Chapter 723 – Episode 710. First Expedition. (3)

-New York Yankees win 4:1 over Detroit Tigers!

-Ji Maeng-ho selected as AL Player of the Week in the first week of April!

… Ji Maeng-ho earned his first Player of the Week award after hitting .508, 4 home runs, and an OPS of 2.161 in 4 games in the first week of April. …

[The New York Yankees secure a winning series against the Detroit Tigers with a 4-1 win following yesterday!]

-Ji Maeng-ho has 1 hit in 4 at-bats, Yankees win 5 games in a row!

… Meanwhile, Ji Maeng-ho, who recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats yesterday, had a slightly disappointing performance in today’s game, recording 1 hit and 1 walk in 4 at-bats…

┗ㅋㅋ The disappointing performance of getting on base twice is so fucking funny

┗┗I’m hitting 50% on Fierce Protector, but it’s a shame. When the cycle comes on, you have to push it so hard

┗┗But even if the cycle falls off, I think it will be okay because it’s not the type of fierce fighting spirit.

*

“Jia, are you okay today?”

“Huh… “I’m really fine, so do what’s comfortable for you.”

My performance in today’s game was 1 hit and 1 walk in 4 at-bats. If I had done well, it would have been a good grade, but Jia seemed to think that it was her fault for not being able to satisfy my desires properly yesterday, so she worked passionately,

“Jia? Are you okay?”

“…”

After accepting my desire once, he almost fainted while performing another heroic mission.

“Brother…”

“Huh?”

“Why don’t you just stop worrying about me after today and go out with another girl? I’m sorry that you feel like you can’t concentrate properly on the game because of me…”

And Jia looks at me and feels sorry. Since she was sharing a hotel room with Gia, she didn’t want to call another woman, but she felt like it would be better to relieve Gia’s worries than to blame her for nothing. 〉

“… “You gave permission?”

“… Yes.”

“Under… I didn’t want to do this…”

“Why do people who hate it laugh?”

“No, I’m the one who smiles.”

I got Jia’s permission, and now there was nothing to worry about. Of course, she would have to find another room.

‘You said you would move to Toronto right after this series, right? I’m sure Grace will be there then, so I’ll try to seduce her.’

The next schedule is against the Toronto Blue Jays. Although it was a two-year expedition, there were rest days, so there was plenty of time to mess around. When I think of Grace, who was a flight attendant on a private plane, my dead self wakes up out of concern for Jia.

“… What made me think of this all of a sudden? I guess I find it annoying. “I’m going to have to take it all out by hand, so I can’t do it tomorrow.”

“For a moment… !”

“Huh?”

“With your mouth.”

“Anyhow…”

After solving one more problem with Jia’s hands and mouth, we hugged each other and fell asleep, and the morning of the third game dawned.

‘Condition is good.’

I was in the best condition today, probably because I was thinking about meeting a new woman for the first time in a long time.

“Hey, Ji, you were dead yesterday, but your expression is bright today.”

So much so that even Volpi, who I am not very close with, can recognize my condition.

“Does it look like that?”

“Yesterday you looked like you were about to die… Are you okay today?”

Actually, we should have become closer while training together at spring camp, but I wasn’t that close to most of my teammates because I missed the training due to injury. The only players who spoke to me were Volpi, who was talking to me, and first baseman Hall, who caught my ball, except for Judge, the captain.

Even if it was released the next day, does it seem like beating Verdugo like a dog on the first day of training had some effect?

Still, it was a Volfi Keystone combination, so I was able to say something. To be honest, I was in a good mood right now because I was busy having sex after the game. Anyway, my condition today was pretty good, to the point where Volpi could tell, and the effect was clearly visible in training.

“Good, good. I think I’m finally breathing a little better now. Ji. Let’s do well today.”

And Volpi seemed to like my condition. I was a guy who didn’t say things like this often, but it certainly seemed like I was in good shape today.

“Hey, Volpi.”

“Huh?”

So, taking advantage of Volpi’s good mood, I decided to ask him what he had been curious about all day, and called Volpi, who was about to enter the locker room.

“Do you know where the private plane crew stays?”

“… How do I know that?”

Ugh, there’s a lot of talk about being Jeter’s successor, so I thought he would know, but he doesn’t even know such basic things. It makes me think he’s still a long way from becoming Jeter’s successor.

‘I’m going to get on a plane right after this game ends anyway, so I’ll have to find out then. If possible, I wish I could eat it right away. Well, let’s focus on the game for now.’

I erased my thoughts about the woman I was about to fuck, went into the locker room, and started watching the power analysis sheet and video I received before today’s training. Detroit’s starter today is Miller, the 5th starter. He was a rookie pitcher who debuted last year and was a young left-hander who appeared in 12 games last season and had an ERA of 5.40 in 50 innings.

He was said to have an average speed of 91 miles (146.4 km/h) and a top speed of about 95 miles (152.8 km/h). His pitches were a curve and a circle changeup splitter. As long as he was careful with the splitter, he was a pitcher who didn’t do much. Moreover, our team’s starting pitcher is the ace Cole.

‘Well, this is almost a free game.’

Since he was a flight attendant on a private plane, there was a high possibility that he was our fan, and it was natural that his chances would increase if he dashed after the game was won. And I’m active there? Then, well, it was almost the end.

However, there was talk that the pitch was a bit good, but you would have to see it in person to see it at bat.

‘Well, anyway, I don’t know how much the 5th starter will throw…’

Of course, as he is a starting pitcher in the major leagues, he can throw to some extent, so it is impossible to let down his guard. As I continued to spend time watching his videos, Mattingly started calling out today’s lineup.

“Then, here is today’s starting lineup. 2nd baseman in 1st, left fielder in 2nd…”

‘Judge is left fielder?’

Judge’s current grades are .206, 3.3, and 0 home runs. Although his on-base percentage was over .400, his performance did not live up to his reputation as a judge, so I thought for a moment that he would find his senses while playing defense.

“Right fielder Soto at No. 3… Designated hitter Stanton at number 6…”

A new name was called in number 6. The name is Stanton. To target the left-handed pitcher, Manager Mattingly took out a card called Stanton. The idea of ​​sniping a left-handed pitcher with a right-handed hitter was common, but the problem was…,

‘… But if you look at the records, last year’s record was worse against left-handed hitters.’

Today’s starter Miller’s split record was that he pitched better against right-handed hitters. Miller’s decisive pitch is a splitter and a circle changeup, and although they have different bending angles, both pitches flow to the outside of the right-handed hitter, so Miller was a so-called reverse split type pitcher.

However, using Stanton, a right-handed hitter, as the starter also meant that Mattingly was a manager who did not just look at records. I was wondering if they had hired an old coach because he was a legend, but it felt like he was just a typical old school coach.

‘This is why we won’t win for 20 years.’

Well, it didn’t really matter because the person itself was nice. He may not be so good to others, but he’s been nice to me. And honestly, whether Verdugo or Stanton appeared had no effect on the game.

Why? Because I was there.

*

“Manager. Is it okay? “If we change the starting lineup and don’t win for no reason when we’re on a 5-game winning streak, the fans will be upset again, right?”

Mattingly smiled wryly at Bench Coach Garcia’s words. Criticism from fans. Mattingly was well aware of the criticism from Yankees fans because he spent his days as a player with the Yankees.

Because the New York Yankees were a team with the best history and tradition in the major leagues, Yankees fans always yearned for a championship. The pressure felt by Yankees players was so great that there was even a term called Yankee pressure. It was natural that there would be criticism from the media and fans even if we missed just one game.

If Stanton was put in today and the team lost, it was clear that Coach Ama would be torn apart by fans’ comments and media articles.

“If he had been afraid of that, he wouldn’t have taken this position.”

But Mattingly wasn’t afraid of that.

“Umm…”

“Don’t you know that Jean’s resurrection is necessary to win?”

“That’s right… It would be nice as long as Stanton plays well.”

Because Mattingly really wanted to win.

There is only one reason why Mattingly returned to the Yankees. It was the World Series victory that he had longed for during his time as a player and that he and his fans had longed for.

And Stanton’s revival was needed to win the World Series.

Mattingly felt that Stanton’s form this season was very good during spring training. Do you get the sense that he has worked hard to prepare his body for what could be his final season?

During spring training, Stanton hit 7 home runs in 15 games, showing that he is still in good shape, and his training as well as his records were quite good.

Stanton’s competitor is left fielder Verdugo.

Verdugo was also a good enough player to record an OPS of 1.054 in 35 games last year, but in fact, that performance was too small a sample considering he played 162 games in one season.

And Verdugo’s performance in the season in which he came to the Yankees and played full time was disappointing considering he was a corner outfielder. In ’25, he hit .208 with 14 home runs and an OPS of 0.787. In ’24, he hit .208 with 16 home runs and an OPS of .773.

I had a knack for guessing things, but is that the end?

However, Stanton was a player with the potential to win MVP, and if there were no injuries, he could have hit over 30 home runs.

Last season, Stanton’s performance was worse than last year as Verdugo was out with a long-term injury, and he had to play a season with the injury not fully healed, but Mattingly had faith in Stanton who had fully recovered from the injury.

Moreover, outside of baseball, Verdugo was not a very good walk-on player, and Stanton was a quiet veteran.

It’s not a good match, but the quiet veteran who can take a shot at any time, no matter who he meets, and the snappy corner outfielder who isn’t very good at work…

If asked which player would increase his chances of winning, Mattingly would have chosen the former.

Mattingly’s final plan is for Verdugo, who has a talent for contact, to take on the role of left-handed pinch hitter and outfield defender, and for Stanton to hit a home run in the bottom of the batting lineup. If that happens, the Yankees have enough power to aim for the championship.

If Stanton was revived, it would be safe to call it the best batting line in the major leagues, and the pitching staff also had a solid 5 starters in Cole, Logan, Rodon, Buehler, and Singer, and the best closer in Mason Miller who could throw 100 mph.

And today’s lineup is the cornerstone for that victory.

Therefore, Mattingly included Stanton in the starting lineup to win the championship, even though he knew that the opponent’s starting pitcher was a reverse split pitcher.

Since Verdugo doesn’t really like hitting against left-handed pitchers, is he a natural platoon?

‘Now if only Stanton showed a good side…’

Of course, even if we failed this time, it wouldn’t be a big problem because the season was still long. Moreover, even though it was only the fifth game, Mattingly was convinced that the Yankees’ batting lineup was not weakened by one player’s inability to hit.

And as Mattingly believed,

“Base on balls.”

Leadoff hitter Ji Maeng-ho walks to the base after a six-pitch game.

“Safe!”

After that, as if it was only natural, Ji Maeng-ho took advantage of the first pitch and stole second base, immediately putting the situation in a scoring position.

‘… Where did a guy like that appear?’

Against a pitcher he had never seen before, he was able to draw a walk and then steal a base right away. It was a fact that he fully felt during the five games, but Ji Maeng-ho’s talent was such that it could be said that it was outside the standard. He has watched baseball all his life. In his opinion, he is a guy who combines the abilities of Bonds and Henderson.

And the Yankees’ batting lineup had talent outside those standards.

Ta – Aak!

Judge’s batted ball flew through the right-center field, allowing Ji Maeng-ho to reach home comfortably, and Judge went to third base, creating a situation where two batters scored one run and no outs at third base. Another real talent, Soto’s bat struck like lightning. He hit the first pitch of the opponent’s starter.

[Soto’s hit! It goes over the second baseman. The runner on third base goes home comfortably. Soto stops at first base. Score 2:0. The New York Yankees lead by 2 runs from the top of the first inning!]

‘Also… Even if one person changes, the firepower is sufficient. And if a batsman who can hit at any time comes in from the bottom of the batting line instead of a snapper…’

With a batting lineup like this, it seemed like Stanton could wait long enough to show his skills.