Chapter 164 – Chapter 162. Weakness? (5)

I had no choice but to admit it. Yoon Joong-hwan, who came out after sniping me at UG, had the worst compatibility with me.

A fastball that creates a variety of changes with the same grip. The power of control that you don’t even know where you’re coming from. Fast restraints that are not easy to react to. And a pitching form that I haven’t met often. Everything didn’t work for me.

‘So, are you going to give up?’

‘No. It is acceptance, not abandonment.’

‘How is that different from giving up?’

Hehe, let’s see, that bastard is a bullpen pitcher. Wouldn’t it be better not to create a situation that would come out in the first place? So please take good care of me this time as well.’

Yeah, since when did I hit the damn good? Anyway, it’s thanks to Rossby that I’m playing well. The situation was simple as long as you didn’t create an embarrassing situation. Literature here. Before Yoon Joong-hwan came out, if I fucking scooped it up and passed it on, I would never have to meet Yoon Joong-hwan.

“Senior, how is the ball?”

“As expected, this is Lee Seok-gyun? You said you had an injury last year, but it doesn’t seem to be any different from when you were in your prime.”

“You mean it’s the same as the video?”

“Okay.”

Then it’s easy. After hearing Kim Su-ho step back after hitting a ground ball to second base, I was convinced and walked to the plate.

A left-handed starter who throws the ball in the mid-to-late 140s. His main weapon is a fastball and a curveball with a large drop. And the slider and changeup. Although he was injured last year and could not be selected for the national team, it is no exaggeration to say that he is the best left-handed pitcher in the league….’

In addition, he has good control, so the concept of today’s line-up was not to fight with Lee Seok-kyun for the count.

‘Then show me that good control.’

‘Fastball. Outside low ball.’

Just as Rossby said, Lee Seok-gyun’s ball hits the lower part of the outside exactly. Strike? Cheek?

“Strike!”

‘As rumor has it, the ball is quite good. But even if it was a ball, it wasn’t strange. Does that mean that even the judges know Lee Seok-kyun’s control?’

All of these referees had dog eyes, so there were not many balls judged by the judges. And the more ambiguous it is, the more likely it is to be buried in the names of the players in front of you. It was not surprising that Lee Seok-gyun’s ball got a strike because it was normal for a pitcher with good control to get a strike, and for a hitter with good linemanship to catch the ball even if he threw the ball in the same spot.

‘I guess Lee Seok-kyun’s control is still better than my pioneering plan.’

‘To think foolishly. I feel relaxed even after being humiliated like that yesterday.’

‘The disgrace is, with one strikeout.’

‘They split the bat nicely for something like that?’

‘…….’

Although Rossby’s words hurt because of the facts, there was a reason why I was relaxed after seeing Lee Seok-gyun’s performance.

Blade-like control. A fast ball in the mid-to-late 140s. And several variations. In addition, from my point of view, he is a left-handed pitcher who can see the ball clearly.

‘I can’t afford it, can’t I?’

‘It’s not enough to just talk…. It’s a slider.’

And one more reason to be confident. This field is too narrow. If you increase the launch angle just a little bit, you can go over the fence. After hitting a home run against UG on day one, I was able to realize that.

Yesterday too, I lost three at-bats to make a swing suitable for this stadium, but in the last at-bat before striking out, I was able to hit a two-run double that hit the wall directly. Yesterday, after the game, I practiced the launch angle swing with Rossby.

If now… !

Ta-evil!

-Wow!

– Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho!

Obvious trajectory. A changing ball that flies like a video. And the 130km/h slider was a good prey for me. The batted ball narrowly grazed the left fielder’s glove and went into the wall.

“Seniors, take it easy! Because today is really different.”

The number ‘1’ is engraved on the empty scoreboard. Yes, Joonghwan Yoon. I couldn’t figure out how to hit the kid’s ball. Then, why not put the UG in a dying state before it comes out like this?

‘Keuhehe, I’m a genius after all!’

‘Tsk, this stadium is too narrow.’

‘Ah, the disciple hit a home run, so be happy! 사내 새끼가 쫌팽이 같이.’

‘What? This dog…… ! ………… ! ………… !’

Rosby’s friendly profanity congratulates me on my home run. Is it the 10th home run? I congratulate you even more fiercely today.

*

[Today, Ji Maeng-ho’s hitting feeling is fierce, right? 3 at-bats, 3 hits, 2 home runs. It’s a blow that feels like sharpening a knife to avenge yesterday’s defeat.]

[Most of Ji Maeng-ho’s batted balls go near the fence, right? Because he is such a strong player, he seems to go near the fence even if he hits lightly. Now, the data screen is coming out? Did the first day and batting form slightly change?]

Haha, I can’t see well? Can you elaborate a bit more for common people like me?]

[If you look at Ji Maeng-ho’s swing on the first day, it’s an upper swing, but basically, if you look at where the bat comes out, you can see that his shoulders are loaded backwards, right? However, looking at today’s batting, the right shoulder is slightly higher than the first day. In other words, I adjusted the angle of the bat.]

[Oh, I see now too. But is it easy to change the batting form in two days like this?]

[It’s really difficult. Of course, there are cases like Woo-gwan-type players whose batting form changes slightly for each at-bat and count, but it is not common. Woo Kwan-hyung is such a veteran, so it’s possible, but it’s not easy for a rookie like Ji Maeng-ho to do this. Besides, since he is wielding a heavy blow with the modified batting form, I have nothing to say except that he is amazing.]

[Okay. Great batter, Ji Maeng-ho’s fourth at-bat today. The pitcher is changed pitcher Jin Do-hyeon. That honor… !]

Ta-evil!

In Munhak Stadium, where the home fans have almost escaped, the cheerful sound of a ball reverberates once again. Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball, aiming for the changed pitcher’s first ball, began to fly at a slow speed with a high launch angle.

‘I can catch it!’

UG’s right fielder, Choi Jae-hyeon, followed the slow-flying ball and thought it might be caught. But as you run, what you see is the green wall of literature. Choi Jae-hyeon stepped on the fence and jumped high toward his batted ball.

Tak, I felt the ball hit the glove. Choi Jae-hyeon folded his gloves at the sensation he must have felt tens of thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of times.

‘Done!’

-Waaaaa!

The sound of the crowd cheering for his super catch catches his ears. As I listened to the sound, I looked at the infield and saw Ji Maeng-ho circling the diamond with his left hand raised toward third base. And, instinctively checking, there was nothing left in the glove.

“Oh, fuck!”

Chimi can’t hold back her anger and throws away the empty glove. Jamsil, no, at least it was a ball that could have been caught at Suwon Stadium… ! Choi Jae-hyeon, who had benefited from the ballpark for several years, couldn’t help but get excited when he saw the home run hit as if he was playing with him.

And the number 3 engraved on the electronic signboard.

’12:6… , Tsk. Today’s game is over.’

AT’s batting line was scary, but the shadows were thick on the faces of the UG players who didn’t think they would explode against them.

*

“Maengho, what are you going to do?”

“Yes? What?”

After hitting a home run, manager Lee Soo-hyun called me. Are you tired of watching my home run show?

“You know that there is a high chance that Yoon Joong-hwan will come out next at bat, right?”

“Well…. Is it?”

“Yes, and as a result of a meeting with the coaches, we concluded that your timing and Yoon Joong-hwan’s pitching timing were misaligned.”

“Yes, I was feeling it too.”

“So, if Yoon Joong-hwan comes out in the next at-bat, I’m thinking of using a pinch hitter. What do you think?”

But do you really need to ask me, a player, about this kind of pinch hitter?

“Do what you think, Director. After all, it is the manager’s authority to appoint players.”

“Thank you. But I wonder if you want to compete again or have that kind of heart.”

“Me?”

Match? With Yoon Joong-hwan? I? Why?

“Yeah, you must have had a burning desire to win, too. So I didn’t say anything and changed my batting form.”

“Oh, did you know we changed our batting form? But it’s okay.”

“Okay? Besides, if you hit one more home run, that would be 4 home runs in a game, and that is a pretty rare record.”

“It’s a record, if you keep doing it, there will come a day when you can set it again.”

“……. It’s been a year, but you have a professional mindset. I wish the players on our team were only half like you.”

Saying that, director Lee Soo-hyun went back to his seat.

‘For some reason, he’s talking normally.’

‘It’s the director So-yeong appointed, but it’s a bit cheesy, isn’t it? I’ve seen you suffer because of the director…. What if I run away again? And I don’t even want to compete with that bastard.’

Desire to win? Of course I am too. However, I didn’t have to dry it to replace it. When the game was in full swing like this, I was struck out by that bastard for no reason, so I didn’t have to save the enemy’s energy.

‘Ohh, it looks like he’s sure he’ll strike out if he sticks out.’

‘Oh, no matter how much I do, how can I compete with a kid who throws a ball that doesn’t know where it will go on the map! If we were to win, it would be either a walk or a strikeout, but I don’t feel like winning even if I walk out on a walk. It just makes me feel bad.’

I didn’t want to see that bastard strike me out and roar. Besides, if I strike out today, at least by chance, the spotlight could have gone to the guy who struck out me two times in a row rather than me who hit three home runs.

‘Unknown pitcher Yoon Joong-hwan who struck out genius hitter Ji Maeng-ho in a row…. If an article like this were published, I might die of embarrassment.’

I didn’t want to give a single handful of my spotlight to him. I’m going to be the best second baseman in the history of mankind, but such a poor rival. It’s impossible. Cancer. If you want to be my rival, I’ll have to bring you at least Ohtani.

– Ji Maeng-ho? That’s right, aren’t you a bastard developed by Yoon Joong-hwan?
So who is Yoon Joong-hwan?

It was terrifying to think that such an evaluation would come out. I felt a pain in my head from such a terrible thought. Chubby, it doesn’t hurt, but it feels strangely bad, as if someone is knocking on the head….

“… Who is it?!”

“Bastard. Why are you bruising without cheering?”

“… Seniors?”

“Isn’t it very quiet just because you hit a home run? Aren’t you cheering for me quickly?”

“… Yes.”

“You were out because you didn’t cheer.”

The weatherman who came in after being out before he knew it was hitting my head with his helmet. So I had no choice but to cling to the railing and cheer for the players.

‘Fuck, I’m polite, so I’ll have to put up with it.’

*

[In the beginning of the ninth inning, the AT Thunders attack starts with No. 2 hitter Ji Maeng-Ho. The score is 12:7. And on the mound is a new pitcher, Yoon Joong-hwan. Ah, Maeng-Ho Ji is in the dugout and a pinch hitter comes out. The substitute is Baek Jeong-jin.]

[Baek Jeong-jin, a player who moved to the AT Thunders after being traded with Jang Hyun-ho this season, was called up to the 1st team while showing a close to . Will this match be fun?]

[The first pitch is a strike. Accurately stab the corner of the body.]

[Oh, I can’t hit that ball. It’s a very tricky location for typing.]

Yoon Joong-hwan’s first pitch was a strike. Fans who know Yoon Joong-hwan would think it was a coincidence, but Yoon Joong-hwan’s ball again received a strike call.

[Two-strike situation. Yoon Joong-hwan’s third ball!]

A ball that comes to the center and curves outward to the left-handed hitter. The ball was quite far from the strike zone, but Jung-Jin Baek’s bat, driven into a two-strike situation, went wide.

[Strikes out with a swing!]

[Yoon Joong-hwan, you’ve been throwing a very good ball since yesterday.]

And the batter that follows is Kang Joo-hyun. He stood at bat in place of Ki Sang-joo, but Kang Joo-hyun also struck out three pitches, raising his out count by two.

[Actually, Baek Jeong-jin and Kang Joo-hyun. Can these two players be considered candidates? But the real test is now. I am looking forward to seeing what he will show against Choi Jin-cheol, who achieved the 7th four of the season while recording a home run today.]

As Choi Jin-cheol entered the plate, the pressure in Yoon Joong-hwan’s heart grew. However, it was less burdensome than the pressure he felt when dealing with Maengho yesterday. Yun Joong-hwan, who put the burden on his mind, threw the ball with confidence,

[Strike out with a swing! Yoon Joong-hwan catches even Choi Jin-cheol with three strikes! Turn three batters around with only nine balls! 9 pitches and 3 strikeouts in 1 inning. I made a record!]

[Hey, Joonghwan Yoon. A player who has always been evaluated as an incomplete stand-by, but there were many evaluations that he was constantly working hard. It’s finally bearing fruit. Today’s game is highly likely to lose, but UG Overlords has earned a big income from Yoon Joong-hwan. Being able to strike out even Choi Jin-cheol means that Yoon Joong-hwan broke the egg, right?]

Like that, UG Overlords lost the match, but was able to craft a gem called Yoon Joong-hwan.

And,

“Aaaaagh! What! Why is this bastard knight the main?! A flower that blooms in mud? Why does this bastard knight have a cool title!? What? Is this a record? Flawless innings? Record No. 9 in the KBA League?! Fuck! I’m out!! Yoon Joong-hwan made his name known by striking out Ji Maeng-ho in Saturday’s game… ? Siivaaal!”

“Maengho, be quiet!”

“… Yes.”

A man’s high-pitched song rang out from a building in Jamsil, but it was not of much importance.