"Game set. Detroit victory."
The umpire called an end to the game in the bottom of the 9th. By now, a lot of the crowd had already left, having seen their team was blown out by the Ligers.
With a score of 14-2, it showed just how dominant the Ligers were on the attack, especially early. After this game, they were up 3-0 in the series and only needed a single win to clinch a spot in the World Series.
No one expected their team to come into enemy territory and perform so well, a fact highlighted by many media segments that followed the match.
However, the public consensus was that Houston had underperformed, not that the Ligers were unstoppable. Something like this might have annoyed Ken in the past, but he didn't care right now.
Later that night, Ken was sitting in front of the TV in his hotel room, watching Sportscenter to see the results of the NLCS.
"In baseball news, the Detroit Ligers gave the Houston Arrows a walloping in game 3 of the American League Championship Series 14-2. Many have praised Coach Mark Williams for the work he's done for the Ligers club in only a single season. After all, this time last year, the Ligers barely finished above 0.500."
Ken listened intently as the anchor praised his Grandfather, causing a smile to creep onto his face.
"The Blue Marlins also took hold of game 3 on their home field, now leading the series 2-1. Remember, both times that Miami have reached the World Series, they won it all."
"What are your predictions for the World Series? I've got Detroit vs Miami and Miami to take it in 7 games."
Ken shook his head at the prediction, throwing it out of his mind.
'So they also won…' he thought, laying his head back and looking at the ceiling like he often did.
Ken couldn't help but feel this was fate. Back then, he'd intentionally gone at Ryan in both the U18 World Cup games and during interviews. Originally this had just been out of pride, after all, the guy was a prominent athlete in his previous life.
He felt like he had to prove himself against someone who had made it to the Majors. Everything had worked out well, though Ken had been the catalyst for Ryan's tremendous improvement.
Things had turned out a little differently from his past life, with Ryan not even attending College like he was supposed to. The guy went through the minor league and was signed to Miami after performing well.
Some might call it the long way, but he still made it.
And now he was almost unstoppable when on the mound. The unorthodox grips and unpredictable movements of Ryan's off-speed pitches was something that not even his own catcher could deal with half the time.
If this was the case, then one could imagine how the batters who faced him felt.
But Ken felt nothing but excitement at the prospect of facing his rival in the World Series. After missing out on playing against Leo and the New York Yanks, Ryan and the Blue Marlins were the next best thing.
'Even if I lose in the World Series…' Ken thought briefly before shaking his head.
He decided not to finish that thought. Any thoughts of losing would not be helpful at all, therefore he threw it out of his mind. Ken decided that all he needed to do was worry about winning the next game.
Whether it was with a bat or a glove in his hand, Ken was prepared to do everything it took to finish the final system mission.
Ken closed his eyes briefly, taking a quick rest before it was time to head to the Image Training realm. He only had a few weeks before the system would be gone either way, and he wanted to get all the rewards he could.
'I want that Home Run King skill…'
***
Two days later, the Detroit Ligers played the 4th game against Houston at Daikin Park. Much like the other 3 games, the Ligers came out of the gate quickly, piling up the runs in the first and second innings.
There were a few adjustments for Houston, but it was too little too late.
After 9 innings, the Ligers came away with a comfortable 7-3 victory, winning the final game of the ALCS and punching their ticket to the World Series.
Since there was no need for a game 5, the team were able to travel back home and receive a bit of a break while they waited for the NLCS to finish.
Unfortunately for Michael who had bought tickets for all of the games in Houston and a hotel for the duration, he would have to miss out. Or at least that was what he thought.
RING RING
Michael saw the caller ID on his phone and almost jumped out of his skin.
"Hello? Ken?"
"Hey man, we're heading back to Detroit today. Why don't you and Rachel come? I can get you tickets for the first 2 games of the World Series and a place to stay if you want?"
"Eh? Really?" Michael was taken aback, not expecting the offer.
"Of course, it'll be good to have you guys. You can meet my wife and family too."
Michael felt a little awkward, but he still agreed. He didn't want to sound too eager, but thankfully Ken didn't catch onto his awkwardness.
After a few more polite words, Michael hung up the phone. His body shook for a few moments before he pumped his fist.
"Shower is free." Rachel said, walking out of the bathroom. Her skin was slightly flushed from the hot shower and she had a towel draped around her, revealing her slender neck and shoulders.
"Hmm? Why do you look so happy?" she queried.
Michael couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face as he told her the plan.
"Oh that was nice of Ken."
"Right? He's just the best!"