Chapter 455 – 447. The Last Spark. (2)

“Hyung, what is this interview? Kosi, can you come? And you were getting a lot of abuse from Hwasan fans? And then, if you play, isn’t it a total shame?”

-“Bastard. Wouldn’t you feel determined if you put in that much effort? “Just wait, I’ll be there soon.”

“Please come. “I feel more comfortable with my brother than with Hwasan.”

-“This bastard…” . You really fell behind. “Please wait.”

“Oh hey. “I’ll be waiting.”

The phone call Seungcheol received from his brother right before the first round of the playoffs started didn’t contain much information. They just say that they are going up. But to make a call like this before the game starts? It certainly seemed like Seungcheol was scared too.

“Then let’s do some power analysis.”

It was fortunate that the first game of the playoffs overlapped with the rest day, giving us time to analyze our strength. Well, I didn’t like watching other people’s games, but since it was my first time waiting up there, it didn’t seem that bad to watch the game like this.

In the first game of the playoffs, Hwasan’s starter was of course Seong Hyun, and Hancheol’s starter was left-handed ace Kim Hyun-sik. Hyuncheol and Hwasan are in full condition after a fierce battle in Game 5 and advanced to the playoffs. Moreover, the starting match-up was between Seong Hyun and Kim Hyun-sik, so the weight of the game was clearly tilted towards Hwasan.

“Which team do you want to win, sister?”

“Me? “Hancheol.”

Of course, I thought she would answer volcano, but Soyoung chose Hancheol. After all, Hancheol is inferior to Volcano in terms of power, so is that the reason?

“That’s surprising. “I hate you all the time.”

“… So wouldn’t it be better if we beat them in the Korean Series?”

It was a reason I hadn’t even thought of. Do true die-hard fans have this mindset? Moreover, he is confident that he will never lose in the Korean Series.

“If Hancheol comes up, you can crush him, right?”

“It sounds obvious. Uh, let’s begin.”

Still, it was fun to see the rare sight of Soyoung cheering on Hancheol.

[Kim Dong-jin, Hancheol’s number one batter, comes to bat.]

[The Hwasan Falcons don’t have many players with fall baseball experience, right? Among the players who experienced fall baseball in 2018, the only remaining fielder is second baseman Wonhyeong Lee. And that’s just one wild card game. That’s why how you handle the first batter is important.]

“Really, are you really nervous when you play fall baseball for the first time?”

“Not me, but the other guys were nervous a lot last year. “Aren’t you nervous?”

“… “I didn’t even see the first game.”

It seemed like it would be so. This idiot probably wasn’t watching the game. I laugh once inside and then focus on the game again.

[Kim Dong-jin! I hit this ball! A batted ball destined for second base gets stuck in the infield… ! Uh! I missed it! I caught it again and threw it, but it hit three leaves at first base! Kim Dong-jin’s feet were faster. Volcanic dugout requesting video review! An interesting situation emerges from the beginning of episode 1.]

The coaches requesting a video review and Seonghyeon, who has no change in his expression like a veteran, are shown on the screen.

“Meng Hao, how are you? Does it look like a three leaf?”

“Three leaves. I’m just betting that it would be nice to be out. Anyway, Lee Won-hyung, if a veteran criticizes you, you should stop him. Are you just watching?”

Anyone could see that it was a trifle, but as a fielder, allowing such video review was tantamount to dereliction of duty. A guy who doesn’t have the basics at second base. Well, he broke his foot while hitting the base.

“… You do that sometimes too.”

“… “I do that in really close situations.”

“Hmm…”

The reading began with Soyoung’s suspicious eyes, and of course the result was three leaves. An interesting situation emerged from the beginning of the first episode.

“It sure looks like the volcano is shaking a lot.”

“Do you see that in your eyes?”

“It’s just that it’s frozen just by looking at it.”

Honestly, considering the power, anyone would have thought that Hwasan had the upper hand, but when the beasts were like this, it was a different story. Among Hwasan’s current lineup, only four have experienced fall baseball. Seonghyun, Lee Yong-gi from Hancheol, and Joo-yeop, who won the championship together last year and transferred to Hwasan. And the last one was Lee Won-hyung, who had just made a mistake. Although it was only one game.

But Lee Won-hyung, one of those four people, is shaking like that? Today’s game might not have been easy.

“The problem is Seonghyeon.”

“Seonghyun! Do your best!”

Less than 5 minutes after saying that she was rooting for Han-cheol, she watched So-young cheering for Seong-hyeon and watched Han-cheol’s next attack.

“Of course it’s a bunt here, right?”

“Okay, my sister can supervise.”

“I’ve been watching baseball for several years. “This is basic.”

[Instructs you to bunt here. Kim Jeong-hyun puts down the bat. I bunted! The ball flows towards the third baseman! Seongjin Han! Catch it and throw it to first base! Ah! The apology is high! Kim Dong-jin all the way to third base! Kim Jeong-hyun reaches second base! The Volcano Falcons face a crisis from the first episode!]

“… “Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Even though it was the first fall baseball game in several years, the Hwasan players were very nervous.

Well, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand. Unless you are a superstar like me, it would be difficult to bear that kind of pressure. Moreover, on the mound is Seonghyun, the team’s ace and the best pitcher in Korean history. The desire to do better makes his body stiff and causes him to make mistakes.

If I had just continued as usual instead of trying to do better, I wouldn’t have made that mistake.

“Still, Seonghyeon is Seonghyeon. Look how his expression doesn’t change at all.”

“You must be cursing inside your head?”

Like a veteran, he still maintained a poker face, but it was clear that if he didn’t swear in that situation, it would be more helpful to humanity if he practiced religion instead of becoming a baseball player.

[Now, with no outs on second and third base, this batter comes in. Joo Seung-cheol, the hero who saved the team in the semi-playoffs.]

[No matter how successful he is, you have to be careful of Joo Seung-cheol. Cautiously, I think it would be better to use bases loaded here.]

[From episode 1?]

[Joo Seung-cheol’s momentum is that scary.]

And at the plate, Joo Seung-cheol. Semi-playoff MVP and the main character who ended Game 5.

“This is Joo Seung-cheol. Is it really wrong?”

“Hey, will Seonghyeon skip it? Neither am I.”

The commentary was saying to skip Joo Seung-cheol, but the probability of that happening was extremely low. Seonghyeon is a pitcher with strengths in crisis management. Moreover, he was a pitcher who had experienced many situations like this in the major leagues. But he skips Joo Seung-cheol? It was clear that Seonghyeon’s pride would not allow it.

[Break! Cheek! Joo Seung-cheol throws out the first pitch.]

And it seemed like I was going into the game just as I thought. The ball missed the outside borderline by a real perilla leaf. Even if I were at bat, if I had called this ball a strike, it was a ball that I would have thought was okay.

Seong Hyun, who threw that ball, and Joo Seung-cheol, who picked that ball, were also amazing. It’s definitely an interesting match, right? In my opinion, the pitcher currently throwing the best ball in Korea was Seong-Hyun, and the best hitter in Korea, excluding me, was Seung-Cheol Joo.

Even though it wasn’t my game, my hands felt sweaty. What kind of pitch will Seonghyun throw against Joo Seung-cheol, who shows tremendous striking ability? It was clear that knowing this would be helpful in the Korean series.

[Seonghyeon, throw the second ball! Ah! Joo Seung-cheol’s surprise bunt!]

However, the match with great expectations ended in vain. As soon as Seonghyun threw the second ball, Seungcheol Joo laid down the bat and a surprise squeeze occurred. A strategy to make sure we score 1 point… I understood it, but it was a bit disappointing… ?

“Huh?!”

At that time, the bodies of Seonghyeon and third baseman Han Seongjin, who were heading towards the ball to catch Joo Seung-cheol’s squeeze, overlapped. Seonghyeon was seen screaming that he would catch the ball, but in the end, Han Seongjin caught the ball. Then he glanced at home and perhaps realized he was late, so he threw the ball to first base.

[Han Seong-jin’s throw to first base! Three leaves at first base! Three leaves! Coach Dae-Hoon Park is showing what fall baseball is to the freshmen Hwasan Falcons.]

And that moment of hesitation did not stop Joo Seung-cheol from heading to first base.

‘As expected, Seungcheol hyung. You’re quick on your feet.’

[Hey, surprise squeeze here. That was also Joo Seung-cheol’s at-bat. No one expected it, right? And the defense showed another bad performance. If Seonghyun and Han Seongjin’s bodies hadn’t overlapped, they could have gotten an out count at first base, but this is really disappointing defense.]

“… “Is this big?”

The situation was so clear that even Soyoung, who was not a player, felt that this score was big.

“Hancheol is completely playing with it.”

And I agreed with that thought. The pressure of the fall baseball stage. Coach Hancheol clearly saw that Hwasan’s players were feeling such pressure and succeeded in toying with Hwasan’s infielders by bunting them in succession.

The situation is 1st and 3rd without being able to count out. And the hitter is mercenary hitter Timothy Thompson. Sweat was pouring down on Seonghyun’s face from the first episode.

[Timothy Thompson hits the ball high! Center fielder Kim Joo-yeop! Out comfortably. However, the distance is sufficient for a runner on second base and a runner on third base to tag up. Hancheol Grizzlies add 1 point again. The score is now 2:0.]

A score exchanged for an out count. Even fifth batter Park Joong-ki hits a grounder to shortstop, bringing the score to 3:0 in one inning.

“It’s over.”

“It will be difficult to turn it over.”

Seonghyun, who scored 3 points in the top of the difficult first inning, looked pitiful today. Mistake-mistake-squeeze-outple-my land. He gave up 3 points, but the score was 0, which is an earned run. If I were Seonghyun, I think he would have gone into the dugout and hit the fielders.

“If that’s the case, you’re not guilty even if you hit me with a pat on the head, right?”

“Maybe so? Meng Hao, but you shouldn’t do that. Okay? “I really feel like I’m going to die if you hit me.”

“Hey, I’m not an animal so why do I hit people?”

“… “Let’s eat.”

“What is that silence?”

Soyoung doesn’t answer what I say, but heads to the kitchen where Jo Eun is cooking. When did you react like that when I hit someone? Well, I don’t understand.

[Three-way failure! Kim Hyun-sik shuts down the inning from the first inning! The game now moves to the top of the second inning.]

And the Volcano Falcons finishing off the attack in the meantime. I didn’t think there was any need to look further.

‘Sweet, it seems like the volcano would be easier in that condition… Hancheol will come up, right? ‘I’m totally playing with it.’

So, I walked into the kitchen, wondering if I should cheer for the volcano now.

*

-‘Playfulness’. Hancheol Grizzlies take game 1!

… The fall baseball powerhouse, the Hancheol Grizzlies, did not miss the chaotic atmosphere of the Volcano Falcons. The Hancheol Grizzlies, who easily scored one point through a squeeze operation after a bunt, scored three points with an outfield fly and an infield ground ball to take the lead from the first inning.

… Starting pitcher Seong Hyun pitched 7 innings, allowing 3 runs and no earned runs, but he was unable to turn around the game, which had already lost momentum. Hancheol Grizzlies won 3:2 by fending off Hwasan’s attack with Kim Hyun-sik’s excellent pitching, allowing 2 runs in 6 innings, and perfect pitching by the relief pitchers…

A harsh hazing ceremony given by a fall baseball senior to a freshman. Baseball fans are paying attention to what direction this playoff will take.

┗You piece of trash, apologize to Seonghyun ㅅㅂ

┗Seonghyeon is not guilty even if he hits him with a pattar

┗ㅅㅂ Is this correct? An ace came out

┗Gaeseongjin, look after the circle, ㅅㅂ

┗┗Fuck Wonhyeong, you should have retired because you broke your leg at the time, but how did it happen that a bastard like that is playing as the starting second baseman?

┗┗Still, saying something like that to a player…

┗┗The player is a fucking idiot. Is it the player who is acting like that in the first fall baseball game? You are talking like a fucking idiot

┗Still, Lee Yong-gi hit a home run, so we can do it starting tomorrow.

┗┗You motherfucker