episode_0311

“Hello.”

“….”

‘No response as usual. Well, I didn’t expect one anyway.’

The literary battlefield where the 5th round is unfolding. Since opportunities like the 4th round won’t come again, I returned as number 1. And faced my first at-bat. True to form, Baek Gyeong-ho didn’t respond to my greeting.

‘Well, if he’s like this, he’ll probably strike me out again today, right? Mr. Rosby? Mr. Rosby? Where did this gentleman disappear to again?’

Rosby seemed to have gone to watch the female spectators or cheerleaders again, but it didn’t matter much. After all, a walk was likely reserved for today.

As I pondered various thoughts, UG’s starting pitcher Web threw the first pitch.

“Ball.”

“How long are you going to keep walking? It’s so boring. If that’s the case, why not just send me to first with an intentional walk? Oh! Are you trying to hit me again?”

“…Shut your mouth.”

“Oh! You finally spoke. Isn’t this the first confrontation during this series? I thought you’d turned into a mute.”

Naturally, the pitch was a ball; all I could do was scratch the catcher sitting at home plate. Baek Gyeong-ho, who had been silent until now, responding to my words felt somewhat strange, but considering how many times I’ve scratched, it seemed appropriate that he responded this time.

And then the second pitch was thrown.

‘Another outside… huh?’

Without realizing it, my body reacted like an animal to the trajectory coming towards me.

Thud!

With an ominous sound, the ball made contact with the ground and rolled away.

‘What’s this?’

While briefly contemplating the situation, the ball was already entering the web of the glove. I snapped back to reality and ran to first base, but the result was an out.

“Damn it!”

Suddenly, it’s become a showdown here. I hadn’t even imagined it.

“Is it a showdown?”

“Yes… I’m sorry. The ball came suddenly, and I…”

“It’s okay. It happens.”

Kim Su-ho comforted me, but there was no room for excuses; it was my mistake. I involuntarily reacted to the suddenly incoming ball.

“By the way, do you know what kind of pitch I swung at?”

“It looked quite fast. Probably a fastball.”

‘Ah, fool. Fool! I should have stayed calmer a bit longer.’

With that regret swallowed, I headed back to the dugout, where my teammates approached me.

“What’s up? Maeng-ho, was that a showdown?”

“What’s with those cowardly guys?”

“…That’s true.”

Even the teammates watching from the dugout seemed quite surprised by my hit. However, feeling a bit embarrassed, I dryly replied and called Rosby.

“Mr. Rosby! Did you see that just now?”

“Yeah, I saw.”

“You’re planning to compete, right? Stick around and don’t wander off. Got it?”

“Tsk, understood.”

After firmly warning Rosby, I sat on the bench intending to cheer for Kim Su-ho, but the lingering memory of my previous at-bat kept me from focusing on the game.

‘Oh, that pitch wasn’t even close to the zone. Darn it, I rushed too much. Ugh… this shouldn’t have happened.’

In the 5th game, I involuntarily reacted to the inside pitch. Normally, I wouldn’t have even glanced at such a pitch…

‘Seems like I was too hasty.’

‘That’s inevitable. Do you know how mentally taxing it is to stand in the batter’s box and only see pitches outside? Rosby, you probably don’t understand since you’re off watching the cheerleaders.’

‘Consider my position, supporting you in this place that shows such low-level baseball for two years. Would it be more boring for me than for you?’

‘If you put it that way, I have nothing to say… Anyway, I hope you swing the bat today.’

“Hey! Ji Maeng-ho! What are you thinking? Get ready for defense.”

‘…Has the offensive inning already ended? Well, considering today’s starting pitcher is Web, it seems like it’ll be a pitching duel.’

However, I didn’t even know if the attack had ended. It seems like I haven’t been able to focus much.

“Aren’t you wearing your glove?”

“Yes. I’m going.”

And so, in the first inning, our starting pitcher, Crongs, smoothly started off by retiring three batters with no runs scored. Although he faced five batters in the second inning, Web prevented any runs while Crongs faced four batters, ending the inning scoreless. The bottom of the third inning began with the 9th batter, Baek Jung-jin.

Thud!

“Wow!!”

“Baek Jung-jin! Baek Jung-jin!”

Then, Baek Jung-jin hit a double.

‘Uh-oh, this isn’t good.’

Although the inning started with a leadoff double, it was slightly disappointing. With first base empty, it was uncertain how UG’s battery would approach the situation today.

“Intentional walk!”

As I anticipated, UG filled the empty first base.

‘In situations like this with first base open, we absolutely won’t gamble. Right? Uh-oh, I should have confirmed whether we were going to play for a win in this at-bat or not. What a waste. Anyway, with runners on first and second, let’s score some runs.’

Tick!

With runners on first and second and Coach Lee Soo-hyun’s call, it was a bunt. Considering the Korean Series and the showdown between aces, it was a logical strategy, and Kim Soo-ho dutifully executed the coach’s plan. This resulted in one out with runners on second and third.

“Kim Sang-joo! Kim Sang-joo! Kim Sang-joo!”

Having missed a scoring opportunity in the second inning, AT fans were now chanting Kim Sang-joo’s name louder.

“Sang-joo, just one more!”

Like those fans, I fervently prayed for a timely hit from Kim Sang-joo,

Thud!

At the end of a full count battle, Kim Sang-joo’s hit soared high towards right field.

‘Is it a home run? Or an outfield fly?’

Ambiguous whether it was a home run or an outfield fly, the ball eventually began to descend slowly towards where the right fielder was waiting.

“Get ready!”

‘If it’s this distance, it’s enough to reach third base!’

As Choi Jae-hyun pitched, Kim Sang-joo sprinted from second base towards third, and UG’s fielders seemed to give up on making the out, opting instead to relay the ball loosely.

“Wow!!!”

“Kim Sang-joo! Kim Sang-joo!”

“Great! We’ve taken the lead!”

That’s one run. Up next is batter Choi Jin-cheol. A situation where you can hope for an additional run.

“Bases loaded walk!”

But Web avoided facing Choi Jin-cheol in a showdown, allowing a walk,

“Swing and a miss! Strikeout!”

As the fifth batter Yoon Sung-tae struck out, the bottom of the third inning ended with only one run added.

“[Alright, leave it to me from now on!]”

Despite failing to add more than one run in two consecutive scoring opportunities, Crongs appeared confident. Remembering when I asked him why he was so confident,

-“[There’s no one here who can hit my pitches anyway. Ho. Except you, that is.]”

Thinking back to his response, he was quite the character. Crongs confidently held off UG’s offense without allowing any runs until the bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth inning, an opportunity arose for me to see if the UG guys were continuing their intentional walk strategy.

“I should have gone out, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s not bad even with one out.”

This time, with the 9th batter Baek Jung-jin getting out, I stepped up to bat with no runners on base.

“Hi there.”

“……”

“You’re doing it again. We’ve seen each other for a while, can I call you ‘hyung’? Kyungho hyung.”

“…Just bear with me on that.”

“Oh, do you know there aren’t many players I call ‘hyung’?”

“Please, just stop.”

“Well, then I’ll call you Kyungho ssi.”

“Just call me ‘senior’ instead.”

“What’s with ‘senior’… Did you graduate from Hanche School?”

‘It’s a fastball. He’s aiming inside.’

‘An old man pretending to be tough while giving signs. Judging by the inside pitch, he must be serious about competing.’

However, I decided to watch carefully as it could pierce deep into the body. Without properly adjusting the hitting stance.

“Ball.”

“Kyung-ho, did you think you could deceive me again? You might be hoping for a throw towards the body, like earlier, expecting an out by chance, but I have no intention of hitting it. Why should I swing when I can walk to third base for free? Do you know I’ve stolen 20 bases this series? It’s in the news every day, didn’t you see?”

“For God’s sake, shut up.”

“I’ll probably make it 22 this time. Thank you.”

“It’s another fastball this time. He placed it more inside than before. A low pitch towards the body.”

“Okay.”

Considering Webb’s pitching style, it was clear that I would aim for the location Ross B mentioned. He wouldn’t throw me an easy pitch. And there goes Austin Webb’s second pitch.

“Here it comes!”

I lifted Webb’s fastball coming low towards the body.

Thud!

“Gah…”

-Wow!

As soon as I hit the ball, cheers erupted from the stands, but it didn’t feel right. It had been a while since I felt that heavy sensation in my hands.

“Run to second base!”

“I’m already running! Ross B, where’s the ball?”

“It dropped in between. Lucky break. The center fielder caught it.”

“The center fielder? Oh man, Park Kyung-min has a cannon for an arm…”

If Park Kyung-min caught it, it meant sliding into second base was a must. His arm was top-notch in the league. As second base drew closer, UG’s second baseman was already set in a tagging position. As second base came within reach, I utilized the momentum of my run, sliding in starting from the upper body.

Thump!

And the feeling of the glove’s touch.

“Safe!”

“Wow, that was damn close.”

It was a moment so intense that swearing was inevitable. If I had hesitated even a bit, I would have been out right then and there.

“Hey, don’t you get tired after running like that?”

“I’m exhausted.”

“Why didn’t you just walk with a walk instead of pushing yourself like that?”

“Got it.”

While chatting with the second baseman, the coach suddenly approached holding equipment.

“That was a good double, Maeng-ho. Now let’s focus on turning the game around, shall we? The public is all fired up… Huh? What’s wrong? You hit a double, why the long face?”

“I should have hit a home run…”

“Even Ohtani can’t hit a home run every at-bat. Stop worrying and focus on baserunning now.”

“It’s not that… Ah, just give me the gloves.”

“Sure, here you go.”

I wanted to explain something to the coach, but it seemed like a waste of time, so I cut myself off and took the running gloves. However, saying I should have hit a home run wasn’t just showing off. A low pitch towards the body was my favorite location, and in reality, during the season, a pitch like that was enough to hit a home run.

Moreover, this was the literary world. The hit should have reached at least near the fence. If it had been caught near the fence, I wouldn’t have felt this way, but thinking about the ball dropping between outfielders made my chest tight.

“Why didn’t it go over?”

“Are you stupid? Did you think you could hit it over with that swing?”

“What? How was my swing?”

“If you’re curious, watch it after the game. It was completely pathetic.”

“My swing? That can’t be true.”

Ross B hadn’t changed my hitting form that he had customized for me in the past few months. But to say my hitting form was pathetic…

“Of course it is. Since your hitting form started crumbling, you’ve only been practicing pushing it outside, and this is practically your first at-bat since the playoffs ended. Is hitting a home run what you call it? This body of mine.”

“…Damn.”

At the end, despite my pretentiousness, Rossby was right. The situation was such that my sense of impact could only crumble. In particular, it seemed fatal that I had only practiced pushing out 3 to 4 balls during the training sessions with Rossby over the past few days.

“Damn it!”

Even if I hadn’t noticed it now, I was sure I would feel something strange when reviewing today’s game later.

“For now, let’s pray that we don’t know anything about it today.”