Chapter 105 – Episode 104. The World Is Wide. (3)

The burning eyes of the youngest member of the national team, in a situation where anyone could see defeat, there was no senior who could speak bitterly to the youngest member who looked like that. He was a member of the team, albeit a bit rude, and a friend who worked harder than anyone else. It was a sight that everyone in the national team had seen at least once, swinging a bat somewhere.

And even though he didn’t have a lot of flair, his skills were clear. In fact, I even saved the national team for the match against Japan.

The first to respond to the youngest’s eyes was Kang Kang-bum, the oldest.

“Yes, if I lose the seal, I will be ashamed and live my life.”

The strong bum lifted his bat, stretched his back, and walked out of the dugout.

“Okay, wake up! It’s not over!”

Since his friend Kang Han-bum steps forward, Lee Jin-hong has no choice but to help. Lee Jin-hong, who was sitting in the dugout on his crutches, also encouraged the players.

“Jinhong is right. It’s 8:0, but let’s think of the people watching the game in front of the TV. Gather everyone!”

Coach Lee Geum-hyeon also thought the game was over. However, you shouldn’t show this to the people who are watching this game in front of the TV.

Even if you lose when you lose, that kind of look that feeds you for one shot. Even when the score gap widens, they show their potential without losing lethargicly. Because that was what the people wanted from the national team.

At Lee Geum-hyeon’s words, pitchers, fielders, and coaches gathered in a circle. The people who gathered one by one put their hands on each other’s shoulders and waited for Lee Geum-hyun’s words.

“Can do!”

Lee Geum-hyeon sings the lead while the others repeat.

“Can do!”

“Who are we!”

“This is the Korean baseball team!”

“Yes, isn’t there a player who wants to show an embarrassing image to the public?”

“There is not!”

“Even if you lose, do your best. Those who don’t get their uniforms dirty after it’s over, prepare to swim back.”

“… What about the pitcher?”

“Who is it! Without notice!”

I don’t know who it is, but those words brought life back to the dead-looking faces of the players. It wasn’t such a funny joke, but the players regained their composure enough to throw a joke.

“Let’s turn around by scoring only 3 runs per inning! Can you?”

“Yes!”

3 points in an inning, if that was possible, there would not have been a score difference of 8:0, but there was no player on the national team who felt intimidated by that. Even if it’s difficult, if there’s a 1% chance, you won’t lose.

‘It’s not over until it’s over.’

Kang Han-beom entered the plate with an old baseball adage and Yogi Berra’s quote in mind. The third American pitcher is Shale McClanahan. Tampa Bay’s ace, a monster pitcher who finished the season with an ERA in the early 2-point range.

A monster who throws an average velocity of 97 mph and a maximum velocity of 101 mph at the age of 25. And the restraint is plugged in from the left.

A left-handed fireballer who is said to bring you even from hell. The pitcher, also known as the second coming of Randy Johnson, stood on the mound.

‘Verlander, Galen, and McClenahan.’

Pitchers who can be said to be the aces of each team. If major league players also meet these pitchers, I will take a day off to the manager. They were pitchers who could say that. In fact, Kang Han-beom had seen a few players like that in the majors.

‘I’m glad though. I’m not a right-handed pitcher.’

However, in front of such a player, Kang Han-bum laughed. If he had been a right-handed pitcher throwing 100 miles, he wouldn’t have touched it himself. At the age of 37, he couldn’t follow a fastball like that.

But it’s different if he’s a lefty. If he was a lefty who could see the trajectory of a pitch, he could keep up with that pace, albeit slightly. Besides, he played with a platoon system last year, so left-handed pitchers are more familiar than ever.

‘Besides, that guy isn’t a reverse split pitcher, he’s a fastball-slider, a guy who occasionally mixes curveballs with his main weapon. It’s much more advantageous for me who can see the trajectory.’

Thinking like that made me feel much more at ease. Of course, even so, it was a tough opponent.

Bang!

The 101-mile ball hit the catcher’s mitt with a sound like a cannon.

“Cheek.”

See the results. He didn’t even react, but he earned the count.

‘Wow… , I will raise my hand. I just want to see the slider.’

Bang!

“Strike!”

Bang!

“Cheek!”

Phut!

“Swing~ Strike!”

Bang!

“Cheek.”

Korea’s best hitter following Joo Hyung-jin, Kang-beom, endured the ball like that. Although he swung the bat once on the slider, he was able to endure to a full count based on his excellent pitching plan, and McClenaghan’s expression on the mound began to contort.

‘There are no sliders anymore. It’s unconditionally a direct ball.’

And Kang Han-beom knew the meaning of that frowning expression better than anyone else. Because he was the pitcher I had played against until last year. If Kang Bum was a player who left a mark in the major leagues or was an All-Star player, he might have made a different choice for the pitcher as well.

However, giving a young pitcher a walk against a batter who is inferior to him is a disgrace among disgrace. Besides, at the scene of this festival, he shows such an unsightly appearance? It was an unacceptable humiliation for McClanahan, who reached the top of the major leagues at the age of 26.

‘Try if you can.’

Energy that can be conveyed just by looking at the eyes. The two men’s eyes collided, and the pitcher’s arm swung at lightning speed.

Right!

‘I got it right!’

But then came the sound of a bat breaking. And Kang Kang-bum ran toward the first base. A sprint that is not easily seen even during the season. A huge man weighing over 100kg runs toward first base.

[Kang Han-bum! Got it! The bat is broken! Batted ball! Shortstop! Turner!]

As the bat broke, the batted ball, which was not properly powered, flew past the shortstop.

Tok.

American shortstop Turner jumped high, but he couldn’t get the ball out.

[The ball hits Turner’s glove and falls! A strong criminal… !]

After hitting the glove, Turner quickly picked up the ball and threw it toward first base, showing off his strong shoulder. If he wasn’t a strong hitter, he wouldn’t have thrown, but a close encounter situation that occurs because the batter-runner is a strong hitter.

[At first base! At first base! Three leaves! Oh, Turner’s throw was a little high. Goldschmidt catches it well.]

[It seems that I was able to catch it because I am Goldschmidt, who has a reputation for defending first base. If it had been another first baseman, the ball would have gone backwards. Anyway, Kang Han-beom succeeded on base.]

[Records are recorded as infield hits. Kang Han-beom’s infield hit, which is hard to see once a year, comes out here.]

[The Korean national team must continue this trend.]

[The next hitter is pitcher Jin-mo Koo, number 5.]

The broadcasters in the middle, the people who are facing defeat but still not giving up and standing in front of the TV, and the Koreans who came to the US all were expecting a hit from Gu Jin-mo.

However.

[Swing Strike Out!]

[Ah…. MacLenna’s ball is very difficult for a left-handed hitter to hit, right? A slider that seems to fly from the back of a ball thrown by a lefty pitcher at 160 km/h. A left-handed hitter who can hit this combination will be rare even in the major leagues. Goo Jin-mo. Well done No need to be discouraged, not at all.]

Deep!

[High infield fly. Strong criminals cannot move. Two out. McClanahan catches the weatherman.]

South Korea’s left-handed batters collapsed helplessly at McClanahan’s pitch.

[#7 batsman Ji Maeng-ho. First score against Australia, 3 RBIs against Taiwan, and 3 runs against Japan. The youngest who saved Korea from crisis. Maengho Ji has entered the plate.]

[Player Ji Maeng-ho has to do it. Kim Soo-ho is also a left-handed hitter, so he needs a long hit rather than a clumsy on-base hit. And Ji Maeng-ho is a player with a long shot! Since he hit a home run against Ohtani, I believe in Maeng-Ho Ji.]

[Today’s record is 1 hit in 2 at-bats. There is a record of hitting one double hit, but the feeling of hitting seems quite good.]

[In fact, since the double hit was an accident that came about because it was a very good hit, Maeng-ho Ji’s hitting feeling is worth trusting.]

*

‘The ball is jagged.’

The conclusion I came to while watching McLannahan’s pitching was that this kid’s pitching was erratic.

‘What is the need for precise control to throw 100 miles? I just need to put it inside the zone.’

‘… It does.’

Baseball is a very unfair sport. Hitters are out even if they hit just the slightest mistake, but it is possible for a pitcher to catch a strike even if he just throws the wrong way.

‘It’s fucking unfair.’

‘If I twist it, you throw 100 miles too.’

‘…….’

I had nothing to say. After all, it’s not like everyone gets stuck in the strike zone.

To throw as you please, you have to throw a special ball like that guy. A lefty 100 miles, such a special ball.

I’ve seen righties’ 100 miles a few times. Ohtani, whom I faced in the match against Japan right now, also threw a 100 mile ball. Besides, I saw him a few times during training with Rossby. However, it was the first time for a lefty to reach 100 miles.

Besides, the fit wasn’t good. Poor control means giving up one of my weapons.

‘Should I give up the location?’

‘Yeah, even if you tell me where the catcher’s mitt is, it’ll slow me down. That guy isn’t throwing properly through the catcher’s mitt.’

If you want to hit a ball close to 100 miles, you have to save even 1/1000th of a second. If the reaction was slowed down by taking a location, I could never hit a ball with that speed.

‘Then, only pitching will go.’

‘OK.’

Right!

When I finished the strategy meeting with Rossby, the weatherman kicked the ball up with good timing. The unfortunate thing is that the timing was good, but the batted ball was bad?

“Out!”

“Under… , You crazy bastard.”

“How is the ball?”

“The sliders don’t bend that much, but they’re fast, so it’s hard to get the timing right.”

“But how much does it bend?”

“It doesn’t.”

“All right.”

Hearing the impression of facing Ki Sang-ju directly, he walked to the plate.

‘In this case, it would be better to aim for the slider, right?’

‘Well…. That guy’s slider sometimes bends and sometimes doesn’t, so it’s not a good choice.’

‘That’s right.’

My greatest strength was knowing what the pitcher was going to throw. And first-class pitchers throw more or less constant pitches, such as speed and the angle of their breaking pitches. If a loose ball comes in, it leads to a long hit.

But I was different. Because I knew what kind of ball it was, it was rather difficult to hit it if the ball did not bend as expected. Even if it’s a mistake to other batters, if the ball is thrown to me, it becomes a rather unpredictable winning shot.

To make up for that, when training with Rossby, he trained without letting him know his pitch, but it was still lacking.

In other words, there is only one ball he can aim for. Fastball.

Even if it’s 100 mph for a lefty pitcher you’ve never seen before, you have to hit it this time.

‘The first pitch is a fastball. The position is inside the strike zone, so think about it.’

‘OK.’

Body, outside or center. McLenahan’s ball is hard to predict where it will fly. But one thing is for sure, it will come into the strike zone. Because if you don’t have that level of control, you can’t go up to the major leagues.

I believed in that one fact and loaded my swing. Keep your elbows together and focus on the pitcher’s figure, being careful not to open your shoulders too quickly. When the pitcher throws the ball, he can swing it at any time. With a faster timing than swinging the bat normally.

‘Come!’

The grip of the bat is smooth, but fast.

Ta-evil!

‘Oh, shit!’

My hands are tingling. The speed limit recorded on the electronic board is 100.7 miles. So about 162 km/h? The batted ball curved nicely and went into the stands.

‘The bat came out too fast.’

‘All right.’

Were you too conscious? It’s because he’s left-handed, so it’s hard to get the timing right.

‘Curve.’

Today’s curveball is a pitch that doesn’t go into the zone at all. I decided to take it lightly.

“Cheek.”

The result was a ball.

‘Fastball. Into the zone.’

And once again the opportunity came. A fastball that gets into the zone. Faster while watching his swing trajectory, but slower than before….

I instinctively swung the bat.

Ta-evil!

Maintaining the power until the end of the swing, I naturally threw the bat using that power. He didn’t hit the ball fast, but he had already risen a lot, and it seemed certain he would go far.

The question is whether it’s inside the pole….

The referee raises his hand. And the fingers turn round and round

– Wow!

– Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho!

The full crowd became quiet and a small number of Korean fans roared. That small shout was louder than ever.

‘It was a good hit.’

‘… Thank you.’

“Ruler! Let’s follow one by one!”

*

-Ji Maeng-Ho! Ji Maeng-Ho! Ji Maeng-Ho! Ji Maeng-Ho! Ji Maeng-Ho!
-Wow! Ji Maeng-ho home run!!!!!
– Now the 6-point chime, you can do it!

– What game is there today? Communities are upset.
Yes, there is a WBC final. There are many major leaguers.
ㄴㄴI stopped playing baseball after Hyungjin Joo, so I’ll have to try it.

-Oh, looks like you got a score? Is the game fun?
ㄴㅇㅇ All major leaguers come out.

-This bastard Ji Maeng-ho is a thing. When I was first selected for the national team, I yelled at him for asking why he selected a rookie, but I’m sorry..
ㄴAs expected, Joo Hyung-jin’s eyes…
Nn Lord… Until when are you going to save Korea…

-S feet!!!!!!! That’s our number 1 name!!!!!
Replying to @DragonBall
ㄴ and the swing sucked.

-Are you a famous American pitcher? Why hit a home run?
ㄴ Ranked 2nd in the American League.

-Wow, when the mackle goes down, the call comes up. Damn..
ㄴBy the way, it’s a call, so if that kid doesn’t have tar, it’s a joke.
Nope~ I blocked it with no loss.

-Call, isn’t that bastard trash? Why are you so good?
That’s how much it’s been retired

-Ah… I lost a point again… Seong-hyeon can’t come out?
ㄴㅇㅇ Too many throws in the match against Japan..

– Even people like Ji Maeng-ho can hit homeruns, so what are the other kids doing?
Look at the opposing pitchers
Yes

-It’s nice to see the top leagues perishhehe… It’s worth praying all night long.
It’s your fault

-It’s another home run… Let’s turn off the TV.
You? Still not sure

-Ah… 11:2… Thank you for your hard work. Still got one home run…
Even if you just scored, you did well. If you look at the ones uploaded to the US, they all got double-digit scores.

-Did you enjoy WBC? Until now, it was the ‘Korea National Baseball Team’.
Nah… I’m dizzy at the thought of watching the fucking low-level KBA.
ㄴㄹㅇ Still, a lot of WBC major leaguers came out this time, so it was worth watching.

-Is fake baseball WBC over? From now on, this is the KBA Gallery.
ㄴAs expected, it’s a real entertainment KBA rather than fake baseball.

-When did the season start? It took so long.
It’s been fucking long since Stove League, I’m tired of waiting.
Now there are less than 10 days left until the opening.
I’m sorry it took so long ㅠㅠ