Chapter 16

Magic Spring -4-

#

Major League Baseball plays 162 games in a season, and the KBO League plays 144 games. If we include the Japanese NPB, it's 143 games. Even the CPBL (Taiwan Professional Baseball League), which operates with five teams, plays 120 games.

Since the season lasts for about half a year, it is closely intertwined with the daily lives of fans.

In Korea, unless there is a special event such as bad weather, six games are played each week, and five games are held each day.

Winning a single game is important, but a long-term perspective is also necessary for this very reason.

However, the emotions of most baseball fans tend to be swayed by immediate results.

[Exhibition games begin! Five games held at five stadiums nationwide.]

[Strong performance by Kang Geon-woo in the first exhibition game against Seoul Angels, recording five hits!]

- Kang Geon-woo >>>>>>>>> Angels

- Is there a team worse than a high school graduate rookie?

- Exhibition game hit ranking: 1. Kang Geon-woo (5) 2. Kim Angel (4) 3. Kim Ho-geun (3)

- The Springers are on fire, aren't they?

- Wouldn't you be excited if you were in their shoes, Kang Geon-woo? ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

[(Lee Yong-gil's Baseball Circuit) It's fine to tease the Springers.]

[Oceans and Meteors both secure victories.]

[Oceans' Hugh Breadman, "We try to get a little stronger every day."]

- Getting stronger here? ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

- Mr. Pukdong... Where do you plan to take this team??

- If this continues, the 2035 MLB championship will be Oceans'.

- You guys are going overboard. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

It's just an exhibition game, and Oceans played almost their entire starting lineup while Angels used many backup players, but Oceans fans started claiming that the 11-1 victory meant the championship was theirs this season.

[The Kings' last-place finish was just a strategy to get Geon-woo. ㅎㅎ]

- This team... is not to be underestimated...

- It really feels good; this year is different.

- They picked great foreign players, and it really feels different.

- Four wins

- You shouldn't tell people with a short temper that this is a happiness circuit; it's almost a happiness semiconductor.

- Have you tried the Samgak-dong Jajangmyeon??

- Samgitnu also returned to Sajik, and this season looks promising.

A 10-point victory, a mafia-like foreign manager, a new foreign pitcher, a hot rookie, and the return of a named fan.

And an interesting article was posted.

[Oceans' super rookie Kang Geon-woo, "My family and my girlfriend's family came to watch this game. I wanted to show them a great performance."]

...

...

Kang Geon-woo also revealed his affection for his girlfriend and talked about her family, who are big Oceans fans. According to Kang Geon-woo, one of the Oceans fans known for the "Samgak-dong twin flags" is his girlfriend's mother...

...

...

- Is this real??

- Seriously

- Goosebumps;;;;;;

- Samgitnu has returned to save Oceans!!!!!

- Wow ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

It was bound to be a hot topic among Oceans fans for a while.

The next day, when Oceans, led by Kirk Simpson, won again, Oceans fans seriously discussed the possibility of both foreign pitchers achieving 20 wins.

When the team recorded five home runs in the following game, leading to a three-game winning streak, people started predicting that the team would break the previous season's record of 234 home runs and reach 300.

On the day of the fourth consecutive win, when the bullpen trio of Kim Jung-hyuk, Park Eun-soo, and Jo Hyung-oh each recorded a scoreless inning, the Oceans gallery exploded. They posted things like "Jo Pan-dae 50 saves," "Kingdom of the Bullpen Oceans," and "Even if you add Song Tae-woong to Park Yong-jae, you can't beat Kim, Park, and Jo."

Meanwhile, the Meteors gallery, led by the national team's ace Park Yong-jae, had a similar atmosphere.

[Throw a bit more carefully, guys. If all five of you go to the majors, who will throw for us?]

[Other teams are so cute, aren't they? They'll all be crushed by Meteors when the season starts.]

[Today's game has a 1999 vibe.]

[Park Yong-jae: What's going on? I'm a legend with 500 wins in the majors, so why am I playing in the KBO?]

#

Yuri clearly said, "You'll just do well in exhibition games and mess up once the season starts," but she's overjoyed now that we're winning in the exhibition games.

"Our Geon-woo, he shouldn't cry when he goes on an away trip without his sister, right?"

Yuri sometimes speaks in an uncle-like tone.

I think I understand now. It's when Oceans are not doing well in baseball.

Oceans are doing well, so she's getting prettier. I didn't know baseball could affect a person's skin so directly.

"Does your sister not want to see me?"

When I said that, Yuri laughed strangely and held my hand, saying,

"Our Geon-woo..."

What is she trying to say?

"Your sister is going to follow you on the away trip to Daegu because she's worried you might be lonely...?"

"Huh?"

"Why? Don't you want to?"

"No, I don't have a reason to dislike it. What about school?"

"I'll take care of it."

She's like my mother-in-law. How long has the semester started that she's skipping classes?

"Yeah, I have a day off tomorrow. I'm going with my mom."

"What about your dad and Hyun-su?"

"Who are we to tell a working adult and a high school student what to do?"

We probably won't meet separately even if we go, but I'm happy because Yuri seems happy lately.

It's a bit ironic.

Baseball, which contributed to our distance, is now making Yuri happy.

To be honest, I play baseball because it's the only thing I'm good at.

I didn't plan to play as intensely as I did in the majors.

But seeing Yuri's smiling face, I feel like I should do my best.

"If we win the Korean Series and get the championship ring..."

"Huh?"

"I'll propose with it."

Yuri slightly opened her mouth.

Hmm.

Is this not right?

Is a proposal supposed to be with a diamond?

"Ha..."

Yuri shook her head.

"Are you taking a free kimchi soup drinking class these days...?"

#

The Daegu Engines, while not yet fully recovering their former dynasty status, are praised for successfully rebuilding by giving young players significant opportunities over several seasons.

Particularly, the young lineup known as the "Real Estate" trio—Jung Bu-won, Lee Hyun-dong, and Kim San—is quite powerful. The pitching staff, led by national team catcher Baek Jun-sub, is also...

"He's a genius hitter."

"...Yes."

...While reviewing the Engines' analysis data, Bae Young-han called me.

Why did I end up in the same room as this guy? Should I ask for a change?

"Do you know about this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Bae Young-han, holding his smartphone and chuckling, said,

"Kim San seems to feel a rivalry with you."

Kim San, the Engines' shortstop, is a 2005-born player, four years older than me, who hit 19 home runs last season. I've met him in the national team. He's trying to bulk up to increase his home run count, but his body balance is off, and he's transforming into a 30-home-run third baseman.

"Me? Why?"

Putting aside future matters, I've only played four exhibition games, so there's no reason for him to feel that way. Besides, is he close with the Engines players despite being from the Bulldozers?

"Our genius rookie is so popular, isn't he? Kim San seems a bit jealous."

From what I know, Kim San isn't that type of person.

When I said I didn't know, Bae Young-han kept talking without listening.

"Ah, be careful with Baek Jun-sub. He has a bad temper, but he's actually a good guy. Since we're on the topic, how about we have a drink with him? He'll come right away if I call him. Oh, did you say you have an alcohol allergy? Back in my day, even if a senior asked an old man with an alcohol allergy to drink, he would run to it."

...He seems to be a bit of a chaotic but somewhat helpful guy.

At least, it's a relief that he doesn't drink in the dorm.

But that was a mistake.

Another FA player, Kim Jung-hyuk, knocked on the door, and Bae Young-han eagerly left.

"I'll be back, bro. If a weird guy knocks on the door, don't open it."

I need him to perform well, but I also secretly hope he disappears after drinking and causing trouble...

-Yuri: (Photo)

-Yuri: ㅎㅎI came back from shopping with mom

-Me: Send me a selfie

-Yuri: Why a selfie?

-Me: To change my profile picture

-Yuri: You're lucky, Kang Geon-woo

-Yuri: If I hadn't washed my makeup off, it would have been impossible

-Yuri: (Photo)

She said that, but the photo she sent was taken earlier in the day.

I changed my profile picture to the photo I just received from Yuri and filled my status message with hearts.

-Yuri: Are you going to hit as many home runs as the number of hearts?

Hmm.

Maybe my goal for this season is 60 home runs.

#

Kang Geon-woo's exhibition game record is 10 hits in 15 at-bats with 2 walks.

He hasn't hit any home runs yet, but 5 of the 10 hits