Chapter 41 – Episode 41. Are Major League Umpires Too Old? (2)

“Maengho! Be patient!”

“Yes? What are you holding on to? I was going to go back because I was out.”

As soon asheheard the declaration of being out, the heat ran through his head, but he was able to cool off immediately. Why? Because you can punish when defending. Wait up, you fucking first baseman!

“It’s too bad. Let’s focus on defense, Maengho.”

“I can’t help it. No video review.”

Anyway, today’s game was wrong to win. Even if I make a mistake, I don’t think it will have a big impact on the game.

“Senior, the glove is here.”

I put the glove that my junior brought back in my hand and walked out to the ground. Really come to me just once.

*

“Wow, it must be hard to win today? The Hwiyoongo guys prepared well.”

“What is preparation, is it preparation by only throwing the ball?”

“That was well prepared. Well, if it were me, I would have won.”

“Yeah, even in the pros, throw me some good balls.”

Wonho took the mound in the middle and blocked 2.1 scoreless innings, but could not erase the loss. At the end of the 8th inning, the score is 9:3. Even after the second at-bat, I walked out with all walks, so the game was coming to an end without me being able to use my hands.

‘Why? I guess I’m getting a little feverish?’

‘Of course, I’m a human too.’

No one likes to lose. Especially athletes. Until now, I thought I wasn’t interested in the team’s win or loss, but when I lost, I got annoyed. I don’t know if it’s the group stage, but losing in a tournament like this makes you feel like you want to destroy everything? Especially that kid at first base.

Hehe, if you passed the ball over the fence, that wouldn’t have happened.’

‘Ha, that’s right. I should have handed it over.’

When I was blaming myself for not passing the ball, the coach approached me.

“Maengho. Shall I replace it? I don’t think he’ll come to your plate anyway.”

“No. I will run until the end.”

Even if the match was lost, I still had work to do. Revenge right away. I haven’t been able to throw the ball yet because the guys at Huiyun-go haven’t sent the ball to me, but I still have one inning left in my defensive inning.

Deep!

I picked up my glove again as I watched the ball float high in the infield.

‘Mr. Rossby, what should I do to throw indistinguishably?’

‘Well? I’ve never done anything like that before?’

Hehe, I can do something that even Mr. Rossby couldn’t do. Does something feel good?’

‘He’s a bastard with no sports spirit.’

‘Sports spirit? Does that sweet thing still remain today? Why? So I don’t like it?’

‘No, I’m sorry I didn’t think of thathehe, for a baby monkey, he’s pretty smart.’

Rossby let out a laugh that I thought was funny. A laugh full of excitement at the thought that I will soon see a sight that I have never seen while playing baseball for over 100 years. Hearing that laugh made me laugh out loud.

Right!

“Short!”

In the top of the 9th inning, Hwiyungo’s first batter made a ball that floated high behind the mound. Chit. Roll some grounders!

The shortstop handled the ball easily and now had only two out counts left.

“Seonghyun! Send the ball to me too!”

“All right. Seniors!”

The next hitter is a left-handed hitter. If Seong-hyeon, who is currently pitching, creates a ball that hits the body and pulls it, I will have a chance. Besides, the guy on the plate now is a quick-footed guy, so wouldn’t it be strange if a bad throw came out?

The pitcher winds up. I put the right amount of tension on my legs and focused my eyes on the ball leaving the pitcher’s hand.

Right!

‘Fuck, is it high?’

The ball hit by the batter was flying towards me, but it bounced wide and made a batted ball that seemed to go over my height. As I jumped, I stretched out my glove toward the batted ball.

‘Please! Reach!’

Pray more earnestly than ever! The ball grazed the tip of the glove as if my prayer had worked. Ugh, I rolled around and found the ball on the ground.

‘Left!’

At Rossby’s cry, he turned his gaze to the left and gave the ball that fell to the ground.

“Don’t throw!”

An urgent cry from the first baseman is heard. But what? I ignored the first baseman’s shouts and found the first baseman a few meters from the base.

‘Look… !’

“… Lot!”

Throw the ball hard towards the 1st base referee. The ball flies quickly and heavily in the direction I want, drawing a beautiful straight line.

“Oops!”

Puck!

Strike? Chit, I threw it at my face, but I can see that the first base umpire blocked the baseball I threw with his arm.

“Are you okay?”

“I told you not to throw it!”

Ignoring the first baseman’s words, I immediately ran to the first baseman who was hit by the ball. I got hit in the arm, but the pain is the same. I felt like I had to look at that expression to get rid of the lump in my heart.

“Sorry. Are you okay?”

The expression of the first base referee, distorted by pain, is visible. Looks good So, didn’t you judge well? While hiding such thoughts, he created a very sorry expression on his face.

‘Mr. Rossby, is my expression okay?’

Hehe, that’s enough to be an actor. How could he put on such an apologetic face right away?’

‘It’s life acting. In my first and second year, I always had this look on my face.

I couldn’t see the swollen arm because I was wearing an arm sleeve, but is this enough to be a success? I should have matched the head, but it was a little disappointing.

“Fine… Ugh.”

“Oops, it hasn’t been long since he switched to second, so I’m sorry. Fierce tiger! What are you doing? Come quickly and apologize.”

“Sorry. Ah, this type is too fast, so stop….”

“Uh, okay. You can do that while playing.”

Oh, is it the benevolence of adults? I liked the expression of the first base referee enduring pain. It looks like it will die of pain, but that strange expression of forcibly enduring the pain in front of the kids!

I was going to throw him one more time the next time we met, but I decided to forgive him to this extent.

‘But let’s not see each other often. If the game doesn’t work out, he’ll want to throw the ball in the head again.’

“Maengho, are you okay? It’s like coming back to Ips, isn’t it?”

“No. You can!”

“He was originally a shortstop, but because of Ips. Oh, I’m so sorry.”

I held back my burst of laughter and bowed my head again to apologize to the first base referee. The first base referee does not know my feelings at all and accepts my apology. When the trainer comes and takes off the arm sleeve to spray the paste, the bruised and swollen forearm is already visible.

‘Tsk, I should have thought of this when I was active, but the referees would have come to their senses only if I broke a few guys’ skulls.’

‘Remember this when you are born again. The true education method for referees invented by Maeng-Ho Lee.’

‘Keuhehehe, crazy bastard.’

Anyway, baseball is a sport in which a hard ball is thrown and hit at a speed that is difficult for ordinary people to recognize, and this kind of injury was a daily occurrence. After a short break, the game resumed and we grabbed the remaining out counts in turn, but we were unable to score 6 points and the game ended with Hwiyungo winning.

“Ha, there are days like this. Let’s prepare well for the phoenix and win again.”

“Yes!”

“Huh, I see.”

A guy full of enthusiasm, a guy who bursts into tears, a guy who looks at the ground in silence. Various people were soothing the pain of defeat in their own way.

“Hey, did you do that on purpose?”

As I was gazing at the group of losers, Wonho approached me. Perhaps because he was the first nominee, Wonho, like me, felt the pain of defeat a little less than others.

“What?”

“I hit the referee ball.”

“Are you crazy? If you’re good at that, why are you a pitcher?”

Sharp guy…. But what I said was true. Since he aimed for the head and hit his arm, it means that it is not a pitcher’s pitch.

“But. Ha, the presidential boat ended like this.”

“Are you sorry?”

“It’s sad, but it’s also nice to save my arms. Wow, that’s gross What is left now is the phoenix? After waiting for the phoenix, it’s the rookie draft, and after the rookie draft, we’re pros too, right?”

“You seem to be very sorry. Hey, I wish I had enjoyed one more year than everyone else.”

“I would be flying around in the pros right now if I hadn’t been paid to have fun.”

As Wonho said, most of the guys I saw at the Youth Baseball World Cup last year were making their names known in the pros. If you think about it now, they were fuckers, but why did they look so cool back then? A bitter taste is felt in the mouth.

“With your skills? Puck.”

I spoke to Wonho again to erase the bitter taste.

“Ugh, Ji Maeng-ho, who was a batting ball pitcher, has my grown up?”

“I was originally taller, kid?”

Haha, what are you saying, you’re not even 190 yet?”

“It doesn’t do any good to have a big infielder.”

“I guess the hyungs feel a little more at ease?”

While we were laughing and trembling with Wonho, the pitcher in the third grade who started today and ruined the game spoke up. It didn’t look that good when Ji ruined the game and was crying.

“Ah, sorry.”

Wonho apologized, but I didn’t. Because? Because I’m not sorry!

From my point of view, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Why is this bastard giving a fuck?’. No matter how much I chew on high school baseball, I wouldn’t have been checked so blatantly if the score difference hadn’t widened in the 1st and 2nd innings.

“Then why didn’t you do well not to lose? Write, shouldn’t you work hard to be drafted?”

“Ji Maeng-ho!”

“What, did I say something wrong? Hey! Wonho blocked it with two scoreless innings, and I also got on base three times. Can’t we laugh a little after the game?”

There was no home run, but this was a record that could be seen as a win against the pitcher.

“It would be nice. I am good at baseball.”

Are you a funny kid? They laughed at me when I was pitching the batting ball. At my words, Ji’s expression darkened as if she were a victim. I want to give it to you

“You weren’t good at baseball, were you? Oh, you should be able to go to college with that level of skill, so don’t worry.”

“Brother!”

“Seriously, if it wasn’t for me, would we have been able to come out on the presidential boat? I created the opportunity, and you kicked it.”

Unlike the weekend league in which all schools participate, the Presidential Cup is a competition where you have to place in the top 3 in each region in the second half of the weekend league. Without me, there was a high possibility that we would not have participated.

“…….”

He knew that too, so he became a little quieter now.

“Stop it, Maengho.”

“Release your expression, bitch. Who will see that I am bullying you? Even if it doesn’t look like the old days, am I not an older brother than you? Who can see me and think I’m a junior? Huh? Junior!”

“Stop it, Maengho. Stop.”

I wanted to fuck more, but Wonho stopped me so much that I had no choice but to quit. It seemed like the coaches were looking at us.

In such an awkward atmosphere, we boarded the bus back to school.

“Hey, what did you say? Changhoon must have wanted to do well.”

“Then you weren’t good at it?”

“What can I do if it doesn’t work?”

“Are you giving me a chance as a starter though? I endured as a batting ball pitcher.”

“… Whew. Done. Aren’t you worried about school violence? Last year, there was a kid who was punished for bullying and went out of the draft.”

“The school bully is Niimi, I, who was ignored for three years, should put you on top of the school violence.”

“Puhyot, Bhungsin. Shouldn’t you have stabbed him sooner?”

While I was talking with Wonho, I heard the ringing of the cell phone I returned. What?

-Pilates Yoo Jo-eun Instructor: Aren’t you coming today? I am still contacting you, but you are not responding.

Right! Today was Pilates day. I forgot to tell you there was a game. When I checked my phone, there were missed calls. I immediately sent a text message to the instructor to apologize for not being able to contact you because of today’s game.

“Who?”

“Ah, the Pilates instructor. I forgot to tell you there was a game today.”

“Yeah. Certainly, large corporations are good. He also gives me Pilates.”

“Isn’t there something like Shinra?”

“Is there? It’s a famous beggar club. According to my seniors, I can’t even drink Pocari on my own.”

“Ah, could a pro do that?”

“Eh. So, are you going today?”

“Can I play and exercise?”

“Think of it as a closing exercise. Isn’t Pilates tough anyway?”

“It doesn’t.”

When I heard Wonho’s words, it seemed plausible. Besides, I felt sorry for Cheon So-young, who found Pilates classes for me when I fell in love like this. I picked up my phone again and quickly sent a message to the instructor.

-Me: Can I take a separate class? I’m sorry again that I couldn’t tell you because I had a game today.

-Pilates Yoo Jo-eun Instructor: Yes, I have the money I received, so I feel a little uncomfortable. Do you have time for dinner?

-Me: Yes, of course. Then can we come over for dinner?

-Pilates Yoo Jo-eun Instructor: Then we’ll see you around 8 o’clock. Come to the center

Since it’s 3:00 now, I think we can recover from the game, take a break, and then go eat dinner.

‘She’s got a nice body, though.’

‘Yes, is it because of Pilates? It was solid and fell well.’

Do you have a C cup chest? And the pelvic line and hip-up hips killed it. Sure, he wasn’t as solid as his athletic background, but he looked pretty good. Besides, his face was also a little pretty.

Oh, I want to eat.

‘Why is the baby monkey holding back?’

‘I’m not a rapist who goes after anyone.’

‘Tsk tsk, the bitch playing volleyball is going to cry.’

‘Eh? He and I have sex consensually. If you don’t like it, you’ll say no.’

‘Well, that bitch had a mazo feeling from her contemplationhehe.’

How did Rosby know that Hyuna had a mazo temperament just by looking at her face?

‘If I add all the bitches I’ve picked up, I’ll fill the entire American League roster? If you work hard, you can become like this body.’

Rossby’s words conveyed confidence and pride at the same time. He looked bigger than hitting a .400 in the majors.

Also, Mr. Rossby. I will continue to devote myself to becoming like you!