episode_0294

-[JunPO] Kangho ‘Han Cheol’ subdued! AT Thunders dream of revenge after 21 years.

…AT Thunders secured the ticket to Daegu awaited by Hyunseong Mad Cats by winning in the Jun Playoffs. In the decisive fourth match where the fate of both teams hung in the balance, Han Cheol Grizzlies, despite deploying all starting resources like Na Seung-yoon, Park Hee-min, and Patrick, could not stop AT’s blazing batting line-up. AT Thunders’ cleanup hitter Ji Maeng-ho, with a batting average of 0.615 from 13 at-bats and smashing six home runs, proved why he is the best hitter this season…

ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ

ㄴIt’s all about Ji Maeng-ho in baseball, lol.

ㄴI was so nervous when Woogwan-hyung got out, how did we win, damn it, let’s go to the finals!!!

ㄴWhat happened to Woogwan-hyung?

ㄴHe has a hamstring injury, damn it.

-[JunPO] The team’s top spirit after overcoming adversity, AT’s batting lineup awakened.

…In the dragging second inning, as screams echoed across the field and Woo Gwan-hyung collapsed while sprinting, everyone felt pity. At that moment, rather than being distracted, AT players focused more on the game. Ji Maeng-ho, chosen as the MVP of the Jun Playoffs that day, stated, “Players started focusing after Woo Gwan-hyung’s injury,” and AT’s batting lineup began to show the same form as the regular season… Meanwhile, Woo Gwan-hyung received a diagnosis that ruled out his return during the postseason due to a hamstring injury until further detailed examination results were obtained.

ㄴAh, how is our hyung doing?

ㄴHe has no luck in his final years. After waiting for 20 years, he’s out due to an injury, damn it.

ㄴWinning without Woogwan-hyung is meaningless.

ㄴWinning is winning, damn it.

ㄴLet’s hope our hyung recovers…

-[PO] The unstoppable spear ‘AT’ vs. the impenetrable shield ‘Hyunseong,’ who will emerge victorious in this clash?

…This season, Hyunseong leads with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses against AT. The secret lies in Hyunseong’s solid pitching staff. If the formidable hitters of AT Thunders, who displayed a fearsome hitting sense in the Jun Playoffs, manage to penetrate Hyunseong’s shield, then AT also stands a chance…

ㄴHmm… but Hyunseong’s pitchers seemed shaky towards the end of the season. AT seems to have the momentum to win.

ㄴStill, they can’t beat Hyunseong. Even if they finished fifth last season, Hyunseong’s dynasty seems unshakable.

ㄴDamn, I’m so anxious. We’ve used all our pitchers, how can we beat Hyunseong, damn it.

ㄴIf we can stop Ji Maeng-ho, we can win. Let’s go to the finals again!

*

“How is Gwanhyung doing? Any updates?”

“He tore his hamstring. It’ll take at least 8 weeks to a maximum of 6 months to recover.”

“Sigh… Why does this have to happen to Gwanhyung.”

AT Thunders’ coach, Lee Soo-hyun, sighed deeply upon hearing the senior coach’s report. To think that his younger brother, Gwanhyung, whom he cherished beyond just player-coach relationships, would face such a setback at perhaps the last opportunity life presented him…

Despite returning to the player-coach dynamic, Gwanhyung was an essential player within the team. His performance this season stood at 0.309/0.380/0.442/0.821.

Maintaining an OPS above 0.8, he consistently delivered crucial plays from the sixth spot, bringing runners home in important situations that even Choi Jin-cheol couldn’t handle. Not being able to utilize such a player in the postseason was mentally agonizing.

“Will he be back next year?”

“Well, we’ll have to see how his rehabilitation progresses, but considering his age… even if he returns, he might not perform at the same level as this year.”

Lee Soo-hyun also knew that. It was going to be difficult for Woo Gwan-hyung, a forty-year-old Korean player, to replicate the performance he displayed this season after sustaining a major injury.

“Were there only one home run and two stolen bases left from 400-400? It seemed achievable before retiring.”

“Still, isn’t it Woo Gwan-hyung we’re talking about? He’s known as the epitome of self-discipline. Surely, he will come back healthy next season. Because he’s Woo Gwan-hyung.”

“I hope so. For Gwan-hyung’s sake and for AT’s sake.”

Lee Soo-hyun wanted to rush to her younger brother, whom she had known for a long time, but she couldn’t do that right away. The playoffs were just around the corner. Fortunately, the players’ expressions had changed after Woo Gwan-hyung’s injury. The players were looking at the injured Woo Gwan-hyung with determination, planning to gift him a championship ring.

“To think like this when a player is injured….”

Even in such a situation, Lee Soo-hyun felt a sense of disgust towards herself for finding a positive aspect.

“Well, the problem lies with the batting lineup. In a situation without Gwan-hyung….”

At that moment, hitting coach Lee Ki-cheol’s words quickly dispelled Lee Soo-hyun’s contemplation.

“Yes, we should focus on the batting lineup for now.”

The batting lineup of the AT Thunderz, considered the best in the country this season, was practically set in stone. Kim Ju-yeop and Kim Su-ho as table setters, followed by the cleanup hitters: Giseong-ju, Ji Maeng-ho, and Choi Jin-cheol. Additionally, the sixth batter Woo Gwan-hyung with precise hitting and the seventh batter Yoon Sung-tae with power. Along with catcher Jung Yoon-cheol and right fielder Lee In-hyuk.

Lee In-hyuk was sometimes replaced by Baek Jeong-jin or Han Sang-gyu depending on the situation. However, since designated hitter Woo Gwan-hyung, who also batted sixth, was absent, it was natural to rearrange the lineup. The absence of one player could disrupt the cohesion of the batting lineup.

“Hmm….”

Coach Lee Soo-hyun briefly scanned the regular season statistics of the players, neatly summarized for easy viewing.

127 games played, batting average .320/on-base percentage .396/slugging percentage .401/OPS .797, 141 hits, 4 home runs, 11 stolen bases, center fielder Kim Ju-yeop (L)

140 games played, batting average .325/on-base percentage .448/slugging percentage .478/OPS .926, 165 hits, 15 home runs, 4 stolen bases, third baseman Kim Su-ho (L)

(G=games played, H=hits, HR=home runs, SB=stolen bases.)

“The table setters don’t really need to be changed. Ju-yeop and Su-ho are sufficient.”

140 games played, batting average .366/on-base percentage .446/slugging percentage .628/OPS 1.074, 186 hits, 30 home runs, 2 stolen bases, left fielder Giseong-ju (L)

115 games played, batting average .413/on-base percentage .528/slugging percentage .991/OPS 1.519, 182 hits, 60 home runs, 58 stolen bases, second baseman Ji Maeng-ho (R)

129 games played, batting average .304/on-base percentage .413/slugging percentage .659/OPS 1.073, 140 hits, 44 home runs, 0 stolen bases, first baseman Choi Jin-cheol (R)

“To support Maeng-ho, we need hitters of this caliber both before and after him. Considering Maeng-ho’s current peak performance, there’s probably no need to change the cleanup. Moreover, even though our batting lineup is highly rated, when thinking about the remaining players, we can’t change the first five batters.”

Quickly deciding on the batting order for the first five spots, Lee Soo-hyun began examining the statistics of the remaining players.

116 games played, batting average .265/on-base percentage .341/slugging percentage .433/OPS .775, 107 hits, 13 home runs, 11 stolen bases, shortstop Yoon Sung-tae (L)

110 games played, batting average .258/on-base percentage .332/slugging percentage .382/OPS .714, 94 hits, 10 home runs, 0 stolen bases, catcher Jung Yoon-cheol (R)

94 games played, batting average .303/on-base percentage .374/slugging percentage .384/OPS .

76G 0.246/0.318/0.317/0.635 49H 3HR 1SB C(Catcher) Han Young-jin(R)

71G 0.262/0.333/0.330.0.663 27H 0HR 8SB SS(Shortstop) Kang Ju-hyun(L)

Compared to the top hitters, their performances were lackluster, but excluding Kang Ju-hyun, the reliable defense in the infield center line, or the team’s second catcher Han Young-jin, their OPS was over 0.7, so it wasn’t something to overlook.

“Seong-tae and Yoon-cheol are irreplaceable due to their defense. Suddenly benching the starting shortstop and catcher during the postseason is suicidal.”

“I think it’s better to move Seong-tae to the 6th spot, right? He has power and among the remaining batters, he has the best hitting ability.”

“Well, Seong-tae plays shortstop, and putting a player who has barely played full-time in the demanding fall baseball at 6th isn’t right. Actually, Seong-tae’s defense is shaky right now.”

“Still, considering Seong-tae’s hitting ability, 6th is the right spot. Who would replace Seong-tae? Yoon-cheol? Or In-hyuk? Coach, based on the lineup, we must use Seong-tae no matter what.”

“No, Coach. We should utilize Seong-tae in his most familiar 7th spot to stabilize the defense.”

While Manager Lee Soo-hyun pondered, defensive coach Bae Jeong-sik and hitting coach Lee Ki-cheol clashed. Both Lee Ki-cheol’s emphasis on hitting and Bae Jeong-sik’s focus on defense made sense, leaving Manager Lee Soo-hyun deeply contemplating. After a while, Manager Lee Soo-hyun made a decision.

“Since we aren’t a team with a defensive advantage, I think we should promote Seong-tae.”

“That’s right!”

“Coach!”

“Enough. The core of our lineup is Maeng-ho. Even when facing Choi Jin-cheol and Woo Gwan-hyeong later, they faced a lot of pressure. Without Seong-tae, they’ll face even more pressure. Seong-tae is a guy with a powerful hit, so let’s have some expectations.”

“…Understood.”

Though the defensive coach reluctantly agreed, once the manager decided, there was no room for change.

“It’s probably best to keep Yoon-cheol fixed at 8th, right? He’s older and his hitting stats aren’t that great.”

“Then that should work.”

Thus, the 1st to 6th batters and the 8th batter were decided. Two spots remained. With designated hitter Woo Gwan-hyeong out and regular player Lee In-hyuk, sometimes rotating right fielder Woo Kwan-hyeong.

“Left, left, left, right, right, left. A right-handed batter might balance things out better…”

“Definitely not the catcher Young-jin, then how about Sang-min? Sang-min did come in as a designated hitter instead of Gwan-hyeong, but it might be better to use outfielders even if it disrupts the left-right balance. When did we become a team that uses right-handed batters?”

“That’s true. Maybe In-hyuk, Jung-jin, Sang-gyu are all mediocre, but they provide the basics.”

The suggestion to use right-handed Kim Sang-min for the sake of the lineup’s left-right balance was quickly accepted. The remaining outfielders were ultimately the ones left, as expected from AT’s revolving door of talented outfielders. Utility player Lee In-hyuk, balanced Baek Jung-jin, and power hitter Han Sang-gyu, who hit 10 home runs despite poor contact.

“When considering defense, Sang-gyu suits the designated hitter role. While he can also play right field, it’s not a crucial game for him to start.”

“상규 has a powerful swing, suitable for autumn baseball. However, he also hits into double plays frequently, so I think Jungjin is better. He can play defense and has shown good performance against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers.”

“Coach Bae, who do you think is better defensively between Inhyuk and Jungjin?”

“In terms of range, Inhyuk is better, but Jungjin has the stronger arm.”

“But we have a strong second baseman. Is the right fielder’s arm really that important? Manager Kwan always focused on the right fielder. It seems like Inhyuk is the right choice for right field.”

“Let’s go with Inhyuk then. He was a regular starter during the season. What do you think, Coach?”

“I also believe Inhyuk is the right choice. We’ll place him in the 9th spot as usual.”

Now, the only remaining decision is the designated hitter position, number 7. The contenders were Baek Jungjin and Han Sangkyu. Baek Jungjin, who joined through a trade this season, proved his potential by hitting .280 with 8 home runs. On the other hand, Han Sangkyu, who was AT’s starting outfielder until last season but lost his spot due to injuries, managed to hit 10 home runs.

“Manager, Jungjin can play multiple outfield positions. Shouldn’t we keep him on the bench?”

“…That’s a valid point.”

Ultimately, Lee Soohyun chose Han Sangkyu. He provided the power needed for autumn baseball and the possibility of crucial defensive plays. With the most important batting lineup decided, the only issue left was the pitching strategy.

“The starters will be Krongs, Bellingham, Jang Yoon, Park Junhyung. Does this order seem good? Krongs and Bellingham are both right-handed, but Jang Yoon struggles in smaller ballparks.”

“That’s true. Actually, the bullpen is more of a concern than the starters…”

With the starting lineup settled, the focus shifted to the bullpen. While Kang Seho and Kim Yunho had been crucial in the latter part of the season, appearing in every playoff game to secure the team’s rear guard, they were showing signs of fatigue, making them vulnerable to late-game hits.

“Fortunately, we still have Junhu and Chanyeong to call upon if the starters falter.”

“Let’s focus on the basics for now. Once we’re in the game, anything can happen.”

“Understood.”

After a lengthy meeting that stretched into the late hours, the AT Thunderers were able to finalize their preparations for the playoffs.