episode_0366

“Seriously, I’ve done so much for the team, and they’re making a fuss just because I hit a single double play. Ridiculous.”

Williams, the foreign hitter for AT Thunderz, clicked his tongue while reading comments from fans filling up his Instagram. He couldn’t believe that one game could spark such backlash, especially when he was hitting over .400.

“I love this country so much.”

Despite the Instagram backlash, Williams still liked Korea.

“Well, at least they pay well.”

The reason being his $1 million salary, including incentives. Earning more than a third of his lifetime earnings in just one year playing baseball in this country felt like paradise.

“Jay. What a lifesaver. Thanks for showing me this option.”

Mentally thanking Jay Weaver for recommending his move to Korea as he thought about the money piling up in his bank account.

Jay Weaver, a player who had excelled in Korea a few years back before returning to the US and securing a dream contract similar to Williams’ four-year $20 million deal, had made a fortune.

Considering how the former team’s manager had played around with his contract, Korea felt like heaven. Williams now felt he understood why Jay had recommended Korea so strongly.

“Korea is a great country. Play there for a year, and even in the minors, you can hold your own. Perform well, and you might land a big league contract. Money talks. No need to stress by shuttling back and forth between here and the big leagues.”

Jay’s emphasis was on stat management.

“Hey, in Korea, even Single-A level players are competing at A-League levels. Stack up stats against such players, and you could land a big contract like me.”

As a high-priced mercenary, if injured, Jay assured him that he would be taken out of the lineup. Indeed, Jay had achieved remarkable stats and earned MVP honors using this method.

Of course, coming to Korea wasn’t initially part of Williams’ plan. But to make Jay’s words a reality, he needed good stats. So, at the beginning of the season, Williams had given it his all.

However, after an unfortunate injury sent him to the second team, Williams began to entertain thoughts.

“Wait, there’s no appearance option in the contract, right? So, if I maintain this performance and occasionally go to the second team citing injuries, I could fulfill the option, right? Going to the second team due to injury wouldn’t cut my salary, isn’t this fine? Plus, if I claim to be injured, I could avoid facing tough pitchers.”

As Jay had said, the KBA league was indeed unique. It was a league where Rookie League-level pitchers and AAAA-grade pitchers played together. Some of these pitchers wouldn’t look out of place in the Major Leagues. Even ‘Sung,’ who had been playing for the Yankees until last year, was there.

Apart from Sung, there were quite a few decent pitchers. Just yesterday, the starting pitcher ‘Choi’ was a left-handed hitter whom Williams found challenging to face, so Williams’ decision to sit out boldly was justified. If he managed his game appearances like this, he believed he could secure a lucrative contract like Jay.

“Who’s starting today? Park? Not a pitcher worth worrying about. I should put some effort in today.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Williams visited Director Lee Soo-hyun to express his willingness to play despite being on a business trip.

“[That’s right. Running might be tough, but hitting is possible.]”

“Well, wouldn’t it be better to take a break? Choi, the interpreter, are you sure it’s okay? If it’s because of yesterday’s game, you don’t have to say that. You don’t have to blame yourself too much for one loss.”

“[It’s fine. Hitting is not a problem.]”

“True. We can’t just not use a 40% hitter. So, be careful not to overdo it and let him know.”

“[Thank you for your concern, Coach.]”

Facing Hyun-seong’s fifth starter, Park Jae-hoon, Williams stepped up to the plate. And the game began.

“[Williams, a home run bursting out as if to make up for yesterday’s double play! It’s his second home run of the season.]”

Williams showed a good sense of hitting by recording 2 hits in 4 at-bats, including a home run.

“Now, let’s meet today’s standout player, Don Williams.”

“[I’m only sorry to the fans for hitting into a double play in yesterday’s game. Fortunately, today’s game made the fans smile, so I am satisfied with that. I will continue to work hard.]”

He packaged himself in a humble interview as advised by his former teammate Jay.

-“Hey, Don. Remember. In Korea, just being good at interviews makes you a popular player. I’ve done a few interviews myself, and I didn’t even notice if I missed any games on purpose. Hahaha.”

‘Thanks, Jay.’

Williams’ actions continued in the next game and the next series. While his extreme stat management involved avoiding pitchers who seemed difficult to face and performing well against easier opponents due to injury excuses, no one doubted Williams due to his humble interviews and injury history.

-Don Williams, the cornerstone of AT Thunder’s lineup!

…Having put an end to the cruel saga of foreign hitter Williams, AT Thunder currently holds the top spot without a hitch thanks to the performances of hitters like Williams and Ji Maeng-ho.

ㄴAh, if only he were a bit healthier, damn it.

ㄴWell, luckily we have plenty of outfielders.

ㄴJudging by how he handles interviews, he seems to be liked in Korea too. Let’s go for a long-term mercenary!!!

ㄴJust a bit healthier, please.

ㄴHmm… The sick guy seems to be enjoying himself in Itaewon. If you’re sick, lay off Tinder a bit.

ㄴIf he plays well in baseball, why bother with his personal life?

ㄴLet’s go for the championship this season!!! Just watching the hitters perform fills me up.

Criticism went beyond mere doubt; there were even posts criticizing AT’s coach Lee Soo-hyun for forcibly fielding Williams, who hadn’t recovered from his injury.

-Lee Soo-hyun, take care of Williams. Our batting lineup is good, so leave him alone until he recovers.

ㄴFor real, risking his life for performance, and he can’t even run bases properly, yet they keep playing him, damn it.

Of course, from the perspective of fans who didn’t know the full story, it was understandable. A player hitting around .360 like Williams not being able to play in crucial matchups like ace showdowns could be frustrating.

Thus, fans believed that Director Lee Soo-hyun’s excessive use of players was a major reason preventing Williams from recovering. They couldn’t imagine a mercenary hitting .360 failing to deliver in critical situations.

Director Lee Soo-hyun, occasionally complaining of his own ailments, watched as time passed without being able to say anything to Williams, who occasionally played in games and performed well.

“It’s a great place. To have fans who support me like this even when I do this. Hmm, the next pitcher is JANG? They say he throws 100 miles, so it’s okay to be hurt tomorrow. Since I’ve used my thighs a lot, should I try using my waist this time? But more importantly, is the club in Gwangju any good? It would be nice if there were some nice girls.”

After the first away game in Gwangju against the Future Buffaloes ended, Williams went to see the hitting coach, Lee Ki-chul, complaining of slight discomfort in his waist. He might have to miss the game the next day.

“[My waist feels uncomfortable. Something seems wrong from the last at-bat.]”

“Ha, this guy is like a hypochondriac. Oh, don’t interpret this. Just tell him let’s see how things go tomorrow for now,”

“Got it. [Williams, the coach says let’s see how things go tomorrow?]”

“[Got it. I’ll rest tonight and monitor my condition as well.]”

“No matter how you look at it, he seems like a hypochondriac…”

“Hehe, with this groundwork laid, I can stay out late tonight.”

Money, women, and good performance. Williams was enjoying his life in Korea to the point where he wondered if he ever had such good days in his life.

-“Hey, Money! They say you’re doing well in Korea these days? How’s Korea? Should I visit Korea next year too?”

“I really like it here. As long as the performance is good, you can lie about being sick, and no one can say anything. Sometimes going out to play keeps your game sense sharp, and they pay so much in the minors that you can’t even imagine. Oh, and even women who wouldn’t give a second glance to white guys. I’m thinking of picking up one today too. I recommend you come for 1-2 years of tourism and refreshment, buddy. I’m telling you this because you’re my friend.”

He was so proud of his situation that he bragged to his former colleague from the minors who called him from the away hotel. After finishing his boasting to his friend, Williams threw his phone on the bed and thought about the bright future ahead of him.

“Hmm, the regulation plate appearance was about 450 plate appearances, so if I get about 350 more plate appearances, will that be enough? There are 90 games left, so it might be tough at this pace. Still, if I get about 200 more plate appearances, there won’t be any objections to renewing my contract, as there’s no owner who would cut off this performance. If I keep playing like Jay for another 2-3 years, a $10 million contract shouldn’t be a problem. Hehehe.”

…Unaware that a ghost was listening in on him in his hotel room.

*

“Oh, Ross B, you’re here?”

“Yeah. I was getting bored waiting for your training to finish.”

“…So, Williams, that bastard, said that in the room right now? That his waist hurts. Wow, this guy is really crazy.”

As we finished practicing to adjust our timing for the fast balls from the starting pitcher Jang Woo-joo, Ross B told me what he had heard. And what Ross B told me was as expected. It was the result he had obtained by following Williams around for almost two weeks.

“No wonder, that bastard only comes out as a starter when shitty pitchers like that come out. You’re screwed. Thinking of going to a club for a while?”

I quickly packed my bags and headed out of the away hotel. Since the clubs in Gwangju were small anyway, if I visited a few, I could quickly find foreigners like Williams who enjoyed partying.

“[Hey! Ji! What’s going on this late at night.]”

While hailing a taxi outside the hotel, I unexpectedly ran into someone.

“What, it’s Crocs.”

“Haha, I’m Crocs.”

“[Aren’t you starting tomorrow?]”

“[Don’t you have to score zero before throwing on the mound?]”

Damn it, all these mercenary bastards are like this. Hitters who slack off and pitchers who go out drinking the night before starting. My head hurt at the thought that there was no one normal except for Belingham.

“Still, it’s fortunate this guy doesn’t do drugs, right? Well, Croix has been like this for more than just a day or two. Just by not drinking and driving, he’s already a decent guy. But how did the boss end up gathering only these kinds of people?”

“[How about it? Shall we hang out together today too?]”

Croix, who came out, signaled to play together as if he was glad to see me.

“[Sure, let’s have some fun. Oh, what about Williams? Should we call him too?]”

“[Oh, that’s a great idea. Turns out, that friend is waiting for me.]”

“Has Croix called that guy yet? The one who’s supposed to start tomorrow? This guy really won’t cut it.”

I asked to find out William’s whereabouts, but the response was disappointing. Taking a taxi with Croix, we arrived where William was, finding him heavily intoxicated with women hanging on his arms inside the room.

“…Mr. Rosby, how long have you been waiting?”

“About an hour?”

“So you managed to drink this much in just an hour?”

“[Oh, Ji. Korea’s top hitter. He’s here too.]”

“Oh? It’s Jimaengho! Mr. Maengho! Let’s have fun together!”

William and the women next to him reacted to my arrival. Some were practicing timing their bets against Jang Woo-joo, while others were drinking with women by their side.

“Ladies.”

“Ladies? Eek, Jimaengho called me a lady!”

“Leave.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, leave.”