Chapter 432 – Episode 424. Competition for Home Run King. (1)

-[KBA] A series of hellish matches! The key is physical strength!

… Meanwhile, the KBA secretariat organized Monday’s game and a double header to make up for the backlog of the league schedule due to the Olympic schedule, and each club announced a schedule ranging from as short as 14 games to as long as 21 games.

… The battle for first place and the middle rank intensifies. It is expected that the key to the fight, whose whereabouts are still unknown, will be the stamina of the players.

-AT Thunders’ first four-game series! The result was 2 wins and 2 losses. Volcano Falcons hot pursuit!

… With today’s win, the AT Thunders have leveled the series with 2 wins and 2 losses in their four-game series against the Future Buffaloes, but the second-place Hwasan Falcons are 0.5 games back with 3 wins and 1 loss against the JT Gold Eyes. Chased.

September 19th professional baseball rankings

1st place AT Thunders 72 wins, 39 losses, 2 draws, 0.649 0

2nd place Huashan Falcons 72 wins, 40 losses, 2 draws 0.643 0.5

3rd place Hancheol Grizzlies 66 wins, 44 losses, 4 draws, 0.600 5.5

4th place Shilla Triggers 59 wins, 53 losses, 2 draws, 0.527 13.5

5th place Charlotte Blue Marines 57 wins, 54 losses, 2 draws, 0.514 15

6th place Future Buffaloes 55 wins, 55 losses, 3 draws, 0.500 16.5

7th place UG Overlords 44 wins, 66 losses, 2 draws, 0.400 27.5

8th place Hyunseong Mad Cats 44 wins, 66 losses, 3 draws, 0.400 27.5

9th place JT Gold Eyes 44 wins, 68 losses, 2 draws 0.393 28.5

10th place NV Rex 41 wins, 69 losses, 2 draws 0.373 30.5

-Who will be crowned home run king this season? Joo Seung-cheol vs. Ji Maeng-ho, a home run battle between the greatest batting geniuses of all time!

… Meanwhile, competition in the batting department this season is expected to be fierce. The player who ranks first in batting average is, of course, Ji Maeng-ho. Ji Maeng-ho has recorded 102 hits in 257 at-bats in 81 games and has a batting average of .309.7. Joo Seung-cheol (0.348), who is in second place, shows a big difference from Lee Yong-gi (0.340), who is in third place, so he is expected to easily take the title of batting champion.

Ji Maeng-ho, who is ranked first not only in batting average but also in various percentage statistics, put his name at the top of the records with an on-base percentage of 0.593, slugging percentage of 1.062, and OPS of 1.655, and excluding the number of hits, runs (118) and RBIs He is competing for first place in the (120) category and has recorded 73 stolen bases, widening the gap with second place (Kim Dong-jin, 44), and is aiming for 7 batting crowns like last year.

However, surprisingly, the biggest obstacle to Ji Maeng-ho’s challenge of winning 7 consecutive batting titles is expected to be home runs. Ji Maeng-ho is ranked first in home runs by hitting 44 home runs in 81 games to date, but Joo Seung-cheol is following closely behind him with 42 home runs. Joo Seung-cheol, who announced his intention to advance to the Major League at the end of this season, is proving his qualifications by appearing in 114 games and hitting 42 home runs.

Baseball fans are focusing their attention on who will be the hitter who will win the final home run title of the season.

┗This is the greatest home run competition of all time haha

┗Please give me a match with Maeng Ho haha. You still avoid it, you cowards

┗┗ㄹㅇ Didn’t you see him getting beaten up by a gangster for avoiding a match? If you want to save your life, fight haha

┗┗Eokkkaa’s just stopping him from running, but he’s such a bully

┗┗ㅈㄹ Because of that bastard, Spencer got a concussion and can’t play, but ㅅㅂㅅㄲ

┗┗I’m in last place anyway, so I guess I’ll just have to take the 1st pickㅊㅊ

┗┗You fucking bastards are so vicious lol Let’s leave this shit forever.

*

“Manager, if Seungcheol hits a home run, you have to let me know right away. “You understand, right?”

“I said I understood. “How many times are you saying this?”

I felt a little more at ease after making a firm request to my manager. The difference between Seungcheol and me in home runs is 2. It was a range that could be reversed at any time. In particular, this series was important. Because today was the day we competed in literature.

The last literary expedition. I thought it would be easier to widen the gap in this small stadium. And when we say expedition, it means Hancheol is Jamsil. I felt like we had to widen the gap in this series so that Seungcheol wouldn’t have a vain dream.

“Come on, gather around!”

At that time, the coach gathered all the players in the dugout.

“Yes!”

“You know our schedule is a bit of a forced march, right?”

8 games from Monday to Sunday. In particular, tomorrow’s game is a double header. It was definitely an intense schedule.

“If you are having a hard time, tell me right away. I’ll replace it. In particular, when it comes to the center line, speak without worrying about others. “Understand, right?”

“Yes.”

Of course, I had no intention of leaving. Because I have to hit a home run.

“Good. Let’s go.”

The game started with a short meeting. Of course, our leadoff hitter in the top of the first inning was me.

“Hi. “It’s all right.”

And Baek Kyung-ho was seen at home plate. After colliding with me and getting injured, he did not play in our game, and perhaps because of the tight schedule, Baek Kyung-ho was wearing a catcher’s mask.

“… “Don’t talk to me.”

“Hey, if we’ve met like this, isn’t it time for us to become friends?”

“Shut up?”

“I was eliminated from fall baseball anyway. “Please compete.”

It was safe to say that UG’s performance was effectively eliminated from fall baseball, with a gap of 12.5 games from 5th place. Although it is absurd that last year’s regular season winning team ended up like this, the two replacement mercenaries failed, and domestic starters Lee Seok-gyun and Seo Dong-ho suffered major and minor injuries, and the starting lineup collapsed, so it was not such a strange performance.

“Under…”

Today’s UG Overlords starting pitcher is Seo Dong-ho, the 5th starter. He suffered an injury during the season and took about three months off, but he seemed to have returned today.

‘The pitches I need to watch out for are two-seamers and sliders?’

Before the injury, he was throwing in the mid-140s, but it seemed like he needed to watch his pitch today.

“Ball.”

The first pitch is a two-seamer that leaves the strike zone.

‘Well, nothing has changed that much. The movement seems to have weakened a bit.’

Before the injury, the two-seamer’s movement was pretty good, but it seemed like there were some aftereffects from the injury. Guwi wasn’t that outstanding of a player before, so it feels like he can get away with it.

‘Let’s play it as lightly as possible. Lightly.’

If you apply more force to aim for a home run, your body will become stiff, and you will not be able to hit a good ball. Besides, this is literature. It wasn’t difficult to pass as long as you floated it.

The second ball that follows.

Ta – Aak!

“Fuck you!”

The ball was sent flying with a loud hitting sound, but perhaps because it was hit too far in front, the ball disappeared before crossing the foul line.

‘It’s slower than I thought? I swung too fast.’

The speed of the guy on the electronic display board was 139 km/h. It was also too slow.

“Dongho, are you okay? The fastball is 139… “Aren’t you done with rehabilitation yet?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Tsk, what are you saying even if I worry about you? But are you competing? I thought I would avoid it. Aren’t you scared because it’s literature? Ah! “I guess they’re afraid they won’t be able to catch me if I run again.”

“… “Mouth.”

In last year’s Korean Series, the team used the ridiculous strategy of intentionally throwing out every at-bat, so I thought they would naturally miss it, but it was fortunate that they gave me a game. Is it because the director changed? While I was thinking about random things like that, Seo Dong-ho flinched and prepared to throw.

“Time!”

Phew, I wasn’t even thinking about what I was going to hit, and I almost got screwed. After calling time, step out of the batter’s box and swing the bat a few times to decide which ball to aim for.

‘As expected now…’

The ball I’m aiming for is a slider. Since the fastball series came twice in a row, it seemed like a slider would come, although it was obvious. The first ball is towards the body, and the second ball is also towards the body. Then, the standard here is the outer slider.

After deciding which ball to aim for, go to bat.

‘When throwing, if it looks like a path towards the body, swing it at all costs.’

And the third ball was thrown.

Perfect!

‘Write… It seemed like it was centered, but the timing was strange.’

The ball floats high toward left field with a dull sensation in the hand. It feels like an outfield fly… ? Still, just in case, I ran toward second base. As I was losing my mind, I heard loud cheers from our audience.

-Wow!!!

“Huh? Did this go over?”

After all, Munhak Stadium… ! It was a home run from the first at-bat… For some reason, I felt good today.

*

[Ji Maeng-ho’s 45th home run of the season! Ji Maeng-ho hits a home run as the lead hitter! AT Thunders lead 1:0!]

‘This guy’s real strength is…’

When I heard the sound of the ball being hit, it seemed like a ball that would be easily caught in the outfield, but Baek Kyung-ho shook his head as he watched it go over. In Baek Kyung-ho’s eyes, he saw Seo Dong-ho lowering his head on the mound.

‘Under… This is why I didn’t want to compete.’

After returning from injury, we had to instill confidence in the pitcher in his first game, but with results like this. Seo Dong-ho felt guilty. In fact, he could have avoided it as much as he wanted to avoid it. But Baek Kyung-ho knew that it would not end well.

A popular bench clearing from the game between AT Thunders and NV Rex. At first glance, it may have seemed like Ji Maeng-ho did it to protect the pitcher, but Baek Kyung-ho saw the truth in his eyes. Ji Maeng-ho, that devil-like guy deliberately soaked one person.

There was no way that psychopathic guy knew how he felt about protecting his comrades. It’s just that he relieves the stress caused by the constant walks on the field.

He only saw contact twice in the series. Contact at home and contact on bench clearance. It was avoidable both times.

But the guy just destroys things that are in his sight, forgetting about his comradeship, just to relieve his stress. Like the time he sent himself to the hospital in the first half of the year.

‘Hehe, if we keep skipping this series, a few more people will probably get hurt. Because we are also competing for the home run title. This season sucked anyway. If he wants to play next season, it’s important that he stays as injury-free as possible. I’m sorry, Dongho. This couldn’t be helped.’

Of course, that didn’t mean he hit a home run on purpose. Because he didn’t avoid the match, he didn’t rig the match.

The ball that hit Ji Maeng-ho’s home run was a perfectly controlled fastball aimed at the corner of the body. But he passed the ball over with his unique strength and bat control. It certainly looked like his batting form had collapsed…

‘I can’t believe I had to deal with a guy like that for 4 games…’

His head hurt. However, unlike before, when Baek Kyung-ho avoided Ji Maeng-ho, he planned to wear a catcher’s mask in all but one double header game. If another catcher who came in instead of him sat at home plate and provoked Ji Maeng-ho, his teammate could have been injured.

‘I have to protect the kids.’

Baek Kyung-ho was determined to protect his teammate and put on a catcher’s mask to face the next batter.