Championship Race (1)
After wrapping up the interview with Kim Seoa, I waited briefly before proceeding with the home-fan interview.
It was a weekend, yet even after the game ended, a surprising number of fans remained.
According to what Kim Seoa had mentioned earlier, my fourteen strikeouts over seven innings had set the record for the best performance in a first start of the season.
I briefly pondered its significance since it wasn’t even my debut game, but baseball is fundamentally a sport built on records, and this was simply one more way fans enjoyed the game. I decided to let it go.
“I am Lee Junseong of the Seoul Dragons, honored to have witnessed your wonderful performance today.”
“Hello, I am Lee Junseong of the Seoul Dragons.”
The remaining home fans erupted in tremendous cheers.
The in-stadium announcer’s questions had been minimal and inconsequential. As it was fan service for the home fans who had come to the stadium, I would not have worried about it even if I had.
I delivered standard answers, and every time I spoke, the home fans responded with enthusiastic applause.
On the way back, the marketing staff informed me that there had been unusually many fans who stayed after the game today. Not only season-ticket holders who had cheered enthusiastically in front of the cheering section, but many other fans had lingered and waited around.
Today had been a day I needed to focus, yet I had not been able to be too careful. The Marines had lost today, narrowing the gap to 3.5 games.
It was not yet at a level where I could relax, but the regular-season championship was slowly within reach.
“Sorry, I couldn’t meet you today like this.”
“It’s okay, and from now on oppa will do even better than today.”
“Thank you, it was my first start today and it was tough, but hearing your voice made me feel strong.”
“Oppa too… I want to meet soon when I have time.”
“Me too, I’ll contact you. Love you.”
I ended the call with Song Hyeonji.
Of course, it was not merely hearing a voice that gave me strength. At the very least, I needed to feel the warmth of a woman’s body and the softness of her skin to be satisfied.
Actually, even though I was such a wholesome person, the women around me probably saw me as a sex-crazed maniac, which slightly pained my heart.
Perhaps it was because of this that my passion for baseball never waned. Fans simply liked it when I came out and performed well.
Putting complaints aside, I moved on to meet Yu Suhyeon.
“How did you feel about your first visit to the baseball stadium?”
“It was amazing, there were so many people, and they were all calling Junseong’s name? It felt like a concert.”
Yu Suhyeon showed a childlike expression today.
“Since he’s a baseball player, it’s only natural. Fans come to watch the game for the thrill of cheering.”
“No, Junseong seemed special? My friend said there are many popular players on the Dragons team, but when Junseong plays, people cheer loudly.”
Of course, I felt it too. Senior players and marketing team staff had also told me that I was the most noticed among the fans.
In addition, this first start had drawn interest not only from our team fans but also from fans of other teams.
“There were a lot of female fans too.”
“Haha… I heard there are more young female fans at the baseball stadium these days.”
“Don’t pretty female fans approach? With Junseong’s level, it would be like that.”
“Where are such things, cheering is just cheering.”
Song Hyeonji, if I had to say, since I spoiled her, it was not a lie.
“The female interviewer also had a tall and pretty figure. Are all baseball announcers like that?”
“Because what you see is important, and noona is much prettier.”
This was also not a lie. In terms of figure, Kim Seoa was better, but I personally preferred a slim waist like Yu Suhyeon, so there was no issue.
“And noona became famous today too.”
“I don’t know… that’s weird, I’m not an entertainer, why would my photo be taken.”
The top-viewed site was my strikeout highlights, and second was captured Yu Suhyeon. Originally pretty, the cameraman had captured it well.
Thinking about it, from my perspective, it was not bad that Yu Suhyeon’s face was being sold. But there were many pretty and well-built women coming to the stadium, and they would be forgotten soon.
I had a pleasant time with Yu Suhyeon. We had not slept together, but today was not the only day.
Yu Suhyeon today was unusually curious whether other girls were not interested, unlike usual, thinking about Song Hyeonji.
This could be seen as expressing affection, but having overlapping characters among my women was not pleasant. I hoped they would maintain their individuality to some extent.
I did not trust our team’s starting pitcher Kim Junhyeok.
His performance so far had not been trustworthy enough…
However, today I felt a bit sorry.
Kim Junhyeok had not completed five innings and came down from the mound.
Our infield defense had not been bad, but today’s balls had been flying oddly, and the defenders had not been concentrating well.
Kim Junhyeok had given up four runs, and we had been trailing by one run. My eyes had seen that Kim Junhyeok’s pitches today had not been that bad, and thinking about the opponent who usually struggled being the Dolphins, he probably had wanted to pitch well, but it was a pity. Kim Junhyeok, who was a nice guy, had come down and it had been frustrating, so he had thrown his glove away.
We had not been able to continue the good atmosphere. If we swept the Dolphins today, we would be far ahead in the championship race…
For now, we had to rely on the bullpen pitchers and the batting order.
“Out!”
“With Gang Daeho failing to capitalize on the opportunity, the Incheon Dolphins narrowly secured a win.”
“The Dolphins are really a solid team. They struggled against the Dragons’ strong starters yesterday and the day before, but today they avoided the sweep loss.”
“At the batting park, the Busan Marines defeated the Gwangju Lions?”
“Yes, that’s right. The gap between the championship race teams has narrowed to 2.5 games, haha, not only the players but also the fans must be feeling icy hearts.”
“By the way, coincidentally, next weekend’s weekend series is the Jamsil derby between Seoul Dragons and Seoul Buffaloes?”
“Yes, the battle to defend first place for the Seoul Dragons and fifth for the Seoul Buffaloes. This season the Dragons are clearly ahead by more than ten games, but the Jamsil derby is always tough regardless of standings.”
“Yes, there are still games worth noting for fans at the end of the season. I’ll finish broadcasting today’s game now.”
[Game Over Incheon Dolphins 5 : 4 Seoul Dragons]
If we had won the game, the criticism of Kim Junhyeok would have been halved, but in the anxiety of possibly losing first place, the fans’ patience would not have blossomed.
Although I had expected it, I received the starting schedule from the pitching coach.
I would make my second start against the Seoul Buffaloes in the first game of the weekend series on Friday.
Well… since it was a start, it was unavoidable, and in the end I knew it helped the team’s league operations more, but it was slightly frustrating that I could not be involved in the previous game before my start day.
If I simply followed the body, I would have wanted to start every day as long as our team was winning or tied up to five innings. Of course, it was impossible in modern baseball; I had received the mission to become the world’s best player, not to become an alien.
The reason I felt particularly frustrated was because the midweek series opponent, Suwon Magic Wings, was not an easy matchup.
Following the Dolphins, the team in fourth place, and a team with strong first, second, and third starters, it happened to feature all of them in this midweek series.
We would face Albert on Thursday, but tomorrow and the day after we would face the fourth and fifth starters. Saying fifth starter was just a band-aid.
Right now, if we compared the starting pitchers from first to fifth place, excluding the special case of me, the native starters were overwhelmingly the weakest team, which was us. In addition, our second starter Josh had been out for the regular season.
Why was this team, which claimed to be aiming for a championship, in this state? They had drafted two college pitchers in the first and second rounds of the draft, yet what were they doing in the second team?
I did not like the pitching style either, and Bae Junmin, a usable hitter, was being wasted.
Even if the team did not win the championship, I would enjoy enormous salary increases. Even if I was out for the season, I was scheduled to receive the Rookie of the Year unanimously. I had already been announced to be on the Asian Games roster.
But I had also come to like this team, and frustration at losses had begun to rise.
Above all, if I led this team to a championship as the key player, I would receive enormous attention. In addition, a consecutive championship? The club might plan a statue or a permanent number retirement for me.
I walked through the bustling streets to calm my anxiety.
“Eh? Is that Lee Junseong?”
“Yes?”
When I turned around, a middle-aged man had spoken to me.
“It is. It matches the screen perfectly.”
“Hahaha…”
Was it already happening that people on the street recognized me? Seoul was so vast and populated.
“Could you sign this? My sons are Dragons fans, so I already know Lee Junseong’s face. Seeing you in person, you look even more handsome.”
“Thank you.”
It was not the desired beautiful female fan, but I signed politely, and the middle-aged man did not linger and left immediately.
Normally, parents introducing their children to baseball because they liked it was common, yet this father did not seem to be a Dragons fan.
But thinking about it, I had naturally entered baseball more because of my parents, and since the baseball national team had been performing well at that time, I had been naturally influenced.
I was barely a rookie, yet children who liked me were already appearing? It was not a bad thing.
Yes, fans were all the same. It was all about loving them equally.
“Eh? Lee Junseong!”
By being kind, people recognized me more, and again someone stopped me.
“…”
It was a young woman. Her chest… was equal to or greater than Kim Seoa’s, but her legs?
Ah… Not an elephant, but a sigh escaped inside me.
“You’re really a fan! Can I take a photo?”
“Yes, of course.”
I barely managed to control my expression. The woman’s appearance had to be at a level that could be appreciated with the makeup effect.
“Lee Junseong, is there a separate Inbee or something…”
“I do not use SNS. Please continue to support me in the future.”
I bowed once and continued on my way.
Fans were precious, but pretty women were even more precious.
A miracle had occurred.
Of course, our team had lost both games to the Magic Wings yesterday and the day before in a routine manner. Although the starters were starters, we had wanted the batting order to explode and win at least one game, but it was a pity.
However, surprisingly, the lowest-ranked team in the championship race, Daejeon Golden Eagles, had secured consecutive wins against the Marines, and today they were leading by six runs.
I did not know baseball, but I had not expected a miracle to occur at such a good timing.
Our team, which had confirmed the losing series, had exploded the game by ten runs today with Albert and the batting order explosion.
So if we had split it… it would have been good, but it was fine, it was fine.
“Why do you always appear at the crucial moment?”
“There is no choice.”
I answered Park Ujin’s words bluntly.
If we continued like this, the gap would widen again to 3.5 games. If we maintained or widened the gap against the Buffaloes on the weekend, we would not be at the stage of discussing the magic number, but we would be occupying a favorable high ground.
Of course, the most important thing was the remaining matchup against the Marines. If we followed the schedule, I would also start.
I prayed with half my heart that the Golden Eagles would not blow the lead and take today’s game, and with the other half that I would focus on tomorrow’s game.