Championship Race
※ Important: The MLB-related posting content in Chapter 54 has been revised, so if you read it earlier, it's best to go back and reread it. (As of April 18, '26, 00:00)
September 3, 2015 (Thu). Daejeon.
"Today, we have the Heroes, riding high on their momentum to solidify first place, facing off against the Eagles, who have nowhere left to retreat in their fight for a top-five spot."
"The Heroes are on a five-game win streak lately, while the Eagles have dropped two in a row, right?"
"Exactly. With the sixth-place Gwangju Tigers closing in fast, the key question is whether the Eagles can hold on. Let's take a look at today's starting lineups. First, the home team, the Daejeon Eagles."
1. Jeong Woo-geun (2B)
2. Lee Gyu-yong (CF)
3. Kim Eon-kyeong (RF)
4. Kim Tae-hoon (1B)
5. Choi Haeng-jin (LF)
6. Fox (DH)
7. Kim Seong-hoi (3B)
8. Jo Seong-in (C)
9. Kwon Gwan-yong (SS)
Starting Pitcher: Song Eun-byeong
"Now, the visiting team, the Heroes."
1. Kang Hyun-jun (RF)
2. Kim Seong-ha (SS)
3. Kim Kang-jun (1B)
4. Park Byung-hyun (DH)
5. Seo Geon-cheol (2B)
6. Yoo Jun-han (CF)
7. Snyder (LF)
8. Park Won-dong (C)
9. Kim Seong-min (3B)
Starting Pitcher: Lee Ji-seung
"Here's today's starter matchup. The Eagles' Song Eun-byeong, born in '84—a veteran hurler. And Lee Ji-seung, born in '96, who's been putting up monster numbers lately. That's a 12-year age gap, a full zodiac cycle apart."
"Lee Ji-seung seems to be improving steadily since the start of the season. His velocity's up, control's sharper. He looks like the guy who's gonna carry the Heroes into the future."
As the announcer said, Lee Ji-seung had taken the mound in 25 games so far, racking up 16 wins and battling it out for the win title with Changwon Dinosaurs' Hacker, Seoul Bears' Yoo Kwan-hee, and Daegu Lions' Yoon Hwan-seong. For Rookie of the Year this season, Lee Ji-seung and Kim Kang-jun were the frontrunners.
Seeing Lee Ji-seung closing in on wins leader and Rookie of the Year honors lit a fire under Kim Kang-jun too.
Kang Hyun-jun, the first up to the plate, shook the pitcher's nerves with his elite contact skills, then crushed a middle-in pitch for a clean single.
Since boosting his power, Kang Hyun-jun had been drilling baserunning and defense. He was proving himself as the team's leadoff man.
With Kim Kang-jun's power surging, he'd slotted into the three-hole, shining in scoring position. That bumped the natural three-hole hitter Kim Seong-ha to second. Kim Kang-jun's bat had outshone Kim Seong-ha's lately.
Kang Hyun-jun and Kim Seong-ha would set the table, Kim Kang-jun would devour it, and if anything spilled, Park Byung-hyun cleaned it up. That was our recipe for victory.
It didn't always work like clockwork, but with the murderers' row behind them, lineup decisions were a breeze as manager.
Thanks to this killer lineup, we led the league in first-inning runs. Holds and saves took a hit, but as the top team in batting average, we kept rolling.
Now, Park Byung-hyun and Seo Geon-cheol ripped singles, pushing three runs across in the first. Song Eun-byeong paled; Kim Geun-seong's face twisted in irritation.
The starter hadn't notched a single out, just getting shelled. Still, his aggressive approach—no nibbling, just attacking—was solid.
Bases loaded, no outs: Yoo Jun-han stepped up, batting .340. True to form, he worked a walk, packing the bags.
Next, our import slugger Snyder. His bat met Song's pitch, sending a towering fly.
"Whoaaaa!!"
The crowd leaped, roaring. But it died quick—CF Lee Gyu-yong tracked it down on the warning track.
Park Byung-hyun at third and Seo Geon-cheol at second tagged up smart. I'd drilled basics as manager; no flying high, just fundamentals.
Lee Gyu-yong's throw lagged from the tough grab. Both runners advanced.
For them, it'd turned a potential sweep single into one out and one run. Lucky break.
Park Won-dong up. His big swing sailed to right, plating another. Score: 4-0.
Now the nine-hole. Yoon Min-seok and Kim Seong-min had been vying for third base. Lately, Kim Seong-min's hot streak earned him the nod.
But he whiffed. Song Eun-byeong, sweating bullets after five first-inning runs and 36 pitches, finally escaped.
Lee Ji-seung took the hill with a five-run cushion. No quit in him today.
He mounted the mound, deep breath, muttering into his glove—same ritual. But as the announcer noted, he'd leveled up from early season. Some aura made him look gigantic.
Best part? This wasn't his peak. Endless upside.
I'd never see his full bloom—that stung. No high school wear on that arm; fresh shoulder, no abuse. Straight to stardom, maybe devouring MLB for years.
Lee Ji-seung fired. Thwack!!! 150 km/h on the gun. Growth again.
Jeong Woo-geun flinched at the heat but cut like a vet. Legs looked jacked from post-departure training—stable base, crisp swing.
Thwack! Dull contact, infield pop to 2B Seo Geon-cheol.
Jeong Woo-geun shook his head, glared at Lee Ji-seung, then trudged off.
Lee Gyu-yong battled too, but whiffed on a sudden changeup.
Fastball up to 150 made timing a nightmare; 130s changeup wrecked him. Slider and changeup now in repertoire.
Kim Eon-kyeong hunted first pitch—CF flyout. 1-2 guys grinded counts; one-pitch out was gold.
Nothing sweeter for a manager than leadoff grinding down the starter.
Second inning, Song Eun-byeong back up—36 pitches deep. We showed no mercy.
Kang Hyun-jun fouled off until a strike, then whiffed after seven. He trudged back disappointed; I gave the thumbs-up. He grinned, headed in.
Song eyed him warily, but the lineup only got scarier.
Our hitters were pitcher nightmares: talent, grit, team-first grind. Maddening.
Kim Seong-ha singled, Kim Kang-jun homered. Both multi-hit already.
Walked Park Byung-hyun, then Seo Geon-cheol singled, Yoo Jun-han grounded into a force—runners back to second/third. 60 pitches.
Should've yanked him, but bullpen stone-cold. Down 7-0, maybe just riding the starter.
Walked Snyder too. Park Won-dong up.
Our everyday catcher. Hit .300 through July, but August slump dropped him to .250.
Irreplaceable, though. Backup Kim Hyun-jae? Revolving door.
Me catching? Nah, same issue. Felt bad for Park Won-dong.
Fans said hit .100, just field. Spot on.
His role was that vital—maybe more than Lee Ji-seung or Kim Kang-jun.
Crack!! I whipped around.
"Whoaaaaaaa!!!!! Park Won-dong! Park Won-dong!! Park Won-dong!!!"
Fans chanted as his blast cleared the wall. We figured .100 was gold; this? Championship inevitable.