Major League System-Chapter 1000: Throwing the Gauntlet (2)

PAH

"Strikeout!"

Ryan blinked a few times, not knowing how to react. Three pitches were thrown and each was a strike. Like the coach had said, he'd watched them carefully from the beginning and none of them looked like they would remain in the strike zone.

Yet somehow, these pitches had all been called as a strike.

"Please head back to the dugout." The plate umpire reminded Ryan who finally snapped out of his reverie.

He made his way back to the dugout, confusion evident in his features.

"Don't worry, it's going to be a long game." Mark said, patting him on the back on the way past. It was clear that even with all the preparation they did, facing Ryan was going to be tough.

Unfortunately for the Ligers, Adrian also fell victim to the wily pitches of Ryan Smith. Not only had his unorthodox pitching improved, his fastballs were now consistently over 100mph, making the other pitches even more effective.

"2 outs! Nice work Ryan."

Some of his teammates called out words of encouragement from the infield, to which he raised his hand in acknowledgment. The expression of determination on his face didn't waver as he faced the 3rd batter Jose Baez.

Ryan lifted his leg and kicked off the pitchers plate, sending his arm whipping past his face. He raked down on the ball hard, spinning the ball at high speeds.

Thanks to his unorthodox grip, the ball spun awkwardly in the air, moving erratically. Jose's eyes never left the ball, but as he swung, he could not predict where it would cross the zone.

WHOOOOOOSH

PAH

"Strike."

Jose muttered a curse before stepping outside of the batters box and adjusting himself. The ball was something between a slider and a curveball, yet it didn't act like a slurve, it was the most bizarre thing he'd encountered on the field.

He turned to Coach Williams, as if to ask what he should do. However, Mark seemed to be out of ideas himself. All the guy did was give him a thumbs up, as if to tell him to keep persisting.

Seeing as how he received no additional instructions, Jose let out a sigh and returned to the batters box, intending on trying to weather the storm.

WHOOOOOSH

PAH

"Strike."

PAH

"Strikeout!"

"Wow, a 102mph fastball to cap off an immaculate inning for Ryan Smith. 3 outs in 9 pitches, he's certainly thrown the gauntlet at the start of this match Bill."

"Oh man, I can feel the sparks flying Bob. Look, Ryan is staring down Ken as he is making his way back to the dugout for the changeover."

Back on the field, Ryan was indeed staring at Ken as he made his way back, but it was not as exaggerated as the commentators made it out to be. It was as if he was daring Ken to try and do better.

"You have improved a lot, Ryan." Mark had walked onto the field and called out to Ryan on his way back to the dugout.

Ryan was a little taken aback, but a rare smile found its way to his lips. This man was the one who had coached him back when he played for the U18 National Team.

The guy looked much different than he remembered, kinder and much healthier. It was almost like he was a completely different person.

"Thanks coach, you're looking well." He replied simply.

However, Mark changed the subject. "I hope we can all play without regrets in this series… Make sure you pitch with all your might, we may never get this opportunity again."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, not knowing where such words had come from. This was the World Series, of course he would pitch with all of his might, just what was his old coach talking about?

Mark looked like he wanted to say something, but eventually decided against it. He watched as Ryan returned to the dugout, letting out a sigh.

Back when he had been coaching the U18 National Team, he was a different person. Suffering from his cancer, Mark knew that he didn't have long until his body shut down from the disease.

Because of this, he had treated the players coldly, falsely believing that he needed to be harsh in order to train these kids. After all, they were the best youngsters in the country, exposing them to professional coaching should only be beneficial.

But looking back at it now, he could see that he was wrong. He could still remember the way Ryan looked at him back then, it was almost like he was the only male pillar in his life.

Mark felt a mix of regret and sorrow. Would Ryan have turned out differently if he'd treated him like he treated Ken and Daichi? Seeing the cold version of Ryan now made him a little heartsick.

"You okay grandpa?" Daichi placed a hand upon Mark's shoulder and called out to him, causing the older man to flinch.

"I'm fine don't worry about me." Mark responded with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "keep an eye on your brother, I don't want him burning out early," he directed before heading back to the dugout.

As he walked back, he closed his eyes, trying to let go of the regret he felt. Ryan was doing well now, at least professionally. After all this was over, he would reach out to him regardless of the end result.

The start of the 2nd inning commenced with the 5th batter from Miami Blue Marlins.

"Batting 5th for Miami, Right fielder, JJ Bleday." The announcer spoke, his tone bland.

Ken was already on the mound, rolling the rosin bag around in his hand. His eyes glanced towards Ryan in the opposing dugout, only to see the guy staring back at him with an unreadable expression.

'Looks like we're going to be doing this all night.' Ken mused inwardly, tossing the bag aside. He collected the ball from his glove and gripped it tightly, letting out a deep breath.

"We'll see who comes out on top." He muttered.