Chapter 573 – Episode 565. The 100-Mile Man. (5)
[… Out! Lee Jin-hong’s batted ball was caught by second baseman Ji Maeng-ho, resulting in three outs! The match ends. AT Thunders ends the league with overwhelming results, with Ji Maeng-ho’s new record of 75 home runs of the season, 100 wins of the season, and a 70% winning percentage.]
“Ah…”
Defeat. It was an overwhelming defeat. The final score was 12:4. A game that had to be won to advance to the fall baseball season ended in defeat.
‘I…, I should have held on a little longer…’
The tears that had stopped since the end of the fourth inning flowed from the universe’s eyes once again.
If my elbow didn’t hurt, if I had just skipped Ji Maeng-ho, if I had kept throwing… Constant regret swirled through Wooju’s mind.
“It’s space. Let’s go out. “I have to say hello to the fans.”
“… “If I had known this would happen, I would have gone for a checkup.”
In the bottom of the 4th inning, I heard a popping sound and realized something was wrong with my elbow, but I chose to stay on the field to play the team’s final game together, which resulted in a bitter loss. At first glance, the young ace’s words may sound arrogant, but the team’s seniors knew the meaning of the tears flowing from Wooju’s eyes, so they just patted the head of the junior who said those words.
“Did you take the banner?”
“Yes.”
Before this game, the Future Buffaloes prepared two banners. ‘Aim for higher ground’ in preparation for advancing to fall baseball! We were able to go all the way to the end because of the banner that said, ‘Buffalos to the end!’ And the support of our fans. It was a banner that said, ‘We will repay you by winning next season.’
One was a phrase that made people look forward to the remaining fall baseball games, and the other was a phrase that apologized for being eliminated from the fall baseball games… No player wanted to end the season yet, but in the end, the future Buffaloes had no choice but to leave the dugout with a second message.
“Ha, fuck.”
And that scene brought the universe to tears as it contrasted further with the AT Thunders celebrating their 100th win of the season and the regular season championship that had already been confirmed a long time ago. However, I had to hold back tears because there were fans on the third base side who had come to support this team.
“Hey. Did you go to the hospital? What does the hospital say?”
On the way to third base with the players, Ji Maeng-ho, who was the key player in today’s victory and who created the first run, approached the space while speaking lightly.
“What hospital?”
Words mixed with a bit of concern… However, since he was the main culprit for the team’s elimination, no good words could come out of Wooju’s mouth.
“What? Didn’t you go? “I was worried, but it doesn’t seem like it hurts that much?”
“What are you worried about… Anyway, congratulations on winning. New record number 75.”
“Okay, congratulations to you too, pitcher. Next year, just hit 74, and I’ll taxidermy you forever.”
“Just go away.”
“Oh hey. Have a good elimination dinner. “My brother is going to the championship dinner.”
The sight of Meng Hao smiling heartily and returning to the team…
‘Oh, fuck. I want to criticize you. Even if you didn’t really fight, they’ll criticize you right away.’
Rather than feeling sad that he was eliminated due to Meng Hao’s harsh words in front of him, he felt a deep sense of anger.
The short-lived escape from reality was short-lived, and now the time to face reality was approaching. Even though the team was eliminated, fans remained at third base even after the game ended to cheer on the team until the end…
When I saw those fans, I felt like tears welled up again.
But his tears are a deception to his fans.
He said he was an ace, and he came to the last game of the season with a smile on his face, and then went down in the 4th inning, so he had no right to shed tears in front of his fans.
“… What happened to Masan?”
“3:1. Bottom of the 9th inning, two outs.”
“Under… It’s over.”
Hoping for a glimmer of hope, he asked the senior next to him about the outcome of the game between Charlotte and NV, but the result was no different from what he had seen from the dugout. When I was giving up on everything, I suddenly heard the crowd cheering.
-Wow!!!
‘… Uh? ‘No way?’
When they looked up at the audience in doubt, they saw fans with dark expressions still looking at them. As I turned my gaze toward first base, I quickly realized that it was the sound of cheering coming from the AT cheering section, where they were giving a commemorative message to celebrate the victory.
‘That’s right.’
“Uh… Many fans came… Sorry. We should have done better… Sorry. But next season. In better shape…”
The appearance of the fans in contrast to the cheering AT fans. In the eyes of the universe, some fans were seen shedding tears while listening to the director’s last words.
‘… ‘Fuck you.’
And as soon as I saw that, tears poured down once again. I tried not to cry, but when I saw the fans’ tears, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The tears of fans, the disappointment of never being able to advance to the fall baseball season since debut, and even the elbows that wouldn’t move as intended. All the sadness comes and irritates the universe’s eyes.
In particular, the most sad thing was the situation of the team compared to the AT Thunders who were celebrating there. He placed 8th in his first year of debut, and placed 6th last year when he was the head of the boy. And this season, with a reliable foreign pitcher named Trey, we also ranked 6th… This time, I wanted to experience the atmosphere of fall baseball that I had never experienced before…
Therefore, he really wanted to win this game and advance to the fall baseball season, but Ji Maeng-ho blocked his path once again. All of that sadness gathered around Woo Joo’s eyes and flowed down, and the words he spoke to his senior were full of moisture as he wanted to deny reality.
“We… You lost, right? Okay, eliminated… Did you do it?”
“Under… We should have done a little better… Sorry. It’s space.”
“Off… Wow… Sorry, sorry…”
“It’s space… “Let’s say hello to the fans and go in.”
“Ugh, yes…”
Now it’s time to say hello to the fans. More than anything else, will I be able to meet these fans next year? I couldn’t stop crying when I thought about it. The sound coming from the elbow meant ‘Tommy John surgery,’ which can be said to be the fate of fastball pitchers.
As I was shedding tears thinking about next year, I heard another cheer from the audience.
-Wow!!!
‘Okay, okay, but the fans are encouraging me because it’s the last time.’
Wooju shed tears once again, thinking that the meaning of the cheers was encouragement from the fans.
However,
“Hey! Hey! “Changwon has the bases loaded now!”
A ray of hope that came from that moment!
“It’s not over yet!”
The players rushed towards the stands with someone shouting, and the fans began handing over the cell phones they were looking at to the players.
[3:2 bases loaded! Pinch hitter Lee Young-ho comes to bat!]
The game between Charlotte and NV was playing on my phone, and the game was going through a desperate moment with two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“Please, please.”
While fans and players are all praying with one mind that this loss will not be the last of the season,
[Break! You hit it! This batted ball… !]
Pinch hitter Lee Young-ho’s bat, who entered the batter’s box after being ordered to finish, hit the first pitch. And,
-Wow!!!!
Fans cheered before the screen.
That cheer has only one meaning. As Lee Young-ho’s batted ball fell in a place where the fielders could not catch it, the runner on second base had already run home, and Jamsil’s third base side, which had been stained with sadness, began to be filled with joy.
-Lee Young-ho! Youngho Lee! Youngho Lee! Youngho Lee!
A final blow that came when everyone thought it was the end. Although they lost the game, the Buffaloes’ future baseball season was not over yet.
“That’s it! That’s it!”
“Fuck! It’s fall baseball!”
“Director!”
The players were busy hugging each other and enjoying the joy, and at the center of it all was Jang Woo-joo, shedding tears. Of course, those tears were flowing with a different meaning than before.
“Hey! Change the banner! Say hello again!”
A true scene was unfolding at Jamsil Stadium, with both the winning and losing teams smiling.
*
-AT Thunders! Achieved 100 wins and 70% win rate for the first time in history!
… AT Thunders had an overwhelming year with 100 wins, 2 draws, and 42 losses, recording a winning percentage of 0.704. … Fans are interested in whether the AT Thunders, considered the strongest team since the 10-team system, can establish an AT dynasty by winning their third consecutive Korean Series title…
-Ji Maeng-ho achieves a new record of 75 with an over-the-park home run!
… Meanwhile, Ji Maeng-ho hit his 75th home run against Jang Woo-joo in the bottom of the fourth inning, leaving a new mark in the history of world home run records. Ji Maeng-ho’s 75th home run was an out-of-park home run that flew a distance of 152.2 m, and the home run ball is known to have been collected by AT Thunders club officials. An AT Thunders team official said, “We were lucky to pick up this ball. “We plan to install a copper plate at the spot where Ji Maeng-ho’s 75th home run hit.” …
Meanwhile, Ji Maeng-ho said in a post-game interview, “I will donate the home run ball to the team’s memorial hall. The commemorative ball will be displayed at the team’s memorial hall, conveying the opinion, “Isn’t it cool to make money with a home run ball?”
-Elbow injury? Can Jang Woo-joo appear in fall baseball?
… Future Buffaloes said, “I have a second-degree sprain in my elbow ligament. “I don’t think I will have to go to the extent of surgery,” He said. Unlike a third-degree sprain that requires Tommy John surgery, a second-degree sprain can be treated with injections and rehabilitation… However, if the situation worsens during the rehabilitation period, surgery is also being considered…
Meanwhile, future Buffaloes coach Kim Jong-seok said, “Will Jang Woo-joo play in the fall baseball? We don’t know yet. However, he said, “I have a strong will to stand on the mound even if I have to take painkillers.” …
*
“Hey, is the article true? “I heard you have a ligament injury, but are you going to pitch?”
-“Uh. If I go to Junple Op, I decided to take painkillers and leave. “Because I can pitch about one inning.”
“… Crazy bastard. Hey, don’t ruin the player’s life, just get treatment, you idiot.”
-“Why are you afraid we’ll go up?”
“You bastard Waka. That’s it. This bastard is really crazy. I thought you tore a ligament because you were crying. “Someone would have thought it was the end of the world.”
-“I thought it was cut off too, but I guess I was a little scared because it was the first time I hurt my elbow. But is it true that you are donating it? They say ball number 74 is worth about 1 billion. Well, I guess no one will buy it if I hit one more.”
“That? That’s not really a home run ball. It was thrown out of the market anyway, so who knows.”
-“… Wow, fuck. Isn’t that a scam?”
“Well, how about it? No one knows. Anyway, congratulations to Waka.”
-“Thank you. See you in the Korean series. I’ll take you up there. “Hang up.”
“Okay. See you later.”
Dudududu…
“Ugh, you idiot, why risk your player’s life on the postseason?” . Looking at it like this, it seems to be okay. I was worried for no reason. Well, I won’t be able to go up anyway. Tsk. “I need to have sex.”
After the regular season is over, the day before the wild card game.
The 100 mph man was ready to give up his arm to help his team win, and the 75 home run man was praying for the 4th place team to win for his younger brother. The clock was ticking toward fall baseball.