A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 153

A Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good – Episode 153

A Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good – Episode 153

40. Unlimited Time Game (3)

The KH Cannons’ spring camp boasted a rather impressive running track.

A running track that started at the entrance of the main field and circled the entire training facility.

The track was well-maintained, and the fact that you could see the beautiful Florida beach in the distance while running was also a major plus.

So, here, where not only athletes doing physical training but also front office staff tired from work would come for a walk—

“Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo.”

Now, a man was running.

His face was not easily visible as he had his hat pulled down low, but he had the physique of an athlete at a glance.

With a height that easily exceeded 190cm [approximately 6’3″], broad shoulders, and tough muscles that stood out over his thin training wear with every step he took.

His name was Eric McConnell.

A veteran who had racked up 2,000 hits in the Major League and had been the captain of the Boston Red Sox for three seasons already.

“Mr. McConnell! Mr. McConnell!”

As Eric McConnell passed the last corner and approached the main field entrance, the end point of the track, a Boston Red Sox team employee waved his hand and approached.

“Oh, Mr. McConnell, you’re really impossible! The sun is so strong, and you were running on the track? You have a training schedule in the afternoon, shouldn’t you rest a bit?”

“Tch, I’m just bored.”

Eric McConnell chugged the drink handed to him by the team employee.

He wiped the drink from his beard with the back of his hand, then opened his mouth with a dissatisfied expression.

“Damn it, Fred! This is all your fault.”

“Yes? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You were dead set against it. Me going to play in the Dominican Winter League.”

Eric McConnell grumbled.

“Hey, if I had just played about twenty games there, I wouldn’t be so bored! Here, it’s just training, training, training… I’m so restless, I’m about to die.”

“Mr. McConnell, you are the captain of our Red Sox. You have to consider your position.”

The team employee called ‘Fred’ began to gently advise him.

“The Dominican Winter League is mainly for players looking for a team, or for promising players to gain experience. The fact that a superstar like you has been participating in the Dominican League every year is strange in the first place, you know?”

“Huh, there are many strange things. I want to play baseball in the winter, and there’s a baseball league in the Dominican in the winter. Why can’t I go?”

“There are many reasons to list. Physical issues, risk of injury, condition management… No, more than that.”

The team employee tilted his head.

“If you wanted to play baseball that much… why did you oppose today’s game?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m talking about the game being held at the main field right now. You were strongly opposed to it, Mr. McConnell? It’s because of you that the manager set a 2-hour time limit.”

“Ah, well, that’s…”

Clench.

Eric McConnell crushed the empty drink can with one hand and chuckled.

“I can’t just pick up and eat anything because I’m hungry.”

“Yes?”

“It means the content is substandard. Today’s opponent.”

Eric McConnell continued.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about absolute skill. If I only looked at skill, would I have had a reason to go to the Dominican every year?”

“Then?”

“It’s okay if the skill is lacking. But there has to be a taste of desperately running at it! I don’t care who you are, I’m going to beat you today!!! Something like that, you know?”

“Ah, something like that?”

The team employee’s face showed an expression that said, ‘Oh, you old fart,’ but Eric McConnell didn’t seem to notice at all.

“There are guys like that in the Dominican. No, in fact, most of them are like that! A guy who was released from Single A [the lowest level of minor league baseball] is grinding his teeth to try and catch me… Cough, I never get tired of playing baseball all night with guys like that!”

“So, you mean there aren’t any guys like that on today’s opposing team, the Cannons?”

“No. I’ll bet on it.”

The Boston Red Sox slugger was speaking as if making a firm statement.

“I’ve met Korean players several times in international competitions. But do you know what? Those guys bow their heads as soon as they see a Major Leaguer, you know?”

“…….”

“And then they say they respect me, wanted to meet me, can they get an autograph… Ah, are you kidding me? Why are you getting an autograph from someone you’re going to fight tooth and nail with in a little while?!

Eric McConnell snorted.

“What fun is it to play baseball with such airheaded guys? It won’t be much different today, will it? They’re probably already intimidated by the name value of the ‘Boston Red Sox’ and playing a terrible game.”

Eric McConnell shook his head and started walking towards the shower room.

As he passed the main field, he stopped and looked back, as if he had noticed something strange.

“Hey, Fred! Was today’s game supposed to be without spectators?”

“No. I heard that about 300 of our Boston fans came?”

“That’s strange. That’s not a small number, but why is the main field so quiet? Se, seriously?!”

Eric McConnell’s eyes widened.

“Fred, hurry up and contact the staff inside. The game might already be over.”

“Yes? Already? It’s only been an hour since the game started?”

“There was a mercy rule in today’s game. If the score difference gets too big, the game ends. If the game is over, everyone is waiting for me inside, right?”

“Well, I think we would have gotten a call if that were the case… I’ll check. I’ll check it out.”

The team employee hurriedly took out his cell phone and made a call.

As the call that started with ‘Hello’ ended with ‘Okay, thank you,’ Eric McConnell asked, sticking out his bearded face.

“What did they say? Is the game over?”

“No, the bottom of the 3rd inning is in progress.”

“What? Then that’s even stranger? We’re on the attack, but the Boston fans are quietly keeping their mouths shut? Is that possible?”

“We, well…”

The team employee opened his mouth with a troubled expression.

“Boston is losing.”

The next moment, Eric McConnell’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“The score is 5-0 in the bottom of the 3rd.”

* * *

Eric McConnell’s words were true.

The Boston Red Sox fans are some of the loudest in Major League Baseball.

Let’s go Red Sox! Bbam bbam bba babam!

Let’s go Red Sox! Bbam bbam bba babam!

For them, it was an unfamiliar experience, a practice game against a Korean team.

Even though it was expected that many of Boston’s key players would be absent.

Nevertheless, the 300 or so Boston fans who came to the stadium started cheering loudly from before the start of the game.

“Hey, you Korean fools! We’ll teach you a thing or two, so watch and learn!”

“You should be honored! You’re receiving the teachings of the most prestigious club in Major League Baseball! Hahaha!”

Of course, the Boston Red Sox weren’t having a good season every season.

There were many seasons when they were pushed around by rival clubs and fell to the bottom of the league.

Perhaps it was because they had already experienced such situations several times.

Thump!

In the top of the 1st inning, when Cannons’ leadoff hitter Shin Min-sung hit a surprise bunt single, the Boston cheering squad’s momentum didn’t die down at all.

“It’s okay! It’s okay! Don’t worry about anything, Boston Red Sox!!!”

“Wow, that Korean hitter is pretty good? He broke through our Boston’s impregnable infield? Huh?”

“Hmm, if he polishes it for about 5 or 6 years at this pace… he might be able to become a backup member of our Boston team!”

A mature look that even sent warm applause to Shin Min-sung, who entered first base.

However,

That was it.

In the situation of 1 out and 2nd base created by the sacrifice bunt of the 2nd batter Ahn Young-chan.
The 3rd batter Ryu Jang-ho was retired with a deep fly to the outfield, but the following batters hit consecutive long hits.

Ta-ack!

Ta-ack!

Cannons’ new foreign hitter Terry Foster’s double that hit the fence directly.

Followed by Cannons’ Heart, Chun Jin-woo’s timely double that flowed along the 3rd base line.

The score quickly became 2-0 with these two hits.

An angry outburst began to erupt from the Boston cheering squad.

“No, what the hell are those guys doing?! How can they not catch such an ordinary hit!”

“Wait a minute, Terry Foster? Isn’t that the guy who was just digging holes in our team last year? You’re telling me we got a double from a guy like that?”

“Hey, manager!!! Change the pitcher! Change the pitcher quickly!!!”

The Boston fans’ screams were getting more and more intense.

When Boston’s attack in the bottom of the 1st inning ended without much success, there were quite a few people who couldn’t control their anger and stomped their feet.

But even in the midst of such chaos, it seemed that none of the people in Boston were thinking of defeat.

“Damn it, it’s a game we’re going to win anyway… why are we trying to go down such a difficult path?”

“It’s good to give rookies a chance, and it’s good to test spring camp invitees. But it would be easier to start by scoring in the beginning, right?”

“I know. Anyway, our Morrison manager has a very unique personality, right?”

It was confidence.

We will definitely win.

There’s no way the Boston Red Sox, a prestigious club in Major League Baseball, would kneel to a team they’ve never heard of.

The Boston fans’ fierce screams could perhaps be said to be an expression of such confidence.

Ta-aaaaack!!!

Top of the 3rd, runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs.

The moment a huge hitting sound erupted from the sharp swing of KH Cannons’ 3rd batter, Ryu Jang-ho.

Shuuuuuuuu-

The moment a white trajectory that stretched out with the hitting sound drew a large parabola towards the center-right fence.

Thueo-eong!!!

And the very moment when the white parabola that had been moving forward without hesitation hit the electronic display board beyond the outfield fence as it was-

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Only a heavy silence was falling in the Boston stands.

KH Cannons’ best hitter, Ryu Jang-ho’s massive home run with a distance of 135m [approximately 443 feet].

The score was now 5-0.

“Hehe, this is something…”

Around the time the top of the 3rd inning was over without additional points, and the bottom of the 3rd inning was in progress.

A soft smile was blooming on the face of the Boston manager, who was looking at the main field, which had become as quiet as if cold water had been poured on it.

“The friend who hit the home run a little while ago… Ryu, was it? Seeing him in person, he’s really amazing. There was a reason why our Perkins general manager was drooling. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, it was a great swing.”

The bench coach next to the manager let out a light breath.

“It was a ball that went into the deep inside course in an amazing way, but I didn’t know he would hit it and send it all the way over there.”

“Right? It was worth rushing from the morning. You have to see that style of hitter in person to get a feel for it.”

The Boston manager nodded with satisfaction.

Towards such a manager, the bench coach narrowed his brow as if worried.

“But manager, are you okay?”

“Hmm? What?”

“The score difference is too big. There’s less than an hour left.”

It was the bench coach checking the time.

“It seems that the opponent came out thoroughly prepared, but I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“Hey, it’s just a practice game anyway, why bother with winning or losing?”

“But manager, there are many reporters from the Boston area media here. If the game ends like this, I think there will be a lot of talk…”

“Re, really?”

The Boston manager was a little shaken by the words that the reporters had come.

But that was only for a moment, and a strong confidence began to fill his face again.

“Well, there’s nothing to worry about. I don’t think we’ll lose face in front of the reporters.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“Look behind you. Behind you.”

The bench coach turned his gaze in the direction the manager was pointing.

A happy expression also appeared on his face, ‘Ah!’

“Manager! What on earth is going on!”

“A lot of fans have come! Then we have to show them a convincing game!”

The Boston Red Sox regular members, already dressed in their uniforms, were striding over.

The person leading everyone in the middle was the captain of Boston, Eric McConnell.