Chapter 713 – Episode 700. 2027 Major League Opening Game. (1)

[In the top of the 9th inning, the Yankees are ahead 7:1. And then at the plate comes this man we’ve been waiting for. The 260 Million Dollar Man, Mang-Ho! Ji! This man, who has not been seen since the first week, finally comes to bat on the last day of the exhibition game.]

[Ji’s performance in exhibition games was 4 hits in 10 at-bats, 3 home runs, and 6 RBIs in 5 games. And he has an OPS of 1.8.]

[Actually, there were articles about Ji starting training a few days ago, but he wasn’t playing in the game, right? However, he appears today as a pinch hitter.]

[Couldn’t they be trying to check their batting skills in the last exhibition game? Then, let’s watch Ji’s at-bat.]

[Josh Winder is still on the mound. First pitch ball. Ji watches. … Fifth ball! I hit it and this batted ball… ! It goes deep to the left! See Ya! Ji scores a solo four in his return at-bat! Yankees fans, don’t worry! Ji is still the same!]

*

-All major league exhibition games are over! Only the opening game remains, what are the expected performances of the Korean leaguers?

… Meanwhile, more Koreans are expected to play in the Major League this season than ever before. First, Choi Joo-tae (34) of the LA Angels, who has been playing as a shortstop in the major league since 2019, performed poorly last season with .205 2.0, 6 home runs, 36 runs, and 42 RBIs, but performed well in spring camp this season. As he unfolded, he was selected as the starting second baseman…

Meanwhile, Korea’s best closing pitcher Ko Young-hwan (30), who played as a closer in the major leagues with 82 saves for the Minnesota Twins until last year, achieved good results last season with 7 wins, 2 losses and 31 saves, and has been with the Texas Rangers for 6 years this season. He succeeded in securing a contract worth $40 million, and recorded an ERA of 2.42 in spring camp…

‘Son of a hero’ Joo Seung-cheol (24) also has a bright outlook this year. Joo Seung-cheol, who moved to the Major League in 2025 and recorded 305 hits and 54 home runs over two years, including the Rookie of the Year award, was the 4th hitter following Sean, Ohtani, and Betts in spring training this season…

However, not all Korean major-leaguers have good prospects. Jung Woo-sung (36), who won a total of 66 wins in the major leagues and played for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, was moved to the bullpen in the middle of last season due to poor performance, and showed good performance by recording an ERA of 2.43 in spring camp. However, it is known that he plans to start the season as a long man…

So what about the three new players who made their home in the major league this season?

First, Shin Su-ho (26), who signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants, appeared in 14 games and recorded an ERA of 3.79 over 19 innings, showing worse performance than expected, but the team gave him confidence by saying that he would still be used as a key bullpen…

Kim Won-ho (23), who signed with the Houston Astros, surprised fans by appearing in 11 games and recording an ERA of 1.69 over 16 innings, and was scheduled to be the team’s third starter…

Ji Maeng-ho (23), the highest-paid man in the Major League who signed a huge four-year contract worth $260 million with the New York Yankees, is still powerful, hitting .405 with 5 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBIs in 6 games. He showed a good performance, but the injury was painful.

Spring camp is an important period for adjusting to the regular league, and Korean players entering the major league for the first time use this period to adapt to the major league culture… However, Ji Maeng-ho missed most of the game due to injury, and it is unclear how this variable will play out….

…

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are scheduled to face the Houston Astros in their home opener. Many people are paying attention to whether Houston will send Kim Won-ho as the third starter as scheduled and the first Korean league match with Ji Maeng-ho will take place.

This week’s Korean Leaguer match.

New York Yankees VS Houston Astros. (4.3~4.6, Ji Maeng-ho, Kim Won-ho)

LA Dodgers VS San Francisco Giants. (4.6~4.9, Joo Seung-cheol, Shin Su-ho.)

┗Wow, there are 7 people in major. How many are in Japan now?

┗┗Ohtani, Kikuchi, Suzuki, Yoshida, Senga, Matsui, Yamamoto, Shota, Munetaka, Rocky, there should be 10 including the opening roster?

┗┗Where is Darvish? I think you played last year too?

┗┗He scored 9 points last year and is said to be looking for a team right now, but is he probably going to retire? Go back to Japan.

┗It would be nice if Woosung did a little better… He was such a failure last year ㅅㅂ

┗┗Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange if Choi Joo-tae or Jung Woo-sung retired?

-Is that man-hoe finally back? Didn’t we sign a contract with a scammer again?

┗I have never been injured in Korea, so I should look forward to it.

┗┗He also played almost full time except for one season before coming to the Bronx.

┗┗Sorry, Stanton will show amazing performance this season, look forward to it.

┗┗Get out. If he wants to pay for money, he will have to hit 100 homers this season.

-What’s encouraging is that 4 out of 5 hits he had been home runs. I wish the J&J Boys competed for home runs like the M&M Boys. I miss the M&M Boys!

┗And I hope our Yankees create a legend like back then…

┗Hey, don’t forget another J, Juan!

┗┗I can’t look forward to that guy anymore. If only Soto had done it right last year, we would have won.

┗┗Who knew that a guy receiving 39 million would hit .247 with 23 home runs.

┗┗Yeah, no one knew Stanton would turn out like that.

┗┗Hmm… Then Ji too…

┗┗Shut up, don’t say anything weird.

┗LOL It’s hard to say that you miss someone who wasn’t even born at that time

*

“I’ll take one last picture. Two players, try being friendly. “It’s been a while since I said hello to my Korean fans, but you two look so awkward.”

“Stick, you bastard.”

“Oh my…”

Even Wonho didn’t like the idea of ​​clinging to a man, but the reporter kept staring at us, so we had no choice but to take a step closer and Wonho put his arm around our shoulders. Of course, because I was taller, the movement was a bit awkward.

“Please put your hand on Meng Hao’s shoulder as well.”

“Yes…”

A concubine sent from Houston? You’re making me lose motivation even before the game starts… Still, I couldn’t refuse, so I put my hand on Wonho’s shoulder, and a flash went off.

“Nice… That’s cool. Friends who went to the same high school defeated Korea and came to the United States to face each other in the opening match.”

“It would have been better if Wonho had done better and started as a starter in the opening game.”

“Hey! Does the opening starter look like a dick?”

“I’m a starter?”

“You are one of the nine. Ugh, what do you know about pitchers?”

“So, will there be a game?”

“Game 3?”

“Can I tell you that? Anyway, thank you.”

“The director said it first, but what…”

“Haha, looking at the two players talking, I get a strong vibe from them. Meng Hao, but is your injury really okay? “This is off the record.”

“It’s really okay. “I’m going to play defense today.”

How long has it been since you were injured and still… I started defensive training 2–3 days after I started batting training, and I didn’t feel any pain during that time, so my injury was definitely healed. However, I still didn’t get along well with my partner Volpi or Hall, who would receive my balls, but that was something I could gradually overcome as I played the game.

“Well, thank you for today’s interview. Fans are probably looking forward to it a lot. Both fighters fighting!”

Just like that, the Korean reporter leaves and the final interview session comes to an end.

“Ha, this is so annoying. There weren’t many reporters in Korea…”

I feel like the interview lasted an hour, and I’m already exhausted. When I was in Korea, I had never had an interview this long because only the reporters Soyoung selected had applied for interviews, but that wasn’t possible here, so it was quite annoying to have to deal with reporters from both the U.S. And Korea.

“Still, that means you have high expectations. It’s not like a player who can’t play gets an interview request. Anyway, do your best today. “I hope we lose the game.”

“Take care of yourself. “Aren’t you running away because you’re scared of meeting me?”

Wonho pauses at my words and heads back toward his dugout. Looking at Wonho’s bright expression throughout the interview, he seemed to be doing quite well in Houston. Looking at that, it was unfortunate that Houston wasn’t enthusiastic about recruiting me. I thought it would be fun to play with Wonho like I did in high school.

The amount Houston offered me was $240 million. Considering Houston’s financial strength, he could have bet more, but since Houston had a second baseman named Altuve who was likely to enter the Hall of Fame, he did not bet a larger amount.

Considering Altuve’s age, it seemed like he could have intervened more, but Altuve’s performance last season was .209, 19 home runs, and an OPS of 0.811, ranking third in the American League among second basemen last season. It was worth worrying about as he recorded a WAR that ranked 5th in the entire major league.

In particular, the fact that the 25th season was ruined but bounced back immediately seems to have given the club high marks?

Well, the romance is gone in the major leagues, whatever, but the fact that Altuve is a one-club man doesn’t have any effect.

Of course, even if Altuve was old, or even Altuve was younger, I would do better.

‘Now that I think about it, these bastards from Houston are a bit arrogant. Why don’t they believe in such nonsense and make an offer to me?’

I felt like I had to destroy Houston today and get some tears out of the general manager’s eyes.

‘Okay, let’s give him a good beating to make him remember his ancestors.’

‘… What are you talking about all of a sudden?’

‘Didn’t you see it then? The general manager of Houston is a bastard.’

‘… Who remembers that? … Hmm, from what Mr. Rossby remembers, doesn’t he actually like black people more than anyone else?’

‘I’ll kill you, you motherless bastard.’

Hearing Mr. Ross B’s friendly pad lip makes me feel at peace. As expected, there was nothing like Mr. Rossby’s swearing to calm his mind.

‘Looking at reactions like this, I should have fucked a black person at least once, but there’s no black person I like…’

Thinking that it would be fun to watch Mr. Rossby’s reaction while having sex with a black man someday, I went back to our dugout,

“Okay, let’s show those guys an example. Give just 1 point. “I’m in the best condition today.”

The game started with our team’s ace, Gerrit Cole, on the mound.