Chapter 449 – Episode 441. Last Game of the Season.
“Ji Maeng-ho! “Please do an interview.”
“Oh, hello. “Let’s go to the break room first.”
Perhaps because training was coming to an end, Ji Maeng-ho’s face was full of fatigue. Reporter Kim of Seoul Sports was impressed by Ji Maeng-ho’s appearance.
‘Wow, Tarzan set a new record yesterday and I can’t believe he was training so hard. That’s how you become Korea’s best hitter.’
If he were Meng Hao Ji, he would not have come out of this match. There was no reason for a batter who had a .400 batting average, a .600 on-base percentage, and set new records in home runs, RBI, and stolen bases to play in the last game of the season.
Moreover, Ji Maeng-ho’s current batting average and on-base percentage are 0.401 and 0.602, so if he records a no-hitter in this game, his beautiful ratio stats will be broken. It was a match where there was no reason to come out, even for the record, but the fact that I’m training like this means I’ll show up for today’s match as well.
It was a mental strength that made me respect him as a human being.
“Haha, Meng Hao, you are training hard today as well. “You look very tired, are you okay?”
A clichéd greeting given with that in mind.
“Oh, I had so much sex yesterday that I’m a little tired. Reporter, do you look very tired? “I guess my stamina has dropped because it’s the last season.”
“…”
Respect disappears instantly.
‘That’s what this person does.’
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand it as a man. For a feisty man in his early 20s, with inhuman athletic ability, he’s probably out of control. But even so, I couldn’t help but feel my respect for him cooling off. The athlete Ji Maeng-ho was a respectable player, but what about the human Ji Maeng-ho…
Do you really want to report each one of these actions? I felt like I could understand why X-Patch exposed Ji Maeng-ho’s private life.
Of course, I couldn’t show those feelings. There are very few newspapers that can interview Ji Maeng-ho. Because the interview with Ji Maeng-ho was rare, the number of views was guaranteed, and such a good sense of news could not be lost.
“Haha, as expected of Ji Maeng-ho. “Then, shall we have a quick interview?”
“Ah… “I’m tired, but can’t the reporter just make it up and write it down?”
Ji Meng-hao, sitting on the sofa in the lounge, waved his hands and answered.
“Yes?”
“Well, it’s obvious anyway. Please write something roughly humble along with a thank you to the fans. “You know, right?”
“Ah… But this…”
“Hey, I’m not an amateur either. Let’s do it professionally. Be professional.”
‘Is this professional behavior now?’
… I wanted to shout, but I couldn’t do it this time either.
“Whoa…”
Reporter Kim let out his frustration in a long sigh. Honestly, it wasn’t difficult to make it up and write it. It was easier to do this than to please the picky Ji Maeng-ho.
“Then please answer just one question. “Are you coming to the game today?”
“Yes. Of course, I’ll leave.”
Ji Maeng-ho, sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, answers in a drowsy voice. Still, are you glad you got the answer? Anyway, Ji Maeng-ho’s participation in today’s game was of interest to fans, so it seemed like this article would also get a lot of views.
“Oh…, Honestly, it wouldn’t be an easy choice. “You achieved all the records, and your batting average and on-base percentage were beautiful. Aren’t you scared?”
“Hey, what can a baseball player do if he’s scared of that? “I am not a coward.”
‘Good answer. Still, I got one. The headline is Ji Maeng-ho, I am not a coward. I think that’s okay.’
“And, the win has been confirmed, so the fans will be coming to see me. I have to go out. “I even gave him a gift at the last game.”
As expected, the human Ji Maeng-ho was terrible, but the athlete Ji Maeng-ho was a pretty good guy. He said that if he was a fan of AT Thunders, he would have been touched by this story.
“A gift?”
“The gift to the fans is a home run.”
“Oh… Even a home run notice. I understand.”
“Then this is enough, right? I’ll just sleep for a bit. Furthermore, I’m exhausted because I couldn’t sleep last night. “Reporter, please leave in about 10 minutes.”
“… Yes.”
Perhaps because he became a star at a young age, he was a guy who could do whatever he wanted. Still, he was satisfied because he got something to write about. He ended up piecing together the questions he had originally thought of.
‘Well, it’s still not bad.’
When I met a talkative player, I didn’t feel bad because the interview, which should have taken at least 30 minutes, ended in less than 3 minutes. Because there is less work. Even if he did an interview anyway, he had to process it when it was published in an article, so it was better to make it up from scratch.
‘Well, as for the other questions, I guess we can just add things that fans will like.’
*
-Ji Maeng-ho! I am not a coward!
… In a humble tone, Ji Maeng-ho expressed his gratitude for the love he received from his fans, saying, ‘The reason I was able to set a new home run record was because of the support of my fans.’ …
Meanwhile, Ji Maeng-ho, who broke Korean baseball records, is scheduled to play in the last game of the season. Ji Maeng-ho’s batting average and on-base percentage this season were 0.401 and 0.602. It was a situation where the .400 batting average and .600 on-base percentage could have been broken, but Ji Maeng-ho said, ‘I will not run away like a coward. ‘If I’m a professional, it’s natural for me to participate in the game, and I will repay the fans in the last game.’ …
┗ㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ
┗ㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ
┗Wow, this is a pro haha
┗Honestly, there is a lot of controversy about personality, but I don’t know much about it. There are not many players who provide fan service as good as Ji Maeng-ho.
┗┗ㄹㅇ He doesn’t have to appear, but from the moment he appears, this guy is a ‘professional’ itself haha
*
[With the game tied at 7:2, Ji Maeng-ho’s 4th at-bat. Ji Maeng-ho has 1 hit in 3 at-bats today.]
[Ji Maeng-ho recorded 1 hit in 3 at-bats today and is recording a batting average of .400 and an on-base percentage of .600. He’s hitting exactly .400 and .600, and he’s coming back to the plate. In fact, if I had records like this, I don’t think he would have stepped up to the plate.]
[Haha, is that so?]
[Yes. In fact, although Ji Maeng-ho recorded a batting average of .400 1/3 last year, his hitting .400 for two consecutive years feels different again. And the on-base percentage is also 60%. This is also a symbolic record, right? This is a record that has only been recorded once in the major leagues, which have been around for over 100 years. I can’t help but be greedy.]
[Then this at-bat will be really important.]
[Yes. Perhaps Jeon Dae-hoon is also conscious of this. Moreover, since the team is winning 7-2, I will face Ji Maeng-ho with the mindset of getting an out even if he hits a home run. The fact that Jeon Dae-hoon, a sure-to-win team member, is on the mound right now may be due to the Hancheol Grizzlies’ determination not to give up such records.]
[A batting average that challenges Ji Maeng-ho’s .400 batting average and .600 on-base percentage. To see what kind of game will unfold, Jeon Dae-hoon throws out the first pitch!]
*
“Ball.”
During my at-bat today, the ball came in for the first time. From the first to the third at-bat, he threw a lot of strikes, but this time it was a ball… Was there some other plan within Hancheol?
Hancheol had one stance against me in this match. Outing myself as much as possible.
Before the game started, the pitchers tried to catch me as much as possible, just as the coaches said that they might compete like that in order to break my batting average and on-base percentage records. Of course, I did not avoid the game.
The record is 1 hit in 3 at-bats. I wanted to hit another home run, so I increased my swing a little, but unfortunately, none of the hits became home runs. So, in this at-bat, I decided to swing the bat as usual as possible, but I hit the ball from the first pitch.
‘Are you planning on not competing?’
I glanced at the electronic display board. My batting average on the electronic display board is 0.400. It was a batting average that anyone would want to ruin. But you skip it instead of competing? Even in a situation where it seems like a match?
‘… Surely you would come all the way here and skip it? Probably not? Let’s look at one more ball first.’
‘It’s a forkball.’
‘Okay.’
A forkball is thrown while the ball is in… Do you really have no desire to compete? I’m waiting for this guy’s ball.
“Strike!”
A forkball that accurately hits the low course of the body. It was a forkball like Jeon Dae-hoon, who is considered the best forkball pitcher in Korea. Even if you swing it, it’s not easy for it to become a home run… Still, I was glad. Because I confirmed that the pitcher intends to compete against me.
‘Well, I continued to compete, and the fact that I achieved a sure-win here means that I will compete.’
Now I can finally see the direction of this at-bat. To be honest, I was coveting the record of .400 batting average and .600 on-base percentage, so I was planning on quietly walking away if I had no intention of competing. But, to give me a match like this…
I wanted to feel again the taste I felt yesterday.
‘It’s a fastball.’
A fastball followed by a forkball. I’m sure he’ll stab Hi John. Even if I hit the ball in the high zone, there was little chance of getting a good hit, so I decided to wait again this time.
“Ball.”
“What? “Are you scared?”
“I’m scared. “I skipped it because no one would see it.”
“Don’t you want to try one? “I have to hit 64, right?”
“Why me? Are you just going to walk away?”
“…”
After playing a psychological game on the catcher who makes arrogant comments, he waits for the ball again.
‘It’s a fastball.’
‘Okay.’
Since the catcher didn’t even flinch at the high ball, there are two courses to choose from. It’s lower than before, but I risk a home run and throw it in the high strike zone, or unlike before, I throw it low. It didn’t matter anything. If the height is that high, you can get a feel for roughly where it will hit the moment you throw it.
I comfortably set the timing to the speed of the fastball and wait for the guy’s ball.
‘High ball!’
“Strike!”
‘Fuck…’
I lost my bat to a ball that was higher than I expected. To throw a ball like this in a situation that could easily result in a three-ball…
“Does walking matter?”
“Did you ask for it this way because you felt like you were going to swing it just by looking at it? Why? “Are you surprised?”
“Trick-or-treating…”
To be honest, I was a bit surprised. It was definitely time to enter the zone… Now with this, two balls, two strikes. The forkballer has only one choice here. Throwing a forkball until it induces a missed swing.
It’s a game I know, the catcher knows, and probably the fans watching. What is important here are two things: at what timing to put the forkball in the zone or to throw the fastball.
And I had an overwhelming advantage in that match.
‘It’s a forkball.’
‘Okay.’
Because the pitcher knows what ball to throw. Probably won’t be in the zone this time. Of course, there are a lot of idiots in this league, so if you hit it low enough, it could be a strike, so you had to swing it.
Therefore, I leave the timing as far back as possible and wait for his forkball. And a thrown forkball.
‘It’s coming!’
At this level, the trajectory is to lick the area near the knee! I picked up the ball as it fell quickly.
Perfect!
The timing was a little late, so I didn’t feel a good touch, but the ball hit exactly at the center of the bat and headed toward the center fence.
‘Oh, why is it Jamsil Central?’
It was a little disappointing. I don’t know if it was another stadium, but it was quite difficult to get over the center in Jamsil. However, the speed of the batted ball was quite fast and the launch angle was good, so I looked at the batted ball with some anticipation as I ran to first base.
And,
-Wow!!!!
-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!
My name echoes in Jamsil once again. The batted ball passed over the fence slightly and became a home run.
“Wow, that guy is old too. “If it had been last year, I wouldn’t have passed.”
It was a little uncomfortable because it wasn’t a correct hit, but a home run is a home run. I raised my fist and responded to the fans’ greetings.
“So, who mixes balls like that? If you’re going to drop it, make sure to drop it.”
And he didn’t forget to give advice to the catcher, who was making sassy remarks while hitting the home run. Ha, such kind advice for such an arrogant guy. Am I too kind?
“This bastard…”
“Whoa, whoa. Feedback, feedback.”
It was always nice to see the catcher blushing and fuming with his catcher’s mask off.
‘By the way, what was his name?’
He was the starter after Yonggi left out… He was briefly curious, but it wasn’t that important, so he brushed it off and went into the dugout to enjoy the congratulations of his teammates.
“Meng Hao! Congratulations on the home run!”
“Oh! Ji Maeng-ho, you’re standing by me until the end?”
‘Wow, this is baseball.’
After that, the game ended without incident. I was replaced by Daesubi in the top of the 8th inning, and I was unable to turn the game around. However, I felt pretty good because my last at-bat of the season was a home run.
“Then, let’s say hello to the home fans and have a dinner party.”
“Yes!”