Chapter 250 – Chapter 248. 400 Hitter Ji Maeng-Ho. (2)

Baseball is a sport in which runs are scored using three out counts in one inning from the first to the ninth inning. When no batter goes on base in an inning, there are a total of three batters who can stand at bat. However, it was impossible to finish a game without a batter on base in every inning unless it was a perfect game.

That’s why the number of times a batter usually stands at bat during a game is four. In the case of a batting match, five chances are given to one batter. Then, who can stand the most bats in a baseball game?

He is the first batter to step on the plate in the first game.

If the other hitters went to bat three times in a game, the first hitter got four. If he stepped four times, five times. If you hit the plate five times, six. That way, the number 1 hitter was able to step on the plate one more time than the other hitters.

That’s why getting in one more at-bat than the others was pretty important to me as I’m aiming for a record of 61 or more home runs.

“… So you want to go out as the number one hitter?”

“Yes.”

“… Are you confident?”

When I said that I would go out as the number one hitter, manager Lee Soo-hyun asked back as if he was uneasy. Director Lee Soo-hyun, who frowned, opened his mouth again.

“You must know that there are not one or two players who play well but lose their condition due to small things, right? With a record ahead, wouldn’t it be better to avoid such an adventure?”

Director Lee Soo-hyun’s worries were well-founded. Some players said that there were times when they had to lose their performance because of the order in which they tied their shoelaces or because they were wearing different underwear.

“Director. This is Ji Maeng-ho. And I saw number 1 a few times at the beginning of the season.”

But I wasn’t that type of player. He could rather be seen as a player without a jinx. If you start a game as the number one hitter, you can get at least five more at bats, but you can’t give up just because of that jinx.

Now, each at-bat was precious to me.

“Huh, I can’t help but say that. Okay. Do what you want in the remaining five games.”

“Thank you. Director.”

With coach Lee Soo-hyun’s permission, I was able to put my name at the top of the batting order.

“How are you?”

The sensation of being at bat, where no one had stepped on after a long time, seemed to congratulate me on my return to batting first. Today’s starting pitcher for Hwasan is Kim Min-joon. He was one of the few pitchers in the volcano, so he thoroughly prepared and had no worries.

Minjun Kim is a power pitcher who uses two pitches that I really like. He has a league-top 10 strikeout record with a fastball near 150 and a bell slider that builds around 140, but he’s nothing to worry about.

No matter how good a pitcher is, a pitcher like Kim Min-joon was pretty easy for me, because there was nothing that I would be overpowered in terms of strength, and there was nothing to be defeated by two pitches.

‘It’s a slider.’

‘I’ll check the liver from the beginning, right?’

The only regret is that I am today’s leading hitter. Even if the same pitcher throws, the reality is not a game, so the pitch or trajectory changes slightly depending on the pitcher’s condition in each game. And it took a few looks at the ball to get the timing right, because that little bit of difference makes a big difference in a professional game.

‘It’s comfortable to see him throw the ball in the waiting at-bat, but I’ll have to put up with this if I’m going to get many at-bats.’

I decided to watch the first pitch and watched his first pitch.

“Strike!”

“Oh, what is a ball?”

Min-Jun Kim’s slider seemed to clearly show why he was on the 10-win mark with a team like Volcano. His angle was quite sharp for a slider thrown by a domestic player.

‘First, check the slider. I can hit it next time.’

After drawing the slider’s trajectory in my head, I prepared for the blow. From now on, if you come near the strike zone, you will hit unconditionally!

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Okay.’

I timed my fastball and waited for him to wind up. Soon after, he lifted his leg and his ball flew straight towards me.

“Cheek.”

A ball that hits midway between my body and the strike zone. Aren’t you afraid that this bastard will hit you? Since the bench clearing against Shinra, there have not been many pitchers who can stab the body at this depth, but Kim Min-joon’s kang seemed to be at a considerable level.

“You don’t even flinch? I guess you were preparing yourself?”

“What is the contrast? If I get hit, I run straight to the mound.”

“Then I’m going on a business trip, are you okay? As a baseball player, it would be regrettable if Ji Maeng-ho’s record ended here.”

‘Bastard, look at the way you play your tongue?’

Today’s catcher for Hwasan is a veteran catcher from the 2nd division who joined the 1st division as an extended entry. I was a little curious as to why this guy started, but I thought he had a talent for trash talk, so he seemed to be sitting at home plate.

But he can’t be overpowered by these words.

“I just hit him and get suspended. What. It’s 4 discount anyway. But can you afford it? The whole country is paying attention, ah! Do you mind if retirement is coming soon?”

“…”

‘Baby, it’s finally quiet now. Just stay focused today.’

‘Fastball.’

‘Okay.’

I thought there would be a slider that curves outward because I stabbed one side of the body, but it’s a fastball again. After all, it doesn’t go obvious, right?

‘Just try to get into the strike zone. I’ll crush you!’

While he was fully focused, his hand swung around, and the ball flew in the same trajectory as before.

Deep!

“Kheop!”

I held my breath and hit the guy’s ball, but I felt a choking sensation in his hand. Was it deep inside? My batted ball was flying far in the direction of center fielder. If you think about the direction in which the batted ball flies with this sense, it is a batted ball caught on the warning track in Jamsil. However, since this was a match, I quickly ran to first base.

“Center!”

-Ah…

And just past second base, I heard a groan from the crowd. Hearing that sound, I looked toward the center fielder, and the center fielder leaned against the fence in the deepest part of the Daejeon Stadium and caught my batted ball.

“Ha, damn, I should have skipped over it.”

‘I was in too much of a hurry. Well, the power was good.’

If it was a different stadium, would it have passed? A batted ball that makes me think of it. In fact, even though Daejeon Stadium looked small, it was the second largest stadium in Korea, so it was more disappointing. It was definitely a ball that would have been passed over in a stadium other than Daejeon or Jamsil.

“Under…”

I went back to the dugout with regret.

“It’s urgent, maengho.”

“Yes?”

When I entered the dugout and sat down, Woo Kwan-hyung approached me. At the beginning of the season, he sometimes came up to me and gave me advice, but this situation was a bit surprising because it hadn’t happened these days.

“Your strength is that you throw away the balls to be discarded and only hit the balls to be hit. I’m in such a hurry right now. It was a ball I wouldn’t normally hit.”

“… All right.”

“When you have a record ahead, you think that way. I feel like I should hit any ball. But there is no need to be in such a hurry. As usual, with your skills, you should be able to hit 60 home runs.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

Advice from a pinch hitter with 3,000 hits. Seeing Woo Kwan-hyung, who didn’t really touch me, gave me this advice after his first at-bat, it seemed like I was in such a hurry that even people in the dugout felt it.

‘Whoa, yes. Let’s play as usual.’

Normally, I would have waited for a better ball instead of hitting such an ambiguous ball. To throw a strike anyway, you had to put it in the zone, and after two strikes, you could cut the ball that came into the zone and aim for a breaking ball or walk. It was my mistake that I was so engrossed in the idea of ​​hitting a home run that I eliminated the walk option.

‘Ha, there’s no way they’ll give me a good ball, but I was in a hurry.’

‘Hehe, wasn’t it scratched by the catcher?’

… Did it have any impact? However, it wasn’t bad for him to step away with a bum hit like this in his first at-bat. I had a lot of games left anyway, and it was a good thing that I found my problem in my first at-bat.

“Hey!”

When I was giving myself feedback like that, hitting coach Lee Ki-chul called me.

“To?”

“There are a lot of at-bats left. Don’t think too hard.”

“… Yes.”

This bastard didn’t even ask, so why is he talking and fucking? Where to put the spoon.

“There are still many at-bats left…”

I pretended not to hear Lee Ki-cheol and walked over to the refrigerator. The drinks in the fridge were also cold.

*

“The batted ball that was eaten flew all the way there.”

Kim Min-joon, who came down from the mound after finishing the first inning with a tripartite, felt chills in his spine as he thought of Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball as the lead batter. Sending a ball to the far end of the center wall with about one ball missing from the strike zone.

If the angle was slightly off and headed toward left-middle or right-middle, it wouldn’t be strange even if it became a home run.

“As expected, Ji Maeng-ho, is this?”

“Minjun, how are you feeling today? Ji Maeng-ho, can you deal with him?”

Hwasan’s pitching coach approached Kim Min-joon, who was wiping his sweat, and asked how he was feeling.

“It’s good, but I think there are better players than me on the other line.”

“Still, Ji Maeng-ho is in a hurry today. Like I said in the interview, it seems like I put a lot of effort into aiming for a home run.”

“… Is that so?”

“Okay. Twist it gently and throw it. There will probably be a lot of swings thrown.”

“… All right.”

Contrary to the optimistic words of the coach, Kim Min-joon was rather anxious. Overwhelming power to send the hit ball over there. He felt as if he would jump over the fence at the slightest loss of control.

‘Coach, I wish I did too.’

No matter how many times I run simulations in my head, the only thing that comes to mind is Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball going over the fence.

“Minjun! It’s the beginning of the second inning.”

“Already?”

It was Kim Min-joon, who was concentrating on concentrating on the picture of defeating Ji Maeng-ho, but as before, the volcano’s attack was quickly overturned, and Kim Min-jun was on the mound again.

Thanks to Volcano Falcons Tuta’s performance, the innings quickly turned, and the beginning of the 3rd inning approached before I knew it.

Right!

“Third!”

“Ah! Missed!”

Leading batter Yoon Seong-tae got on base. Despite the error of the third baseman, Kim Min-joon, who was mentally strong, was able to catch a two-out, and before he knew it, Ji Maeng-ho was walking out.

‘Ah… , Damn it, is it Ji Maeng-ho already?’

I caught it with a hit, but it would have been a home run in any other ballpark. Kim Min-joon wiped off the cold sweat and concentrated on batting again. He followed the pitching coach’s advice and was able to pull off as many misses as possible.

“Cheek.”

“Cheek.”

“Strike!”

“Cheek.”

“Strike!”

“Foul!”

“Foul!”

‘Ha, the fucking fucking kicks it off. I can’t do it.’

Min-Jun Kim got tired of the game that went all the way to the 7th ball, so he threw the 8th ball with the intention of winning whether it was a walk or a miss.

Ta-evil!

Kim Min-Jun’s slider aims to reach the lower strike zone. But is it because his concentration was shaken by the prolonged game? The ball was closer to the center of the strike zone than to the lower border line.

Ji Maeng-ho’s bat that flies far, and the batted ball that flies farther than that.

“Downpour!!!!”

And Ji Maeng-ho’s roar echoed farther than the batted ball.

[Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball goes over the fence! The 54th ball of the season over the fence! Only seven steps left in the Korean record! It seems that the disappointing ball hit in the previous at-bat has no effect at all! With this home run, Ji Maeng-ho’s current batting average is 0.412!]

Maeng-Ho Ji overcame the disappointment of his first appearance at bat and was taking one step at a time to reach the milestone record of hitting 40% and hitting 60 homers.