Went to a Hanwha Eagles game last night and if anyone comes to visit, we might have to go to one too. I had the time of my life. The tickets were free, the retired a guys number and oh yeah the home team managed to pull it all of in the bottom of the 9th. Let me fill you in on some details, the Eagles, ok they suck most of the time. I went in to the game knowing this. The KBO(Korean Baseball Organization) is an 8 team league and the Eagles are bringin' up the rears at a fat 32 games behind first and 9.5 games behind 7th. They are bad. But last night was a clash of the titans as the 6th place Seoul Heroes were in town. Fahd and I two of the new comers bought 10000 won shirts that just happened to have like the best players numbers on them so we were pumped. His guy had his own song that would play and the crowd would sing every time he came up to bat, it was pretty badass. My guy was the Babe Ruth of the team, not so much on the talent end more in the gut. Anyway we walk in and are handed towels that say "Ace 23" and we're like "that's cool" cause free stuff is where it's at.
There was a big "35" in center field and an equal sized white sheet covering up the number 23 next to it so it was pretty obvious what we were going to see. So the game starts and it's boring as hell. I'm kinda wondering how there in last place cause for the first 3 innings there is one combined hit and like 4 walks. Then the 4th inning rolls in and the Eagles pitcher losses his shit. Base hit, walk, walk, GRAND SLAM. Did not expect to see that. 2 batters later, 2 run home run. Where the hell am I? I thought they played small ball over here, but these guys are up 6 in the blink of an eye. They get out of it and I'm thinking "thank God that's over" but it's not. They give up 3 more in the top of the 5th all while remaining hit less themselves and down a staggering 9-0.
Then it happened, slap single to right, single to left Lee Bum-ho # 7 the best player on the team comes up and crushes one to the vendors area in left center field. There were like no manufactured runs here. I think maybe 2 guys feigned bunting but never put bat to ball. In the mean time they Eagles had scored like 4 more runs and all of a sudden it was 9-7 and they had a chance. Well not for a while anyway.
After the 6th inning everything stopped and we had the retirement ceremony for Ace 23 the man who led the Eagles to their only KBO Championship in 1999, they showed video and Jeong Min-Chul. He looked pretty impressive in the video and he was not so old probably close to or tipping 40 he started his career in '92. There was a long draw out ceremony and then he gave a speech and like 25 minutes later the team ran out tossed him in the air a couple of times and then put him in a BMW for a lap around the field and then the game restarted. They might as well have skipped to the 9th cause that's basically what ended up happening, there would be a chance and a strike out or ground out.
The 9th worked perfectly though we had the top of the order up. The first guy grounded weakly to second but he's the lead off man so he can fly, he beat a bad throw and made it to second base during the ensuing chaos, the second man up struck out or some ting and them it was Lee Bum-ho's time to shine, a single to left field and he did his part it was a one run game with the tying run at the plate my guy the big boy, Kim Tae-Kyun # 52. He walked which was cool but they had already put in a pinch runner for Bum-ho and so the big boy was gonna run for himself. Or jog the guy after him comes up and crushes the first pitch over the left center field wall. Pandemonium I'd never been so happy in my life. In the words of Homer, "This makes up for everything that's ever gone wrong in my life – or ever will!" pure joy. I couldn't sleep for a while after I got home from the excitement... or maybe it was the mountain dew
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