Chapter 120 – Episode 118. Opening 2nd Year. (One)
– “I watched the game well. Maengho.”
“… Did you call to make fun of me?”
I lost after hitting a walk-off home run, but I wasn’t kidding.
-“It’s not like that, remember we decided to drink tomorrow?”
I asked him out for a drink after the WBC, but I hadn’t had time for sex with other girls. But since they’re calling celebrities, I have to go, right?
“I don’t remember.”
-“Before we do, can we stop by for a moment? My brother said he wanted to do an interview. It’s nothing special, it’s a studio.”
“Brother? Did you pitch today?”
-“Yeah, I want to pick up an interview with you.”
Originally, I would have refused, but I made a mistake during the national team training, so I can’t refuse….
“Okay.”
-“OK. Then see you after tomorrow.”
“Oki, good job.”
After the phone call with Joo Seung-cheol ends, the humiliation of the forgotten defeat comes up. Under…. I wanted to win, but you skipped me.
‘The catcher must be smart.’
‘That’s right.’
When I went to the parking lot to go to work like that, countless fans were waiting for me.
“Quaaaaa! Fierce tiger! Sign me!”
“Uh! It’s Ji Maeng-ho!”
“Please sign me, mister!”
… Are you a little embarrassed? I was a little taken aback by the sudden crowd of fans. When I was in high school, I immediately took the team bus and left, and when I was on the national team, fans didn’t flock to me, maybe because I was from a foreign country.
“Yes Yes. I will do everything.”
Since Soyoung said, I tried my best to sign autographs for the fans as faithfully as possible. Come to think of it, So-Young told me to win…. Well, it’s one game.
“Please win tomorrow!”
Oh, it’s pretty.
“Thank you. What’s your name?”
“It’s Kim Hee-eun!”
“Heeeun, thank you for cheering me on!”
“Go for it!”
“Oh, I’ll sign it too….”
What, why is the man coming to get an autograph?
“Yes. Next.”
“Oh, hello! Today’s debut home run was great! As soon as I hit a home run today, I went down and hit the mark right away! Sign here!”
Oh my uniform! Maybe because she’s a girl, she wore a pink home uniform, which had the markings “Ji Maeng-ho, 4.” The number Rossby wore in his later years with the Cardinals. 4 times. He thanked the fans for their support by lightly signing the uniform marked with the second baseman’s position number.
“Thanks for cheering me on!”
“Ah, the real WBC is so cool! We lost today, but next time definitely!”
“Yes, have a nice weekend.”
“I want Ji Maeng-ho’s autograph too!”
“Yes, next.”
After signing all the autographs for the fans, I was able to get into the car.
*
-[Hancheol VS AT] Lee Yonggi’s home run! Announcing the victory of the fierce opening game!
-[Professional baseball] Ji Maeng-ho, the hero of the WBC, debuted with a home run in his first at-bat! KBA League 1st home run record this season!
-AT Thunders, crumbling finish, uneasy back door?
-Jinhyuk-ah, the batters turned around in the 9th inning, but does it make sense to end up getting hit?
I want to beat you, right before the opening
-Wow, this is why Park Dae-hoon is a master craftsman.
Yes
Didn’t Lee Yong-gi win by hitting a home run?
Fact) Park Dae-hoon instructed Lee Yong-gi to hit a home run.
If you play well…
No, in fact, the batters did everything they had to do…
-Fuck, even though Joo Seung-cheol wasn’t there, he was robbed.
ㄴㄹㅇ I want to kill him every time he comes up in episode 9
-Wow, did we come out of Uta Geopo too? Maengho Ji is swinginghaha
ㄴㄹㅇ The batting quality is good, if it wasn’t for Jamsil, it would hit 50 homeruns
What if it’s in Jamsil?
30 home runs
If it’s AT?
I think I will go to the army after hitting about 7 times.
-It was worth watching since it was a strike match from the opening match, although it is regrettable that we lost. As expected Lee Yong-gi… When is the FA?
ㄴㄹㅇ I think I’ll win if I use it
-Wow, but in the ninth episode, the pressure on our lineup got tired.
ㄴㄹㅇ Jung Tae-hwan was so stubbornhaha
-How long do I have to watch Lee In-hyeok’s Noejuru? Go run 100 meters
ㄴㄹㅇ Because of that bastard, the atmosphere is all over the place ㅅㅅ
-Wow, I saw Ji Maeng-ho signing autographs today. He talked with female fans for about 2-3 minutes, but when he meets a male fan, he signs it and skips it right away.
Bitch thank you for signing
Are you Maengho?
-Wow, but this bastard was handsome, walking to the parking lot and shining a halo.
ㄴThat’s because I hit a home run today
-Ji Maeng-ho This bastard is so fucking funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋ For female fans, he laughs and signs autographs, but for male fans, his expression is so rotten that he skips it right away.
*
“Under…. It was the opening game, so I came to see it.”
“But don’t you think this year will be really different? Seeing how they followed yesterday, it seems like they got really sticky.”
“I ended up getting sticky and lost….”
The two fans, wearing AT Thunders uniforms, went up the stairs in Jamsil while chatting like that. Sunlight shines through the entrance of the spectators and music sounds to announce the start of the match.
-Hancheol~ Grezrells~ Follow me, follow me.
“Ha, aren’t these guys going to another ballpark? Do I have to listen to this kind of beginning music in Jamsil?”
“Hey, hey. There are also fans here. Please speak quietly.”
“What if I hear it?”
“Ehh.”
“Above that, who is the starter today?”
“Today? I heard you’re Lim Joon-hu?”
“Im Joon-hoo?”
The other fan’s expression hardened at his friend’s words. Lim Jun-hoo, a rookie who was selected as the 2nd pick in last year’s draft. He knew he had an average velocity in the mid- to high-140s. However, to put such a rookie as the starter in the opening two matches, especially against the Jamsil rivals.
“Is Sans insane? Why don’t you show Jang Yoon or Park Jun Hyung?”“Looks like he’s trying to fit the starting lot. According to the article, today is bullpen day.”
“Then who is Hancheol today?”
“Hey, didn’t you see that too? It’s Kim Hyunsik.”
Kim Hyun-sik, the left-handed ace of Han-cheol who is called the AT killer and records 10 wins every year. As soon asheheard the name, the face of a fan who had been asking for the starting pitcher’s name went into decay.
“Under…. Got me wrong Sans seems to be doing well in the first year, but it’s getting weirder by the day.”
“Ah, but wouldn’t it be better than Park Joon-hyung? Park Jun -hyung, the baby is a dog if only one season. “
“It’s not like that.”
-[Hitter number one, second baseman. Ji Maeng-ho.]
“Oh, it’s Ji Maeng-ho!”
While the two fans were sitting in their seats and sharing affectionate gossip about the team, AT Thunders hitter Ji Maeng-ho grabbed the bat, stretched, and started walking to the plate.
“Five! Hey, take out your uniform.”
Watching Maeng-Ho Ji walk into the batter’s box, the two took out a uniform with Maeng-Ho Ji’s markings that they had bought on the first floor before going up to the stadium. And they started singing the rookie cheering song with one voice.
– Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho! Oh oh oh! Thunders Ji Maeng-ho! Blow it up to the end of the sky!
As he hit a home run in his first at-bat in his debut, Le Park made a strong impact as a rookie and showed great performance in the WBC. The Uta Geopo-style hit that fans have been waiting for so long. A main force that can steal second base at any time. In addition, the defensive position of center infielder, which was always picked as the team’s weak point. In addition to his handsome appearance.
It was natural for AT Thunders fans to sing a cheering song for Ji Maeng-ho with a loud voice.
“Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho!”
And Ji Maeng-ho, who was praised by such fans, swung like lightning to match the name of the team, Thunders.
[Ji Maeng-ho! Kick up the third ball! This hit is between the left fielder and the center fielder! A position no one can catch! Ji Maeng-ho took first base… Past and to 2nd base! Three leaves from second base!]
[Ji Maeng-ho, you are really fast! Jamsil is large, but the defense of Han Cheol’s outfielders is the best in the country. Not to mention the shoulders. But it runs very lightly to second base.]
[AT Thunders starting with the lead batter double! Good start!]
[Yeah, I knew it from watching the WBC, but how can such speed come out with a height that is really close to 190cm? Your motor nerves are really amazing.]
[Now AT’s number 2 hitter, Suho Kim, steps in. The central hitter of the AT Thunders, who recorded 13 homers and an OPS of 0.878 at a batting average of 0.309 last season, enters the scoring zone.]
[It’s not that experts evaluated the AT Thunders as the championship power for nothing, right? It was shown yesterday too, but now the AT Thunders’ batting line is really scary. Following Ji Maeng-ho, who proved his potential by hitting a home run against Ohtani, Kim Su-ho, Ki Sang-joo, mercenary Bore, Choi Jin-cheol, and Woo Kwan-hyeong. All of them are players with a good knowledge of hitting, right? In addition, catcher Jung Yun-cheol is also a catcher who won the Golden Glove.]
[The other line is really scary. Kim Soo-ho, Ki-joo Ki, Jin-cheol Choi, Kwan-hyung Woo. Even Ji Maeng-ho. Aren’t they all players who showed their skills to the people in the national team?]
[Yes. It can be seen as the best in the country for one other line. However, the problem is pitching ability, and when you recruited Jang Yoon last year, you reinforced your pitching power enough. It’s not for nothing that many experts pick AT Thunders as the favorites to win.]
[This year is really different, AT Thunders. Fans’ expectations… The moment I speak! A timely hit that cuts right and middle of Kim Soo-ho! Ji Maeng-ho goes home! To home! The second baseman can’t even throw home! The score is 1:0! The batter runner has a chance to score again up to second base, AT Thunders! Today, we will take the lead with the national team lineup!]
“Kyaaaaa Suho oppa!!!!”
“Wow, what is it? Can we give our score this easily? Wow…. I don’t think it’s our team.”
“Kim Soo-ho! Kim Suho! Kim Soo-ho!”
“Wow, Ji Maeng-ho is so damn fast.”
Cheers and cheers from the AT Thunders stands. In particular, fans of the Thunders couldn’t contain their excitement from the first inning, given that this first attack came against Kim Hyun-sik, who had always been harassing the AT Thunders. And once again, a national team-class hitter stepped into the plate.
-[Hitter number 3, left fielder. Meteorologist.]
Ki Sang-joo, a franchise star who led the Grizzlies to victory and won five Golden Globes, and was a candidate for permanent retirement in the future. When such a weatherman appeared wearing the uniform of the rival team, loud noises resounded from the stands of both teams.
– Meteorologist! Weatherman! Weatherman!
A loud cheer erupted from third base, where AT fans were seated.
– Woo woo woo! Fuck the traitor bastard!!!
At first base, where Hancheol’s fans were seated, there were booing and swearing.
Ki Sang-joo did not pay attention to such booing and took off his helmet as he did yesterday and greeted Han-cheol’s crowd. He is a thank you and final goodbye to the fans who have supported him so far. Everyone knew that after the opening two games, the sanggiju would never have to say hello to Hancheol’s fans like this.
[Does the sound get louder when the weatherman comes out?]
[It’s a rival team, so it can’t be helped. Yesterday too, there was a lot of booing, but it seems that the booing is louder than yesterday, maybe because it was full on Sundayhaha.]
[Still, isn’t it the beauty of sports to send greetings to your home team like this?]
[Yes. I’m glad though. When I was playing as a player, there was a case where a player who transferred to a rival team got injured after being hit by a water bottle. Seeing that there is no such thing today, it seems that the fan culture has definitely matured.]
[Ah, that fan over there still seems to miss the kisangju player. The two uniforms, AT and Hancheol, were divided in half and the name of the player Ki Sang-ju was marked.]
[In fact, there are no fans who will not miss Ki Sang-ju, right? He is a player who proved that he has the instinct to solve the problem by winning the batting champion three times, the Golden Glove five times, and the RBI kingpin once. Without a player like this, any team is bound to stumble. In fact, since Ki Sang-ju moved to the major leagues in 2020, Chul Han has not won.]
[Kim Hyun-shik and Ki Sang-joo, former colleagues who met as enemies now. The two players smile slightly and look at each other.]
[The two players probably know each other well because they’ve played a lot of their own matches.]
The expressions of the two players facing their old teammates soon harden again. Because now it was an enemy. And Kim Hyeon-sik’s first pitch, Ki Sang-joo, reacted to the thrown first pitch.
Ta-evil!
[This hit is far right! Far! Dam ~ Jang! We pass! AT Thunders showing a hot blow from the first episode! This batted ball seems to show that this year is different! Ride the wind and go over the fence! 3:0!]
[From the first inning, it emits the scent of big innings, right? This is the explosive power of the current AT Thunders batting line, right? AT Thunders, this year is really different!]
The AT Thunders’ batting line, which experts praised as the strongest line-up of the year, was spitting fire from the first inning.
