episode_0342

“Hey. Hoonchan hyung says he’ll kill you, you know?”

“Hoonchan hyung? Who’s that?”

“What? Seriously? You don’t know Hoonchan hyung? He’s our catcher right now.”

“Oh, is that so?”

At the start of the third inning, Ju Seungcheol hit a double in a one-out situation and made it to second base, taking off his gear to talk to me. It seemed like the catcher who was mad at me earlier was named Hoonchan. However, what really caught my attention was Ju Seungcheol’s performance.

Checking the scoreboard, Ju Seungcheol’s current stats were a batting average of .414, an OPS of 1.228, and 8 home runs. Despite a month passing since the season started, maintaining a batting average over .400 and an incredible OPS, along with leading in home runs at Jamsil Stadium, stirred jealousy among all hitters in the KBA league.

Was I jealous too? Not really. Jealousy is an emotion felt by inferior individuals when they see someone superior. I had no reason to be jealous of Ju Seungcheol since I believed I could achieve better results than him. What bothered me was…

“Geez, what if Seungcheol hyung gets caught?”

…the possibility of Ju Seungcheol getting caught for using performance-enhancing drugs. If his blatant drug use was exposed, he would surely become a target for drug testing. Last season, I underwent drug tests almost monthly, sometimes bi-weekly.

Perhaps due to my collaboration with Rosby in playing baseball, I didn’t harbor any resentment towards drugs. Since I didn’t play baseball solely based on pure skill, I had no right to criticize those who resorted to unfair means.

Honestly, I even entertained the thought that other players using drugs would keep me entertained until they made it to the majors. It was their own business if they got caught; it didn’t concern me.

However, as a close friend and one of the few players in the league who made my time enjoyable, I hoped Ju Seungcheol wouldn’t get caught. Moreover, this year marked a significant event in the baseball world—the Summer Olympics in LA. Unless the Olympics were held in Korea, the US, or Japan, baseball might be excluded from the games, making it practically my last chance to participate in the Olympics.

Having narrowly missed winning in the WBC, I was determined to win this time. If a player like Ju Seungcheol couldn’t participate in the Olympics due to disciplinary action, it would significantly reduce South Korea’s chances of winning.

Furthermore, if Ju Seungcheol tested positive for banned substances…

“Jia will be very sad, won’t she? She’ll definitely be devastated.”

It was certain that Jia would be deeply saddened. Despite their bickering, they were still family, and I could sense that Jia cared a lot about Ju Seungcheol. Well, considering that Ju Seungcheol indirectly connected Jia and me, it would be best if he didn’t get caught, right?

“Hyung, it’s great that you’re performing well, but try not to make it too obvious.”

I advised Ju Seungcheol with these thoughts in mind.

“…Huh? What’s with the sudden nonsense?”

He seemed taken aback. Well, hitting the nail on the head like that would naturally catch him off guard. Since Yoon Sungtae might overhear, I held back on saying more. Judging by his bewildered expression, he hadn’t realized that I had figured it out yet.

Since I had given my advice, there was only one thing left for me to do for Ju Seungcheol.

“Sigh… I guess I’ll have to step up my game even more for Seungcheol hyung, right?”

Well, Ju Seung-cheol’s current performance may not be sustainable, but if Ju Seung-cheol alone continues to maintain such performance, he will have no choice but to keep undergoing tests like I did last year. Even if the banned substance designers keep supplying substances that don’t get caught, they will eventually be caught if they leave a trail.

The only way I could help was by diverting attention with better performance. Well, I couldn’t help but raise suspicions, but if there are two other players producing exceptional performances, one might think that the pitcher’s level has simply dropped.

“Hyung, I’ll help you.”

“You’ve been saying random things since earlier…”

Thunk!

While conversing with Ju Seung-cheol, Han Cheol’s 4th batter Thompson’s hit came flying towards me as a line drive. As soon as I felt the ball touch my glove, I quickly threw the ball to Yoon Sung-tae covering second base and apologized,

“…Safe!”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t turn it into a double play.

“He’s been saying random things. That’s why Hyung got annoyed. Seriously, don’t talk to me now.”

“Sorry.”

And as Bellingham struck out the next batter, the top of the third inning ended. In the bottom of the third, although one of our batters reached base, we couldn’t score, and the game remained tied. Then in the bottom of the fourth, the leadoff batter’s chance came to me.

“Hi?”

“….”

“It seems Seung-cheol Hyung was really angry earlier. He seems quite upset.”

Sitting there, the vibe seemed to say, “I’m mad!” which made me chuckle a bit. It’s unusual for a catcher responsible for the team’s inner sanctum to exude such an atmosphere.

“Shouldn’t we focus on the game?”

“You started it.”

‘It’s a slider.’

‘Okay.’

“Give me another good pitch this time.”

“This guy till the end…”

While chatting with the catcher, Na Seung-yoon’s pitch began as his foot moved. Despite the conversation, I waited without losing focus, and when I felt the ball coming towards the zone, I swung the bat.

Thunk!

“Nice try!”

The result was a foul. The moment of contact sent the ball flying towards the third-base stands.

‘The bat was a bit fast, wasn’t it? How was it, Rosby?’

‘A bit quick.’

‘Okay.’

The home run in the previous at-bat came off a fastball, making timing easy, but perhaps due to it being a comeback game, my hitting sense didn’t feel quite right.

‘I should probably ignore sliders or splitters that are moderately fast.’

Both his slider and splitter recorded speeds in the mid-130s while offering good movement. Given my current form, I doubted I could produce a hit that would surpass Jamsil, so I erased those two from my mind.

That left Na Seung-yoon with two remaining pitches: the curveball and changeup. However, no fool in the league dared to throw me a curveball or changeup in the zone, so I had only one target in mind.

‘I should go for the fastball.’

“Ball.”

“Ball.”

“If you keep throwing off-speed pitches like this, I might walk, you know? Can I catch it if I run? Do you remember the rumor about Baek Kyungho getting an intentional walk after the Korean Series last year because he couldn’t throw to second base?”

“Please, just shut up. I beg you.”

Waiting for the fastball, I found myself in a 2-2 count.

‘It’s going to be a fastball.’

‘Okay.’

And there it was, the awaited fastball. With a trajectory heading outside, I swung decisively at the ball.

‘Dda-ak!’

“Is it over?”

A hit with a vague feel to it. Although I managed to lift it towards the outfield, it wasn’t certain if it would clear the fence, so I ran straight to first base.

“Wooow!!”

“Run! Run!”

Upon hearing the cheers and the first base coach’s words, it seemed like I hadn’t been caught yet.

“Mr. Rosby! What about the hit?”

“Run to second base, you can make it.”

“Is it a close timing hit?”

Han Cheol, the right fielder, was a national team outfielder, Kim Jeonghyun. Being a strong-shouldered player, I did my best to run to second base.

“Slide!”

As second base came within reach, Rosby shouted. And at that moment, I also dove, touching second base. Feeling the immediate touch of the glove.

“Safe!”

“Phew, that was close.”

It was a joint effort double play between my fast feet and Rosby’s sharp sliding timing, but I didn’t feel particularly good about it.

“Definitely feels like the hitting sensation is a bit off.”

Normally, it would have been sent to the fence as a home run, but turning it into a double play like this was unexpected. The result was good, but even if I had been out, I should have sent it to the fence, so I felt a bit disappointed.

“Well, that’s that, let’s do what needs to be done.”

There might be a hitting slump, but there’s no slump in the feet.

“Mangho, gloves. Are you ready to run immediately?”

“Yes. If you run once, the newcomers won’t mess around in the future.”

Receiving the base running gloves from the coach, I prepared to steal third base.

“It’s a curveball.”

“Okay. Just run right away then.”

And Na Seung-yoon’s first pitch thrown to Choi Jin-cheol. I immediately ran towards third base, the glove touching my body, but I had already stolen third base.

“Safe!”

“Senior Jincheol, I’m counting on you now.”

Arriving at third base, I prayed while watching Choi Jin-cheol’s back, hoping he would call me home,

Thunk!

Choi Jin-cheol responded to my prayer by hitting the ball. It was an infield ground ball heading towards second base, but since it was a no-out situation, Han Cheol’s second baseman gave up on home and chose an out count as the scoreboard updated to 3:2.

“That’s good.”

After a month of mediocre performance by Choi Jin-cheol since the season opener, I was slightly worried, but after getting on base and stealing bases, it seemed like AT Thunder’s scoring formula, somehow called by Choi Jin-cheol, would continue this year.

“Mangho, well done!”

“As expected, Ji Mangho! Still the same.”

“Great, let’s keep going!”

*

[In the midst of a tense 4:3 battle, the top of the 9th inning begins with Han Cheol’s 9th batter, Ahn Si-hoon. Today’s game, a fierce rivalry unfolding at Jamsil Stadium on Children’s Day, promises an intense showdown, doesn’t it?]

[A game fitting for Children’s Day. A match that fans will truly enjoy.]

[Indeed. If we were to pick the heroes of this showdown, we could choose two players: Han Cheol’s mainstay player, Ju Seung-cheol, and AT’s Ji Mangho. Both players kicked off the game with two-run homers in the 1st inning, with Ji Mangho scoring a run in the bottom of the 4th to put AT ahead. Then in the top of the 5th, Ju Seung-cheol drove in a run to tie the score at 3:3. The balance of the fiercely contested game was broken in the previous inning, the 8th inning, when Ji Mangho hit a deep outfield fly ball to the fence.]

[That’s right. Both teams’ key players, Ji Mangho and Ju Seung-cheol, have been leading their teams by contributing to all the scoring.]

[Therefore, Han Cheol’s fans must be hoping that the batting lineup will continue to Ju Seung-cheol. And right now, if just one batter gets on base, Ju Seung-cheol will be up at bat. The game isn’t over yet, so who will be the hero of this game remains to be seen.]