episode_0281

“Seems like they’ve completely lost their resolve?”

Evaluated at the level of KBA League 2nd division, Japanese social baseball players were indeed lacking to stop our national team. Although they were considered superior to other representative teams excluding Taiwan, the outcome was expected.

Our national team selected for the Asian Games might not have been a complete representation of South Korea’s strength, but most players were All-Star caliber, with players like Nana Joo Seung-cheol, Kim Hwan-young, and Lee Yong-gi being strong contenders for the Golden Glove. Moreover, the pitching lineup was quite solid.

As the bottom of the 7th inning began, the score stood at 11:2, a 9-point difference. Just one more run would end the game due to the mercy rule. Facing a team composed of Japanese social baseball players, the desire to finish the game as a mercy rule victory was strong.

“Well then, let’s finish it this inning. Ready?”

“Of course. Just leave it to me.”

And the leadoff batter for this inning is me.

“These kids are done for.”

I steeled myself and stepped into the batter’s box.

“[Shall we wrap this up nicely? After all, the final result is already set.]”

“[Shut it.]”

“[Oh, you speak English well. The catcher who was sitting until my turn couldn’t say a word.]”

With the widening score gap, the new catcher spoke fluent English.

“[With that level of skill, isn’t it embarrassing to talk like that? People should speak and live. Isn’t it more embarrassing for a baseball player not to play baseball well? Oh, that’s why you’re not a pro? Sorry?]”

“[This jerk… Well, what can a loudmouth like him understand? He was happy hitting home runs against lower-level teams, right?]”

Huh, this guy? Is he complaining because he didn’t hit a home run today? It was unbelievable. While I didn’t hit a home run today, I had sent every hit near the fence, and except for one caught hit, I had reached base on every at-bat…

“Feeling the heat?”

“Why would I? What do you mean?”

“You seem rattled.”

“…Tell me the pitch type.”

“It’s a slider.”

“Okay.”

“[He won’t throw an off-speed pitch right after saying that, will he?]”

“……”

“[Judging by your silence, it seems likely, right? Yeah, don’t swing.]”

“……”

“Ball.”

I lightly avoided the breaking ball outside and scratched the catcher again.

“[Predictable. But that’s what you get playing social baseball.]”

“I’ve seen one slider now. I’d like to see a fastball next in this inning…”

It was necessary to gather data on the pitcher coming up for the first time in this inning. According to the hitting coach, he throws fastballs, sliders, and sinkers. To hit a perfect shot, it was best to see all his pitches.

“It’s probably a sinker next.”

“Sinker isn’t bad either.”

“[He won’t throw a sinker inside after a slider outside, right? Even high schoolers don’t do that these days.]”

“[Shut your mouth.]”

“[No, since the level is so low, I want to teach a thing or two. Amateurs should consider it an honor to learn from pros.]”

“Ball!”

“[Oh, predictable. You’ll never make it to the pros.]”

The sinker he threw also broke towards the body, a dropping ball. Was he thinking of taking it? If he walks me here, it’s definitely a run…?

“Just in case you’re unsure, if I score a run, it’s over, you know? Being an amateur, you must know about mercy rules, right? If I walk, I’ll run to third base, and with runners on all bases, you know what happens, right? Think carefully.”

“For heaven’s sake, shut your mouth! And I get paid to run in the company!”

Getting irritated but still taunting people? Seeing the catcher getting angry made me feel a bit relieved.

“It’s another sinker.”

“Okay.”

The sinker I saw earlier wasn’t particularly impressive. Its speed was quite slow, around 130 km/h. After confirming the trajectory, I prepared to hit it when it entered John’s zone and waited for the ball.

“Swing!”

Thud – Crack!

With a cheerful sound, the hit disappeared to the left. A foul ball crossing over the fence. The bat seemed faster than expected.

“[No more coming. Got it?]”

“[Hah, just showing off.]”

“[Your voice is shaking. This is advice. Okay?]”

“[I don’t need it!]”

At this point, I wanted to throw a fastball… Two sinkers after a slider. Add a massive foul home run to that mix. The catcher was annoyed, and the pitcher was nervous, so the likelihood of throwing the most familiar pitch was high.

“It’s a fastball.”

“As expected! Mr. Rosby, can I guess the next one now?”

“Instead of thinking about that, watch and hit. You should’ve let that last one go.”

“Tsk.”

Rosby was right, so there was no real argument against it. All I could do was wait for the fastball from him.

“Throw it into John’s zone. Please.”

However, his fastball rose high and went into the catcher’s mitt.

“Ball.”

“[Seriously going to dodge? I’m running to third base, can you catch it?]”

The catcher didn’t respond. The current count was one strike, three balls. It was a comfortable count for the batter to swing the bat, but the pitcher had to put the ball in the strike zone. Especially with a runner who could steal third at any moment.

“It’s a slider.”

And once you know the pitch type…

Thud – Crack!

It was relatively easy to hit a ball aiming for the strike zone. Especially in this situation, pitchers tended to avoid giving walks and aimed for the middle.

“It’s flying well. [In the future, when facing me, don’t drag it out. Oh, we won’t meet again?]”

After giving a piece of advice to the catcher, I swung the bat. The hit landed outside the fence. Cheers from Koreans in the stands echoed as I raised my fist. The stadium was almost empty, making their voices even louder.

– Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho!

– Ji Maeng-ho! Fantastic!

Of course, unlike the crowd’s reaction, the dugout response was quite subdued.

“Why is the reaction like that?”

“They were already preparing to leave when you went out. Whether it’s a homerun or not, one point is guaranteed.”

“Do we have to like this or not?”

When unsure whether to appreciate the fact that the players trusted me or to feel sad despite finishing strong, the coach approached.

“Oh, Maeng-ho. You’ll be doing the interview today, so pack up your things.”

“…Yes.”

“You’re banned even during the finals, kid.”

“…Yes.”

Decided to feel a bit melancholic.

-[AG] Korean national baseball team! Crushes rival Japan 12:2 in a mercy rule game! One step away from victory!

…The baseball national team reached a ten-run lead with Ji Maeng-ho’s walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 7th inning. Now, only one win separates them from the gold medal. Will the Korean national baseball team bring joy to the nation once again… Meanwhile, the final will be against Taiwan.

– They mercy-ruled Japan? Wow.

– Well, it doesn’t mean much in society, lol.

– Let’s go for the Asian Games championship~~~!!!!

– Indeed, the future looks bright for Korean baseball. With volcanic players like that, Ji Maeng-ho, Joo Seung-cheol, and young talents shining, it’s great to see.

– I was worried about the age limit in this Asian Games, but thankfully they are performing well.

– Honestly, if we can’t win the Asian Games, we should just swim back lol. The level of competition is low.

– Well, there haven’t been many games as thrilling as this one, right? They’ve been winning by mercy rule almost every time.

– I was worried too, but Korea’s future looks bright. Especially Ji Maeng-ho, he’s insane. The key is how much he’ll get paid and if he’ll go to the majors.

Ju Seung-cheol isn’t doing well, right? He’s indeed Ju Hyeong-jin’s son, lol.

– Wow, they’re just fooling around even with Japan.

Other baseball teams are of lower standards. If they were in Japan’s top league, they would have been developed.

– Are you kidding me about the Japanese?

– Seriously?

– Yeah, he excelled in the WBC and made it to the finals.

– Haha, they just won by luck.

– This guy is a true fan of Japan, lol.

– But why isn’t Maeng Ho-shin doing an interview today?

– Do you think I’d want to interview Ji Maeng-ho if I were the coach? lol

– Every time he opens his mouth, it’s a disaster, lol.

– The Ministry of National Defense should investigate Ji Maeng-ho. How many people is this guy exempting from military service?

– Haha, he’s a military service broker.

– He hasn’t even won a championship yet, but he’s already acting up, lol.

– So are you not going?

– You bastard.

– Honestly, I’m nervous. What if Chen Jianhao isn’t a major leaguer? What will happen then?

– Don’t worry, he’s the fourth starter in a weak team like Sipssas, lol. He’s just at the level of a KBA mercenary.

– Still, he’s a major leaguer…

– He has a record of 6 wins and 12 losses with a 4.96 ERA. He only got a chance because of Siptek; this guy is a total loser. They say he’s going to the Nubf next year?

– I’m really curious. Honestly, if KBA had to pick two batters to go to the majors, would Ju Seung-cheol or Ji Maeng-ho be chosen?

– If Chen Ji can’t even make it, it might be better to give up on the majors, lol.

*

[2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. The highly anticipated final match between South Korea and Taiwan is taking place here. Hello, commentator.]

[Hello.]

[Today’s game is attracting a lot of attention, isn’t it?]

[That’s right. The Asian Games are coming to an end tomorrow, and can we add one more gold medal before the Asian Games end? People have high expectations.]

[In yesterday’s women’s volleyball bronze medal match, we added a bronze medal.]

[That’s right. I watched it too, it was really exciting.]

[And football still has the final left, hoping for good news from the Red Devils.]

[That’s right. But before that, we should deliver some good news first, right?]

[Exactly. So, how do you see today’s game?]

[We expect South Korea to win, but it’s expected to be a fierce match. Today, Taiwan’s starting pitcher is Chen Jianhao, who is currently active in the Major Leagues.]

[Actually, he usually doesn’t agree to player call-ups from the Major Leagues, so it was surprising that Chen Jianhao participated in the Asian Games.]

[That’s right. In my opinion, even the Major League office seems to have allowed it to boost baseball’s popularity, especially in Asia. Anyway, since our national team players are not inferior to Major League players, it should be a good match.]

[To face Chen Jianhao, the national team has selected Jang Woo-joo as the starting pitcher, right?]

[Yes. He throws fastballs at 100 miles per hour and has good stamina, making him a perfect fit for a starting pitcher. Moreover, Head Coach Lee Geum-hyun announced an all-out effort, and except for Baek In-hyuk, who started against Japan, everyone else will be waiting in the bullpen.]

[Then, let me tell you the starting lineup for both teams. It’s the top of the 1st inning, Taiwan’s turn to bat.]

And so, with Jang Woo-joo’s first pitch, the game for the gold medal between the two teams began.