episode_0066

[Official] AT, signs ‘FA’ top hitter Gisangju for 6 years at 15 billion!

AT Thunders have acquired outfielder Gisangju (31) from the San Francisco Giants for 6 years at 15 billion.

Gisangju, a prominent batter in the KBA League, played 1162 games over 9 seasons with a batting average of 0.338, 181 home runs, and 976 RBIs. In the Major League, he played 316 games over 3 seasons, recording a batting average of 0.278, 307 hits, 20 home runs, and 122 RBIs.

ㄴWow, is this for real about Gisangju? LOL

ㄴNext year will be different! LOL

ㄴFeeling uneasy because he’s a rookie

ㄴGisangju! Gisangju! Gisangju! Gisangju! Gisangju!

ㄴI believed in him!!!!

ㄴThank you, Manager Yoon, thank you!

ㄴDamn, he just failed in the majors, why do people like him so much?

ㄴYeah, they couldn’t even afford legends due to lack of money~

[Trade] AT Thunders, decisive triangular trade including Jang Hyun-ho! Aiming for next season’s Fall Baseball?

AT Thunders have sent outfielder Jang Hyun-ho to JT Gold Eyes…

Meanwhile, Jang Hyun-ho debuted with AT Thunders in 2016, playing 742 games until 2022 with a batting average of 0.301, an OPS of 0.798, 862 hits, and 98 home runs.

ㄴWhat the hell, sending Jang Hyun-ho away

ㄴDamn, not even joking, and the new guys they got are all amazing.

ㄴBaek Jung-jin is promising too, but sending Jang Hyun-ho away?

ㄴSeems like they had no choice due to outfield positions

ㄴStill, Jang Hyun-ho is not it–

ㄴThat guy’s defense wasn’t great either, seems like a sweet deal LOL

ㄴLooking for someone to burn down Jamsil Stadium.

ㄴDamn, bring Jang Hyun-ho back, you bastards

[Official] AT Thunders, making a big splash in the transfer market! Signs Jang Yoon for 6 years at 9.4 billion, Choi Jin-cheol for 2 years at 2 billion!

AT Thunders have acquired pitcher Jang Yoon (31) from UG Over Roses and third baseman Choi Jin-cheol (35) from Future Buffaloes.

Jang Yoon, a starting pitcher who played 219 games for UG Over Roses, recorded a 4.09 ERA and 73 wins, expected to be a significant addition to AT Thunders’ pitching rotation.

Choi Jin-cheol, a four-time home run king in the KBA League, started his reign as a home run king in 2013 when he was traded from AT Thunders to Future Buffaloes, achieving the title in 2015, 2016, and 2021. His overall KBA League stats include 1430 games, a batting average of 0.276, 352 home runs, and 1123 RBIs.

ㄴJang Yoon might be fine, but what about that has-been Choi Jin-cheol

ㄴLook at them releasing news of signings right after the Jang Hyun-ho trade, damn bastards

ㄴWelcome, Choi Jin-cheol! I’ve been a fan since your rookie days.

ㄴGiving 2 billion to that has-been, what a lack of respect for the elderly

ㄴNext year will be different! Gisangju-Choi Jin-cheol-Kim Su-ho-Woo Kwan-hyung. Perfect for the KBA League!

ㄴThey really went all out with the money talk LOL

ㄴWelcome, Jang Yoon!!

ㄴDamn, stop bringing in has-beens like Choi Jin-cheol!

*

“Phew, I can do this.”

No matter how many times he had trained, there was always tension when training like this. After all, he was meeting a legend of the Major Leagues in person.

Thunk!

A solid feel in his hand that he hadn’t experienced when facing high school pitchers. Was this the pitch that conquered the Major Leagues, Gu Win-ga? While the velocity ranged from 92 to 93 miles per hour, the solidity

The pitcher I’m facing right now is Pete Alexander, who dominated the National League from the 1910s. He was one of the best pitchers in Major League history, with a total of 373 wins and three Triple Crowns.

“In 1920, Pete was the best pitcher I’ve faced, although he’s been on the decline since then.”

His pitching speed is somewhat similar to Korean pitchers who throw a bit slower. Is it because of his pitching form? The timing wasn’t right. His fast pitches, thrown almost carelessly, keep throwing off my timing.

“Two balls, one strike. One last tip: pitchers back then liked to find your rhythm, so keep that in mind when you step up to the plate.”

“Got it.”

As Rossby’s advice ends, Pete Alexander, as he existed in Rossby’s experience, throws the ball. Due to his unique quick pitching form, I couldn’t time it right and had to pull back my bat.

Trying to swing at that moment would have clearly resulted in a poor hit. Pete Alexander’s sinking fastball bends towards my knee.

“Strike.”

“Did it come in?”

“Yeah.”

“For now, timeout.”

“It’s a good way to refresh when you’re stuck in a deadlock.”

So far, Pete Alexander has thrown two sinkers, one changeup, and one curveball. I had easily filtered out the curveball thrown in the first pitch, and the changeup made me hit a foul ball. So, what will the pitcher throw next?

“Hmm… Should I expect a curveball this time? Since there are still balls left. No, they liked finding your rhythm, so maybe he’ll throw a ball to dazzle the batter. Then, a sinker? But he’s already thrown two sinkers. Hmm… The changeup made me hit a foul ball, so maybe it’s another sinker after all?”

I didn’t think the pitcher would straightforwardly throw a changeup in a favorable count. I adjusted my timing for the sinker and stepped back into the batter’s box.

Pete Alexander, with his distinctive quick pitching form, begins his windup again. The ball leaves the pitcher’s hand and comes towards me. A trajectory I’ve seen several times already. I swung the bat in time.

Thwack!

The hit goes high. The pain felt in my hands indicates it was a well-hit ball.

“Pitcher pop fly. Unfortunately, it was a changeup.”

“You didn’t read my mind and throw a changeup, did you?”

Even though there was a possibility, given that it was a fantasy shown by Rossby, I knew it was just my frustration. Anyway, this was just practice.

“Stop the bullshit and go again?”

“Yes.”

Swinging the bat in the fantasy shown by Rossby consumed more mental strength than most exercises. But becoming the greatest second baseman in Major League history while not being able to hit a pitch from a pitcher a hundred years ago was an absurdity.

I tried to refocus on training. At that moment, Rossby spoke up.

“What happened at that girl’s house that you’re training so hard?”

“Just… It wouldn’t look good if I went to the US without winning anything, right?”

Although Soyoung had asked me, thinking about it, if I couldn’t win in Korea before going to the US, it would be embarrassing. If Jersey, the best player in the Big Leagues this season, comes to the KBA, will we fail to win?

…Hmm, it might be tough against the AT Thunders. But I should be able to easily win even with a team like the AT Thunders, as I will become a greater player than Jersey.

“Hehe, whatever it is, it’s a good trend. You need to work hard from now on so you won’t fall behind in the majors.”

“Then, can I cut down on sex time?”

“Damn monkey! That’s a whole different story! Lately, she’s been sticking to that woman so much that it was already a pain in the ass.”

“Still, you’ve had sex with other women occasionally.”

“Well, that’s true but…”

Since the first time with Soyoung, although there had been plenty of sex with her, he had also consistently been having sex with other women. Each had their own unique appeal. Especially the breast milk sex with Hyojin noona was the best! Now, with just a few months left until her due date, it was regrettable that they couldn’t do it anymore…

Anyway, it was true that my training volume had increased to the point where Rossby would be surprised. I wanted to adjust my game sense by actually playing matches, but due to the cold weather, I couldn’t go outside and was only doing simulated training with Rossby’s help.

Well, since it was much more effective than hitting balls from the pitching machine, I didn’t really have any complaints.

“Well then, let’s get back to it.”

As I was about to resume training, my phone rang. What now? It could be a call from one of my girls, so I immediately answered the phone.

“Hello?”

-“Hyung! Did you hear the news?”

Damn, it was a guy. The voice belonged to my draft classmate, Im Jun-hoo. Just hearing the dull voice of this guy made me feel like my motivation for training was already waning.

“What is it? Do I have to listen to the dull voice of a dickhead all day?”

-“Stop pretending like you’re surrounded by lots of women. Anyway, hyung, did you see the news? It’s been crazy!”

“What news?”

-“Wow, Jang Hyeon-ho senior got traded! And we signed our ace pitcher!”

“Who is Jang Hyeon-ho? Is the ace pitcher that Major Leaguer? Why would he come to our team?”

I wasn’t sure who Jang Hyeon-ho was, but I had heard of the ace pitcher. He was a top hitter representing Korea. I thought he had gone to the Major Leagues, but he was coming back.

“But wait, Jang Hyeon-ho? Why does that name sound familiar?”

-“Wow, hyung, you don’t know Jang Hyeon-ho? That’s really bad.”

“So who is Jang Hyeon-ho? It sounds familiar but… ”

I think the last game I watched recently was probably AT Thunder’s final game. Ah, damn it, I can’t remember. I didn’t want to remember the guy’s name.

-“Jang Hyeon-ho was drafted as the 2nd pick in the 2nd round of the 2013 draft for the AT Thunder franchise. After serving in the military, he debuted in 2016. In his second year in 2017, he recorded 10 home runs at Jamsil Stadium, proving his potential. Since then, he has solidified his position as the starting right fielder for the AT Thunder with a batting average in the early .300s and double-digit home runs every year.”

Hmm… Why is this guy so knowledgeable? Is he writing a thesis or something?

-“After jumping to a .333 batting average with 13 home runs as a starter in the 2022 season, he finally broke through the OPS 0.8 barrier. Still, he can be considered the representative outfielder for the AT Thunder. Perhaps he could be the successor to Woo Kwan-hyung? However, due to extreme aggressiveness at the plate, lack of basic defense, and brain farts, he has received a lot of criticism from AT Thunder fans. Laugh.”

“Laugh? Dude, stop reading God-Wiki and just tell me what you know. When did you search this up?”

-“Wow, how did you know? That I was reading God-Wiki.”

“What kind of guy asks about a baseball player and answers like that?”

-“Haha, busted. Anyway, Senior Hyeon-ho is a damn good outfielder, but he left the team. Apparently, the internet went crazy because they said they sold Jang Hyeon-ho.”

“So, did you call to tell me that? It’s interesting that we signed the ace pitcher, but was it really necessary to call me about it?”

-“Cold. Anyway, it seems like there’s a big fuss going on. Take a look. Even the fan sites are going crazy saying they let Jang Hyeon-ho go.”

“You’re calling me for useless stuff, I’m hanging up.”

I abruptly hung up on him and tried to focus on training again. But…

“To be honest, I’m a little curious.”

Soyoung’s request to lead the team to victory was still vivid in my mind. Honestly, baseball wasn’t a sport where one could do it alone, so the level of teammates was crucial.

“Lim Jun-hoo, that guy seems quite shaken by the flattery. Should I look into it?”

I searched for Jang Hyun-ho’s name on my phone.

“Oh, isn’t this monkey the same guy?!”

“Do you know him? It’s fascinating. Mr. Rosby knows people in Korea too.”

“That blockhead. He was the outfielder we saw back then. The one who missed that easy fly ball. It was so shocking; I still remember it. And now, this guy left the team. Good riddance.”

It slowly dawned on me. It was that outfielder I had seen back then.

“Good riddance indeed. Honestly, I was shocked too.”

Looking at his face, it seemed like he might recall the memory as well. Anyway, I clicked on the article about Jang Hyun-ho at the top.

“Shocker, Jang Hyun-ho involved in a triangular trade between AT Thunderz, JT Gold Eyes, and Silla Triggers. Everything is just shocking.”

The article didn’t reveal much. They sent Jang Hyun-ho to JT Gold Eyes, received one major league player and a promising rookie, then sent the major league player they got from JT to Silla Triggers, while AT Thunderz acquired two minor league players.

“Kang Se-ho, Baek Jung-jin, Kim Yoon-ho. Who are these guys anyway?”

Two pitchers and an outfielder. Well, it didn’t seem like something I needed to worry about. Just have to focus on training.

Just as I was about to start real training, the phone rang again. Checking the screen, it was Lim Jun-hoo once more.

“To answer or not to answer?”

After a brief hesitation, I reluctantly picked up the call since he would probably keep calling until I did.

-“Hyung, hyung! Big news! Big news!”

“What now?”

-“They signed Jang Yoon and Choi Jin-cheol! What’s going on? This season is getting crazy. Could this mean we’re going to win?”

“Choi Jin-cheol? That has-been? Why did he come to Jamsil?”

Choi Jin-cheol was a typical uppercut hitter and didn’t really fit in with Jamsil. Maybe I shouldn’t say that? Anyway, he debuted with AT Thunderz but was traded to the Future Buffaloes after hitting a wall at Jamsil and proving himself there before making it to the Major Leagues.

Could you call it AT Thunderz’s dark history?

-“Oh, calling him a has-been. Choi Jin-cheol was a Tarzan who made it to the Major Leagues. Anyway, they filled three FAs tightly and brought them in. Oh, so they sent Hyun-ho senior to match the cell caps. Anyway, they’re pretty awesome.”

“Just focus on training. If you want to see the first team next season.”

-“Thanks for worrying. You train hard too. Fighting!”

Before I could respond, he hung up. What’s with this guy?

Anyway, Jang Yoon and Choi Jin-cheol were players I had heard of before. Especially Choi Jin-cheol, who was the home run king of the 2021 season. Of course, due to age, he had a terrible 2022 season.

If you had to give him a nickname, it would be fittingly inconsistent with his performance. Anyway, his words sparked my curiosity, so I checked the baseball tab, and it was noisy with AT Thunderz’s aggressive FA signings.

“Hmm, 2 years, 20 billion? Quite a sum.”

Last year, Choi Jin-cheol’s stats were 0.230/0.311/0.475/0.786, which were disappointing compared to his reputation. And a big sum of 20 billion for 2 years seemed unlikely, but it was AT Thunderz.

My head was starting to ache. Buzzzz. Then the phone vibrated again. Why does Lim Jun-hoo keep calling me?

“Stop calling me! You keep calling and talking nonsense!”

“Did you see the news? The players we signed this time are… the Tigers?”

The bold voice I expected was completely different from the gentle voice that pierced my ears through the phone. The rough voices of those boring guys and the completely different soft, ticklish voice of a woman.

…It was Soyeong.

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Weather: Left fielder, left-handed batter.

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