Chapter 529 – Episode 521. Ace Killer. (2)

[Out! There is only one out count remaining. Na Seung-yoon, the ball is perfect today?]

[Haha, yes. In fact, hitters are unable to maintain their batting condition during rainy seasons like these days. However, even taking that into account, the fact that only one batter got on base against AT’s strong lineup means that Na Seung-yoon’s pitch today was quite good, right? When I saw it, the condition looked perfect. In fact, Hancheol is ranked 10th, which is disappointing, but from the perspective of Korean baseball, which has to prepare for next year’s WBC, it is good to see such young pitchers showing good performances.]

[Yes. There is now one out count remaining. And with two outs, No. 4 batter Ji Maeng-ho comes to bat.]

[In the previous at-bat, Ji Maeng-ho retired with an outfield fly, right? The ball thrown at that time was recorded as a change-up, but Ji Maeng-ho, a change-up ghost, missed Na Seung-yoon’s change-up? I think this will be a really fun match.]

-Wow!!!!

When Ji Maeng-ho comes out, cheers are heard as if it were the post-season. The shouts heard when Ji Maeng-ho appeared were now familiar to Na Seung-yoon. When we went to Busan or Gwangju and the team was on a winning streak, there was bound to be this level of cheering when the team’s main hitter like Kang Han-beom or Lee Jin-hong came out, and every time Ji Maeng-ho came out, there were cheers like this.

However,

-Ddu du du du~. Some legends are told, Some turn to dust or to gold, But you will remember me (Ji Maeng-ho!) Remember me, for centuries (Ji Maeng-ho!) And just one mistake, Is all it will take, We’ll go down in history(Jimaengho!) Remember me for centuries(Jimaengho!)

No matter how many times I listened to Ji Maeng-ho’s song, I couldn’t get used to it. As soon as he heard Ji Maeng-ho’s name between the magnificent band sound and melody, Na Seung-yoon’s uniform became wet with cold sweat.

Learned fear. When I listen to this introduction song, I can’t think of anything other than the scene where Ji Maeng-ho hits a home run.

… However, it must not collapse here. Behind him were seven fielders and fans who had only eyes on him, and in front of him was a catcher waiting for him to throw the ball. And there was a director who gave him a chance.

With two outs and no runners, if Ji Maeng-ho were to be ignored now, there was a high probability that he would get through the inning without allowing a run. However, the director believed in himself and did not signal an intentional throw. He could have taken the safe choice as it was 0-0, but he thanked the manager for believing in him. He did not want to betray the director’s trust.

‘Seungyoon, come to your senses. You caught it well earlier.’

To overcome the rising fear, Na Seung-yoon bit down on the flesh inside his cheek and woke himself up with pain. The vivid image that comes to mind is of Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball being caught by the center fielder in the bottom of the second inning. The image of that time is engraved in my mind along with the spicy scent of blood in my mouth.

‘Yes, Ji Meng-ho is not a god either. He’s hitting .400, but I have the advantage at six. And even if he gets a hit, not every hit is a home run. Yes, the reason Ji Maeng-ho is scary is just an exaggerated image… Even if Barry Bonds comes, he can’t hit a home run in every at-bat. You can do it. Na Seung-yoon!’

After he was able to control himself, the trembling in his heart gradually stopped, and he could no longer hear Ji Meng Hao’s entrance song or the cheering song that was ringing in his ears. All he can see is the catcher’s mitt that will catch his ball and the catcher’s fingers that will signal the sign.

‘Fastball.’

‘Okay.’

The first pitch is a low fastball. Na Seung-yoon took a deep breath and adjusted the timing. And then,

-‘Throw it. ‘I will kill you.’

… I looked into Ji Maeng-ho’s eyes as if he was saying.

‘Fuck.’

When our eyes met like that, I remembered the words that my teammates who faced Ji Maeng-ho consistently said.

Don’t look into Ji Meng-ho’s eyes. The moment your eyes meet, Ji Maeng-ho will know what kind of ball you are going to throw.

Ji Maeng-ho’s geth-hitting ability doesn’t seem to be a human calculation. Making eye contact while dealing with Ji Maeng-ho was almost like a taboo within the team. And the moment I break that taboo, the thought that Ji Maeng-ho might know this ball comes to mind.

‘Don’t be scared, fuck. If you’re not God, how do you know what ball I’m going to throw? It’s just excuses for those who can’t throw shit.’

Hold the ball as tightly as you are afraid. Just as I’m wondering if I’m gripping the ball so tightly that it might burst, I feel the pitch timer running out. Relax your hands again and do as usual.

Na Seung-yoon raised his left leg high and widened his stride by kicking out as he had always practiced, and the rotational force that started with the kicking movement continued through the hips, waist, and fingertips. The center of gravity through rotational force bursts out from the fingertips, and the thrown ball quickly heads toward the mitt.

Bang!

The referee’s voice that always makes you feel good when the ball hits the mitt.

“S~Trike!”

154.3 km/h. The best ball Na Seung-yoon threw this season was successfully targeting the low zone.

‘Look, there’s nothing special. I was just scared. You can do it. I can do it.’

I wanted to scream at the fact that I got the first pitch strike against Ji Maeng-ho, but I had to hold back because it wasn’t over yet. There are now two strikes left. I wanted to end this inning with two strikes at once, but Ji Maeng-ho was a hitter who got better as the ball count increased, so I couldn’t go in complacently.

‘Highly. Fastball.’

‘Okay.’

The catcher’s request is a high fastball.

“Ball.”

The ball was called, but it wasn’t disappointing at all. After all, it was a ball thrown to dazzle the batter’s eyes. The real game begins now.

‘Curve?’

‘No. I think it’s dangerous.’

When Na Seung-yoon shook his head at the catcher’s sign, the catcher glanced at the dugout where the battery coach was. Afterward, we exchanged autographs again.

‘Then an outside fastball?’

‘No, I threw it on the high side, so I want to take advantage of it. I want to throw a changeup into my body.’

The pitch that Na Seung-yoon wants is a change-up that is thrown slightly lower than before. There was a risk of hitting a home run due to the high location, but since the previous pitch had been a high fastball, it was perfect for fooling the batter’s eyes.

Moreover, no matter how genius the hitter was with his hit-hitting ability, it was not easy to expect him to throw his favorite pitch toward his body with one ball, one strike. No, something like that couldn’t have happened.

… Unless, as the media says, he is a devil who reads the pitcher’s mind.

[Na Seung-yoon, windup, 3rd district!]

The refreshing sensation you feel the moment you throw the ball. No matter how good a pitcher he was, he couldn’t perfectly control every ball he threw. However, Na Seung-yoon was able to feel the refreshing feeling that he had put the ball in the desired position.

A perfectly controlled ball that hits the body borderline.

… I thought so. However, Na Seung-yoon could not confirm whether his ball was perfectly controlled like the feeling he felt when pitching.

Ta – Aak!

Ji Maeng-ho, who had been smiling slightly from the moment he threw the ball, swung the bat like lightning, and Na Seung-yoon couldn’t even muster the courage to look at the batted ball. All he could do was blankly watch Ji Meng Hao’s follow movements.

[Ji Maeng-ho’s hit! High! Far! It flies! Take the lead in this game! This time, Ji Maeng-ho pulls it off!]

And the nightmare didn’t end there. This was because Meng-ho, who had sent his batted ball flying over the fence, was looking at him with the bat in his hand.

‘What the fuck!’

There is only one reason why a batter who hits a home run will not throw the bat. Ji Maeng-ho’s bat is pointed at him like a gun. It is safe to say that the ‘sniping ceremony’ has now become Ji Maeng-ho’s signature ceremony. And he even looked as if he was slightly laughing at himself… !

“Aaaaahhh!”

At first glance, it was similar to the way he roared after catching Ji Maeng-ho with an outfield fly in the bottom of the second inning, but unlike before, the only thing that resembled that sound was anger. It felt like the anger built up in his heart would block his blood vessels if he didn’t scream, so Na Seung-yoon put all his anger into his voice.

-Wow!!!

-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!

The fortunate thing was that Na Seung-yoon’s cries were covered by the voices of AT fans chanting for Ji Maeng-ho, and the unfortunate thing was that Ji Maeng-ho was slowly circling the field, using the cries as a comforter.

‘Baby, it’s better to hear it than before. No, it’s not some kind of Korean series, just grab one out and scream.’

In that way, Ji Maeng-ho hit home while savoring Na Seung-yoon’s screams.

[Ji Maeng-ho’s 42nd home run of the season! This gives a boost to Bellingham, who was pitching well with no runs allowed! Score 1:0!]

[Hey, I was aiming for a body changeup accurately. Na Seung-yoon’s change-up has a pitch that bends slightly toward the body. He kept both arms close to his body and used a so-called Tyrano swing to send the ball flying over the fence, right? He is a hitter with no real weaknesses.]

With Ji Maeng-ho’s solo home run in a 0-0 situation, the score is now down by 1 point. But the game wasn’t over yet. Because in baseball, one point can be scored at any time. But…,

Ta – Aak!

[Are you going?! Are you going?! Are you going?! Beyond! I’m gone! Choi Jin-cheol’s consecutive home runs following Ji Maeng-ho! Choi Jin-cheol, who hit the first pitch, shows off his awesome power! Back to back home runs! The score is now 2:0.]

[Hey, if you throw a ball like this to Choi Jin-cheol, he’ll go right away. It is said that this season, he is performing poorly compared to last year and the year before, but Choi Jin-cheol is not yet a player who misses the ball in the middle of this.]

After hitting a home run from Ji Maeng-ho, his body gained strength, perhaps because he thought he had to throw harder, and he was unable to control the ball, which required a lot of strength. And as Choi Jin-cheol said in the commentary, he was not yet an obsolete player who would miss a fastball coming to the center.

“Nice!”

“Senior Jincheol, what is it?! “I flew it farther than a fierce tiger!”

“No, I’m a changeup and Jincheol is a fastball, so that’s right.”

“Well, this is why it’s easier to hit from behind Meng Hao. “Pitchers can’t come to their senses if they get hit by a fierce tiger.”

Two home runs. And the starting pitcher is Bellingham, who has already won 11 games in the first half of the year. It was enough to break the will of Hancheol, the 10th ranked team. Na Seung-yoon, who came to his senses after hitting back-to-back home runs, finished the inning with difficulty, but the momentum had already passed.

[Game ends. The AT Thunders achieved their 57th win of the season by defeating the Hancheol Grizzlies 4:1.]

The game ended with AT Thunders winning without any upsets.

“Hello Ji Maeng-ho! … So, it’s the rainy season these days. How are you managing your condition?”

“Honestly, I can’t say that I have a good feel for the game. You have to play consistently to maintain your sense of the game. Still, it’s nice to see ace pitchers come out during the rainy season with plenty of competition. “You compete with me.”

“Okay. Now, let’s go down to Busan and play against Charlotte. “Can I hear your resolution?”

“Hmm… I understand the next game is against Charlotte, but I understand Charlotte didn’t play during the week? Hancheol, the 10th ranked team, also produced an ace, so surely Charlotte, which is competing in the fall baseball season, wouldn’t produce an ace? Swanson, you’re doing well these days, aren’t you? “I’m looking forward to it.”

… With an interview with Ji Maeng-ho, who provokes the next opponent, the Charlotte Blue Mariners.