Chapters 208 – 206. New Mercenaries. (2)

“What bullshit?”

“No, bro. Did you really see that kid’s eyes? Are you staring at me so damn hard?”

“Stop talking nonsense and prepare for the game.”

“Ah, Mr. It’s true…”

“Are you kidding me because you’re me?”

“Done. Just prepare for the game.”

“Rather than that, do you know that we must win today?”

“When can I lose?”

“Oh, that’s as important as that, kid.”

Yoon Seong-tae was annoyed, but what Yoon Seong-tae said was not wrong. Today’s match was a pretty important match.

It was important because it was Kronx’s first selection as a substitute, but the match against Hyunsung Mad Cats was also quite important. Hyunseong is currently 39-25, a team that is in second place by one game with UG Overlords, who are recording 39-24.

And among the teams at the top of AT, it was also a team with a ridiculously poor opponent. The match against 1st place UG Overlords was 4-2, 4th place Hancheol was ahead with 5-3, and the match against 3rd place Shilla Triggers was 4-5, recording an even win rate.

However, the match against Hyunseong Mad Cats was serious with 1 win and 5 losses. If this natural enemy relationship is maintained, it could be at a disadvantage when meeting in fall baseball, and it was necessary to cut off this natural enemy relationship because it could not advance to fall baseball at all because it was caught by Hyeon-seong.

‘I guess that’s why the coach also sent Kronx, a mercenary, into today’s match?’

As a result of playing against him a few times during training, Kronx was a good pitcher. He’s light on the ball, but he’s got pretty quick velocity, and he looks like he has good stamina when you watch him work out. In addition, the speed difference between the fastball and the sinker was not large, so if other hitters played against him, there was a high possibility that he would have a hard time.

‘Oh, it’s okay if it’s not for the eyes.’

“[Hey. Ji! It’s my first selection today, so please take good care of me. Like the last game, can you do a home run?]”

The Kronx guy approached me before I knew it and greeted him with a smile. Seeing Kronx grinning his gums and pulling his thumb, I almost threw a punch without realizing it.

“[Okay, don’t laugh.]”

“[Oh, you have the mindset of a warrior, too. Well i’m too lazy It’s such an immersive feeling even before the game starts. After all, losing is amazing.]”

‘What is he saying now?’

Bellingham, let alone the original mercenary Boer or Jansson, had a quiet personality, so he didn’t talk much, but Kronx seemed to have a motor in his mouth. … Even in front of me.

I hadn’t seen this kid talk to any other players first in a week, except for the interpreter and Bellingham, but it gave me goosebumps to see him talk to me first.

‘Mr. Rossby, that bastard is a bit strange, right?’

‘Yeah, talking to a boy with a smile like that. I can’t understand it in my common sense. Under… If there had been a guy like that when I was living, I’d have given him a steam bath.’

From the look on Rosby’s expression, he seemed quite displeased.

“[Then, take good care of me today.]”

Tuk-tuk, Kronx taps my shoulder. At that moment, the feeling of fear engraved in my DNA attacked my body, and my body stiffened.

“Oh, fierce tiger. Are you pretty serious today? Aren’t you playing with Seongtae?”

“… Senior coffin.”

“Yes, sometimes you have to be so serious.”

Thanks to Woo Kwan-hyung nodding his head and talking to him, he was able to loosen his stiff body, but the goosebumps that remained at the place where Krongs touched him remained.

“Whoa…”

“Will the ground go out with a sigh like that? Why? Are you worried about doing it with Hyunseong?”

“… It’s not like that.”

To other people, if my condition seemed strange, I would talk to every senior passing by. Time passed like that, and I was able to calm down a bit when the female entertainer Hyeonseong selected for the first pitch came out.

“Now! Let’s get 1 win and go lightly! Invincibility!”

“AT!”

Today, Hyeon-seong’s selection is Van de Port, a second-year mercenary pitcher. As the name suggests, he was a Dutch mercenary. Like a Dutchman, he was a powerful mercenary with a fastball of 150 km / h that he hit from a height of over 2 m. On top of that, he has the advantage of being left-handed. He didn’t have good control, but he was a good enough mercenary to make it in the KBA.
Right!

“First base!”

As expected, Kim Joo-yeop, who played as the first hitter, was outed at the end of the game and withdrew, befitting a pitcher who is difficult for left-handed hitters to deal with. And the second batter, Kim Soo-ho, also led the match to a full count, but he struck out and withdrew.

“Baby, you throw well.”

Powerful helmet like a mercenary of Hyeonseong, a strong team. In particular, left-handers seemed to have a harder time. The ball he watched in the waiting at-bat didn’t seem to differ much from the video he saw during the power analysis. A fastball, a slider, and an occasional changeup.

“Swing strike! Out!”

Ki Sang-joo struck out with a big swing as if he hadn’t prepared for the changeup at all. Thus, the three left-handed hitters failed to reach first base, and the attack at the beginning of the first inning ended with a three-way attack.

‘If I had known it would be like this, would I have said that I would rise to the top of the batting order?’

Before the game started, when manager Lee Soo-hyun asked if I should raise me to number 2, I regretted that the number 2 hitter refused because something didn’t make sense.

‘Well, it’s because I can hit a home run. And even if I had hit it anyway, other left-handed hitters would have been out.’

But the regret is only temporary. I focused on the game again.

“Now, it’s Kronx’s first debut, and the defenders have to block it well. Got it? Especially infielders. When you throw a sinker, you have to concentrate and block it. Okay?”

“All right.”

“[Kronx, are you ready?]”

“[Whenever.]”

“[Okay, I like confidence.]”

Director Lee Soo-hyun encouraged Kronx in short English, and Kronx smiled again and replied. A pitcher who smiles and answers the manager’s words. It wasn’t a strange situation, but maybe it was because I knew the bastard’s nature, and even the way he smiled made me annoyed.

At the end of the first inning, which started like that, although he was a creepy guy, Kronx’s skills were quite decent.

Right!

“Out!”

“It’s up! Center!”

“My ball! My ball!”

Krongs, who smoothly caught the two-out, dealt with the third batter, and the ball pulled by the left-handed hitter flew toward me. A good straight shot. I jumped big and caught the ball. It was a ball that could have crossed the height of other small second basemen, but if it was caught in front of me, these balls were out without a hitch.

“Nice catch!”

“Oh! What did you put on the bottom line?”

“What’s the low point?”

“Aren’t the kids playing crazy these days?”

“Frame…”

“What?”

“… No.”

It felt good to hear Choi Jin-cheol, a first baseman who has a good understanding of defense, also praised my defense. After all, people have to live listening to praise. Of course, I said something I couldn’t understand in the middle, but anyway, a compliment is a compliment.

‘Rosby, how was my defense?’

‘It wasn’t bad. That’s for you guys.’

‘Hehe, is that a compliment? I’ve been feeling it lately, but I think the defense power has also increased?’

‘Puck. I feel my eyes rot when I see your stupid defense.’

Looking at Rossby’s reaction, it seems that this defense was good. When I was about to enter the dugout after enjoying such a happy heart, the glove touched my butt with a ‘tuk’.

“Huh?”

“[It was a good defense.]”

“Fuck!”

It was Kronx who was smiling brightly.

‘This faggot… !’

Touching the butt with a glove is, in a way, a normal thing. It wasn’t strange because sometimes when lake rain came out, the seniors would hit those places with their gloves. But Kronx, when this bastard touched my butt, I got goosebumps.

“Hey, what are you doing not going in?”

“…”

Kronx enters the dugout with a pleasant smile. … I felt sick to my stomach.

*

[Does Ji Maeng-ho look bad today? Until this at-bat, he was hitless in 3 at-bats as he retreated with a hit. He has not gone on base since he walked in his second at-bat.]

[That’s right. At the end of the 1st inning, he looked good while showing Hosobi, but at the plate, he seemed to be in poor condition.]

[What is the reason why Ji Maeng-ho is not in a good condition today?]

[Hmm, it’s common for a hitter to show a bad performance in a game, but it’s not common for Ji Maeng-ho to show this kind of performance, so it’s unfamiliar. But in fact, it is only natural that Ji Maeng-ho’s performance is declining.]

[Is that so?]

[Yes. It is natural that the more you are analyzed, the lower your grades, and besides, isn’t it the beginning of June? The fact that the weather is getting hotter probably also had a big impact. This is Daegu. Besides, Ji Maeng-ho is still a first-year player. His stamina is likely to be a big variable. The current batting average is 40 100 1 Lee, and how to withstand this hot weather is likely to be the key to maintaining 400 00 until the end of the season.]

[That’s right. Now, at the beginning of the 8th inning, AT’s attack is over and at the end of the 8th inning, Hyunsung’s attack proceeds.]

*

“[Hey, ferocious tiger. Are you okay? His expression is getting worse and worse.]”

Kronx approached him with icing on his shoulder after completing all of today’s missions.

“Please… Shut up. Stop talking.”

“[What do you mean? Say it in English, in English.]”

In the bottom of the first inning, I couldn’t concentrate on the game at all after Krongs tapped my butt. Should I say that every one of his actions is intrusive once I have doubts? In particular, it felt like Kronx’s stamina was getting less and less, probably because he kept talking to me before and after my at-bat.

‘Originally, when starters are not throwing from the mound, they sit quietly on the bench or warm up their shoulders while throwing the ball… , Why is this bastard so interested in me? Really…’

My reasoning was starting to come true.

“Woo-wook.”

“What is it, Ji Maeng-ho, are you really not feeling well? Shall I replace it?”

“… No. It’s okay.”

Whoa, it was disgusting being in the same space, but the same team anyway. I couldn’t go on like this. I have to overcome

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, tell me if it gets worse.”

Luckily, Kronx was a kid with some skills, so the match was going 0:0.

‘Whoa… But now that I’m off the mound, don’t worry about it and let’s play.’

Unfortunately, however, my at-bat did not come anymore that day, and the game ended 1:0 with Yoon Seong-tae’s lucky home run.