In the 30th episode of JTBC's entertainment program 'Strongest Baseball', which aired at 10:30 pm on the 16th, the Strongest Monsters won a 10-0 cold game in the bottom of the 8th inning against Wonkwang University.
Previously, the Strongest Monsters defeated Wonkwang University 12-2 in the first game thanks to the addition of coach Kim Seong-geun and Lee Dae-ho to the team and achieved a cold game win. With the joy of victory, a welcome dinner was held for the two, and in the friendly atmosphere, the 'dinner jinx' suddenly came to mind, increasing the anxiety of the strongest monsters. This is because after the company dinner, they lost in the second game against Chungam High School and the first game against Inha University.
Coach Kim Seong-geun showed a cool attitude by briefly checking the players' condition before the game and ending the meeting in just 40 seconds. The strongest monsters were excited for a moment, and the warm-up time extended by the remaining time awaited them. Director Kim Seong-geun called Park Yong-taek, Ji Seok-hoon, Kim Moon-ho, and Lee Hong-gu and provided one-on-one customized training.
Manager Kim Seong-geun placed Seo Dong-wook as the second hitter in this game, creating a strong lineup of Jeong Geun-woo, Seo Dong-wook, Lee Taek-geun, and Lee Dae-ho. Wonkwang University, which experienced the bitter taste of losing cold in the first game, put Seong-il Seo on the mound as a starting pitcher and sealed the bats of the strongest Monsters hitters. Not to be outdone, Oh Joo-won also pitched with all his might, resulting in a streak of 0 with neither team scoring until the third inning.
The tight balance between the two teams was broken by the bat of Park Yong-taek, the captain of the strongest Monsters. Park Yong-taek, who had recorded a poor batting average so far, was the number one target for special batting training under coach ‘Yasin’ Kim Seong-geun. After a harsh special hit, Manager Kim Seong-geun predicted to Park Yong-taek, “I will hit today,” and Park Yong-taek repaid Manager Kim Seong-geun’s faith by scoring the go-ahead run with a timely hit with one out and first and second base.
Lee Dae-ho blocked Jeong Geun-woo's throwing error with his body, showing the reliability of a top first baseman. In particular, he showed a rare play in professional baseball by hitting a single in the top of the sixth inning, advancing to first base, and then sprinting all the way home on Kim Moon-ho's hit. Director Kim Seong-geun also smiled, looking at the sight of ‘Usain Dae-ho’ in amazement.
In addition, Kim Moon-ho and Lee Hong-gu, who received special batting training but were not included in Kim Seong-geun's starting lineup, were substituted in the middle of the game and scored a hit, proving their 'magic' and increasing their chances of being selected as starting players.
Oh Joo-won repaid coach Kim Seong-geun's faith by remaining on the mound without allowing a run until the sixth inning. After that, Lee Dae-eun and Song Seung-jun took the mound one after another, putting an end to the team's 10-0 cold game victory.
In this way, the strongest Monsters achieved a record of winning two consecutive cold games against Wonkwang University, which won the President's Cup and finished second in the U-League, becoming the strongest team in college baseball. It was the result of ‘Yasin Magic’, achieved through coach Kim Seong-geun’s special batting training and tactics to bully the opposing team.
The MVP of this day's game went unanimously to Oh Joo-won. Oh Joo-won said, “I wanted to throw well because I had a lot of mental trouble after not being able to throw in the Inha University game.” He added, “After seeing him get cold wins in a row, I realized why coach Kim Seong-geun is so great. “I feel good about finally ending my losing streak at company dinners,” he said.
Now, if the strongest monsters win just one game, they will achieve a win rate of 70% regardless of the results of the remaining games. However, the next opponent waiting for the strongest Monsters is Hanil Jangshindaero, a strong team that won a cold game against Dongeui University. The next game is even more anticipated to see whether the strongest Monsters, who have gained momentum by recording cold game wins in two consecutive games, will be able to continue their winning streak against the unexpectedly strong team, Korea-Japan Jangsin University.
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr