Chapter 170 – Episode 168. Special Training? (3)

Charlotte’s starting pitcher, Kim Min-hyeok, is a right-handed orthodox starting pitcher who throws at mid-140km/h. He was a pitcher with a league-average curveball and changeup. The kind of pitcher that every team has at least one. According to the power analysis, he said that his control was not particularly good in the first inning, but that was not the important thing.

‘Mr. Rossby, please.’

The important thing is that this guy is perfect for my practice opponent.

‘It’s a changeup.’

Changeup? Did you not analyze me? My favorite pitches were the changeup and curveball. It was slow, and it was a pretty easy ball to hit if you knew. I don’t know, but it must be a pitch with a batting average of over 50%.

‘Well, it’s me, honey.’

‘Let’s hit it right?’

‘Yes.’

It was my first training in practice, so I was a little nervous, but I thought I could hit the changeup of the guy I saw in the video lightly.

After Minhyuk Kim winds up, his hand slips out of his glove and is whipped around. His changeup flies along a familiar trajectory. At this angle… !

‘Now… !’

If you didn’t know, it would have been a miss, but a known changeup is like a batting ball. The changeup at 120 km/h was clearly visible. Hits a changeup that flies outward.

Ta-evil!

With a cheerful sound, the batted ball headed for the left wall. After throwing the bat with a familiar hand and raising a hand once to our fans who came to the expedition, I slowly started walking to first base.

“Bastard! What are you doing! Run!”

“Yes?”

Then, suddenly, the first base coach yelled at me. What? Looking toward the left fielder, the left fielder was in motion to throw. Fuck you, fuck you. How was Charlotte’s shoulder in left field… ?

About 1/3 of the way past first base, I heard the coach yelling again to return. Ugh, I think I might live if I run….

‘I can’t help it. I have to go back.’

Don’t do it yet, the first inning. It was clear that I would be splashed with cold water if I was out on second base, so I hurriedly turned around and stepped on the first base. I sneakily looked at Kim Su-ho, and like a veteran, he advanced to third base.

‘Fuck, I thought it was a home run… !’

“Hey! Are you out of your mind?”

“Sorry. I know it’s over….”

“Dude, you have to watch it to the end. Still, I did well.”

“Sorry.”

‘But the taste of the hand was the taste of the hand that goes beyond it? Mr. Rossby, what happened?’

I’m sure the last match went well enough….

‘I fell after hitting the wall.’

‘Yes? A fence?’

It is said that the wall of resignation is high, but I was sure of my taste….

‘Did I pull the outside ball too much?’

‘Well, that could be it. Or maybe it’s a matter of launch angle.’

‘Fuck, I skipped it if it was literature….’

If it was literature, it would have been an unconditional hit…. Under…. Even in Sajik, this is a warning track in Jamsil.

‘Then should I change my swing form?’

‘Since it’s still one at-bat, I guess I watched a little longer. I’m not sure it’s a swing problem yet.’

‘All right.’

As I was reviewing my previous at-bat with Rosby, the first base coach grabbed my shoulder.

“It’s a fierce tiger.”

“Yes, Coach.”

“For now, let’s forget about the at-bat and follow the strategy. Got it?”

“… Yes.”

The first base coach whispers in your ear to remind you of the strategy. Our strategy against Charlotte.

The strategy was to somehow get to second base. The reason for going to second base was simple. Because Charlotte was the club with the weakest sign security among the 10 clubs.

The Charlotte Blue Mariners’ weakness is their shortstop and catcher. In particular, I tend to use three young catchers, but I don’t know if it’s because the catchers are young or stupid, but the battery’s sign was very monotonous.

In other words, if you only go to second base, you can tell the sign at any time. Of course, they say they throw fast because they are young catchers, but it had nothing to do with me. No matter how fast the throw was, I was confident that even Molina wouldn’t catch me if I played at the timing of the breaking ball.

‘Then, please again. Mr. Rossby!’

After talking to Rossby, I looked at the pitcher and saw sweat dripping from his face.

‘I’m going to take a shower with that bastard’s sweat. It’s a pity that I couldn’t hit a home run, but I can’t help it.’

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘OK.’

“Cheek.”

The pitcher’s fastball missed the strike zone by a wide margin, as if Ki Sang-joo had the guts to hit the strike zone from the first pitch.

‘It’s bitter, but thinking about it makes me angry? Anyone can see that I have better grades than Sangju seniors, but you dare to put me the first pitch with a changeup? You didn’t even analyze it, right? I can’t. Let’s work hard today, Minhyuk.’

‘It’s a curve.’

‘OK.’

As soon as he took the set position, I ran to second base.

“Before!”

‘Miss!’

At Rossby’s call, I was able to stand up and get to second base. Stepping on second base and looking toward home, the weatherman was giving a stop signal to stop going further. I probably didn’t see the situation exactly, but the call from home or the warning sign seemed to indicate that the catcher had let go of the curve.

‘Still, it’s fortunate that Jung Yun-cheol is a veteran, so there are very few defensive mistakes.’

If we had a catcher like that on our team…. Maybe I unknowingly threw a dropkick at the catcher?

“Do you want to hit me fierce tiger? Hanbeom heard from Ham.”

“Do you know me? Why do you speak half-heartedly in the first meeting?”

As the lead widened, the shortstop smiled and started talking. There was a saying that you can’t spit on a smiling face, but seeing the split in front made me want to spit….

“… Mianta.”

Where is the bitch friendly? I silenced the shortstop and listened to Rossby.

‘It’s a change.’

‘OK.’

In fact, Charlotte’s signature is said to be simple, but there was not enough time to memorize it all, so with the help of Rossby, she sent a sign for the breaking ball to the weatherman. Well, in the old days, he said he didn’t look at the sign, but whether he saw it or not, it was a promise. You know what to do

“Cheek.”

I don’t know if they saw my sign or not, but the weatherman filtered out the breaking ball.

‘Fastball.’

‘OK.’

When you try to send the sign of a fastball like that,

“Wow, are you fidgeting like this?”

“… Yes?”

The shortstop called me.

“You’re just fidgeting, kid. Come to second base.”

“Oh, I have that tic. Sorry. And let’s focus on the game. Don’t talk to me.”

Oh, I was taken aback by the sudden talk. Write, this bastard couldn’t send an autograph because he was talking….

Ta-evil!

“Run!”

I ran towards third base at the cry of someone I didn’t know. Third base runner Kim Su-ho kept an eye on the batted ball. I glanced back and saw that the center fielder and right fielder were chasing the batted ball, but according to my 10+ years of baseball experience, that ball was impossible to catch. Kim Soo-ho must have judged that as well, and he was slowly running into the home.

‘There’s nothing more to see.’

I slowly slowed down and stepped on home plate, listening to the cheers of the away fans.

‘Two points for now!’

“Nice running!”

High five with Choi Jin-cheol, the next hitter. It was a pleasant start. Of course, it was a pity that I didn’t see the ball longer, but I had plenty of opportunities anyway. No matter how much I practiced, I couldn’t help but punish the arrogant changeup from the first pitch.

*

[Minhyuk Kim is shaking. After all, it seems that the hit from Ji Maeng-ho is big, right?]

[You’re right. In fact, even if he passed, it wasn’t a strange hit. There’s even a meteorological double. Kim Min-hyeok is definitely shaking.]

[Oh! The fourth ball also went out of the strike zone. Kim Min-hyeok gave a straight walk to Choi Jin-cheol! Now, the situation is 1 company, 1st and 2nd base. And Bohr enters the at-bat.]

[Bohr is currently batting .298 with two homers and nine RBIs.]

[In fact, Boer is recording very ambiguous grades, right? First of all, the batting average is 0.298, close to 30%. His on-base percentage was 0.379. 0.440 slugging percentage. The OPS is 0.819, which is quite good, and this score is a mercenary hitter. In addition, considering the position of designated hitter, you can’t help but worry from the AT Thunders’ point of view, right? If it’s good, it’s good, if it’s bad, it’s a bad grade.]

[There is a position called designated hitter….]

[Yes. The AT Thunders’ designated hitter is actually a position that Woo Kwan-hyung has been in charge of since three years ago. It is said that Woo Kwan-hyeong is showing good results as he goes to right field, but considering the defense and physical problems as the season goes by, it will be difficult to send Woo Kwan-hyung to right field. Besides, considering the many outfielders waiting on the AT’s bench.]

[You’re right. Currently, Kim Joo-yeop is playing as the starting center fielder, but Han Sang-kyu and Lee In-hyuk. And Baek Jeong-jin, who came up while hitting 40% in the 2nd group. Are there a lot of outstanding players?]

[Yes. That’s why Boer has to show something. In particular, 9 RBIs in 21 games while playing as a cleanup is a bit disappointing.]

‘Ha, a mercenary typewriter here. Was the AT lineup originally this strong?’

Kim Min-hyeok’s body was already covered with sweat. Kim Soo-ho, Ji Maeng-ho, Ki Ki-joo, and Choi Jin-cheol. Even mercenary batters there. And even if he catches this hitter, a rejuvenated Woo Kwan-hyung is waiting for him in the next at-bat.

‘It wasn’t like this until last year….’

Even last year, it was enough to pay attention to only one Kim Soo-ho and Jang Hyun-ho, but this season AT’s batting line was to the extent that the toe was concentrated.

-Kim Min-hyeok, that bastard is spilling broth again
ㄴThat bastard can’t do it, I don’t like it

– Ha, I didn’t even expect the first episode.
I want to kill you Kim Jong-seok, what are you doing?

-But what are those bastards doing, the pressure sucks
If we knew it would be like this, we should have bought Choi Jin-cheol
ㄴㄴWho knew that trash bastard would go to Jamsil and rejuvenatehaha

And Charlotte’s fans, who were watching Kim Min-hyuk, were on the verge of throwing up. A pitcher who has been in the starting rotation for several years still hasn’t overcome the first inning depression. Kim Min-hyeok’s age is now twenty-seven. He wasn’t old enough to be called a prospect.

-Looking at that bastard spilling broth, will he get beaten again?
Is there a kid who doesn’t know that?

And the eyes of the fans who watch all 144 games in a year, perhaps watching the game in more detail than the general manager, were almost accurate.

Ta-evil!

Bohr’s batted ball coolly cuts the sky of Sajik.

“Uh? Uh? No way?”

“What? Boer hit a home run in scoring range?”

“What? What?”

“Are you gone?”

And as the batted ball pierced the sky, the AT dugout was almost festive. Because it was a star in the sky to see Bohr’s long hit in scoring position.

-Wow!!!

-Bo~! Uh! Bo~! Uh!

As Boer’s cheering song resounds, Boer enters the dugout with a majestic appearance. A decisive three-run in the first inning. At 5:0, the AT Thunders started to lead.

[Boar’s three runs! From the beginning of the first inning, AT’s batting line explodes! The score is 5:0!]

[Hey, with this, director Lee Soo-hyun let go. Now, if you show this kind of performance in the scoring zone, you don’t have to worry.]

– Fuck, what’s wrong with our team? Even dying mercenaries are saved
Blah blah now cancer?

-Turn off the TV
See you at the end of episode 1.