Ch 73
One.
Friday night, the most flamboyant of the week.
“Rangers fighting!”
The Gocheok Dome Stadium was filled with the heat appropriate for such a Friday night.
“Fighting Han Kang-hoon!”
At the center of the enthusiasm was Rangers starting pitcher Han Kang-hoon.
Whoops!
From the first inning, he pitched a 150-pound fastball on the mound without stopping and the mound became a campfire and a crucible of enthusiasm.
Whoops!
“right!”
“Blast, explode!”
To the ears of some, the sound of digging into the mitt sounded like fireworks exploding.
Whoops!
“Swing, strike out!”
The moment when Han Kang-hoon caught a swinging swing against Hong Woo-hyung, the Angels’ third hitter, in the early 7th inning.
wow!
Gocheok Dome Stadium began to fill with huge shouts that made even the concert hall laugh.
wow!
Filled shouts began to echo.
“Well······.”
“mom······.”
In front of the scene, the reporters who were sitting in the press seat secretly began to look at each other.
Like a bunch of hyenas sniffing something.
Reporter Hwang Seon-woo did the same.
He also looked at his surroundings, and at the same time looked at the electric sign.
and remembered
‘Six out counts until the perfect game.’
At this moment, Han Kang-hoon, a pitcher in his third year as a professional pitcher, has become a challenger for the most valuable and great record a pitcher can record, which does not exist in the history of Korean professional baseball called the perfect game.
That fact was the reason reporters looked out for each other.
gulp!
It was also the reason why someone swallowed saliva with a dry throat.
Because it’s not normal for journalists to share moments that might be historic.
In that situation, someone whispered.
“Isn’t that the perfect face?”
This was Posted in koreanmtl.online
perfect game.
“right. No hits, no walks.”
The words that everyone knew, but could not easily utter, began to hover around the press.
“Is the number of pitches 95 until the 7th?”
“We continued this pace in the 8th inning, but there is no way to judge that the number of pitches exceeded 100.”
The story that started as the water leaked out immediately made the entire press room buzz.
Everyone had their own opinion.
“Is that really coming out?”
“It won’t be easy. Because there has never been a perfect game in the history of Korean professional baseball.”
“Still, you don’t know if you have a face like this, do you? Today’s Han Kang-hoon ball is really crazy!”
Hwang Seon-woo did not participate in such a conversation.
Because I knew that these conversations were of no use or of much nutritional value.
‘Han Kang-hoon is a pitcher with a shoulder that God has given him to throw 150 fastballs even if he exceeds 100 pitches.’
Therefore, instead of intervening in the conversation, he mixed the lines of Han Kang-hoon and the Angels in his head.
‘And I like the course I’m aiming for. He clearly identifies the weaknesses of the Angels batting line and throws them.’
After mixing it up, I started to draw a picture.
‘More than anything else, Han Kang-hoon’s pitching today is different from usual. The end of the ball is also the end of the ball, but the timing is different. That’s why the Angels can’t properly respond to Han Kang-hoon’s pitching.’
Furthermore, Hwang Seon-woo’s sense of being a reporter, the feeling that has made him survive as a journalist, told us.
‘And today is a day when something is about to explode.’
I think something surprising is going to happen today at the Gocheok Dome Stadium.
‘No, something explodes.’
While everyone is waiting for the beginning of the 8th inning, when Han Kang-hoon is back on the mound.
Meanwhile, the 7th horse started.
2
Jinyong Lee, who climbed the mound at the end of the 7th inning, let out a long sigh.
“Ah, really.”
At the end of that sigh, he quickly let out his dissatisfaction.
– what’s the matter?
Jin-ho Kim frowned at Lee Jin-yong’s appearance and asked a question, and to that question, Jin-yong Lee turned his head instead of answering and glanced at the first-base dugout and Rangers’ bench.
At the end of Jinyong Lee’s gaze, he saw the only player wearing a jumper.
Han Kang-hoon.
A pitcher with a height of 188 centimeters.
A pitcher who threw a 140-plus fastball when he was in middle school and showed that he had a gift from God.
Jin-ho Kim was ridiculed at the appearance of Jin-yong Lee looking at him.
And Lee Jin-yong, who looked at Kim Jin-ho’s mockery, covered his mouth with a glove.
“Why are you like that when you’re hanging out with me?”
He spit out a smirk with his covered mouth.
In fact, it was a reasonable complaint.
Jinyong Lee, currently he was showing a good fight in the middle of a game without a score in 6 innings, and he was playing hard enough to get one win in his career.
“Perfectranie…….”
However, Lee Jin-yong’s hot fighting became insignificant in front of the pitching of Han Kang-hoon, who he is now facing.
Perfect game face!
Because, in front of Han Kang-hoon’s pitching, who challenges a record that does not exist in the history of Korean professional baseball, nothing dared to show his color.
And that was disastrous for a pitcher on the same mound as him.
‘shit.’
There is nothing worse than not getting the light on the mound, of course, losing that light to someone else.
That was the stage of the mound.
The more intense the spotlight on someone, the more miserable the person standing next to that mound.
A stage where one person’s glory becomes another’s despair.
A stage where one history becomes another black history.
Because of this, pitchers never tried to share the mound.
Somehow, on that mound, the pitchers just want to prove by all means and methods that they are the owners of this mound.
But is there any way to take the spotlight from a perfect game pitcher?
“Oh, damn it.”
there can be no
“ah!”
Because there was no way, Jinyong Lee sighed again like a tree swaying in the wind.
– Jin Yong-ah…
Jin-ho Kim said that Jin-yong Lee was like that.
– It seems that God doesn’t want to see you sucking honey.
It goes without saying, but Kim Jin-ho did not encourage Lee Jin-yong or exhort him.
– Or maybe my prayer finally reached the sky.
Kim Jin-ho is not that kind, and he knew better than anyone that that was not what a pitcher on the mound needed.
“What were you praying for?”
– Of course, Jinyong prayed to keep him alive.
“Puck.”
– Really. Please, I prayed that we would live until our Jin-yong paints the wall “Howoo”.
“Is that Mugang?”
– What a blessing it is to poop well. Imagine living a long life and not pooping. How creepy is that?
“Shut up.”
– No, I answered by talking to him first, but shut up. God, have you seen it? Jinyong Lee, this bastard is a very mean bastard, isn’t he? It’s not too late now. Let’s give it a try.
Instead of answering Jin-ho Kim’s prayer, Jin-yong Lee removed the glove that was covering his mouth.
Because that was enough.
In the conversation with Jin-ho Kim, the thoughts or thoughts about Han Kang-hoon in Lee Jin-yong’s head did not disappear.
‘Han Kang-hoon is the perfect game face. One point is needed to give him a new record.’
Instead, he looked at the Rangers’ 6th batter at the plate and thought of catching him.
‘In other words, the Rangers will do their best to score only one point.’
But it wasn’t just the number 6 hitter in mind.
‘As it starts with the lower batting order, the Rangers will take the 8th inning and the innings that start with the upper batting order as the number of wins, and this 7th inning will stick with me. Hold the strike zone narrow and swing aggressively for the ball that comes in. and
The ball that falls out will soon appeal to the referee.’
He had in mind the team he was playing against.
‘The referee’s decision will be different from the 7th inning. I’m sure they won’t catch the ball that is explicitly drawn out. However, the opponent doesn’t see the strike zone as wide, so it’s okay to throw the ball that clearly spans.’
As Jinho Kim said so far.
‘Finish with 9 balls.’
As he taught, Jinyong Lee started pitching at the end of the 7th inning.
3.
At the end of the 7th, Jinyong Lee’s pitching was the same as in the 1st.
He tenaciously attacked only the outside of the batter’s strike zone.
“strike!”
Still, he caught the strike like a ghost.
“Oh really. Please take a look. How do you play like this?”
But to that fact, the Rangers hitters were no longer silent like gentlemen.
“No, you came in here, here you go. Even a monkey can’t hit it!”
The batters actively appealed to the referee’s decision.
“Quiet.”
Of course, the referee only gave a plain warning rather than responding to the complaints of the Rangers batters.
In the first place, the referee’s authority over the decision was absolute, and Ho-chan Lee, who had no intention of allowing the batter and the referee to have a conversation like that, quickly interrupted the conversation between the two.
“The pitcher is already ready to pitch, let’s do it quickly.”
Ho-Chan Lee ordered the continuation of the match.
“Proceed.”
The referee immediately ordered the match to resume.
At that fact, the batter pouted his lips.
Naturally, the other knew that his actions would not be in his favor.
‘Yes, I like to fuck.’
And I didn’t even expect it.
‘But I have to reward you next time.’
What he expected was the judgment of the hitters who would come after him.
If you make an appeal like this, at least the batters behind you will get a better judgement.
In the bottom of the 7th, the Rangers hitters’ goal was just that.
Laying ground rice for the 8th horse.
As it was a staple food, I had no intention of showing my teeth in this inning, nor did I have any intention of biting the pitcher with those teeth.
Naturally, Lee Jin-yong did not intend to waste his helmet against such Rangers hitters and those who were determined to become a staple food rather than a hunting dog.
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pop!
“strike!”
Jinyong Lee, he accurately penetrated the outside of the strike zone of hitters who had no will to fight.
“Aah out!”
He put a ruthless dagger in the batters who wanted to be the ball, and to the batters who wanted to see a loss.
[You have earned 105 points.]
[Currently pitching without a score in 7 innings.]
[The accumulated points are 13,553 points.]
“downpour!”
At the end of the 7th inning, Jinyong Lee, who made a perfect finish, came down the mound.
Of course, no one was interested in that fact.
“come!”
“Han Kang-hoon is coming!”
At the beginning of the 8th, I am only interested in Han Kang-hoon, who has now started a great challenge.
– Oh my, Jinyong’s handling is just like a dreamed up dog food bowl! Oh my, what do we do because our Jinyong is pitiful? Jinyoung-ah, it’s not too late now. Kim Jin-ho Tell me you can see a ghost. Then you might be interested.
However, to that fact, Jinyong Lee did not express any more dissatisfaction or envy.
It wasn’t that I gave up either.
“Shut up, I have to prepare for the 8th episode.”
Jinyong Lee just waited.
‘If we block the 8th inning and stop without a score by the end of the ninth … Come on, let’s see who survives to the end.’
A chance to take away this Friday night mound.
As everyone looked at the mound, the beginning of the 8th inning began.
4.
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perfect game.
Literally the perfect game.
Such a perfect game record was rare enough to be recorded only 23 times in the major leagues, and in the history of Korean professional baseball, no one has ever achieved a record of a perfect game.
The perfect game was such a record.
A record that even pitchers who are loved by God and have ridiculous talents that others do not have dared to achieve.
Whoa!
Therefore, it was not at all strange that at the beginning of the 8th inning, when everyone watched baseball in hopes of a perfect game, everything became a mirage.
“ah······.”
Because the perfect game was such a record.
Because it was a record that even God would not allow easily.
“ah.”
Because it was such a record, everyone just let out sighs full of regret.
“ah!”
At the same time, everyone agreed.
Because it was none other than Park Jun-hyung who made the Friday night heat that filled the Gocheok Dome Stadium into a mirage overnight.
The fact that he, who is not lacking in the expression of a hitter with divinely gifted talent, put a dagger in the glory of Han Kang-hoon was in some ways convincing.
bumpy!
So, rather than rejoicing over the fact that he hit the home run, Jun-hyung Park, who hit the home run, started the quietest base running starting from first base, just like a hitter who hit a home run always does.
“Whoa.”
Han Kang-hoon, who lost all the glory as if he was holding it in his hand in a single shot, did not deny the fact itself, even though he was angered by the fact that no one else, Park Jun-hyung, had hit his ball.
‘shit!’
I understood this bitter reality.
“Wow!”
And Jinyong Lee, of course, cheered for this reality.
Clap clap clap!
“downpour! Whoa, whoa!”
The sight of him sitting on the dugout bench and clapping repeatedly reminds him of a seal, and to that extent, Jinyong Lee cheered fiercely.
To put it bluntly, he looked like a madman.
– hey! Jinyoung!
Jin-ho Kim sang such Lee Jin-yong, and Jin-yong Lee clapped repeatedly and glanced at Kim Jin-ho.
– Are you right?
And Jin-yong Lee frowned at Kim Jin-ho’s question that followed, and said in a very low voice.
“What kind of bullshit?”
– That’s right.
“It was that bastard.”
With an answer, Jin-yong Lee pointed to Han Kang-hoon, who tapped the mound with his chin.
-It’s a home run that’s right, you.
However, Kim Jin-ho did not cast his gaze on Han Kang-hoon.
– Did you get hit today?
He looked at Jinyong Lee and asked a question.
Without even a single point of playfulness, he is serious, and with such sharp eyes and expressions.
In front of that expression, Jinyong Lee frowned slightly and then began to rewind the memories in his head.
I kept rewinding my memory to find out who the most recent hitter to get a hit on him was from minutes ago, to hours ago.
‘yes?’
At the moment when the point of rewinding memory was a few days ago instead of a few hours, Jinyong Lee finally found out.
“Oh my goodness.”
That the main character of the mound has changed.
End