Chapter 490 – Episode 482. Let’s Go on a Winning Streak! (2)

[In the second match of the season between the AT Thunders and the Future Buffaloes, the AT Thunders won 11:6, securing their 5th consecutive win.]

[Wow, AT Thunders’ momentum is scary?]

[Will the AT Thunders be able to win 6 games in a row, or will the Future Buffaloes be able to break their 2-game losing streak and hand AT their first loss of the season? See you tomorrow! Here…]

-Fuck you! AT Thunders opening 5 consecutive wins!


… Meanwhile, on this day, Ji Maeng-ho was tied for no hits with 0 hits and 3 walks in 2 at-bats, but he bombed 20 hits, including Choi Jin-cheol’s three runs…

*

“What’s going on? “I don’t even go out and play.”

On the night of the second game of the midweek series, after having a late dinner with the players, I was swinging the bat in the vacant lot of the away accommodation when the weatherman approached me with the bat.

“Wow, senior. I thought you were a gang fan. “Please don’t carry the bat around late at night.”

“Bitch, I was surprised to see you too. Why are you doing something you shouldn’t do this night? Is it because I couldn’t hit today?”

“It’s not like that.”

Suddenly it hits me where it hurts. As the weatherman said, he had a no-hitter today, but that wasn’t really why he was swinging the bat. Because I was trying to force a ball to avoid a game, and ended up with a bad hit.

“Then what is it?”

“It’s the starting lineup tomorrow. “I was making some adjustments to make the timing a little faster.”

… In fact, Jia was coming to Gwangju to film a vlog for tomorrow’s game, so she had some time left, but it wasn’t a lie because she was also worried about Jang Woo-joo’s fast balls.

When we met at Media Day, Woo Joo’s statement that he had bulked up wasn’t a bluff, and his performance in the first game of the season was impressive. He hit over 160 balls five times, and the angles of his breaking balls were quite sharp. In particular, the change-up that seemed to have been installed in spring camp showed quite a bit of perfection.

The velocity of his changeup was in the mid-140s, and it was quite difficult to check whether a changeup with that velocity was in the zone or not, so I was a little nervous. So even though Jia came a little late, she came out to swing the bat.

‘I can’t believe you came equipped with a ball like that during spring training. They probably tried to death to catch me.’

He was a guy who threw 160 points and was praised as the best talent in Korean history, and he put in that much effort, so it was only natural that I was a bit of a fan of him.

“I guess you’re worried about tomorrow too?”

“Of course. “I don’t think anyone else can even touch the ball.”

“As a talking pig… Well, your story isn’t wrong.”

“Looks like you’re a little worried too? “Looking at it coming out at this late hour.”

Although he was a weatherman who often made special hits, it was rare for him to come out swinging the bat like this, even in away games. The weather chief seemed to be very worried about tomorrow.

“Yeah, dude. “I’m worried.”

“Well, I’ll take care of it.”

“I only trust you.”

As I took my stance again and was about to swing the bat, my cell phone, which I had placed on the floor, rang. At least it must be Jia. It was just the right timing. If you’re swinging a bat together and the weatherman starts talking about old times, you’ll be held captive for 30 minutes.

“Ah, senior. I swung everything. “I’ll go first.”

“Hey! Hey! Where are you going! No, this bastard… Are you going to meet a girl again? “For some reason, I was doing something I shouldn’t have done.”

“Hey, I’ll do well tomorrow.”

The weather warning voice behind me gradually became quieter, but I walked forward without looking back. Swinging the bat is good, but keeping a routine is the best.

-“Oh, brother. “I just unpacked my bags at the hotel.”

“Why are you so late?”

-“Oh, I don’t know. “The game ended late.”

“Did you film today too?”

-“Oh, Hancheol lost 4 times in a row. I went to film my 5th straight loss today, but I lost. Oh, I’ll just lose and take out the iTube. “I won without thinking.”

“You seem very annoyed. “Oppa will come right away to comfort you.”

When I hear Jia’s irritated voice, I already feel heavy. If you want to face a pitcher like Jang Woo-joo, you have to stick to your usual routine to play baseball well.

‘I need to come after taking care of Jia.’

After batting practice, sex. The preparation for the game was perfect.

*

[The third match of the season between AT Thunders and Future Buffaloes. It takes place in Gwangju. Fans of both teams are looking forward to today’s game a lot, right?]

[Yes. First, whether a sweep series will be created or not depends on this game, and if AT Thunders wins this game, it will be their 6th consecutive win since opening the game, which is a tie record for the team’s opening winning streak record.]

[And besides those external factors, this game is quite interesting, right?]

[You’re right. First, today’s starting matchup was between Crongs and Jang Woo-joo. Crongs pitched 7.2 scoreless innings in the opening game, while Jang Woo-joo pitched 7 scoreless innings in the opening game, giving the team the opening win. As this was a match between aces, expectations were high. It works.]

[And there is also a rivalry that cannot be left out, right?]

[That’s right. Jang Woo-joo and Ji Maeng-ho. The matchup between the first round picks of the 2023 draft is also quite exciting, as they are all top pitchers and hitters in the league, right? A starter who throws .160 and a hitter who hits .400 with 60 home runs. Of course, the opponent’s record is the same now, and Ji Maeng-ho is ahead, but Jang Woo-joo is also improving every year, so we will have to watch this match carefully until the two players go to the major leagues.]

[Yes. As far as I know, the two players are very close, right? WBC, Asian Games, Olympics. I know that they have become close friends by competing together in three international competitions in a row, and I think it will be really fun to watch the two players compete.]

[Now, let’s start the game with the national ritual. … Let me explain the attacking lineup of the away team, AT Thunders. 1st hitter Jeong Hwi-cheol, 2nd hitter Ji Maeng-ho, 3rd hitter Gi Ki-joo, 4th hitter Williams, 5th hitter… … And the defensive position of the home team future Buffaloes. Starting pitcher Jang Woo-joo, catcher Kim Kyung-hoon, first base Bright, Kim Jun-il…]

*

“Strike!”

After hearing the referee’s strike call, Jang Woo-joo naturally turned his head and checked the restraints on the electronic display. The speed recorded on the electronic display board was 161 km/h. After confirming his restraint, Jang Woo-soo desperately lowered the corners of his mouth that were about to rise.

‘Good. I’m hooked just as I thought.’

There was only one reason why Jang Woo-joo smiled. This was because a ball over 160 was hit in the strike zone as intended. Although he has been praised by the media for throwing a ball over 160, in reality, the ball was not the one he wanted to hit in the zone.

Jang Woo-joo’s fastball, which went over 160, was the type of ball that he threw while looking at the center and praying that it would land in the zone. However, perhaps it was because I bulked up this season or because I grew up, I was able to hit the ball in the zone whenever I wanted to, so I couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course, it wasn’t perfect control that hit every corner of the zone, but it was enough at the KBA league level.

‘Fastball.’

‘Yes, I’m going.’

“Jitterbug! Strike!”

As proof of this, Jeong Hwi-cheol, who debuted last year but was recognized for his contact ability, was not even able to hit the ball with the bat.

‘Should I show you one curve at the end? I’m not going to throw it against Meng Ho anyway.’

There is only one reason why I devoted myself to training and exercising during spring camp. It was to deal with Ji Maeng-ho.

In fact, Jang Woo-joo was not the type to train that much. Since he started playing baseball, Jang Woo-ju has always been an ace on the baseball team, throwing a ball about 10 km/h faster than others, and he was able to achieve speed without much effort. And as fast as he was, he had an easy time dealing with batters.

Ordinary hitters would swear and return to the dugout even if they only threw a fastball, and even if they touched a fastball, if they threw a fast ball and then a breaking ball that took away the hitter’s timing, the hitter’s bat would run smoothly.

Even when I turned pro, nothing really changed. Although there were occasional hitters who were lucky enough to hit a home run or make a missed hit, most of them ended up returning to the dugout.

However, one hitter was different. Ji Maeng-ho, the next batter of Jeong Hwi-cheol, the batter standing right now.

He is a devilish hitter who hits the bat even when he throws a fast ball and hits the bat even when he throws a breaking ball that takes away the timing. Ji Maeng-ho made Jang Woo-joo feel the ‘wall’ for the first time in his life.

‘Well, thanks to you, I also made an effort.’

“Strike out!”

Jeong Hwi-cheol is unable to time the lightly thrown curve at all and returns to the dugout helplessly. And Ji Maeng-ho walks. Although he was a very close friend on a human level, he was someone I really wanted to overcome in baseball…

In order to defeat that opponent, Jang Woo-joo worked hard and sweated hard since the winter. To the point where he wondered if he had ever tried so hard in his life. In addition, he also learned restraint. It’s a change-up. There was a popular belief that he had poor velocity, so he had been refusing to learn it, but when he actually learned it, it suited his hands well and was it because the changeup he learned was fast? He didn’t even feel like he was losing control.

A pitch that I learned to deal with Ji Maeng-ho. Of course, Jang Woo-ju also knew that Meng Hao was good at hitting changeups, but his changeup was not an ordinary changeup. Unlike the average changeup, which ranges from 120 to 130 at the slowest, his changeup was a changeup with a velocity similar to that of most pitchers’ fastballs, which range in the low to mid 140s.

‘No matter how big Brother Meng Hao is, he can’t hit this ball.’

Meng Hao, who came to bat and made eye contact, grinned. He smiles confidently. He always smiled like that when dealing with him.

‘Let’s see how long you can laugh. The first pitch goes with a fastball.’

The first ball chosen by Jang Woo-joo, who thought he could put a smile on Ji Maeng-ho’s face, was a fastball. Jang Woo-ju, who aimed at the middle of the strike zone, threw the first pitch, hoping that the ball would hit the borderline.

Perfect!

[Foul! Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball disappears into the stands.]

‘Good! I couldn’t get the timing right! Next time, a fastball.’

‘Wouldn’t it be dangerous?’

‘Just take the ball, damn it.’

They communicated with their eyes and fingers, but was it because of Jang Woo-joo’s added power? The catcher nodded at the sign given by Jang Woo-joo. The location of the mitt is again in the middle of the strike zone. Jang Woo-ju swung his arm again.

“Strike!”

‘Nice! ‘Fuck.’

A fantastic fastball that hits the outer borderline even in a widened zone. Although he didn’t intend to, Jang Woo-joo was internally delighted when he saw the ball hit the spot he had been praying for. The speed posted on the electronic display board was 162 km/h. Even though he threw it, it was a ball that made him feel happy.

This kind of ball was not easy to hit, even for a major league hitter, and Maengho didn’t even think about putting out the bat, either because he judged it to be a ball that was going out or because he thought there was no way he would get a good ball if he tried to hit it.

‘Now that I think about it, did Meng Ho have a record of striking out three pitches? It seems like there was. … ‘Why don’t you try striking out three pitches?’

It seemed like I had read in an article about a pitcher who struck out Ji Maeng-ho on three pitches. I wasn’t sure if that memory was correct or not, but in any case, it was quite rare for Korea’s best hitter, Ji Maeng-ho, to strike out on three pitches. And he becomes what he is?

‘I guess I’ll have to make fun of Meng Ho after this.’

It felt like his heart was pounding as he thought about Meng Hao, who had already missed a swing and was going back to the dugout crying.

‘Next time, a change-up. Wow, I want to see Meng Ho’s reaction.’

The pitch he chose to strike out Ji Maeng-ho on three pitches was the changeup, which he worked hard to master this winter. How could Ji Maeng-ho not be fooled by the high-speed changeup he saw for the first time? In Jang Woo-ju’s opinion, that was nonsense.

‘Already? ‘Isn’t it dangerous?’

‘Because I’m going to pull it down anyway… Oh, shit. Don’t complain, just take the ball.’

After silent communication, the determined ball is a change-up that falls down. It was good if it was three pitches and a strikeout, but even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter because the ball count was advantageous. So Jang Woo-joo threw the third ball towards Ji Maeng-ho. And Ji Maeng-ho’s bat flinches.

‘Good…’ ‘Huh?’

His changeup went down as intended, and was the best changeup in an ambiguous position where he could receive a strike call if it only hit the mitt. That is, if you get stuck in the mitt.

However,

Ta – Aak!

Just before the ball and the bat touched, Ji Maeng-ho’s knees gradually bent and scooped up the low ball, and his batted ball flew high behind him as a line drive.

‘What… Hey?’

All the universe sees is Ji Meng-ho, who puts one knee on the ground and sends the batted ball away as if he’s proposing. How can you hit that ball like that? As if you knew at all? His head was pounding.

[Shoot Ji Maeng-ho’s knee! The batted ball goes over the fence! Ji Maeng-ho’s 4th home run of the season! He hits a go-ahead home run in a two-strike situation.]

‘Fuck, what’s the problem?’

You bring out the bat while timing a 160 pitch and then react to a 140 changeup? Even though Ji Meng-ho had already hit home, he still couldn’t escape the shock.

‘Am I wrong?’

The next batter is Ki Ki-joo, a left-handed hitter who can safely be considered to have the best batting skills in Korea. Jang Woo-ju threw the ball like before to make sure he was not wrong.

Fastball, fastball, and changeup.

“Strike! Out!”

And the next batter is number 4 batter Williams. A monster hitter who is batting number 4 in AT’s batting lineup.

Fastball, fastball.

Perfect!

“My ball.”

Ki Ki-ju struck out and Williams hit an infield fly. He said he was not wrong.

‘Fuck, what on earth did you do?’

When he looked at’s dugout with suspicion, his eyes met Ji Maeng-ho’s eyes as if he was also looking at him. And Ji Meng Hao slitting his throat with the blade of his hand. It was a confident gesture, as if he knew he was going to throw it like that.

“Fuck. I’m pissed. What on earth is that guy? How did you know?”

*

“Hey, what’s that home run? How did you hit it?”

“Hey, the universe is obvious. Just full of bravado. You’ve learned the changeup but don’t want to throw it? All I wanted to do was throw it and show off. The senior also cuts a few times and aims for a changeup. “I think I’ll show a lot of changeups today.”

“Changeup? “Once I figured it out.”

Even if you didn’t hear from Rossby, it was obvious that he was throwing a changeup. When Rossby asked, ‘It’s a changeup, right?’ Before I even heard it, he looked surprised and laughed with his signature dark laugh.

‘Fool. Just throw the same ball you threw the second time. You don’t get hit because you run away with a slow ball for no reason. ‘Hehe.’

I felt like Woo Joo, who had a way to escape with his high-speed changeup, would be easier to deal with than before, unlike what I had worried about before the game.