episode_0257

“[Coach, are you going to play outside this game as well?]”

Moon Ki-taek held his head when he saw Austin Webb, who came to his room accompanied by an interpreter.

“Did you come here to ask that?”

It was rare in Korea for a player to visit the coach’s room, but such Korean rules did not apply to foreigners with different cultures. Moreover, he doubts the direction of the team decided by the coach. If Austin had been Korean 10 years ago, he would have heard the pata he used as an amateur coach. Director Moon Ki-taek was resentful of how the world had changed.

“[Yes. I want to compete with Ji Maeng-ho.]”

“ha… .”

Hearing Austin’s words, Moon Ki-taek sighed deeply again. There was a strategy to effectively block Ji Maeng-ho in the previous day’s game, and I want to compete.

‘Does this guy have no brain?’

But that didn’t mean I could reject Austin’s words. Austin Webb was the undisputed ace of the team and a candidate for MVP this season.

“[why? “Am I anxious, the director?]”

To date, he has appeared in 28 games and gone 173.2 innings, with an ERA of 2.53 and 193 strikeouts. And Austin, who won 17 wins and won the Triple Crown in the pitcher category, was a player with as much pride as his skills.

The special ace of the team who achieved this level of performance in a season where the batter’s record is good and the pitcher’s record is low, resulting in a high ERA and runs per game in the league, and who also achieved this record while using Munhak, a hitter-friendly stadium, as his home. is showing off his pride, is there any director who can refuse that?

“I didn’t say I was anxious. but… .”

Moon Ki-taek was not a coach who could refuse a request from the team’s ace. However, I couldn’t help but imagine Austin getting beaten up by Ji Maeng-ho.

“[Director, trust me. I can beat Ji Maeng-ho.]”

“Uhm… . translate.”

“Yes, director.”

“You’ve been hanging out with this friend a lot so far, right?”

“yes. Well, sometimes I was called on my days off and I had to translate, so I was there for almost a whole year.”

“[What are you talking about? Speak so that I can understand.]”

Moon Ki-taek continued speaking to the interpreter, ignoring Austin’s vaguely understandable English.

“What do you think? “How would you feel if you refused?”

“With Austin’s personality, it won’t be easy, right?”

A guy who failed in the majors and moved to the outskirts of baseball is being forced to do something like this. Would Austin have behaved like this even if he were in the major leagues? Moon Ki-taek opened his mouth, resigned to the unfortunate reality.

“ha… . “I will interpret from now on.”

“yes yes. All right.”

“I understand what you mean. but.”

“[but?]”

“If you can’t stop Ji Maeng-ho in this game, do as I tell you in fall baseball. got it?”

“[Heh. I get it. Because it’s not going to happen anyway.]”

‘What does this bastard believe and is so confident?’

Austin’s record against AT is 1 win and 2 losses. He even gave up 3 home runs against Ji Maeng-ho. Of course, he had never hit a home run in Jamsil because he had never hit a home run in Jamsil, but it was still difficult for Moon Ki-taek to understand such a proud appearance.

“[Okay, director. “Look forward to today’s game.]”

“Prepare hard for the game.”

“[Okay, man.]”

“Then let’s go. “Director.”

“Okay, just keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t do anything strange.”

“yes.”

With a click, the door closes and the two people leave. And then Moon Ki-taek sighs.

“ha… . “It’s already a pain in the ass, but Ace is just showing off his pride.”

Starting catcher Baek Kyung-ho left due to poor condition, and substitute catcher Kim Jeong-wan had to rest due to concussion symptoms. Additionally, the team’s third catcher did not get along well with Webb. There was no choice but to call up the young catcher from the second team. With so many catchers leaving, I can’t believe Austin Webb, who has to match up with the team’s fourth catcher, is being so forceful. Moon Ki-taek’s sigh became deeper.

“under… . “It would have been better if Seonggyeol had a personality like that.”

Domestic ace Kim Seong-gyeol had a problem because he was mentally weak, but foreign ace Austin Webb had a problem because his ego was too strong.

“I can’t help it. “I can only use today’s defeat as an experience and hope that people listen to me in the fall baseball season.”

We cannot reverse what has already happened. Therefore, Moon Ki-taek decided to think positively. I hope that this loss will become the cornerstone of fall baseball.

However, Moon Ki-taek did not realize that he had subconsciously assumed that he had already lost the game, which had not even started yet.

*

“Meng Hao, how are you feeling today?”

How are you feeling? I used a lot of energy yesterday and it wasn’t the best. But it’s a state I’m more familiar with than ever before. When I went into a game without having sex, I was physically better than usual, but my concentration was better when I had sex until the morning like today.

It’s not the best, but it’s in the same condition as usual. This was better than putting effort into my swing just because I was in good condition.

Well, besides, my physical condition wasn’t important in today’s game.

“Is my condition important? “What matters is whether the opponent puts up a fight.”

“Well, I’ve been avoiding it since Friday.”

“I’m going to die too. “My hands are itching.”

I missed the exciting feeling of crossing a fence. In the first game against UG, I hit an inside-park home run, but my touch was vague, so I wanted to hit a real home run over the fence.

“Hey, it’s Austin today, don’t you want to compete?”

“I hope so. what.”

Austin Webb. UG’s ace foreign pitcher. He had quite good pitch control, had a fastball velocity in the low 150s, and used a breaking ball with a large angle, making him one of the few tough opponents in the KBA. If Rossby were to tell me the location, it would be easy because I have good control, but since there is no way he could tell me, it would be difficult today as well, I guess.

Besides, this is Jamsil. To be honest, I didn’t have the confidence to get past Jamsil by pushing a pitcher as good as Austin Webb.

‘If I throw a curveball or a change-up, how will I pass it, but I won’t throw it either, right?’

It was even more disappointing because I couldn’t even see those pitches in the UG game.

“hey! Gather together! “The national anthem begins.”

“yes.”

The players gathered together and the national anthem rang out at Jamsil Stadium. While listening to the national anthem, I looked into the stands and saw that the stadium was filled with spectators wearing AT uniforms.

‘Fuck, I need to show you something. It’s 57 home runs now, so 3 home runs. The 60 home runs were practically in vain. ‘I’ll just have to try to get at least 60 stolen bases.’

There are two remaining until 60 stolen bases. It wasn’t a particularly great record, but it was a record that hadn’t been made in recent years, and with 60 stolen bases, I was almost certain to be the stolen base king even if I didn’t play the rest of the game, so I thought it would be a gift to the fans who came to see me.

“Seniors! Good luck with today’s game!”

“Okay, throw it well.”

When the national anthem ended, Lim Jun-hoo’s fighting song rang out in the dugout, and we went out to the ground. Junhoo was in high spirits, perhaps because he had asked him to go to the club with him if he became the winning pitcher today.

‘I guess I’ll have to pick one today too. But that guy says we’ve been to the club together a few times and he still can’t do it without me. Tsk, I raised it too much.’

Perfect!

“Second!”

UG’s number one batter turned the bat from the first pitch. A batted ball lightly rolls towards me. I quickly walked over, caught the ball, and threw it accurately to the first baseman.

“out!”

Lim Jun-hoo, who showed a good start, ended the first inning by blocking the second and third batters with a three-way throw.

“Hyung, how was my ball?”

“It was good.”

“Is it okay for you to see me?”

“No, it was good to hit. “If you had gone to another team, you would have hit 5 more home runs, Kabhi.”

“Mr. A, you’re out of luck. Anyway, please help me become a winning pitcher.”

“You have to throw well.”

“Oh, don’t be like that.”

“Fuck! “That guy is disgusting!”

I cursed at Lim Jun-hoo, who was showing off his cuteness disgustingly, and took my typing equipment.

‘Fuck, I’m suddenly feeling cold because of that bastard.’

Hearing the boy’s cuteness even before I went to bat, I felt like my motivation was disappearing.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter if you throw it outside anyway.’

I waited for Austin to pitch, getting ready to walk out. Rossby seemed to be tired from the outside game that lasted for two days, so he didn’t tell the pitches and was busy watching the cheerleaders from the stands. And Austin’s first pitch is thrown.

‘uh?!’

I ended up reacting late with the bat to the first pitch hitting my body.

widely!

‘Fuck!’

The ball hit by the bat began rolling toward first base. I quickly started running to first base, but perhaps because I was embarrassed by the unexpected situation, I ended up getting a late start.

“First base! “First base!”

“first!”

Koo Jin-mo stretches out his hand at first base. I extended my foot as long as possible on the last step, but the catcher’s throw had already arrived.

“out!”

“Fuck!”

“I’m going to curse you harshly. “Go in.”

Gu Jin-mo speaks with a smile. Fuck. Are you competing here? what? Do you throw a fastball toward your body from the first pitch? I was so embarrassed by the completely unexpected situation that I ended up throwing out the bat.

‘Oh, I should have waited!’

I just had to wait with the mindset that he would give me a strike, but since it was the first ball I saw in a long time, I ended up swinging the bat without realizing it. No, it was a ball I could have hit if I hadn’t panicked in the first place! I can’t believe I missed an opportunity that came after so long! It’s all Rossby’s fault.

How dare you watch the cheerleaders over me?

‘Mr Rossby! Mr. Rossby!’

I quickly found Rossby.

‘What?’

‘Now is not the time to be watching cheerleaders!’

‘I saw you hit a ground ball?’

‘It came into my body! Towards the body!’

‘Then why didn’t you hit it?’

‘damn! From today onwards, I will only have sex with Soyoung?’

‘Can I just tell you from the next at-bat?’

Rossby’s urgent voice is heard. It should have been like this a long time ago. Somewhere I’m just watching the cheerleaders at a sacred baseball game.

“brother. “You didn’t intentionally hit the first pitch because you didn’t want to go to the club with me, right?”

“shut up. “Because I feel like shit.”

“yes.”

When I returned to the dugout, cursed at Lim Jun-hoo’s words, and sat down on the bench, I felt like my heart had calmed down.

‘Whoa, okay. Rather good. If you do this, you could compete with me for the rest of your at-bats, right? You bastard, you’re out!’