Chapter 144 – Episode 142. Battle for the Last Place. (2)

‘Oh, look at this bastard’s eyes. I’m afraid the fire will come out of my eyes?’

What did you throw a fastball in the middle from the first pitch? Maybe it’s because I’ve been analyzing myself these days, but the timing was a bit late for the first fastball that came in after a long time.

‘I have to pass that ball. It’s too much power.’

‘Ah, it’s an out-of-the-field foul home run, but it’s almost the same.’

‘Tsk, I’ve been working too hard since I hit the walk-off home run. So, since that day, there has been only one home run.’

… Is it? Rossby had a point. I passed one before NV, but these days it seems a bit off.

‘Done. For now, don’t think about useless things.’

‘All right.’

‘Slider, lower.’

Kim Min-joon is an orthodox right-hander, a two-pitch type pitcher who throws a fastball in the upper 140 range and a slider that drops to the bell. In particular, the bell slider was in the early 140s, so it was quite intimidating.

‘I’ll skip one since it’s my first time seeing it.’

If it was like before, I would have just swung it, but thinking about the situation in the team these days, I was reluctant to swing it without thinking. It was something I could not help myself as there was little chance for the team to win unless I took the opportunity and hit a big one.

“Cheek.”

‘One ball, one strike.’

“I heard that you hit well, but is it because you are a rookie? Are you afraid of breaking balls? Don’t be scared, I’ll make sure you don’t fit your body.”

“Just focus on the game.”

“It’s not normal to be a goonhehe.”

The catcher tried to shake me up by trash talking, but I lightly ignored it. Maybe it’s because Rossby cursed at me every day, so these words didn’t really scratch me.

‘Inside the fastball.’

‘It’s definitely because he’s a two-pitch type, so his pitching pattern is monotonous.’

Shall we keep an eye on the ball? I remember feeling strangely bad at batting during batting practice, so I was a little nervous.

Minjun Kim winds up and throws a fastball. The trajectory was slightly out of the strike zone, and it flew toward me. On the arm as well.

“Fuck! It’s a surprise!”

Did you brush it? I felt something on my forearm, but it was a little vague whether it brushed. Looking at the referee, it seemed that the referee was also worried.

“Did I pass?”

Gotta try it once and see. It was a good situation that shook the pitcher’s mentality even if it didn’t brush, so I appealed for the death ball while watching the referee.

“… Really?”

“Yes. Did you see the uniform fluttering? It hurts to die Senior, what should I do if I make him throw a ball like this, saying he won’t hit it? Oh, is it just a matter of control?”

“Hmm…. Hit by Pitch Ball!”

Oh, looks like I really missed it It hurt Gao a little that the first ball was a ball that brushed against his uniform, but the free on-base wasn’t bad.

“Ah, sir. Where did you see this and brushed it off?”

“If it’s strange, ask them to criticize it. Because when I saw it, I definitely brushed it off. And you didn’t throw it on purpose, did you? If you say that and throw a ball like this, you might get nasty, so be careful.”

“…….”

The opposing team’s catcher quickly gave up his opinion, as if he did not want to quarrel with the referee from the first inning. He glanced at the pitcher’s expression and saw that he was wearing a shit-chewed expression.

‘Today’s hitting feeling was a bit off, but I’m glad I got on base for free.’

‘Tsk tsk, the more I think about it, the more I have to think about it. Kids these days don’t have much guts.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Contrary to Rossby’s complaint, the situation was quite good. In the top of the 1st inning, 1st base without a hit. As a runner, I never failed while recording 5 stolen bases. Of course, there was no reason to fail to steal the base because he only threw it at the breaking ball.

“How big was the catcher’s shoulder?”

“League average. Pop time: The time it takes for a ball thrown by the catcher to travel from the catcher’s mitt to the second baseman’s glove. An average of 1.95 seconds is 1.97 seconds. It’s not something that deserves attention.”

After hearing the catcher’s explanation from the first base coach again, I was given my running gear. Mittens for running. These gloves, which were also one of the spawn items, weren’t fancy, but they weren’t as stupid as getting hurt while running, so it was a must-have equipment when you go on base as a runner.

‘In addition, it is slightly longer than a finger, so it is helpful in running situations where you can handle 0.1 seconds.’

‘Under…. Can’t you just throw away those damn gloves? How did something so ugly come to the ballpark?’

‘Ah, these days, if you don’t use good equipment, you’re an idiot. It’s been 100 years since I played baseball naked.’

‘Tsk.’

‘Tell me something. Run right away.’

‘It’s a fastball.’

Skip the first pitch. What’s the operation? The sign the third base coach gives is just attack. At the beginning of the first episode, it seemed like there was no strategy because it was Kim Soo-ho.

“Cheek.”

After hitting me, the ball that Kim Min-joon threw ran away far outside the left-handed batter. It looked like a pitch out, but judging from the catcher’s catching motion, it was not a pitch out.

‘One ball. Mr. Rossby, may I shake you some more? Or should I just run?’

‘Let’s run while shaking.’

‘All right.’

‘Fastball. Body side.’

If it is thrown toward the body, Kim Soo-ho, who is standing at the plate, is a left-handed hitter, so the throw will be slightly affected. It’s a fastball, but I decided to run.

‘Now!’

At Rossby’s signal, I ran to second base.

‘The throw is high!’

The second baseman is seen jumping to catch a high throw.

‘Sliding!’

And when you try to slide according to Rossby’s signal,

“Uh?”

I saw this crazy bastard land on my hand.

‘Fuck! Is this bastard part of it?’

The gloves haven’t arrived yet!

I quickly removed my hand and tried to touch the base again, but the base was not caught in my hand. A firmer feel than the bass. It was a shoe.

‘You crazy bastard!’

And the glove was running over my body.

“Out!”

“No! You blocked the base with your foot!”

“It was a normal catch action.”

The second baseman speaks in a calm tone.

“Hey, that’s what the referee says. Don’t you have any concept because you’re a rookie?”

… ? Are you a crazy kid?

‘Ah, it comes out like this, right? Second baseman, how many?’

Right at the second baseman’s red field, he looked at the electronic signboard. Hit 8? Wonhyung Lee. Just try to get this kid on base.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going in?”

Does this bastard think Ji did a good job?

“Under…. It’s really like a game. Hit the ball and block second base.”

“The little bastard said.”

“It would be nice to be old.”

“This, a ruthless bird….”

“You two, what are you doing on the ground!”

“Sorry.”

“… Sorry.”

After apologizing to the second baseman and returning to the dugout, I felt a slightly chilly atmosphere. It seems that he is angry with me for blowing up his chance to be on first base safely, and he seems to have grown cold because of my argument. It was a complex atmosphere.

“It was a waste.”

“Sorry. It’s blocking second base.”

“Tsk. Look closely ahead and slide.”

“… Yes.”

Damn, I was the one who was unfair, but I had to apologize to the coach. Annoyance wells up.

“Hey, what are you arguing about?”

When I threw my running gear and sat down on the bench, Yoon Seong-tae approached me.

“No, you hit second base with your foot to block it. You play fucking dirty, really.”

“Lee Won-hyung, that bastard is always like that. But it’s a normal catch motion, so no one can say anything.”

Did you see that Yoon Seong-tae also suffered something? But no one really taught me that?

“Next time, I’m going to try Bentreg (Bentleg sliding: sliding with my feet).”

“Yes? Why?”

“The next time I do that, I have to break it down.”

As someone who defends the justice of the League, it was absolutely unbearable. If the angle doesn’t come out, when defending….

“Hey, hey. Still, it’s a good thing.”

“Senpai, what, did you go to high school with me, or do you want to be on the same team? Are you just enemies?”

“Look at the mind. I’m glad I’m on the same team as you.”

“Your brother is so withdrawn. Baseball is war, so you have to go with the intention of killing yourself.”

As Rosby always emphasizes, baseball is war. And now, blocking second base was a declaration of war against me.

‘Chuck, I searched, really.’

*

The opportunity came faster than expected. The game unfolded in an unexpected pitching battle, and the game progressed quickly. It was because at the end of the third inning, when the score was 0:0, starting pitcher Kim Chan-young let Lee Won-hyung, who came out as the lead batter, walk on base. It seems like I can hear the fans sigh, but it was rather good for me.

‘Dog, just run.’

Even if I tried not to be conscious, my eyes kept focusing on the guy on first base.

Lee Won-hyung, a veteran player who leads the infield team, a rookie of the volcano. He was a middle-aged player in his early thirties, one of the few in Hwasan where most of the younger players were. Until Choi Si-woo appeared, he was a hitter who could be called Hwasan’s signature hitter.

In particular, he won the Golden Gloves in 2018, but should we say he was a victim of an idiot by the volcano front who was taken away by the military during the next season? That’s how I heard that after he went to the army, his play became quite dirty, probably due to evil.

Especially for the second team players or new players. Yoon Seong-tae also said that he suffered a lot while playing in the 2nd team.

“… So are you really going to do it?”

Yoon Seong-tae, who played as a starting shortstop today, approaches and covers his mouth with a glove.

“Then fake it? Toss the ball well.”

“Ha, I don’t think this is a bit.”

“Then you’re just going to get hurt? I need to change my habits.”

“… Once I knew.”

What I asked for was simple. When the shortstop grounder comes, the throw should be slightly higher. Yoon Seong-tae seemed to have immediately noticed what I wanted.

“Senior Chanyoung! Let’s roll one into the infield. I will block everything.”

Chanyoung Kim nodded slightly as if he had heard my cheering. Let’s save him low and get one. Senior.

Kim Chan-young receives the autograph and throws the ball toward home plate.

“Cheek.”

A ball thrown low to induce a double hit becomes a ball as it is. But the try was good. If we can keep the ball rolling by keeping it low, it’s our win.

‘I think the victory you think is a bit different from that guy’s idea?’

‘Now that’s not important. Mr. Rossby. Baseball is war. Right?’

Hehe, that’s not true.’

After that, Kim Chan-young continued to throw the ball low to induce a ground ball. That’s how the full count went, and finally the ball headed for the lower part of the strike zone.

Deep!

‘Come!’

The batting ball is an easy double-playing ball headed toward the shortstop. Since it was a full count, Lee Won-hyeong, who started the engine first, could be seen running towards the second base. Yoon Seong-tae catches the ball with his glove and throws it. The throwing ball bounced higher than I thought, probably thinking about what I asked for.

‘Rather, it went well.’

It was a ball that could be caught by stretching one’s arms high, but he purposely jumped and caught it. The sight of Wonhyung Lee sliding in came into view.

‘Search!’

“Aaaaagh!”

I could definitely feel the softness of my feet being stepped on. If it had been an unexpected landing, I could have been hurt, but this was the situation I intended. After lightly landing on the opposite foot, I stroked the cheek of the lying guy with the glove.

“Cuck!”

“Out!”

And first base!

“Safe!”

“Ah, Kabi!”

“Aagh! My feet, my feet!”

“Uh? Sorry. I stepped on it. I didn’t see it.”

He immediately bowed his head and apologized. If you do that on purpose, you will be suspended from business trips.

“This, dog, dog.”

Jeop, by the way, the batter seemed slow, so I tried aiming for first base, but it’s a shame.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Sir, are you okay?”

As Lee Won-hyung is holding his feet and rolling on the ground, Yoon Seong-tae and second base umpire ask about Lee Won-hyung’s condition.

“Call a trainer!”

“Ugh, my feet. Fuck.”

‘Baby, you’re lucky. If I had been Head First, I would have changed my hands.’

Maybe the shoe side wasn’t stepped on and the bone wasn’t broken or anything? If I had stepped on it, it would have broken 100%.

As I was looking at him with that thought, our eyes met.

“This, shit, you fucking bastard… !”

I was a little excited to see the guy blushing while holding his ankle, but I held back my laughter and opened my mouth.

“Sorry. Under. The throw came high. Sorry sorry.”

Would this have been enough to convey my sorry feelings? So you should have done some good defense. Tsk.