Chapter 409 – Episode 401. Finals. (1)

[Hello! Dear viewers, 2024 LA Olympics. Korea and Japan, Japan and Korea. The finals will be played against Korea and Japan. Start now.]

[I’m sure many people are expecting a gold medal. The Korean national team can do just as well as they did by beating the United States.]

[Let me introduce you to the key players of both teams. In Korea, second baseman Ji Maeng-ho was selected as the key play, and in Japan, pitcher and batter Ohtani was selected as the key play.]

[Ohtani, of course, he’s a great player. In fact, Babe Ruth did not play both a batsman and a pitcher for very long. However, Ohtani continues to double as a pitcher, ignoring the experts’ assessment that he will someday focus on either batting or pitching. A player who creates new rules in the major league. That player is Ohtani. However, Ji Maeng-ho is not outdone by that either.]

[That’s right. Ji Maeng-ho is also a great player.]

[After all, he is one of the few players to achieve .400 in the professional league since Ted Williams. Obviously, there is a big gap between the Major League and the KBA league. But even so, if a major league player comes to the KBA, will he be able to hit .400?]

[Well? Wouldn’t it be difficult?]

[You’re right. I think not. Moreover, the scarier thing about Ji Meng-ho is that he has the power to hit 60 home runs while hitting .400. The scary thing about Ji Maeng-ho is that he did not hit .400 by making a lucky hit with a swing that was in a hurry to hit the ball, but instead made .400 by using his own swing. From my perspective on Ji Maeng-ho, he will definitely succeed in the majors as well.]

[Yes. In this Olympics, Ji Maeng-ho recorded 9 hits in 17 at-bats, a batting average of 0.529, 6 home runs, and an OPS of 2.519. Most of the players Ji Maeng-ho faced were major league players, right?]

[Correct.]

[Now, let’s start the match between Korea and Japan. The attack at the beginning of the first inning begins with Japan striking first.]

*

“Senior, what do you think of Otani?”

Just before the game started, I asked Joo-tae Choi, who was playing catch with me, a question.

“Otani? It’s the best. He also has good personality. He’s good at baseball too. Under… We should have won once when we were together…”

Choi Joo-tae’s answer is filled with deep regret. But this wasn’t the answer I wanted.

“No, not like that. “How do you compare to me?”

How do I compare to Otani now? That’s what I wanted to know.

“… Are you crazy? Of course Otani is good at it. He throws the ball well and hits it well.”

“… “What if it’s just typing?”

“… But wouldn’t Otani be better? “When I hit 58 home runs last year, I thought he was crazy, really.”

“I hit .400 with 60 home runs?”

“Hey, does the Major League look like shit? “The pitchers are at a different level, dude.”

Although I was angry, it was the first thing I said. Choi Joo-tae is a player who has experienced both KBA and Major League. You definitely knew the difference.

“Look at his eyes. This. Hey, you should thank Otani.”

“… Me? “Why?”

Otani didn’t do anything for me, so why should I be thankful?

“You don’t know? Did you know that the KBA posting year is changing this time? Oh, is this a secret? “I also heard it from the coach.”

“Yes. “I know.”

Why are you suddenly asking that?

“What kind of labor-management agreement is there when Otani comes to the United States? Did you know that because of that, he signed a minor league contract for four years under the age of 25 and played in the major leagues while receiving the minimum salary?”

“… “Did you?”

I had no idea. Was there a rule like that in the major leagues?

“But because of him, the rules changed in the next agreement after that. “Even four-year players under the age of 22 can sign contracts and advance to the majors.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Bitch, when you go to the majors, you can get a major contract instead of a minor contract, right?”

“What kind of contract is divided like that?”

Contract… It was a difficult story. My agent took care of everything, and I never ran out of money because of Soyoung, so I was completely unaware of that.

“Do you have three major league contracts? Anyway, it’s a bit complicated…, Hey, what can I tell you? When I look at it, it looks like I don’t understand it. “Just exercise hard.”

Choi Joo-tae, who was trying to explain, shakes his head and looks like he has given up on explaining. I was a little moved, but I couldn’t say anything because it was true that I didn’t understand.

“Anyway, you should be thankful to Otani.”

“I even thank you for something like that. If you don’t have money, you can just live without it.”

Whether it was a minor league contract or a major league contract, it had nothing to do with me.

“Ugh.”

“Senior, if you look at what you’re saying, you’re completely like Otani, aren’t you?”

“Hey, why don’t you team up with Otani. I can’t help but be a loser. “He’s nice, he’s good at baseball.”

“… Are you a senior Ilbong?”

In the league, I matched the combination of Charlotte and Keystone, but in the national team, I had to match Ilppong and Keystone. Could it be that my partner luck is this bad?

“What are you saying! Fuck, who said Ilppong! “Don’t you know that I hit a timely hit in the Korea-Japan match during the WBC?”

“… “Ilppong was given orders to strike at the right time.”

“Are you crazy?!”

Choi Joo-tae threw the ball towards me harder than before. Phut! Judging by the sound made by the glove, I think it would be at least 150. To throw a ball this fast at this distance.

‘Are you planning on putting me, Korea’s ace, in charge?’

I’m getting more and more suspicious.

“Fuck! No! You, snow! What are your eyes? Why do you look at it like that?”

“… You’re not trying to dip me now, are you? Receive orders.”

“What bullshit! Really! Sangju! What’s wrong with this guy?!”

“He’s always like that. It’s easier to give up.”

As expected, Sangju senior. Seeing that he took my side, Sangju senior may have noticed something as well. Since the two of us were classmates, they must have known about that tendency before me.

“Fuck, no!”

Choi Joo-tae’s cry full of injustice. But I am not fooled. You will not be fooled.

… I promised,

“Nice!”

“Thank you! Senior!”

Was I wrong when I saw Choi Joo-tae catch Ohtani’s fast and strong hit in the top of the first inning with a super catch? I had a thought.

“Sir, how did you catch it?”

“Hey, he’s in the major league.”

Choi Joo-tae’s super catch now results in two outs. Moreover, is it thanks to catching that ‘Ohtani’? Jang Woo-joo’s ball goes into the strike zone.

“Jitterbug! Strike! Out!”

A three-way retreat against Japan. The velocity of the ball that struck out Murakami was 99.1 miles (159.4 km/h). Jang Woo-joo seemed to be in the best condition today.

“Nice!”

“Space! What? Have you awakened?”

“From now on, I’ll throw harder!”

… Although it seemed like I was overdoing it a bit. Still, it was true. There was a rest day, and all pitchers except Seonghyun were able to pitch in this game, so there was no problem with the number of pitchers. Even Jung Woo-sung, who pitched as a starting pitcher in the game against Dominica, was waiting in the bullpen, so all Jang had to do was do his best at every moment and throw the ball.

Jang Woo-soo also knew that fact, so he was throwing pitches in the upper 150s starting from the first inning. At this pace, it would have been about 3 innings, but it was still enough.

“Ruler! Then let’s get the score from the first episode!”

“Yes!”

“Ju-tae! Come back with a punch!”

Choi Joo-tae walks out of the dugout with encouragement from other teammates. Since I was the next batter, I picked up the bat and walked away together, and Choi Joo-tae spoke to me.

“Hey, did you watch the defense earlier?”

“Yes. “It was a mess?”

“Bitch, I told you I’m not an idiot. Take a good look at this at-bat as well. “Whether I am a person or not.”

It seemed like he had kept in mind what I said. I wonder if major-leaguers can be so similar… It was absurd, but looking at his determination, it felt like he was really going to take a hit.

‘If Joo-tae just gets on base…’

If you hit a home run, you get 2 points. That leaves room for pitcher management.

And as if to prove his determination, Choi Joo-tae’s bat spins smoothly. Once, twice, … Three times.

“… “I’m sorry.”

Choi Joo-tae, who came in after being struck out on three pitches by Ohtani, returned to the dugout without even making eye contact, saying he was sorry.

‘That’s right. I didn’t even expect it. Am I the only one?’

The best baseball player alive who has won unanimous MVP twice and is expected to win unanimous MVP again this season… It was.

‘But seeing him get kicked out by Jang Woo-joo, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.’

But did he look at his at-bats and think that he was fine? He was a hitter who was said to be better than a pitcher, so what about a pitcher? .

‘Yes, all the guys who pitch and bat at the same time are assholes. He doesn’t have the confidence to be the best, so he uses those tricks. Ruth, that guy too…’

‘Yes, yes. All right. ‘Please give me the ball.’

‘The first pitch is a fastball. Body,’

Fastball to the body? It was a ball that was difficult for him to throw unless he was quite confident. A ball that can go over the fence at any time if hit. Even if it was a ball, there was no reason not to aim for it. After getting ready to hit, he calmly waits for the guy’s ball.

Finally, the guy lifted his foot and swung his hand like a whip.

Ta-ah!

‘Write…’

The first pitch is a foul that lands in the stands near third base.

‘Was it a ball?’

‘If I had left it there, it would have been a ball.’

I wondered if he swung the bat too hastily from the first pitch, but if he had seen this batting, it would have been difficult for him to carelessly hit the ball like he did now.

‘… It’s a slider. Outside.’

‘Are you finally throwing it?’

Ohtani’s slider is treated almost haphazardly in the major leagues. The pitch, so-called ‘sweeper,’ had a greater lateral movement than other sliders. The reason Ohtani stepped up as a pitcher was because he completed this sweeper and increased its importance, so it was a ball that could be considered Ohtani’s deciding ball.

‘Well, there’s no need to hit it.’

My swing is strictly upper swing. There was no need to force a pitch with a large lateral movement. The reason why the sweeper, that is, the slider with more lateral movement, was introduced was because it was a pitch that was re-emerged in response to many batters using upper swing to increase the launch angle. There was no need to aim for pitches that were not compatible.

What I’m aiming for is a fastball, which I had good memories of from the last WBC, or a splitter that comes arrogantly into the zone. Hitting coach Joo Hyeong-jin also told me not to go for the sweeper, so he didn’t want to hit the ball like this.

“Ball.”

Ohtani’s ball flows out of the zone. It certainly feels like the lateral trajectory is larger than that of a normal slider?

Let me put up with his balls. A slight smile appears on the guy’s lips. It was an expression that said, ‘Can you tolerate this?’

‘How arrogant. ‘Looking down from above, right?’

‘It’s a slider. Outside again.’

‘Again?’

Throwing the same ball twice in a row is probably to check whether I can distinguish between his balls or not.

“Ball.”

This time, lightly catch the ball. One strike, two balls.

‘It’s a fastball this time. It’s outside.’

Come. The ball I was aiming for. Throwing a sweeper twice in a row and throwing an outside ball means putting it in the strike zone. Since I knew the location, I didn’t have to worry about finding out the pitcher’s intentions.

Otani doing the windup again.

‘Come!’

The ball you’ve been waiting for! Turn the bat with confidence.

Perfect!

But the moment it hit, it felt like it was caught on the top of the bat. A batted ball flying toward right-center.

‘Fuck.’

I realized that it would not be a good idea to climb over the fence, so I ran straight toward first base. And just before entering second base, the batted ball slowly sinks in front of the fence. Center fielder’s fly to the warning track.

‘Well, it’s a bit of a throwaway. Was this intentional?’

‘It doesn’t seem to me.’

I thought it would come inside the strike zone, but it seemed like one hit went outside. The result was an out, but it wasn’t rushed or anything like that. Anyway, the game was long and Jang Woo-joo was in good condition.

If I somehow hit just one, I win. There were quite a few remaining at-bats.