Chapter 121 – Episode 119. Opening 2nd Year. (2)
“Hey, wake up! Hitters gave up 7 runs, but I still have to eat 5 innings!”
“Ah yes. Sorry!”
“It’s not that I’m sorry, I have to do well. Is not it? Will today be like yesterday?”
“No!”
“Okay. Let’s stop this inning and come back.”
Han-Cheol scored 4 runs in 4 innings against Lim Jun-Hoo against the Grizzlies’ hard hitting line. It would have been a grade that would have been beaten immediately if it was normal, but today’s AT batting line is an active volcano on fire. The AT’s dugout wasn’t in such a hurry, as he demolished opposing starters while giving up seven runs in four innings.
Coach Sands’ management of today’s game was simple. It was a waste of entries to leave a starting pitcher who will not be used, so after starting pitchers are filled with bullpens, Sunday games are operated as bullpen day. And from Tuesday, one by one, the starting pitcher will be replaced to make a normal entry.
Using Lim Jun-hoo as the starter today was part of that bullpen day. However, Lim Jun-hoo’s stamina was better than expected, and unexpectedly, the batting line spewed fire and made a big score.
“[Director, then, are you thinking of entrusting the 5th episode to Lim Jun-hoo?]”
“[Okay, since you’re ahead of me, there’s no need to change.]”
Coach Sands thought Lim Joon-hoo’s responsible innings were 3 innings, but he did not want to replace the starting pitcher who was throwing bravely for no reason as long as he was ahead of him.
“[Still, I’ll keep the bullpen ready.]”
“[Great. But if possible, I would like to give you the first win.]”
Haha, I wish I did too. Young players grow up with opportunities like this.]”
Besides, if he wins his first game in his debut, this young player may grow even bigger in the future. As the sport of baseball is a sport of records, it was common for each of these records to affect a player’s performance, and there were often cases in which players stepped up with confidence after achieving a record.
A situation where he could get his first victory in his debut game if he only blocked one inning. At the end of the 5th inning, Sands, the manager of the AT Thunders, decided to put Lim Jun-hoo on the mound once again in order to give the rookie a first win.
“Hey, did you train properly?”
Maeng-ho, who was the only motive in the entry and who captivated the coach’s heart with yesterday’s match, approached Lim Jun-hu with a complicated expression.
“Then did you play?”
Out of envy, sharp words came out of Junhu’s mouth, but since he was the starting pitcher, Maengho did not refute and answered softly.
“I thought we were having fun because every time we met, they said ‘sex, sex’.”
“Ha, I don’t have hyung, so I don’t know, but training during spring camp wasn’t a joke.”
“Then stop one inning. I read the article yesterday, and it tasted like mulberry.”
The article he found immediately after the game was over. Ji Maeng-ho, a high school graduate who hit a home run in his debut at-bat for the second time in history. That pleasure you get when you see the title. Meng Tiger sincerely hoped that his motives would feel the pleasure he felt.
“Okay. Block second base well.”
“Just trust your brother, kid.”
And at the end of the 5th inning. Im Joon-hoo’s ball went to the strike zone resoundingly, probably motivated by the fact that he could become a winning pitcher after eating just one inning.
[Swing Strike! Lim Joon-hoo strikes out for the third time! It is a ball that stands out with unbelievable boldness for a rookie debuting this season! One out now.]
[Wow. Certainly, the rookies this year are showing a really good look. Rumors spread that Maeng-Ho Ji on the same team, Woo-Joo Jang, who played an active part in the WBC, and Won-Ho Kim would debut this season. We are showing results that match the rumors.]
“Hi, Mr. It’s not a bad ball, but it’s quite tricky.”
“Obviously it’s tricky to tell the difference between a fastball and a changeup.”
“Still, didn’t you pay a lot for 4 points?”
“… Uh, sorry.”
“Ah, Hyunsik hyung, there are days like that. How many wins have you got now? 9 straight wins against AT? It’s time to break up.”
“That’s right. It took nine consecutive wins, so you couldn’t even get a win. You can do well starting from the next game.”
Even with a 3-run loss in the 5th inning, the atmosphere in the Grizzlies’ dugout was not so gloomy. Because I had the confidence that I could beat AT Thunders anytime.
“Children! Are you here to play? Can you see the teeth while losing?”
“No!”
“Okay, if you’re not here to play, play some baseball. If that kid can’t get off this inning, it’s a special hit today. Okay?”
“Yep!”
In addition, Han-cheol Grizzlies manager Park Dae-hoon is a famous coach who won Han-cheol several times with his unique charisma while in power for a long time. Even while the team members were full of confidence, the atmosphere of the team was holding the center so that it did not go too far into the mountains.
“Director, but I don’t think you heard it because you went to the standby hitter… ?”
“Bastard, so you have to cheer hard! If those bastards can’t hit, you guys will be special too. Algan?”
“All right!”
“Tae Kyung! Get one hit!”
“Lee Tae-kyung fighting!”
[Hitter 9, Lee Tae-kyung comes in to bat. Lee Tae-kyung, who is starting the game in place of Joo Seung-cheol, who was injured due to an injury, is playing like Altoran, right?]
[This is a player who did his part yesterday by hitting 2 hits in 4 at-bats. As the number 9 hitter, he is very good at connecting.]
[The first pitch is a ball. Lee Tae-kyung picks this ball.]
“Hey, fuck me with confidence!”
Hearing the sound from behind, Lim Jun-hu glanced at the shortstop.
‘Ah, that’s fucking noisy, damn it.’
Lim Jun-hoo also wanted to strike with confidence. However, the velocity recorded on the electronic board is 141 km / h. Drive it into the strike zone with this restraint? It was a crowd. It was a suicidal act to drive such a restraining ball into the zone for Han-Cheol’s batters, who used to hit it even when the score was 145-6 at the beginning of the game.
‘Four-seam?’
At the catcher’s request, Lim Jun-hu shook his head. Four-seam is not right now. He has to use more breaking balls to get grounders and whiffs.
‘Can’t I change up?’
‘I threw too much of my changeup last inning. The ball that hit the home run in the last inning was also a changeup!’
Between the catcher’s mask, the eyes that seem to kill themselves are stuck. However, it is dangerous to throw the ball as the catcher requested. His own senses were alerting him to that.
‘Under…. Then the slider.’
‘All right.’
The slider was less perfect, but it was still much better than the four-seam, which lacked velocity. Junhu Lim nodded his head and prepared the slider.
Ta-evil!
[Ah! Hit it This batted ball goes out of the infield!]
[It was a very dangerous ball now, right? The slider didn’t break and the mistake went in, but Lee Tae-kyung should have passed this ball over the fence, but it seems that the reaction was a little late because it was a slider that he hadn’t thrown several times today.]
[Now, with one out, first base, Han Chul’s first batter, Kim Dong-jin, steps in. And catcher Jung Yun-cheol goes up to the mound.]
“Hey! I hate this ball, I hate that ball too. And is the throwing ball such a mistake? Are you kidding me?”
“Sorry.”
“If you can’t, go down. It seems like the coach keeps posting that he will take care of the record, but for me, team victory is more important.”
“… You can.”
Lim Jun-hu’s voice, saying that he could do it, began to creep in. What was needed now was encouragement for a young player, but Jung Yun-cheol was not a person with the mental capacity to give such consideration.
Debuting in 2006 and never being invited to fall baseball for 18 years, Jung Yun-cheol’s heart was already dry. In the midst of constant criticism and ridicule, all Jung Yun-cheol wants is victory. Even if he had only played two games yet, Jung Yun-cheol knew how important this one win and one win was.
There were several seasons where I couldn’t advance to fall baseball by one game difference.
“Junhoo. Calm down and do it.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Okay. Let’s do it well.”
As Jeong Yun-cheol led the giant and walked back to the back of the home plate, Lim Jun-hu let out a sigh he had been holding back.
‘Ha, every time I throw as directed, I get beaten up, so what are you asking me?’
And the batter who came into his at-bat was Kim Dong-jin, his high school senior. Although he was a bit like a girl-loving older brother, Lim Jun-hoo knew that he was more serious than anyone else when it came to baseball, so he started to get more nervous.
‘Fuck, here is Dongjin hyung….’
A battle that has already been lost from the inside out.
[Kim Dong-jin’s surprise bunt! It is a bold operation from the beginning. Picking up the catcher’s ball and hitting second base is too much! 1st base, 1st base throw! First baseman bore, ball, spilled ball! The second baseman ran and caught the ball, but the runners were already on second and third! Here comes a fatal mistake!]
[Ah…. I was a little nervous about the catcher throwing the ball, but at this level the first baseman should have caught it…. AT Thunders is very disappointing. It’s a team that has a lot of good players, but always lacks a little bit of these details. It’s very sad.]
As irregularities were added to the fight, the atmosphere of the match slowly began to become more mysterious. And the dugout of the AT Thunders, who grasped the atmosphere, also made a decision.
“[Director, that’s probably not going to work, right?]”
“[Mmm…. Prepare the next pitcher.]”
If it’s a big one, it’s a tie. Records are important, but the team’s victory was more important.
[Ah…. It seems like a late pitcher change? In fact, it seemed better to have another pitcher come up this inning….]
[The new pitcher on the mound is AT Thunders left-hander Woojin Lee. He had 17 holds last season.]
[Pitcher Lee Woo-jin comes up. It’s a bit late, but it’s a good choice, right? Since the second hitter Ahn Si-hwon and the third hitter Kim Jung-hyun are both left-handed hitters, left-handed pitcher Lee Woo-jin seems like a good choice.]
Right!
[Ahn Si-Hwon’s outfield fly! Follows 1 point. Now the score is 7:5!]
Ta-evil!
[Kim Jung-hyun’s timely hit! Runners are safe at home! Batting runners up to second base! 7:6! One season Grizzlies will not crumble! Hancheol Grizzlies follow one point at a time! Now, at bat, the hero of yesterday’s multi-home run will enter. Ah, the AT Thunders’ pitching coach is on the mound with the ball. It seems to prepare for pitcher replacement again.]
Right!
[Lee Yong-gi’s first ball hit! The match is back to square one! 7:7! Hancheol Grizzlies of great potential! It also doesn’t back down easily! The game starts again! At the end of the 5th inning, the Han-cheol Grizzlies create a tie!]
The mound of AT was exploding to the colorless of AT’s batting line, which had been on fire.