Chapter 274 – Episode 272. You Play Dirty. (3)

A baseball ball weighs between 140g and 150g and is filled with leather on the outside and cork on the inside. Most people who touch a baseball for the first time are surprised because it is harder than they thought.

The balls that ordinary people play catch or that children use to play neighborhood baseball are soft balls that are light in weight and made of rubber, so they have good elasticity and feel soft when touched. The biggest difference between the soft ball that the public is familiar with and the hard ball used in professional games is the degree of hardness. Compared to a soft ball, which poses no significant risk even if hit, a hard ball causes pain as if something is broken when hit.

In fact, it was common for professional players to break bones after being hit by a baseball, and in severe cases, it even led to death. The reason helmets were introduced in baseball games was because baseballs were dangerous. Even if a person was wearing a helmet, there were cases of death from cerebral hemorrhage if hit on the head, so the baseball itself could be considered a weapon.

Therefore, the most important virtue of a professional player was not to be afraid of the ball. The batter had to avoid hitting the ball near his body at the risk of hitting the baseball, and the pitcher had to attack the body of the batter even though he knew the danger of the baseball.

It is human instinct to avoid flying objects. This was especially true for those who knew the dangers of flying objects. And China’s number three hitter, Chen Shizhuan, who is running to second base, also had that instinct.

An ordinary infield ground ball that came out while the two out count was up. A situation where you have to avoid being out at all costs. Chen Si-Jun, who was running near the Korean second baseman to try to interfere with the second baseman as much as possible, instinctively felt the eerie look in the Korean second baseman Ji Meng-ho’s eyes as he caught the ball and looked at him.

‘Oh, no!’

Ji Meng Hao, who had been crouching to catch the ball, straightened his back and swung his arms. The look in his eyes that shows him not caring at all even though he is running in front of him. Seeing those eyes, Chen Shizhuan unconsciously raised his arms and covered his face. Eyes, nose, and clown. And he quickly tried to bend his back.

… Forgetting the coach’s words to disrupt the defense as much as possible.

However, there was someone who took action faster than Chen Shizhuang could bend down. It was Ji Maeng-ho.

‘What? Cover it?’

Meng Hao, who saw Chen Shizhuang raise his arms, quickly corrected the ball’s trajectory. The control he had as a batting pitcher in high school shone in Meng Hao’s hands,

“Aaaaah!”

[Ah! First base runner Chen Shizhuan was hit by the ball and fell down!]

Chen Shizhuang fell down, feeling intense pain. And the ball bounced off his mouth and into Meng Hao’s glove. Before the referee declared the ball dead, Meng Hao quickly approached the fallen Chen Si-Jian and touched him with his glove.

[Oh, Chen Si-Jun, you got too close to the fielder. Ji Maeng-ho looks embarrassed. Are you saying you didn’t know this would happen? Still, I was successful in catching the ball that hit the runner and tagging out. It happened so unknowingly that Ji Maeng-ho avoided the runner and was unable to apologize.]

Meng Hao approached the fallen Chen Si-Jian and spoke with as worried an expression as possible.

“[Hey are you okay? What should I say in Chinese?] Paoliang? Hao Tong? Ride?”

Meng Ho uses broken Chinese while holding his glove high as if to let the umpires know that he has put a runner out. These were Chinese words with the meaning of ‘pretty, painful, too big’ that I learned from the women I fucked.

‘What are you talking about, you bastard?’

Chen Shizhuan was so angry at the poor Chinese he heard in his ears that he tried to swear, but was unable to speak due to the pain he felt in his mouth. In pain, Chen Shizhuan raised his arm and touched his lips, and his red blood came out. And the emptiness of the front teeth.

“Aaaaah!”

As soon as he checked his wounds, the pain came again and Chen Shizhuan ended up lying on the floor.

[Chen Shizhuang is lying down, bleeding. It looks like Ji Maeng-ho is very worried.]

[Oh, no matter what, there shouldn’t be any injuries.]

It was common for a ball thrown by a fielder to hit a runner, but it was rare for the ball to hit the runner so accurately that it broke his front teeth, so the broadcasting staff did not know what to say, and even though the inning was over in an unprecedented situation in history, the local cameras I was taking pictures of Chen Shizhuan lying down and bleeding.

And of course, Korean fans who were watching the game were also watching the situation.

– Hahawhat is Ji Maengho? Are you sniping now?

Wow, it hurts so bad

-It’s hot haha

Wow, was that on purpose?

ㄴIt seems difficult to make it look like that on purpose

ㄴㄴIt’s more important to get an out count. A player may make a mistake, but he will throw like that

ㄴㄴThe runner came too close to the fielder. It didn’t seem like it was intentional because it was blocking the first baseman too much. LOL

ㄴㄴㅋㅋㅋ Even Tiger’s accidents are so fucking funny ㅋㅋㅋ

-Wow, isn’t that dangerous?

Are you a Chinese? Are you worried?

No, it’s not that, but aren’t the chinks more dangerous and dangerous?

Don’t say that from the beginning.

-True education for a fierce Chinese guy kkkk

ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ

ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ

-I think that guy’s teeth are broken?

ㄴㅉㅉ Being ignorant is what you say to people

ㄴㄴThen it’s a tooth right?

Wow…

-ㅋJi Maeng-ho, that guy was shit when he was on the opposing team, but now that he’s on our team, he’s in good spirits.

ㄴㅋㄹㅇ

Didn’t you take revenge on Yongpo? After all, this is the bond between two families under one roof haha

But honestly, I don’t think it was done on purpose. The runner was too close.

ㄴBut it’s still really refreshing haha. How does something like that happen to Ji Maeng-ho so often?

ㄴㄴThen who is the culprit…?

A situation where a runner gets too close to a fielder. Although the timing was subtle, it was an accident that could easily have happened, so most fans just enjoyed the situation. But even in the midst of all this, there was someone who clearly saw the situation.

“As expected, that bastard was a psychopath. How can a psychopath like that play baseball?”

“Oppa, what do you mean?”

After the season ended, it was UG’s starting catcher Baek Kyung-ho, who was watching the Asian Games with his family during his short vacation. Baek Kyung-ho was 100% confident that Ji Maeng-ho threw the ball on purpose, based on his previous experience.

“I know him well, but that bastard did it on purpose.”

“Hey, the broadcasters say it was an accident, and they keep apologizing. Brother! “Are you sure you’re jealous because I kept saying I was handsome?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“It’s okay, I only have an older brother. And I believe my brother, but I’m worried that I might make a mistake with reporters later.”

But that assurance did not even convince her wife. Ji Maeng-ho’s current image in Korea is that he is a young and handsome player who leads the domestic sports world. Unless you are a passionate fan who supports a specific team, there are almost no people who dislike Ji Maeng-ho. In a recent survey, he maintained the top spot in sports star popularity rankings and was even listed as a popular star.

‘That guy is really a psycho…’

In this way, Baek Kyung-ho had no choice but to swallow words that even his wife did not believe.

*

“[You really didn’t do that on purpose, right?]”

“[Yes, that’s right. You saw it, right? The runner comes too close.]”

“[That’s right. Hmm… Be careful in the future.]”

“[Yep.] Oh, hey! [The tooth fell out! Pick it up!]”

After speaking with the referees, I picked up the Chinese guy’s front tooth that had fallen on the floor and handed it to the trainer. The after-sales service is so reliable. They say I’m too nice to get away with it.

The trainer who received the front tooth takes a step forward and the referees move further and further away.

‘Whoa, I don’t think you got caught at this rate?’

I threw it with the mindset of making one mistake, but luckily the ball bounced in front of me, and I was able to get an out.

‘Wow, the control is crazy. ‘Why don’t you try pitching again?’

‘If you pitch, even if I’m in my grave, I’ll be able to hit a home run.’

‘Keuhum.’

‘It’s greater than that. ‘How can you look so sorry?’

‘Of course it’s thanks to experience. There were times when I was stuck on a bench and just had an apologetic expression on my face. If you use the experience from that time, acting on facial expressions is no problem.’

If he was sent off or disciplined, he would even act out facial expressions because it would be a disaster. I was satisfied with the results.

‘If this is the case, it won’t be dirty, right?’

‘You never know.’

Well, you might actually think it was an accident.

“Bro, but you didn’t do that on purpose, right?”

“What?”

“Tseuup, when I saw it, it seemed like it was intentional…”

Woo Joo, who knew me well as we lived together, spoke to me on the way to the dugout.

“I said no, asshole. And what if you did it on purpose? Are you Chinese?”

“No, if I concede a point, my record won’t get better. He asked me to trust him and throw the ball, and if it’s like this, I won’t send the ball in your direction? If you’re going to do it, do it when it’s bad.”

“What does Hagi do? “I heard it was an accident.”

Ignoring Jang Woo-joo, who was shaking his head with a suspicious expression, I went into the dugout, and this time coach Lee Geum-hyun approached me.

“Meng Hao.”

“Yes, director.”

“I believe.”

“I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Whew. Actually, it doesn’t matter whether you did it on purpose or not. The important thing is that we don’t know what they will do now.”

Director Lee Geum-hyeon seemed to believe what I said. Or maybe they’re just pretending to believe even if they don’t.

‘When I see the nuance, it seems like I’m pretending to believe it, but who cares? Because the director seems to like me a bit.’

In reality, Director Lee Geum-hyeon tended to care for me. It was clear that he knew that I went out every night since I was in the athletes’ village, but he didn’t say anything. I was so focused during training that I was flawless.

In any case, Director Geum-Hyeon Lee’s argument made some sense. I didn’t know whether China would come out even dirtier, or whether they would understand my warning and come out obediently. Actually, I was curious as to how it would turn out.

“Strike!”

‘It seems like the strike zone is still the same. I want to know how to dip the referee, but I can’t find the angle. If you were the first or second base umpire, you could just hit the ball…’

In the top of the second inning, although the Chinese side’s strike zone was still wide, our players were adapting to the strike zone and attacking Chinese pitchers.

“Nice!”

“It was great! Just 11 more points and it’s cold! Let’s go quickly and rest!”

We scored one more run until we got one out, and Kim Hwan-young came to bat.

Perfect!

‘It’s an infield ground ball!’

Kim Hwan-young’s batted ball from second base with one out ended up stuck in the infield. I observed how China would turn out.

“Oh, fuck! Hey! “Please stop blocking first base.”

‘That’s right.’

And again, the Chinese first baseman blocks the first base as if it were instinct. He didn’t understand my warning and was still playing dirty.

‘I still haven’t come to my senses. Tsk, I warned you like that, but it’s harsh.’

I wanted to set a record for hitting in every at-bat at the Asian Games, but it seemed like the world didn’t want such a record.

‘I guess I should warn you one more time.’

I walked to the waiting box, prepared to get out for at least one at-bat.