Chapter 623 – Episode 610. Children’s Day Must Be Won. (2)

“Strike!”

In the top of the 3rd inning, with one out and runners on first and second base, the first pitch thrown by the opposing pitcher landed in the strike zone, but I was rather satisfied with the strike.

‘Guys, I guess it’s burdensome to have bases loaded with one out.’

Throwing a strike on the first pitch meant that he was willing to compete with me.

‘Since Hwicheol is on second base, a short hit is 1 point. Baek Jeong-jin on first base is not slow either, so he can score up to 2 points with one long hit.’

The best way was to hit a home run, but home runs weren’t what I wanted, so I took it as light as possible and waited for the pitcher’s next ball.

“Ball.”

‘Sseuup, I’m not in perfect condition today.’

One unfortunate thing was that today was not a very good day. On days when conditions were good, the pitcher’s pitch seemed slow, but today, perhaps because it was a daytime game, it didn’t look that much.

‘Well, I’m not a pitcher who can’t hit due to poor condition.’

Today’s starting pitcher for Hancheol is Park Ji-hwan. Although he wasn’t that good at throwing the ball, he was a guy that stayed in my memory. He was the same guy as me who was selected in the first round of the 23rd draft, and he was a pitcher who left his name on several of my records last year and the year before.

The average speed is in the mid 140s and his main weapon is a low slider. He was a guy who threw just a forkball and a two-seam, but in terms of style, he was a pitcher who was almost like Wonho’s junior counterpart. A guy like that has a velocity in the mid 140s? Then it was like my food.

Even without Mr. Rossby telling him, there was no problem at all as long as he focused on the timing of the fastball. … Still, the home run was tough, but a home run is something that comes from hitting a hit.

He had no choice but to aim for a hit and pray for the right timing rather than take a big swing in the hopes of hitting a home run and then lose his form.

‘Whoa, let’s go.’

So the timing to aim for is a fastball. He continued to take deep breaths and the guy who was looking at the runner on first and second base also began to look at the mitt intently, as if he had made up his mind. And then the guy’s legs go up. As the leg extends, the ball is thrown from the guy’s hand.

However, unlike the timing of the fastball I was waiting for, the guy’s ball slowly bent downward…

‘Huh… !’

As I watched the ball, I tightened my back and stopped the bat for a split second. Then he extended the bat again in an almost continuous motion. And the feel of the ball on the bat. I just pushed his ball away.

Perfect!

A batted ball that floats upward while making a cute sound. The moment I hit it, I thought it wasn’t going to be a home run, but the direction was pretty good. The batted ball headed toward the second baseman, and Hancheol’s second baseman jumped high to catch the ball, but unfortunately for him, the ball flew high above his glove.

“Run! Run!”

Right fielder Kim Jeong-hyeon can be seen running to catch the ball. When I glanced back, Jeong Hwi-cheol had already rounded third base and was heading home, and Baek Jeong-hyeon, who was the runner on first base, was also heading toward third base.

‘If I do this, it’s obvious I’ll be thrown to third base… !’

There are three options for the right fielder to choose from here. Throwing the ball to home, third, and second base. But now it was late at home, and second base was all I had to do if I didn’t run, so the option with the highest probability of getting an out was third base.

Kim Jeong-hyun was a fielder with such excellent defensive sense that he played right field in the national team, so he threw the ball straight toward third base, and I ran all the way to second base. Since the throw was headed toward third base, I slowly slow down and look toward third base.

There was third baseman Han Cheol, trying to put his glove over Baek Jeong-jin, who was sliding headfirst toward the third base. And almost at the same time that Baek Jeong-jin’s hand touches the base, the glove passes by Baek Jeong-jin’s body.

‘Please!’

The result…,

“… Safe!”

… The third base umpire spreads his arms and makes a save.

-Waaaaa!!!

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

As it was Children’s Day, a packed crowd came to Jamsil and started cheering and loudly chanting my name.

“Nice!”

And a loud cheer came out of my mouth. Score immediately after conceding a goal. Moreover, it is a situation where you can even aim for a comeback with one out and second and third bases! Although this was early in the game, it was quite big.

“Meng Hao! It was good.”

“Oh, I should have hit a home run. Kabyo. Here, equipment.”

“How can you always hit a home run? … It would be nice if you hit it, though.”

“Well, I’m sorry.”

I handed over my equipment to the coach who subtly gave me a field goal for failing to hit a home run, and I quickly calmed down my excitement with a timely hit. I needed concentration when I was a batsman, but I also needed to concentrate when I was a runner.

And,

‘Mr. Rossby!!!’

… He quickly called Mr. Rossby to help the team win. However, it takes time for Mr. Rossby, who was watching the women in the stands, to arrive.

‘Under…, Seong Tae-hyung. Please just be quick…’

I pray in my head that Seongtae doesn’t hit the first pitch and wait for Mr. Rossby to arrive.

Perfect!

However, contrary to my prayers, Seongtae’s bat went out on the first pitch,

“Run! Run!”

‘As expected, Seongtae hyung! I didn’t hit a home run in the finals for nothing! What an amazing kid!’

Seongtae’s batted ball split right-center and was enough for me to hit home. The moment he heard the hitting sound, he decided that the ball had fallen, so he quickly increased his speed and rounded third base, and the third base coach waved his arm and gave a sign to keep going.

“Meng Hao! To the side!”

And even coaching from senior Jincheol, who is leading the judo game at home. When the gesture tells it to slide sideways, it quickly slides into the groove. The feeling of dust flying as my body slips and the mitt touching my back.

With timing like this, there was nothing to be nervous about.

“Safe!”

“Nice! “At least one leg!”

“Senpai, please give us a shot too!”

“… I understand.”

The score is now 3:1. Although it was only the third time, this score was almost like a wedge.

“Did you put a booster on this kid’s foot?”

“Nice! Good, Meng Hao!”

Besides, the atmosphere in the dugout was good.

‘Good. No matter what happens on Children’s Day, we have to win.’

When I glanced at the expression of starting pitcher Diaz, he also looked quite satisfied. If he showed his skills properly, he could surpass Bellingham and become the team’s ace, so it seemed like he could hold out until the guy went down.

… No, it was the same.

‘And… Fuck… This is a bit…’

The bottom of the 3rd inning started after the top of the 3rd inning with senior Jin-cheol’s fly, Baek Kyung-ho’s walk, and Birch’s strikeout. The guy started hitting home runs from the inning’s leadoff hitter, Kim Jeong-hyeon, making the atmosphere strange.

And in the bottom of the fourth inning. He suddenly became shaken and allowed successive hits and walks to Hancheol’s lower-order hitters, and eventually came off the mound after hitting a home run with the bases loaded and two outs.

‘Where did you bring such a piece of trash from here? ‘Should I hit a scout team pat?’

That guy’s helmet made even me, a peace-loving person, think of violent thoughts. When the top of the 5th inning started, the score was 6:3.

‘Wow, 3 points… ? Fuck, yeah, let’s give it a try.’

The 3-point gap, which would not have been a big deal last year, felt a bit heavy, but today, with many young fans coming, I, as a player, could not be the first to give up, so I strengthened my resolve and went to bat.

Perfect!

And hitting the first pitch! It felt like I hit it just right, but the speed of the ball was so fast that I stopped at first base.

‘Huh, this is enough. After all, both Seongtae and Jincheol have the power to strike one blow. Mr. Rossby!’

As I went out to first base, I quickly called Mr. Rossby and, as planned, I headed for second base.

‘It’s 2nd base with no outs, but right now we need a big score, not just 1 point…’

If I was aiming for third base, I could have stolen third base at any time, but my steps end here. I stopped at second base and started relaying the pitch I heard from Mr. Rossby to the batters.

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘It’s a fastball!’

“Ball.”

‘Slider.’

‘It’s a slider!’

“Strike! Out!”

However, Seongtae-hyung could not withstand Park Ji-hwan’s slider that deflected downward and struck out.

‘Fuck, should I just run to third base? … No. Still, let’s trust Jincheol and give it a try.’

After stealing third base, I wanted to go home using an infield ground ball or an outfield fly, but what I needed now was a big score. I trusted Jincheol and started signing autographs.

“Strike!”

“Strike!”

However, senior Jincheol’s bat spins wildly when the ball goes out, and before you know it, it’s a no ball to strike.

‘And… Senior Jincheol is also almost broken? Sigh, I guess I should just give him an autograph and run to third base. Mr. Rossby?’

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Okay. It’s a fastball. … But since it’s a fastball, I’m a bit nervous about running.’

The only thing I can trust now is that senior Jincheol doesn’t strike out. In order for me to run, the pitcher had to throw a breaking ball, so I watched the third pitch, praying that senior Jincheol’s at-bat would not end with this pitch.

And…,

Ta-ah!

Senior Jincheol’s batted ball flies away with a roar for the first time in a long time!

‘Fuck! This is it! This is Choi Jin-cheol!’

This sound, this timing. If it was the senior Jincheol I knew, there was no need to look at him. Because this was a home run.

Still, I looked toward the fence just in case, and senior Jincheol’s batted ball went slightly over the left fence.

‘… It’s a home run, but it definitely looks a little old. Ugh…’

Compared to the sound, the batted ball was a bit like an old man’s piss, but it was still a home run. With this, the score gap was narrowed to 1 point.

“Senior! It was great!”

“I liked you too, Meng Hao.”

“Yes. Let’s just keep going like this!”

If things really go on like this and the pitchers keep the score, I will get at bat twice in the future, and the remaining score difference is 1 point. That was enough of a difference in points to turn things around.

‘Fuck it, let’s win today!’

Today, when I received a special gift from Soyoung, my motivation was burning brightly because I could never go back to being a defeated soldier.