Chapter 64

# House on Fire -3-

#

After winning our first game against the Bulldozers, we went 3-2 in the next five games.

Although we didn't sweep, it meant we continued our momentum with consecutive winning series.

Ocean fans refer to the day when the team wins the first two games of a three-game series and then loses the third as "Welsh Corgi Day."

It doesn't really mean anything. It just means that even if the team were to play baseball with Welsh Corgis, they would lose one out of three games.

Indeed.

Even though we are leading the league this season, we have only swept once. However, we have never been swept.

If we can maintain a winning series throughout the season, we have a high chance of winning the championship, so it's not all bad. But I can understand the fans' frustration to some extent.

When we are in the lower ranks, it's frustrating that we can't capitalize on our momentum and push forward.

Anyway, we headed to Incheon.

To face the Vikings, our opening day opponents.

It felt a bit different, like a new beginning, so it's a team that sticks in my memory.

I hit my first home run off Kim Kwon-jong's first pitch in my first at-bat. And I hit a walk-off home run off one of their bullpen pitchers.

Our starting pitcher for this game is Andy, just like the opening day, but Kim Kwon-jong will likely pitch in the next game.

What makes the Vikings more memorable is not that I hit three home runs in two games, but rather the incident involving senior player Yang Daegun.

"Phew..."

The moment I heard Yang Daegun sigh, the incident came to mind.

"Feeling a bit awkward facing the Vikings?"

When I asked, Daegun looked startled and replied.

"Huh? Me? Why? Awkward? With who?"

"Remember, the Vikings pitcher and the bat..."

"Ah, no. Geon-woo, we made up. We made up."

"Did you used to be close?"

"..."

Daegun was silent for a moment, then laughed awkwardly.

"No..."

I had heard about it. That pitcher had once hit this guy's ankle, causing a hairline fracture.

He scratched the back of his head and, perhaps deciding to reveal his true feelings, continued with a smile.

"He hit me in the face, and his ERA was in the 7s, so he was sent down to the minors. We won't have to face him awkwardly."

Magic bat, huh?

I know the Vikings are a strong team, not just in their batting lineup but also in their pitching staff.

Their bullpen, led by closer Lee Dae-hoon, is considered one of the top three in the KBO.

If a few slaps to the face can raise a pitcher's ERA to 7, it must be a magic bat.

"Wouldn't hitting Kim Kwon-jong once help the Oceans win the championship?"

I was joking, but Daegun looked at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"You, Geon-woo, you..."

"...Just a joke."

"Daegun, no. Don't fall for such talk. Daegun, snap out of it. Kwon-jong is a good kid. Right? Yes."

He stroked his left fist as he said this.

What just happened?

When I stared at him, Daegun looked extremely embarrassed and slumped his shoulders.

"...Hey, it was a joke. No, I'm not really that kind of person. Geon-woo, right?"

...What kind of person is he talking about?

#

On the first day of the three-game series between the Busan Oceans and the Incheon Vikings.

There was a subtle tension among the Viking players.

"Can't just let it go, can we?"

"Should we get some revenge?"

The Vikings generally had a combative atmosphere.

Their record against the Oceans was like that of a natural rival.

If you can break their spirit in the first matchup, it's like you've already won half the battle.

But they not only lost the first two games of the season but also got beaten up.

By Yang Daegun, who was just a big guy.

However, there was no clear solution.

Who could stop Yang Daegun if he came out like that again?

Moreover, the team captain and spiritual leader, Jo Yong, sensed this mood among some players and tried to discourage it.

"Don't do it."

"But..."

"But? Okay, then who will throw it? Where will you hit? The head? The thigh? If the starting pitcher, Kim Yo-han, hits Yang Daegun in the head and gets ejected, will we give up today's game? Get a grip. If you have that much energy, just focus on the game. Think about how to beat them with baseball, not this nonsense. Hey! Do you still see the Oceans as just another team? Can't you see they're above us now?"

He had a point.

The Oceans are currently in first place.

The Vikings, one of the three top teams before the season, are busy trying to catch up. But if they try to get revenge from a month and a half ago in the 8th or 9th inning, it would just be a waste of time.

Kim Yo-han, today's starting pitcher, is a player who has just established himself in the first team. If he gets ejected after being pushed by his seniors, what would that accomplish?

"What? What are you talking about? About facing the Oceans? I was looking forward to it too. Playing against the Oceans will be really fun, won't it?"

The awkward atmosphere in the locker room was completely dispelled when Kim Kwon-jong appeared.

"The foreigner I'm facing has a really good two-seam fastball. The foreigner facing Yo-han has an incredible sinker, right?"

All the talk of revenge was forgotten.

"The rookie shortstop, Kang Geon-woo, is really disappointing. If he had come to our team, wouldn't we be in first place by now? Not that Man-jae is bad. Man-jae, are you hurt? No, right?"

Everyone was speechless and started to disperse. When no one responded, Kim Kwon-jong mumbled.

"Is it because of me that the mood is ruined? Is that it?"

#

Andy Garfield, who had not been favored by fortune for a while, couldn't calm his mind.

"Damn it, Andy. We have to win today. Damn. No, Andy, what are you doing right now?"

Andy Garfield, who had only one win and three losses in his last five starts. He had won his last start, but his confidence was somewhat shaken.

The new pitching coach was much better than the old one. The guy who used to talk nonsense about how he could secure a spot in the majors if he learned to throw a forkball and not to forget him if that happened was much worse.

'Technically, there's no problem, Andrew. Just throw the ball calmly. How many times have you thrown a ball? I know you can't remember. Just trust the balls you've thrown. If you adjust your right foot a bit when you throw, it will improve gradually.'

Thanks to the pitching coach's adjustments, his control felt good in the last game.

He was just anxious. When he first came to Korea after failing in the majors, he was unsure if he could achieve anything here. Now, he was questioning whether he could even be a winner here.

He had to admit he had underestimated it. While there was a difference in level compared to the majors, once he acknowledged he wasn't at the major league level, the KBO wasn't an easy place.

He adjusted the angle of his cap, checked the moisture of his glove, buttoned his uniform from the bottom, measured his nail length with a ruler and felt relieved when it matched, and changed into new socks when he found a tiny hole.

Then he saw Kang Geon-woo.

"Hey, Geon."

"Andy."

Kang Geon-woo has a calming effect just by being there. There was no special reason. He just hits well and fields well. For a starting pitcher who isn't favored by fortune, there's no one more needed than him.

"I hope you don't miss a single play for me in today's game."

Kang Geon-woo, who had been observed so far, wasn't the type to feel burdened by such expectations. And Andy was desperately hoping for his confidence.

"Of course. Don't worry. I'll catch everything that comes my way."

"Send the opposing pitcher's pitch over 350 feet (106.68m)."

"Is that enough? It needs to be 400 feet (121.92m)."

"Right. That's it. While I'm piling up strikeouts, that's what you need to do."

Kang Geon-woo replied that he would take care of the batters.

It was a familiar and pitiful sight to see him trembling with anxiety.

Being a foreign player in the KBO for the first time, he couldn't fully understand the emotions of foreign players. He was an outsider in the MLB, but the situation was different here.

Anyway, as if to keep his promise with Andy Garfield, Kang Geon-woo started the first inning with a double.

And he scored home on Yang Daegun's hit.

"I'll send a 400-foot hit in my next at-bat, so look forward to it."

#

In the bottom of the first inning, the Vikings' leadoff hitter, Seo Chang-yeol, reached base on an infield hit. The ball went deep to third base. Even if I had been at third, it would have been difficult to handle, but senior player Hwang Seok-gyu kicked the ground in frustration.

"Seo! Chang! Yeol! Seo! Chang! Yeol!"

Seo Chang-yeol, who receives absolute support from Viking fans and is a player that Oceans fans hope to sign as a free agent at the end of the season.

A versatile center fielder.

Senior Daegun frankly said he wished he wouldn't come.

Park Eui-hyun has a pretty good arm. But Seo Chang-yeol, confident in his base running, boldly attempted a steal on the first pitch.

Andy's sinker was a bit low. Park Eui-hyun, lifting his mitt and raising his body halfway, quickly threw the ball, but the runner was faster.

Seo Chang-yeol, hearing the safe call from the umpire, chuckled and got up, brushing the dirt off his uniform while taunting No Gyeong-woo.

"What are you looking at?"

Taking advantage of the runner looking at No Gyeong-woo, I pretended to throw the ball with an empty hand.

When No Gyeong-woo couldn't say anything, Seo Chang-yeol chewed his gum and stretched his shoulders.

His foot was off the base. I brought the ball hidden in my glove to his body, and the umpire raised his fist.

"Out."

It's basic to stay on the base until the pitcher prepares for the next pitch.

Even experienced and smart players sometimes make mistakes. I saw an opportunity when he was brushing off the dirt and used a fake throw, and he fell for it.

The Viking fans, who realized the situation before Seo Chang-yeol, shouted.

"Hey!"

"You dirty bastard!"

"What are you doing?"

Seo Chang-yeol, looking at the umpire with the most aggrieved face in the world, saw me take the ball out of my glove and looked up helplessly.

"No, damn... really."

Baseball is fundamentally a sport of taking something from the opponent. It doesn't have to be fair and square. As long as it doesn't violate the rules.

Well, sometimes a little bit of rule-breaking is okay.

"Ha. Really, ha."

He glared at me and started walking towards the bench. Andy's face, which was about to turn red from giving up a hit and a stolen base, relaxed.

"Fucking good."

There's nothing better than a free out.

Park Eui-hyun, who was doing a little dance at home plate, sat down awkwardly after hearing the next batter.

No, why are you so scared when you usually talk so much without noticing?

At that moment, Park Eui-hyun shouted loudly.

"Alright, that's it! The baseball genius Kang Geon-woo's clever play got the best of you! Mr. Garfield! 160 km/h fastball! Once! Show it to us!"

He's really gone crazy.

The batter was flabbergasted and angry, but Park Eui-hyun ignored it and got into position.

I couldn't help but laugh. Andy seemed a bit confused about what was happening but managed to strike out the excited batter.

"Wow. That guy is really...unmanageable. Don't you think?"

Was this the first time I nodded in agreement with No Gyeong-woo?

If it weren't for that guy, No Gyeong-woo would have been the number one unmanageable person.

He's too intense.

#

The Oceans, who had always been frustrated by the Vikings' clever plays.

The base running plays that shook the pitcher, the fielders who took free outs by teasing the runners, and the Vikings who always chewed gum and looked down on the Oceans.

Andy Garfield induced a ground ball to the shortstop from the Vikings' third batter, Kim Ho-geun.

Kang Geon-woo caught it easily and threw a perfect relay to first baseman Lee Si-wook.

For Oceans fans, the bottom of the first inning was a shocking moment in many ways.

[Wow, so refreshing;;;;;;]

- Haha, we've only seen the Vikings dominate us.

- It's so refreshing. Hahaha.

- We can play like that too??

- Kang Geon-woo hahaha I love you so much.

- Seo Chang-yeol's aggrieved face is so ugly. Haha.

- Why did Jo Hoon-ki walk in so angry?

- We've seen them angry for a while now. Haha.

- They always look aggrieved even when the ball goes to center and they strike out.

- Was I the only one who felt good about the relay throw?

- Our Daegun always gets the short end of the stick...

Of course, the reaction from the Vikings fans, who were on the receiving end, was the opposite.

[Those damn Oceans play baseball so rudely.]

- What is that rookie doing to Seo Chang-yeol?

- I'm not the only one who finds it disgusting, right?

- Throwing to Kim Ho-geun was also disgusting.

- Is this revenge for the ball that flew over his head before??

- That would be even worse, right? We were the victims that day.

- Right, Yang Daegun hit Kim Il-jeon in the face.

At this point, a war is bound to break out on the internet, not at the stadium.

[Vikings, where did you sell your conscience? Don't you remember what you used to do?]

- Is it normal for a rookie to do that?

- The one who got hit is a fool.

- You're just salty.

- You lost because of Kim Il-jeon.

- Save Kim Il-jeon, you bastards.

- Now you know how it feels, right? Hahaha.

- Let's play baseball fairly, you bastards.

- When did you care about skill??

- The ones who use the most dirty tricks are complaining.

- It's not a dirty trick, it's skill.

- Then what Kang Geon-woo did is also skill. Haha.

- Kang Geon-woo is one step ahead. Haha.

- It's so disgusting and dirty.

- If you think it's dirty, do it yourself. Haha.

- Just look, he's getting revenge.

- How is he getting revenge? If he throws a beanball, he'll get hit by Daegun and the pitcher will be sent to the minors. Haha.

- Jo Hoon-ki will knee Kang Geon-woo when he slides into second.

- Kang Geon-woo won't slide into second because he'll hit a home run.

- Did he assign a home run?

- ??? : I came to find the assigned home run.

- I really can't stand the Oceans showing off.

- If you don't like it, win the championship.