Chapter 87

There are all kinds of people -3-

#

In the top of the 9th inning, the Oceans scored one more run against the Diamonds, who had Min Seung-gi on the mound, making the score 3-0.

Andy Garfield, facing the opportunity for a shutout win, was torn between securing the team's victory with the help of closer Kang Geon-woo, who had yet to give up a single run. However, Coach Hugh Breadman did not allow Kang Geon-woo to warm up.

"Kang! You're still the shortstop in the final inning! Don't even think about going to the bullpen!"

Andy ultimately finished the game with a 9-inning shutout.

It was an interesting situation. It's not common for a losing pitcher who allowed only 2 runs in 8 innings to receive more attention than the winning pitcher who threw a shutout.

Unless, of course, the rookie pitcher had pitched 8 innings and allowed only 2 runs but ended up as the losing pitcher due to the opposing ace's shutout.

However, the star of the day was neither Andy Garfield, who secured the shutout win, nor Kang Geon-woo, who hit the game-winning two-run homer.

[(PHOTO) In the top of the 9th inning, Min Seung-gi, who had given up a two-run homer, sits on the ground, tears streaming down his face.]

[The tears of the ace. What the Diamonds need is the desire to win.]

[Coach Jeong Yong-ho of the Diamonds, "It's my fault for not stopping his momentum to throw more."]

[Coach Hugh Breadman, "The star of today's game was the starting pitchers of both teams. The opposing pitcher was particularly impressive."]

[Andy Garfield, who secured the shutout win, "I wanted to win against Min (Seung-gi) this time, and I'm glad it happened."]

[Prince of Tears Min Seung-gi. Feeling the sting of defeat with hot tears.]

└Prince of Tears??? Is this a hint that Min Seung-gi is coming to the Oceans???

└Why is it a hint that he's coming to the Oceans, you idiot?

└Both tears and seawater contain sodium.

└What the hell are you talking about, you bastard.

└I want to see the Prince of Tears and the Prince of Sand play together.

└Who is the Prince of Sand?

└Who else but Kang Geon-woo?

└Why is Kang Geon-woo the Prince of Sand? -_-

└In the first inning, Min Seung-gi's mouth was sand.

└Sand ring, boom boom?

└No, just sand.

└Haha, make everyone a prince. Deer prince, chicken leg prince.

└Except for the butt prince, it feels incomplete.

└Leave Hoon alone.

└No one even mentioned Hoon.

└Just leave him alone, for your own good.

#

Min Seung-gi is not only in great physical condition but also a pitcher with a monstrous recovery ability. This was the result of his talent and hard work.

Continuous training with the right direction allowed Min Seung-gi to always maintain his best condition.

For a pitcher of Min Seung-gi's caliber, living in a large, expensive house would not be unusual, yet he lived in a small two-room apartment.

Not even his own building, just a rental.

Min Seung-gi firmly believed he would move to Busan and therefore did not buy a house here. Whenever his teammates advised him to buy an apartment for investment, he shook his head.

"Money should be earned through baseball."

He was a bit old-fashioned and stubborn. He often had conflicts with other players, but Min Seung-gi never cared.

After pitching 8 innings yesterday, Min Seung-gi left his two-room apartment and hailed a taxi.

"Take me to the Ramada Hotel."

Min Seung-gi didn't drive. The reason was a slight back injury he had from manipulating a car two years ago.

Wearing a cap and mask, the taxi driver didn't recognize him. Upon arrival, Min Seung-gi looked around and entered the hotel.

There was no reason for him to be here early in the morning after starting yesterday's game. However, Min Seung-gi sat in the hotel lobby, pretending to be relaxed.

There was only one reason for him to be here.

It was the hotel where the Oceans team was staying.

It looked like a fan chasing after players to catch a glimpse from a distance, but Min Seung-gi acted quite naturally.

He thought to himself,

'Next year, I'll be an Oceans player, so this is a preliminary reconnaissance for then.'

It wasn't a particularly significant action. Of course, others might think it was strange, but Min Seung-gi was always confident.

Because he was the protagonist.

Min Seung-gi accessed the Oceans gallery on his smartphone. To his satisfaction, there were quite a few posts suggesting that he should be signed.

[Hey, if we bring in Min Seung-gi, who will be the number one starter, Andy or Min Seung-gi?]

Min Seung-gi left a comment.

└Min Seung-gi

He also commented on a post asking which of Seo Chang-won and Min Seung-gi would be better to sign.

└Min Seung-gi

[If we can sign one of the three national team starters, who would you choose?]

└Min Seung-gi

[Is there any other outfielder we can sign next year? I don't have any feelings for Seo Chang-yeol, but we need to sign someone.]

└Min Seung-gi

└Is Min Seung-gi an outfielder, damn it?

└Still, Min Seung-gi

[There's a Min Seung-gi fan in the gallery. Is Min Seung-gi really coming?]

└Yeah

└How do you know?

└Min Seung-gi

└No, damn it, Min Seung-gi fan. Hahaha

Min Seung-gi smiled slightly. The reactions were good. As he was leaving comments on various posts, some people approached him.

'Hmm. How did they recognize me with a cap and mask?'

He pretended not to notice. In fact, he felt a bit guilty towards the Diamonds fans.

After all, the fans had always supported him.

'This is my original sin. Being an Oceans fan...'

One of the people standing in front of him spoke.

"Min Seung-gi?"

Min Seung-gi sighed slightly. He could lie and say no, but that would be unprofessional.

'Professional players owe it to their fans.'

Min Seung-gi raised his head to sign. However, the people in front of him were not Diamonds fans.

"...Kang Geon-woo!"

Kang Geon-woo.

And.

"Wow, really! Hello! I'm Park Eui-hyun! The man who handles the home plate for the Oceans! I'm Park Eui-hyun! Hello! I'm Park Eui-hyun! I'm a fan of Min Seung-gi! Nice to meet you!"

Park Eui-hyun.

"Wow..."

Finally, No Gyeong-woo, who looked like he was seeing a star player for the first time, stood there with his mouth open.

"What are you doing here?"

"...Just taking a walk since it's close to my place."

"Wow...really...Would you like a cup of coffee?"

#

Min Seung-gi, Park Eui-hyun, No Gyeong-woo, Kuk Min-seong, and me.

This is quite an unusual combination.

No Gyeong-woo suddenly suggested having a cup of coffee, and surprisingly, Seung-gi hyung accepted the offer easily.

Kuk Min-seong, who had just finished jogging, joined us.

Kuk Min-seong approached us without any change in expression, as if he were a ghost.

However, he extended his hand, trembling, to shake Seung-gi hyung's hand.

"I'm a fan."

That's how the situation unfolded. It seemed that Park Eui-hyun's claim to be a fan was not a lie.

"Watching your recent game, I was truly amazed! Wow. Throwing a two-seam fastball right down the middle in that situation! Such a bold pitch selection! I couldn't help but be impressed!"

Seung-gi hyung seemed unusually interested in Park Eui-hyun.

"As a catcher, what do you think when a pitcher wants to throw a specific pitch?"

"Absolute respect!"

"Why?"

"To be honest, I would trust any other pitcher, but when it comes to Seung-gi hyung, it's obviously right, isn't it!"

Seung-gi hyung smiled, showing his gums.

He must brush his teeth well. His teeth are so healthy. He's different from Seo Yi-wook hyung.

Everyone here, except me, is not normal. I've never seen Kuk Min-seong stutter so much. Yet, his poker face is still intact, which is quite amazing.

And No Gyeong-woo, as usual, displayed his unique charm.

"Seung-gi hyung."

"Yeah."

"I don't usually say this, but..."

"What is it?"

"It might be inappropriate, but..."

"Go ahead."

"I really hope you come to the Oceans."

It was surprising. 'The cold-blooded Min Seung-gi' laughing so widely?

"To be honest, I can handle other pitchers, but I can't even touch Seung-gi hyung's pitches. Could you let me face you once more?"

Seung-gi hyung tried to maintain a serious expression.

"You shouldn't say things like that, No Gyeong-woo."

"Huh?"

"Professionals should act professionally. Such statements could be misunderstood as match-fixing."

Kuk Min-seong nodded, No Gyeong-woo looked remorseful, and Park Eui-hyun clapped.

"Wow! That professional spirit! I really want to emulate it! I admire you!"

Just a joke, and he reacts like that... And admiration, what for...

"But hyung, you threw over 100 pitches yesterday. Is it okay to move around so soon?"

"An ace..."

Kuk Min-seong looked at Seung-gi hyung, swallowing hard. His face remained the same, but he was expressing his emotions in his own way.

"If the team needs you, you should always be ready to take the mound. I'm always prepared. Even if I threw 100 pitches yesterday, I can throw another 100 today for the team. That's what an ace is."

It wasn't a lie; it was genuinely spine-chilling.

How can he say such things so casually with that face?

I oppose the idea of perseverance. The more you use your shoulder, the weaker it gets, and it needs proper recovery. This isn't just a theory; it's a practical matter.

But the idiots here were impressed.

"Wow...really, really cool."

"Hyung..."

"R, really admire you."

Seung-gi hyung smiled brightly and changed the topic.

"I'm looking forward to next year's Oceans."

Well, because he's coming, right?

"Catcher and keystone combo. And the starting pitcher..."

He was looking at us.

"You are the future of the Oceans. The Oceans..."

He said wistfully and stood up.

"Hyung! Are you leaving already?"

"Maybe one day we'll have a long time together."

"I'll dream and wait for that day!"

Seung-gi hyung, despite the hot weather, put on his mask and delivered his final line.

"Hehe. Park Eui-hyun. I think it will be quite enjoyable to work with you."

...It might be a bit tiring.

A crazy battery, indeed.

"Are you really coming?"

"Wow, if it's true...wow."

"Hmm."

Well, he was originally supposed to come to the Oceans...

Indeed, Seung-gi hyung was meant to come to the Oceans, but these three were not.

And someone found us.

"Hey! No Gyeong-woo! You said you'd buy chocolate pie, but did you go make marshmallows instead!"

"Hyung! Chocolate pie isn't the issue right now!"

"But it is the biggest issue! I can't play baseball without it!"

...It is a huge problem.

#

When Min Seung-gi joined the Oceans as a free agent, baseball isn't played by just one player.

One player can trigger a chain reaction, and a few coincidences can make things better, but the Oceans with Min Seung-gi instead of Kang Geon-woo didn't fare well.

The team owner, seeing the team at the bottom of the league, decided to support the team with a large sum of money as a last resort.

Bae Young-han.

And Min Seung-gi.

A national team outfielder and a national team ace pitcher.

Despite signing these two, the team couldn't escape the bottom of the league, and the owner lost interest.

The power struggle between the foreign manager and the existing chief coach, the general manager being kicked in the shin by the baseball club president, and the divided team.

How could such a team play proper baseball?

Of course, the current Oceans isn't necessarily a championship team.

The gap between the starting players and the backups was enormous. It was almost a stroke of luck that the team's core players avoided major injuries for three months.

If the shortstop or catcher were missing, the team's performance would be a mess.

Still, the current Oceans is a completely different team from the past Oceans or the Oceans before Kang Geon-woo's return.

Min Seung-gi's tears yesterday also motivated the Diamonds players.

When the manager's term is ending or there's a hint of dismissal, it inevitably affects the players.

The Diamonds, who had fallen in the rankings due to a combination of a chaotic atmosphere and some players' slumps, seemed to regain their tenacity today.

-Hong Seok-hyun! His first home run in 24 games! He pulls Kirk Simpson's fastball over the fence!

-After a lackluster performance yesterday, the Diamonds' batters seem to have a different vibe today.

-Joo Sang-wook's RBI hit! He's been in a hitting slump this season, but he hit a well-placed ball!

-Kim Sung-ho! Multi-hit game! He's performing well against his former team, the Oceans!

However.

Even if the Diamonds were motivated by Min Seung-gi's tears yesterday,

The Oceans were not the same Oceans as before.

-Go! Go! It's over! Yi Seok! Yi Seok's massive hit! Over the fence! Yi! Seok!

-He's an incredible power hitter. Recently, he's found his balance and has been sending