episode_0190

[I’m skipping Ji Maeng-ho here.]

[It’s an obvious choice, right? Ji Maeng-ho’s current OPS is 1.658. To put it simply, when a walk is made, the OPS becomes 1.0, but Ji Maeng-ho’s OPS is well over 1.0, so if first base is empty, it is of course the right choice to fill first base.]

[Hey, I can’t quite believe that the OPS is 1.658, right?]

[Korea’s best player, Joo Hyung-jin, recorded an OPS of 1.263 in 2002, right before he entered the major leagues, and that year, he hit 61 home runs, so you can see how great of a record he was. The highest record in a year in the major leagues was Bonds’ 1.421 in 2004.]

[Wow, what a better record than Bones?]

[yes. Well, there is a difference in the level of the league and it has only been a little over a month since the league opened, so there is no guarantee that Ji Maeng-ho will be able to maintain this OPS until the end of the season, but it goes without saying that it is a great record, right?]

[Is it disappointing for Ji Maeng-ho?]

[But in a way, it was an obvious choice in the volcano dugout. Currently, first base is empty in the league, but I don’t think there is a manager who can compete head-to-head with Ji Maeng-ho.]

[Haha, Ji Maeng-ho’s expression as he walks to first base isn’t very good, is it?]

[That’s possible. However, Ji Maeng-ho needs to trust his teammates more. The AT Thunders’ cleanup trio of Ki Ki-joo, Choi Jin-cheol, and Woo Kwan-hyung is one of the best batting lineups in the league.]

[Aren’t the clean-up trio all regulars on the national team? Of course, the generations are a little different.]

[Yes. Ki Ki-joo and Choi Jin-cheol are sluggers who have hit double-digit home runs in the major leagues, and Woo Kwan-hyung is a legendary hitter who is on the verge of reaching 3,000 hits.]

[Now the weatherman comes to bat. Isn’t Ki Ki-joo’s expression unusual?]

[My pride was hurt. Now, a debuting rookie player receives an intentional out-of-field throw in front of his plate. Also in the bottom of the 9th inning. If you are a hitter, your pride will inevitably be hurt.]

As the commentator said, Ki Ki-joo’s pride was very damaged.

‘Ha, are you going to filter out Ji Maeng-ho here? ‘You see me as a dick, right?’

The secret to Ji Maeng-ho, who had been posting incredible batting results all month, and not receiving blatant intentional balls, was of course the back hitters Ki Ki-joo and Choi Jin-cheol. However, the current situation was no different from the Hwasan bench declaring that Ji Maeng-ho was more scary than those two batters.

And that declaration caught fire in the eyes of meteorologists.

“Wow, you’re skipping Ji Maeng-ho ahead of me. “I looked like a piece of shit, right?”

“… … .”

If eyes had physical power, those eyes would kill a person. Shin Su-ho, a third-year pitcher, flinched slightly at that look.

‘Anyway, Ki Ki-joo is a failure in the major league. ‘Don’t be scared, Shin Su-ho.’

Shin Soo-ho, who flinched at those eyes, calmed himself down by calling his own name. Ki Ki-joo, he was clearly a hitter who dominated the league until a few years ago, but last year, he was a throwback who was released when he hit the low to mid 200% batting average in the major leagues. There was no reason to be afraid of being considered the next generation national team finisher.

‘I am a pitcher who will be the best closer in the major leagues. So there is no reason to be scared of a veteran who was released from the major league.’

Even though he had good pitching ability and razor-sharp control, the position of finishing was one where he could not properly demonstrate his abilities. The most important thing for such a finishing pitcher is guts. And Shin Su-ho was a player born with that guts.

Shin Su-ho, who had gotten rid of his fear of the weather with just a little self-hypnosis, confidently threw the first pitch.

Ta – evil!

The weather warning batted ball disappeared into the distance while making a loud noise. The location of the batted ball is toward the first base stands.

[A hit on a weather note is a major foul!]

[If I had been hit a little further from behind, I might have been able to get away with it, right?]

[As expected, Ki Ki-ju’s pride seems to have been greatly damaged.]

-Is this a true story haha?

But honestly, Ji Maeng-ho is scarier than Gi-gi-ju haha.

-Wow, I think you got the heat right?

ㄴㄹㅇ Just search and turn.

‘Avoid using the outer curveball as much as possible.’

Signs from the volcano dugout. The catcher returns the sign as is to the pitcher. The ball requested by the bench was an outside breaking ball. In this situation, the only outside breaking ball that Shin Su-ho could throw was a curve.

‘Curve, outside.’

Shin Su-ho nodded. Then, Shin Su-ho’s picturesque curve went outward, and Ki Ki-joo, who was showing his utmost concentration, pulled the ball amazingly.

Damn!

The batted ball, which forcefully pulls the outside ball, makes a heavy sound and heads toward the pitcher at high speed.

[Oh! The batted ball is heading towards the pitcher?]

[ah! If this happens… !]

“Kwaaaak!”

And a scream echoed through the ground. A batted ball that hits the knee is deflected, slows down, and exquisitely rolls toward the shortstop and third baseman.

[The third baseman catches this batted ball. First base runner Ji Maeng-ho is already on second base! The weather forecast… !]

“Safe!”

And when the third baseman’s throw arrived at the first base mitt, Ki Ki-ju had already put his foot on the first base. Gi Ki-ju, who was burning with a competitive spirit until he stood at the plate, only noticed the pitcher’s situation after he stepped on first base.

I was a little worried for a moment when I saw my junior holding his knee, but Shin Su-ho, who was holding his knee on the mound, soon waved his palm and signaled that he was okay.

[Oh, it shouldn’t be a major injury… . Fortunately, he gave me a sign that he was okay. Ki Ki-joo’s expression is now brighter.]

[Oh, it was a very dangerous situation. But the good news is that if Shin Su-ho’s body wasn’t right, the runner on second base, pinch runner In-hyuk Lee, would have come home, but it was the defense that prevented the runs from being conceded.]

[Shin Su-ho conducts a practice pitch.]

-Wow, it’s such a waste. I’ll soak it right now haha.

ㄴPersonality ㅅㅂ Those bastards ㄹㅇ They look like idiots.

ㄴㄴㄴㄱㄲ

-Wow, what is Ki Ki-joo’s personality? He sets the pitcher and sprints to first base.

ㄴAre you an athlete who can’t even avoid that? Haha, why don’t you quit baseball?

-Our Suho shouldn’t get hurt….

-No luck. It’s just that I don’t hit the midfielder, but this is what happens when I hit the pitcher.

The heavens have abandoned this team

ㄴHa.. It was strong from the moment the game was reversed.

-I’m watching because they say they have 3000 hits, but why are these guys in the Paralympic Games? LOL

ㄴIs it true that the AT bastards got turned around? LOL

-Wow, but these bastards’ batting line is so bad. After Kim Su-ho, it’s Ji Maeng-ho, then Ki Ki-joo, then Choi Jin-cheol?

ㄴIsn’t Choi Jin-cheol an old man?

ㄴㄴThe results this season were crazy? There are already 13 home runs.

[Now Choi Jin-cheol, second in the league in home runs, comes in with the bases loaded and no outs.]

[There was a lot of concern among AT fans that the aging curve may have come as he recorded a batting average of .203 in the 2022 season, but Choi Jin-cheol is faithfully playing his role at number 4. His batting average is .206.5, but he has 13 home runs, ranking second in home runs after teammate Ji Maeng-ho.]

Even if he is old, Choi Jin-cheol is Choi Jin-cheol. With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, the feeling of intimidation was beyond imagination.

[Uh, uh. Shin Soo-ho’s control is slightly shaky?]

[Is there any effect from being hit by a batted ball?]

[Choi Jin-cheol ends up getting a walk! AT adds 1 point with a push! The score is 8:7! AT Thunders are catching up by one point!]

Choi Jin-cheol’s intimidation combined with the bad luck of being hit by a batted ball resulted in Choi Jin-cheol being able to reach first base on foot.

So, the bases loaded and no outs. The heart and legend of AT. Woo Kwan-hyung came to bat.

-Wow!!!!

-Woo Kwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung!

One hit and it’s over. The audience in Jamsil fell into a frenzy in this situation that seemed to have been prepared for Woo Kwan-hyung.

[Woo Kwan-hyung comes to bat. 100% on base in this game. This is Woo Kwan-hyung, who is showing off his perfect hitting skills.]

[Woo Gwan-hyeong, the batting feeling is good today, and the cheers of the crowd seem to be louder than the sound of the amplifier, perhaps because not only the batting quality but also the record is set.]

[Will Woo Kwan-hyung’s 3,000th hit be released here? One hit is all it takes to turn the situation around.]

*

I’m jealous, I’m jealous.

I couldn’t help but be envious of Woo Gwan-hyeong, who walked to the plate when the score could have been tied, but Woo Kwan-hyeong stood at bat in a situation where one hit was all it took.

Bottom of the 9th inning, 1 run down. And 2999 hits. Even just one hanging is enough to receive the spotlight, but both situations overlap, so even though the amplifier is turned off after 10 o’clock, the sound of cheers echoes through the Jamsil sky.

-right! coffin! brother! right! coffin! brother!

I felt like I would be overwhelmed by the support alone. How does Woo Gwan-hyeong feel as he is receiving a direct hit from this shout? Perhaps because I was on third base, I could see the expression of left-handed hitter Woo Kwan-hyung very clearly.

‘huh? Does it look the same as usual?’

If it had been me, I would have been unable to control my excitement and it would have been shown on my face, but Woo Gwan-hyung’s expression was one of composure.

‘Tsk, does he look like you?’

‘Again, why are you fighting all of a sudden?’

‘For a player who has hit close to 3,000 hits, such a reaction is natural. After all, it’s just one of over 10,000 at-bats.’

‘Ha, I can hit like that too, right?’

‘3000 hits is not that easy.’

Rossby’s tone seemed to be somewhat nostalgic for the past. Looking at your tone, I wonder if… ?

‘Mr. Rossby hasn’t even hit 3,000 hits, right?’

‘Hmph, I also hit well over 3,000 including these low-level leagues.’

Although his tone of voice was cheesy, looking at Rossby’s expression, he seemed to be somewhat envious. In other words, 3,000 hits was a record that even Rossby would make that look on his face. And even though he was just one step away from achieving that record, Woo Kwan-hyung, with a poker face, somehow looked even more amazing.

Shin Su-ho started the windup.

“cheek.”

Woo Kwan-hyung easily picks out the first pitch. You must be so eager to hit a hit, but you pick that ball.

“strike!”

Shin Su-ho’s second ball went as a strike. And Woo Kwan-hyung nods as if he understands.

-Woo Kwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung!

Shin Soo-ho’s third ball is thrown, accompanied by cheers from the audience.

Perfect!

A hit ball with moderate power. Ki Ki-ju, the runner on second base, was looking between second and third base, and I was right on third base, preparing to run home in case of an outfield fly. And the hit is between center field and right field. It fell exactly into the position where Woo Kwan-hyung spent most of his professional career.

-Bubbaebung!

And as soon as the batted ball hit the ground, I don’t know where it came from, but fireworks began to cover the sky of Jamsil. The fired firecrackers engrave the number 3000 in the sky. The sight was so beautiful that I stopped without realizing it after stepping on the groove.

-Wow!!!!

-Woo Kwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung! Woo Gwan-hyung!

-Whoa! radish! enemy! A! T!

The fans’ cheers were louder than ever and seemed overwhelming. The black sky embroidered with fireworks, the cheers of the crowd louder than the amp. After playing baseball, the most amazing scene unfolded before my eyes.

“hey! Move!”

As the sound of the crowd’s cheers breaks through the pitch, the player quickly leaves the groove and Ki-joo Ki, who was the runner on second base, steps on the groove. The moment when Woo Kwan-hyung’s 3,000th hit was decorated with a walk-off hit.

‘Wow, this sucks.’

Jamsil was so beautiful at that moment.

“Hey, it’s over, why don’t you run?”

“ah… , yes. “I have to go.”

Behind Woo Kwan-hyung, who is happy to be splashed with water by his juniors, AT fans in striped uniforms, all standing and clapping, fill the background.

It was so beautiful that I really wanted to win with these fans.