JAE YOUNG, not pitching today?
No, I’m saving it for Friday.
He says he has to pitch live, so he’s managing himself.
No.
My arm’s super sore.
You threw four innings.
But to me, that felt like nine.
I...
Yesterday...
I got my first call from the manager.
Really? What’d he say?
He told me to take care of my body.
That’s a relief.
Everything about that is a relief.
First call of the season?
No, I’ve talked to him before.
But every time we talk
he just says “You shouldn’t do that.”
This time it was positive.
It was our first clean call.
What got into him?
HEE KWAN’s been coming out to train.
Exactly.
He’s anxious since he can’t play now.
He wants to pitch at the live game.
YOO HEE KWAN’s quietly working hard.
It’s way too hot.
I’m sweating just standing still.
You think you couldn’t handle a fungo?
You feel like you’d die if you did.
What’s wrong with you?
JAE HO’s collapsing.
He already looks like he’s about to fall.
Fielding?
This is punishment.
JAE HO’s dead.
He’s dead.
Manager, are you hitting now?
Don’t lob it, throw hard.
He said to throw it with force.
You gotta step up and catch like this.
Not like that.
I picked the wrong spot.
I’m done for.
Keep it up!
That’s terrifying.
I’ve got no strength.
Hang in there.
I’ll call a deputy for you.
Save me.
Save you from what?
Is this karma?
Not bad.
Nice play.
JAE HO
Done.
Wanna curse at him?
He’s trying to die doing that.
He’s really trying to die.
He’s dead, totally dead.
Ugh, I’m gonna pee.
Just go.
Thank you.
Good work today.
I’ll call a deputy for you.
Call the manager, please.
Oh, that was a joke?
Call a deputy.
Call a staffer.
Thanks for the hard work.
This is gonna be a hot topic.
Thanks, deputy.
I’m rolling, I’m rolling away.
Hello.
Incheon feels like my second home.
So it kind of feels like coming home.
We got a lot of good results here.
Together with the manager.
Brings back memories.
Once they said we’re playing at Munhak Stadium
I knew I had to be there.
I really wanted to play.
Even if I’m hurting, I’ll go.
I don’t have many good memories here.
I got hit around a lot in Incheon.
CHOI JEONG
JEONG KEUN WOO
The one I hated most, JEONG KEUN WOO.
He wasn’t a manager I wanted to remember.
Because
he always had good results against Lotte.
So not many fond memories here.
When the manager was here, this team played so well.
We lost a lot of games back then.
When he was in the opposite dugout
it felt like my chest was tightening.
But now that we’re on the same team
my heart swells with pride instead.
The manager knows this stadium best.
If we just trust the manager, we’ll win.
Hello.
You look very happy.
Of course.
Hello.
Just a second.
Please wait right here for a moment.
What are they doing?
What is it, what is it?
What is this?
In our last game
you played really well.
What is this?
Have you ever gotten something like this?
Why are you doing this?
What if I don’t play well after this?
What is this?
Are you sure this is okay?
Is this really okay?
What is this?
No, no, please stop.
It’s fine.
It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m gonna get bashed for this.
Last one, last one.
Thank...
Thank you.
Did you get permission from the GM?
I don’t think the GM would like this.
No, he actually loves it.
This is going to be a big problem.
I’ll get bashed for this.
Just give me gold instead.
Give me gold.
This was cheaper than gold.
Why did you block it off?
Do we have to go “Wow” again?
What?
What is this?
It’s not even that great.
What is this?
This is what we call waste.
What is this?
It’s a waste, a total waste.
Wait, you blocked the entrance just to do this?
What is this?
What is this thing?
This is seriously not it.
Seriously.
Is JAE YOUNG going to come out of there?
Why isn’t JAE YOUNG coming in?
He’s probably wearing a crown again.
And a cape too, right?
– Oh, seriously. – Seriously.
You’ve really done it all now.
What is this, “Comedy Big League”?
Is this like META COMEDYCLUB?
Don’t sit next to me. This is embarrassing.
Isn’t that NANCY LANG?
Isn’t that Ms. NANCY LANG?
It’s flames, flames.
Thank you so much.
At least give him a round of applause.
Thank you.
Oh, like this?
DAE EUN, take him back.
Thanks again for all of this.
Go inside.
Nobody took care of you out here.
The crew.
Thank you, production team.
Not bad.
I get to enjoy it.
That’s grand.
Really grand.
The crew really prepared a lot.
Yes, thank you.
Seems like everyone’s enjoying this.
They say this is cheaper than gold.
It felt great to play again after a while.
I was happy I could even get the win.
I think I’ll be pitching in more games soon.
I’ll make sure to stay prepared.
Thank you.
Some players are missing right now.
PARK JUN YOUNG and LIM SANG WOO
are currently playing in another game.
Tell them to hurry back.
They’ll come.
And the captain
he’s broadcasting MLB games right now.
– What is he, American now? – Tell him to move to the States.
Once the broadcast ends, the captain will join us.
He doesn’t have to.
This locker room is huge.
Why’d you stick YONG TAIK all the way in the corner?
He’s going to sulk.
Honestly, I get it.
YONG TAIK’s a sniper.
A real sniper.
No, but
isn’t he second to last in batting?
Is someone actually lower?
Oh, JAE HO?
At least I play defense.
True, you do play defense.
And also
last game, right?
Finally.
Every pitcher on the Fighters has now appeared.
We should’ve pitched earlier.
That day
the three of us who hadn’t pitched yet
covered the later innings well.
So the two aces didn’t get injured.
We’ll keep pitching now and then.
Your ball looked good.
With that
we can now announce the pitching stats.
Ignoring innings qualifiers, we’ll go by ERA.
With 1.2 innings and a 5.40 ERA
SONG SEUNG JUN.
He has an ERA now.
He finally has an ERA.
3.2 innings, 4.91 ERA.
NIPPERT.
Watch out.
In 5th, SHIN JAE YOUNG.
4.2 innings, 3.86 ERA.
That’s nearly 5 innings.
SEON SEONG GWON pitched 0.1 innings.
ERA 0
PARK JUN YOUNG, 4.1 innings unearned, ERA 0.
And now
our one-two punch, YOO HEE KWAN.
Can we officially call him our one-two punch now?
One-two.
Yes.
37 innings, 2.92 ERA.
He’s the top pitcher.
Still our ace.
38.2 innings.
5 wins, 2 saves.
ERA 1.64.
He’s insane.
He’s like a maniac.
Seriously, like a total maniac.
Now for the batting rankings.
5th place.
Oh, this guy.
Batting over .300.
– .314 – JAE WOOK?
8 RBIs
PARK JAE WOOK
8 RBIs
He’s an offensive catcher.
In the last game
he hit his first home run as an adult.
First as an adult.
First homer since becoming an adult.
4th place, batting .350.
SEONG HUN?
No, no.
With 11 RBIs.
Huh?
LEE DAE HO.
– He’s 4th? – He’s 4th in batting?
How is DAE HO in 4th?
He’s 4th.
Isn’t that surprising?
It really is.
He’s batting .350, so why does it feel like he’s underperforming?
3rd place.
With a .351 average
JUNG SEONG HOON.
Who’s in 1st place?
Is it one of us?
2nd place.
Batting .364 with 8 RBIs.
The Bible of batting
JUNG EUI YOON.
I’m in 1st?
You’re in 1st.
CHOI SOO HYUN is 1st?
1st place.
Batting .370 with 9 RBIs
CHOI SOO HYUN.
Salary increase.
He’s going to hit that incentive.
This was based on 12 games, right?
Must be the power of incentives.
You two
are locked in.
Even if you do nothing else, you’ll still hit your incentive.
But SOO HYUN
is now managing his batting average.
He’s doing batting average management.
He’s really good at it too.
He’s managing it.
That’s over the line.
That’s petty, seriously petty.
– He’s our junior, you know. – I didn’t do that.
He’s our junior, so...
KOREA UNIVERSITY is ruthless.
They’re scary.
Just learn the good stuff, man.
We’ll have to
reconvene a review committee
and set the criteria.
We’ll review whether that was petty or not.
Shouldn’t YONG TAIK be in that too?
Committees like this
always need at least one player.
Let’s bring the captain in.
He must be there.
I’m curious what YONG TAIK would say.
That one...
If YONG TAIK were here today, it’d be a mess.
Today’s opponent
is the best of the best
the Korea Independent League All-Stars.
Man, they’re scary.
You’re not the ace.
They’re scary. You’re starting.
Are they good?
Their batters are definitely good.
For today’s scouting report
since we also have independent league players
KANG DONG WOO, CHOI SOO HYUN, and SEON SEONG GWON will present.
The three of them.
Today’s opponent
is the Korea Independent League All-Stars, who’ve always been tough on us.
It’s the most underrated league.
People think it’s below high school level
and I personally see it that way too.
That’s why I think they’ll play even harder today.
They’re really good.
The projected starting pitcher
is CHOI JONG WAN.
Where’s he in the rotation?
51 innings pitched
with a 1.39 ERA.
He’s solid.
Is he a sidearmer?
Yeah.
He uses a slider to get ahead in the count.
Then for his out pitch
he mixes in two-seamers and changeups.
What about inside control against righties?
He doesn’t really pitch inside.
Also, this pitcher
works the outside.
Circle change?
Yes, circle changeup.
Right-handed, overhand, overhand, overhand.
They’ve got six available pitchers.
I think they’ll rotate one inning each after that.
DONG WOO will
explain the key batters.
Then what’s SEONG GWON doing?
SEONG GWON’s going to
drag the whiteboard back in when this ends.
First, KIM SOO HWAN plays for Seongnam Magpies.
He hit 8 career home runs in the KBO first team.
Kiwoom, Kiwoom.
How many pros are there?
A total of 12.
Then we win.
We have 14.
SEONG GWON, it’s your turn now.
Do your part, SEONG GWON.
What kind of coach is YANG SEUNG HO?
Well, first off...
Coach YANG SEUNG HO
is definitely
determined to win today.
That’s what he’s thinking.
Don’t all managers want to win?
What manager wants to lose?
No manager wants to lose.
– Of course they want to win. – No, SEONG GWON
Just do what you prepared.
So instead of the pitchers we just mentioned
I looked into some other guys who might come up.
Nice, nice.
Let’s see, let’s see.
There are pitchers named CHOI WOO HYUK and DO HYEONG JUN.
If they do come in
I’ll talk about them when the time comes.
I’ll explain then.
Why would you say that mid-game?
You gonna call everyone over during the game?
No, I mean
I’ll just tell the batters when they’re up next.
That’s so cute.
Are you gonna carry a phone around then?
No.
Roughly...
I’ve seen them a lot in Yeoncheon games.
Since we’ve played them a lot
I know who’s good.
That’s all.
I’m done.
And now he’s dragging the board out himself.
Since we’re in a different stadium today
fielders will start with fielding.
Fielding?
Fielding drills scare me the most right now.
It’s insanely hot.
It’s freaking hot, wow.
It’s way too hot.
Busan is way cooler.
It was only 31 degrees in Busan.
This is brutal.
What kind of weather is this?
Agh, it’s hot.
It’s seriously burning out here.
Let’s do a chant for the pitching crew.
Huh?
This is a rare sight, a rare sight.
First chant since my freshman year in high school.
Gotta set the tone when it’s hot.
Alright, here we go.
Let’s go, team.
Let’s go!
That’s it, that’s it.
That was almost like
JK KIM DONG UK’s kind of chant.
Fielders, move fast. You’ve got fielding drills.
What are we doing?
He said fielders need to move fast.
Fielding drills?
Ugh.
Fielding drills?
I wasn’t expecting fielding today.
When the stadium changes
you always do it the first time you come.
Where?
Home, home.
– First. – He said first, first.
The manager is here.
He’s out. The eagle-eyed manager has arrived.
You’ve taken enough fungoes. Looks good.
Nice, running throw.
The infield is the lightest.
Smooth defense.
Whoa, his hands must hurt.
His hands are hurting.
Wow, GYO WON’s arm is stronger than I thought.
Look at him go.
GYO WON’s got a cannon.
Thank you.
Watching this makes me nervous.
I don’t want to watch. I hate watching this.
Let’s not field. We might tip them off.
This is bad, really bad.
I’m seriously losing it.
I slipped. I slipped.
Coming to Incheon... wow, what is this?
Oh, that’s gone.
That’s 100% gone.
General MacArthur of Incheon has arrived.
That swing screams SK days.
Man, now that the manager’s here
all my tight muscles are loosening up.
It really is home turf.
That’s beautiful.
Here at SSG’s home stadium
I crushed it.
The captain’s here.
You know Pete Alonso from the New York Mets, right?
He grips like this.
A lot of guys hit like that now.
There’s quite a few.
But on top of that
he has even more power packed in.
Didn’t AHN HYUN MIN use a 34.5-inch bat?
– Seriously? – Yeah.
That’s why he hits the ball so far.
But with a 34.5
during my final season before retirement
I held the bat like this and gripped it like this.
I stepped out like this and swung like this.
Try swinging it once.
You seem like you’re in great shape today.
Your swing feels amazing today.
Is that it? Last one, last one.
It’s me.
Why are you all being so greedy?
I’ve only hit four times.
Stop hitting.
I said I only hit four times.
Some of us have played a lot of live games
and independent league players are here because they’re hungry.
They won’t go down easy.
YOON SANG HYUK.
He must’ve been grinding his teeth last night.
SANG HYUK’s been grinding all night.
SANG HYUK is looking really good today.
Good? Feeling alright?
I heard you’ve never lost to the seniors.
I think today will be your first loss.
We have to win.
Since we’re on the other team now.
– Hello, Coach. – Hello, Coach.
Good to see you.
Have you been well?
Have you been doing alright?
It’s really hot out today for a game.
Are the independent league players used to this heat?
They always play at 1 or 3 p.m.
It’s part of their routine.
Coach, for this All-Star team
did they ever get a chance to build chemistry?
I went around and picked the players myself.
It wasn’t like a fixed number per team.
I just chose the ones I thought were the best.
Some teams may have more players picked
some may have fewer.
We finalized the roster after playing teams like DOOSAN and LG nearby.
These players were selected from those games.
So quite a few of them must be pretty experienced.
The Flame Fighters have never lost.
Coach, do you honestly think
we still stand a chance as the independent league team?
We have to score 5 runs by the 5th.
You really think you can do that?
One run per inning?
In my dream, it was 8–5 in the 10th inning.
That’s why I believe
this year’s players will perform well.
You really are a coach, Coach.
– You were coaching in your dream. – Coach really has vivid dreams.
– He’s great at dreaming, our coach. – Must’ve been a lucky dream.
I had a good dream last night too.
Did you dream about winning today?
Got it.
Please share a few words for the Burn to Win viewers before the game.
Thank you for inviting the independent league team.
And through this invitation, I hope
independent league players
get to play an amazing game with Burn to Win.
I’d be grateful if Burn to Win fans supported our players as well.
Thank you for your words.
Thank you, Coach.
You’re practically a comedian now.
Why isn’t SANG WOO here yet?
LIM SANG WOO will arrive at 5:30.
With PARK JUN YOUNG.
They’re busy.
Ugh, this is kind of uncomfortable.
Hey, pull over here a bit.
This is scary.
Push it over that way.
If I’m sitting alone like this
why is my seat stuck in the corner?
Let’s announce the lineup.
First, number 1, second baseman JEONG KEUN WOO.
Yes.
KEUN WOO, you’re jumping right back in?
Number 2.
CHOI SOO HYUN.
Yes.
Everyone’s jumping right back in, huh?
Mm, must be three or four of them.
Batting average management is over.
Number 3.
DH.
PARK YONG TAIK.
Yes.
Number 4, DAE HO.
– Number 5, JUNG EUI YOON. – Yes.
Oh, he’s locked in.
Number 6.
– JUNG SEONG HOON. – Yes.
Number 7, LEE TAEK KEUN.
Yes.
Number 8, PARK JAE WOOK.
Yes.
– Number 9, JAE HO. – Yes.
Starting pitcher.
Who’s starting?
Doesn’t seem like it’s HEE KWAN.
He didn’t even roll up his sleeves, so probably not.
Is JAE YOUNG the starter?
Looks like it.
YOO HEE KWAN.
Yes.
YOO HEE KWAN.
Yes.
It’s because he came to practice on Thursday.
Oh, he did?
He finally showed up.
Must be nice for them.
Just show up to practice and you get to start.
Show up and you’re the starter.
Bat third
start the game, be the captain.
How can one guy do all three?
Alright, today
we’re finally going in
with our best lineup.
This is an important match.
So no more
complaining about the heat.
Don’t mention the heat until the game’s over.
I told you not to say that.
And now
let’s go out there and give it our all.
Looks like we’re going with our best starter too.
We’re putting out our best today.
Let’s win today
so we can all enjoy the fireworks with a smile.
I’ll pitch my heart out.
The mood was tense, but it’s fine now.
No need to walk on eggshells. This is great.
Congrats, man.
Congrats.
Congrats? Is it his birthday or something?
Raise your hand, man.
What are you doing?
Everything’s back in place.
For our 11th straight win
let’s focus from the very start.
Flame Fighters!
The vibe is great.
I kept failing to get live tickets,
but today I finally made it.
I’m here to cheer them on.
I really hope they do well.
I’m so excited, I feel like my heart might explode.
I’m in full dopamine explosion mode right now.
From LA
to San Francisco
transferred flights there
arrived in Incheon
and I’m flying back tomorrow.
I actually hesitated
about what name to put on this jersey.
But I always cheer for SHIN JAE YOUNG.
So I really hope he plays today.
Let’s go!
Coach, we love you.
– Let’s go! – You’re awesome!
Stay healthy, Coach!
Go LEE DAE HO!
NIPPERT, I love you!
Flame Fighters, go for it!
Burn to Win, let’s go!
Flame Fighters!
Go for it!
Today’s got a great vibe too.
It’s different when it’s your hometown crowd.
I’m a resident of Songdo, Incheon.
Go JEONG KEUN WOO!
Okay.
Thank you.
Hey, you’re handsome.
– So handsome. – Thank you.
Alright, keep it up!
You really perform differently at home.
Your hits
just disappeared.
What?
I was swinging light today.
But the ball vanished.
Right?
That’s weird.
Isn’t this your home ground?
It is.
Oh, that one’s mine.
Why do you have so many jerseys?
I see mine everywhere today.
Go JUNG ROSE!
Am I seeing things? Why don’t I see mine?
Throw it higher, higher.
I’ll do it when SOO HYUN gets here.
SOO HYUN, catch this. This is your job today. Come here.
Just catch it once. Do it once for me.
Ah, guess there’s no jersey with my name.
You’re done now.
You just getting started?
Oh, even a heart?
I can’t draw a rose, so I won’t.
Catch it!
Coach, should I bring you some water?
Huh?
Want me to bring you some water?
Was it always this far?
The baseball stadium?
It’s not that far, Coach.
Not far?
Yeah, not really.
The sun’s still out
but the lights are on, so it’s just a bit blinding.
It’s fine.
Hello, Coach.
Burn to Win camera, slate ready.
Here comes the slide of Captain PARK YONG TAIK, the victory fairy.
PARK YONG TAIK is hitting again?
He always does.
Slating.
Burn to Win.
Versus the Korea Independent League All-Stars.
Live game slating now.
One, two, three.
He’s good now. He’s really good.
Perfect. Our captain’s perfect.
Captain Flanny.
Thunder Power.
Oh, that was perfect.
You’ve nailed it now.
Really?
The Flame Fighters seem to have forgotten what losing means.
Today, they go for another straight win.
Hello, everyone.
It’s Burn to Win: Flame Fighters vs. Korea Independent League All-Stars.
We’ll be joined by commentator KIM SUN WOO.
Hello.
Hello, this is Minor Class KIM SUN WOO.
This is our fifth live game since the team was founded.
These fans are amazing. Despite the heat,
they’ve packed Landers Field again.
Honestly, without love, this wouldn’t be possible.
Even in this sweltering heat
the fans are at the stadium, always smiling.
It shows how much love we receive.
That’s why we can’t afford to lose.
Do you get nervous before games?
Hm?
Do you get nervous before games?
Yeah.
When will this go away?
It never does.
It’s not the same.
This is way more nerve-wracking than a regular season at-bat.
Can the Flame Fighters extend their undefeated streak in this live match?
That’s the destiny they carry today.
This might be their biggest challenge yet.
It’s a game against the Korea Independent League All-Stars.
Honestly, the players on that team
even play exchange games in Japan.
You can feel how united they are.
And there are also some familiar faces today.
YOON SANG HYUK is actually on the independent league team.
– So we’re getting to see him again after a while. – I saw him earlier.
Why is our guy over there?
That’s what crossed my mind for a second.
It really surprised me.
Now both teams will enter the field.
Let’s go, let’s go.
Gotta bow first.
Got chills hearing the cheering.
The cheering sounds great.
Now we’ll begin the national ceremony.
And of course, today’s game will also
begin with the national anthem.
I caught a glimpse earlier.
Who was it?
– Was that really her? – You saw XXX?
I don’t know, I just...
I think I just saw XXX.
Oh, the anthem singer?
Yeah.
They said it’s the anthem singer.
No, the national anthem.
Today’s anthem will be sung by the powerful vocalist
Ailee.
Yup, it’s her.
Ailee singing the anthem
that’s already well known.
We get to hear it live.
But I want to see her, not just watch on screen.
Why didn’t you say anything?
I didn’t say anything?
Ailee and RHEE DAE EUN
are in the same game guild?
– They’re connected like that? – In LoL?
Apparently they’re super close.
I play a decent amount of LoL too.
Hit me up if you need a support.
The fifth live game since the team’s founding.
Held right here at Landers Field.
Singing the national anthem is Ailee.
Hello, everyone. I’m singer Ailee.
Thank you so much to "Burn to win" for inviting me today.
I’ll be cheering for the "Burn to win" team
and my friend DAE EUN
all the way today.
Friend!
Until the East Sea’s waters
and Mount Baekdu run dry
may God protect and preserve
our proud Korea.
Hibiscus blossoms, three thousand li
Splendid rivers and mountains.
Great Koreans, to Great Korea
may your spirit forever thrive.
I’m number one.
I’m Ailee, number one.
Don’t touch me.
Stop it.
She’s truly incredible.
That’s how a national anthem should be.
Exactly.
– Keep it up! – Let’s go!
That was singer Ailee giving a fist bump to RHEE DAE EUN on her way out.
And now both teams are getting ready for the match.
They’ve forgotten what losing feels like.
Even after all this time, the Flame Fighters are looking stronger than ever.
Hello.
I know that guy.
Is SANG HYUK not playing today?
Huh?
He’s not playing?
Not sure. Maybe later.
The Independent League All-Stars have played a lot of games with us
so we know their roster well.
Over half of their players have pro experience.
That means they had the skills.
But they didn’t get the right opportunities in the pros.
Or maybe they had a chance but couldn’t make it stick.
That’s why they’re here with the Independent League team.
And honestly, that’s just how it is.
When we played amateur teams before
we thought they’d be really nervous in front of fans.
But independent league players aren’t like that.
Of course not.
That’s why we can’t let our guard down.
Yeah.
Hats off, let’s bow!
Thank you.
Let’s have a good game.
Let’s go!
Gather up!
Let’s huddle up!
Let’s play with no regrets.
And let’s win this one.
Applause!
Let’s do a team chant.
Let’s raise the energy! Up, up!
Want to count it in? One, two, three?
One, two, three!
How long do I have to keep holding this?
I’ve been slating nonstop.
We’re not losing. Not today.
– Amazing! – How long do I have to keep this up?
At this point, shouldn’t they send us to Bali?
Mail us there, seriously.
Let’s go to Cebu, Cebu!
I’m not a fan of flying, though.
Cebu, Cebu!
It’s hot, so let’s stay focused.
Flame!
Fighters!
– Let’s go! – Come on!
Let’s go!
The players are now entering the field to get the game started.
To celebrate this live Burn to Win match
we have a special ceremonial first pitch.
Today’s ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by YOO JEONG BOK, Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City.
Nice!
It’s the mayor!
This is amazing, right?
I’ve always wanted to meet him.
Hello, Burn to Win fans.
I’m YOO JEONG BOK, Mayor of Incheon.
The very first baseball game in Korea
was played right here in Incheon.
I hope today’s game is a great one.
Let’s cheer together.
I’ll cheer with a big “Fighting!”
Flame Fighters, fighting!
Fighting!
Incheon, fighting!
Fighting!
And with those opening remarks, let’s see what kind of pitch Mayor YOO JEONG BOK will throw.
PARK JAE WOOK is in great shape today.
The heat’s making things a bit rough.
Great work, everyone.
Thank you for your efforts.
Here’s the Korea Independent League All-Stars batting order.
Number 1, KIM JAE WON. Number 2, PARK JAE MIN.
Number 3, YOO SANG BIN. Number 4, KIM SOO HWAN.
Number 5, PARK MYUNG HYUN. Number 6, KIM CHA MIN.
Number 7, PARK SOO HYUN. Number 8, PARK JAE BEOM.
Number 9, SHIN JUN WOO.
Now for the Flame Fighters’ defensive positions.
Outfielders: JUNG EUI YOON, LEE TAEK KEUN, CHOI SOO HYUN.
Infielders: JUNG SEONG HOON, KIM JAE HO, JEONG KEUN WOO, LEE DAE HO.
Catcher: PARK JAE WOOK.
Today’s starting pitcher is YOO HEE KWAN.
Last game, the team held the mound without him
which made him feel the pressure, so he practiced hard last week.
YOO HEE KWAN once spent a long time on the bench
and he clearly said he never wants to go back to those days.
There’s a lot of tension in today’s game.
That’s because many of the independent league players are ex-pros.
That’s why we need YOO HEE KWAN.
Exactly.
Let’s go, U!
Let’s go!
Let’s go, YOO HEE KWAN!
Okay, let’s go, two-punch!
Now the game begins with the matchup against leadoff hitter KIM JAE WON.
Let’s go, JAE WON! Come on, JAE WON!
Let’s go, JAE WON!
From the first inning!
This player was the stolen base king in the Gyeonggi-do Independent League.
He’s also leading in stolen bases this season.
He has an incredible 33 stolen bases.
That’s 33 steals in 30 games.
We absolutely have to shut him down.
Exactly.
Let’s go, two-punch!
Let’s go!
Infield ready, infield ready!
Get that leadoff guy, let’s go!
JAE WON, two-punch!
Let’s go, let’s go!
The game is now underway.
First pitch. YOO HEE KWAN throws outside for a ball.
Nice, nice!
At this point, the independent league hitters are
pretty well adjusted to YOO HEE KWAN’s pitching.
Definitely not an easy lineup.
Second pitch—misses outside.
Nice, nice!
He’s trying to draw a swing by repeating the same pitch.
But KIM JAE WON isn’t biting at all.
Outside again. That’s ball three.
Okay!
Try to get on base, get on base!
Whoa?
Oh no.
Was that a ball?
Was it?
– Hey, hey, hey, you can’t do that. – This isn’t easy, not easy.
YOO HEE KWAN opening with a 3-ball count?
That’s unheard of.
Seriously.
He needs to go after the batter quickly.
If he walks him, it could get dangerous.
If he gets on, it’s basically third base.
Watch first, then swing if you need to!
Count is 3-0 against leadoff hitter KIM JAE WON.
Outside again, but this time it’s in the zone.
Nice pitch!
Let’s go.
Now it’s three balls, one strike.
Today, Independent League manager YANG SEUNG HO said
he’s confident they can score five runs off YOO HEE KWAN.
That’s why we need to get through the first inning clean.
Exactly.
Let him hit, let him hit!
He can only go long!
YOO HEE KWAN, chosen as the starter by KIM SUNG KUN.
Catcher PARK JAE WOOK is setting up inside.
Got good contact on that.
What was that?
That was solid contact.
Drops cleanly in right-center.
Run!
Hurry up, hurry up!
He’s heading for second base, heading for second!
We have to stop him.
The throw goes to second.
He slides in safely first.
Leadoff hitter KIM JAE WON.
He’s fast!
This is bad, really bad.
Told you he can hit.
I really hoped we could limit him to a single.
The ball just rolled straight past second.
Seriously.
He’s incredibly fast.
With a 3-1 count, they couldn’t go deep inside.
That’s why it came over the middle
and we gave up a double.
That’s not normal speed.
That was KIM JAE WON, an exceptionally fast leadoff hitter.
JAE YOUNG.
Get out there!
Get ready, PERT.
What are we getting ready for?
Massage... do you want a massage?
Tubing? What is it?
Love? What kind of prep is this?
Hey, did you get a massage?
Huh?
I’ll handle it.
I told you to do it early.
Didn’t I tell you to be ready early?
Alright, alright.
You don’t trust HEE KWAN?
You don’t trust the two-punch?
Two-punch is kinda weak.
Two-punch?
One-punch? Okay!
– One-punch is really good. – Two-punch?
Two-punch is kinda weak.
Really?
These days? Or back in the day?
Now there's a runner in scoring position.
And now it's a matchup with No. 2 batter PARK JAE MIN.
In the Gyeonggi-do League, he’s batting .268
with 2 home runs and 28 RBIs for Yeoncheon Miracle.
SEONG HOON, bunt...
If it’s a bunt, I’ll handle it.
He’s even ready to charge third!
You gotta hold him. Use your head!
Runner in scoring position.
Do what you’re good at, do what you can!
Prove yourself!
Keep it going!
Shut him down, YOO HEE KWAN!
Let’s go!
Bunt stance.
But he pulls the bat back.
Nice, nice!
Good!
Didn’t that hit the bat?
He pulled it back.
But still...
Independent league players are surprisingly calm at the plate.
They really are.
If he were a high schooler, he’d have swung.
Exactly.
YOO HEE KWAN needs to stay positive here.
He needs to induce a grounder.
That drop looked really good.
For sure.
First-pitch ground ball.
Fielded, throw to first. Out!
Ground ball induced.
He got the grounder.
Shortstop fields it, throws to first
Out at first.
Runner holds at second.
Nice one, JAE HO!
Any time it goes over there...
What was that? Burn to what?
Held the runner at second with a glance and took care of PARK JAE MIN.
One out, runner on second.
That was so smooth.
Just a soft tap.
He got the out at a perfect pace, but felt rushed.
He got him out too fast.
Way too fast.
Coach KIM SUNG KUN probably emphasized
that a lot during practice this week.
In this heat, he basically called a rideshare and left.
So now we’ve got one out, runner still on second.
Scoring opportunity continues.
Next up is kind of a name. YOO SANG BIN.
Isn’t he a name?
Yeah.
He was here last year too.
Now it’s YOO SANG BIN stepping in.
Let’s go, SANG BIN!
Here he is, YOO SANG BIN!
Let’s go, YOO SANG right field!
YOO SANG BIN also joined the pros with the Hanwha Eagles.
So he’s another player with pro experience.
Shut him down, shut him down!
We can’t give up a run in the first inning.
Even a short hit to the outfield means a guaranteed run, so we have to assume we’ll give up one.
He just needs to drop a sinker here.
Swings at the first pitch.
He’s running!
Runner on second heads for third.
Wait, he’s going home?
Okay!
Throw to home!
Got him out!
SOO HYUN!
Throw goes home!
To second!
Batter-runner to second!
Makes it to second base.
YOO SANG BIN with a 1-RBI hit.
Nice.
– That was a good hit. – He’s killing it.
That was crazy.
He’s definitely good.
He really went for home?
He’s lightning fast.
Way too fast!
Are they all sprinters or something?
Why are they so fast?
What’s really impressive is
CHOI SOO HYUN has a great arm, so by the time the runner touched third
he was already getting ready to throw.
Yeah.
But it wasn’t even close.
That’s how fast he is.
YOO SANG BIN with the RBI hit.
He swung at the first pitch.
What’s amazing is, YOO HEE KWAN threw a slow curve, and he still hit it.
CHOI SOO HYUN had the ball when the runner stepped on the base.
He had just stepped on it.
But even then, look at how much momentum he had.
The Independent League All-Stars score first in the top of the 1st.
Hey.
You still haven’t stretched?
Should I stretch now, Coach?
I was going to stretch a bit.
But the coach can totally see me.
So what?
This is insanely uncomfortable.
Now it’s cleanup hitter KIM SOO HWAN.
We need to watch out for this guy.
KIM SOO HWAN played for the Kiwoom Heroes up until last year.
Even the Flame Fighters players all said
that KIM SOO HWAN is someone to be cautious of.
I know that too.
He’s got serious talent at the plate.
No doubt.
Why is he built like that though?
Who is that guy?
– That’s the KIM SOO HWAN from Nexen. – Yeah, yeah.
Kiwoom?
He was called the next PARK BYUNG HO.
When he was in the pros, he was crazy good.
If he just sharpened up a bit, he’d be terrifying now.
Just do what we practiced.
Stick to what you know!
The hit goes to right-center.
Over the right fielder, right field...
Hey!
Got it!
Over the right fielder, right field!
Runner from second rounds third.
What was that?
And the runner from second scores.
Batter-runner heads to second.
One bounce off the wall.
He missed the ball!
Batter rounds second and heads for third.
Stop!
While the throw comes in
he reaches third standing up.
KIM SOO HWAN with a 1-RBI triple.
Just like that, it’s 2–0.
This is bad, really bad.
That was a great hit.
Coach KIM SUNG KUN put YOO HEE KWAN on the mound today
because he’s been pitching better than before.
But it’s still really tough to stop them now.
No kidding.
Even though that sinker dropped nicely outside
he launched the bat the moment it made contact.
Shows how locked in he is.
Honestly, we should be relieved that didn’t go out.
And LEE TAEK KEUN slightly bobbled the catch.
Yeah, he was trying to make a play
but ended up giving up third base.
So now it’s one out, runner on third.
Timeout.
Should we go fastball if it hits him?
Feels like they’re just watching for that one pitch.
Want to try mixing it up?
Just throw something!
I’ll mix in fastballs and curves.
I’ll alternate them.
They’re starting to time things in the back.
Yeah.
Alright, let’s keep going.
Okay.
Got it.
YOO HEE KWAN is in danger of giving up another run.
Can he stop the bleeding this time?
It’s okay, it’s okay!
You just need to stop it here. Stop it here!
It’s only the first inning.
It’s just the first. We’re fine.
But the next batter isn’t easy either.
PARK MYUNG HYUN, a two-way player who signed with the Lotte Giants, is up next.
He was picked in the 3rd round of the 2nd draft.
That’s a pretty high pick.
Right? A top-round draft pick.
MYUNG HYUN, think it through!
This is what independent league is about.
Just give up 2 runs!
These guys can really hit.
Just two runs, please. Only two!
If we let that runner on third score, it’s 3–0.
That’s a big deficit early on.
That’s tough.
3–0 is a tough hole to climb out of.
MYUNG HYUN, go for contact. Contact!
We have to stop it here, right now.
He got a piece of it.
He made contact, going right!
Got it!
Foul!
Down the right-field line.
Drops just inside!
Go three!
Runner from third scores easily.
He comes all the way home!
The ball rolls all the way to the fence.
He’s fast.
He’s heading for third, going to third!
Go three, go three!
– Batter-runner already passed second. – JEONG KEUN WOO!
That’s it!
He’s heading for third again.
Slides in. Safe!
What is happening!
YOO HEE KWAN collapses on the mound.
This is a total disaster.
Completely wrecked.
I told you he was exposed.
Huh?
He’s been figured out.
Now they know everything!
I told you. He’s been figured out!
Once you're late, they figure you out. Now they’re even hitting 110 km/h pitches.
I told you. He’s been figured out.
They’re not even swinging hard.
They don’t even hit it that way.
They just wait and redirect it this way.
He keeps getting hit.
Yeah, he just can’t throw off their timing anymore.
That’s why he can’t beat these hitters.
It’s still early in the game.
Yeah.
He perfectly drove that sinking pitch to the opposite field.
I thought he was just making a short, cutting swing.
But he kept it fair, right inside the line.
And even then, he still went for a full swing.
That’s what you call skill.
That was No. 5 hitter PARK MYUNG HYUN showing off some incredible hitting technique.
If we’re not careful, this won’t stop at three runs.
We could give up a fourth.
This is bad.
What the...
JAE YOUNG.
I told you to go play catch!
Now?
Yeah.
Yeah, I should.
I think the coach is looking over here.
JAE YOUNG, the coach is watching.
Go. Hurry up and go.
He said go.
Get out there.
What on earth is happening?
Let’s stop it here. Right here!
And now designated hitter KIM CHA MIN steps in.
Let’s go for a mercy rule!
Let’s go, KIM CHA MIN!
Captain!
Show them what Cha-sico can do!
Let’s go!
We have to shut this down. Shut it down!
Shut it down!
That’s four hits allowed so far.
Three of them are extra-base hits.
And now even a hit-by-pitch.
Okay!
Okay, CHA-SI!
Nice, nice!
Well done, well done!
What was that?
I’m losing my mind here.
What do we do?
I don’t think YOO HEE KWAN
has ever struggled this much at the start.
We’re getting totally overwhelmed.
That’s right.
Team captain KIM CHA MIN reaches on a hit-by-pitch.
One out, runners on third and first.
Now it’s PARK SOO HYUN, who’s faced the Flame Fighters many times.
One out! Let’s get two!
He’s from Masan Yongma High and was also signed by the NC Dinos.
PARK SOO HYUN is batting .333 this season.
Let’s go, SOO HYUN! Come on, SOO HYUN!
PARK SOO!
The most featured player.
Let’s go, let’s go!
Let’s get that bat swinging!
Scary.
Seriously.
These guys are amazing hitters.
And they’re built too.
At this point, there’s no need to hold back.
He needs to stay focused on the batter and rack up outs quickly.
Blocking.
PARK JAE WOOK is holding it down nicely.
Not good.
This is getting serious.
This is unsettling.
We can’t afford even one mistake right now.
He really needs to stay focused here.
Shut it down, shut it down!
That high pitch gets through.
Count is one and one.
We can stop it here!
Cut it off now, right here!
We can’t allow another run.
Even if he already threw one strike, he needs to keep going right at him.
Even if he’s afraid the batter might swing, he can’t pitch around him.
Third pitch goes way outside.
Two balls, one strike.
Okay!
Please.
YOO HEE KWAN has pitched six innings before even after allowing four runs
but this doesn’t feel anything like that day.
SHIN JAE YOUNG needs to get ready fast.
We don’t know how this will go.
I loosened up quickly.
You should start warming up too.
I'm ready.
I didn’t throw at all today.
That’s true.
I didn’t even stretch my arm today. Didn’t play catch.
It’s a tough spot, but he needs to pitch confidently and aggressively.
Outside pitch, it’s in.
Shut it down here, shut it down!
Come on, keep it low—one more, one more!
Go for the double, double!
Make contact, make contact!
Contact!
Can YOO HEE KWAN
escape this jam?
It drops outside.
Looking strikeout!
Okay, okay!
YOO HEE KWAN finally gets that tough second out.
Nice pitch, nice pitch!
That one was perfect!
Hit the border of the strike zone, right on the edge!
This is the only way to get through it.
Even in trouble, YOO HEE KWAN delivers a meaningful strikeout looking.
That was a great pitch.
So far, he’s allowed four hits.
Three of them were extra-base hits.
Now stepping in is the No. 8 hitter, PARK JAE BEOM.
He previously played for SSG Landers and Goyang Wonders.
Isn’t this basically a game against pros?
Isn’t this basically a second-tier pro team?
Exactly.
We just need to stop it here.
Three runs? That’s manageable.
Shut it down now, right here.
This is where it ends.
Shut it down, shut it down!
If we can hold it at MYUNG HYUN, that’d be best.
Yeah.
One more run would be huge.
It really would.
Right now, PARK MYUNG HYUN is on third, and KIM CHA MIN is on first.
We can’t let it get to four.
YOO HEE KWAN has to lock in and stop this batter.
Absolutely.
Outside. Throw goes to second.
Got him!
At second!
Out at second base!
Let’s go, let’s go!
PARK JAE WOOK helps out the exhausted YOO HEE KWAN again.
Great work, everyone. Good job.
And finally, that brutal big inning comes to an end.
But the Flame Fighters gave up three runs.
Now they go into the bottom of the 1st, trailing 3–0.
Okay!
Great stop! x3 Nice job!
Okay!
Way to shut it down! Nicely done!
Use that high outside pitch.
High and outside!
Let it go.
Yes!
It’s okay if it goes inside.
Yes!
Even if it’s a ball, throw the slider too!
Yes!
Let it be a ball!
Yes!
Let’s score now, let’s score!
JAE YOUNG, want me to stretch your lower body?
Just a little bit, please.
I’ll do it in a bit, Coach.
– In a bit? – No, do it now.
Now?
I’m sweating too much.
Then wait until he gets up there.
Okay.
This isn’t easy.
Not easy at all.
Cleanwrap, totally upgraded.
Just like a true ace.
Protecting every part of your daily life.
Even fixing the smallest discomforts.
Nice play.
As expected from the national brand, Cleanwrap.
Cleanwrap.
The Flame Fighters survived a rough 1st inning.
Starting with today’s live match
the production crew has prepared several things.
They even created a custom out count chant.
And a new lineup chant too.
The mood right now is...
What are we even doing?
“Ttubuk Ttubuk”?
We don’t really know what it is, but we’ll listen closely to the out count chant in just a bit.
It didn’t feel like the right moment during the 1st inning to play it.
Still, let’s try to keep things positive.
Yes!
Like this. “Ttubuk Ttubuk.”
Try it. “Ttubuk Ttubuk.”
What does that even mean?
What is this?
Anyway, let’s check out the lineup chant first.
Tunnel entrance. Let’s go!
Fighters tunnel, let’s go!
All together now!
Flame Fighters!
That name of victory.
With burning passion
and fearless energy
let’s march toward victory!
Flame Fighters!
We’re here again at Landers Field, where the tunnel cheer continues.
It’s a massive stadium with over 20,000 seats, and it’s packed again today.
The home crowd energy here is just unmatched.
Yeah.
And for many of the Flame Fighters cheer squad
this is probably their first time cheering from the home platform.
A lot of Flame Fighters fans said it’s their first time at Munhak Baseball Stadium too.
That’s right, that’s right.
WE ARE Flame!
Fighters!
Toward victory!
Great hit.
Solid swing.
Flame Fighters!
That name of victory.
Great work, everyone!
Time it and make the out!
Today’s starting pitcher is CHOI JONG WAN.
He plays for Yeoncheon Miracle.
Manager YANG SEUNG HO called him the best pitcher in the independent league right now.
CHOI JONG WAN has an ERA in the 1.00 range.
He’s pitching really well.
From what I see, his pitching style
generates a lot of movement at the end of the pitch, which leads to a lot of ground balls.
So we shouldn't go after pitches too low in the zone.
Yeah.
Alright, we’ve got a brand-new lineup chant!
Lineup chant, lineup chant. Everyone together!
Burn to Win baseball, let’s go!
Burn to Win baseball, down low!
Flames!
Ignite!
With fiery passion
and fearless Fighters!
That name of victory.
Name
We are the Flame Fighters!
Woah woah woah Fighters!
Woah woah woah
Flame Lineup
1st batter!
JEONG KEUN WOO!
2nd batter!
CHOI SOO HYUN!
3rd batter!
PARK YONG TAIK!
4th batter!
LEE DAE HO!
5th batter!
JUNG EUI YOON!
6th batter!
JEONG SEONG HUN!
7th batter!
LEE TAEK KEUN!
8th batter!
PARK JAE WOOK!
9th batter!
KIM JAE HO!
Flame pitcher!
YOO HEE KWAN!
Passion! Fighting spirit!
Fighters!
Flame
Fighters!
Now, in the bottom of the 1st inning, leading off is JEONG KEUN WOO.
The Flame Fighters are at bat.
One run at a time! Let’s go, one by one!
The score is currently 3 to 0.
If JEONG KEUN WOO gets on base
the Flame Fighters can immediately shift the momentum.
Pull it!
– Can’t see the manager. – Yes!
Hoo! Let’s go!
First pitch is a ball.
Okay.
142 km/h?
142 km/h, seriously?
He doesn’t throw over 130 km/h.
Keep it simple.
Wow... this batting lineup!
I mean, the hitters...
The aura is just different.
JONG WAN!
Nice pitch, nice pitch!
Take it easy, stay light!
Doesn’t even throw over 130km/h...
Picks out the low pitch for a ball.
2-ball count.
He hits well!
He really hits well!
It’s okay, it’s okay!
Swing, swing!
Swing it.
That one went far out.
Keep it light, stay loose.
– Want to hear something hopeful? – Yes!
Who’s the best batter
against sidearm pitchers like that?
PARK YONG TAIK?
He hit a homer off me when I pitched like that!
JONG WAN is fast!
Right here, this lineup!
3-ball count.
With JEONG KEUN WOO, you’d expect him to wait for a pitch here.
It’s low. He walks on four straight balls.
Leadoff on base, that’s good!
The leadoff batter successfully reaches.
When runners start stacking up...
I’m telling you, for sure
PARK YONG TAIK is going to do something big today.
Today, Manager KIM SUNG KUN
placed PARK YONG TAIK back in the No. 3 DH spot.
He’s waiting to bat after CHOI SOO HYUN. Up next in the 3rd batter slot.
He’s on deck right now.
If I remember correctly, CHOI SOO HYUN
once hit a tying two-run homer off CHOI JONG WAN in a dream.
It was during a game against the Independent League team.
You remember CHOI SOO HYUN’s two-run homer, right?
I told you that dream story.
And now here we are, same 3-ball count?
It’s the same day!
Yeah...
CHOI SOO HYUN is now facing CHOI JONG WAN.
We may have given up 3 runs first
but there’s still a lot of hope.
CHOI SOO HYUN... that one’s way off.
His control is shaky.
And if that keeps up, CHOI SOO HYUN too...
Now the pitcher really has to think.
“He said I gave up a home run in his dream?”
That’s probably crossing his mind now.
I don’t know about the next batter, but I do know this one.
That’s right.
This is... something to be careful about.
Those 3 runs...
could be erased in an instant. Right back to 0–0.
JONG WAN, if you pitch scared, it won’t work.
You need to go after them.
15 walks in 51 and 2/3 innings is a decent record
but he’s really shaky now.
This time
finally lands his first strike.
– Okay. – Okay.
Yeah, just go with 130 km/h control, not max speed.
Coach LEE KWANG KIL is signaling a play.
CHOI SOO HYUN, who leads the team in batting average
steps in with no outs and a runner on first.
Count is 1–1.
Way outside.
Okay.
– Okay. – Nice.
Walk it out, walk it out!
JONG WAN, keep your tempo, your own rhythm!
Deep again. Back-to-back walks!
Okay!
– Thank you, thank you! – We’ll tie it up with 3!
We’re going for 5! Let’s go for 5!
5 runs!
– Great, great! Big inning chance! – Nice.
In this situation, we’ve got a lot of hope.
Why?
PARK YONG TAIK is strong against sidearm pitchers.
LEE DAE HO, JUNG EUI YOON!
We have to go too!
Of course!
We started down by 3 runs
but now their ace is losing control.
Two straight walks to start the inning.
Manager YANG SEUNG HO heads to the mound.
It’s okay, it’s okay.
You’re good.
You’ve got good stuff, good stuff!
Just because they swing doesn’t mean it’s a hit.
Why are you backing off?
Swinging doesn’t guarantee a hit.
Just throw it down the middle.
– Let’s go with more two-seam and sliders today. – Okay.
– Your fastball is sailing. – Yeah.
No. 3 hitter PARK YONG TAIK steps in now.
Thanks for your work!
No outs, runners on first and second.
No. 3 hitter PARK YONG TAIK is up.
If we get a clean hit in this first inning...
– That would really set us up well. – For sure.
Believe in him! Strong belief!
– Captain! – Captain, captain!
Captain!
Let’s go, one by one!
First pitch.
Comes inside the strike zone.
Yeah!
– If that doesn't work, go off-speed! – Stick with it, keep it up!
Off-speed pitch, now?
Slider.
Deep inside, beautifully placed slider.
They say he has great off-speed command
and can even use it as his putaway pitch.
Pitch two comes outside, edges in.
Two strikes.
That’s it!
After the mound visit, he suddenly found his control.
That’s where we are now.
PARK YONG TAIK is in danger of striking out.
PARK YONG TAIK with a hit!
Everyone clapping!
PARK YONG TAIK with a hit!
You gotta swing, YONG TAIK!
Contact!
We just need one clutch hit here.
Advance! Drive them in! Move the runners!
Just make contact!
You’ve got a finisher, don’t you?
Changeup’s good, use it!
He pulls it!
Whack!
It’s going!
He pulls it!
He missed it!
Go, go!
The runners are rounding the bases.
JEONG KEUN WOO is charging home.
Each runner takes an extra base.
Run, you punk, run!
Run!
JEONG KEUN WOO heads home.
And he scores!
RBI single by PARK YONG TAIK!
That’s a hit, that’s a hit!
That’s a hit, right?
Hit!
– It’s a hit, right? – Yes!
Okay!
Nice batting!
PARK YONG TAIK!
Yongtaek!
PARK YONG TAIK always performs when I’m here.
He plays well when I’m on commentary.
He needs to recognize this now...
There was a bit of luck involved, but this is how PARK YONG TAIK plays.
He loves facing pitchers who throw from low arm angles.
Yep!
Even though he was down 0–2 in the count
he perfectly timed that changeup
and hit it hard.
It bounced so sharply that the first baseman couldn’t stop it.
That’s how that play happened.
That’s right.
It was officially ruled a hit.
Just as you said, the ball bounced big
right in front of first baseman PARK SOO HYUN
and ended up a base hit.
Captain PARK YONG TAIK starts the chase with an RBI single.
The score is now 3 to 1.
The Flame Fighters begin their comeback.
JONG WAN!
Okay.
Runners on first and third, no outs.
Here comes No. 4 hitter, LEE DAE HO.
Good work out there.
A home run would be great
but even a fly ball scores a run.
DAE HO
It’s No. 4 hitter, LEE DAE HO.
Let’s go!
If it connects, it’s gone!
Today’s gonna be a slugfest.
Choit!
We need to stop them here.
– Strike. – First pitch, outside, strike.
– Okay! – Nice pitch, nice pitch!
Good, JONG WAN, good!
Looks like he’s found his rhythm. He’s locked in.
Nice break on that slider. Really sharp movement.
That’s a tricky one, no doubt.
But this is what we have to win through.
Second pitch is outside and taken.
– Swing! – Whoa... swing...
That didn’t even go halfway.
No swing.
Didn’t go around. Count is 1–1.
He already used all his timeouts
but if he does that, the umpire should give a gesture.
Just stood there watching like this.
Basically saying “no way.”
Like, “That’s nonsense.”
Get ready to run! Get ready!
Get ready!
The crowd expects an extra-base hit here.
He’ll swing if it’s in the zone.
Pulled it!
Double play!
Third baseman snags it.
Throws to second, then to first!
It’s a 5-4-3 double play.
Meanwhile, CHOI SOO HYUN scores.
Score is now 3 to 2, just a one-run game.
But a disappointing double play for LEE DAE HO.
– SU HYUN! – Yo, SU HYUN!
Nice, SU HYUN!
It’s fine. It’s 3 to 2 now.
Okay, we got the RBI. Okay!
That’s not an RBI though.
– We’ll catch up. We’ll catch up... right? – That’s not an RBI.
Right...
I mean, at least we scored.
As expected... top-tier T...
SU HYUN!
– Okay. – Okay.
– Ah, shoot... that pitch didn’t come in... – Next time, next time.
The pitch just didn’t come in.
Ha!
Hit the end of the bat. It hit the bottom!
– Ah, shoot... – We caught up a lot. It’s okay.
– Was that a sinker? – That pitch didn’t come in...
Honestly, yeah. We got one run
and a double play from LEE DAE HO?
You think that’s disappointing? Not me.
Why?
If he grounds into a double play in his first at-bat in a dream
– he always hits a home run next. – Right, right. That’s how it goes.
– That’s how my dream went. – Yep!
Strong No. 5 hitter JUNG "Rose" EUI YOON steps up.
This place used to be his home stadium.
Hit one out, make it count!
One bomb from EUI YOON!
Home ground.
JUNG EUI YOON’s home ground.
– One more, one more! – It’s fine! Good pitch!
Inside pitch. Called strike.
Nice, nice!
Okay.
Nailed that one, nailed it!
Good pitch, good pitch, JONG WAN!
Whoa... sheesh.
Yeah, can’t help that one. Just let it go.
Let the inside pitch go.
CHOI JONG WAN is pitching really well.
He really is.
Swing and a miss.
A big swing and miss.
– Can you see the ball well? – Not at all.
– As you can see, once his control locks in, he’s scary. – You’re right.
Honestly
that’s why the scouts rated him so highly.
We’re lucky, to be honest.
From a tough count... will it end here?
Can’t strike out here.
This is the pitch. Stick with it, just like before.
What pitch will he throw here?
Fastball. Swing and a miss, strikeout!
Okay!
– Sl... rider! – Slider, slider!
– Did it come in? Was it in? – Yes, yes.
CHOI JONG WAN finds his rhythm again
and records the final out of the inning.
JONG WAN, sorry. JONG WAN, I’m sorry!
No, it took a weird bounce... all good...
SU HYUN, it’s okay, it’s okay.
Okay, nice.
Okay.
But the Flame Fighters close the gap with two runs.
It’s now 3 to 2, just a one-run game! Heading into the 2nd inning.
Shh, shh!
– Since their swings are coming out like this – Yeah.
– Just treat the low pitches like balls – Yep.
– And when you throw breaking balls, keep them inside – Got it.
Over here...
– Use high pitches. They won’t chase those. – Got it.
– They all swing like that. – Yeah.
Now it’s the top of the 2nd. Independent League All-Stars are at bat.
Continuing from the previous inning, PARK JE BEOM leads off.
He’ll be the first batter this inning.
This player also played for the SSG Landers.
Let’s go, let’s go, JAE BEOM!
Hey, it’s your home ground! Show us what you’ve got!
The Landers youth players are watching right now.
Former SSG.
The lineup gave YOO HEE KWAN some breathing room
by narrowing the score gap to 3–2.
Let’s see if they can keep runs off the board this inning.
One at a time!
He swings at the first pitch!
Whoa!
He just went and smashed it...
First-pitch swing!
Drops cleanly in left-center.
Nice, nice!
No!
PARK JE BEOM heads for second!
Uh... they need to stop him at second!
Second!
LEE TAEK KEUN fumbles the ball again.
And PARK JE BEOM takes second base.
PARK JE BEOM!
What’s going on with him today?
What is that?
LEE TAEK KEUN is looking a bit rushed today.
He’s rushing the throw to second again
and it’s leading to errors.
Hey!
That’s not like LEE TAEK KEUN at all on defense.
It really feels like they’re just making contact and putting it in play.
All the hits look almost identical right now.
Is that a hit?
I’ll head out, I’ll head out.
Hey, hey, get out there...
That’s two innings in a row...
Either way, it’s now a jam.
You have to focus on limiting the damage...
and just getting out of the inning.
Runner on second, no outs. SHIN JUN WOO is up to bat.
SHIN JUN WOO currently plays for the Suwon Pine Eagles.
He was drafted pretty high by the Kiwoom Heroes.
He played in 157 career KBO games.
A player with a ton of experience.
I remember. I really do.
– He had so much talent. – Absolutely.
Chwi chwi chwit!
Chwit!
This is the kind of moment where you might see a surprise bunt
or other small-ball tactics.
– JUN WOO! – Show us something!
– Korean Series! – It’s wide open between first and second!
Let’s go, show us!
He sticks with the power swing.
Go for two, get two at once!
He shows bunt.
He lays it down, but it rolls foul behind the plate.
So close!
Hey, he even played in the Korean Series...
Show us something!
You really love bringing up the Korean Series.
Shows bunt again.
Let’s go! JUN WOO!
Let’s go!
First baseman is way in, past the grass.
HEE KWAN, let’s go! Stop it, stop it!
He lays down the bunt.
He lays it down!
First! First! Hurry!
YOO HEE KWAN fields it, throws to first!
First baseman JEONG KEUN WOO covers.
He’s out at first!
Okay!
Good job, well done!
Okay!
One out at a time!
Meanwhile, the runner on second advances to third.
Sacrifice bunt successful.
– That was a well-placed bunt. – It was.
Okay!
With the score at 3 to 2, Manager YANG SEUNG HO
opts to extend the lead with a textbook sacrifice bunt.
– That decision really stands out. – It does.
It shows that Manager YANG SEUNG HO’s mindset is
“Whenever we can score, we will.”
Whew...
Wow, why is he hitting so well?
Seriously, he’s crushing it today.
He’s ridiculously good...
YOO HEE KWAN is still in a jam here.
One out, runner on third.
He can’t allow a run here.
YOO HEE KWAN really has to shut it down.
Now it’s the leadoff hitter, KIM JAE WON.
He hit a double in his first at-bat.
Yeah, he crushed one to right-center earlier.
– And he’s got... – Speed... he’s really fast.
Seriously.
Coach LEE KWANG KIL signals from the dugout.
The infield shifts way in, onto the grass.
That’s because he’s incredibly fast.
Go with confidence!
You hit it well last time!
Let’s go, run all the way around!
Keep going! More runs!
But we can’t give up a run here.
He needs to pitch perfectly now.
First pitch.
Low and outside. Ball.
HEE KWAN, he leans back on his hips.
– Huh? – He pulls his hips out!
You can go outside with him.
That’s a “W.” Got him leaning.
There’s tension on every single pitch now.
That’s right.
He’s going!
Hey. It’s a squeeze!
Squeeze play!
Squeeze!
He got caught!
Tag out at home!
Runner is out!
Nice play!
Thank you, thank you!
– Don’t overthink it! – Was that a missed sign?
Ah...
Whoa... oh wow...
HEE KWAN pulled it back on purpose!
– He pulled it perfectly. – Did it intentionally.
In a situation where we absolutely couldn’t give up a run
Manager YANG SEUNG HO called for the squeeze.
But YOO HEE KWAN threw it high with a two-seam fastball
and the batter couldn’t get the bunt down.
Yeah, since the runner took off, that means it was definitely a play.
Which means this was a called strategy.
That left PARK JE BEOM with no choice.
Nice!
– I saw the runner go, so I pulled it back. – Oh... nice!
The play completely fails
and the Independent League All-Stars lose a golden scoring chance.
You know, now that I think about it
this is like Manager KIM JAE BAK’s “frog bunt”!
– That’s right. – A young player can’t pull that off.
Exactly.
Like you said, unless it’s the frog bunt, that’s a tough one to lay down.
It’s hit toward center!
Second baseman fields the low ball and throws!
Great defensive play. Three outs!
Nice!
Opponent’s failed play
allows the Flame Fighters to escape the 2nd inning
without giving up a run.
We move to the bottom of the 2nd.
Great instincts! Good good!
Man, what a relief.
– That worked out way too well. – That was huge!
Seriously, perfect outcome.
Right here...
I mean, one out, runner on third, and you call a squeeze?
What? With the infield playing in?
That’s like saying “We’re winning no matter what!”
And also
that batter hit HEE KWAN really well before, right?
I didn’t expect that at all.
I was sure he’d swing.
But it was fun though.
Now we’re in the bottom of the 2nd inning.
CHOI JONG WAN looked a bit shaky against JEONG KEUN WOO, CHOI SOO HYUN
and PARK YONG TAIK in the 1st inning
but since then, he’s really settled in.
And his slider during that stretch was absolutely perfect.
Let’s see how that slider does against JEONG SEONG HUN now.
Bottom of the 2nd starts with JEONG SEONG HUN.
JEONG SEONG HUN!
– Let’s go again! – Let’s go!
– Let’s go!
JONG WAN, let’s go this time!
Keep it clean!
If it were a 3-run lead, this would be a tough fight
but we kept it to 2
so our batters need to strike fast now.
Definitely.
Low and outside.
Nice, nice!
2–3, good count.
Whoa! Slider!
Looked like a slider.
It drops sharply from up there. That’s why it’s so effective.
When I watch this pitcher on the mound
I keep thinking of SHIN JAE YOUNG.
Their pitching styles are really similar.
Pressure him, pressure him!
Let’s go, let’s go. Get on base!
Changeup. Outside to the right-handed batter.
Yep.
– Ah, just off the edge. – Ah... but the framing...
That was way too much!
Look how high he yanked it!
– He pulled it with his soul! – JAE BEOM, that was good.
JAE BEOM
It’s okay if it hits you!
Watching PARK JE BEOM’s framing is actually kind of fun today.
Stay with it, stay close!
Oh, there it is!
Slightly off the barrel...
That won’t get through. Second baseman’s ball?
It went toward shortstop, and SHIN JUN WOO cut over a bit.
But SHIN JUN WOO plays it safely.
Too much thinking on that one.
Aside from some early 1st-inning trouble
he’s now cleanly retired LEE DAE HO, JUNG EUI YOON, and JEONG SEONG HUN.
Now up is No. 7 hitter, LEE TAEK KEUN.
He had a fielding error earlier
but I think he’s going to do well today.
You know what LEE TAEK KEUN does well?
What is it?
When his hitting form is off, he connects on pitches like SHIN JAE YOUNG’s!
– Ah! – And this guy throws exactly like him!
Right, in live BP he faced SHIN JAE YOUNG before!
Let’s believe in him. Strongly!
Shake off that earlier mistake.
Can TAEK KEUN-V deliver a hit?
He goes opposite field.
Right-center. Center fielder and right fielder converge.
Both signaling for the catch.
Okay!
“I got it!”
Both signaling they’ll take it.
They overlap slightly, but the right fielder
PARK JAE MIN makes the catch.
Two outs now.
“Ig ig!”
Wait, it’s because his jersey number is 29!
Oh, you were saying “29 29,” right?
Twenty-nine twenty-nine!
TAEK KEUN-V, twenty-nine twenty-nine!
And on defense, “Ig ig!”
Hey, you can’t shout “Ig ig” at a player on official broadcast!
– It’s the jersey number! – That’s right.
– I almost misunderstood. – That’s not what I meant!
I’m not that kind of person!
I may be minor class, but I wouldn’t do that!
– Oh, there are “classes” in the minors too? – Minor class doesn’t act like that!
He hit it well though...
Two outs! Two outs! Tighten up!
Bases empty, two outs now.
And now it’s home run hitter PARK JAE WOOK.
Great job out there.
In the last game
It was recorded! Like, it’s actually on video
PARK JAE WOOK hit his first home run as an adult.
So today, after his home run, I said
“JAE WOOK, should we get rid of the end cap now?”
And he goes, “No, I still think it’s necessary.”
“But I do have one advantage,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
He said even when he hits the end of the bat, it doesn’t break.
Makes sense.
Let’s go, JAE WOOK! JAE WOOK!
Let’s go, 82 kilograms!
– Let’s go, let’s go! – Eighty-two, eighty-two!
82 kilograms
not 1982-born, PARK JAE WOOK!
Let’s go!
Go for it, JAE WOOK!
He’s going. First pitch swing!
Oh!
Oh! Clunk?
– Take it easy, take it easy. – It’s a ground ball.
PARK JAE WOOK’s speed
Throw to first!
That’s the third out.
With PARK JAE WOOK grounding out in his first at-bat
the bottom of the 2nd ends with the Flame Fighters going down in order.
Let’s keep going! Defense time! Let’s go!
Let’s play defense! Defense! Defense!
Let’s defend.
Judging from the 1st inning, it felt like it’d be an all-out slugfest
like crazy nonstop hitting.
But baseball’s weird. It always surprises you.
No, but this is...
This is happening because things are gonna go our way.
It keeps happening for a reason.
Ha... warming up is exhausting.
Let’s go, HEE KWAN!
Think I can sit this one out?
Now it’s the top of the 3rd. Independent League All-Stars are up to bat.
There’s no break in this lineup.
From top of the order to the heart of the lineup, it’s one dangerous stretch.
For YOO HEE KWAN, this lineup is really scary.
PARK JAE MIN got out in his first at-bat, right?
YOO HEE KWAN needs to start strong by getting this first out.
Leadoff hitter, leadoff hitter!
Let’s get him! Get him! Lock it in!
The batter is PARK JAE MIN.
We need more runs. Let’s score!
Let’s knock in more!
HEE KWAN, come on! Let’s go!
First pitch. Strike!
– Let’s go! – Okay, okay!
Swing with confidence, JAE MIN!
Be aggressive. Go for it!
Like a man!
Off the end of the bat. Foul.
Okay.
He’s ahead in the count. Two strikes on two pitches.
Man, that pitch...
It looks hittable... then it just drops.
Right when you swing, it falls off.
That’s why there are so many grounders.
He’s really messing with hitters’ timing.
NIPPERT dominated with power fastballs
but YOO HEE KWAN wins by disrupting timing.
Let’s shut it down here!
Strikeout, strikeout!
What pitch will he choose?
HEE KWAN, come on! Let’s go!
Low and outside. Called strike! Three-pitch strikeout!
Nice! Nice!
Nice pitch!
YOO HEE KWAN showing a completely different approach this inning.
That’s his second strikeout of the game.
His hand almost went out, but he held back. Seriously.
You think, “Swing, swing!” but... you stop at the last second.
That’s the thing...
At first it looks in the strike zone, but then it drops or zips in late.
I can’t hit that kind of pitch...
This... this is the dance, right?
Oh, that’s the “out count song” right there.
And now we have a brand-new strikeout song.
Kinda looked like the dance I did earlier.
You’re right. It really does!
Whoa! Did you already know about it?
No clue.
I’ve got no rhythm...
Now stepping in is YOO SANG BIN.
He drove in the team’s first run today.
SANG BIN, show us something!
– Let’s go, YOO SANG BIN! – You’ve got this!
– We have to stop this guy. – Be careful with him.
YOO HEE KWAN didn’t do so well against him in the first at-bat.
Let’s see how he approaches him this time.
He needs to be sharp. Go in with a plan.
Slow breaking ball. Called ball.
Be bold.
Try to mess with his timing.
Slow down on the mound and deliver.
You need to get him to swing.
He holds off on a low outside pitch.
Okay okay, good eye, SANG BIN!
Tempt him. He takes a lot of balls!
Make it tough. First base is open!
Take your time, nice and easy.
That’s ball three.
He knew it was a ball. Didn’t flinch at all.
It rises, then it drops.
Then you’ve gotta just fire it in.
From a tough count. Will this end here?
What pitch will he go with?
Just one, just one.
Gotta go with certainty. Lock it in.
Can’t walk him, no walks!
Ah, it misses. He lays off perfectly.
– Ahh... – Man...
What? That’s a walk?
YOO HEE KWAN gave up a walk?
That’s YOO HEE KWAN’s first walk of the game.
Even as a lefty batter
he picked it perfectly and gets on base.
The Independent League gets another shot with the heart of the order.
They’ve got a scoring chance now.
Former Hanwha Eagles player YOO SANG BIN walks to first base.
The next batter is dangerous...
– Seriously. – Earlier he hit a triple to right-center.
I thought that ball was going over.
Now stepping up, KIM SOO HWAN.
He also hit a triple in his first at-bat.
Very dangerous hitter here.
– Let’s go, power hitter! – SOO HWAN
Let’s shut it down right here!
Go for two, two outs!
These are the hitters we thought were most dangerous this inning.
We need to turn two right here.
If we do, we can shift the energy
from the field straight back to the dugout.
Gotta use the infield.
Let’s stop them right here.
SOO HWAN
Ground ball!
Got it!
Yes!
Ground ball!
Gets through between third and short.
Okay!
YOO SANG BIN advances to second.
KIM SOO HWAN is now 2 for 2.
– Let’s go. – Let’s go!
Okay, nice.
As expected, KIM SOO HWAN.
Wow...
Whoa, man... what was that?
Slow pitches don’t work against ex-pro players.
They’ll hit all of them.
We’ve got nothing left to throw.
They’re attacking YOO HEE KWAN’s pitches way too easily.
Now it’s one out, runners on first and second.
YOO HEE KWAN is in trouble again.
Time to get someone warming up.
That’s three innings in a row now.
Right?
And now he faces No. 5 hitter PARK MYUNG HYUN.
Just one run, one run!
One run and this all calms down.
He’s a hitter with a clean swing, capable of going opposite field with power.
A very sharp swing.
What pitch will they go with here?
Gotta go with confidence. No hesitation!
Let’s shut it down here!
Check swing. He went around!
Okay!
Okay, okay!
PARK JAE WOOK fields it, throws to first!
Run, run, run!
Throws to first!
Batter is out at first base!
Meanwhile, the runners each advance a base.
Okay.
Thank you, thank you! MYUNG HYUN, thank you!
Man, you gotta run faster than that.
Number 3! Hey, number 3!
Number 3, what are you doing?
In that pressure moment, PARK JAE WOOK made a perfect throw to LEE DAE HO.
– That’s right. – Exactly.
That showed PARK JAE WOOK’s wide field awareness.
It really did.
That was a huge out.
But now there are two runners in scoring position.
And now it’s KIM CHA MIN at the plate.
He’s currently batting .344 in the Gyeonggi-do League.
– It's set up! – Gotta hit this one!
The score is 3 to 2, and
if we give up 2 more runs? That’s not acceptable.
And that’s exactly what Manager YANG SEUNG HO talked about
it would become 5 runs.
We absolutely cannot let that happen.
Right.
Just one run, please. Only one run.
If we get out of this, the momentum will swing our way!
Shut it down here, shut it down!
First pitch.
From the batter’s view, that looked extremely far away.
It was a pitch that really stayed outside.
– He went inside with that, inside. – That’s right.
Let’s go.
Off the end of the bat.
That’s it.
Okay, okay!
That pitch pulls in just right.
Looks like it’s gonna fall. Keeps attacking.
That 117 km/h isn’t really 117 km/h.
And this isn’t an easy choice to make
because in the first at-bat he hit the batter trying to go inside.
So in a situation like this
it’s tough to go inside again, honestly.
But that’s exactly what YOO HEE KWAN does.
One out left.
Can he close out the inning?
Three-pitch strikeout!
Let’s go, YOO HEE KWAN!
Shut it down right here!
Lock it in!
Swing and a miss. Strikeout!
Yes!
Time to counterattack! Let’s go!
Let’s go!
What a relief.
Ah, this guy...
That pitch just naturally fades outside.
But you’ve gotta crush that thing.
No choice. It just keeps moving out...
YOO HEE KWAN ends the inning with a strikeout in a jam.
Ehh, finally!
That’s more like it!
He’s back! He’s back!
– Okay, okay! – Let’s go, let’s go!
Hey!
You’re not just gonna warm up through the 9th, right?
Let’s go, JAE YOUNG!
Three innings in a row?
Might get a 5-inning quality start.
Yeah, a 5-inning quality start is in sight.
Now we’re in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
On the mound, it’s still CHOI JONG WAN.
You can give up a run, just pitch comfortably!
JONG WAN is back! He’s got his control now!
Leadoff batter KIM JAE HO is getting ready to step in.
Great work out there.
KIM JAE HO has been struggling at the plate lately
but he still has great discipline at the plate.
Ah...
His on-base percentage is over .400.
Oh wow, really?
That’s elite plate discipline.
If our No. 9 hitter can get on base here
we’ll have a huge scoring opportunity.
KIM JAE HO!
Let’s go, JAE HO!
Ooh!
He pushes it to the right side.
Right fielder PARK JAE MIN makes the catch.
No!
I told you he had good feel today.
He was feeling it today...
That’s right fielder PARK JAE MIN.
Once they make contact, we just
Sorry, we just
We get overly excited when they make contact.
He’s good at making contact.
Really good. But it’s too much sometimes...
It hit right on the sweet spot.
Right on the barrel!
Ah, that “end-cap” swing...
He makes good contact, but that was too much barrel.
– That’s not the kind of hit we want. – No, no.
Argh, that was close!
Good swing
– So close! – Nice.
Keep swinging like that from now on.
At bat now is leadoff hitter JEONG KEUN WOO.
He drew a four-pitch walk in his first at-bat.
And thanks to that walk...
we were able to start chasing the score.
Let’s get on again! Let’s go!
Come on, leadoff, leadoff!
First time through the order. Let’s focus!
JONG WAN’s back!
Let’s go!
Lays off the high pitch. Another walk!
Ah...
Seriously!
JEONG KEUN WOO’s on-base ability is insane.
His OBP is just...
JEONG KEUN WOO walks again
and now it’s one out, runner on first.
That brings up No. 2 hitter, CHOI SOO HYUN.
He’s back in the starting lineup today after recovering from a hamstring injury.
If our batting average leader can do his job here
then PARK YONG TAIK, who already has an RBI, is up next.
So CHOI SOO HYUN’s role is crucial here.
Absolutely.
Let’s tie it up! Tie game!
Let’s go, let’s go!
Let’s do this.
That’s it. Stay with it, stay with it!
Outside pitch comes in for a strike.
Nice, nice!
137 km/h. He’s on today!
That sinking two-seamer is really good.
If you don’t check the speed, you’d think it’s a changeup...
The trajectory is that deceptive.
Like you said, the two-seam drops like a changeup.
And it tails off to the side.
Rip it! Rip it!
I hope he just rips it clean right now!
Since YOO HEE KWAN threw
two scoreless innings in a row
we need to keep chasing based on what CHOI SOO HYUN does here.
Let’s go, let’s go!
Go, go, go, go!
JONG WAN!
Pulled it!
He pulls it and sends it in!
Oh, runner gives it up.
They only go for the batter-runner.
Meanwhile, JEONG KEUN WOO advances to second.
Oh, nice.
They got the out at first.
Ugh, why didn’t he throw?
Why didn’t he throw?
Ah, come on!
Wasn’t that a double play?
Even JEONG KEUN WOO looked back, thinking he might be out.
But they didn’t throw it!
– That’s lucky for us. Totally lucky. – It really is.
That’s why JEONG KEUN WOO couldn’t advance.
And still, no throw.
That’s pure luck for us. Total gift.
Should we call in All-Star first baseman LIM SANG WOO?
– If it were LIMSTAR... LIM SANG WOO would’ve fired that to second immediately! – Exactly!
Step on the bag and go!
– But I don’t think that ball was hit right on the base. – Oh really?
He should’ve thrown that immediately. Absolutely should’ve thrown it.
So now it’s two outs, runner on second.
Now we get to see PARK YONG TAIK’s
clutch focus in scoring position.
He had an RBI in his first at-bat today
opening up the scoring for the Flame Fighters.
On April 17, 2002, right here at this stadium
PARK YONG TAIK hit his first career home run.
Let’s go, let’s go, Captain Taek!
Captain! Captain!
Let’s tie it up! Tie game!
PARK YONG TAIK base hit!
The long career of PARK YONG TAIK
perhaps today is the start of a new chapter.
What will his second at-bat bring?
Let’s go, Captain Taek!
Go!
This is where the battle is!
JONG WAN is ready!
It’s a slow grounder.
Take it easy! Easy! The ball’s ripping. Easy!
Chased down and thrown to first.
Out at first.
Nice, nice.
The ball bounced like... tap tap tap tap tap...
What’s up with that ball?
Ugh...
Ha... got fooled by the changeup.
Two-out scoring chance
but this time, PARK YONG TAIK doesn’t come through with a hit.
Still a one-run game. We head to the 4th inning.
Aarghhh!
Thunk!
Got fooled by that changeup again...
Man, we’re falling behind now.
Some familiar faces are here at the stadium today.
Commentator SON GEON YEONG and caster HAN JANG HEE...
They’re here watching the game.
Where are they sitting?
The production team gave them great seats.
– Were they listening to our broadcast? – Yep!
Hey, look. We’re eating this.
You guys don’t get any, right?
And they’ve got chicken nuggets too!
I’m jealous.
That’s what you call living the good life.
Fifty years. No, sixty years of waiting!
Actually no, not sixty yet.
SON GEON YEONG isn’t in his sixties. More like late fifties.
Let’s stop there.
But seriously, the production crew... SON GEON YEONG
Every time he’s done commentary, three times, we’ve won all three!
They’re calling him a “victory fairy,” but isn’t that a bit much?
Anyway, it’s time for us to leave.
As for me... I’m locking myself in right here.
Just one day at a time... well...
That’s life. That’s how it goes.
Now it’s the top of the 4th inning. Independent League All-Stars are batting.
Leading off is PARK SOO HYUN.
– Good work out there. – Same to you.
Still on the mound is YOO HEE KWAN.
YOO HEE KWAN gave up 3 runs in the 1st, but look where he is now.
Like JEONG YONG GUM said earlier
YOO HEE KWAN finds a way to turn it into a quality start.
Exactly.
That’s all he needs to do.
Even if we’re not scoring
it gives us hope to keep chasing.
Just get us through five innings.
Grit it out!
If he goes five with only 3 earned runs, hey, we’ll take that...
When pitchers give up a lot of runs, they usually collapse. Games fall apart.
But YOO HEE KWAN keeps eating up innings.
Let’s go, SOO HYUN! Stay alive, SOO HYUN!
First pitch. Low, ball.
Let’s get him off the mound quick.
Get him out!
Get the next pitcher up!
If the sidearmer comes up, get ready to go!
Four innings in a row is a bit much...
Let’s go, HEE KWAN!
Come on.
Let’s go!
Another low pitch. Count is two–zero.
He’s not swinging.
– That’s the issue. He’s not biting. – Right.
Is it because YOO HEE KWAN’s pitching poorly?
That’s not it.
– He’s tempting them, but they’re not chasing. – Why won’t they swing?
That’s what we have to think about.
Why aren’t they swinging?
Focus ×3. Nice, nice! Focus!
Try to get on base, get on base!
We need to score one here!
This time it’s in the strike zone.
– Okay! – Nice pitch!
His timing’s off. His timing is off.
No matter what, he’s gonna take one more.
Count is 3 balls, 1 strike?
He won’t throw anything good. It’s a sinker for sure.
And it is a sinker!
It’s in. Full count!
There aren’t many players as desperate as these guys.
Yep.
Gotta get the leadoff batter. Must get this out.
Can’t let him on base.
Try to get on, go for it!
Strikeout!
It all comes down to this one pitch.
Swing!
– High fastball! – Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing!
Swing!
Checking to see if he swung...
He held the bat. No swing.
So the leadoff batter reaches on a walk.
Nice.
Wow, great eye.
Come to think of it, YOO HEE KWAN today
including the hit-by-pitch, has allowed three free passes.
And two of those are walks.
That’s his first game this season giving up two walks.
Before today, he pitched in eight games
and only allowed five total walks.
But today, three in one game.
Senior, should we head out again?
No outs, runner on first?
– You’re second up, remember? – So I’m going out? Should I warm up?
Oh yeah, you absolutely need to warm up.
I threw four innings, man.
SHIN JAE YOUNG has been loosening up in every inning today.
Right? He’s heading out again.
When we’re out there, we stop ’em!
We’re the good luck charm, right?
Yeah.
– YOO HEE KWAN has now allowed nine base runners. – Great work out there.
Great job, great job.
No outs, runner on first.
This is PARK JE BEOM, who hit a double in his first at-bat.
He’s not sure what’s coming now.
What is it, what is it? Whoa, whoa!
He’s doing a lot out there!
Another bunt ×2—he’s going to get thrown out again!
Double on the bunt? For real?
Let’s go, J-Park!
You can hit it.
He goes the other way.
That’ll work.
Two! Two!
He pushes it into the 1–2 gap, base hit!
Nice!
Runner on first makes it to second standing up.
PARK JE BEOM is now 2 for 2 today.
Wow, he actually hit that?
Man, how’d he hit that with the bat like that?
That pitch was way outside.
Yeah... but that was a great hit.
It’s only the 4th inning
and YOO HEE KWAN has already allowed 10 baserunners.
Yeah, he’s giving up a lot of free passes right now.
The Independent League hitters are really showing their power today.
This early part of the game is reminding us how scary they can be.
That’s right.
Should we make a change?
Should we pull him now? It’s the 4th...
At this point, we can assume
SHIN JAE YOUNG will be coming in.
Yeah.
Let’s go!
HYUN!
Looks like they’ve brought in a pinch runner too.
LEE HYUN is now in at second as a pinch runner.
No outs, runners on first and second.
Now at bat, SHIN JUN WOO.
Since SHIN JUN WOO is a veteran player
it’ll be interesting to see how he executes the strategy here.
Also curious what kind of play they’ll call.
No outs, no outs.
PARK JAE WOOK is signaling to the fielders.
LEE DAE HO is even moving in to the grass to apply pressure.
– Surprise bunt. – Surprise, surprise!
Has to be a surprise bunt.
SHIN JUN WOO already had a successful sac bunt in his first at-bat.
He squares to bunt. Pops it up!
It goes foul behind the plate.
In this situation, YOO HEE KWAN
needs to charge toward third.
– JEONG SEONG HUN can’t move forward right now. – Yeah.
Okay, he can’t lay it down. No way.
Be certain. Be sharp.
Watch the runners.
You can lead off early. Get a jump.
Hit that pitch if it comes!
SHIN JUN WOO squares up from the start.
He lays down the bunt!
Okay, okay!
Foul ball.
He laid down the bunt.
Let it go.
Along the foul line...
– It’s foul! – Foul ball.
Foul
We’re safe!
Let it go.
Rolling along the foul line...
It crosses over. Foul ball!
That could’ve been a disaster.
Thank goodness.
– That’s a win for us. – We got lucky there.
He lays down a great bunt.
Wow, that was really well placed.
But that grass...
The direction and speed of that bunt toward third were perfect.
What worked here for JEONG SEONG HUN
is that he acted like he didn’t care and that made it go foul.
Because he “didn’t care”...
If he had rushed in too hard
he would’ve tried to field and throw, and that would’ve gone badly.
His usual lazy approach actually helped in this case.
He let it roll naturally
and even if he charged it, the runner would’ve been safe.
So by letting it roll just enough
he caught it right where it could be ruled foul.
Still, SHIN JUN WOO stays focused despite the tough count.
After the failed bunt, a new sign comes in.
What strategy will they use this time?
He adjusts his grip on the bat.
SHIN JUN WOO.
He pulls it!
– To the right side. – That’s it, that’s it!
It’s a fair ball!
He pulls it to the right.
– He’s got it! Steps on the bag at second! – To second! That’s right!
Yes! He’s out!
Nice play! Nice play!
As expected. Baseball genius.
– He really threw to second? – He threw to second?
JEONG SEONG HUN takes back the momentum.
He probably remembered that lazy play earlier and adjusted for this.
– The result? A perfect grounder to third. – Yep.
Backhand scoop, steps on the base, throws to second!
– That’s a textbook double play. – Exactly.
– That was the best-case outcome for the Flame Fighters. – Absolutely, absolutely.
And for JEONG SEONG HUN, throwing to first just felt like a hassle.
That’s why he went to second instead.
If he had thrown to first, the runner might’ve been safe.
– JEONG SEONG HUN, everything was perfect. – That’s right.
Nice!
With that, the threat is gone.
Two outs now, runner on first.
At bat is KIM JAE WON.
He swings at the first pitch.
Goes after it aggressively.
Okay!
YOO HEE KWAN once again shows his ability to manage tough situations.
Another scoreless inning.
Still a one-run game.
We head to the bottom of the 4th.
– Thank you. Helping us out here. – Okay!
Helping us big time.
Let’s go take the lead!
Four-inning complete game!
– Nice work, nice work. – Nice pitching, nice pitching!
Should we bring him in right now?
– They’re switching sides. – Should we send SHIN JAE YOUNG in now?
– Get him up. – Next?
– Next. – Right now?
Yep.
– Still, HEE KWAN held it down well, right? – He did great, great job.
At first it felt iffy...
At the start, it was like “can he hold on?” but still
Good work out there.
Thank you, manager.
Hey, good job.
The pitcher changed. Who is it?
Make a note of it.
Find out who SEON SEONG GWON is. Log it.
No change yet, no change yet.
Okay, slider.
Slider. It’s either a home run or a strikeout.
Just one inside slider. Give us that.
That’s the only pitch left.
He’s back up again.
Defensive changes for the Independent League team.
KIM SOO HWAN moves from third to first base.
LEE JONG HYUK takes over at second base.
LEE HYUN, who was subbed in earlier, is now positioned at third base.
CHOI JONG WAN remains on the mound.
Now it’s the bottom of the fourth. Flame Fighters are up.
Leading off is LEE DAE HO.
In his first at-bat, he grounded into a double play.
The GIDP we all secretly know about. LEE DAE HO’s special.
And LEE DAE HO always delivers when people say “Can he really do it?”
For sure.
– That’s why we’re excited right now. – Yep.
Wait, we’ve only had one hit, right?
Who got it again?
– Wasn’t it... – YONG TAIK?
Oh yeah, that slow roller to first earlier.
– Come on, DAE HO! – Let’s go, let’s go!
Let’s go!
For the Flame Fighters
YOO HEE KWAN has kept working out of trouble
so now’s the time to at least tie it up. Maybe more.
– Right, we need to create that momentum. – Yeah.
First pitch is a ball.
Great eye.
They’re not giving him anything good.
Good pitch, JONG WAN.
Nice, nice! JONG WAN’s on point.
That’s a sharp fly ball.
To the left!
Two ×3! Two two two!
Two!
Two, two!
Run, run!
Can’t make it?
Stop.
– He hit it well, so why’s it like that? – Run!
No, don’t go!
Hey, don’t go! Hey!
He reaches second!
That was risky!
They couldn’t make the throw.
Seriously...
That was close.
That was really close.
LEE DAE HO turns it into a double!
No one called “stop”?
– Hey, didn’t anyone say stop? – Huh?
Someone should’ve called “stop,” right?
I did, but you ran anyway, senior.
LEE DAE HO!
The ball was hit so hard
and since it was LEE DAE HO, they just assumed he wouldn’t make it.
That made him go for it out of pride.
– But the ball came in so fast. It was honestly risky. – Yeah.
And at this point
this is where the tag should’ve happened.
The second baseman just panicked.
He didn’t even catch the ball
he went for the tag first.
That’s a costly mistake. And as a result
it’s not going to be ruled a double.
The official scorer is being cold about it.
The official ruling: one hit, one error.
– No double given. – Nope.
All right, now it’s up to JUNG EUI YOON to deliver.
That’s right.
No outs, runner on second.
Batter is No. 5, “Jung Rose” JUNG EUI YOON.
Coach LEE KWANG KIL is signaling.
That was a complicated sign.
XX means bunt, right?
Yep. XX is bunt.
That’s a bunt sign?
Can he even bunt?
Let’s go, JUNG EUI YOON!
Let’s tie this game! Tie it up!
Is he squaring up?
JUNG EUI YOON’s showing bunt.
Everyone, outfield and infield, lock in!
We need this run. Tie game on the line.
He lays down the bunt.
Why isn’t he running? Why not?
Hey! DAE HO!
He lays down the bunt.
DAE HO, go! Go, DAE HO!
Right in front! In front!
Three!
That’s it!
Hey, DAE HO!
He lays down the bunt.
In front, in front!
JUNG EUI YOON is out at first
but... what is even happening?
What is this LEE DAE HO magic?
Why didn’t you come?
That was such a clean bunt!
Nice.
DAE HO!
What kind of comedy is this?
– What was that? – That was some serious awareness.
No but really. What just happened?
What is this “LEE DAE HO Magic”?
LEE DAE HO actually stopped like “Nope, I’m not making it to third.”
Yep.
And if you watch the bunt, it was too soft
so LEE DAE HO didn’t go at first.
Then the catcher shouted
since DAE HO didn’t run, they should throw to first.
And right then, DAE HO took off!
– That’s what happened. – Yep.
– So in this case... – You don’t see this often.
That was a beautiful stolen base play by LEE DAE HO.
Either way, it worked! Success!
Nice.
Why didn’t he run?
He didn’t take off!
Didn’t move. Didn’t react!
No brakes?
Nice.
Okay.
Why didn’t he run?
Right here. Hey!
You’ve gotta call it out! Call it!
I did call it...
He barely moved at all, man!
I’m losing it here.
One out, runner on third now.
So that ends up being a successful sac bunt.
And now it’s JEONG SEONG HUN at bat.
We really have to capitalize on this chance.
Let’s bring him in, bring him in!
Just hit it like you did earlier, simple.
Just slap it! Doesn’t have to be perfect!
Just slap at it.
– The momentum of the game is finally shifting toward us. – Yeah.
So JEONG SEONG HUN, who grounded into a double play last inning
needs to make up for it here.
First pitch, deep inside.
You’ve got to swing! Swing!
If it’s close
Not low. Wait for something good.
JEONG SEONG HUN base hit!
One out, runner on third.
We need a deep fly ball to the outfield.
– We absolutely need to tie it here. – Definitely.
– There it is! – He threw it to the outfield!
– Okay! – Okay!
Shut it down!
It’s thrown to the outfield!
Center fielder KIM JAE WON makes the catch.
Go!
That’s a tough call, tough call...
Is he really going? No way.
He can’t come in!
– Home! – Home!
The throw goes home!
Play at the plate!
At home!
Run faster!
He’s in! He’s in!
Play at the plate!
At home!
It’s LEE DAE HO!
Let’s go!
– Nice. – Let’s go!
– Okay, okay! – Okay!
That was a great throw.
This is high-level baseball.
They’re really making it fun today.
JEONG SEONG HUN set up that outfield fly perfectly.
Thanks to LEE DAE HO’s hustle
the tying run comes in. Tie game!
He sprinted all the way.
And he was safe at the plate!
But when DAE HO slid in
it looked like his knee was hurting a bit.
Something happened to my knee.
It popped, it popped.
– Should we sub him out? – It really popped.
– Should we switch him? – Was it during the slide into second earlier?
Just now, my knee popped.
– Okay. – Knee injury?
Still, he ran really well.
Tape it up, tape it up.
– His knee popped. – Tape it.
– That’s enough. – No, it seriously popped.
It popped when I slid into second.
– Where exactly? – At second base.
– On the bag? – Yeah.
This could be a big variable.
– Wrap it with tape? – Yeah, this is a big one.
– Get ready. – SANG WOO needs to warm up.
Got it.
SEONG HUN can cover first base.
Go get your glove right away.
Now up to bat is LEE TAEK KEUN.
He pushes it, but they stop it.
KIM SOO HWAN takes it himself to the base.
That ends the inning. Three outs.
But the Flame Fighters tie the game!
The score is now 3 to 3.
We head into the 5th inning.
You okay?
I’m fine.
– You sure? – I’ll speak up if it hurts.
– How’s the contact? – Good, good.
– Hey, you know what to do, right? – Okay.
He’s now facing a player he was once closest with.
He makes contact!
Drops in front of the left fielder!
He got it!
Another hit!
The Independent League All-Stars retake the lead.
Let’s win!
Something’s off...
The energy in the Flame Fighters' dugout just froze.
And now the runner is in scoring position again.
If they get a hit here, the whole game shifts.
– We absolutely have to stop this. – No doubt.
Okay.
To the right, over the right fielder!
Please...
No!
He caught it!
MUN GYO WON with a ridiculous catch!
That gives the Flame Fighters a chance to rally.
They need to capitalize on this opportunity.
It’s hit!
To left. Left fielder chasing.
He makes the catch!
Hurry up!
The runner scores!
That brings KANG DONG WOO into the game.
He’s here, he’s here!
This is the biggest moment of the game so far.
– Please... – Let’s go!
Go in with confidence.
Nice!