Chapter 402 – Episode 394. Vs Dominica (2)
‘Ha, I was wondering if the fucking timing was right, so I replaced it.’
The first feeling I felt when Alcantara went down was ‘annoyance.’ Although he was caught in front of the fence in his last at-bat, he felt like he could get over it if he had one more chance.
But that was a personal feeling, and from a team perspective, it was good news. Honestly, I didn’t think anyone other than me could hit Alcantara’s ball. And now.
“What is Joo Seung-cheol?”
“Seungcheol hyung!”
“Fuck! Let’s go! Let’s go to the reverse!”
When I saw Joo Seung-cheol swearing and screaming even though Joo Hyung-jin was next to him, I got the feeling that the flow of the stadium was slowly changing.
“Hyung, how was it?”
“I don’t know, damn it!”
… Joo Seung-cheol seemed a little too excited, but the atmosphere was good anyway. The next batter, Lee Yong-gi and Koo Jin-mo, struck out and entered the dugout, but the atmosphere did not end.
“My ball!”
“Out!”
The good atmosphere continued as Choi Jung-hoon, who succeeded Jung Woo-sung, succeeded in creating a three-way strike by completely blocking the batting lineup of Dominica’s Sanchez, Rodriguez, and Tatis Jr.
“Senior Suho! Just get on base! “I’ll make it at least a tie.”
In the top of the 8th inning, when Kim Su-ho, the lead hitter, was asked to get on base, Kim Su-ho nodded his head as he usually did and headed to the plate. Dominica’s pitcher is left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto. It was a monster with an average speed of 98-9 mph. That average velocity means that the maximum velocity is 100 miles per hour.
‘How can these guys throw 100 mph with every pitcher they pitch?’
I was naturally impressed by the ridiculous restraint, but that didn’t mean it didn’t have weaknesses. The inevitable weakness of fastball pitchers is their lack of control. Soto was also a pitcher who had some problems with his control. And Kim Su-ho is one of the hitters who see the ball best in Korea.
“Ball.”
“Strike.”
“Ball.”
Damn!
“Foul!”
Damn!
“Foul!”
“Ball.”
Kim Su-ho silently cleared the ball and waited for the ball as usual.
“Base on balls!”
… Until you get a walk. It was now almost certain that I would go to bat this inning. As long as you don’t hit a double play or run the bases.
“Replace the pinch runner! Park Cheol-young!”
And to prevent such a situation, Park Cheol-young, who has stolen more than 30 bases every year since the season in which he took over as the starting pitcher, entered as a pinch runner.
“Suho! It was good!”
“As expected of Kim Su-ho!”
After successfully getting on base, Kim Soo-ho, who came into the dugout after being replaced by a pinch runner, looked like a triumphant general. He was a senior whose expression didn’t change much, but after spending more than a year with him, his current expression almost looked like the expression he had when he won the Kosi competition.
Kim Soo-ho, who was being congratulated by his colleagues, suddenly approaches me.
“Like you said, I got on base. “We can solve it, right?”
“… Just like before, let me get on base.”
“I mean…”
Widely. Suho Kim’s palm taps my shoulder. A gesture that says you trust me. It contained not only Kim Su-ho’s faith, but also the faith of his teammates on the national team, and the faith of the people. I quietly nodded my head in response to that belief.
While we were talking, number 9 batter Kim Jeong-hyeon successfully bunted and sent Park Cheol-young, who had entered the ground as a pinch runner, to second base. The coach’s will to eliminate double plays. And I can feel the coach’s will to trust me and Choi Joo-tae, the back hitter. Before walking to the waiting stand, I make eye contact with the manager.
“Meng Hao. “I won’t talk too much.”
The words the director spoke to me in a desperate situation were short. That’s why I feel the director’s will even more.
“Yes, please leave it to me.”
Even though there was controversy, I couldn’t lose here for the sake of the director who protected me. Moreover, it was clear that Rossby would shed tears if he lost not to the United States but to the Dominican Republic.
‘No? I’m having fun? ‘Why don’t we fall quickly and just sit around for the rest of the time?’
… Isn’t it? Rossby’s words were appealing, but losing the game was still a little…
As he was about to step into the standby batter’s box, the Dominican dugout must have felt that the game was on the line, so Soto got off the mound. The new pitcher taking the mound was Dominican closer Emmanuel Clase. He could easily throw 100 mph and was arguably the best pitcher in the major leagues.
‘Fuck, these bastards are 100 miles long, like real dogs or cows.’
When he saw Classe taking the mound, Choi Joo-tae motioned to me.
“Meng Hao, come and see.”
“Yes, senior.”
“You know, Classe, right?”
Of course I know. Until I had sex with Juliana, I was constantly watching videos of Dominican pitchers.
“Yes, I saw it yesterday.”
Choi Joo-tae opens his mouth while looking at Classe who is practicing pitching.
“Just in case you don’t know, I’ll explain it one last time. The fastball was thrown in a cutter format, with an average velocity of 99 to 100 mph and a maximum velocity of 102 mph. Slider to pitch there. If you count with a cutter and are driven, use a slider. Slider is 92-3 mph. It’s a falling bell slide, so you have to be especially careful. You know, right? Still, the controls aren’t that good…”
It was my first time seeing him say something I already knew. Perhaps the reason is tension. It was clear that he was controlling his mind while pretending to explain things to me. Choi Joo-tae also instinctively felt that this was the place to win.
“Senior.”
“Huh?”
“Are you scared?”
“What are you saying? “Fuck I’m scared, who said I was scared?”
“… “It’s not.”
“Senior, play comfortably.”
“Huh?”
“Because I’m behind you.”
“… Crazy bastard.”
Choi Joo-tae laughs as if he is dumbfounded by what I say and walks to the plate.
“Change pitcher, first pitch. You know?!”
He shouted at his back, but Choi Joo-tae answered by raising his middle finger without even turning his head.
‘Please, don’t end up with a double play with a strange line drive.’
Perfect!
“Foul!”
“Oh, what a shame…”
Choi Joo-tae’s batted ball, aimed at the changed pitcher’s first pitch, misses the foul line by a single point. … But his batting quality wasn’t that bad. After all, is it a major-leaguer’s jam? Or is it an effect that only fastball pitchers have improved so far? … Probably both, right?
The pitchers who have come up so far are pitchers who throw balls around 100 mph. No matter how fast they are, if you’ve seen them this much, you’ve become familiar with them. For no reason, when making a starting rotation, coaches did not mix left, right, finesse, and fastball types.
Even if it is difficult to make a correct hit…
Perfect!
There was no problem hitting the ball like now. And when the ball rolled on the floor, something was bound to happen. There are three steps required to throw out an infield ground ball.
The infielder catches the ball. I apologize. The first baseman catches.
Choi Joo-tae’s batted ball heads toward the shortstop. A batted ball that hits the border between grass and soil bounces high. The shortstop jumps high. Catch the ball.
‘Fuck! How do you catch that?! It was an unconditional omission!’
However, you are still not out. The shortstop positions himself to throw. I glance at the runner on second base running to third base and throw the ball to first base.
… And the forgiveness is high!
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Who was watching first base, jumped high using his unique elasticity, but his flight time was not something that could be controlled by human will. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Tried to touch Choi Joo-tae by swinging his arm in the air, but
“… Safe!”
Choi Joo-tae’s hand touched the base first. Headfirst sliding at first base is now almost taboo! But in the current situation, there was nothing more appropriate than that. If you entered while standing, you could definitely be tagged out.
Choi Joo-tae’s sprint and fantastic head-first sliding created a valuable opportunity.
-Choi Joo-tae! Choi Joo-tae! Choi Joo-tae!
The voices of Korean residents and the cheering squad chant Choi Joo-tae’s name vigorously. And,
-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!
I hear my name. Trailing by 2 points, 1 out, 1st and 3rd bases. Plus, the inning is in the top of the 8th inning. My dick is burning.
‘Fuck, this is it! Mr. Rossby, are you ready?’
‘Tsk.’
Rossby clicks his tongue and finds himself in a familiar position. To the spot where you can best see inside the pitcher’s glove.
‘It’s a cutter.’
The balls I’m aiming for are all of his balls. He wasn’t that good at command anyway. A type of throw that looks toward the center based on tremendous pitch.
‘What about mitts?’
‘Well, it’s the body part, but…’
Either it deviates greatly from the body, or the strike goes towards the body. From there, I had to make the decision.
‘If you just do that, you won’t have to miss a swing at an outside ball that doesn’t make sense.’
If you feel like it’s outside, just stop swinging. The probability of such a ball entering the zone was not high anyway.
I chew the cud, keeping the fact that it is the body part in my mind. His cutter is a type that has a larger vertical movement than a horizontal movement. It was a type of cutter that matched well with the trajectory of my swing. The problem is that I can overcome this guy’s situation with my strength.
‘Come…’ !’
The guy who was looking back and forth between first and third base stretched out his feet as if he had finally made up his mind. The speed at which a 100 mph ball reaches home plate is 0.35 seconds, so he had to judge whether it was in the zone almost as soon as he threw it, and as soon as it left the guy’s hand, one thing was certain.
This ball comes into the zone. Toward the body that Rossby told me about.
As soon as I made that decision, my bat started to meet his ball,
Ta – Aak!
A cheerful sound is heard, and the batted ball flies far away. A feeling as if the ball came to the bat and was hit by itself. And,
-Waaaaa!!!!!
A loud cheer from the audience that felt like it had been a long time since I heard it.
“Fuck! This is it!”
I almost sniped at the pitcher with the bat without realizing it.
‘You have to endure it.’
If I did that, it was obvious that other colleagues would get hit in the 100th mile, so I forced myself to endure the ceremony and put down the bat. As calmly as possible, as if it was no big deal…
-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!
And after lightly raising my hand to the fans who were chanting my name, I headed to first base. The final destination of my steps is the home plate where I have been standing until now.
‘Did the Ten Birds think we were dicks? Where do I replace the starter?’
It couldn’t have been more refreshing to stab the dagger in the chest of the Dominican guys who were looking forward to the quarterfinals and beyond.
*
[This batted ball… !]
[Please… ! Please, pass on, pass on! Aaaaah! It passed!]
[Jimaenghooooo!! Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho… ! Turn this game around!]
[Ugh! Ji Maengho! As expected, it’s Ji Maeng-ho! This is it! This is it!]
[A come-from-behind three-run home run against Classe, the best closer in the major leagues! Aaaaah! I’m so happy!!]
When Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball passed over the fence, the broadcasters had no choice but to shout out Ji Maeng-ho’s name, forgetting their duties. And it wasn’t just the broadcasting staff that was in that situation. The screams from the people watching the game were enough to make the apartment shake.
And Ji Maeng-ho’s come-from-behind three-run performance in a situation where the team was on the edge of a cliff was worth more than just points. It was common in baseball games for a single home run to change the mood, and Ji Maeng-ho’s three-run hit was just such a home run.
[Now, in the bottom of the 9th inning, Korea’s closing pitcher, Ko Young-hwan, comes up. … Out! … Fan! Now there is only one out count left until the semifinals!]
Perfect!
The batted ball that will determine Korea’s advancement to the semifinals rolls through the infield.
[Ji Maeng-ho catches the ball lightly. Throw to first base. Out! Out! Korea advances to the semifinals! They succeed in defeating their strong enemy Dominica and advancing to the semifinals! It was a difficult match, but we did it! Korean players!]
[Wow, these are really great players. Although he is a junior, he is really cool.]
The game, which was so unpredictable, ended with Korea’s victory.
-Korea advances to the semifinals! The opponent for the 4th round is… ?
… South Korea succeeded in advancing to the semifinals thanks to Joo Seung-cheol’s two-run home run and Ji Maeng-ho’s comeback three-run home run… The opponent is scheduled to be the team that won the match between the United States and Venezuela…
Meanwhile, Ji Maeng-ho, who hit a come-from-behind 3-run home run today, said, ‘Well, the United States will come up, right? I wanted to avenge the last WBC final, and it worked out well. “I will win this time and bring joy to the people,” He said in an interview. …
┗Baseball is just Ji Maeng-ho haha
┗Who the fuck wants to permanently expel a kid like this? Even if he doesn’t show up, he has to be forced out.
┗ㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ!
┗The only GOAT in baseball history, ‘Ji Maeng-ho’
┗Honestly, if you are Korean, let’s support Ji Maeng-ho.
┗Ji Maeng-ho lost his parents when he was young, so he is just hungry for love. Is loving constricting you? Well, it’s not like I’m committing a crime. Let’s not disturb the poor player with nonsense like this from now on.