Chapter 411 – Episode 403. Am I the Only One? (1)
“… Safe!”
The referee’s call you were waiting for was safe!
“Heavy rain!”
I screamed and threw my fist without realizing it as I was waiting for the first goal. The first goal scored against Ohtani!
Perfect!
… However, before the joy can subside, the inning ends as a weather warning hits the second baseman.
“With one hit, it was 3-0…”
“… Sorry. Shift.”
The weatherman bows his head and hands me an apple.
‘What can I do? I have to understand.’
In fact, the weather warning batting was normal. It was surprising that Kang Han-beom hit a hit. Anyway, 1:0. As long as I kept my score, it was a gold medal.
‘Now the universe will have to take care of me.’
Of course, it wasn’t easy. However, since Jang Woo-joo was in good condition, it was true that there was something to look forward to. In my opinion, he was a guy who threw a stick fastball, but anyway, he kept hitting balls near 100 mph today.
“Brother Meng Hao! What! Really!”
“Okay. “You bastard.”
“Also! Ji Maeng-ho!”
When I returned to the dugout, Jang Woo-soo greeted me with a pat on his shoulder.
‘Why is this guy so excited?’
It was a good feeling. When will there come a time in Jang Woo-joo’s life where he can face off against Ohtani as a starter and get one win? But, he looked so excited. The virtue of a pitcher is to hide his emotions on the mound. Most of what the excited pitcher said was similar.
‘Well, I’m still throwing well.’
But I was afraid to say anything. I guess other seniors are in the same situation. No one could touch a pitcher who was pitching 3 scoreless innings in the Olympic finals just because he looked excited.
And looking at Jang Woo-joo’s personality, he may be the type of person who throws better when he’s excited.
‘Okay, let’s just throw the ball well. ‘It’s the universe.’
The top of the 4th inning started like that.
“S~Trike!”
Jang Woo-joo’s fastball against lead hitter Ohtani recorded 101 (162.5 km/h) miles per hour. There were definitely players like that. Athletes perform better when they are in a good mood.
“Strike!”
This time, Jang Woo-joo’s fastball lands in the zone. A 100 mph fastball that even Ohtani can’t move! The speed recorded this time was 100.4 miles (161.5 km/h). He threw over 100 mph twice in a row.
‘Fuck! It’s space! ‘You’re finally doing something?’
It was natural for me to steal a hit from Ohtani, but I never thought Jang Woo-joo would do this. The tailwind toward the gold medal was blowing.
‘Well, that kid in space was also the guy who said he would go to the major leagues or not in high school.’
I heard that the president personally visited him and decided to stay in Korea on the condition that he let him board the WBC, and it was a shilling that showed why the president went to such lengths to leave Jang Woo-joo in Korea.
Jang Woo-joo shakes his head. The sign that Yonggi gave was a curve. The universe rejected it. Actually, I felt like I wanted to throw a fastball too. Each ball thrown was over 100 mph, and there was no need to throw another ball.
To be honest, it was difficult for me to hit 100 mph with a high fastball. If it came close to eye level, you couldn’t tell whether it was in the zone or not, and even if you hit it, it was difficult to make a good batted ball. A 100 mph fastball was several times better than Jang Woo-joo’s ambiguous curve.
A 100 mph fastball that even I, watching from behind, get excited about! Jang Woo-joo’s fastball had such power that no matter what batter came, he couldn’t touch it.
‘Yes, space. With that momentum until the 9th inning…’
Ta – Aak!
“Fuck you!”
‘… ‘Huh?’
Jang Woo-joo covers his mouth with his glove and spits out profanity, making a sound that shakes the stadium. Otani’s batted ball flies quickly. When I turned my head to the outfield to chase that batted ball, center fielder Joo Seung-cheol and right fielder Kim Jeong-hyun just stood there without even thinking about chasing it.
Empty! Ohtani’s batted ball hits the billboard above the outfield stands and falls. I couldn’t believe the reality that the score was tied as soon as we scored. I was dazed for a few seconds, and only after seeing Ohtani calmly walking next to me after hitting a huge home run did I realize that this was reality.
‘Ha, fuck. What did this fastball bastard who only throws fast balls believe and throw three fastballs in a row? Are you crazy? No, just throw it like Yonggi tells you to do, wow… You’re crazy, really.’
I wanted to go up to the mound right away and hit Jang Woo-joo, but I held back.
‘Okay, it’s still 1 point…’
Ta – Aak!
“Fuck you!”
It’s deja vu, right? You put on a replay screen, right?
The outfielders are standing still this time. Previously, it hit the billboard, but this time, the batted ball lands at the top of the stands. Back-to-back home runs between Ohtani and Murakami. My head was pounding. Moreover, this time the typing guy passes by me, raising his hand high and making a fuss.
After hitting a home run in succession, Lee Yong-gi comes up to the mound.
“Wooju, let’s take it slow.”
“Sorry… I am…”
“No, no. Are you okay? I was doing well.”
Lee Yong-gi comforts Jang Woo-joo. Her mouth was smiling awkwardly, but her eyes looked like they could kill someone. Well, any catcher would look like that if he refused to give a sign, got hit, and hit a home run to the next batter.
Still, it seemed like Jang Woo-ju didn’t notice the atmosphere, perhaps because he was oblivious. Jang Woo-joo’s shoulders, which had been shaking with excitement, stopped shaking.
‘Okay, I don’t want too much, so let’s stop hitting home runs now. I also throw control towards the borderline.’
The next batter is Boston’s Masataka. He is a dangerous batsman, but today’s Jang Woo-soo is enough…
“Ah!”
‘… It must fucking hurt.’
A 100 mph fastball hits Masataka’s calf. Although he was an enemy, his face naturally frowned because he knew the pain. And Lee Yong-gi sends a sign to the dugout. And the pitching coach visits the mound with the ball.
Jang Woo-ju’s mission for today ends here. Still, Jang Woo-joo’s last effort was not without results. Masataka, who was hit 100mph on his calf, was replaced by a pinch runner and went into the dugout. It wasn’t necessarily a bad situation since he was a guy who was often in the center of the batting lineup in Boston. If only we could prevent this crisis.
‘Fuck, did I give up the score for no reason?’
Clearly, until the top of the third inning, Jang Woo-joo was throwing enough pitches to be ranked among the best pitchers in Korean history. But after he scored, he got so excited that he gave up home runs, home runs, and walks… He wanted to grind a real bamboo tube.
“Now, let’s go comfortably, comfortably!”
The new pitcher who replaced Jang Woo-joo is UG Overlords’ ace, Kim Seong-gyeol. It was a pitcher change that was decided before the game, with an underhand pitcher that was completely opposite to Jang Woo-joo, who was hitting 100 mph above. Although I took the mound earlier than expected.
Perfect!
Japan’s fifth batter touches the first pitch of pitcher Kim Seong-gyeol, who, as the old saying goes, changes, and the batted ball rolls towards me. Grab it lightly and go to second base.
“Out!”
Choi Joo-tae, who took the ball out of his glove at the same time as he caught the ball, connected the ball to first base.
“Out!”
Two outs with this.
‘Fuck, why can’t I do something so simple…’
“Strike! Out!”
The long top of the 4th inning ended with Kim Seong-gyeol striking out the remaining outs. When we entered the dugout, Jang Woo-soo was crying with a towel wrapped around his face.
‘Ugh, you idiot. I’ve known since the young bastard liked girls. Tsk.’
I feel sorry for him as he shakes his shoulders with a towel wrapped around his face, so I put off hitting him for later and judge the situation calmly.
The score is 2:1. If it had been an ordinary match, the score difference wouldn’t have been that big, but this was the Olympic finals, and the opponent was Otani. The thought that it won’t be easy passes through my head.
‘Under… It would be nice if Seungcheol hyung would give me a shot.’
“Out!”
‘That’s right.’
In the bottom of the 4th inning, Ohtani, who had dismissed Joo Seung-cheol with a base hit, ended the inning with a triple strike, leaving only three batters out again. Fortunately, Kim Seong-gyeol, who took the mound after Jang Woo-joo, finished the inning with only four batters, ending the top of the fifth inning.
‘Will senior Han Beom do it one more time?’
… Despite my expectations, the 5th episode ended with a three-way failure.
‘I guess I’m the only one.’
When the score was reversed as soon as the score was reversed, the heat rose in my head, but when I thought about it later, I even felt grateful to Jang Woo-joo.
If the game had ended as it was, it was clear that Jang Woo-ju would have become the winning pitcher in the Olympic finals against Ohtani as the starting pitcher, becoming a hero for Korea. But now that Jang Woo-joo has been ruined! The opportunity has come for me to monopolize all the spotlight.
“Good! “If you stop this inning, I’ll turn the tables!”
“The youngest, good fighting spirit.”
“Okay, let’s just block this inning well.”
The new pitcher starting this inning is Choi Jung-hoon, Hyunsung’s left-handed ace. He also replaced the pitcher to snipe the three left-handed batters, including Otani, Munetaka, and Ukyo, who came in as a pinch runner, and it was also a pitcher replacement that had been planned from the beginning. Our plan was to block Japan’s batting lineup with completely different types of pitchers: right-handed orthodox, right-handed underhand, and left-handed fireballer.
… Okay, plan. Everyone had a plan. Until I got hit. I didn’t know it would be us.
Ta-ah!
Ohtani kicks Choi Joong-hoon’s ball up.
‘Fuck, if I go any further, it’ll be difficult for me too… !’
“Fuck you!”
Choi Joong-hoon’s voice was different from Jang Woo-joo, but the emotions contained within it were the same as Jang Woo-joo.
‘Are you really a monster?’
I immediately kicked the ball over the fence from the pitcher I met for the first time today. There were no truly crazy people. An awe-inspiring blow.
‘You definitely hit it well.’
If there was a player I admired, he would admit it, even Rossby, who was busy swearing, so there was no need to say anything.
‘Sseu-eup, Jung-hoon’s performance is also good…’
Choi Jung-hoon was also a perfect pitcher. Because he had a ball that was easily over 150 as a left-hander. In addition, there is a slider with a large angle that is a nightmare for left-handed hitters.
“Out!”
“Strike! Out!”
“Out!”
Ohtani was clearly throwing a good ball just by looking at how he handled the next batters. It made no sense for a left-handed hitter I met for the first time to hit like that.
“Fuck, there are all these bastards.”
Choi Joong-hoon also mumbles helplessly as he enters the dugout, as if he is shocked that his ball was passed over so easily. Choi Jung-hoon, who hit a home run, was not the only one who was disappointed.
“…”
“…”
A completely different atmosphere from just a few tens of minutes ago. Although the gap is only 2 points, the players seem to have sensed defeat. It could have been because of Ohtani’s consecutive home runs, but…,
… I didn’t like it. Should I also step forward?
“Ruler! Every! “Focus!”
Just before the inning shift, when I, the youngest member of the national team, raised my voice, the seniors looked at me and asked, ‘Why is he acting like that?’
“I’ll tie the game, so don’t look like a dog caught in the rain and cheer loudly. Okay?”