Chapter 119 – Episode 117. Uta Geopo!

Bore, the team’s mercenary and hitter number 4, stepped into the plate. I was drafted to the national team during the spring camp, so I don’t know what kind of player Bohr is, but looking at today’s game, he seems to be a good player. If you watch him train, he has power and he had an RBI today.

‘Can I hit one?’

Han Chul’s finisher Jeong Tae-hwan was faltering, and Bo’er had a situation that could end his debut match with the best scenario.

‘Please hit one.’

I don’t even want a hit. He was confident enough to hit home if he was only sent to the outfield. Send it to the outfield… !

Right-handed pitcher Jeong Tae-hwan meets eyes. Shall I shake it a little? I crept out of the third base and shook Jeong Tae-hwan. However, like a veteran closer, he wasn’t paying attention at all.

‘Should I quit?’

‘Yeah, it would be a disaster if I got out for nothing. Don’t talk and stay.’

‘All right.’

Rossby was right. Normally, right-handed pitchers would sometimes show a slight panic when the runner on third base was running around like me, but Jeong Tae-hwan was not at all like that. If you try to shake it against such a pitcher, you are likely to lose money.

“Whoah!”

And Jeong Tae-hwan screamed and threw the first pitch at Bohr.

Fuck!

‘Fucked!’

The ball hit by Boer was sucked into the pitcher’s glove like a lie. He was caught in reverse motion, but he quickly returned to third base.

“Safe!”

“Wow…. I almost got fucked.”

Short-lived tea. As soon as I put the base in my hand, the third baseman’s glove touched my arm at the same time. If I had been fooling around saying I was going to shake the pitcher, I would have been out….

“Okay, that was a nice play. Ji Maeng-ho.”

“Wow, that was close.”

“Well, no luck. That batted ball goes into the pitcher’s glove.”

Bohr’s batting was pretty good, but unfortunately it wasn’t directional. Because he was pitcher front. Besides, Jeong Tae-hwan’s defense was pretty good.

[Hitter number 5, first baseman Choi Jin-cheol.]

In the beginning of the ninth inning, a two-out situation, when the announcer said Choi Jin-cheol’s name, the crowd started to stir.

-Choi Jincheol! Jincheol Choi! Jincheol Choi!

– Blow it up, blow it up! Choi Jincheol! Home run Choi Jin-cheol! Blow it up, blow it up! Jincheol Choi! Home! Run! Jincheol Choi!

Fans who filled Jamsil with almost 10,000 people chanted Choi Jin-cheol in unison. Even the story of an unfortunate prospect who left the team becoming the home run king and returning to his parent team. Jamsil seemed to resonate with the sound of fans cheering.

‘It’s spectacular….’

4 times home run champion, 3 times MVP. The player who became synonymous with home runs after Joo Hyung-jin, Choi Jin-cheol. Fans’ expectations are conveyed to me.

‘IM jealous. I wish I could have that kind of expectation….’

No matter how brilliantly I played in the WBC, I was still not at the level where I could compete with Choi Jin-cheol.

Even at my plate, the cheering sound was loud, but not to this extent. I was slightly envious of Choi Jin-cheol, who received such fervent support. I was selected as a national team member and received a lot of support, but it was regrettable that I did not receive such fanatical support from home fans because I played in Japan and the United States.

And I was a little curious. Usually, the best players have a certain level of self-management. Just looking at the weather note that was attached throughout the national team, he had memories of not drinking and watching baseball videos the day before the game.

But the confidence to go out for a drink the day before the opening game. The question is whether he will be able to show that confidence in a real match.

‘Show me? Choi Jin-cheol?’

*

[Lee In-hyeok, runner at first base. And Geopo, who returned to the AT Thunders, and Choi Jin-cheol, the fifth hitter, enter the plate.]

‘Ugh, it’s the same whenever I come here. As expected, just one cheer….’

The cheering sound that is so passionate that your eardrums will tear. Hearing that cheer, Jincheol Choi thought of his debut.

In 2006, when Jincheol Choi debuted. The KBA league was crazy about three high school students.

Busan’s Kang Han-bum, a mid- to long-distance first baseman with a flexible body and soft batting form.

An outfielder called Joo Hyung-jin, with his muscular body and lightning-fast swing speed. Lee Jin-hong from Gwangju

And if you hit it right, Jamsil has the power to laugh it off. Third baseman with a strong arm and wide range. Jincheol Choi from Seoul

Fans watching Korean baseball at the time paid great attention to the appearance of three right-handed hitters who would lead Korean baseball for the next 20 years, and fans wondered who would be the player who would follow Hyung-jin Joo and raise the status of Korean baseball.

Of course, the rookie of the year was Seong-hyeon, a left-handed pitcher who appeared like a comet and chewed up Korea.

Anyway, Choi Jin-cheol made his debut in the KBA league not only with the expectations of AT, but also with the expectations of all baseball fans… ,

… Ruined like a lie

Future Buffaloes fans laughed at Lee Jin-hong, who was runner-up in rookie of the year, and Charlotte Blue Mariners fans had happy imaginations in anticipation of Kang Han-beom, who appeared in 67 games and showed a ceiling as a giant gun.

And the fans of the AT Thunders criticized Choi Jin-cheol’s performance, which came out in 18 games and hit 2 home runs with a batting average of 0.176.

The downfall of a good team, the success of other teams’ prospects. The fans of the AT Thunders needed a place to blame, and the most anticipated right-handed gun prospect, Choi Jin-cheol, was the target. Of course, the expectations were greater than the criticism, but it was difficult for young Choi Jin-cheol to endure such criticism.

Choi Jin-cheol, who always received only praise, was slowly crumbling amid such criticism.

For two years, Choi Jin-cheol, who ran away to the army after recording a record that was embarrassing to be called a prospect, worked hard to live up to the expectations of AT Thunders fans for three years after being discharged, but the high walls of Jamsil were not so formidable. .

And a trade to the future Buffaloes in 2013. They were worried about fans as passionate as the AT Thunders, but unlike the fans of the AT Thunders, who were in decline, the fans of the Mirae Buffaloes, the most winning team in the KBA league, had enough patience to wait for the promising prospect in Geopo. Choi Jin-cheol flew up to the cheering.

However, Choi Jin-cheol’s heart was always heavy. It is only natural that if he wears silk, he should return to his hometown instead of wandering around at night.

Moreover, since AT Thunders, which dominated Seoul since childhood, was like a dream club for all baseball players in Seoul at the time, it was natural for Choi Jin-cheol to want to return to AT Thunders.

I want to show AT’s fans the real me that I couldn’t show when I was younger.

Choi Jin-cheol returned to Jamsil with such determination, but listening to the support of the still enthusiastic AT Thunders fans, it was inevitable that he remembered those days when his mentality was weak.

‘If anything has changed….’

Fans still support him enthusiastically, not much has changed from his rookie days. However, the player receiving the support was different.

Three-time MVP, four-time home run champion. And the major league experience.

Now, Choi Jin-cheol was ready to repay the fans’ support.

‘Come… !’

Grizzlies pitcher Han-cheol Jeong Tae-hwan threw the first pitch.

[First ball! Here, Jeong Tae-hwan’s choice is the outer slider.]

[Ah, it seems like you feel the pressure against Choi Jin-cheol too much, right? Increased, the aging curve has come. There are many such stories, but Choi Jin-cheol is Choi Jin-cheol. And the AT Thunders must have recruited Choi Jin-cheol in anticipation of such an appearance.]

Jang Tae-hwan’s eyes wavered. The pressure that he will pass the ball at any time…. A cold sweat broke out from the pressure.

And the second ball thrown. A four-seam fastball at 153km/h headed towards Choi Jin-cheol’s body,

Ta-evil!

The sound of a ball being split was heard.

[This ball is on the left wall! The wall on the left! The wall on the left! A timely hit that hits the left wall directly! Third base runner, Ji Maeng-ho, home! Second base runner Kim Soo-ho also goes home! Home! Safe! Come in! Choi Jin-cheol hit the fence at the right time. The Thunders’ Uta Geopo is back! Choi Jin-cheol turns this match upside down! Score 5:4!]

[If it wasn’t for Jamsil, it would have been an unconditional hit, but Choi Jin-cheol must be very sorry.]

[Uh, huh? An out sign from third base? Lee In-hyeok was out while overrunning. Woo Kwan-hyeong, the next batter, frowned. However, in the top of the ninth inning, the AT Thunders succeeded in turning around with a big inning. Home run king Choi Jin-cheol turns this game upside down! Now, at the bottom of the ninth inning, it leads to an attack that could be the last for the Grizzlies today.]

“This is it!”

When all the AT fans watching the broadcast cheered, So-young, who was screaming more passionately than any other fan, started swinging her fists in front of the TV as if she were boxing. If Maengho saw that clumsy appearance, Dad would have smiled, but unfortunately, Maengho was now in the AT Thunders dugout.

“This is Choi Jin-cheol! Nice!”

If So-young’s subordinates had seen this high-tension figure, they would have rubbed his eyes, but the place where So-young is now is her own home. There were no subordinates of his to open her eyes wide.

There are only two things that can melt So-young’s cold and cold expression. Fierce Tiger and AT Thunders. It was natural for the tension to go up in this situation where the turnover in the beginning of the 9th inning and the player of his choice hit a turnaround.

And when the innings changed, Soyoung knelt down in front of the TV and put her hands together like a priest confessing to God, as if her excitement was a lie.

“Please, let’s stop one inning.”

1-point lead to bloody situation AT Thunders finisher Park Jin-hyeok comes on the mound. Last season’s performance was 3.47 with 22 saves and 7 blows. It was an ambiguous performance to call Jamsil a home finisher, but AT did not have a bullpen that could throw better pitches than Park Jin-hyuk.

“Under…. I’m a bit uneasy….”

Soyoung, who had been watching AT Thunders baseball for nearly 20 years, instinctively started sweating on her back.

Bottom of the 9th inning, 1 run. The opponent is the Hancheol Grizzlies. And the lead batter is second baseman Si-Hwon An, who has been harassing the AT Thunders in various ways for over 15 years.

“Couldn’t it be?”

And, as all baseball fans thought, the anxious hunch was not always wrong.

[Ahn Si-Hwon succeeds in reaching the first base! The tied runner is now on the floor! The match is not over yet!]

[Kim Jeong-hyun, who creates 1st and 3rd base safely with consecutive hits! This is baseball for the Grizzlies! Now, the relay runner is on the floor! And the hitter is Lee Yong-ki, the fourth hitter who hit a home run today! The best catcher in Korea! He is the player who made his name as a giant gun catcher after Lee Ki-cheol.]

Ta-evil!

[Use! The batted ball hit by Lee draws a big arch! This ball is out of the fence! Good bye! Good bye! Good bye! Lee Yong-gi hit a home run from the opening game! Seungcheol Joo is out with an injury, but as long as Lee Yonggi is in good health, Hancheol Grizzlies are still a strong team! The hero of today’s game is Geopo Catcher! It was a period of use! A fierce rivalry in Jamsil, and an even fiercer home run competition between the two teams. And the one that brought victory was the Grizzlies… ]

Tiriling.

“Under…. Fuck….”

The TV was turned off and low swear words flowed from So-yeong’s mouth, who didn’t usually curse well. And it was no wonder that similar profanity flowed from the mouths of all the AT Thunders fans watching the game.

*

“Brother, did you say AT is easy?”

“Wow…. It’s definitely difficult because there are players like Choi Jin-cheol.”

“Okay?”

“This is why baseball is a home run. But this season, the AT Thunders are definitely scary. Ji Maeng-ho, Kim Su-ho, Ki Ki-joo, Choi Jin-cheol, and Woo Kwan-hyung. Almost all-star level?”

“Oh, is that enough to have Ji Maeng-ho in that line?”

“… Maybe more than me.”

“What is it? Are you recognizing other players? You said everyone except Daddy was a dick.”

Joo Seung-cheol’s expression became complicated at the words of his younger sister, Ju Ji-ah, but soon calmed down.

“Just. What.”

“Anyway, if my brother is like that, then it must be like that. Try contacting me instead. Are you available for an interview tomorrow?”

“Ha, that bothers me. I’ll try it later. It will take about an hour to wash up and do something.”

“Kyaaaaagh! Brother! Thank you!”

“Wow.”

Even if you normally argue, a younger brother is a younger brother. Joo Seung-cheol started looking for his younger brother’s contacts for his younger brother.