episode_0258

[Bottom of the third inning, two outs. Ji Maeng-ho comes to bat.]

[Austin Webb’s condition looks pretty good today, right? Only one batter was allowed to get on base until the third inning. Ji Maeng-ho also hit the first pitch in his previous at-bat and retired, right?]

[you’re right. In fact, it’s rare for Ji Maeng-ho to hit an infield ground ball after hitting the first pitch, isn’t it?]

[yes. First of all, Ji Maeng-ho is famous as the hitter who hits infield ground balls the least in the league, right? Ji Maeng-ho’s infield batted ball percentage is 23.7%, making him a batter who sends more than 75% of his batted balls to the outfield. A batter like that made an infield ground ball, and that too by hitting the first pitch? This is an uncommon phenomenon.]

[Is there a problem with Ji Maeng-ho’s batting sense, as he is making an infield ground ball? Throughout this series, UG has been fighting on the outside against Ji Maeng-ho.]

[Maybe it has that effect, right? No matter how great a hitter is, feeling for the game is important. Anyway, around the middle of the season, the opposing strategy of insisting on an outside game against Ji Maeng-ho was popular, but it soon disappeared due to Ji Maeng-ho’s ability to steal bases. However, UG is not concerned at all about Ji Maeng-ho stealing base.]

[So you showed off your power by stealing five bases in the previous two games?]

[you’re right. But now it’s two out. Even if you give up a walk, you can go through the inning without giving up a run as long as you block the next batter, Kim Su-ho. There is a high possibility that he will be prepared for a walk in this at-bat and play outside.]

[Austin’s first pitch! This is the outer ball.]

*

“Nice pitching! “Good position!”

“Wow, you’re throwing the ball and making a lot of noise.”

“I’m almost in the strike zone, so what?”

“uh? Are you dissatisfied with the referee’s decision now?”

“Oh, no. Seniors. I don’t mean that. “That means we are in a very close position.”

UG’s catcher is shocked by my gensei and makes an excuse to the umpire. I think I heard he was the third catcher on the team, and the reaction was quite interesting.

‘It must be difficult to have a long run if you see the batter stopping you like this.’

In the first at-bat, after hitting the first pitch, there was no time to walk away and talk, but all that was left was to annoy the catcher’s style more than he already knew.

‘It’s a curve.’

‘curve?’

That guy’s curve has a pretty good angle, but there’s no way he can get it into the zone for me. Probably a curve hitting the ground… . I decided to wait for the second ball as well. And the second ball thrown.

“cheek.”

Extremely low curve. hmm… . Should I scratch it?

“Didn’t the team teach you? Don’t throw curveballs at me? Are you being ostracized by the team?”

“What bullshit? To the coach… , huh.”

The catcher guy keeps his mouth shut while talking about getting an autograph from the battery coach. It was quite funny to see the catcher keep his mouth shut as if he had told some great secret, even though he was not a veteran and had no way of signing autographs on his own.

“Oh, I see you’re getting an autograph from Coach Battery? Are you a catcher? “You get autographs even with two outs?”

“… shut up.”

‘It tastes like scratching. I wish I was a little more excited.’

“Aren’t you sorry that the catcher gets paid even though he can’t even sign autographs on his own? Oh, is this the minimum salary?”

“… “You also get 3000.”

Did you hit the nail on the head? The catcher’s voice is shaking. I felt a bit sorry for talking about salary like this, but there were even worse trash talkers among catchers, so I didn’t stop and opened my mouth.

“I’m just a rookie, so how many years have you been there?”

“… Shut up. “I understand why Coach says I shouldn’t talk to you.”

“Wow, did the coach even say that?”

For some reason, the other catchers ignored me.

‘It’s a fastball.’

“But can I talk like this? When this is over, I have to tell senior Jinmo. “My annual salary is 3,000, but isn’t that a fine?”

‘Outside slider, low curve followed by a fastball? Since it was a two-ball, it should be in the zone, right?’

I quickly moved my head while scratching the catcher and finished preparing to hit.

‘That kid’s velocity was around 153 today, so I think he can react?’

The pitcher did a windup and swung his arm. The small ball suddenly grew bigger and came towards me.

‘Body side!’

Ta – evil!

A batted ball that travels far. The timing was a little early, perhaps because it had been a while since I hit a ball close to the body. The batted ball passed over the foul pole and disappeared. A large foul home run that goes over the fence. But the feeling in my hands wasn’t bad.

‘Okay, I got the idea.’

“Wow, I thought it was fastball timing, but it really was a fastball. Shouldn’t the battery coach be replaced? Is it too obvious? As for your brother, you’re right, right? Can I call you my older brother? “Isn’t your brother better at signing autographs?”

“Don’t call me brother.”

“Ah, are you the type to be friends with your younger siblings? Then I’ll say you. Are you fine? Hey, it would be better for you to sign. “Do you think you can do better?”

“Mouth! “Fuck!”

“Okay, dude. “Why are you swearing when you don’t say it in words? Ah, but what is your name?”

“Look at the electronic display board, it’s twenty years old.”

‘It’s a curve.’

“I have bad eyesight. Oh, but you’re not planning on causing a swing and miss by dropping the curve in a one-strike-two-ball situation, right? “As soon as there is a blind spot on the curve, I jump over the fence.”

“… … .”

The fourth ball that followed was a curveball that fell as I expected. Unfortunately, there was no misfire. So it became one strike, three balls.

“How did you know?”

And it seems like the catcher’s mentality is a bit shaken.

“I said it was obvious. Battery coach level. Honestly, don’t you like the coach too? Just tell your friends. mind! “Friend Aiga!”

“Shut up, please. please.”

Next ball is a slider. I was prepared to walk, so I forced myself to follow the trajectory of about three balls missing from the strike zone and hit them.

widely!

It was a ball that would have been a ball if left, but it became a foul and now the count is full.

‘Now, do you want to compete? ‘Are you proud?’

As he looked at the pitcher and smiled bitterly, his expression began to rot. I felt like my will was clearly conveyed.

“Oh, where is the thrower?”

Austin Webb continues to shake his head at autographs. It looked like it was properly on fire. Finally, the guy nods his head.

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Fastball here? Damn, you’re a real man.’

Where will it come from? I waited for him to wind up. And the ball being thrown.

‘come!’

Ta – evil!

The moment of impact, the feeling of the ball resonating.

‘It was a good fit.’

A taste I haven’t felt in a long time. I held the bat and watched the hit. The left fielder chases the batted ball flying towards him. And then the footsteps stop.

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

I lightly raise my fist in response to the fans chanting my name.

-Wow!!!!

As I threw the bat and slowly circled the bases while listening to the cheers of the crowd, I looked at the pitcher’s expression and it seemed like he was completely angry.

‘Looking at your condition, I guess you’ll compete next time, right?’

With two outs and a walk, the game-winning guy hits a home run like this and walks the game, and then throws it out in his next at-bat? It was impossible.

‘Today will be a bit fun. Hehehe. Let’s go. Mr. Rossby.’

‘It’s hard to be happy just because you hit a home run.’

As I step on home plate and hear Rossby’s grunting voice, I feel alive.

‘Fuck, this is baseball.’

“Hey, what’s your name? Anyway, change the mix. “It’s obvious, it’s obvious.”

“This bastard until the end… .”

When he scratched the catcher for the last time and entered the dugout, his teammates cheered loudly again. After the team members’ enthusiastic celebration, Lim Jun-hoo, wearing gloves, approached.

“brother! You hit a home run to make your younger brother a winning pitcher again, right? As expected, Ji Maeng-ho!”

“Where can you call my heavenly brother’s name so carelessly? “You cheap bastard.”

“Really, there is no other old man like this.”

“Okay, just throw the ball well.”

“Hyung, I’m Lim Jun-hoo.”

Lim Jun-hoo’s confident smile.

‘Fuck, why is this guy so anxious?’

-Wow!

As anxiety was rising, Jamsil Stadium began to vibrate again. Su-ho Kim succeeded in getting on base by hitting a double.

‘That bastard, I think he’s mentally shaken a lot?’

Austin’s mentality was probably very damaged by my home run.

“Wake up! “Go!”

“You even call the name of a senior who is 10 years older than you carelessly.”

“Bitch, are you and me the same? And did I call you to your face? This guy is really funny. “If you weren’t the starter today, you would have fallen behind me.”

“Ma, are you bothering the youngest again?”

“Oh, I’m the youngest too!”

“Only in situations like this are you the youngest. really.”

“Don’t bother the starters.”

Seongtae Yoon, who had already approached, started an argument and was about to respond, when the Jamsil Stadium once again shook as if it was about to leave.

“What is a weather note?!”

“Sangju hyung! nice!”

Ki Ki-joo hit the first pitch and succeeded in bringing Kim Su-ho home, and the score difference is now 2 points. It felt good to give up two runs first against the pitcher with the highest ERA in the league.

“good! “Let’s eat with the winning pitcher today!”

Except for the needlessly excited starters.

… And my misgivings were not wrong.

“… sorry.”

In the end, Lim Jun-hoo gave up 4 runs in the top of the 5th inning, giving up a big inning to UG.

“You bastard, you were acting like a fool.”

Lim Jun-hoo’s shoulders were slumped as he came down after finishing the 5th episode. So much so that I can’t believe he was that excited before.

‘Baby, you’re a bit pitiful.’

As the older brother, I felt a little bad seeing the only younger brother in the team with his shoulders down like this.

“… When did I fool you? .”

“hey. A man is confident. “Hyung, I’ll set the score for you.”

“Brother Meng Hao… .”

Perhaps because it had only been a year since he graduated from high school, he looked at me with clear eyes.

“Fuck, don’t look at me like that.”

Of course, it was disgusting to see a man look at me like that.

‘The score is 4:2. The lead hitter is Baek Jeong-jin.’

In the bottom of the 5th inning, our leadoff hitter was 9th hitter, Baek Jeong-jin. This was a guy that Soyoung brought in through a trade, and he took turns playing with Lee In-hyuk, the starting right fielder, and appeared in 30 games, hitting a respectable .300.

“Senior, just try to get on base.”

“Easier said than done.”

This guy’s performance today was 2 at-bats and no hits.

‘You mentioned once that Soyoung is talented, but I don’t see it that way. Well, my sister has a good eye for athletes.’

“Senior, be confident. okay? “That bastard is a piece of shit.”

“… I get it.”

The guy nods his head with a stern expression. I followed him and walked to the waiting box. At that time, I made eye contact with Austin Webb.

“high?”

When I waved my hand in joy, the pitcher’s expression turned sour. It seemed like the afterimage from earlier still remained in my head.

“Fucking!”

‘Even if you cover yourself with a glove and swear, you can hear it, you bastard.’

It looks like that with just one home run. I hope this shaking has some effect… . I wonder if God heard my wish,

“Hit bye pitch!”

Baek Jeong-jin got on base after being hit by the fifth pitch.

“high? See you again? “Has it been replaced yet?”

“… “Don’t talk to me.”

The catcher’s voice, whose face and name I didn’t know because he was covered by the catcher’s mask, was slightly endearing.

‘Didn’t you see him at bat?’

‘I don’t have a hobby of memorizing men’s faces.’

‘Well, there’s no need to memorize the boy’s face. It’s a slider.’

“Are you sitting down to hit a home run again? You are disgusting too. Punishment. Ask for a replacement quickly. ah! And you wouldn’t throw a slider if you hit a home run with a fastball, right? “If that’s the case, suggest to the coach that the battery coach be cut.”

“… “I told him to shut up.”

‘I heard it tastes like scratching.’

While we were talking, the pitcher who had finished his set position threw a ball. … towards my body.

Ta – evil!