Chapter 118 – Episode 116. Jamsil Rival? (3)
“Wow, that bastard. Aren’t you playing swing?”
“I said I wasn’t kidding. I saw that kid training at the national team, and I thought he was a really crazy kid. Right, Courage?”
“Okay. Well, other than that, it’s like a normal AT. Let’s follow it step by step.”
At the words of Lee Yong-gi, captain and leader of the Grizzlies, Han-cheol’s players nodded.
The media and fans were talking about AT Thunders as rivals in Jamsil, but in fact, the players did not feel like AT Thunders were rivals. How can you feel a sense of rivalry with a club that creatively accumulates multipliers every time you win?
There are two clubs that Han-cheol players feel a rivalry with. It was only Hyeonseong Mad Catz of UG Overlords who always competed for the championship. Or maybe Shinra Triggers. Shinra Triggers wasn’t a very scary team after Choi Joo-tae left.
The AT Thunders have always been a team that fans and players have always been grateful for. When the team is in trouble, it gives victory and becomes a stepping stone for rebound.
“I’m lucky to have AT from the opening game. Let’s hold on lightly and run again this year!”
“Okay, go out and show me. Dongjin!”
And the same was true of last year’s rookie Kim Dong-jin. The AT Thunders met while going 0-for-20 and under pressure. And Kim Dong-jin was able to find his senses by hitting two home runs in one game against the AT Thunders, and eventually he was able to pull out a performance worthy of the Rookie of the Year title.
[Hitter number one, center fielder Kim Dong-jin enters the plate. Kim Dong-jin is the new player of the Han-cheol Grizzlies, who took the Rookie of the Year and the Stealing King last season, right?]
[That’s right. Apparently, rookie Ji Maeng-ho hit a home run this year, so as a senior, he must have a desire to show something.]
Kim Dong-jin, who played as center fielder for the injured Joo Seung-cheol, entered the plate with confidence as usual.
‘Janson, a ground bowler with a fastball in the mid to high 140s. Oddly enough, AT is the only one that brought only such ground bowlers. Is it because it’s cheap? Why do clubs with a lot of money do this?’
A ground ball judo pitcher whose main weapon is a sinker that does not suit the vast Jamsil. Besides, until last year, AT’s infield defense wasn’t very good. His own team, Han Chul, tries to recruit pitchers with fly balls, while AT Thunders, who have a lot of money, do not.
And the reason I was able to think like this at bat was because I had confidence.
Right!
[Kim Dong-jin pushes lightly from the first pitch! The ball passed the shortstop to left field. Kim Dong-jin, who spins the first pitch and creates a hit! It also shows the image of last year’s rookie king.]
I’ve played against them in exhibition matches, and while Jansson’s balls are dirty, he’s not untouchable. And in this vast Jamsil, it was an environment where a hit or a long hit could come out at any time just by sending the ball outside.
Kim Dong-jin, who made a hit based on the memory of the demonstration game, raised his fist toward the dugout, and Kim Dong-jin’s cheering song rang out as if in response.
-Kim Dong-jin hits for the strongest Han-cheol victory! Hit and run! Kim Dong-jin hits!
And in the ensuing match against the second batter, Kim Dong-jin, the king of stolen bases in the previous season, ran to second base as soon as he got the timing right.
“Three leaves!”
[Three leaves from second base! The batter swung the bat so that the runners could run comfortably. This shows the basic skills of the players during the season. It becomes second base safely.]
[The ball count is now two-ball, one-strike, a good count for a batter to hit.]
“A long time?”
“I know.”
“I played a little bit at the national university. I was envious Let’s play again later.”
“Okay.”
Kim Dong-jin briefly exchanged greetings with second baseman Ji Maeng-ho and focused on the bench strategy. Hancheol’s choice was to bunt. In the opening game, where foreign mercenaries face each other, the strategy feels like wanting to tie the score as quickly as possible.
Right.
With a light hitting sound, Han Cheol’s second batter, second baseman Ahn Si-hwon, lightly rolled the ball in front of the third baseman.
[Three leaves from third base! The ball is first base, and An Si-Hwon shows good operational ability.]
[This is the role of a veteran, right? Since we sent a runner to third base, it’s a time when we can make a tie right away if it’s not a strikeout.]
And the third batter who came out, Kim Jung-hyun. He came out as a major runner or major defensive player in the national team, but within the KBA, he was always a hitter aiming for the Golden Glove.
Batting, defense, running. A tool player with all three beats, Kim Jung-hyun showed off his hitting tool this time.
Ta-evil!
[Jung-hyun Kim’s timely double that splits the middle right! Now the score is 1:1.]
“Hey, was the home run cool?”
“It makes scoring so easy.”
“If you’re envious, you shouldn’t have come all the time.”
“That’s a bit….”
“Ji Maeng-ho! Stop talking and focus on the game.”
“Oh, Hee Seon-senpai’s charisma~.”
“You should also focus on the game.”
-4 hitter, catcher. Lee Yonggi.
While the three players gathered at second base were talking, Han Cheol’s 4th hitter Lee Yong-gi entered the plate with the introduction of the announcer.
A catcher recognized by both experts and fans as having the best BQ in Korea, he always hit 20 homers in seasons with more than 400 at-bats. Was
And a cheering song breaks the silence….
Ta-evil!
[Both teams shooting homeruns from the opening game! With Lee Yong-gi’s two-run, the score is now 3:1! Always a fierce Jamsil rivalry, a come-from-behind two-run starts from the 1st inning!]
[Use! It was a swing like Lee Yonggi! Hey, it’s always amazing. It seems to hit lightly, but this ball goes over Jamsil.]
3:1. As expected by the confident players of Han-cheol, the game leaned toward Han-cheol. And Han-cheol is a strong team that never misses a chance to win.
[Ra-den prevents the crisis with double play! Overcome the crisis.]
[Suddenly, Raden’s pitch is improving?]
In the beginning of the second inning, Woo Kwan-hyeong and Jeong Yun-cheol faced a crisis, but Kang Hee-seok pulled out a double hit and got two outs at once, and Kim Joo-yeop struck out to finish the inning.
AT starting pitcher Jansson also regained his senses after giving up three runs and continued pitching, but he did not think of returning the victory once passed.
[In the top of the 3rd inning, lead batter Ji Maeng-ho steps in. Ji Maeng-ho, who became the second high school graduate rookie to hit a home run in his debut at-bat, what will he show in this at-bat….]
[He is a player whose swing mechanism is quite well established. Player Raden should be careful.]
[A hit made by pulling the outside ball. Rookie Ji Maeng-ho makes two hits in a row.]
AT players, including Maeng-Ho Ji, struggled, but the AT Thunders’ batting line was strangely out of rhythm, and they had no choice but to drag themselves along.
[Yeah. By the top of the ninth, the entire starting lineup had reached base, but only scored two runs. Will they be able to score points in the 9th inning? At the beginning of the ninth inning, Han Chul’s mound is marked by Jeong Tae-hwan, a finishing pitcher who recorded 29 saves last season.]
In the end, the score at the start of the ninth inning was 4:2. The Grizzlies had their closer pitcher on the mound, and the AT attack was about to start from the 8th hitter Kang Hee-seok.
*
‘It will come to me. But Hee-seok Kang is a bit uneasy….’
Kang Hee-seok went on base today with a missed hit, but he wasn’t a very good hitter.
“[Pinch hitter, Lee In-hyuk!]”
The coach seemed to have the same thoughts as me, so he appointed Lee In-hyeok as a substitute. Lee In-hyeok is also a left-handed hitter, and although he had 160 at-bats last season, he scored 30%. I leaned on the railing and looked at the ground, praying that the runner would be wrapped up.
Right!
And as Lee In-hyeok got a hit, he proved the reason why he remained in the entry. 9th hitter Kim Joo-yeop made a true base, putting one out and two bases.
“Maengho! Blow one up!”
-Don’t get on! Ji Maeng-ho! Don’t ride! Ji Maeng-ho!
-If you say Ji Maeng-ho, blow it up! Ji-maengho!
– Blow it up!
The cheering of the crowd is clearly audible. Is it a tie if you hit a home run? It’s a pity that it’s not a come-from-behind match, but where is the tie? After swinging the bat a few times, I went to the plate.
“Senior, give me a good ball.”
“Okay.”
I answered calmly, but after all, you won’t give me a good ball, right?
‘The first pitch is an outside fastball.’
‘OK.’
I saw enough of Jung Tae-hwan’s balls against the two batters in front. Fastball in the early 150’s. It’s easy enough to get the timing right! As he waited for the pitcher to throw the ball, a fastball flew outside as Rossby said. I stretched out my arms and swung the bat.
Ta-evil!
“Foul!”
Did you pull too hard? I went over the fence I hit, but I fell over without the pole. When I grabbed the bat again and took the batting form, I heard unexpected words from behind.
“Automatic intentional phrase.”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing, don’t walk.”
“Hey, the swing is bloody. I want to compete, but the coach tells me to send it, so what can I do? Let’s stick together properly tomorrow.”
“…….”
It seems that coach Han Chul made a decision after seeing the ball disappear over the fence. If I go out, it’s a tie runner, if I hit a home run, even though it’s a come-from-behind game, they skip me….
Hehe, it looks like the director over there has eyes.’
‘This is something I should like, right?’
‘Yes, how nice it is to be able to go on base for free.’
It was unfortunate that I couldn’t hit a home run, but it wasn’t that bad. Because behind me, there was a solid batting line that led to Kim Soo-ho, Ki Sang-joo, Mercenary, Choi Jin-cheol, and Woo Kwan-hyung. I couldn’t score many points today because Adari wasn’t right, but if it exploded, 3 points would be a good hitter.
‘I’ll do at least one…’ .’
I trusted the next batter and walked to first base.
*
[Wow, are you skipping rookie Ji Maeng-ho here? Hancheol’s director Park Dae-hoon threw a winning number.]
[If you look at Ji Maeng-ho’s form today, it was a good enough strategy. One home run, one hit, and one walk. In addition, since the first ball was a large foul home run that went over the fence, it was a strategy that Park Dae-hoon could choose.]
[By the way, isn’t the lineup behind Maengho Ji not an easy lineup?]
[That’s right. National team third baseman Kim Soo-ho. Ki Sang-ju, who was a big leaguer until last season. And a mercenary batsman bore who can hit one at any time. Choi Jin-cheol, who won four home run titles, and Woo Kwan-hyung, the heart of AT. There are no hitters who can easily see any hitter. I was not lucky today, so the other line did not converge, but one of the name values of the other line is number one in Korea.]
[I’m sure pitchers will be sweating just hearing the name? Now, Jung Tae-hwan will compete against Kim Soo-ho.]
Right!
[Exquisite hit falling in front of right fielder! Runner on second base, stop signal on third base! Runners loaded now! With one out and bases loaded, the weatherman enters the plate.]
[I didn’t expect the runner to come home because right fielder Kim Jung-hyun’s shoulder is pretty good. And this is a wise decision. You didn’t have to run too hard, did you? Because the next batter is the weatherman.]
[Ah, it’s a difficult match for the weatherman. Cheek.]
As Caster said, Hancheol’s battery led the game in the direction of not giving good balls to the weatherman as much as possible. And when he threw the seventh ball.
“Base on Balls!”
[AT Thunders following an important point! Here comes the push walk! The weatherman scores an important point that could put a dagger at his home team! Now the match is 4:3! And in this situation, the 4th hitter, Roberto Boer, who made a 1 RBI double today, enters the at bat.]