episode_0309

[In the 5th inning, AT Thunders’ attack starts with the 8th batter, Baek Jeong-jin. Baek Jeong-jin’s record for today is 0 hits in 1 at-bat.]

[Baek Jeong-jin, who usually plays as a backup outfielder during the regular season, has been sporadically starting since Woo Kwan-hyung’s injury, recording a batting average of .333 with 3 hits in 9 at-bats in the postseason.]

[With UG Over Roses leading 2-1, can AT tie the game?]

In the fourth game of the Korean Series, where UG Over Roses leads 2-1, UG has put Lee Seok-gyun as the starting pitcher, while AT Thunders have Park Jun-hyung on the mound.

It was a matchup between Lee Seok-gyun and Park Jun-hyung. Fans interested in the KBA all believed in Lee Seok-gyun’s victory. This was because, except for the season he was injured back in 2018 when UG Over Roses won the championship, Lee Seok-gyun had consistently delivered 10 wins as a pitcher and occasionally represented the national team.

UG’s formidable starting rotation, consisting of mercenaries – mercenaries – Kim Sung-gyeol – Lee Seok-gyun – Jang Yoon, once haunted fans of the other nine teams, and even now, after Jang Yoon’s free agency move, they maintained their reputation. It was a well-known fact among all baseball fans that Kim Sung-gyeol and Lee Seok-gyun had played crucial roles in safeguarding UG’s pitching staff.

Despite Lee Seok-gyun boasting an ERA in the late threes this season, the match was a test for Park Jun-hyung, who hadn’t shown a solid performance yet. Therefore, it was natural for fans to predict UG’s victory leaning on Lee Seok-gyun.

However, contrary to expectations, the fourth game was turning into a surprising pitching duel. Until Jang Yoon arrived, Park Jun-hyung’s performance might have been somewhat disappointing compared to other teams’ aces, but the voices of fans supporting him, who had been supporting the team’s starting mound, grew louder.

“Hey batters! Score some runs! Jun-hyung is throwing so well!”

“…I want to hit too.”

The affectionate cheers mixed with support from the stands reached Baek Jeong-jin as he stepped up to the plate. The fans urging for runs. Baek Jeong-jin also wanted to score more than anyone else.

It had been a year since Baek Jeong-jin transferred from Silla Triggers to AT Thunders. In reality, when Baek Jeong-jin was traded to AT, he thought his pro career was almost over. AT Thunders, a paradise for left-handed outfielders, and himself, a left-handed outfielder.

The left-handed outfielders abundant in AT had been proving their worth for several years. In contrast, except for the national team outfielder Lee Eun-chong, he had failed to secure a spot even in Silla Triggers, which used foreign mercenaries in the outfield, apart from Kim Sung-gyeol, despite being a left-handed outfielder.

In his debut season in 2017, he came to bat 163 times, hitting 6 home runs and was evaluated to have the potential to hit double-digit home runs, but since then, with a batting average in the early .200s, he had been shuttling between pinch-hitting and the second team until being traded to AT. A 26-year-old mandatory military service left-handed outfielder. That was Baek Jeong-jin.

Simply a trade commodity brought to AT, Baek Jeong-jin wanted to give up everything the moment he arrived. However,

-“Jeong-jin, you know the manager picked you, right? He said you must be brought here no matter what. You are the star of this trade. So, don’t give up, let’s work hard this season.”

-“Huh? Why all of a sudden…”

-“Do you think I’ve never seen guys like you around here? But if you don’t give up till the end, opportunities will come. Jeong-jin, you have potential.”

At that time, as the manager of the second team, Lee Soo-hyun’s words had lifted Baek Jeong-jin up. After regaining his composure and thorough preparation for the 2023 season, under Manager Lee Soo-hyun’s belief, Baek Jeong-jin emerged from the second team to become a regular starter, recording a batting average of over .400. With Lee Soo-hyun’s promotion to first-team manager, Baek Jeong-jin could step foot into AT’s first team.

And now, with Woo Kwan-hyung sidelined due to injury, Baek Jeong-jin stood on the stage of the Korean Series.

“I have to repay the coach.”

Though he started in the second team and occasionally played as a starter, he wanted to repay Coach Lee Soo-hyun who trusted him and gave him the opportunity to start in the crucial stage of the Korean Series.

Of course, he knew it wouldn’t be easy. UG’s starting pitcher, Lee Seok-gyun, was a strong left-handed pitcher against left-handed batters, even being called up to the national team.

A batter who struggled to get a chance in the lineup despite being from the national team and facing a starting pitcher. It was a matchup clearly favoring Lee Seok-gyun, but Baek Jeong-jin didn’t give up, just like when he received encouragement from Coach Lee Soo-hyun.

[Lee Seok-gyun’s first pitch! …Ball!]

“Phew, that was close.”

When Lee Seok-gyun’s first pitch hit the mitt, Baek Jeong-jin couldn’t help but flinch. The slight difference between the strike zone and the ball wasn’t surprising, even if it had been called a strike.

“Is this a ball?”

“Yes.”

“Tsk.”

UG’s main catcher, Baek Gyeong-ho, perhaps feeling the pitch was close, subtly appealed to the home plate umpire before returning the ball to Lee Seok-gyun. And then, the second pitch was thrown.

[Lee Seok-gyun’s second pitch is in the same spot! Ball is called.]

Lee Seok-gyun threw the ball in a similar location, and the umpire called it a ball.

“Phew, thankfully Lee Seok-gyun is asserting himself. Two balls. It has been fastballs so far, is it time for an off-speed pitch?”

However, UG’s catcher Baek Gyeong-ho wasn’t one to make such predictable pitch selections. Even in the Korean Series, Baek Gyeong-ho, known for managing pitch selections the coach could trust, demanded a fastball for the third pitch.

Whooosh!

“Strike!”

Baek Jeong-jin’s bat swung wildly, missing the ball.

[Swing and a miss! One strike, two balls.]

“The speed registered at 153 km/h. The velocity has been maintained at 150 throughout the 5th inning. As expected in the Korean Series, Lee Seok-gyun is showing exceptional pitching. Baek Jeong-jin couldn’t catch up, right?”

“With three consecutive fastballs, is he aiming to change the eye level? Then maybe the next pitch? Well, it’s still two balls, let’s see one more pitch for now.”

[Lee Seok-gyun’s fourth pitch, a curveball! Baek Jeong-jin flinches but holds back the bat.]

Lee Seok-gyun’s fourth pitch was a big breaking curveball that kept him in place. Patiently waiting to watch the ball, Baek Jeong-jin held back, and suddenly the count became one strike, three balls.

The batter had a significantly advantageous count.

“From this inning to the next, I need to retire five batters to meet Ji Maeng-ho at two outs. If I meet Ji Maeng-ho in a comfortable out count, it’s definitely one run, so I have to end this inning with three strikeouts.”

Even in such a disadvantageous situation, Lee Seok-gyun calculated the remaining innings like a starting pitcher.

“A slider?”

“Something else.”

“A curveball?”

“Something else.”

After calculating, Lee Seok-gyun made his decision, rejecting Baek Gyeong-ho’s signs and choosing the pitch he wanted.

“Senior, they can’t catch up with my pitches anyway. Going for a high fastball?”

Lee Seok-gyun’s chosen pitch was a fastball.

“Gulp, this is risky…”

Although Baek Gyeong-ho sensed the danger, he couldn’t break the pitcher’s determination. Considering the remaining pitch count, it was best to quickly handle the lower-order hitters, so Baek Gyeong-ho prepared to receive the fastball.

…However,

Crack – Strike!

Baek Jeong-jin was eyeing that pitch. Convinced that a pitcher like Lee Seok-gyun wouldn’t dare throw a scary pitch to him, Baek Jeong-jin timed his fastball perfectly, aiming for the ball coming into the zone.

[This hit is going far! Far! Over the fence! It’s out of here! Baek Jeong-jin’s solo home run ties the game! Bringing the score to 2:2!]

As Baek Jeong-jin’s hit cleared the fence, in the bottom of the fifth inning, the score was tied.

“Damn it! Of all people, him!”

A crucial home run allowed on the stage of the Korean Series. And to none other than the guy who had been warming the bench until hitting that home run, causing Lee Seok-gyun, who had been pitching well until the fourth inning, to start faltering.

“Strike! You’re out!”

While he struck out the next batter, Lee In-hyuk, it was evident even to AT’s batters that Lee Seok-gyun was now rushing his pitches. And the game continued,

[Kim Ju-yeop’s hit goes past the infield!]

[Kim Soo-ho’s hit! It heads towards center field! Kim Ju-yeop rounds third base to home! …but doesn’t run! One out, runner on first and third. A golden opportunity for the AT Thunder!]

[Ball! Ball! Gisang-ju works a full count and draws a walk! One out, bases loaded! Stepping up to bat is Ji Maeng-ho, who has already walked once today as the fourth batter!]

Exploiting the opening created by Baek Jeong-jin’s home run and targeting the shaky Lee Seok-gyun, AT’s batters quickly loaded the bases with one out, with Ji Maeng-ho stepping up to the plate.

“Well, isn’t this an interesting situation? UG Overz has been consistently avoiding facing Ji Maeng-ho so far, especially with runners in scoring position. Will they pitch around him, or will the UG bench’s decision surprise us?”

“Time is called, and Baek Gyeong-ho takes the mound. Ah, Manager Moon Gi-taek is joining him. What kind of discussion do coaches usually have in moments like these?”

“Well, it’s usually the same. Throw confidently. Those kinds of talks. But, the current situation seems a bit special, doesn’t it? I’m really curious about what they’ll discuss.”

“Seok-gyun, you know, right? This is the last stand.”

The words that came from Moon Gi-taek’s mouth were quite cold for a message to a pitcher who had been solid on the team’s mound until then.

“Junghwi has been preparing from behind since the home run. Ji Maeng-ho is the last.”

“Ji Maeng-ho is the last…?”

Yoon Jung-hwan is a right-handed sidearm pitcher with a strength against right-handed batters. By conventional standards, if there’s a pitching change, facing Ji Maeng-ho, a right-handed batter, should prompt a switch. However, asking him to face Ji Maeng-ho meant,

“Yeah, brush him off with your hand and come down.”

It meant intentionally walking him. However, despite Moon Gi-taek’s stern demeanor, he couldn’t overtly signal for an intentional walk with the bases loaded, hence entrusting that task to Lee Seok-gyun.

“…Do I really have to walk him?”

“If he hits a home run here, the game ends today. Trust your teammates behind you and make sure you walk him decisively.”

‘Damn, it would be unfair even if I hit a home run. Am I really supposed to walk him like this? Is this even reasonable?’

Faced with such a ruthless directive from the coach, Lee Seok-gyun was taken aback but,

“So, what’s your answer?”

“…Understood.”

He couldn’t defy Moon Gi-taek. With the instructions given, as Moon Gi-taek descended from the mound, Baek Gyeong-ho tried to console Lee Seok-gyun.

“I’m sorry. Seok-gyun. I should have led better.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

Despite Baek Gyeong-ho’s apology, Lee Seok-gyun knew. It was his own excitement that had led to this situation.

“Just by watching him come down, it seems like he told him to pitch confidently as usual.”

“That’s right. Now Ji Maeng-ho steps up to the plate. He has drawn two walks today.”

“Ah, this showdown will be Jeong Maeng-ho’s true first at-bat in the Korean Series, right? I wonder what kind of hit Jeong Maeng-ho will show us. As a baseball fan, I’m looking forward to it. However, personally, I don’t think Jeong Maeng-ho’s hitting sense is that great right now. Anyway, after watching the ball for a few games, well…”

‘Damn, damn, damn!’

As Jeong Maeng-ho stepped into the batter’s box, Lee Seok-gyun cursed inwardly while staring at the catcher’s mitt. The mitt was positioned outside. It was the location discussed to brush off Jeong Maeng-ho. Despite being unable to throw the ball to that mitt location,

“Seok-gyun, what are you doing?”

Baek Gyeong-ho’s gaze urged Lee Seok-gyun. Yielding to the pressure, Lee Seok-gyun prepared to throw a fastball and looked at Jeong Maeng-ho standing in the batter’s box. His expression showed a lack of enthusiasm throughout the series and a hitting form that didn’t seem promising at all. Even with bases loaded, he appeared confident in brushing himself off.

‘Damn, if it weren’t for the coach…!’

With thoughts of wanting to win and the need to brush off Jeong Maeng-ho according to the plan mixed in his mind, Lee Seok-gyun’s fastball was thrown towards the mitt.

However, the complex emotions of Lee Seok-gyun created a gap that made the pitch closer to the strike zone than the usual pitches thrown to brush off Jeong Maeng-ho, and

‘Here it comes!’

…Jeong Maeng-ho, who was aiming for just one opportunity, extended his arm and swung the bat.

Thunk!