How do you say Bootcheck in Korean?

(SURVEY UPDATE: Holy crap. I struck a nerve. Going into the survey I thought I would get a couple hundred responses total. In two days we’re over 1,100.)

Chris Bootcheck came with the heat. I whiffed. He threw a curveball and now I don’t know what the hell is going on.

A day or two after my last Bi-Weekly Bootcheck Update, Bootcheck had a late-night tweet session that was undoubtedly the greatest of all time. I was going to retweet it but decided to save it for the update. I was going to put it in a word document right away, but decided, since there was no rush I would wait. Then Bootcheck deleted the series of tweets.

Well, played Mr. Bootcheck. Well played.

I can’t remember it word for word, but it went something like this, (the last part is especially fuzzy): Want to know my definition of a bad journalist? One who gets better on a deadline, one who has ideas but can’t put them in the right order.

With the tweet coming right after the last update, and me being the person who’s dedicated the most words to Bootcheck this year, he had to be talking about me, right? If taken the wrong way, the last post does spend half its time trashing his pitching motion.

Maybe Bootcheck thought since I came out with an emergency post on him opting out, it was on some sort of deadline (he hasn’t yet but he could, more on that later.) But if bad journalists are better on deadline and the last Bi-Weekly Bootcheck update was on a deadline, then Chris Bootcheck indirectly said he liked the article!

Thanks Chris! I know, I’m pretty great.

Or Bootcheck was talking about someone else but knew I would be watching and timed the tweet accordingly. I can only imagine the head games he plays on hitters.

Although lately, the batters are figuring them out. He’s only given up two earned runs in six appearances since we last met, but three more have crossed the plate after he’s likely been coming on with runners on base.

Then again, unearned runs don’t hurt the stats. The ERA is still 3.32 and the strikeouts are still higher than innings pitched (47 to 40.2).

Bootcheck dominates for a while, spends a game or two giving up a couple of runs, walks a few batters, strikes out the side and the pattern repeats. RHP is clearly still bored. His days continue to be numbered.

Opting-out appears to be still available and Bootcheck may have a new destination soon. Through a couple Google Translations on Korean articles the James Mungro Memorial Award sponsored by (sponsors, make an offer) winner tweeted out before he returned to his legitimately funny ways, he could go back to where he came from: Korea.

If you weren’t cherishing your Bootcheck time already, do so now. The sands are falling faster through the hourglass.

OR, Bootcheck’s still playing mind games and I’ve spent the last two Bi-weekly Bootcheck Updates swinging out of my shoes at a slider that trailed well out of the strike zone.

The man is truly a master.

*(Random side note: All 10 starting players (nine players plus a DH) on one of Korea’s All-Star teams came from Bootcheck’s former team, the Lotte Giants. The best part? They’re in second place.)