A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 456

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 456

97. Indian Rain Dance (6)

-Let me introduce to you! The leadoff hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays! Maaark Cohoon!!

Wahhhh!!!

Wahhhh!!!

Wahhhh!!!

Tropicana Field erupts with thunderous cheers as Mark Cohoon appears.

Witnessing the incredible atmosphere, the Future Strategy Planning Division team members lightly bumped fists.

“Success.”

David Wilson grinned.

“Even after giving up six runs in the first inning, the reaction is this enthusiastic… Doesn’t this mean the event was a hit?”

“Indeed. Anyone can see that.”

Charles Flex nodded with a satisfied expression.

“We need to create good stories. That’s what brings people to the ballpark… Kim, you were right. Your idea worked perfectly.”

“You flatter me. It’s all thanks to everyone’s hard work.”

Jiseop felt a sense of pride as he made eye contact with each of his colleagues.

Frankly speaking, Mark Cohoon wasn’t a player with much ticket-selling power. In fact, he was unpopular to an almost unfair degree, considering his skills.

The fact that such a player was receiving this much attention, that so many people had come to the stadium to see him in person.

More than just selling out another game, it felt special to be able to create this moment for such a sincere guy.

“Haa, if he could hit a home run here, it would be a real drama.”

John Lama rubbed his palms together like a fly, looking at Jiseop.

“Kim, what was it like when you were a player? Does it change anything when the crowd cheers like that? Does it give you energy? Does your swing speed increase or something?”

“Well, I was a pitcher, though…”

Just as Jiseop was about to talk about his playing days, Charles Flex interjected with a stern expression.

“Hey, Lama! Don’t bother our Deputy General Manager like that! Can’t you see Kim is uncomfortable?”

…Huh?

“How many fans would come to the Chinese semi-pro league! Even if fans did come, would there be cheers for a pitcher who can’t even throw 80 miles per hour?”

“Ah, I see your point? Sorry, Kim! I should have asked David about this instead…”

Oh, is that not it?

John Lama wore a sullen expression.

“David never made it to the Major League either, did he? He only stayed in the Minor League before retiring… Ugh, there’s no one in our office to ask? What effect do the fans’ cheers have on a player!”

“Wait a minute, that’s not true!”

“What are you talking about?!”

Jiseop and David Wilson.

Now key personnel in the Future Strategy Planning Division, but during their playing days, they were quite unremarkable, and they bristled at the comment.

“Do you think I only played in the Chinese league? I played in the United States too, and in Japan!”

“You seem to be unaware, but even in the Minor League, Triple-A games draw a lot of fans! Don’t you remember the Durham Bulls? They were so popular that they even appeared in a movie once…”

Thwaack!

The pitcher who used to throw 128 km/h [approximately 80 mph] and the hitter with a career Minor League batting average of .168 widened their eyes at the same time.

“?!!”

“!!!”

It was Mark Cohoon.

With the count at 1-1, the Tampa Bay Rays’ leadoff hitter had made solid contact with the opposing pitcher’s ball.

“Uh oh?!!”

“Uhhhh!”

The batted ball flew so fast that the outfielders couldn’t keep up.

The batted ball soared high, threatening to break through the dome of Tropicana Field.

Was a drama about to unfold here, as John Lama had said?

Were the cheers of tens of thousands of fans about to shine here?

The very moment Jiseop clenched his fists, having seen countless home runs before.

An unexpected situation,

Befell Tropicana Field.

Thwoong!!!

A dull sound of something piercing through the office’s glass wall.

It was the sound of Mark Cohoon’s batted ball directly hitting an internal facility of the dome stadium.

“…….”

“…….”

The human drama that was heading towards a great conclusion was turning into a thriller right before the ending.

* * *

To be precise, it was the catwalk installed at the top of Tropicana Field.

A pedestrian walkway created to stably maintain the dome structure of the stadium while also managing the sound and lighting facilities.

Mark Cohoon’s batted ball had directly hit the steel walkway that extended like the spokes of a carriage wheel from the highest point of the dome stadium.

-Ah, this is…….

In fact, Tropicana Field was famous for its complex internal structure, so batted balls hitting the catwalk were not that uncommon.

However, at this moment, even the commentator of the broadcast was unable to easily explain the situation.

It would be more accurate to say that he couldn’t bring himself to utter the word that came to his mind, rather than not understanding the situation itself.

Misfortune.

Mark Cohoon’s misfortune.

The sight of the batted ball that directly hit the catwalk falling weakly, and everyone in the stadium covering their heads in shock, was visible.

How could this happen? How could that batted ball not clear the fence? What is the player supposed to do in this situation?

Regret, pity, and even resentment directed at an unknown target.

Although it was only a fleeting moment, the atmosphere inside Tropicana Field turned heavy, and at that very moment-

“Hey!!! Ball! Ball! Ball!!!”

The Baltimore Orioles’ fielders suddenly started moving as if they had been burned.

The outfielders had been sprinting towards the landing point from the beginning, but it was around this time that the infielders hurriedly formed their positions.

The reason was simple: a man running with truly fierce momentum had entered their field of vision.

-Mark…… Cohoon?

That’s right. It was Mark Cohoon.

He also seemed slightly shocked when the batted ball hit the catwalk.

However, that was only for a moment. After identifying the landing point, he gritted his teeth and increased his speed.

-The batter-runner is starting to run…… Ah!

The commentator, who had hesitated for a moment, snapped his fingers.

-Th, that’s right! It’s the ground rule of Tropicana Field! A batted ball that hits the inside catwalk is in play! It’s the same situation as hitting the fence!!

At that moment, a roar of ‘Waaah!’ erupted from the crowd.

The Baltimore right fielder had failed to catch the batted ball that had fallen after hitting the catwalk.

“Fair!!!”

The first base umpire, who was almost out in the outfield, pointed inside the foul line and declared fair, turning the stands into utter chaos.

“Mark!!! Run! Run!!”

“The outfielder dropped the ball! You can do it! You can do it!”

“Go all the way home! All the way! All the way!!!”

People wildly swinging their fists and shouting at the top of their lungs.

People stamping their feet with their faces flushed red.

People silently holding their breath with their hands clasped together as if in prayer.

A man’s unstoppable sprint was etched onto the eyes of all those people.

-Mark Cohoon, he’s fast! He’s incredibly fast! He passes second base, then third, and from third to home!!!

Of course, the Baltimore Orioles weren’t just watching this situation unfold.

Although they were considered to have somewhat weaker power, they boasted the best defensive organization in the league.

The right fielder dropped the ball, but the center fielder immediately backed him up, and the center fielder immediately threw the ball to the second baseman.

Waaah!!!

Waaah!!!

The Tampa Bay Rays’ batter-runner, turning around third base with an unstoppable running play.

The Baltimore Orioles’ fielders, trying to stop him with a relay play that flowed like water.

The best of each side collided head-on right in front of home plate.

“Euhryaaaak!”

The moment the batter-runner Mark Cohoon attempted a headfirst slide towards home plate, the throw from the second baseman landed accurately in the catcher’s mitt.

Chwaaaaaak-

Paang! Paaaak!

The batter-runner reaching out his hand towards home plate and the catcher reaching out his mitt to block the runner.

With the two plays happening almost simultaneously, silence fell over the stadium for a moment.

‘……Wh, what’s the call?’

Safe or out.

Was Mark Cohoon faster, or was the Baltimore catcher faster?

Because the two people were surrounded by a cloud of dust, the umpire, holding his mask in his hand, seemed unable to make a call easily.

“…….”

However, the moment the cloud of dust surrounding the two people gradually subsided.

So, the moment Mark Cohoon’s two hands firmly gripping home plate were clearly revealed.

The umpire spread his arms wide to the left and right and declared in a loud voice.

“Safe! Saaafe!!”

Almost simultaneously with the umpire’s declaration, a roaring cheer poured in from the crowd.

Mark!

Mark!

Mark!

Mark!

In fact, it was.

One run scored in a 6-0 situation. It was true that it wasn’t something to give much meaning to.

However, at this time, the cheers of the crowd were reminiscent of when a come-from-behind walk-off home run was hit in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Such an enthusiastic reaction.

Such a heated cheer.

And at that very moment, Mark Cohoon was slowly getting up.

Taking off his helmet covered in dirt and sweeping back his hair that had become brittle for the same reason.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ leadoff hitter was giving the crowd his most wonderful smile.

It was the smile of a man who had hit a home run after exactly 997 at-bats.

The smile of a man who had hit an inside-the-park home run that no one had expected.

And above all, it was the smile of a man who had directly broken through the shadow of misfortune that had been cast upon him.

* * *

The first game of the season between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles, which took place at Tropicana Field that day.

The Tampa Bay Rays barely managed to win after a fierce hitting battle. Final score 12-10.

Waaah!!!

Waaah!!!

It was the game with the most runs scored this season. At the same time, it was also the game with the most runs allowed.

In such games, various records always follow. Various records such as the most RBIs [Runs Batted In] in a game, the most home runs, and the most hits were being uploaded to the press release.

However, the question that the Tampa Bay Public Communications Department employees received the most that day was this.

-Was it really a home run? Has the official record been released?

-Yes, it has. Mark Cohoon’s first at-bat result was announced as an inside-the-park home run.

-Is there any possibility that it will be changed later? Isn’t all of this actually due to the home run being canceled two years ago?

-At that time, the fielders’ mistakes were the cause. But today, there was no such thing, so the league office said that there is no room for change.

It was because it was such an unusual home run.

It wasn’t common for a batted ball to directly hit the catwalk of Tropicana Field, but this led to a ground rule home run.

Reporters were pouring out articles related to this, and on the internet, eyewitness accounts of the game were being moved to the ‘Best’ section one after another, and at that very moment-

“Oh, please don’t be so nervous! It’ll all be on screen, you know? Hahaha…….”

Mark Cohoon, who had emerged as the person of the hour that day, was constantly wiping the sweat flowing from his face in the Future Strategy Planning Division office.

He had hit the home run he had so desperately wanted, and he had gotten rid of the jinx of misfortune, but he still had a problem to solve.

“Alright, let’s read the script one more time! Yes, please read from where you made a mistake earlier! Okay…… Go!”

“Um, um! As you know, today’s home run was an inside-the-park home run. So, since there was no fan who caught the ball separately, our Tampa Bay Rays will be holding a separate event…….”

That’s right. This was it.

The fact that Mark Cohoon’s batted ball ultimately failed to clear the fence.

Thanks to this, there was a slight problem with the event to give a gift to the fan who caught the home run ball.

There were some disagreements about what to do, but the story was finally being settled on drawing lots for the fans who came to the stadium.

“Okay! That’s it! Thank you for your hard work!”

“Ah, thank you.”

Although the video itself was not long, Mark Cohoon’s face was covered in sweat after finishing the filming.

Since Mark Cohoon rarely appeared in front of fans, it was a natural thing.

When Jiseop, unable to watch any longer, gave him a large towel, Mark Cohoon gave him a slight nod.

“Um…… Thank you, Kim.”

A word of greeting given hesitantly.

Jiseop tilted his head.

“Thank you…… What for? I think it’s our Future Strategy Planning Division that should be thanking you.”

Mark Cohoon, who doesn’t particularly like appearing in front of fans, stayed behind after the game to film the video. That alone was a grateful thing for the Future Strategy Planning Division.

Jiseop brought up the story in that context, but Mark Cohoon was slowly shaking his head.

“It’s thanks to Kim. And thanks to the Future Strategy Planning Division.”

About today’s home run.

Mark Cohoon continued.

“The fans’ cheers were a really big help. When I stepped into the batter’s box, I thought to myself. Let’s do it today. Let’s definitely do it……. No matter what happens.”

“Definitely do it?”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

“I think I was able to not be shaken even at the moment when the batted ball hit the catwalk because I had made up my mind so firmly. That’s why I was able to run straight home.”

“Ah, is that so? You’re saying that the fans’ cheers gave you strength?”

Did John Lama ask?

How much power do the fans’ cheers exert?

Jiseop felt like he had confirmed the answer.

“Please continue to take good care of me in the future.”

Mark Cohoon said.

“I hope you will hold these events for other colleagues as well. Everyone seems to be quite envious, even if they don’t say it.”

“That’s very kind of you to say.”

It was also the story that Jiseop wanted to hear the most.

The efforts of the Future Strategy Planning Division are not only helpful in increasing the number of spectators.

It’s also giving strength to the players. It’s also helping the players’ play.

“Yes, I understand.”

Jiseop nodded readily.

“We’re already racking our brains. We have a home game against the New York Yankees next weekend.”

“Ah, the New York Yankees!”

Mark Cohoon smiled.

“I’m already looking forward to it. Our Tampa Bay and them are in a strange relationship right now, aren’t we…… Um?”

It was at this moment that Mark Cohoon stuck his hand into his pocket.

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s the game result. I get a text message like this when other team’s game results are over.”

“Ah ha.”

Even at this time, Jiseop replied in a light tone, but that light feeling did not last long.

“……Wow.”

Mark Cohoon’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Kim, about the upcoming game against the Yankees…… I think we need to prepare thoroughly.”

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

“Vincent, I mean, Vincent Hiyama. That guy achieved two complete game shutouts today.”

Mark Cohoon held up his cell phone.

“Looking at the rotation, the next game against the Yankees…… Isn’t that guy going to pitch too?”