episode_0174

Inside the quiet club bus, Ji Maeng-ho’s unexpected words drew the attention of nearby players to where Ji Maeng-ho and Choi Jin-cheol were sitting.

‘What is he saying now?’

‘I think Jincheol hit a double play today… ?’

‘… Are you saying I had no hits today?’

Moreover, the target was Choi Jin-cheol. Three-time MVP and four-time home run champion. And a pinch hitter who hit 20 home runs in one season in the major leagues. No, even leaving that aside, the age difference alone is fifteen. It wasn’t a military number to talk to on a late-night expedition bus.

Of course, there were sometimes players who were too passionate about baseball and would break this unspoken rule and talk to their seniors. Most of those types of players were young players or players who had just come up from the 1.5th or 2nd tier.

For those players, it’s one at-bat, one at-bat. One game, one game. Every piece of advice from my seniors was valuable, so I was able to understand other players well.

However, Ji Maeng-ho was different. Even before his professional debut, he participated in the WBC and hit the most home runs in the national team. As soon as he made his professional debut, he bombarded the league, setting a record that no player had ever shown before.

Moreover, Ji Maeng-ho was recognized by his teammates as a player who was confident in his own right. Even the two coaches who led AT this season, Sands and Lee Soo-hyun, were a hot topic among AT players by not suggesting any strategies during Ji Maeng-ho’s at-bats.

Although Ki Ki-ju gave some advice, there was little advice on swing, and even Woo Gwan-hyeong, who is a master of hitting theory and knows how to make the perfect swing according to the situation, evaluated Ji Maeng-ho as an already accomplished hitter.

Ji Maeng-ho asks Choi Jin-cheol that question? The thought that the intention was not simply to get advice passed through the players’ minds. Ji Maeng-ho was also quite famous among players for his personality.

Ji Maeng-ho was kind to his seniors on the same team and was good at what he was supposed to do as the youngest member, but when he heard from his classmates and seniors on other teams, he said it was their first time seeing such a rude bastard and in every interview, he asked, “Why is this bastard like this?” Considering Ji Maeng-ho’s personality, which made people think, “The players thought that there must be a different intention.”

In particular, after the incident where Baek Du-hyeong, who was about the same age as his uncle, threw a bamboo ball, Ji Maeng-ho’s image among players was that he was a hitter whose concept and skills were inversely proportional.

“what?”

The players with less time listened to Choi Jin-cheol’s answer with bated breath, and the players with more time looked back with interest. The bus had already left, but the players were so focused on Ji Maeng-ho and Choi Jin-cheol that they didn’t even notice it.

Even if Choi Jin-cheol debuted in AT, the club that enjoyed its heyday was the Mirae Buffaloes, which have strong military discipline. No matter how kind-hearted Choi Jin-cheol was and how he openly said that he did not like the atmosphere of the club, everyone knew that he was not the kind of person who would just sit by and watch his junior’s self-indulgence.

Therefore, the longer Ji Maeng-ho remained silent in response to Choi Jin-cheol’s words, the more the players who were listening to the conversation with their ears open could not help but break into a cold sweat.

‘Are you really planning on giving Jincheol a chance to win with that kind of skill? Considering the interviews Meng Hao has given so far, there is a good chance. Well, he’s also a dick to Jinmo hyung, so he won’t do anything to Jincheol hyung.’

In particular, Ki Ki-ju found this situation quite interesting. Ji Maeng-ho, whom I met as a roommate at WBC, had a personality full of confidence. Because I thoughtlessly said something arrogant, even to myself. Ji Maeng-ho asks for advice first? That’s nonsense.

Ki Ki-joo was curious about what would happen in the future. If it had been before he went to the major leagues, I would have stopped him and stopped him, but in the major leagues, talented juniors often say something to their seniors, so this situation was actually fun.

‘That bastard is doing that again. Was it not enough to scold you once?’

In the case of Kim Su-ho, his head was pounding. Although he sometimes showed a cute or passionate side as a young player, in Kim Su-ho’s view, Ji Maeng-ho was basically a rude guy. Because the image of him laughing at Seong-Hyun, Korea’s great pitcher and respected senior, was deeply ingrained in Kim Su-ho’s mind.

He thought he had been quiet for a while and ended up causing an accident, but he couldn’t get up because Choi Jin-cheol, who was much older than him, was the one involved in the story.

‘As expected, you don’t get depressed just because you lost. Meng Hao will become the President. Good posture. Really, maybe this year… .’

In Wu Guanheng’s opinion, Meng Hao was proud of him. From the beginning, Woo Kwan-hyung was the type of person who did not judge people based on what others said, and Ji Maeng-ho, in his opinion, was a junior who was very respectful to his senior. Although he sometimes embarrassed himself by saying strange things.

Moreover, the gaze of a genius batsman who might be able to relieve a grudge that has lasted over 20 years was bound to be softer than that of other people. Since Woo Kwan-hyung had never been to a fall baseball game while hitting close to 3,000 hits since his debut season, the expectations for Ji Maeng-ho were high, and no matter what Ji Maeng-ho did, it looked good in Woo Kwan-hyung’s eyes.

Even when Ji Maeng-ho was cutting off Baek Du-hyeong, it was Woo Gwan-hyeong whom he secretly liked, saying that an ambitious rookie had come in. Even when Ji Maeng-ho suddenly slaps him with harsh words, he says, ‘You could make a mistake. He was a person who would laugh at least once and say, ‘Hehe.’

Everyone except Woo Gwan-hyung waited for Ji Maeng-ho’s answer, half in anticipation and half in fear of what he would say. And as if he had gathered his thoughts, Ji Maeng-ho opened his mouth.

“Senior, you were also the home run king. But before that, honestly, my batting average wasn’t that good.”

“Huh.”

Choi Jin-cheol’s sore fingers. Someone took a deep breath as Ji Maeng-ho talked about his AT days. And Choi Jin-cheol’s expression began to harden. Of course, because it was a dark bus, no one could see Choi Jin-cheol’s expression.

“so?”

“So I was a little curious. What kind of change in mindset did you need to be able to play as well as you do now? “I also have a lot of worries these days.”

“You have a lot of worries?”

“yes. These days, when I get into the scoring range, I think about that a lot. Aren’t I still number one in home runs? Isn’t it time to take a swing in scoring position?”

‘Why is it that a kid who can’t hit as well as me took a big swing and hit a double play? Are you trying to say this? Are you trying to tell me to slow down my swing?’

Those negative thoughts first appeared in the mind of Choi Jin-cheol, who was already in a bad mood because he had already hit a double play due to the negative rumors he heard about Ji Maeng-ho from his classmates and juniors.

“So, are you telling me to swing small?”

Choi Jin-cheol speaks coldly.

“yes? Take a small swing in scoring territory? Should I do that too?”

However, Ji Maeng-ho did not seem to feel that atmosphere. And the answer didn’t quite fit the focus.

“What do you mean?”

“No, my senior was the home run king and a right-handed infielder. I think it’s similar to me in some way. These days, when I get into the scoring zone, I think a lot. So, I wonder if there should be some kind of team betting when it comes to scoring points. Hold the bat briefly and hit it, or make a swing that hits it. that. “Have you had similar concerns as me?”

‘what?’

Ji Maeng-ho’s answer made Choi Jin-cheol feel dazed for a moment. Did he worry about that? I couldn’t believe I even thought about it like that. With a batting average of .400, an OPS well over 1.5, and 38 RBIs, the guy who tied the league’s monthly record for most RBIs in a single month is worried about scoring.

‘Are you kidding me?’

Choi Jin-cheol looked intently at Ji Maeng-ho’s expression to understand his intentions. However, like most rookie players, the expression on his face was that of a batter who was worried about his swing. The same expression he made when he was a rookie.

‘I don’t think you’re acting?’

“… Seniors? Why do you look at me like that?”

“Are you really thinking about that?”

“yes. So why would you fake it and say you have concerns? “The golden return time is not enough even if you sleep.”

“Well, that’s true.”

In Choi Jin-cheol’s eyes, Ji Maeng-ho was a bit rude, as other teams’ players said, but not to a severe degree. Everyone knows that kids these days are spoiled.

“So, senior, how do you swing when you’re in the scoring position? Full swing? Swing to match?”

In response to Ji Maeng-ho’s question, Choi Jin-cheol recalled a memory from when he signed a contract with AT a few months ago.

-“Ah, Choi Jin-cheol. If you go to AT, there is a new player named Ji Maeng-ho who was recently selected, and he is also a member of our agency. Please help me from the side. You know. “It is difficult for a right-handed hitter to grow in Jamsil.”

-“Isn’t that obvious? Helping talented juniors is always welcome. “If he’s from our agency, he must be talented.”

-“Well, that’s right.”

-“All right. “It reminds me of the old days when a right-handed slugger was selected in the first round at AT.”

After coming to AT, there were many times when he tried to give some advice, but in Choi Jin-cheol’s opinion, Ji Maeng-ho did not seem to listen very carefully. And since he was a hitter who seemed to have already completed his own thing, Choi Jin-cheol soon reduced the frequency of advice he gave.

But asking yourself for advice like this? In fact, wasn’t this young player waiting for my advice? Choi Jin-cheol knew well that it was difficult for a young player to say something like this to a senior player. When I thought about it that way, I somehow felt proud of Ji Maeng-ho.

‘what. He’s a better guy than I thought. ‘I thought it was strange that the cubs were rude and all.’

With that feeling of pride, the frustration I felt as I hit the double play today is washed away.

“You had that kind of concern?”

“yes.”

“That’s why I didn’t do very well in my resignation.”

“… “It’s not like that in particular.”

Ji Maeng-ho denied it, but Choi Jin-cheol was already at his own pace. It was clear that there wouldn’t be many people who would sit still when a newbie came and asked a cute question, and Choi Jin-cheol was one of those people who were curious about baseball. Choi Jin-cheol, who was the senior who gave the most advice to his juniors during his time in the future and was the subject of many funny articles, enjoyed this situation.

“good. “I’m curious about your mindset when you’re in scoring position, right?”

“yes.”

“Is there anything special? Just swing big.”

“yes?”

“You and me. You can tell just by looking at him, but he’s a hitter who gets passed over if he gets hit. A hitter like that will swing big no matter what. Even if it means hitting a double play. Well, with a guy like Joo-yeop, you can just guess.”

“Senior, why am I suddenly… .”

“Were you listening? I miss you. But it’s true, isn’t it?”

Kim Joo-yeop, the AT Thunders’ representative left-handed hitting center fielder, was taken aback by his name being suddenly called, but Choi Jin-cheol paid it no heed and continued his speech.

“You’re hitting .400 right now, but you know it. That it can’t be maintained until the end of the season. When I was young, I sometimes hit .600 for a week, but eventually my batting average dropped. But the important thing is that if you have a shot, pitchers won’t look down on you. Do you get a hit with the bases loaded? Okay, that’s 2 points. It’s a score difference that can be overturned at any time. But one home run? Score 4 points? If this happens, the game for that day should be considered over.”

“In the end, it only takes one shot to turn the game around. That’s what the team wants too. It’s not for nothing that they say home run hitters drive Cadillacs. You just guess it right and get lucky and get 1 point? So the pitcher must be happy? Wow, you only gave up 1 point against the #1 home run hitter? Like this. I heard a lot of stories like that when I was the home run king. In any case, if you become a batter who has one shot in scoring range, it will automatically be easier to fight with numbers, and the pitcher will work harder, resulting in missed throws, right? Then it will be easier to hit home runs. Do you know what I’m saying? “Become a hitter who can instill fear in pitchers.”

Ji Maeng-ho nods his head as Choi Jin-cheol pours out his rapid-fire words.

“Boss, I worry about this too. Is it because I lost in the end? Anyway, the important thing is to make your own swing. If you clumsily push for the right to score, you will end up ruining your form. Do you understand?”

After finishing his long talk, Choi Jin-cheol looked at Ji Maeng-ho.

‘Of course, you have to check for yourself to see what kind of person he is. Even on the day I lost, I came to my senior and asked him this. ‘The passion for baseball is amazing.’

Ji Maeng-ho, whose evaluation is increasing in Choi Jin-cheol’s heart… ,

“… yes.”

… He answered in a slightly tired voice.

‘why? Baseball players all talk a lot whenever they talk about baseball, right? By the way, isn’t that the same thing as what Rossby said?’

While Choi Jin-cheol was making a satisfied expression without knowing what Ji Maeng-ho was thinking, another figure approached the empty single seat.

“Our youngest, have you been thinking about that? Then you should have asked your brother. First of all, do you know why you think a lot when it comes to scoring? That’s because I’m not sure. I’m sure. It’s a mental problem. The way I see it, is your swing one, or is your physical ability two? Anyway, things like that wouldn’t work in the major leagues, right? I haven’t seen kids like you in Triple A, so it means you’ll be benched in the majors. But do you know what those kids have in common? as soon as… .”

‘Fuck, another talkative person has been added.’

When the topic of baseball came up, it was Ki Ki-ju who couldn’t resist and approached him. The baseball lecture by Ki Ki-ju and Choi Jin-cheol continued until the end of the Gyeongbu Line. And Ji Maeng-ho may not have known it, but the negative views on him were changing little by little.