitement, repeatedly exclaiming in admiration.
“Can’t you really feel that this year is different? The stability of this defense! It’s so secure it reminds me of a Simmons bed! Look at pitcher Lee Suho’s reaction too. Don’t you see how happy he looks!”
└ “Damn, Suho’s expression is heavenly ㅋㅋㅋ”
└ “A face Jiwoo-chan has never shown before ㅋㅋㅋㅋ”
└ “Let’s never see Jiwoo-chan again ^^”
└ “If it weren’t for Phoenix, Jiwoo-chan wouldn’t have even set foot on the first-team stage.”
└ “Andy John’s defense seems decent, doesn’t it?”
└ “The fact that he’s not from Venezuela is already satisfying, and even the manager seems pleased.”
Andy John was originally a batter recruited for his defensive skills, and he had been performing well. But this guy, Cha Tae-hyun, was something else. Despite being a rookie who had just entered the pro league, he displayed remarkable composure. He never seemed nervous, and sometimes his cheerful demeanor almost felt cocky. However, it didn’t feel like the immature confidence of a rookie; rather, it was a poise usually seen in players with years of experience who genuinely enjoy the game.
“‘The more I watch him, the more I think he’s someone special,'” the manager thought, smiling contentedly while observing Cha Tae-hyun.
“Strikeout!”
Shin Tae-seop, the batter at the plate, struck out. The next batter and the one after that met similar fates, ending the second inning scoreless. The manager remained calm.
“Well, that’s about right.”
Typically, regret or disappointment stems from having expectations. Lee Eun-seok, who knew Phoenix well, had no expectations for this inning. The only thing he regretted was shifting the batting order to accommodate rookie Cha Tae-hyun. If he had known Tae-hyun would adapt so seamlessly, he would have placed him higher in the lineup.
As the offense and defense switched, the Dinos began their turn at bat. While they had shown strength against Phoenix, they were still struggling as a lower-ranked team.
-Thump! “Out!” -Thump! “Out!”
Against Lee Suho, Cha Tae-hyun, and Andy John, the Dinos were unable to secure any hits. When Lee Jiho, the sixth batter, stepped up to the plate, the Phoenix manager’s interest was piqued.
“They say Cha Tae-hyun is the next big rookie, but his gaze is different,” he remarked.
Lee Jiho persisted, fouling off several pitches from Lee Suho, and on the seventh pitch, he swung hard at an inside fastball.
-Thump!
It was a solid hit. Lee Jiho sprinted toward first base, but his eyes involuntarily shifted to the shortstop.
“You… caught that?”
Cha Tae-hyun, smirking, had already fielded the ball cleanly and stood ready to throw. With a quick, sharp toss, the ball landed perfectly in the first baseman’s glove, beating Jiho by a hair.
“Out!”
“Wow… this shouldn’t have been an out. Don’t feel too bad; our Tae-hyun is just that good,” first baseman Shin Tae-seop chuckled as he returned to the dugout, leaving the stunned Lee Jiho behind.
The offense and defense switched once more, and rookie Cha Tae-hyun, the cause of much excitement, stepped up to bat for the first time.
└ “Isn’t he the 2-billion-won rookie?”
└ “Yeah, that’s him. The Kkolknicks went crazy when they drafted him.”
└ “But he’s worth it. He dominated the high school league.”
└ “Lots of players shine in high school and then disappear, though ㅋㅋㅋ”
└ “Why are you hyping him up so much?”
Kim Hyunsu, the pitcher, had heard of Cha Tae-hyun’s reputation but didn’t think much of it. After all, many rookies had stellar high school records but struggled in the pros. However, on the first pitch, Cha Tae-hyun hit a sharp double, sending the ball flying off the fence.
Kim Hyunsu, now visibly shaken, muttered to himself, “Cha Tae-hyun… this guy is something else.”
[Phoenix Spring Camp: First Practice Game Victory – 9-8 Against the Dinos!]
[Cha Tae-hyun Shines in Offense and Defense – Is This the Start of a New Era?]
Despite their win, Phoenix’s weaknesses were evident, particularly in the bullpen. Manager Lee Eun-seok sighed as he reviewed the game. While the team had won four consecutive practice games, every victory had been narrow, with comeback wins highlighting their struggles.
“We haven’t won a championship in over 30 years,” the manager told his head coach. “Fans don’t want to keep hearing about the future. They want a championship now. It’s time to deliver.”