The most attended sport in Korea is undoubtedly baseball.
However, baseball had its own slump.
In the early 2000s, there were poor international results.
And then came the economic downturn.
Attendance at baseball games dwindled day by day, and it seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
But starting with the semifinals of the 2006 WBC…
The gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics…
And the bittersweet runner-up finish in the 2009 WBC Japan-Korea finals…
Good results in international tournaments became a catalyst for baseball’s resurgence, not only restoring attendance but also breaking new records.
I, too, loved baseball in my previous life, riding the wave of international competitions…
Especially the thrill of Olympic gold medals.
I didn’t just watch it passively; I loved gathering with friends after school to play catch and baseball every single day.
I even dreamed of being a baseball player.
“Just hold it like this…”
The reason I’m reminiscing is simple.
“Okay, get into position. One, two, three. You can throw now.”
I’m set to throw the opening pitch at the KBO opening game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
The player checking my stance now asks…
“Like this?”
On the day of the pitch.
I arrived an hour or two early and was getting pitching coaching from the players.
I even dolled up after visiting a salon.
I had to perform at a special show later, so being uncomfortable was just part of it.
“Yes. Your stance is the best among all the pitchers I’ve seen.”
I was somewhat of a pitcher among my friends.
That means I wasn’t a complete novice when it came to baseball.
“If you throw the ball a little higher, that would be better.”
If I can just get the control right, wouldn’t I be called the goddess of opening pitches?
What’s lacking in me, really?
“The introduction will proceed in order of the pitch and performance. Don’t feel pressured, just throw comfortably.”
“Yes, don’t worry. I practiced a lot at the dorm yesterday.”
“At the dorm…?”
I tossed a softball-like bouncy ball at Kim Seo-yoon all night in practice.
I got hit so much that the pillow stuffing, which served as Kim Seo-yoon’s shield, burst out.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Um, could I ask for a handshake, please?”
“Of course!”
I got autographs and took photos with the players.
Finally, I returned to the waiting room.
All the members were waiting.
Dressed in baseball jerseys with our names on them and jeans.
The uniforms were provided by the team.
“Do-hee, did the practice go well?”
Sitting down, Hana Unni handed me a handkerchief.
I really like this older sister when she’s being sweet.
“Practically, it was the best practice.”
“You crazy girl, you threw that many balls yesterday!”
“Oh come on. Isn’t Seo-yoon being a bit too refined here~?”
Maybe it’s because of the rough way Ha-rang Unni talks.
Seo-yoon Unni’s filtering has also weakened.
Yoon Unni’s filtering has also weakened.
In the past, no matter how angry I was…
I felt like I never swore.
“It’s your fault. Yours!”
I guess it’s because of Na-eun Unni’s empty seat.
“Huh… you used to be so nice…”
“I really want to hit someone.”
Since we’re stuck together 24/7, it seems Kim Seo-yoon’s stress level has risen.
Anyway.
As I covered my makeup and tidied up my outfit.
The staff member glanced at the clock and smiled.
“Shall we start moving now?”
Following the staff, we left the waiting room and passed through the long corridor leading to the ground.
While both teams were eagerly warming up.
In the stands, a fierce psychological battle among the supporters was underway.
Seeing this scene from the first floor.
It was quite a spectacle.
A vast crowd different from the stage.
Is this what you call a sporty vibe?
A stadium that feels more primal and hot.
“Are you nervous, Do-hee?”
I guess this is why people like sports.
“Is she going to be nervous? On the contrary, she’ll probably love it. She’s an exhibitionist. When people set the stage for her, she can’t contain her excitement.”
Kim Seo-yoon always mistakenly thinks I’m going to be nervous.
But just like Ha-rang Unni said, the emotions I feel as an exhibitionist aren’t nerves, they’re thrills, a sensory shiver.
“A born entertainer. Please, check her ID.”
“You think you’re well-timed to the era.”
I don’t think Ha-rang Unni should be saying that.
“If you’re ready, we can go in right now.”
“Let’s go, Unni.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ll be back~”
I grabbed the hand of Sara Unni, who was pitching, and we entered the ground.
And at the same time, we appeared on the huge electronic board.
Roars of cheers erupted from supporters all around.
– There will be a pitch and ceremonial first pitch by the I-San Bears. The stars of today’s first pitch are Do-hee Lee and Eun Se-ra from the popular girl group SAVEN! Let’s give a warm welcome to SAVEN, who are loved for ‘Unsatisfied’!
In response, I waved my hand.
“Unni, don’t cross your arms, wave your hand.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“A sigh.”
Sara Unni is getting bolder as time goes on.
– First, let’s greet the audience!
A mascot, dressed in a costume, handed us the microphone.
“Hello! This is Do-hee from SAVEN. Nice to meet you!”
“Hello~ This is Eun Se-ra~”
Wowwwww!
– The cheers are incredible, but before the pitch and ceremonial first pitch, can we hear a brief remark? First, Do-hee.
“Yes, it’s a huge honor to pitch today for the Bears, and I hope the Bears win!”
“It’s such a huge honor to be here. I really hope the Bears win today!”
Then, from the cheering section, there was a chorus of boos.
“Woo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo!”
It seemed my comments, wishing for the Bears’ victory in this important opening game, had ruffled some feathers.
“This is just business, folks.”
I reached toward the camera and said, “The Giants win only when I’m not around!”
Laughter erupted from the stands, so maybe my response wasn’t too bad.
“Alright then, let’s move on to Sara!”
The host skillfully transitioned the atmosphere.
“I’ve been a fan of the I-Sean Bears since I was little because my parents are huge fans.”
…? Didn’t you say you didn’t know anything about baseball?
What was with all those questions yesterday?
“I-Sean Bears, fighting!”
Waaaaaah!
And why was I the only one getting booed?
They should boo Sara Unni too!
“Now, for the ceremonial pitch, please welcome Do-hee to the mound! Eun Se-ra will take her position at bat!”
With a slightly unjust feeling, I headed to the mound.
“Are you throwing from here?”
The mascot stopped not at the mound but closer to the batting position.
Since I’m a girl, I guessed they thought it would be tough for me to throw from the mound, so they suggested this position.
“No, I want to throw from the mound!”
I’ve come this far, I want to give it a shot from the mound.
When else would I feel like a pitcher?
The mascot nodded.
Finally, I stood on the mound.
I took the glove and baseball from the staff and got into position.
“You’re throwing from the mound!”
“The players are pitching from the proper spot right now.”
I recalled a scene from a baseball manga I had often seen in my past life.
I raised three fingers on one side of my arm to pretend to send a signal.
“Oh, Do-hee is signaling! Looks like she’s seen this somewhere!?”
The catcher smiled slyly.
Since I had permission for a light performance, it seemed okay to mess around a bit.
“It seems the catcher isn’t quite on the same page.”
The catcher shook his head as if my signal didn’t sit well with him.
The cheers from the audience were amusing.
But I felt bad about dragging it out too long.
I took a step back and started my wind-up.
“Good form!”
I lifted my leg up to my chest, reaching the peak height for my take-back.
“Great form. Now, pitch!”
Even though I only practiced for one day, I spent the whole night in front of the mirror striking poses and rehearsing.
Even the unknowing members complimented my pitching form, saying it looked pretty cool.
“Oh…!”
*
We were guided by the staff to the sky lounge.
Sara Unni was nestled in my arms, but today, I just couldn’t push her away.
“Oh, it hurts…”
“It was a real mistake… Does it hurt a lot?”
“Hmph… Do it for me.”
“Sigh…”
“Hurry up and do it…”
“Oh… Sigh…”
I keep getting this uneasy feeling that I was intentionally hit.
“I knew it would come to this. I could tell from the moment you threw the ball at me all day yesterday.”
As soon as we arrived at the lounge, Kim Seo-yoon started to gossip.
“Has Do-hee ever done anything like that just once?”
Even Unni Chae-rin joins in…
“Hehe… Do-hee, you silly girl…”
…?
Anyway, listening to the members gossip made my heart ache, so I fiddled with my phone.
I found myself scrolling through the familiar reactions.
The internet was buzzing with hot topics in real-time.
[Do-hee throwing the first pitch confidently.gif]
(Video)
Sara’s shocked expression, LOL
If you’re stupid, thumbs down, LOL
– Thumbs down, LOL
– This one’s genuine, no mask; I like the honesty, LOL
– Poor Sara with tears in her eyes, so sad
– But honestly, her throw trajectory was insane without exaggeration? The ball was drawn to Sara; with proper control, she could join right away, for sure.
└ LOL
– Do-hee and Sara’s relationship isn’t great, huh? That gender battle, LOL
└ Is there something mentally wrong?
└ This person is a famous troll.
– But both of them are super pretty in real life.
└ Visuals are top-notch.
└ For real, they look stunning; it’s like they come right through the camera.
– Just throw the first pitch and call it a day, LOL
└ For real, why even play baseball?
– Do-hee and Sara threw the first pitch; if they can’t win, the Bears should just give up.
– I know it’s shameless, but please send me the 4K version of that clip.
[Legendary first pitch at Jamsil Stadium]
[Do-hee who hated Sara]
[The first girl group member to throw a wild pitch]
‘…I’m good at sports, you know.’
Feeling conflicted as I looked at the internet, I focused on the game while eating the chicken our manager bought us.
“What’s that? Is that an out?”
“When three strikes build up like that, it’s a strikeout.”
“Oh, really?”
Enjoying the delicious chicken, I explained the rules to the members who were clueless about baseball.
Watching the game feeling relaxed for the first time in a while helped ease the gloomy mood from earlier.
“Hey! Isn’t that the one Do-hee threw today? What does that mean?”
But during the game, a wild pitch happened.
And out of nowhere, my face was captured on the big screen.
“Oh crap…”
What the heck is this…
*
[Do-hee captured by the camera after the wild pitch]
(First pitch video)
(Wild pitch game video)
(Big screen video)
LOL
– LOL, look at Do-hee’s face go red.
└ She must be embarrassed.
└ Her ears are turning red, LOL
– The camera senses it perfectly, LOL
No hesitation, straight to the capture, LOL
Photos from this day, where even my ears were red, circulated for a while.
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