Chapter 287 – Episode 285. 2023 Semi-Playoffs. (3)
“Strike!”
Patrick’s ball hits the deep strike zone. The pitch is a slider. There was no way I would hit a good ball, so I passed the ball over for now, but one thing was certain.
‘Patrick’s status is declining. It sure looks difficult, doesn’t it? Well, I’ve been pitching really well so far. Compared to my usual skills.’
“Aren’t you going to swing this? Ji Maeng-ho, a lot of people died?”
“Seeing as you spoke to me first, I guess you’re scared?”
“I’m scared…”
Moreover, strangely enough, it felt like Lee Yong-gi’s voice lacked confidence. The catcher who catches the ball knows his condition better than the pitcher who throws the ball. Lee Yong-gi seemed to have noticed that Patrick’s stature was declining.
‘Maybe it was falling from the previous inning? Because both Suho and Sangju’s batted balls went near the fence.’
And the fact that the pitch was falling meant that there was a high probability of a missed throw. The harder you throw the ball to recover the lost position, the more it will end up in the center.
‘What about the next ball?’
‘It’s a slider again.’
‘Okay.’
I adjust the timing to his slider and wait. The first pitch was artistically pierced deep into the body, but will he be able to throw that ball again this time? Patrick is out of stamina?
Perfect!
“Foul!”
As soon as the guy’s ball came into range, he swung the bat, but the result was a foul.
‘Was I too hasty?’
The ball was closer to the body than before. If I was aiming for a hit, I would have waited for this ball, but looking at the condition of the batters behind me, what I need now is a home run.
I was aiming for a home run, but I was in too much of a hurry.
‘Let’s go slowly, slowly. Yonggi probably doesn’t want to give me a walk anyway. I will try to make the game as difficult as possible. Even if he goes out with a walk, I feel uneasy considering his condition today. As expected, there is a home run here that can definitely score points…’
‘Hey, just hang up.’
When you are worried about winning, Rossby tells you to stop timing for a moment.
“Time!”
Following Rossby’s advice, I immediately called out time and looked at Rossby.
‘You’re thinking too much right now? It’s okay to strike out, so swing with confidence.’
‘Yes? And what if I get called out and lose?’
‘If you lose because you can’t do it, it would be right to lose. Anyway, this is no different from a practice game. If you go to a major, it’s just a meaningless game. ‘Don’t worry about each game.’
Rossby’s words: Swing with confidence because you can lose the game. I didn’t really sympathize with it. The first postseason in 20 years, and the support of fans whose voices are still not diminishing. If you don’t get the first button right, everything could go to waste, so think of it as a practice game.
It was a ridiculous story. But I felt like I could understand what Rossby meant.
‘I guess it means don’t feel burdened. Yes, since it’s fall baseball, I’ve been thinking too much. Rossby said that from his first at-bat.’
It seemed like the burden was weighing down my thoughts without me even realizing it. After listening to Rossby, I felt like my mind became clearer.
“Hey, are you coming in now?”
After spending as much time as possible until the umpire calls me, I go to bat with a clear mind.
“I guess you were scared because it was two strikes?”
A slightly brighter voice than usual. Lee Yong-gi was like a fox, but when I think about it again with a clear mind, I can feel Lee Yong-gi’s current state.
‘… ‘This is a game.’
My instincts were telling me so. Even Lee Yonggi of the world seemed unable to completely control his emotions in this situation. An ordinary catcher would make the game as difficult as possible here, but Lee Yong-gi… !
‘It’s a fastball.’
The guy’s ball being thrown a few seconds after Rossby finished speaking.
‘I can see it!’
The guy’s ball flies slowly down a low course toward his body. The moment I realized that fact, the swing I had practiced countless times started swinging smoothly,
Ta – Aak!
I felt the exact impact of the bat.
“Heavy rain!”
I can’t believe I was so worried about something that was so trivial. Cheers naturally burst out of my mouth.
‘The direction is the left fence.’
And then he did the celebratory moves he had prepared for a postseason home run. He sits with one knee slightly bent and shoots in the direction of the left wall where the batted ball flew, using the bat. And after bouncing the bat once, he even threw it in the finish.
-Waaaaa!!!!!
-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!
The sniping ceremony that had been prepared for this moment resonates with cheers that threaten to leave Jamsil Stadium.
“Ha, you crazy bastard, I did something.”
Ignoring Lee Yong-gi, who put his hand on his waist and muttered behind him, he slowly ran to first base. The AT fans at first base greet me standing up. After raising our hands in response to those fans, we headed home.
“Hey, if you hit a home run, are you going to keep doing this?”
Lee Yong-gi, who was waiting for me at the home, spoke in a low voice, but I did not give in and answered in a bright voice.
“Yes. Be careful not to hit a home run.”
“… Crazy bastard.”
In fact, it was a ceremony that didn’t come out naturally unless I was in a perfect mood, but the reason I did this ceremony at this moment was simple. For our victory. I wanted the pitcher to be shaken by this ceremony, and I wanted Hancheol to be angry. If the pendulum were to tilt in our favor, we could have held a ceremony as much as we wanted.
“Ji Maeng-ho! You crazy bastard! How many meters did you fly?”
“You bastard, did you do that ceremony again? Anyway, he’s crazy!”
“Okay, the youngest does this, so we should show it too!”
Moreover, looking at the strength of her congratulatory hands, it seemed like she was able to raise the morale of her colleagues through the ceremony.
‘Fuck, it hurts, but I’ll endure it today.’
Perfect!
And the ceremony seemed to have had an effect as Choi Jin-cheol, who had been silent since his first at-bat, hit a strong ball.
-Wow!
-Joo Seung-cheol! Joo Seung-cheol! Joo Seung-cheol!
Although it was blocked by Joo Seung-cheol, who made a wonderful diving catch.
“Ha, it was a good hit.”
“How does that kid play defense so well? What do you eat to be so good?”
“Bitch, genes. Where will Joo Hyung-jin’s genes go?”
The seniors expressed their disappointment at Joo Seung-cheol’s great defense, but that disappointment turned into elasticity.
“Senior! Nice!”
“Woo Kwan-hyung, it was great!”
Woo Kwan-hyung hit a double to left-center. A ball that even Kim Dong-jin and Joo Seung-cheol, who are famous for their defense, cannot catch. And Patrick, who had been hit by a big hit since the last inning, finally came down from the mound.
“Thank you for your hard work. “Senior.”
And Woo Gwan-hyeong, who replaced the pinch runner, returns to the dugout with a bright expression.
“Meng Hao.”
“Yes?”
“It was good. Patrick Jegu was very shaken.”
Wow, I was shaken as expected. At first glance, he looked anxious, and it seemed like Woo Gwan-hyeong was taking advantage of the opportunity.
“I had a bad fight too, but that bastard Joo Seung-cheol took it away.”
Choi Jin-cheol, who was complaining behind the scenes, also felt it, so it can be said that the effect was clear.
Perfect!
In addition, Seongtae Yoon attacked the first pitch of the changed pitcher, widening the score gap to 2 points.
‘Is it safe to say that the economy is on the decline at this level?’
*
[3:1! Game over! AT Thunders take the lead as Jinhyuk Park ends the inning! 20 years of resentment. The first match will be decorated with victory!]
[As expected from fall baseball, it was a high-quality pitching match. Are you looking forward to tomorrow’s game?]
The first game of the semi-playoffs between AT Thunders and Hancheol Grizzlies ended 3–1 thanks to Ji Maeng-ho’s final home run. And it was natural that the victory stimulated AT Thunders fans who had not even smelled fall baseball for 20 years.
-[Jun PO] A tense pitching battle, Ji Maeng-ho ended it.
… Eventually, Patrick’s good pitching ended with Ji Maeng-ho’s home run in the bottom of the 7th inning. Ji Maeng-ho shook Patrick’s mentality with his unique ‘sniping ceremony,’ and sixth batter Woo Kwan-hyung hit a double and eventually left the mound. … Crongs pitched 8 innings, allowing 1 run, proving why he is the AT’s ace…
ㄴEtboongs who are happy to win ㄱㅊ!
ㄴNo! Enemy! A! T!
ㄴKya, I waited so fucking longㅅㅂ They were the only ones enjoying something this good
ㄴ I have been an AT fan for 30 years and my wife and I cried while watching the game today. Really. Thank you I’m proud to be an AT fan.
Fuck, this is sex
ㄴJi Maeng-ho is crazyㅅㅂ
No, it’s just this guy.
ㄴJi Maeng-ho, the unprecedented and one-of-a-kind ‘GOAT’ in baseball history, your dedication led AT to victory.
-[Jun PO] Ji Maeng-ho, did the ceremony go too far again? Hancheol Park Dae-hoon ‘Unpleasant!’
… Meanwhile, the sniping ceremony held after Ji Maeng-ho hit a home run in the bottom of the 7th inning is causing controversy. Hancheol coach Park Dae-hoon publicly stated that Ji Maeng-ho’s ceremony was unpleasant, and…
Isn’t it unpleasant?
Hahathat was so cool. This is fall baseball haha
Fuck, Ji Maeng-ho, this bastard has absolutely no concept? Are you crazy? Really
ㄴㄴAre there still Hancheol fans who haven’t left the room? I told you to get out of the room, you bitches haha
ㄴI’m a passing UG fan, but as time goes by, this becomes just a memory haha
ㄴㄴㄹㅇ I also thought it was shit when I saw it live, but now it’s so fucking funny haha
-[Jun PO] Ji Maeng-ho, ‘Ceremony? Are you going to continue?’
… In an interview with a decorated player, Ji Maeng-ho announced his intention to continue holding ceremonies, making it a hot topic.
ㄴOur fierce tiger, do whatever you want~~~~~!!!!
ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ
ㄴMaengho, I love you!!!!!!!
ㄴThis is Jimaenghoji.
-But today’s batting lineup wasn’t very good, and it wouldn’t have been developed if it wasn’t for the strong defense.
ㄴThat’s because Patrick suddenly went crazy.
ㄴThe Fierce Protector is also our good friend, so why are you leaving us out? ㅁㅊ?
ㄴBut what makes me anxious is the fact, all the players were frozen?
ㄴㄴExcept for Kim Su-ho and Ji Maeng-ho, they are not very good, and the meteorologist is also frozen.
-Who is Ji Maeng-ho, and what is causing an uproar now?
ㄴYou still don’t know Ji Maeng-ho? Is it Moonjin?
ㄴYou go out
ㄴEven a spy knows, you bitch hahaHow can you not know about fierce protection?
-Sweet, but isn’t today’s ceremony a bit of an over-the-top ceremony? The UG pancake was delicious.
Is this bastard possessed by Satan?
ㄴIt was cool? LOL
ㄴㅉㅉ Look at the sweetness that comes from restrained movements. This is a ritual. This guy needs to go to the military
ㄴㄴI’m in my 4th year in the reserve force.
Come back again you bitch
ㄴㄴIf you doubt the fierce god of defense, you have to go again haha
-I’m Ji-maeng Honde, I’m grateful for your support, but I quit Byeolgram because of you guys. Damn. And I will find and kill the bastard who sent me a picture of his dick. Thank you always for your support and I will work harder in the future. Please look forward to the second half of the year. [4828 total comments]
ㄴThank you, Fierce Protector…
ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ
ㄴㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ
ㄴI still believe today.
ㄴIn one symbol, memories, in one symbol, love, in one symbol, loneliness, in one symbol, longing, in one symbol, Siwaho, in one symbol, mother, mother,
Ji Maeng-ho, my love. Ji Maeng-ho, my light. Ji Maeng-ho, my darkness. Ji Maeng-ho, my life. Ji Maeng-ho, my joy. Ji Maeng-ho, my sadness. Ji Maeng-ho, my pain. Ji Maeng-ho, my rest. Ji Maeng-ho, me. … “Ji Maeng-ho, the light of my life, the flame of my life, my sin, my soul.”
When all kinds of AT fan showed up in the community and were acting viciously, Hancheol’s players also knew it.
“Wasn’t the internet going crazy yesterday?”
“Hey, why are you looking at the internet when the game is going on?”
“Fuck, it’s popping up in DMs and feeds? I did a little bit of stargazing, but what should I do if I can see it? But are you going to suffer like this?”
“Then what should I do?”
“I have to give back what I got. We should do it too.”
“Yes?”
“Seungcheol!”
Hancheol’s players were so excited that they called out Joo Seung-cheol, the team’s best superstar.
“Yes! Senior!”
“If you hit a home run today, you should do that too.”
And a secret proposal.
“That? Ah…, All right. “I’ll give it a try.”
Hancheol’s players, who had received the heat, were thinking of returning the same. In Ji Maeng-ho’s way.