episode_0105

The burning eyes of the youngest member of the national team. No one could say anything harsh to the youngest member who showed such eyes in a situation where defeat was likely. Although he was a bit of a cheesy person, he was a member of the team and a friend who worked harder than anyone else. It was a sight that everyone on the national team had seen at least once, always swinging a bat somewhere.

And although he was a bit cheesy, his skills were clear. In fact, I even saved the national team for the game against Japan.

The first to respond to the youngest’s gaze was Kang Han-beom, the oldest.

“Yes, if I get defeated, I will be so embarrassed that I will live forever.”

Kang Han-beom raised his bat upward, stretched his back, and walked out of the dugout.

“Okay, come to your senses! “It’s not over!”

When his friend Kang Han-beom steps forward, Lee Jin-hong has no choice but to help. Lee Jin-hong, sitting in the dugout on crutches, also encouraged the players.

“Jinhong is right. Even though it’s 8-0, let’s think about the people watching the game in front of TV. “Everyone gather around!”

Coach Lee Geum-hyun also thought the game was over. However, this should not be shown to the people who are watching this game in front of TV.

Even when he loses, he still gives him a shot. Even though the score difference widened, they showed their potential by not losing helplessly. Because that is what the people want from the national team.

At Lee Geum-hyun’s words, pitchers, fielders, and coaches all gathered in a circle. The people who gathered one by one put their hands on each other’s shoulders and waited for Lee Geum-hyeon to speak.

“can do!”

The rest repeat Lee Geum-hyeon’s melody.

“can do!”

“Who are we!”

“This is the Korean baseball team!”

“Yes, there is no player who wants to show an embarrassing image to the public, right?”

“doesn’t exist!”

“Do your best even if you lose. “Those who don’t have their uniforms dirty after the end are prepared to swim back.”

“… “What about the pitcher?”

“who is this! Without notice!”

I don’t know who it was, but at those words, the players’ dead expressions began to come back to life. It wasn’t a very funny joke, but the players had regained their composure enough to crack a joke.

“Let’s turn things around by scoring just 3 runs per inning! “You can do it, right?”

“yes!”

If it had been possible to score 3 runs in an inning, there would not have been an 8-0 score difference, but no player on the national team was intimidated by that. Even if it’s difficult, you don’t lose if there’s a 1% chance.

‘It’s not over until it’s over.’

Kang Han-beom entered the batter’s box with an old baseball proverb and Yogi Berra’s famous quote in mind. The third pitcher from the United States is Shale McClanahan. Tampa Bay’s ace and a monster pitcher who finished the season with an ERA in the low 2-point range.

A monster who throws at an average speed of 97 mph and a top speed of 101 mph at the age of 25. And the restraint comes from the left.

A left-handed fireballer who is said to be brought with you even from hell. The pitcher, sometimes called the second coming of Randy Johnson, was standing on the mound.

‘Verlander, Gallon, and McClenaghan.’

Pitchers who can be considered the aces of each team. If major league players also meet these pitchers, they will tell their managers to take the day off. They were pitchers who could say, In fact, Kang Han-beom had seen several such players in the majors.

‘I’m glad though. ‘Because he’s not a right-handed pitcher.’

However, Kang Han-beom laughed in front of such a player. If he were a right-handed pitcher who threw 100 mph, he wouldn’t have even been able to touch it. It was impossible for a 37-year-old to keep up with such a fastball.

However, it is different if you are a left-hander. If it was a left-handed pitcher who could see the trajectory of the pitch, he would be able to keep up with the speed to some extent. In addition, last year, because the team played in a platoon system, left-handed pitchers were more familiar than ever.

‘Furthermore, that guy is not a reverse split pitcher, but a fastball-slider guy who occasionally mixes a curveball with his main weapon. It’s much more advantageous for me because I can see the trajectory.’

When I thought about it that way, I felt much more at ease. Of course, even so, it was a difficult opponent.

bang!

The 101 mph ball hit the catcher’s mitt with a sound like a cannon.

“cheek.”

See the results. I couldn’t even react, but I still earned the count.

‘and… , I will also move my hand. I’ll just have to look at the slider.’

bang!

“strike!”

bang!

“cheek!”

phut!

“Swing~ Strike!”

bang!

“cheek.”

Kang Han-beom, the best batsman in Korea after Joo Hyung-jin, held back the ball like that. Although he swung the bat at a slider once, he was able to withstand a full count based on his excellent pitching plan, and McClenahan’s expression as he stood on the mound began to distort.

‘There are no sliders anymore. ‘It’s definitely a direct ball.’

And Kang Han-beom knew the meaning of that frown better than anyone else. Because he was a pitcher I had faced until last year. If Kang Kang-beom had left a mark in the major leagues or had been an All-Star player, the pitcher might have made a different choice.

However, giving a young pitcher a walk against a batter inferior to him is a shame of shame. Moreover, they show such an unsightly appearance at this festival? It was an unacceptable humiliation for McClenaghan, who had reached the top of the major leagues at the age of 26.

‘If you can hit it, hit it.’

The energy that can be conveyed just by looking at your eyes. The two men’s eyes collided, and the pitcher’s arm swung at lightning speed.

Perfect!

‘You got it right!’

But the sound of a bat breaking was heard. And Kang Han-beom ran toward first base. A sprint that is not easily seen even during the season. A large man weighing well over 100 kg runs toward first base.

[Kang Hanbeom! You got it right! The bat broke! Hitting a ball! shortstop! Turner!]

As the bat broke, the hit ball, which was not properly loaded, flew aimlessly and passed above the shortstop.

Talk.

American shortstop Turner jumped high, but was unable to get the ball out.

[The batted ball hits Turner’s glove and falls! Kang Han Beom… !]

Turner quickly picked up the ball that fell off his glove and threw it toward first base, showing off his strong shoulders. If it wasn’t for Kang Han-beom, he wouldn’t have thrown it, but since the batter and runner was Kang Kang-beom, it was a close game situation.

[At first base! At first base! It’s three leaves! Oh, Turner’s throw was a little high. Goldschmidt catches it well.]

[It seems like he was able to catch the throw because Goldschmidt is known for his defense at first base. If it had been another first baseman, the ball would have gone backwards. Anyway, Kang Han-beom succeeded in getting on base.]

[The record is recorded as an infield hit. Kang Han-beom’s infield hit, which is hard to see once a year, comes out here.]

[The Korean national team must continue this trend.]

[The next batter is No. 5 batter Koo Jin-mo.]

The broadcasters at the broadcast stand, the people who were still in front of the TV despite feeling defeated but still not giving up, and the Koreans who came all the way to the U.S. were all looking forward to Koo Jin-mo’s hit.

but.

[Swing strike out!]

[ah… . McClellan’s ball is very difficult for left-handed hitters to hit, right? A slider that seems to fly behind your back when a left-handed pitcher throws a ball at 160 km/h. A left-handed hitter who can hit this combination would be rare even in the major leagues. Jinmo Koo. Well done. There is no need to be discouraged.]

Damn!

[High floating infield fly. Kang Han Beom cannot move. Two out. McClenaghan catches the weather forecast.]

Korea’s left-handed hitters fell helplessly to McClenahan’s pitch.

[7th batter Ji Maeng-ho. The go-ahead run against Australia, three RBIs against Taiwan, and a come-from-behind three run against Japan. The youngest member who saved Korea from crisis. Ji Maeng-ho came to bat.]

[Ji Maeng-ho has to do it. Kim Su-ho is also a left-handed hitter, so he needs a long hit rather than a clumsy on-base hit. And Ji Maeng-ho is a player with one long hit! Since he is the player who hit a home run against Ohtani, I believe in Ji Maeng-ho.]

[Today’s record is 1 hit in 2 at-bats. There is a record of hitting a double play, but the hitting feels quite good.]

[In fact, the double play was an accident because the ball was hit too well, so Ji Maeng-ho’s hitting ability can be trusted.]

*

‘The ball is jagged.’

The conclusion I came to while watching McClenaghan’s pitching was that this kid’s pitch control was unpredictable.

‘What’s the need for precise control when throwing 100 miles? Just put it inside the zone.’

‘… That’s right.’

Baseball is a very unfair sport. Batters are out even if they hit just a little bit incorrectly, but it is possible for a pitcher to get a strike even if he just throws poorly.

‘It’s so fucking unfair.’

‘If you tease me, you too will throw 100 miles.’

‘… … .’

I had nothing to say. Well, it doesn’t mean that you can just put anyone in the strike zone.

To throw the way you want, you have to throw a special ball like that guy. A left-handed pitch of 100 mph, such a special ball.

I’ve seen right-handed pitchers hit 100 mph a few times. Otani, who I faced in the match against Japan, also threw a ball at 100 mph. Moreover, I was able to see him a few times during training with Rossby. However, it was my first time running 100 miles as a left-hander.

Moreover, the compatibility was not good. Having poor control means giving up one of my weapons.

‘I guess I’ll have to give up on location, right?’

‘Okay, even if you tell me where the catcher’s mitt is, it’s going to slow down his reaction. That guy doesn’t even throw properly into the catcher’s mitt.’

To hit a ball close to 100 mph, you need to save even 1/1000th of a second. If I had to pick the location for no reason and my reaction was slow, I would never be able to hit the ball at that speed.

‘Then, let’s just go to the pitch.’

‘okay.’

Perfect!

When I finished the strategy meeting with Rossby, the timing was right and the weatherman kicked the ball. The unfortunate thing is that the timing was good, but the batting was not good?

“out!”

“under… , you crazy bastard.”

“How do you like the ball?”

“The slider doesn’t bend that much, but it’s fast so it’s hard to get the timing right.”

“But it bends to some extent, right?”

“Of course.”

“All right.”

After hearing Ki Ki-joo’s impressions of facing him directly, I walked to the plate.

‘In this case, it would be better to aim for a slider, right?’

‘hmm… . That guy’s slider sometimes bends and sometimes doesn’t, so it’s not a good choice.’

‘That’s right.’

My greatest strength was knowing what the pitcher was going to throw. And top pitchers throw pitches that are somewhat consistent, such as the speed or angle of the breaking ball. If a loose ball comes in, it immediately leads to a long hit.

But I was a little different. Because I knew what kind of ball it was, it was difficult to hit it if it didn’t bend as much as I expected. Even if it is a misfire to other batters, if the ball is thrown to me, it becomes an unpredictable winning shot.

To make up for that, I trained with Rossby without telling him the type of pitch, but it was still not enough.

In other words, there is only one ball I can aim for. Fastball.

Even if it’s 100 mph from a left-handed pitcher you’ve never seen before, you have to hit it this time.

‘The first pitch is a fastball. The location is inside the strike zone, so think about it.’

‘okay.’

Towards the body, outside or in the middle. It is difficult to predict where McClenahan’s ball will fly. But one thing is certain: it will come into the strike zone. Because if you don’t have that level of control, you can’t advance to the major leagues.

I trusted that one fact and loaded my swing. Keeping your elbows together and being careful not to open your shoulders too quickly, focus on the pitcher’s appearance. When the pitcher throws the ball, you can swing it at any time. With faster timing than when swinging the bat normally.

‘come!’

The grip of the bat is smooth but fast.

Ta – evil!

‘Ouch, shit!’

My hands are numb. The speed shown on the electronic display board was 100.7 miles. So, about 162 km/h? The batted ball curved beautifully and went into the stands.

‘The bat came out too fast.’

‘All right.’

Were you too conscious? Maybe it’s because he’s a left-hander, but it’s hard to get the timing right.

‘curve.’

Today, his curveball is a pitch that doesn’t go inside the zone at all. I decided to filter it lightly.

“cheek.”

The result was a ball.

‘Fastball. Into the zone.’

And once again the opportunity came. A fastball that enters the zone. Watching the guy’s swing trajectory, it’s fast, but slower than before… .

I swung the bat instinctively.

Ta – evil!

He maintained his strength until the end of the swing and used that strength to throw the bat naturally. Although the speed of the hit was not fast, it had already risen significantly, and it seemed certain that it would go far.

The question is whether it is inside the pole… .

The referee raises his hand. And the fingers turn. Bing Bing.

-Wow!

-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho!

The packed crowd becomes quiet and the shouts of a few Korean fans can be heard. That small shout was heard louder than ever.

‘It was a good hit.’

‘… thank you.’

“ruler! Let’s follow them one by one!”

*

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

-and! Ji Maeng-ho home run!!!!!

-Now 6 points chime, you can do it!

-What game is there today? The communities are going crazy.

Yes, there is a WBC final. There are a lot of major league players.

I quit baseball after Joo Hyung-jin, so I’ll have to watch it sometime.

-Oh, looks like you got a score? Is the game fun?

ㄴㅇㅇ All major league players show up.

-Ji Maeng-ho is this guy. When I was first selected for the national team, I was angry and asked why a rookie was selected, and I’m sorry.

ㄴAs expected, Joo Hyung-jin’s insight…

Lord… how long are you going to save Korea…?

-Fuck!!!!!!! That’s our primary name!!!!!

ㄴㄹㅇ Eppong, it’s so fucking cool haha.

ㄴ and I swung.

-Is he a famous American pitcher? Why did you hit a home run?

Ranked 2nd in the American League.

-Wow, when Mackle goes down, the call comes up. damn..

ㄴAt least it’s a call, so if that bastard doesn’t have tar, it’s a meal.

No, I kept it scoreless.

-Cole, isn’t that guy obsolete? Why are you throwing so damn well?

ㄴThat’s how much it’s deteriorated.

-Ah… I conceded a point again… Seonghyun can’t come out?

ㄴㅇㅇ I threw too much in the game against Japan..

-Even a novice like Ji Maeng-ho hits a home run, so what do other kids do?

ㄴLook at the opposing pitchers, it’s strange that they hit ㅅㅂ

ㄴㄴThat kid’s home run is also pretty, anyway.

-It’s bad to see the top league players disappearing, hehe… It’s worth praying all night long.

It’s all your fault.

– Another home run… Let’s turn off the TV.

you? Still not working

-Ah… 11:2… Thank you for your hard work. Still, I got one home run…

ㄴJust getting the score was a good thing. If you look at the ones posted in the US, they all got double-digit scores.

-Did you enjoy WBC? Until now, it was the ‘Korea National Baseball Team’.

Ah… I feel dizzy just thinking about watching the fucking low level KBA.

ㄴㄹㅇ Still, it was worth watching because a lot of WBC major leaguers came out this time.

-Is the fake baseball WBC over? From now on, this is the KBA Gallery.

ㄴOf course it’s KBA, a real entertainment show rather than fake baseball lol.

-When does the season start? It took so long.

ㄴㄹㅇ It’s been so long since Stove League, I’m tired of waiting.

ㄴNow there are less than ten days left until the opening.

ㄴSorry it took so longㅠㅠ