episode_0249

-As of September 5th, when the game ended, Ji Maeng-ho has recorded 426 at-bats and is hitting at .401.1. If we look at the last .400 hitter in Korean-American professional baseball, excluding Japanese professional baseball, which has never produced a .400 hitter, in the major league it is Williams in 1941. In Korea, it was Baeguncheon in 1982.

… …

The regulation number of at-bats in Korean professional baseball is 446. Ji Maeng-ho recorded 537 at-bats and satisfied the requirements of a .400 hitter even without appearing in the game.

… …

Meanwhile, Ji Maeng-ho has been selected for the Asian Games and will be called up to the national team from September 12th. There are five games left for Ji Maeng-ho. The average number of at-bats given to Ji Maeng-ho per game is 4.88. If you have 24 at-bats in five games, you are guaranteed a .400 hit if you only get 5 hits in 24 at-bats. In this situation, the entire nation is paying attention to whether Ji Maeng-ho will step up to the plate.

“… There was an article asking, “What do you think about Ji Maeng-ho?”

During the interview, the reporter showed me an article on his smartphone. The content of the article was full of questions about whether I, who had already achieved the .400 hitter requirement, would participate in the game or not participate and keep my record.

“You call that a question?”

“… yes?”

“Of course, we have to hit it hard before going to the Asian Games.”

The answer to that question was simple. Of course I have to go on a business trip.

“What kind of player in the world is fighting for rankings and leaves the game to take care of his record?”

They were 2.5 games behind 1st place UG Overlords, 1.5 games behind 2nd place Hyunsung Madcats, and 1.5 games behind 4th place Hancheol Grizzlies. There are 20 games remaining. After the series against Simji and Hwasan, a three-game series against UG Overlords was scheduled, so they had to win as much as possible to win the championship.

“We are planning to get a sweep in the current game against Volcanoes and win three games in a row in the next series against UG. “We have to rise to first place in this matchup.”

“As expected of Ji Maeng-ho. “I thought that would be the case for Ji Maeng-ho.”

“Well, let me tell you what I think. For the record, I don’t show up to games. I think that approach is a bit embarrassing. Well, it would be a shame to skip the match just because the title is at stake. Oh, can’t I use the word ‘gao’? Anyway, it’s not manly. Who would recognize you for getting a title that way? “If you can’t achieve that record in that way in the first place, it’s not your record.”

Williams, Rossby’s student, also appeared in the game after hitting .400. Of course, I had 5 hits in 24 at-bats. In other words, if I didn’t hit 20%, 40% was guaranteed, so I could see my situation as better. In that situation, would you miss a game to hit .400? The title of Rossby’s favorite disciple will make you cry.

‘Who is your favorite disciple?’

‘Of course it’s me.’

“Wow, that’s a really cool mindset.”

Besides, there was one more reason why I had no choice but to come out.

“And it’s not like I only have a .400 record left, right?”

“yes? “What other records are there?”

“Senior Joo Hyung-jin’s 61 home runs.”

Hyungjin Joo’s new Korean record of 61. In addition, Murakami set a new Asian record by hitting 62 home runs in the Japanese league last year, and I secretly wanted to rewrite that record as well.

“… yes?!”

what? Why are you so surprised? Is it really that surprising that I’m aiming for a new home run record? Of course, in the current situation, the possibility was slim.

“There are five games left before being selected for the Asian Games, but isn’t Ji Maeng-ho’s 53 home runs? Eight sides in five games… . “If you want to surpass the record, you have to add one more record, so isn’t that virtually impossible?”

As the reporter said.

“You just have to hit two per game. If you steal a base every time you get on base, you can get up to 60 stolen bases. “I think it’s possible.”

But the fact that the possibility is slim means that there is some possibility. Although it was a difficult challenge, I still wanted to try it.

“Uhm… . yes. Well, if Ji Maeng-ho thinks so. It’s an unimaginable record for me… . Still, I will support you. But Ji Maeng-ho, if you aim for a home run, isn’t your batting average bound to drop?”

The reporter opened his mouth in a quiet voice. I could hear in his voice that he was slightly sorry for putting a candle to my words. Of course, what the reporter said was true. To hit a home run, the swing needs to be bigger, and as the swing gets bigger, accuracy usually decreases. but… .

“If I do that and don’t hit .400, it’s probably not my record. “My name is number 4, so it would be embarrassing if I hit short to aim for a short hit, right?”

“Ahaha. “Right, right?”

In fact, although it was an honor to set a new Asian record or achieve the 60-60 club, it didn’t matter if I didn’t achieve it. Not being able to set a record this year means that there are still records to be set next year.

“Please write to the fans to look forward to the remaining games. “I will burn everything before going to the Asian Games.”

With those words, I stood up.

“Ji, Ji Maeng-ho! There are still questions left… !”

The reporter called me with urgent words, but I walked away without answering. In fact, I stayed up all night having sex with a fan I met on the way home from work, so I felt like I needed to get some sleep before going to training.

‘Fuck, maybe it’s because he’s a reporter, but he talks a lot. ‘It’s an hour until training starts, so I can sleep for about 40 minutes.’

*

-Ji Maeng-ho will not run away, please look forward to the remaining matches!

… … Ji Maeng-ho was confident that he would not avoid the game to get to .400. Moreover, this answer was not the only thing that surprised the reporter. Ji Maeng-ho was aiming to break the KBA League record of 61 home runs and become the world’s first 60-60. There are only five games left before the Asian Games. In reality, it is true that it will be difficult for Ji Maeng-ho to achieve such a record. However, looking at Ji Maeng-ho’s brightly shining eyes, I felt like I wanted to cheer him on even though I knew it was impossible. Below is a Q&A with Ji Maeng-ho.

Q. Ji Maeng-ho, hello. Korea is hot these days with Ji Maeng-ho achieving 50-50, right?

A. I am also happy that I was able to achieve such a record. Actually, I wasn’t paying that much attention, but the moment I achieved it, the fans started singing a cheering song I’d never heard before, and at that moment, I got goosebumps.

… …

… …

… …

Q. Now, please give us a final word to your fans.

A. Fans, please look forward to the remaining games. I will burn everything before the Asian Games are called.

Wow, how long has it been since you had an interview with reporter Maeng Ho-shin?

ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅅ

Wow, this is a man hahaha

ㄴI won’t do any stingsㄷㄷ

40% 60-60 go!!!!

ㄴLook at your fierce self-confidence haha.

ㄴBut was Meng Hosin’s original tone like this? Why are you so humble?

ㄴㄴI guess I’m mature like that haha.

No, he didn’t speak like that during Seungri’s interview…

ㄴJi Maeng-ho’s mind is cool haha. I always support him as long as it’s not a crime.

When an article about Ji Maeng-ho, who achieved the world’s first record of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases and is currently the hottest potato among Korean sports players, was posted, fans who were waiting for Ji Maeng-ho’s interview went into an uproar.

Contrary to his image, Ji Maeng-ho, who became the subject of controversy due to his overwhelming performance within a year of his debut and several even more overwhelming controversies, was not a player who was heavily exposed to the media. The reason is, of course, that under the leadership of Cheon So-young, Ji Maeng-ho’s contact with the media was thoroughly controlled.

Cheon So-young, who knew Ji Maeng-ho better than anyone else, thought that Ji Maeng-ho’s interview with the media could cause greater controversy, so she made him refuse most interviews except for the Seungri interview. Nevertheless, since the Seungri interview alone brought about various controversies, Cheon So-young’s response could be seen as appropriate.

But apart from that, fans wanted to know more about Ji Maeng-ho. This is because Ji Maeng-ho’s area of exposure to the public was too small compared to his star quality. A handsome face, outstanding physique, and overwhelming skills. If it had been another player, it would not have been strange if it had already been all over the internet news, and fans wanted to know more about their favorite player.

In particular, AT Thunders fans were even more thirsty.

-Why doesn’t Ji Maeng-ho appear on our club’s iTube? I’d like to see it on the club’s iTube as well.

This was because there was no footage of Ji Maeng-ho on iTube, which the club operates to communicate with fans. It did not appear in any content, and the only scenes that appeared were occasional passing shots or training scenes.

– Ji Maeng-ho is still a young rookie player, so he is refraining from excessive exposure to the media as much as possible because he believes it could have a negative impact on the player. We hope that fans will be generous and understanding for the sake of the young player.

When the team responded like this, the fans had nothing to say. Meanwhile, the interview conducted with a reporter for the first time in a long time was full of content that would stimulate the fans’ pride, so the satisfaction level of the fans was unimaginable.

-Wow, did you see Ji Maeng-ho’s interview? From the .400 challenge to the 60-60 declaration. It’s really cool.

Moreover, the interview that touched the hearts of AT fans was also enough to touch the hearts of people who are not AT fans.

-I didn’t like Ji Maeng-ho very much because he was arrogant, but I accept his attitude.

-Honestly, I felt like shit after seeing the shit he was doing against my team, but this guy is kind of cool haha.

-I don’t know much about baseball, but is Ji Maeng-ho great?

-What is Ji Maeng-ho’s worth in terms of soccer?

-Wow, it’s a great record just sitting still, but it’s really cool that you’re on a business trip. I’ve quit playing baseball, but I’m thinking about watching it again because of Ji Maeng-ho.

So all the expectations gathered at Daejeon Stadium, and even though it was 18:30 on a weekday afternoon, Daejeon Stadium was filled with 10,000 spectators.

[Wow, a lot of spectators came, right?]

[I’m sure there are many people who came to see Ji Maeng-ho’s record-breaking achievement. Even though it is Daejeon Stadium, there are quite a lot of fans wearing AT uniforms and there are also fans who came to cheer on Ji Maeng-ho.]

[Ji Maeng-ho is challenging the record with .400 and 60 home runs. I’m also curious. But there was new news today, right?]

[yes. There is news that Ji Maeng-ho will come down from the lineup as the number 4 hitter today and play as the number 1 hitter.]

[According to Manager Lee Soo-hyun’s interview, he said that Ji Maeng-ho wanted to have at least one at-bat as many times as possible… .]

[You’re seriously aiming for 60 home runs, right? Ji Maeng-ho is definitely not an ordinary person, as he wants to stand at bat as many times as possible while trying to hit .400. haha. This is not an easy choice… . In fact, baseball is a sport where it is not strange to have a slump at any time, but if the number of at-bats increases, you may fail to hit .400, right? great. Ji Maeng-ho is my junior, but I respect him as a fellow baseball player.]

-Wow, what’s the lineup today? Why is Ji Maeng-ho the number one hitter?

Let’s aim for 60 home runs with ㄴㄹㅇ.

This bastard is a mess. Even if you stay still, it’s 40%, so isn’t it a loss if you have a lot of at-bats?

ㄴㄴㅋ Honestly, does Ji Maeng-ho hit .200 in five games? Still, it’s amazing haha.

Ji Maeng-ho’s choice was bound to surprise everyone who was watching the game. However, Ji Maeng-ho’s expression as he walked to the plate looked more comfortable than anyone else’s.

[First inning, AT Thunders attack. Now, Ji Maeng-ho, the number one hitter, comes in.]