A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 245

Chapter 62: The Day Dreams Came True (3)

A few hours later.

As Ji-seop was heading to the dugout after finishing the final pre-game meeting, Go Chang-deok from the scouting team called out to him.

“Ji-seop! Hey, Kim Ji-seop!”

The rookie, his face flushed, hurried over.

Ji-seop stopped and turned around. Go Chang-deok pulled something out of his pocket and thrust it forward.

“Here! Drink this quickly. You’ll feel much better after downing a bottle.”

“Huh? No, this is……”

It was an herbal calming medicine.

*Wasn’t that something they sold at pharmacies?*
A traditional medicine taken to calm nerves before important exams or interviews.

*No wonder he hadn’t seen him for a while; Go Chang-deok must have gone to the pharmacy to buy this.*

“Seriously, when you think about it, our team… tends to overwork you, don’t you think? Isn’t that right?”

Before Ji-seop could even ask what was going on, Go Chang-deok was clicking his tongue and continuing.

“I know you know our pitching staff inside and out, but this is too much! How can they suddenly thrust the role of pitching coach on you like this?”

*Did you even get any sleep?*
*You didn’t stay up all night, did you?*

Go Chang-deok looked at Ji-seop with worried eyes, examining his complexion.

Ji-seop watched him, a faint smile on his face.

“I’m fine, *hyung* [older brother/friend]. I slept well last night. I’m in good condition right now.”

Ji-seop said.

“You don’t need to worry. You know, Freeman is a former pitching coach. And the head coach was a pitcher during his playing days. All I have to do is support them.”

“Hey, but that’s not easy! Coaches get nothing but flak if things go wrong… Hmm?”

Go Chang-deok, who had been making a fuss, suddenly tilted his head. It was the next moment.

He had been scrutinizing Ji-seop’s complexion and suddenly realized that his expression was incredibly relaxed.

“What, you.”

Go Chang-deok blinked.

“Ji-seop, you… you really seem okay? You don’t look nervous at all?”

“Yes, I’m not nervous. How many times do I have to say it?”

“Well, if you say so, that’s a relief, but……”

*Hey, what’s with you?*

Go Chang-deok asked Ji-seop.

“When did you become so bold? When we first met, you… weren’t much different from me, were you? Flustered and frantic.”

“Hey, when did I ever do that?”

“Yes, you did, you punk!”

Go Chang-deok slapped Ji-seop’s shoulder.

“I told my wife before, ‘My new roommate is smart, but he lacks confidence. He’s always looking at what other people think’.”

*That guy,*

*That clumsy guy,*

Now he’s taking on the role of pitching coach in the Korean Series and his face doesn’t even change.

Go Chang-deok seemed to find Ji-seop’s transformation incredibly amazing.

“Ji-seop, what’s the secret?”

Go Chang-deok poked Ji-seop in the stomach with his elbow and continued.

“Is it because you’ve gained experience as a front office staff? Or is it because you’ve been getting advice from the manager and general manager?”

“I don’t know?”

Certainly, he had gained experience.

Thanks to the past two years of experience, he could now handle any task quite skillfully.

He had definitely learned a lot from Arthur Freeman and Seo Chang-gi, two people who had reached the pinnacle of the baseball world.

However, Ji-seop had a slightly different reason for feeling so confident that day.

“I don’t know about anything else, but at least today……”

The reason why he could remain calm even before the crucial Game 4 of the Korean Series.

The reason why he didn’t even bat an eye when he was suddenly told to take on the role of pitching coach.

That was because-

“Isn’t it because our Cannons are really good at baseball?”

“What?”

Go Chang-deok chuckled.

“What is he talking about?”

* * *

Go Chang-deok said, ‘You bland guy!’ and kicked Ji-seop’s butt as he passed by, but Ji-seop was actually speaking from the heart.

‘No… I’m serious.’

By this time, Ji-seop was often called a ‘workaholic’ by his Cannons teammates.

So, it was only natural that Ji-seop, who had taken on the role of pitching coach, was fully prepared for the game.

He listened to the scouting team’s stories, listened to Coach Nam’s stories while he was lying in bed, and went to the players’ dorms to observe their eyes.

After calmly looking at all that data, Ji-seop was able to come to his own conclusion.

‘We’re going to win today.’

‘We’re going to win the Korean Series.’

The players were in top condition, the atmosphere was good, and the preparations to support them were perfect.

Since he first started playing baseball in elementary school, this was the first time he had been so sure of victory.

That’s why Ji-seop was able to sit in the dugout with anticipation, excitement, or a pleasant thrill rather than nervousness – and as always, his premonition soon became reality.

*Thwack!*

*Thwaaaack!*

The Cannons’ batting lineup, which seemed to have slightly subsided in the previous Game 3.

However, in Game 4, they began to bombard the opponent’s mound by unleashing shots with tremendous distance as soon as the game started.

Eckerson, the Knights’ starting pitcher who showed ‘fighting spirit’ by pitching after a three-day break, and the Knights’ bullpen pitchers, who were considered to be among the best in the league.

In the face of the Cannons’ cohesive hitting, they could only sweat profusely before sadly leaving the mound.

*Whoosh- Pow!*

The pitching of Yong-gi Lee, who started for the Cannons that day, was also excellent.

Perhaps because the fielders had created a comfortable lead early on.

Or perhaps because his experience of being caught by the police had strengthened his mentality.

Despite it being his first Korean Series appearance, he threw his pitches without wavering.

-Strikeout! It’s a strikeout! Lee Yong-gi records his sixth strikeout of the game!

-Lee Yong-gi’s pitches are really good today! The Knights’ batters can barely touch them!

According to Arthur Freeman’s initial opinion, Lee Yong-gi would have passed even if he only lasted until the 4th inning.

But when he continued to throw powerful pitches even after the 5th inning, Ahn Young-chan, who was playing as a designated hitter that day, quietly approached him and said this.

“Special Advisor Kim, that’ll be 50,000 won? Please transfer it to my account before the game ends.”

“Huh? What’s that all of a sudden……”

“What else could it be? It’s the ticket price.”

Ahn Young-chan smiled.

“You came as a pitching coach today, but thanks to Yong-gi, you haven’t done anything yet, have you? Ah, then you have to pay for the ticket! It’s originally 100,000 won, but I’ll give you a special employee discount of 50,000 won.”

Ji-seop chuckled.

“Is it difficult to apply both the employee discount and the acquaintance discount?”

“Hey, even for Special Advisor Kim, that’s too much, isn’t it?”

Of course, Ji-seop wasn’t just sitting still that day.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, with the score at 7-2, Lee Yong-gi, who had been pitching well, suddenly allowed consecutive walks.

“Ji-seop, let’s go up together.”

“Yes, Manager.”

And so, Ji-seop visited the mound for the first time that day with Arthur Freeman.

“Hey, YK! What’s wrong all of a sudden? Are you feeling the strain on your stamina?”

“Yes, Yong-gi. Tell the manager if it’s too hard. You’ve done great just by holding on until now.”

Arthur Freeman and Chun Jin-woo seemed to be thinking of replacing the starting pitcher.

However, the Cannons’ ‘interim pitching coach’ had a slightly different opinion.

“Yong-gi.”

“Yes.”

Ji-seop looked into his eyes and said in a calm voice.

“Even if you get one or two more strikeouts here, it’s hard to get the Korean Series MVP, right?”

“Huh?!”

The Cannons’ starting pitcher looked up at Ji-seop in surprise.

Ji-seop continued without changing his expression.

“In this Korean Series, Jang-ho has hit 5 home runs. Ahn Young-chan’s batting average is close to .400. On the other hand, you have 6 innings and 1 run today… Compared to those two, your impact is a bit lacking, isn’t it?”

“Even if I get 10 strikeouts?”

“Even if you get 10 strikeouts.”

At Ji-seop’s firm answer, Lee Yong-gi seemed a little intimidated.

But only for a moment, he scratched his cheek, saying, ‘Ah, I guess so, right?’

“I understand.”

Lee Yong-gi nodded.

“I’ll let go of my desire for strikeouts and throw as I always do. Even if I do that… I’ll have done my part today, right?”

“Of course, what are you even saying.”

Ji-seop smiled brightly and patted Lee Yong-gi’s shoulder.

Not long after, the Cannons fans in the stands erupted in cheers.

-The shortstop catches it and throws it to the second baseman, and the second baseman throws it to the first baseman again… Out, it’s out! A 6-4-3 double play to end the inning!

Wow!!!

Lee Yong-gi slowly came down from the mound, receiving the warm cheers of the fans.

“Good job, Yong-gi.”

“Thank you, Special Advisor.”

Ji-seop bumped fists lightly with the starting pitcher, who had pitched well with 2 runs in 6 innings that day, and could sense that he had overcome the last hurdle of the game.

Then, the only task left for him was one thing.

“Manager, then shall we slowly……”

“Hmm, contact the bullpen coach.”

Arthur Freeman said.

“Tell Jimmy Morris to get ready.”

* * *

Regarding this Korean Series, there seemed to be some complaints from some in the baseball world.

“It was too one-sided of a series.”

After Game 3, Hwang Young-joo, a reporter for [Sports Hanseong], told Ji-seop.

“The Korean Series should have some back-and-forth action. How can one team be dragged along so unilaterally like this?”

“That’s right. Except for Game 3, which went to extra innings, the game itself went too smoothly!”

To those who watched from a third-party perspective, the Korean Series seemed to have been too boring.

There were even voices calling for a revision of the postseason system itself, saying that the merit of the regular season first-place team was too great.

It may have been a bit disappointing for the Cannons, who had worked hard to win the regular season first place – but whatever.

At least for the fans of the KH Cannons, this Korean Series seemed to be becoming the best autumn ever.

Wow!!!

The Cannons’ starting pitcher Lee Yong-gi came down from the mound, and the remaining 3 innings.

The warm cheers of the Cannons fans did not stop at the SH Knights’ home stadium.

The! Strongest! K! H!

It sounded like a declaration.
A declaration that our KH Cannons are by far the strongest team this season.
A declaration that at least at this moment, there is no team that can beat our KH Cannons.

As the atmosphere gradually matured, the highlight of the game came in the bottom of the 9th inning.

-We are announcing a pitching change for the KH Cannons.

Almost simultaneously with the end of the top of the 9th inning, this news was heard from the stadium announcer’s voice.

-Pitcher Na Jun-ho is leaving, and pitcher Jimmy Morris. Back number 55.

The appearance of ace Jimmy Morris.

This became the final spark.

Even the people who had been stubbornly silent even while everyone was cheering.

Because the time they had been waiting for the championship was too long, or because their desire for the championship was too great.

People who had not been able to say the two words ‘championship’ out loud, but had just been clenching their fists.

Even those people were able to burst out the feelings they had been holding back when the team’s ace showed up.

We won.

As the last person stood up and shouted the victory, the Cannons’ ace began to take out the last three batters more calmly than ever.

*Swaeeeee- Pow!*

It was the moment of victory that they had been waiting for, for as short as 1 year and as long as nearly 30 years.

Although he often shows a dazed appearance, Jimmy Morris is a man who knows how different the weight of each moment is.
A figure who puts his heart and soul into each pitch to attack the strike zone in order not to give the opponent even a shred of possibility.

“…….”

Thanks to that, Ji-seop was able to recall the things he had experienced in this team over the past two years.

His first meeting with ‘Sakhalin Park’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo, and the time he overcame Ryu Jang-ho’s slump with Go Chang-deok.

Jimmy Morris’s internet broadcast, Arthur Freeman’s coffee preferences, Chun Jin-woo’s trade, and General Manager Seo Chang-gi’s unexpected drinking habits.

He felt that he was who he was now thanks to those difficult times.

He also thought that the current Cannons were there thanks to those happy times.

And just as the fact that he had to leave this familiar space and head to a new place flashed through his mind – *Thwack!*

Jimmy Morris’s 154km fastball induced an extremely ordinary fly ball from the opposing batter.

“Mine! Mine!”

The moment third baseman Lee Soo-bin moved one or two steps into the foul area and caught the ball.

“Out!”

The umpire standing behind the catcher was declaring that the moment everyone had been waiting for had finally become a reality.

“Three outs, game set!!!”

The 27th out count of the SH Knights in the game that day.

It was the KH Cannons’ Korean Series victory.