Became the Problem Child of MLB - Chapter 229



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Episode 229 Re-exploring the route (3)

A moderate level of competition develops players. As long as it is not so extreme as to damage team spirit, competition is always necessary to advance to a higher level.

The competition can be against other teams, or sometimes against the same team. This is a situation that every manager secretly hopes for. Experience has shown that teams with self-reliance tend to last longer than those without.

The Cubs’ fielders all felt a sense of competition for Hanjei, to varying degrees. Andy McGregor, who hit 40 home runs this season, and Victor Aroswell, who is in the twilight of his career, were no exception.

The age difference is not that important once you step into the professional world. You just have to work hard to improve and not embarrass yourself in front of rookies.

Even veteran players who have already made a name for themselves in the major leagues are like this, so let alone the competitive spirit of young players.

“Strike, out!”

Johnny Garlick, who started the second game, fiercely attacked the White Sox batters from the start of the game. It was his last appearance in the regular season. The pitcher, who currently has an ERA of 2.56 and 15 wins, stood on the mound to finish on a high note.

His family was in an uproar over the career highs of his son, grandson, cousins, and brother. Every day was a party, and there was always laughter when two or more family members were together.

Johnny Garlick knew these families, too. Sometimes, on his sentimental days, he would feel so proud that he would cry, and he hoped that this happiness would continue into the next year.

Exactly!

To do that, he has to finish this game well. A ground ball flowing toward the mound. Johnny Garlick caught the ball and threw it to first base, and Andy McGregor stretched out his body almost straight, splitting his legs. He caught the ball before the runner reached first base.

“out!”

Andy McGregor is a man who is far from being a prickly person, and he likes to joke around. The problem is that his jokes don’t look like jokes because of his fierce appearance.

“…….”

Johnny Garlick averted his eyes as Andy McGregor glared at him and pounded his inner thigh with a pot-lid-sized fist. He then turned his shoulder slightly and muttered.

“Hey, why did the ball go there…….”

The Cubs dugout, watching this scene, erupted in laughter. Only one person, Roger Mendez, who was scheduled to start the next day, was unable to laugh.

Exactly!

“Foul!”

Phew!

“cheek!”

His eyes were on the White Sox batters at the plate and Johnny Garlick on the mound, but his mind was full of thoughts about the Minnesota Twins batters he would be facing 24 hours later.

‘I wonder if I can do well tomorrow.’

Roger Mendez, who had been thinking blankly, let out a small sigh. To be honest, it was a bit unfair. It was not uncommon for a bullpen pitcher to have handled more than 60 innings in a season. It meant that he had taken on the dirty work that everyone else avoided, and at least in the bullpen, his role was clear.

‘Then what do you do?’

The rookies on the same team were just monsters. Han Je-yi needs no further explanation. The first major league hitter to hit 75 home runs. Fans bought tickets to see him, and wherever they went, there was only talk about Han Je-yi.

How about Johnny Garlick? He’s a starting pitcher with an ERA of 2.00 and double-digit wins for two straight seasons. Experts have boasted that if he were to go to a team with a weak starting rotation like the Mets or Braves, he’d be a natural starting pitcher.

‘Who would care if I pitched 6 scoreless innings tomorrow?’

There is nothing more foolish than being discouraged by the success of your peers, but honestly, you can’t help but be conscious of it. Roger Mendez, who was sighing as if the ground was falling apart, lifted his head slightly when he felt a presence beside him.

“Why, why…….”

And when he met the shining eyes of Yandy Franco, he stuttered without realizing it. The manager had already made it clear that he would not pitch again during the regular season. Why was this guy sitting next to him, even in his uniform?

Yandy leaned back on the bench and said as Roger Mendez looked at him as if he didn’t understand English.

“Why? Is there a law that says Yandy can’t sit here?”

“…No, that’s not it.”

“Okay then.”

He’s a strange guy. He picks out the dugout seats right next to him and keeps talking nonsense. But maybe it’s a good thing for him. Roger Mendez asked Yandy, hoping to get information about the opposing team tomorrow.

“Excuse me. Can I ask you something……”

“I Won, you’re annoying people everywhere. What’s wrong? Is there anything you want to know about this Yandy?”

“…No, it’s not. It’s nothing.”

Roger Mendez distanced himself from Yandy, looking slightly weary. It wasn’t that he wasn’t eager, but the madness in Yandy’s eyes made him hesitate.

“Okay. Even if it’s not now, you can ask me any time you have questions.”

“yes…….”

Yandy, who did not know Roger Mendez’s heart, decided to be especially kind. It was only natural for a rookie to have a hard time with the ace of a team. He felt a sense of pride in himself for reaching out to Roger Mendez, who was hesitating.

“Please stop harassing other players.”

And after the defensive inning was over, Hanjei returned to the dugout and laughed at Roger Mendez’s words.

“Bullying me? Me? Hey, you really think so?”

“If you ask like that, who would say it’s right?”

Roger Mendez smiled awkwardly as Yandy grabbed his shoulder. He could feel the other players’ eyes tilting to see what was going on.

Above Roger Mendez’s head, who quietly covered his face with his hand, a conversation was going on between people who didn’t care about what other people thought.

“Did you hear that? That’s not it.”

“You didn’t say anything.”

“Sometimes you can feel something even if you don’t say it.”

“Go to the hospital. That’s just a hallucination.”

“Yandy is healthy. Excessively so.”

“It’s not good to be overconfident about your health, let alone anything else.”

“How touching.”

“…What is it?”

When Han Je-yi asked in a bewildered manner, Yandi said, rubbing his nose.

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“Thank you, but you don’t have to worry so much. Yandy is a pro. I just accept your feelings.”

“…Spit it out right now. Why are you accepting my feelings when I never gave them to you?”

Only Roger Mendez, who happened to be caught in the middle, smiled awkwardly.

‘Please, just the two of us can talk without me… … .’

* * *

Fans expect players to stay focused throughout the season and hang on until the end of every game, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Especially for teams that have already been ranked early and have already secured a spot in the postseason with high performance.

But the Cubs were an exception. Young players who became stars overnight never got arrogant, and it was rare to see the coaching staff shouting at the players to get their attention during team practices.

“Those of you who want to go on vacation, tell me right now! I’ll make sure you can rest at a resort first!”

It was partly because they were keeping an eye on Victor Aroswell, who was getting nervous ahead of the World Series, but more than that, they wanted to do their own thing.

In yesterday’s game, second-year rookie Johnny Garlick finished the season with 16 wins, and the team reached the 118-win mark.

Taaah!

Taaaaak-!

And the guy who hit 75 home runs was busy coming to work early and hitting balls out of the batting cage. Who could be arrogant on a team like this?

If a team was struggling with a thin roster, they would have coaxed and cajoled such a player to join them, but the Cubs were full of rookies who were ready to step up at any time. It was clear that any player who did not contribute to team chemistry would be mercilessly kicked out.

– Manager Sean Tillaherty said this before the game. ‘I don’t know when, but there will definitely be a team that surpasses the Cubs’ record. But it’s hard to see a team that is better than the Cubs this season.’

-Haha, that’s right. Records can be broken. But it would be hard to recreate a team like this in terms of perfection. Even if you bring all the All-Star players together, it’s not easy to make them into a team.

– In that sense, you could say that the Cubs are a perfectly fitting puzzle set. Should I say that they shine more as a team than when they are apart? It seems like each player is bringing out 200% of their individual abilities.

– Yes, that’s for sure. The moment I say that, the batter swings and misses! Roger Mendez strikes out the last out of his first inning as a starting pitcher! His fastball control is quite sharp. It seems like he’s prepared a lot.

“See, you’ll do well once you get up there.”

“haha.”

“Don’t let your guard down and keep doing what you’re doing now until the end.”

The pitching coach said as he rubbed Roger Mendez’s shoulder. Unlike Roger Mendez, who doubted himself, the coaching staff was confident that he would do well. If they weren’t confident, they wouldn’t have put him in the starting lineup now.

“What is the ball…….”

“Wasn’t it a game that was wasted for a day?”

“Those kids must be doing well.”

The only ones who were confused were the Minnesota Twins’ hitters. Unlike them, who were in the wild card battle, the Cubs’ game had no bearing on the standings. Still, they were a little bewildered to see the Cubs players yapping like mad dogs in the dugout.

Taaak-!

In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Jose Flores was out on a fly ball to left field. However, Cejay Suarez, who confidently stepped up to the plate and said, “Open your eyes and look carefully,” hit a triple that hit the wall.

Han Je-yi shook his head as he watched his colleague doing all sorts of crazy things with his feet firmly planted on the base.

“Base on balls!”

And a straight ball walk from the first at-bat. Not a single pitch that could be hit came, and Hanje threw the bat behind his back and took off his protective gear. The bat flew coolly and rolled quite far away.

“JAY! JAY! JAY!”

“Hey, cutie! Look here!”

“Jay! I just came from a one-man protest in front of City Hall to make you the Chicago mascot!”

Cubs fans chanted Hanjei’s name loudly as he walked away with a look of discontent. And when they succeeded in getting Hanjei’s attention, they were as happy as children.

Although there were some fans who booed the pitchers who avoided the game, most of them were busy chatting with their rookies with happy expressions on their faces.

1st and 3rd base, runners on 1st and 3rd base. A short hit or a fly ball to the outfield could score a run. The batter up to bat is Victor Arraswell. Hanjei exchanged a few words with the first baseman and then stretched his ankle.

The battery exchanged signs quickly. Even if it meant giving up a run first, it was important to get an out. Twins fans might think the opposite, but from the perspective of leading the game, there was no choice since there were runners on first and third base from the start.

“Safe!”

And then things went from bad to worse. In the blink of an eye, the runner who had stolen second base got up, dusting off his uniform as if it was nothing.

“Hello, how are you doing these days?”

“…It’s just like that, huh.”

The second baseman, who had answered absentmindedly, looked at Han Je-yi with an expression as if to say, “What kind of a guy is this?”

[SPU TV) MIN 0 VS 0 CHC]

-Han Je-i successfully steals a base (season 48)

-Runners on 2nd and 3rd.

└ㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅ

└He’s really good at baseball.

└Did you just run knowing how to throw a changeup? How did you know???

└Who here knows that?

└Teacher Han just runs… … .

└If a guy like that steps forward as a leader after retirement, everyone around him will have to try to stop him.

└???: Why can’t I jump like this? Just jump when the pitcher throws a changeup.

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Look at the ball and hit the ball urgently ㄷㄷㄷ

└Did the second baseman see a ghost?

└Yes

└ㅇㅇ

└Ghosts can’t use their fists, but Hanjei can use his fists~

└Chewㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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