Chapter 567 – 559. 73. (1)

-Ji Maeng-ho’s 72nd home run! Only ‘one’ to tie the world record!

… Ji Maeng-ho, who hit two home runs in today’s game against UG, is only one home run away from Bonds’ 73 home runs, which is a new world record. This season, Ji Maeng-ho appeared in 133 games, had 558 at-bats, and hit 72 home runs. Ji Maeng-ho recorded 0.54 home runs per game and an HR% of 12.9%…

… There are five games left for AT. Looking at Ji Maeng-ho’s record to date, he is expected to be able to hit two home runs if he plays five games. Many fans are focusing their attention on whether Ji Maeng-ho will be able to record two more home runs as expected and record 74 home runs in a season, a new world home run record.

┗ㅅㅂ It’s so boring

┗It’s not a major record anyway, so why make a fuss?

┗┗But isn’t it a fact that’s great?

┗┗Let’s see if we can do that when we go to the majors haha

┗┗Even if I can’t do this, it’s still 40 home runs haha

┗ㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ

┗ㅇㅅㅁㅎㅅ

┗The variable seems to be Jamsil. The remaining games are all held in Jamsil.

*

[Isn’t it truly a sight to see the crowd packed?]

[Yes. That’s probably why so many fans came to watch this game, right?]

[You’re right. In particular, it is impressive that all the fans in the outfield have gloves on one hand. They say the outfield sold out earlier than the infield today?]

[We are also looking forward to whether Ji Maeng-ho will be able to meet the expectations of fans.]

[The final match of the season between Shilla Triggers and AT Thunders, and AT Thunders and Shilla Triggers, which many fans are looking forward to, begins now.]

-They said the outfield tickets cost 200,000 won today. Is that correct?

┗If you catch a fierce home run ball and sell it, you will receive 2,000, but isn’t this a profitable business?

┗┗So can you hit a home run today?

┗┗It seems ambiguous because it’s Yelinsky

┗┗Ha, why are those bastards still competing for rankings? ㅅㅂ Stop using those poor grades

-So, can we get 100 wins?

┗100 wins is a blessing haha

┗Could it is possible if we win this game? After today’s game, I have future with Hancheol, but Hancheol’s ranking has been decided, so I won’t be too busy

┗Future kids will be a bit stricter. 56th place I heard they are now 0.5 games behind

[Ji Maeng-ho’s first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning, with two outs and second base. Ah…, An intentional phrase appears…]

[There’s nothing you can do, right? There is no reason to play against Ji Maeng-ho with 2 outs and 2nd base.]

[Booers pour in from the audience.]

[Silla Triggers is currently in a fierce battle for the rankings with Hyeonsung being 1 game behind, so they had no choice but to win.]

[… Strike out while standing! Jelinsky ends the inning by striking out Choi Jin-cheol!]

-ㅅㅂ Let’s take a look at the score.

[… Ji Maeng-ho’s second at-bat. … You hit it! This batted ball is on a warning track! Warning track! Warning track! Caught in front! Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball heading to the deepest part of Jamsil! Eunchong Lee catches it!]

[Wow, the home stadium, Jamsil, is not helping. Ji Maeng-ho is also expressing his disappointment.]

-It’s not going to work out today

[… Ji Maeng-ho’s third at-bat. … Oh, I pick it. Walk. Ji Maeng-ho endures the ball coming deep into his body.]

[You can’t hit a ball like this, right? It was too close to the body. Oh, Ji Maeng-ho is looking at Jelinsky with a dissatisfied face.]

-LOL I see you’re a fierce self-defender, but you’re still holding on because there’s a record.LOL

┗If I get kicked out of here and get disciplined, I’ll be fine haha

[Ji Maeng-ho steals second base! Safe! Ji Maeng-ho steals second base! … Choi Jin-cheol’s batted ball! Far! Far! It flies! Choi Jin-cheol’s two-run home run! Choi Jin-cheol turns the game around 1-0! Score 2:1! Choi Jin-cheol’s home run with two outs in the bottom of the 6th inning!]

-It’s good to have a comeback, but please give Meng Hosin a good ball.

┗You need to give more points, so you can’t skip it at all

[… Bottom of the 8th inning, 2 outs and 1 base. With the score tied at 2:1, Ji Maeng-ho comes to bat. Will Ji Maeng-ho be able to record his 73rd home run in this at-bat? … You hit it! This batted ball! Right! Right! Right! Ah… ! Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball hits the fence and falls! The runner on first base goes all the way home! Coming in! Score 3:1! Meng Hao Ji, grab his head! … In the top of the 9th inning, the pitcher on the mound was AT closer Kim Yun-ho.]

-Yunho, let’s tie the score and give Maengho one more at-bat

[… Three out! Game over! AT Thunders win 3:1! Ji Maeng-ho’s 73rd home run will be postponed to the next game.]

-ㄲㅂ

┗Honestly, if I hit a home run today, it would be my 3rd home run in a row, so I wasn’t expecting anything haha

┗Only those who bought scalped tickets and entered the outfield are crying tears of blood haha

┗Then when do you think Fierce Guardians No. 73 will come out?

┗┗I guess I’ll hit one before the season and one before the future?

┗┗Is Jang Woo-joo coming out? I think I’ve been off for about a week now.

┗┗If you look at Rote, it might come out? But if you think about Waka, it might not come out

┗┗0.5 It’s a game car, so I think I’ll have to go up to Wakara too?

*

-Hit No. 4! A fierce tiger!

-Wow!!!

Cheers erupted as soon as my name was introduced. And then the familiar entrance music is heard. The opposing pitcher whose face is reflected on the electronic display board is Yang Hyeon-sang. Of course, it was the first name I heard during the pre-game meeting.

And like most pitchers I’ve heard of for the first time, he also had flaws in his pitch control. The fact that there were already two runners in front of me who walked was proof of that. Since the season was coming to an end and the team was in last place, I felt like I was on the mound with the intention of scratching the surface, but it wasn’t a good idea for me as I was aiming for a home run.

The only way to hit the ball is if it comes into the zone.

“Ball.”

And the first pitch is definitely a ball. The ball was so out of the zone that it was hard to believe it was thrown by a pitcher who had already walked twice. It’s not like you’re trying to avoid me, it’s just the feeling that you can’t get the ball into the zone because you don’t have control…

‘Ha, it would have been better if it had been Miller or Na Seung-yoon.’

If I had to pick an ace for the 10th-place team, Hancheol, it would be foreign pitchers Miller or Na Seung-yoon. Those two would have had a higher chance of hitting a home run if they had started, as they not only hit the ball in the zone but also didn’t run away from me, but the rankings were decided anyway and both of them are resting. Was bad news for me.

“Base on balls.”

And as expected, he walked after just 4 pitches. All the balls were so far out of the zone that I didn’t even feel like hitting them.

‘Ha, I need to hit at least one of them soon.’

In yesterday’s game, the batted ball was sent close to the fence, but in the end there was no home run, and there are 4 games left, including today. I couldn’t help but feel anxious.

‘I think I would have easily gotten over it if I hadn’t been suspended, but damn.’

Thinking about being suspended at the beginning of the season, I stayed on base for a few seconds.

Ta-ah!

Senior Jin-cheol swung the bat strongly from the opponent’s first pitch. A hit ball that quickly goes over the fence with a clicking sound.

-Wow!!!

It was a home run that was nothing to see. He must have come to his senses after giving up 3 walks and put the first pitch in the zone, but senior Jincheol, who came in aiming to put it in the zone, did not miss the ball.

‘Fuck, if you’re going to do this, throw it at me like that.’

I hit a grand slam, but am I more annoyed than happy?

“[Good! This is it! 4 points. These cute bastards!]”

When I returned to the dugout, Crongs, today’s starter, was jumping for joy, no, he was actually jumping. Even though it was only the first inning, it looked like he was confident of 20 wins… I didn’t even have a chance to swing the bat, but I was a little upset at the sight of this guy who seemed to have already secured 20 wins.

“Meng Hao. Lighten up your expression. “My senior hit a grand slam.”

Jincheol, who must have seen me like that, took off his helmet and approached me with a smile and patted my shoulder.

“Yes, yes. Congratulations.”

Ta – Aak!

As I was forcefully celebrating Jincheol senior’s home run, a cheerful sound of a batted ball was heard from the ground… When I quickly turned my head and looked inside the field, Yoon Seong-tae’s batted ball was going over the fence.

“Oh, shit. Why only me… !”

“What? Is Seongtae a home run? Then is he also 20-20?”

“20-20?”

“You didn’t know? “It’s your partner, so you have to take care of it.”

Crongs’ 20 wins plus Seongtae’s 20-20? It felt like everyone was setting a record except me.

“Did you see it? “I said it was my 5 tools, kid.”

“Fuck 5 tools…”

“This guy, Ham hit a home run, so what?”

Moreover, we are proud of Seongtae who returned after hitting a home run.

‘Oh, fuck, you’re really just throwing the damn ball at me…’

The more I thought about it, the more absurd it became. Does it feel like the world is trying to stop me from setting a new home run record? The good news is that today’s trend is to hit the opposing pitcher. In the bottom of the first inning, after the batting line went around once, our attack ended with senior Suho’s at-bat.

And the bottom of the second inning. It was my turn in a two-out situation with a changed pitcher.

‘If this continues, I think I’ll be able to get five at-bats today…’ . For now, let’s focus on this at-bat.’

Hancheol’s new pitcher is Park Ji-hwan. He was a guy who was selected in the first round of the 23rd draft like me and joined the team. Of course, he was a first-round pick, but he was a pitcher who didn’t perform very well as he came out of the game losing 5-0.

‘My main weapon was a slider… Velocity is mid 140s. Mr. Rossby, what about the first pitch?’

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Okay.’

This time, there could have been a problem with my control, so I decided to watch the first pitch and wait for the guy’s ball.

“Strike!”

And, contrary to my expectations, he entered the zone from the first pitch.

“Oh, what? Strike from the first pitch?”

While talking to the catcher, I glanced at the pitcher’s eyes, and the look in his eyes was something I had seen quite a few times. Those eyes that seem to have a burning desire to compete against me. Moreover, I could feel the hostility towards me in his eyes. Are your eyes too transparent to be a professional?

Usually, pitchers with eyes like that would throw the ball to hit my body, but the ball he threw was inside the strike zone.

If so, it wasn’t difficult to guess why the guy in the chase group was giving that look.

‘Dong-nim, I guess you’re a little annoyed because I’m doing well and someone else is a garbage pitcher? It’s good for me. Okay, what does having good motivation mean? I will engrave your name in history.’

The score was high anyway. There was no one who would criticize me for competing head-on, so the guy looked like he wanted to compete with me. And for that guy, I pledged to engrave his name in the history of Korean baseball.

… Of course, he is the pitcher who allowed the 73rd home run.