Chapter 359 – Episode 351. Fall of a Dynasty? (3)

“Yes? “You want me to start as a starter?”

“Yes, guard. You saw it yesterday, but you know that Seungjun is anxious and can’t be trusted.”

“Well, we decided to allocate stamina in AT games this season.”

Baek Gyeong-ho’s face turned pale when he heard the shocking news that he had to deal with Ji Maeng-ho. How much criticism did you get from fans after allowing well over 10 stolen bases in last year’s Korean Series?

The memories of that time were still vivid in my eyes. After the Korean Series ended, I fell into alcoholism and lived like a junkie for a month. I still have trouble sleeping at night because I see Ji Maeng-ho stealing in my dreams, but I have to face Ji Maeng-ho?

‘Fuck, wasn’t I supposed to go out before AT? They said I could miss the AT game!’

Anyway, he was in his late 30s, and the club had allowed Ji Maeng-ho not to appear in AT games in order to manage his stamina and mental health, but as soon as Ji Maeng-ho returned, he wore a catcher’s mask in just one game.

Baek Kyung-ho’s mind is filled with swear words, insults from Ji Meng-ho, and that guy’s psychopathic eyes.

“Baek Kyung-ho, aren’t you a professional?”

However, even Baek Kyung-ho could not refuse the coach’s words. As the coach said, he was a professional who was paid to play for the team to win.

“… Let’s try it.”

Battery Coach taps Baek Kyung-ho on the shoulder and turns his steps. Baek Kyung-ho cursed inwardly at the sight, but soon began to use mind control.

‘Yes, I have to overcome it. I can’t be intimidated by a young junior at the age of 37. Let’s overcome!’

He clenched his fist and consoled himself,

‘Fuck, but why am I so anxious? Nothing much should happen.’

I couldn’t help but feel the cold sweat running down the faces and backs of the family members that passed through my mind.

*

“Uh, is Baek Kyung-ho the starting catcher today? It worked. “It was a bit dull yesterday, but now it’s finally going to be fun.”

Yesterday, the catcher must have been mentally broken after hitting two home runs in the first inning, and UG was so confused that it felt like he tripped over his own feet, so even though he won, it wasn’t a very fun game.

‘But wasn’t he avoiding me? He didn’t show up for the exhibition game. What, was it really because of the dedicated catcher system that you didn’t show up? Was I overly self-conscious?’

‘Why are catchers, not pitchers, so scared of you that they avoid you?’

‘Well, that’s true too.’

I felt like that for some reason, but it seemed like I was mistaken.

“You bastard, you like security, don’t you? “Why does your expression brighten when you hear that security is coming?”

“It’s just that it’s fun to compete.”

“Is security fun?”

“Yes. “I try my best to win even though I know I can’t. Wouldn’t this be fun?”

“Anyway, I heard you have a strange personality.”

While I was chatting with Choi Jin-cheol, who was sitting next to me, the director came into the meeting room.

“Do you know who is starting today? “There is no one who doesn’t know.”

UG’s starter today is UG’s Korean ace Kim Seong-gyeol. He was one of the few difficult pitchers in Korea. He wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t hit, but he wasn’t an easy opponent like other bad pitchers. In particular, even though he was a right-handed pitcher, he was quite good at catching left-handed hitters, so he was strong against us, who had a lot of left-handed hitters.

At the center of it all was the changeup, so my role today was important. Because I was the only person on our team who could handle Kim Seong-gyeol’s changeup.

‘I think Kim Seong-gyeol almost completely shut down our batting lineup last year in the Korean Series, so what about this year?’

This season, our team also had no experience with Kim Seong-gyeol, so we had to wait and see how things were going, but it still didn’t change that my role was important.

“Then, let’s start with today’s batting order. #1 center Jeong Hwi-cheol, #2 second Ji Maeng-ho…”

“Yes? Me?”

“I’m calling the lineup, what is it?”

“Oh, sorry.”

I’m number 2? I went in a few times, but suddenly I was batting second. I didn’t hate it, but I was embarrassed because it was quite sudden.

“Then keep calling. 3rd left Ki Ki-joo, 4th first base Choi Jin-cheol, 5th third Kim Su-ho, 6th short Yoon Seong-tae, 7th right Baek Jeong-jin, 8th Kim Hyun-seong, 9th Gita Lee In-hyuk.”

“But why am I number 2?”

“Williams will be coming up soon, and once Williams comes up, I plan to keep using him as number 2 from then on. Well, there’s nothing uncomfortable, right?”

“Yes, I’m fine…”

“And you said it was inconvenient because Sangju hit a lot of doubles.”

“Oh, yes. “I did.”

I mentioned that in passing yesterday after an intentional throw, and I think the coach relayed it to the manager.

“What? Did you feel uncomfortable?”

The weather forecaster responded immediately to my words.

“Well, Sangju is a bit uncomfortable.”

“Brother, how much do you want your child to hate being with you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Although other players joked, it was true that it was uncomfortable. Well, it wasn’t that people were uncomfortable.

‘Sometimes nagging is uncomfortable.’

Especially when I went on an expedition, if I went out and played, he would nag me the next day, but I didn’t really hate it. But it was really uncomfortable at bat.

It is no exaggeration to say that Gi Ki-ju was the player who hit the most doubles in the league. He hit over 40 doubles last year and is on pace to continue this year. Ki Ki-ju was the epitome of a mid- to long-distance hitter suitable for Jamsil.

But it didn’t work out well for me. If Ki Ki-joo hit a double and walked out, it was almost certain that the next at-bat was an intentional walk.

‘It’s probably the same reason why Kim Su-ho, who has the best on-base percentage on the team other than me, was sent to the team.’

Kim Soo-ho was also a player with quite a few doubles, so it seemed like he was planning to give me as many at-bats as possible by placing Jeong Hwi-cheol, who has a slightly lower on-base percentage but is talented at contact and has less power, at number one.

“I think the top batting lineup and cleanup will probably continue like this for the time being. Williams will also appear in the next series, so let’s experiment as much as possible this time.”

But it’s an experiment. I felt like I knew what UG’s current situation was. Last year, UG was an opponent that you couldn’t beat unless you gave your best. But now, we have become a team where the players do not find it strange even when the coach openly uses the word experiment.

‘Well, yesterday’s game was a little strange.’

There was no way the director wouldn’t have noticed what I felt.

“Then let’s watch the video and think about how to attack Kim Seong-gyeol.”

And here is a video of Kim Seong-gyeol pitching this season. Just looking at the pitching video, it doesn’t seem much different from last year. He was said to be playing an active role as the team’s sure-to-win card even while the mercenaries were in ruins, and he was throwing a good ball as expected.

And, the feeling seen on the screen continued in the stadium.

“Strike~! Out!”

First batter Jeong Hwi-cheol hangs his head as he strikes out on a changeup after seeing seven pitches. Kim Seong-gyeol’s ball, seen from the standby at-bat, still looked just as good as when seen on video.

‘Well, it’s not like I can’t hit it.’

“Hi. “It’s all right.”

“Ha…”

When I gave a warm greeting to Baek Kyung-ho, whom I had not seen in a long time, Baek Kyung-ho let out a sigh.

“Why are you sighing first? Like someone who saw something they couldn’t see.”

“Then are you happy to see me?”

“Hey, I’m glad on the inside. But how did the game come out? Real stamina distribution? “I thought you were avoiding me because you were scared.”

“… Isn’t it?”

Are you even sharing autographs? The reply was late.

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Okay.’

And Rossby’s voice is heard. It really seemed like they were signing autographs just as I thought. The first pitch is a fastball. Although I saw the ball from the side during Jeong Hwi-cheol’s at-bat, I decided to watch the first pitch because I still needed to see the pitch today.

“Ball.”

The first pitch is a ball that goes outward. The speed is 144 km/h. In the Korean Series, Kim Seong-gyeol was throwing balls in the low 140s from the beginning of the game, but perhaps because it was the regular season or early in the season, he didn’t seem to be pushing himself too hard.

“But do you answer well? “You didn’t even answer last year.”

“You don’t know anything about that.”

I felt like I knew what happened even if he didn’t tell me. Since this was the strategy they used when Moon Ki-taek was around, it was obvious that they would not use the same strategy this year when Moon Ki-taek was fired. As a result of that strategy, it was launched last year.

“Thanks, who was the catcher yesterday? Promotion? I even talked to him. But didn’t he have a mental breakdown? “I just felt confused.”

“This bastard is older than Ji… Ha, let’s just shut up and focus on baseball. Please.”

Thanks to this, I have a lot of time to talk to the catcher, which is nice.

‘It’s a curve.’

‘Okay.’

Even though I am strong at curves, I had to be careful about Kim Seong-gyeol’s curves. Because the knuckle curve flew like a slider and boasted a fairly fast velocity. I haven’t actually checked, but the worst of my curve batting averages is probably Kim Seong-gyeol’s knuckle curve.

“Ball.”

Since I had plenty of time in the count, I missed the second ball, but luckily it was called.

“Whew, it was dangerous? Use your meat well. “Kabiyo.”

“I told you to keep your mouth shut.”

“Listen to my mouth, and it’s flowing~.”

“A dog like a dog…”

‘Fastball.’

Ta – Aak!

“Ah, Kabbi. “If it had gone a little further to the side, it would have been a home run.”

The third ball was a foul home run that missed the pole significantly.

“…”

When he saw that foul home run, the tip of Kim Seong-gyeol’s ball began to shake as he remembered the Korean Series.

“Ball.”

And the fifth ball was thrown.

“Base on balls!”

“Ha…”

Baek Kyung-ho’s long sigh can be heard along with the referee’s declaration of the ball.

“Tsk, that’s boring. Kyung-ho, can I send it to you like this? Am I running again?”

“Ugh…”

Is it my imagination that I feel like a big man fit for a catcher is shaking? Finally, after teasing Baek Kyung-ho, he moved to first base.

*

“Safe!”

“Fuck!”

Baek Kyung-ho couldn’t hold back any longer when the safe call rang from third base, and he swore in his voice. One out, first base became one out, third base in four balls.

A nightmare about the Korean series that he had forgotten arose in Baek Kyung-ho’s mind. No, actually, I have been nervous since Ji Maeng-ho came to bat.

‘Whoa, the ball count isn’t bad though. Since it’s two balls, two strikes, if you strike out the pitcher, you don’t have to give up one point.’

Baek Kyung-ho thought like that and made up his mind. If you just strike out or hit a shallow ball, there will be no more nightmares like last year.

‘Seonggyeol, change up.’

‘Yes.’

And the fifth ball thrown. Ki Ki-joo swings the bat along with Kim Seong-gyeol’s pitching.

‘Please, don’t get hit. Don’t get hit!’

But unfortunately, heaven did not listen to Baek Kyung-ho’s prayer.

Perfect!

The weather warning bat hits the ball, and the batted ball flies into the outfield. Toward right field,

‘It’s done. Even Ji Maeng-ho wouldn’t be able to run at that level, right?’

Right fielder Choi Jae-hyeon is one of the strongest pitchers in the league. And the hit wasn’t that deep. If you’re an average runner, he’ll never hit a ball.

When Baek Kyung-ho felt safe like that,

‘… ‘No way, right?’

Ji Maeng-ho, who was on third base, was looking at home with the intention of killing someone.