Became the Problem Child of MLB - Chapter 202



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Episode 202: Nickname (3)

There are certainly advantages to being famous, but there are also times when it can be annoying. In particular, sports players, whose salaries can be found by searching the Internet, are often the targets of all sorts of requests.

An acquaintance’s request to meet up with someone who has insurance is an event that happens every quarter, and the SNS messages were full of account numbers from people complaining about unfortunate family circumstances.

Of course, those aren’t the only messages that come in. There were a lot more photos taken by fans at the stadium, heartfelt fan art, and messages of support.

-Brother, there’s a really good Korean medicine clinic in my neighborhood. Go there. (link)

-Player, you were limping a little bit after the game yesterday… right? Haha

-Fuck, bro. Take care of yourself and don’t worry me ㅡㅡ

-Now is not the time to exercise. You need to get rid of the fluid stuck in your body first… … . If you open a fundraising account, it will be cut in 10 minutes. Please, let’s do it well.

what…….

It’s quite direct, but I can’t say it without showing affection for myself. And I felt it again later when I went through their SNS accounts.

‘I guess it was polite to send a message.’

I guess it felt like opening Pandora’s box. Of course, not all baseball fans are like that, but among them, some fans seemed to have deep affection for their favorite team.

Their words are harsh, but they only have one wish. They are people who would rather not watch baseball than do team laundry, so they ask that you please do a good job so that they can watch baseball for a long time.

But even for me, who has seen countless fans like that, this was the first time I’ve seen something like this.

-Metzpa: Little brother.

-Metzpa: Just one strikeout in my first at-bat, please.

-Metzpa: Then, a ground ball at least… … .

-Metzpa: Is there anything you want?

-Metzpa: Since I became the older brother, I haven’t been able to pay much attention to the youngest oneㅜㅜ

-Metzpa: … … .

-Metzpa: Jay, are you busy?

-Yankee: Haha …

-Yankee: Haha …

-Yankee: Hey, what are you doing alone?

-Metzpa: What?

-Yankee: Capture complete

-Yankee: We will make it public that the players’ families are requesting match fixing.

-Metzpa: Just try it

-Metzpa: You die and I die.

-Yankee: No matter how I look at it, it seems like only my brother is going to die… … .

… This is the first time I’ve received a match-fixing offer. It wasn’t a broker who said that, it was a family member.

Strike out on your first at-bat? What kind of nonsense is that?

-Metzpa: No?

-Me: Is that okay?

-Metzpa: ㅠ

You have to say something that makes sense.

“Hey, who are you talking to that makes that face?”

“I’m a match-fixing broker.”

“Wow. Whoever it was, his liver is sticking out of his stomach. You picked a tough opponent, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What did you offer?”

“Um… a blank check.”

I told him to tell me whatever he wanted, so if you think about it, it’s a blank check. Victor, who had a surprised expression on his face after hearing what I said, soon nodded his head in agreement.

“The scale is huge. Is it because you are a ‘blank check’?”

“Me? Why am I a blank check?”

“The reporter said this yesterday. He said that the club has to keep you even if it means giving you a blank check. Do you think that’s great?”

“…What else?”

“It means that your fans care for you a lot.”

“I don’t know about other people, but that’s not something Victor would say.”

“Okay. Don’t flatter me.”

Feeling good but also grumbling.

-Metzpa: Please do this… … .

-Metzpa: The Cubs are almost guaranteed a postseason spot… … .

-Metzpa: How can I not give you even a little hope… … .

Even while I was talking to Victor, the obsessed man was still sending messages without giving up. Why are you doing this to me, really?

Was yesterday’s game that shocking? Hmm. It was just the usual Mets.

-… … .

-You’re not going to do that literally, are you?

Hey, that can’t be. I’m a social person too.

-Me: Okay. I’ll try.

-Metzpa: Wow.

-Yankee: Wow.

-Yankee: Why are you like that too?

-Yankee: ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

-Metzpa: Really? Really?

-Me: Yeah.

-Me: But, bro.

-Metzpa: Yeah, yeah.

-Me: I’m the only one trying.

-Me: Is it certain that Mets can win?

-Metzpa: Huh?

-Me: I thought it would be a bit difficult when I saw it yesterday.

-Me: Would it be possible to include about 9 people in our team’s starting lineup?

I sent the message and immediately put my smartphone in the locker.

Jing, jing, jing, jing-

“What, why is the alarm going off at this hour?”

“It’s not an alarm, but if you keep doing that, you’ll end up like this.”

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I answered Victor and covered my smartphone with another piece of clothing, and Victor’s expression as he watched me was a bit strange. The other players who were looking at me were the same.

“…why?”

I felt a strange sense of foreboding. It was like a feeling of deja vu, as if I had experienced it before.

“Woooooooooo-”

I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, but after seeing the old men laughing and jeering at me, I finally realized what was going on.

… these people are real.

“That’s not it. That’s not it.”

“Waaa …

“Who are you? Which poor lady have you fallen for again?”

Shit. I can tolerate everything else.

“Hey, are you completely done with that boyish older sister?”

That was Yandy, you crazy people… … .

“Victor, explain it to me quickly. You know it’s not true.”

“Well, it could be a different person than before.”

“no.”

“Hmm. Really?”

Victor, who was giggling, took out my smartphone from the locker and handed it to me as he spoke.

“Then block it.”

“…I will do it.”

“See, you hesitated just now?”

“Oh, I said I would! Just block me!”

By the time we felt the clubbies going in and out of the locker room looking at us like we were crazy, it was already too late. There was no way the old men looking around would miss such an interesting trick.

“Waaa …

“You ignore my calls, but you don’t block me? Who taught you how to torture people with hope?”

“Dylan, you don’t learn things like that. You’re born with it.”

“You piece of shit! Gather all the single rookies during the off-season and give them a special lecture! By the way, the name of the lecture is ‘101 Ways to Capture Her Heart’!”

“Damn, I can only be single?”

“It’s okay even if you’ve been there once!”

“Yes!”

I’m dizzy. I’ve been playing baseball for almost 10 years and I’ve never been in such good condition as I am now. I felt a stiffness in the back of my neck, so I bent my neck to the sides and heard a cracking sound.

“Everyone run away! I’m so angry!”

“Eww!”

Hahaha. Hahaha… … .

Damn. I wish they’d all eat shit, even though they’re all my team players.

“hey.”

“…why?”

As the second game began and I stepped up to the plate, Hugo Nicolas looked at me with an ominous expression.

To be honest, I feel a little bit wronged whenever this happens. If a person keeps stress inside, they will get sick and not be able to live. Since the stress that has built up inside cannot be relieved inside, the only way is to relieve it outside.

Well, that means there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I heard you’ve been really active in charity work lately. That’s amazing. I respect you.”

“Charity? What does that mean?”

Hugo Nicolas, who looked dumbfounded, clenched his teeth as I continued to speak.

“I heard you work hard to earn money and live off of the pleasure of giving coffee to your fans. Isn’t that right?”

“…No, you fucking kid.”

Peace of mind comes to me. Yes, this is normal. Yes.

* * *

-Whether you’re a hitter or a pitcher, as the season progresses, you realize that it’s harder than you think to maintain consistency. Especially around August, like now, players’ true value is revealed.

-What do you think of Gunnar Bryce, the Mets’ starting pitcher today?

-You all know that it’s pointless to talk about a specific period against this player. He sometimes throws his best game in the postseason when everyone is tired, and sometimes he blows up the game in the opening week. He’s a true roller coaster pitcher.

-A roller coaster pitcher. That’s fun!

-Yes. I wonder what kind of performance he’ll show today, but the moment I say it, the first pitch… Wow, a cutter inside! Jay grabs this cutter! And throws the bat behind his back. The Cubs score the first point in the first inning! Wait a minute, this is too sudden! It’s been 10 minutes since the game started!

-Haha, look at this. Always be on your toes. Jay won’t wait for us!

-Jose Flores is home! And Jay steps on home plate and roars, pounding his chest!

-Okay. Damn, I hate to say this to a guy, but he’s cool. He’s cool. I can feel a deep resonance from him.

-And what we’re seeing on camera right now is, yes. Jay’s family… cheering him on.

-You’re cheering, right?

-Well, I’m sure about those three. I’m not sure about the other one, hehe.

– Did you hear us? Jay waves to the sky box. Alright, no one can stop this guy! Cubs take a 2-run lead. And Jay is one step closer to his 50th of the season!

* * *

“cheek!”

I stood in the batter’s box and looked at the field. The ball count was 3 balls and 1 strike. Sejai was persistently picking out the pitcher’s balls.

“Hey, you rascal.”

“yes.”

“Put your ear here.”

What are Cubs fans watching this on TV thinking? They probably think Victor and I are analyzing the pitcher’s pitches or sharing tips with each other.

“If Sejai gets on base.”

“yes.”

“I bet you a thousand dollars that the Mets are going to turn you down and take me down. You?”

In reality, it’s all just useless jokes.

The current score is 3 to 3. The game was taken by the Cubs with my two-run homer, but in the bottom of the fifth, Ornell Ryan hit a tying hit to bring it back to square one. It’s a bit disappointing, but the game isn’t over yet. All we have to do now is turn it around.

In that situation, objectively speaking, whether you look at the data or anything else, it’s the right thing for Mets to reject me. Conversely, our team will likely adopt a similar strategy.

But understanding it with your head and accepting it with your heart are two different things. In that sense, I understood Victor’s words as his own way of sublimating slightly hurt pride and subtle discomfort into a competitive spirit.

“Then I’ll bet a thousand dollars.”

“On the other side?”

“No. Victor is going to send me and Sezai in at the same time.”

“…Hey. You don’t know how to bet, do you? Just follow the basic rules.”

Victor patted my shoulder as he said that. Oh, that hurts.

Why are you hitting me when you’re smiling with your teeth showing? And why are your hands so strong…?

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