episode_0304

“…So, you want to go out as the leadoff hitter?”

“Yes.”

Before the training began, Coach Lee Soo-hyun closed his eyes and started pondering my suggestion of wanting to go out as the leadoff hitter.

“Aren’t you surprised, Coach? I really felt it. The UG guys are determined not to give me a single at-bat.”

“Hmm… Well, I did have a similar feeling before you went to the Asian Games.”

When I went out as the cleanup hitter, on average, I got four at-bats. If I were to go out as the leadoff hitter, that would add one more at-bat, making it six at-bats if a full game ensued. If, as I anticipated, the UG guys decided to walk me every time, I could at least score 2 to 3 runs.

Going out as the leadoff hitter. That was the plan devised by me and Rosby yesterday.

“Hmm… As the leadoff… Leadoff…”

It wasn’t hard to understand Coach Lee Soo-hyun’s dilemma. Adjusting the lineup for a player like me, based on the performance I showed in the cleanup spot, could indeed be challenging.

“Coach, I can really do well. I’ve batted first a few times even at the beginning of the season.”

However, I wasn’t the type of player affected by the batting order. Besides, since decent pitches would come anyway, it didn’t matter much.

“From what I’ve seen, Suho or Sangju seniors have good contact skills, so our winning percentage is higher when I bat first.”

“To be honest, Jincheol senior hits well, but his contact is shaky, and he hits into double plays a lot, so it’s uncertain. Seongtae hyung doesn’t stand out much in terms of contact either.”

“That’s true. The real issue is whether they’ll walk you with intentional walks.”

“Coach, being a former batter yourself, you know. You can feel it at the plate. There was no sense of them wanting to compete.”

“Sigh…”

“Coach, please let me go out!”

“The kid comes to the coach with such a request. Times have really changed. It’s something I never thought about during my playing days.”

“…Yes?”

Suddenly, such old-fashioned words here?

“Fine. Go out as the leadoff today.”

“It was a joke… I almost cursed for nothing.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best!”

“Let’s do well. Win today and return to Jamsil. Okay?”

“Okay!”

Is this a weight off my shoulders?

“It is. It wouldn’t matter anyway if they walked you.”

“That’s true. I still wanted to show them.”

To think that I, on the verge of possibly winning my first championship since ’94, would become a liability. Nothing has been as frustrating lately.

“But if we win, it doesn’t matter, right?”

“Hmph, it’s a meaningless argument anyway.”

“Well, winning does make a difference.”

Unlike the indifferent Rosby, I definitely wanted to win. For Soyoung’s sake, for the fans’ support. I wanted to win and repay them.

“But these guys in this country can’t even play baseball properly and have no pride.”

“Rosby seems quite upset too.”

“Wouldn’t he be? Spending time here is already a waste, and the big game turns out like this.”

“…Still, it’s considered a big game.”

“…Shut up.”

Whether I struck a nerve or not, Rosby disappeared again. Anyway, he’s not very honest.

“But what are you doing instead of going?”

“Yes?”

“You’re fine, but sometimes you seem absent-minded. Even in the dugout.”

“Really? Hehe, but I focus well during games.”

“Right, focus on this game too. Let’s go prepare for practice.”

“Okay.”

Did Coach Lee Soo-hyun notice that I was talking to Rosby? Well, even if he did, who would believe someone talking to a ghost? If anyone said they were talking to a ghost, they’d probably be taken to a hospital immediately.

“However, would I walk the first batter and throw a walk right away? It wouldn’t be easy to give a walk from the first inning… And it didn’t take long to know the answer to that dilemma as I left the manager’s room.

“…Are you really going to hit that? Just taking one point and leaving?”

“……”

“Say something. Ugh, you weren’t like this before.”

Bang! Kim Sung-gyeol’s fourth pitch hits.

“Bases loaded.”

“Sigh….”

With four consecutive balls hitting the outside, it was clear to see their determination.

“It’s really a walk.”

As I walked to first base, the first base coach, who was waiting for me, approached me looking puzzled.

“I said so, didn’t I?”

“Well, are you going to keep running then? It would be a big problem if you get injured while stealing a base.”

“I have to run, right.”

It was true that stealing a base carried a high risk of injury, especially not only to the legs but also to the fingers touching the base.

“But what can I do? They set me up to run like this.”

My season record stands at 58 steals and 2 failures. Even with a success rate close to 97%, not running in a situation where they set me up to run would be more disrespectful.

“Senpai, I’m going to run.”

“Alright, when haven’t you run?”

Speaking to first baseman Gu Jin-mo, he responded resignedly.

“I understand what you’re thinking over there, but how long are you going to wait?”

“…I don’t know.”

Judging by Gu Jin-mo’s response to my words, it seemed like some people, even among the UG players, didn’t understand why we were using this strategy. Gu Jin-mo seemed clueless.

“Hmm, it’s a tough call.”

“A tough call?”

Kim Sung-gyeol’s first pitch against Kim Soo-ho was a tough call. Although it wasn’t a changeup timing, I decided to just run since Kim Sung-gyeol threw underhand, making it impossible to catch me with that pitching form.

“I’m running!”

“To second base!”

“Safe!”

And of course, the result was safe. Back catcher Baek Gyeong-ho tried to throw to second base, but catching me was impossible.

“At this rate, I might even set a new stolen base record. Wait, should I test Baek Gyeong-ho once?”

No catcher would want the dishonor of being known as the catcher who allowed the most stolen bases in the Korean Series. Baek Gyeong-ho would be no exception. Anyway, since the game was still on, I put that thought aside for now and started timing my steal to third base again.

“It’s a curveball.”

“Okay.”

And then the curveball timing came. I ran straight to third base.

“Safe!”

With a man on third base, Kim Sung-gyeol and I exchanged a smile, causing his eyes to flicker. The count was two strikes, two balls. Despite the unfavorable count, Kim Soo-ho, like a veteran, managed to hit the ball to the outfield.

“Alright, can we make it in?”

A fly ball headed towards left field. The distance was sufficient.

“Mang-ho!”

As the third base coach shouted, I headed home. Glancing back slightly, the ball was now heading towards the shortstop.

-Wow!!!

-Kim Soo-ho! Kim Soo-ho! Kim Soo-ho!

“Seniors, nice job!”

After stepping on the plate at home, exchanging high-fives with Kim Soo-ho, I went back to the dugout. …That’s one point.

“Damn, let’s see how long you can hold back.”

—

“Sung-gyeol, are you okay?”

In the first inning, after AT’s attack continued up to the fifth batter resulting in one run, UG’s fourth batter, Gu Jin-mo, approached today’s starting pitcher, Kim Sung-gyeol. Gu Jin-mo couldn’t believe that the coach had called for an intentional walk in the previous at-bat, especially in the Korean Series.

“This is unbelievable.”

Jinmo thought this was absurd. The Korean Series, a festival anticipated by all baseball fans. To witness such an unheard-of strategy in the Korean Series was beyond belief. Even if they were to win like this, it would simply become a laughingstock.

Yesterday’s game could be summed up as “Jimaeng-ho getting many walks,” but today was different. Giving a straight walk to the leadoff batter in the 1st inning was unthinkable in Jinmo’s baseball knowledge.

In truth, he didn’t understand it yesterday either. Giving such instructions to the league’s top ace, Austin Webb. And for the prideful Austin Webb to follow those instructions.

“…What?”

“Nothing, just about the walk. Sigh. I don’t understand why the coach would ask for that.”

“Hyung, I’m okay.”

“…Hmm?”

However, Kim Sunggyeol’s reaction was unexpected. Jinmo was taken aback by Kim Sunggyeol’s seemingly understanding tone and expression.

“Since we’re facing Jimaeng-ho anyway, this should be enough to contain him cheaply.”

“But still, with no outs and a runner on base, does this make sense?”

“It’s just one run anyway. Whether it’s a home run or giving up runs like this, it’s the same.”

“…Unbelievable.”

Touching the starting pitcher’s nerves without coming down from the mound. He knew this shouldn’t be done. However, faced with such behavior that seemed to defy his own common sense, Jinmo unintentionally blurted out those words. And Kim Sunggyeol reacted to his words.

“Hyung, have you ever seen that guy pitch from the mound?”

A tone that seemed to belittle him.

“Hyung, it’s just a different dimension with that guy. It feels like knowing what kind of pitch he’ll throw. Well, unless you’re a pitcher, you wouldn’t know. Do you know how much more shattered mentally that guy gets if he gives up a home run? It’s better to just walk him and give up one run. Ha…, but now I’ll focus a bit. Hyung, get ready for your at-bat too.”

Kim Sunggyeol spat out his words like a soliloquy and passed by, ignoring himself. His demeanor seemed to mix resignation, inferiority, and relief.

“Ah, I see. Sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Feeling those complex emotions, Jinmo had no choice but to let Kim Sunggyeol go.

‘Is that how confident Jimaeng-ho is?’

Of course, Jinmo couldn’t understand why Kim Sunggyeol reacted this way, and he was sure he wouldn’t understand in the future either. To Jinmo, Jimaeng-ho was just a talented but arrogant junior player.

…But one thing he could be certain of.

‘If we get caught using this strategy and lose, we’ll be a laughingstock forever.’

If they resorted to such tactics and ended up as runners-up, they would be immortalized as a laughingstock in Korean baseball history.

‘I have to prove ourselves through winning.’

Jinmo cleared his mind of stray thoughts and focused on the practice pitches of Bellingham, AT’s starting pitcher for today.