Chapter 303 – Episode 301. Are You Really Going to Skip Everything? (1)

[As expected, the ace of both teams is facing off, so the game is being played as a pitcher’s battle. The score in the top of the 6th inning was 2:1. Austin Webb still on the mound at UG. The lead batsman is Ki-Gye-ju.]

[As expected, since it is a match between the aces of both teams, it will be a tight pitching battle. Personally, when I saw the destructive power of the batting line that AT showed during this postseason, I thought AT would win by scoring a lot of points, but of course it was Austin Webb. It is effectively blocking AT’s batting line.]

[Today’s weather warning record is 2 at-bats and no hits. Will he be able to get on base in his third at-bat? . The first pitch is a ball.]

‘It is slowly visible. It seems like the velocity was lower compared to the first at-bat.’

Seeing Webb’s ball heading towards his body, Ki Ki-ju gained a little confidence. This was because in the top of the first inning, it felt like Webb, who had been throwing an impregnable ball, had lost his grip. Gyeonggi-ju slowly turned his head to check on Ji Maeng-ho, who was at bat.

‘Meng Hao walked two today, right? The UG guys are avoiding a match with Meng Hao. I guess it’s because I can’t support you from the front? I have to do it. This time, I will definitely hit.’

At the same time as the weatherman was making his resolve, Webb confirmed the catcher’s cause of death. And the second ball is thrown.

‘It’s boring!’

The second ball was a flat curve. A stitch that didn’t come off properly. Ki Ki-ju cleared the curve that entered the zone.

Perfect!

‘Home runs are difficult. At this rate, we reach second base… !’

Looking at the launch angle, it was not a hit that went over the fence, so Ki Ki-ju quickly started running to first base.

[Watch out for the weather! It’s fast! Over the height of the second baseman and near the fence! Center fielders and right fielders come together to catch batted balls!]

When Ki Ki-joo stepped on first base, UG’s right fielder Choi Jae-hyun was seen catching the ball.

‘What should I do? Run? Or should I go back?’

If Choi Jae-hyun, who boasts the best right field defense in the league, uses his shoulders and his feet to reach second base, it was a hit that could have turned into a triple at the perfect timing. The odds are half-and-half. And the thoughts of weather warning even reached the back hitter.

‘I’d rather have first base filled right now…’

As his thoughts reached the batter behind him, Ki Ki-joo passed the first base, stopped running to second base, and returned to first base. His own back hitter is Ji Maeng-ho, who is currently showing his best batting skills. Considering the previous games, he knew that if he got to second base, Ji Maeng-ho would hit an intentional throw, so it was a choice he could make.

‘Meng Hao, I believe.’

At one time, he was the leader of Hancheol’s batting lineup, but the method he chose to put aside his records and pride was a method he could do because he completely believed in Ji Maeng-ho.

-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!

And just as they believed in Ji Maeng-ho, the fans also believed in him. Their fourth batter, Ji Maeng-ho, is going to hit the fence in this at-bat.

[Ji Maeng-ho comes to bat. This is Ji Maeng-ho, who got two walks in the previous two at-bats… ? Uh? Are you pointing your bat at the fence?! Ji Maeng-ho’s signature home run came out. There have been about 7 predicted home runs during the season so far, and the hit rate is 100%.]

[No out, 1st base. We have to compete. This match cannot be avoided… Uh? Director Moon Ki-taek is ordering intentional throws?]

[Intentional throw on first base with no out… The next batter is Choi Jin-cheol, right?]

[Yes. Ji Maeng-ho heads toward first base with an expression of incomprehension.]

But those beliefs were all in vain with a single gesture from Moon Ki-taek. An unbelievable choice to skip a batter with no outs on first base. That choice happened in the Korean series.

“… “What is it?”

“Moon Ki-taek, what are you doing?” Fuck!”

“What kind of warrior are you skipping? The next batter is Choi Jin-cheol, are you out of your mind?!”

“Choi Jin-cheol might be better here…”

“Wow, are you filtering this?”

“It’s a home run predicted by a fierce hero, so it’s okay to miss it. “If it were me, I probably would have filtered it out.”

“Please, Choi Jin-cheol, please.”

Moon Ki-taek’s choice made Munhak Stadium, which was filled with 10,000 spectators, engulfed in chaos. Most people responded that they couldn’t understand the choice, but there were quite a few that said it could have been because the opposing hitter was Ji Maeng-ho.

[Director Moon Ki-taek gives a lecture. Now with no outs and 1st and 2nd bases. The next batter is Choi Jin-cheol.]

[We will only be able to find out if Director Moon Ki-taek’s choice is right by watching this game. The game is in Choi Jin-cheol’s hands.]

‘Moon Ki-taek, this motherfucker saw me as a dick, right?’

And that choice stimulated Choi Jin-cheol. He may not be in his prime, but he’s a four-time home run champion and three-time MVP winner, so he’s insulting himself like this. Although Choi Jin-cheol was evaluated as a good person by his colleagues, he was so angry that he was dumbfounded.

‘After… First, let’s cool down. ‘You can’t be in a hurry for no reason.’

Choi Jin-cheol collected himself like a veteran and entered his batter’s box to look around the ground. At second base, Ki Ki-joo is looking dumbfounded, and at first base is Ji Maeng-ho, who is very angry.

‘Okay, my brother will sing for me.’

One hit is worth 1 point, and even an extra-base hit is sure to score 2 points considering Ji Maeng-ho’s main strength. I had to swing the bat as carefully as possible. That’s why Choi Jin-cheol held back his boiling anger and focused on Web’s ball.

[The first pitch is a strike! 154 km/h! Austin Webb accurately stabs the low part of the body.]

[Webb is a very good player, but he also has such solid control, right?]

[As expected, Austin Webb, 2023 pitcher’s 4th gold medal winner!]

[Achieving this level of performance while using Literature as your home stadium… It’s really huge, right?]

[So there are many clubs in the U.S. And Japan that follow Web players, right?]

[Yes. However, there was an evaluation before the season that he was likely to have problems in terms of physical strength, but seeing him perform this well in the fall while playing a full-time rotation, it seems like it was unfounded.]

At a time when everyone was predicting Web’s victory, Choi Jin-cheol was not giving up.

‘I feel resentful, but I have no choice but to admit it. This guy’s fastball is all about following along. He has to aim for breaking balls.’

Choi Jin-cheol timed the breaking ball and waited for a good ball to come.

“Ball.”

“Ball.”

“Strike.”

And in a two-strike, two-ball situation, UG’s battery chose the breaking ball that Choi Jin-cheol had been waiting for. The curveball that Battery chose was a curve.

‘It has arrived!’

Choi Jin-cheol, who was watching the ball as late as possible, pushed the ball away properly.

Perfect!

[Choi Jin-cheol’s batted ball is toward right field! It falls in front of right field!]

“Stop! Stop! Choi Jae-hyun caught it!”

“Ugh!”

However, UG’s right fielder was Choi Jae-hyeon, who boasts the best outfield defense in the KBA league, and second base runner Ki Ki-ju had no choice but to stop on his way to home.

[The weatherman stops walking! Now the situation is safe, and the bases are loaded!]

[Choi Jae-hyun’s throw was good, right? Perhaps, if Gigi Joo had played all the way home, he would have been caught at home. The third base coach made a good decision.]

[Now, No. 6 batter Yoon Seong-tae comes to bat.]

[As Woo Gwan-hyeong, who had reliably maintained his position in the 6th batting order throughout the season, was out due to injury, Yoon Seong-tae was moved to 6th, and this situation needs to be resolved. Seongtae Yoon is a punchy hitter who hit 13 home runs while using Jamsil as his home. Even Web won’t be able to throw the ball easily.]

It’s a situation where bases are loaded with no outs, and we can’t help but miss Woo Kwan-hyung, who is out due to injury. While all the baseball fans watching the game were predicting Webb’s victory, Ji Maeng-ho, who was a runner on second base, made eye contact with Yoon Seong-tae.

‘Brother. Slider. Slider.’

He then wiggled the finger he had placed on his knee and sent a sign to Seongtae Yoon.

‘Is that right?’

‘That’s right! Just trust me and hit me, please!’

Yoon Seong-tae’s shaking eyes. Since UG’s cause of death had never been destroyed, Yoon Seong-tae’s eyes could not help but waver. But soon Seongtae Yoon made up his mind. During the season, Maeng Hao, who was at second base, occasionally sent signs and the hit rate was close to 100%, so the decision was made quite quickly.

‘Okay, shit, it’s hard to just hit it anyway, so let’s trust in the fierce tiger.’

And the first pitch thrown,

Ta – Aak!

The tip of Yoon Seong-tae’s bat touched the slider that came in on a backdoor trajectory.

[This batted ball flies high! Left field! Left field! Left field! Catch it!]

However, Austin Webb’s command was still alive, and the ball pushed by Seongtae Yoon did not pass the wall of literature and was caught by the left fielder.

“Run! Run!”

And Gi Ki-joo, the runner on third base, starts for home. Because it was a fly to left field, second base runner Maeng Ho could not start, but Ki Ki-ju was able to reach home safely.

[AT Thunders add 1 point with Seongtae Yoon’s sacrifice fly! Score 3:1! AT Thunders open the gap by 2 points! Now, with 1 out and 1st and 2nd bases, 7th batter Han Sang-gyu comes to the plate.]

As the scoring situation continued, AT fans hoped that Han Sang-gyu, who took the opportunity due to Woo Kwan-hyung’s injury, would solve the problem,

Tak!

Maybe it was because Webb, who had caught the out count, regained his composure, but Han Sang-gyu’s batted ball rolled through the infield without any help.

[Austin Webb avoids a crisis with a 4-6-3 double play! Requirements for quality start are met!]

[In this case, it seems like Director Moon Ki-taek’s choice was right, right? AT’s cleanup was blocked with 1 point.]

Moon Ki-taek’s effort to intentionally throw out Ji Maeng-ho at first base with no outs gave up one point, but it was quite successful. And in baseball, if such a gamble is successful, the tide will change. This was especially true when there was an unpleasant ending like a double play.

[Goo Jin-mo’s batted ball! Jump over the fence! UG Overlord immediately ties the score!]

In the bottom of the 7th inning when Krongs went down, Koo Jin-mo hit a two-run hit, immediately tying the game, and UG took the lead by attacking AT’s bullpen and adding 2 more runs.

[In the top of the 8th inning, with the home team UG Overlords leading by 2 points at 5:3, AT Thunders’ attack begins with second hitter Kim Su-ho.]

In the top of the 8th inning, when we were falling behind, leadoff hitter Kim Soo-ho hit a double and got on base,

[Weather alert, the batted ball is flying high! Fence! Fence! Caught nearby! Kim Su-ho cannot move.]

The out count went up as the weather caution hit was caught in front of the fence. And then Ji Maeng-ho’s turn at bat came. AT fans shouted Ji Maeng-ho’s name loudly, but Ji Maeng-ho never swung his bat at the plate.

[Ah, Ji Maeng-ho gets an intentional missed ball again this time. Ji Maeng-ho reached base in all at-bats today with 4 walks.]

Even though AT had the opportunity to reach first and second base with one out and one out when Ji Maeng-ho reached base on an intentional bases pitch, Choi Jin-cheol’s hit only added one point, and the weight of the game tilted toward UG.

And in the top of the 9th inning, UG’s closer Kim Woo-jun came on the mound to end the game, and the game ended with a 1-point lead.

[Game over! 5:4! The team that won the first match was UG Overlords!]

*

‘Ha, fuck. What should I do?’

“What are you doing? “I don’t even sleep.”

“I need to sleep. Under…”

My roommate, Seongtae-hyung, called me as I sat idly on the chair, but his butt didn’t move. The reason is, of course, because of today’s game. I got on base the previous time at bat, but I could feel it as I was standing at the plate. The UG guys won’t have any competition with me throughout this series.

‘Mr. Rossby, what should I do?’

‘Well, that’s right. This is my first time experiencing something like this…’

Rossby also seemed embarrassed by the situation he was experiencing for the first time. After experiencing this defeat, I felt so helpless. Since he was a pitcher and didn’t want to win, there was nothing I could do.

‘Fuck, what should I do?’

While I was sitting on the chair and thinking, Rossby called me.

‘Hmm… For now, there is only one way.’

Is there a way?

‘Yes? What is that?’

‘It’s not a solution, but…’

And Rossby began to explain his method.