episode_0146

What is bench clearing? In the dictionary definition, it means that all players on the bench come to the ground, and when it comes to sports, it refers to a fight between teams that often occurs in various sports such as baseball, soccer, and ice hockey.

And such bench clearing was a little more special in baseball.

In baseball, bench clearing was a means of protecting fellow teammates, and was also a measure of teamwork.

Even in baseball, there were no rules specifically preventing bench clearing. In fact, baseball was so lenient on bench clearing that there was even a rule that required people to pay a fine if they were sitting on the bench when bench clearing occurred.

The only implicit rule in bench clearing is not to use tools to injure the opposing player, to the extent that punishment for swinging a fist can be seen as punishment with a soft bat.

However, unlike the major leagues, where actual fistfights occur, most bench clearings in Korea end in arguments. Unlike in the United States, where the land is vast, in Korea, everyone knew each other just across a bridge.

Even if it was just an argument like that, clearing the bench was enough to bring the team together and turn the team around. Even if it was just a pretend bench clearing, if you were in that hot heat, your blood would get hot.

And most teams, when they were on a losing streak or were falling behind in terms of content, would induce bench clearing to change the momentum. In particular, there were teams that did not hesitate to throw empty balls if there was a good reason to do so.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, the Hwasan offense ended scoreless and were trailing 6-0. The team has 3 wins and 8 losses. The match for last place is heading toward defeat. In addition, he was arrogant and held a ceremony after injuring Lee Won-hyung, who could be considered the pillar of the team. It was a perfect situation for bench clearing.

Coach Jeong Cheol-min was a coach who did not shy away from such fights, and the Hwasan players were also gaining strength after Lee Won-hyung was taken away.

[In the top of the 5th inning, Baek Du-hyung comes on the mound.]

[Baek Du-hyeong, a 35-year-old veteran pitcher, is holding the center of attention as the leader of younger volcanic pitchers. Especially since he’s a player who doesn’t shy away from doing dirty work while playing the role of a bully on the mound, right? Probably Hwasan coach Jeong Cheol-min would like to be responsible for at least 2 innings and at most 3 innings.]

However, contrary to what the commentary said, Baek Du-hyung, who went up to the mound under a special order, had a different look in his eyes from other pitchers.

‘If young children take on this kind of work, their mentality may break down. After all, as a veteran, I have to do it.’

Before the inning started, when Jeong Cheol-min asked the pitchers for their opinions, Baek Du-hyung, the most senior pitcher of Hwasan, raised his hand without hesitation and said that he would throw. Moreover, Wonhyeong Lee is my younger brother with a very small age difference. He was a colleague who endured the dark times of the volcano together.

When Lee Won-hyung went to the hospital in tears, Baek Du-hyung, who had no choice but to watch, began to strengthen the hand holding the ball.

‘Don’t complain. Because you brought it on yourself. There shouldn’t have been a ceremony.’

*

‘Fastball, to the body.’

‘Mr. Rossby, does that kid have a suspicious look in his eyes?’

There is something different about the look in the eyes of the pitcher holding the ball. No, it’s not just the eyes, it’s the gaze that feels like the catcher’s mitt is pointed at me?

‘Mr. Rossby, isn’t this it?’

‘huh? ‘What do you mean?’

Rossby didn’t know what I was talking about because he was behind the pitcher. But I can tell. This is the batsman’s instinct. That bastard was planning on hitting me.

“Let’s be polite.”

Talk to the catcher. Your voice wasn’t shaking, right?

What I hate most in the world is being hit by someone. It wasn’t like a fight, but I hated the absurdity I felt in a situation where it was a one-sided fight. As I was playing sports, I was often beaten by coaches and seniors until middle school.

That was the reason why I, who had made a name for myself in middle school baseball, went to Hanche High School, a baseball pawn. In middle school, there were beatings disguised as corporal punishment, while Hanche High School was a prestigious sports school, so there was a lot of attention and there were rumors that there was no corporal punishment at all. Of course, I went and wasted my life.

“What are you talking about?”

It feels like they are trying to avoid talking to me as much as possible. Like a hunter who doesn’t look his prey in the eyes before hunting, he briefly teased the mouth he had been brushing off.

‘Fuck. That’s right.’

At a moment of nervousness, the pitcher’s ball flies out. Body!

“Ahh!”

I scream and barely escape. Fuck! 개새끼가 어깨 쪽으로!

“Sorry, Senior Doo-hyung is not in control.”

“It’s not working, right?”

“Then you fell to the right.”

When the ball leaves the hand, it flies toward the right-handed batter, relative to the right-handed pitcher. I had no choice but to endure the catcher’s words based on those facts. Yes, because it’s still just a heartache.

“Let’s do our best.”

“Sorry.”

‘Fastball, outside.’

I believe Rossby’s words and wait for one ball. The ball falls far outside. To a position where the catcher can only catch it by extending his arms.

“Senior Duhyung, slow down! slowly!”

The catcher stood up and waved his hand up and down as if trying to calm the pitcher down.

‘A ten-year-old is acting?’

It’s not a performance to show to me, it’s a performance to show to the referee.

“Ha, Senior Duhyung, I’m not in control today.”

I was disgusted by the guy talking loudly to himself as if he wanted the referee to hear.

‘Shall I fuck you first?’

‘be careful. If you’re going to get hit, get hit on the butt.’

‘yes? How can I avoid it?’

‘No. Or maybe it was at the end of the plate. But you know that too. If you don’t get hit, your team will get hurt.’

‘… ‘Isn’t Mr. Rossby just a colleague and all?’

From what I heard, there was no such bastard in the world.

‘No matter how trash they are, a team is still a team. A true man never abandons his team.’

I forgot. This man is a typical American macho from the early 20th century. But Rossby is Rossby and I am me.

‘There’s no need for me to get hit.’

I quietly moved to the place furthest from home plate. I’m sorry, seniors. But I am the youngest, so please look at me!

It was clear that the seniors would understand me as the club’s cutie.

‘… … .’

‘Why are you making that face?’

Let’s get everything ready. He also finished preparing to throw the ball. Eyes still fixed on me.

‘I retreated this far, couldn’t it be… .’

Sad thoughts are never wrong, and his ball flies straight towards my body. Fuck! I instinctively jumped, but a wave of pain came from my thigh.

“Ugh!”

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Oh my, it fell out of my hand again. “Senior Doo-hyung, let’s take a cam down.”

Fuck, I was so into it… . A word from the catcher that is more annoying than the pain you feel in your thigh. Those bastards… !

-“okay. “I trust you to act professionally.”

Suddenly, Kim Soo-ho’s words replay in my head. Be professional, be professional, be professional. What is professional? Yes, being a professional is all about entertaining the crowd.

‘Okay, I’ll do it professionally.’

“Ji Maeng-ho, are you okay?”

The referee touches my prone body. The pitcher was looking down at me as I lay face down. The distance between the pitcher and me is 18.44m.

“Oh, it’s okay.”

I shake the dirt off my uniform and stand up. The catcher sees me stand up and throws the ball given to me by the umpire to the pitcher. If it’s an everyday sight, it’s an everyday sight. As I take a step toward first base, both the catcher and the umpire lose interest in me. The pitcher opens his glove and raises his hand to catch the ball thrown by the catcher.

And I ran.

*

[Oh, Ji Maeng-ho, the ball hits his thigh. Ji Maeng-ho falls.]

[Fortunately, it hit an area that was not injured. Baek Du-hyung did not have good ball control from the first pitch, but ended up giving up a blocked ball.]

[Ji Maeng-ho shakes off the dirt and stands up. He gives a sign to the referee that it’s okay. As expected of a rookie, he’s energetic, huh? Ji Maeng-ho runs to the mound!]

When the players, umpires, and fans all thought that Ji Maeng-ho was going to walk to first base, Ji Maeng-ho suddenly started running toward the mound. The AT Thunders players were also embarrassed by the action and just watched the scene from the bench.

“Uh, uh, why is that guy like that?”

“what? what? Why all of a sudden?”

“Didn’t you lose your ball?”

Most of AT Thunders’ players are veterans. That’s why I had a lot of experience with bench clearing. And Korea’s bench clearing was mostly similar. After being hit by a ball, the pitcher and batter glare at each other, argue, and then slowly walk towards each other.

That is the standard of KBA-style bench clearing. Additionally, given the nature of the KBA, where everyone knows each other across a bridge, it was common sense that if the pitcher was much older than the batter, the batter would just walk away. Later, a veteran pitcher will come up and throw a revenge ball, or something like that.

In other words, Ji Maeng-ho running now is a completely unexpected action. AT’s dugout froze at that sudden action. And the same goes for the volcano dugout.

“What?”

“… uh?”

Baek Du-hyung is a 35-year-old veteran. Ji Maeng-ho is a 21-year-old rookie. A rookie suddenly rushes in? There was only one thought that came to the minds of Hwasan players.

“what?”

And when the players’ bodies responded, Ji Maeng-ho had already narrowed the distance between him and Baek Du-hyung.

“Stop that bastard!”

“Ji Maengho!!”

When the catcher’s throw entered Baek Du-hyeong’s glove, the distance between Ji Maeng-ho and Baek Du-hyeong was only 7m. The players rushed to the mound, and Baek Du-hyung was surprised and raised his hand with his glove. And a few seconds later.

puck!

“Ugh!”

Ji Maeng-ho’s fist cleverly avoided Baek Du-hyeong’s glove and struck him in the chin.

[uh! Players from both teams ran out onto the ground.]

[Uh, uh. It shouldn’t be like this. Such violent behavior is not good.]

As soon as the commentary ends, Baek Du-hyung collapses on the mound. And Kim Su-ho, who was the first to recognize the situation, grabbed Ji Maeng-ho’s body as he tried to take the mount position.

“Hey, are you crazy?! Ji Maeng-ho!”

“이 개새끼야!”

“What are you doing!”

Kim Su-ho’s weight class is 184cm/83kg. On the other hand, Ji Maeng-ho’s weight class is 188cm/93kg. Kim Soo-ho is dragged along by Ji Maeng-ho.

“Let go. Fuck! “The crazy bastard should throw it in moderation!”

Hwasan’s infielders quickly helped Baek Du-hyung and pulled him down from the mound, but Ji Maeng-ho was approaching him, dragging Kim Su-ho. Hwasan’s catcher Kim Seung-hyeon, who came in late, also joined in catching Ji Maeng-ho, but even two people could not stop Ji Maeng-ho.

“What’s wrong with this bastard? Senior Suho! “Try to stop him!”

“Wake! Ji Maeng-ho!”

And players from both teams flocked to the mound.

“이 개새끼야!”

“hey! how old are you!”

Hwasan players pushed Ji Maeng-ho first, but unfortunately, this bench clearing was disadvantageous for Hwasan. The most senior member of Hwasan, which has been rebuilding for several years, is Baek Du-hyung, who has already fallen after being hit on the chin. And it was Lee Won-hyung who had already been taken to the hospital.

However, AT, which was ridiculed by fans as an old man’s club, had many more senior players than Baek Du-hyung and Lee Won-hyung. The age gap is so unbalanced that if Lee Won-hyung, a senior member of the batting team, comes to AT, he will just be one of the mid-level players.

The difference in Jjambap was now clearly visible.

“hey! What are you doing to my child? Didn’t you throw the empty ball first? “Did he do that for no reason?”

Woo Kwan-hyung, the league’s most senior player,

“Wow, you can’t do it with your skills, so you’re trying to make it yourself? Are you guys crazy? “Why don’t you throw it at me too?”

“Looking at the mitt, I was aiming for it. Is this correct?”

Choi Jin-cheol and Jeong Yun-cheol, 37 years old.

“No, seniors, that’s not it… .”

Due to the nature of Korean society, where people are gangsters, Hwasan’s players had no choice but to give up. And the Hwasan coaches who were watching the situation joined in.

“hey! Woo Gwan-hyung! Why are you killing the kids? “You should know when you’re older and you’re embarrassed!”

“Hey, Coach Kim! “So you’re not embarrassed?”

Children’s fights become parents’ fights,

“What the fuck is this?!”

“what? puck? You little nose bastard! hey! If you come to Korea, you have to play Korean baseball! “You’re a bastard with no ups or downs!”

“Director Jeong! Isn’t nose-gabbing racist? Should I report this to KBA? yes?!”

“what? You graduated from OO University, right? What grade are you in? “This bastard doesn’t even know his senior!”

In the end, even the leaders of both teams clashed.

While the players were hesitating, looking at the coaches of both teams trying to push each other away, there was a player approaching the Hwasan players.

‘okay! more! more! To prevent pitchers from throwing empty balls at you in the future, I’ll make you pee just by looking at you! ‘Hehehehe!’

“hey! hey! you! Come to work! “I won’t hit you, so come to work!”