Chapter 116 – Episode 114. Jamsil Rival? (One)
There are many derbies in the Korean professional baseball world. Representative derbies include the Charlotte Blue Mariners, based in Busan, and the Young Honam Derby, a future Buffaloes team based in Gwangju. The classic derby between Hyunseong and Mad Catz, based on Charlotte and Daegu. NV Rex’s Nakdong River Derby, based on Charlotte and Masan.
And in the 2000s, AT Thunders, who competed for last place, and Charlotte Blue Mariners, also known as Collot, compete against each other with their bizarre performances.
Apparently, these rivalries were created because the Charlotte Blue Mariners, the original team based in the old city of Busan, are very popular. In addition, fans paid more attention to Charlotte because of her performance, where she seemed to lose against any weak team and win against any strong team.
For reference, the future Buffaloes were also the most popular team in Korea, but they didn’t have many famous rivalries because they showed overwhelming performance in strong years and were too weak in weak years.
Anyway, aside from the matches between Charlotte and other clubs, there was one more famous rivalry in KBA. The Jamsil rivalry between AT Thunders and Hancheol Grizzlies, the only one that shares the same stadium.
From the point of view of AT, which used Jamsil as their home from the beginning, it was natural that they did not like the tenant Han-cheol Grizzlies, and since Han-cheol Grizzlies went down to Chungcheong-do after receiving a promise from KBA, AT Thunders pretending to be the owners of Jamsil Didn’t like it.
Moreover, in the 1990s, as the AT Thunders enjoyed their heyday, they completely crushed Han-cheol, and Han-cheol’s inferiority complex only deepened. It was in the early 2000s that the composition changed when AT collapsed. At the same time as the fall of the AT, the Grizzlies went up as a strong team, and in the 2010s, they won several championships, and now the gap has completely widened.
The relative record is at a level where AT has never won a season in nearly 10 years, and in one season, with only one win, the relationship has become something of a rival, but the goal of emotion that AT Thunders has in one season is it just went deeper
Because when the team is doing well, it has been the AT Thunders’ annual pattern of getting swept by Hancheol and falling down.
In the case of Hancheol, he seemed to care more about the championship contenders Hyunseong, UG, and Shinra rather than AT, but AT Thunders fans hated losing to Hancheol more than being swept by another team.
How do I know that I am not interested in Korean baseball?
“… So! Hancheol must win unconditionally! Got it? Are you a fierce tiger? Because losing to Han-cheol is more annoying than dying!”
Because So-young, who had been arguing in front of me for 30 minutes, kept repeating the same story like a drunk! From the history of Korean baseball to the meaning behind rival matches, I felt like I was going to die of boredom.
“Okay, stop now.”
“Really! Lose in the opening game? I won’t let you go! Just lose to the kids living in rented rooms. Really!”
“Didn’t that older sister also lose to Joeun, who lives in a rented room?”
It wasn’t really a set of three. It was because Jo Eun paid the rent and lived in the house she had left. Well, it’s cheaper than the market price.
“… Is this the same as that?!”
When I mentioned what happened last night, So-young screamed and went back to her house.
“Sister! Bring your panties!”
Anyways it’s cute
Anyway, it was around 2002 that Soyoung began to watch baseball in earnest. Since she was at a time when AT was on the road to decline, she felt like she could feel her inferiority to the Grizzlies even if she didn’t have to rant like that.
‘Well…. Come to think of it, did AT fail after Soyoung saw it? Could it be that Soyeong is the culprit behind the defeat?’
Maybe if I said this, So-young would beat me to death? I won’t say this until the day I die.
-Soyoung: You really can’t lose! Maengho, I will only believe in you!!!♥♥
Did you send a text message as soon as you got home? Anyway, I didn’t want to lose even if Soyeong didn’t ask for help. Because as a player, it was only natural to win.
*
“Today’s starting lineup goes as we talked about yesterday.”
In the AT Thunders conference room, the director’s words are conveyed through interpreters.
“Hitter number one, second baseman Ji Maeng-ho. Batting second, third baseman Kim Soo-ho. 3 batter, left fielder. Batter 4, designated hitter bore. Batter 5, first baseman Choi Jin-cheol, batter 6, right fielder Woo Kwan-hyung. Batter 7, catcher Jung Yun-chul. Hitter number 8, shortstop Kang Hee-seok. Batter 9, center fielder Kim Joo-yeop. Does anyone have any objections?”
“There is not.”
The lineup was no different from what was described yesterday. Hee-seok Kang instead of Seong-tae Yoon, who plays a little bit of a patta, means that the defense is a little more stable because it is the opening match, right?
“Hee-seok has a story from the coach asking him to pay more attention to defense. Because the Keystone duo are rookies.”
“Tell me not to worry.”
“Yes.”
Kang Hee-seok said that and looked at me.
“I am the youngest. Just trust me.”
“Ah yes.”
The reason Kang Hee-seok was able to stay in the first team for nearly 20 years despite his poor batting skills was thanks to his defense. I was more comfortable with Seong-tae because I worked with Seong-tae from the finishing camp, but the coach’s choice was also convincing.
But what were they talking about at the meeting? Seeing Kang Hee-seok’s smiling face made me more curious.
“Today’s starting pitcher is Jansson, as I’ve said before. Jung Yun-cheol, please pay special attention to the ball combination. Since this is the first appearance in the KBA League, we want the veteran Jeong Yun-cheol to lead Janson.”
“OK.”
“Now. Today’s opponent is the Hancheol Grizzlies. You know everything If you lose in one season from the opening game, you won’t be able to say anything even if the car comes flying around.”
Coach Kim Byeong-cheol, who has the most time among Korean coaches, encouraged the players on behalf of the foreign coaches. But he throws stones… ? I shouldn’t be embarrassed because Soyoung is cold….
“Yes!”
“I’ll do my best!”
“Let’s win!”
While the players were answering, I immediately asked Woo Kwan-hyung next to me what I was curious about.
“Senior, are you really throwing stones?”
“… When I was a rookie, there were fans like that from time to time.”
Looking at Woo Kwan-hyung’s expression, it seemed to be true. Does that mean that the match against Han Cheol is so important? But the good news is that it’s not like that these days….
“… These days, there are a few fans who scratch cars, if not stones.”
“Somehow, senior’s car had a lot of scratches on it. Has it been 10 years since you picked it up?”
“… I pulled it last year.”
Fuck! By the way, there were so many gasses? I heard from Soyoung, but it’s really this much… ! I heard that the thing AT fans hate more than death is losing to Hanchul. Surely Soyoung scratched a few times when she was young?
Anyway, to protect the car Soyoung lent me, I must win today!
*
“It’s a daytime game, so the sunlight is strong.”
2pm. It wasn’t a good time to play baseball. Even though it was spring, the sunlight was this much, it was terrible to think of playing a daytime game in the summer.
“If the sun is shining, wear some sunglasses.”
“As expected, is it because we played a lot of daytime games in the 2nd team? Thanks for the advice.”
“You ungrateful bastard…. I hope it’s a week.”
“Well, you can do it too, if you work hard.”
“Okay, good job.”
Yoon Seong-tae must have been very heartbroken, seeing that there was no reaction to my babblingheheard that he hit a little during the exhibition game.
“Maengho, are you ready?”
As I was chatting with Yoon Seong-tae, the hitting coach called me.
“Yep.”
“You remember the power analysis, right? Can you explain one more time?”
“It’s okay.”
I’m already familiar with the opponent selection, so there’s no need to listen to it separately.
“Okay, show me.”
“All right.”
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in a game as the number one hitter. Was it a phoenix? At that time, it seems that he went on a business trip as No. 1.
Playing as the number one hitter was at a disadvantage because Rossby spends less time looking at the pitchers’ grip, but it’s not against Ohtani and that’s about it.
Today’s starter for the Grizzlies is Denilson Radet, who was recruited this season. His average speed was 153 km/h. He threw a sinker, slider, and changeup. He is of Dominican descent and has a dreadlocks…. He was a face, but what kind of girl?
A cute face with a small height of about 155 cm. Besides, it was a girl with a face like I had never seen before. Like I saw recently….
‘He looks like he wants to eat it.’
‘… And Mr. Rossby? Me too.’
Rossby, who is a racist, wants to eat means beautiful. I agree with Rossby.
[Today’s first pitch is Joo Seung-cheol’s younger brother. This is Influencer Ju Jiah Yang. It is said that he stood here for the victory of the Grizzlies and the speedy recovery of Joo Seung-cheol.]
I hear the announcer’s words in the hall. Right. Professional baseball had the first pitch. I was just confused By the way, Joo Seung-cheol’s younger brother? When I came to my senses and checked my face, it was the girl from the video I saw yesterday on So-young’s cell phone.
By the way, Hyungjin Joo and Seungcheol Joo were quite tall, but they are a bit short.
“Hello! This is Youtuber, Jujia. Thank you to the team who invited me, and I hope that Seungcheol oppa gets well soon and shows a good performance this year too! Thank you! Hancheol Grizzlies Fighting! Fighting the strongest one season!!!”
The unbelievable voice, coming from a small body, rang through the Jamsil Stadium through the microphone. And then, Jujia’s poem began. As if to prove that she was also Joo Hyung-jin’s daughter, her posture and her motor nerves were unusual.
“Oh, throw some.”
“Is that so? From what I can see, I think I’m better than most kids. Are bloodlines bloodlines?”
A familiar voice came from home plate. National team catcher Lee Yong-gi…. I’m pretty good at trash talking, so my seniors told me to be careful.
“Oh, Courage senior. Hello. Long time no see.”
Still, I was a Confucian man who knew how to respect my seniors, so I said hello lightly.
“Okay.”
“Please take good care of the referee.”
And he said hello to the referee after a long time. During the WBC period, I didn’t say hello because I was a foreign referee, but I think it would be better to say hello because they were the faces you’ll get tired of seeing in the KBA. I heard from Woo Kwan-hyung that there are judges who will give you half more if you don’t say hello.
“Seniors. How is his ball?”
“Feel it.”
After all, is it difficult to get information from Lee Yonggi? I just have to face it myself.
While talking to Lee Yong-gi, Joo Ji-ah went down the mound and Han-cheol’s starting pitcher, Radet, went up the mound. As you can see in the video, I’m a fastball pitcher with a ferocious-looking face and a beard. Seemed to do
‘I mean, the world has gotten better. These bastards get up on the mound.’
‘There was a Negro League back then? And Satchel Page.’
‘He’s a bastard and he throws the ball well.’
Of all the legendary pitchers called by Rossby, Satchel Page, a black man, threw the most powerful pitch. Because 160 seemed to come out lightly. Even Rossby was on the side of acknowledging Satchel Page.
‘Now. Don’t talk nonsense. Thank you for your support today.’
‘OK.’
As usual, Rossby moved to a position where he could see the pitcher’s glove.
“Play ball!”
And my first professional baseball game started with the referee’s announcement that the game would start.
