episode_0187

-Woo Kwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung!

-Invincible A! T! Woo Gwan-hyung! Whoa whoa!

“Wow, look at the cheering song. “It’s boring.”

As soon as Woo Gwan-hyung took his first at-bat, the ground seemed to shake from the sound of the cheering song. There is only one feeling that fills me up when I hear that cheering sound. It was envy. When I was in high school, the scene I always dreamed of while riding the bench for three years was unfolding before my eyes, so it was natural that I couldn’t help but feel envious.

It was a vague feeling every time he appeared in a match, but now that the spotlight is on Woo Kwan-hyung, that vague feeling has become clear. I want to receive that spotlight. I want to be the main character of this stadium.

Because I had been starving for baseball for a long time, I didn’t want to lose that spotlight, even if we were on the same team.

‘Hehe, it’s natural for a baseball player to feel that way. Isn’t that why pitcher bastards are so arrogant?’

‘Iknow, right. If I had known this would happen, I would have been a pitcher.’

‘With your skills, it’s impossible.’

‘Well, if you’re a pitcher, Mr. Rossby can’t help you.’

And the batsman wasn’t bad either. Because batters can come to the stadium every day. If you come out every day and get at bat while receiving cheers like that… .

“When will I receive shouts like that?”

My cheering song was loud enough, but it was nothing compared to Woo Kwan-hyung’s cheering song today. After becoming aware of this feeling, I was madly jealous of Woo Kwan-hyung, who received such cheers.

“Hey, are you the same as Kwan-hyung? “To get to that level, you must have played here for 20 years.”

“Uhm… . A bit like 20 years. “Shouldn’t I still go to the majors?”

“Then why not win once? “Well, there’s nothing more special than the cheering songs you hear during the Korean series.”

Ki Ki-joo seemed to be recalling memories of that time. He soon returned to a serious expression and continued speaking.

“Hey, we win AT and you get MVP, right? “Maybe they’ll erect a statue in Jamsil?”

“Oh, would you like that?”

While I was chatting with Gyeonggi-ju, a cheerful sound of a batted ball rang out.

Perfect!

-Woo Kwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung!

It was the 2,998th hit of Woo Kwan-hyung’s professional career. And that hit was a timely hit that scored the third point. And the flash lights pouring in. It was spectacular to see everyone, whether in the audience or reporters, taking pictures of Woo Kwan-hyung.

‘Fuck, I’m so fucking jealous.’

I tried to ignore the soreness in my stomach and opened my mouth as if nothing was wrong.

“We’re up by 3 points from the first inning, so I think we’ll take it easy today.”

“Well, the opponent is a volcano.”

As the saying goes, the opponent is a volcano. I was a little anxious because today’s starter was 5th starter Kim Chan-young, but I was confident that with the firepower of our batting lineup, we could turn it around at any time even if we gave up a score. In fact, most of the recent games were scoring close to 10 points.

In addition, the players were playing the game with the sole intention of giving Woo Gwan-hyeong as many at-bats as possible, so they were competing more persistently than usual.

‘If things continue like this, can I get 3,000 hits today?’

*

[Woo Kwan-hyung’s second at-bat. Once again, the crowd in Jamsil is excited.]

[The cheers are huge. You can feel how much Woo Kwan-hyung is a beloved player at AT Thunders.]

[Now there are two steps left to reach the record. Woo Kwan-hyung, from the first pitch!]

Perfect!

A cheerful hitting sound rings out. Another hit. The score had already increased to 5 points at the end of the third inning, but the crowd was once again in a crucible of enthusiasm.

-2999! 2999! 2999!

-Wow, Woo Gwan-hyung is crazy. Fuck!!! It’s truly a record!

-LOL Until last year, I was so upset about retirement, and then suddenly I started to act like I was rooting for him.

ㄴLast year, I was a poor grader, and this year I’m doing well, so of course I have to suck it up, right?

Have you seen this bastard’s Baseball One Today lol?

-But honestly, isn’t Woo Kwan-hyung a legend? No wins, no titles.

Does my brother look like Joss because he swears on Twitter?

-Hehe, isn’t the record in the upper league anyway made only by losers who couldn’t advance to the lower league?

Yes, that’s right. If Joo Hyung-jin had stayed in Korea, I think he would have just hit it.

ㄴI think Choi Joo-tae would have hit 4,000 hits if he had continued to do so in Korea.

-Wow, but I’m tired of getting 3000 hits.

-Ha, fuck, are you setting a record again?

ㄴㄹㅇ The team is in last place, set all the records, and if they’re going to be like this, disband them.

-Now, I think the best hitter in KBA is Woo Kwan-hyung.

ㄴAre you a hitter who didn’t even make it to the majors?

He’s not the best hitter in Korea, he’s the best hitter in the KBA.

ㄴㄴStill, 3000 hits should be acknowledged. You have to get 150 hits for 20 years.

-Woo Kwan-hyung vs. Joo Hyeong-jin. Your choice is

ㄴWhy do you make a fuss by posting something like this on a good day? Let’s erase it ourselves.

Can’t we even compare players?

To be honest, Joo Hyung-jin is better, but I would like to choose Woo Gwan-hyung.

Yes, next at fan.

What’s wrong with being a fan?

But honestly, if it were our team, I would pick Woo Gwan-hyung, and if it was Joo Hyung-jin, I would probably go to the majors when the team is posted.

No, that’s right haha Guan Wooong, who lives as a professional in Korea for the rest of his life, would be better.

ㄴYou crazy guy, you have to compare things to compare. Is Woo Gwan-hyung in the same class?

No swear words…

No, I still have to say something. Woo Kwan-hyung, honestly, aren’t they legends of their own?

Haha, I’m in a bad mood on a good day.

-Woo Kwan-hyung, congratulations on reaching 3,000 hits. If things continue like this, I’ll set a record today, or tomorrow if I can’t do it.

ㄴTo see such a great record in my lifetime… I am thrilled.

It’s not over yet, so don’t get excited.

And along with the audience, the Internet community was also on fire. Although there was a position that records set in the KBA League were not recognized, most were congratulating Woo Kwan-hyung for his great record. In particular, fans of 9 teams, including AT, were excited about the record that was about to be achieved.

When I was excited about seeing the record of 3,000 hits, which existed in the Major League and NPB but had never appeared in the KBA, there was one team that couldn’t help but smile.

-Fuck, we’re going to be stuffed on the data screen again.

It’s so fucking awesome. Those guys have no fighting spirit and no skills. Look at the young guys getting fat.

It was the Volcano Falcons who were playing the AT Thunders right now. And this feeling was also felt by the coach of Hwasan.

“hey! hey! “Everyone gather together.”

The manager of the Hwasan Falcons called the players together as the bottom of the third inning ended.

“Director?”

“Why is it a meeting all of a sudden?”

Most players reacted indifferently to Coach Jeong Cheol-min’s call for a meeting during the game. A call like this was made not in the second half of the game, but in the beginning of the game when the game was down by 5 points.

‘Ha, these bastards…’ .’

Director Jeong Cheol-min gritted his teeth when he saw that. When the season first started, this was definitely not the reaction. There was certainly hope for the Volcano Falcons to head upward.

Choi Si-woo, a heavy hitter, Shin Su-ho, a closer who will provide solid support on the mound, and Kim Min-jun and Chae Jae-hyun, domestic one-two punches who will not be defeated no matter where they are presented. In addition, there are other players who have gradually gained experience. If only the right mercenaries were selected, the hope was even greater, as it was clearly a force that could fight in the top five.

However, those hopes were shattered when they faced the AT Thunders. When Lee Won-hyung, the only batsman in his 30s and the center of the defense, got injured, the defense began to collapse and the team slowly began to fall apart. Moreover, Baek Du-hyung, a veteran pitcher, was hit by Ji Maeng-ho and lost his baseball skills as if possessed by a ghost, making it difficult for him to reach Shin Su-ho.

Moreover, as they fell to 10th place in the series, the feeling that they might not make it this year began to spread among the players. This is the opposite of the AT Thunders, who are on the rise after leading the series against Volcanoes to victory and changing their manager.

And at the center of that move was Ji Maeng-ho. He broke Lee Won-hyeong’s leg and ruined Baek Du-hyeong.

‘Ji Maeng-ho, if it weren’t for that bastard. That bastard will look at the situation later and play beanball or whatever, but right now there are more important things than that.’

From Hwasan’s perspective, Ji Maeng-ho and his team, AT Thunders, are enemies. On top of that, he was on the verge of being forgotten in history by giving up a record of 3,000 hits. Hwasan coach Jeong Cheol-min thought that if the team were to set such a record, the team that was holding on for so long would completely collapse.

“Is everyone gathered?”

“yes.”

“I have to go out to bat soon.”

Even though his discipline is gone, he looks very worn out. Jeong Cheol-min sighed deeply at that sight.

“Whew. Okay, I’ll keep it short. To be honest, this game? It’s okay to lose. “It’s just one of 144 games anyway.”

‘What, suddenly? Why are you still hitting 3 seconds?’

When the Hwasan players’ expressions were rotting at the coach’s unexpected words, coach Jeong Cheol-min spoke again.

“But today. “Don’t fall victim to 3,000 hits.”

“yes?”

“Winning and losing always happen in baseball. With 10 teams playing 144 games, there would be 1,440 games in one season. “If it were normal, today’s game would have gone like that.”

Of course, there were overlapping games, so there were not 1,440 games played. However, in this situation, there were no players counting the number of games, and the players were all staring at the coach because of the solemnity in coach Jeong Cheol-min’s voice.

“Look at the spectators and reporters gathered here. Among them, who do you think will be interested in whether this game is won or lost? Even the fans wearing AT uniforms and cheering don’t seem to care who wins this game. What they want to see, what they want. “This is Woo Kwan-hyung’s 3,000th hit.”

“… … .”

The players, who at first wondered why such a meeting was being held, are now starting to become more and more engrossed in the coach’s words.

“Yes, Woo Kwan-hyung’s 3,000th hit. 3000 hits. Isn’t this the record you all dream of? I will hit 500 home runs during my professional career as a hitter. I will get 3,000 hits. I will try to hit .400. We all aim for records like this during our careers, right? is not it? That’s 3,000 hits. Even in the major leagues, it is called a classic guaranteed check.”

“But, that record is on the verge of being released. First in Korea. I don’t know for sure, but it probably won’t break for at least 20 years. No, maybe it won’t break forever. All talented people will advance to the US and Japan. You all know that the atmosphere is different now from the 2000s when Woo Kwan-hyung was playing, right? If Woo Kwan-hyung had debuted within 10 years, he might not have been able to achieve it in the US or anywhere else. So, getting 3,000 hits in the KBA is more difficult than in the Major League. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“You want me to congratulate you because it’s a record?”

“You idiot. Your image will remain forever in that unbreakable record. And ugly too. Are you going to leave that image of yourself laughing and celebrating forever? How will you answer when your children ask questions later? My father was also at the game. Hey, the one over there clapping with a pitiful face is my father. “Are you going to answer like this?”

“… … .”

The situation that coach Jeong Cheol-min described flashes through the players’ minds. Perhaps a unique record that will remain forever. 3000 hits. And the images of themselves that are stuffed into those data screens and will suffer for the rest of their lives.

“Are you going to answer like that?”

“”no!””

Hwasan players answer in unison. In particular, the voice of Lee Jin-ki, today’s starting pitcher and who had already contributed two hits, was even louder.

“Even if you end up in 10th place, are you going to make the fans who always support you go through that kind of humiliation?! Are you going to make it embarrassing for fans to wear uniforms on the street?”

“”no!””

“Woo Gwan-hyung, you must compete very hard today. But if you play hard, you will definitely be criticized. The losers in Gyeonggi Province are doing everything they can to avoid giving up records. “Is there any bastard who wants to be criticized like that?”

“”doesn’t exist!””

“Then don’t give me any games or records. Even if we lose every other game, not today, and never this series. Did you understand?”

There is a bit of silence in the air as director Jeong Cheol-min speaks. But the players’ eyes were burning more than ever.

“Sibsae, you’re coming out so fucking late.”

And there was one player who was spitting out profanity while looking at the volcano dugout.

“I go to some kind of meeting, but that doesn’t mean I can win. Oh, are they also preparing a celebration event for Senior Gwanhyeong?”

“Oh, quietly, Ankana? “I can hear everything.”

“What are you doing when you’re stuck in the dugout? And what are you going to do when you hear it?”

“Gulkin haji.”

That player was Ji Maeng-ho, who was burning to become the star of the stadium.