Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 24

Pitcher Over, Batter Begins – Episode 23

During the opening four-game series, Lee Jung-woo truly felt his power.

His teammates jokingly called him the hero of the opening game, as he had achieved remarkable results.

‘Even though I was just hitting with my wrist.’

Ignoring his batting form.

Just hitting the ball without a plan.

Throughout the series, Lee Jung-woo intentionally used that poor batting style.

He abandoned his own swing.

It wasn’t the right way to hit as a batter, but the results were undeniable.

13 plate appearances, 11 at-bats, 7 hits, 2 home runs, 2 walks, 10 RBIs.

All seven hits, including the home runs, were extra-base hits.

The long-reaching hits made him realize that he had been underestimating himself.

‘I was much stronger than I thought. When I first switched to being a batter, the unusually good hits must have been thanks to this.’

The source of the powerful hits that made hitting coach Scott see Lee Jung-woo’s potential as a batter was his wrist.

Even though he couldn’t make proper contact.

And his batting skills were mediocre.

The reason he recorded monstrous stats in Single A during August and September.

Was all because of that.

‘It wasn’t entirely a fluke. It’s just that my wrist strength combined with the strengths of the *jong* [a Korean term referring to the snap or flick of the wrist], crushing the pitchers.’

Lee Jung-woo chuckled.

It was ironic.

‘Instead of my right shoulder, I was born with a left wrist. To replace the shoulder that would be destroyed someday.’

The kind of talent that batters long for.

He had that.

It was a regression.

His body didn’t change.

Maybe that power was diligently rotting away without him knowing back then too.

And without even knowing that.

Without properly understanding what he had, he kept throwing balls that wouldn’t work.

‘I had a pipe dream.’

Yes, a pipe dream.

He had the talent of a batter.

But he clung to being a pitcher who was already finished, dedicating his life to something that wouldn’t work.

He foolishly had a pipe dream.

A self-deprecating laugh escaped him.

The years before the regression felt foolish.

‘If I had tried batting even once, if I had made a decision when I received the offer to switch to a batter…’

Fleeting memories.

The pre-regression him, struggling with frustration and inferiority, came to mind.

The times when he wandered around as a failed pitcher, unable to find his own place.

The insulting words he often heard.

The teammates who ridiculed him as washed-up wouldn’t have been there.

Even if he didn’t become a great player in the big leagues as he wanted.

At least he wouldn’t have become unwanted junk.

Clenching his teeth at the rising emotions, Lee Jung-woo shook his head.

‘Hoo, no, no. Let’s stop whining here.’

He shook his short hair vigorously enough to make it flutter.

The overwhelming dark emotions subsided.

He thought positively.

“Thanks to that, I completely shook off my lingering feelings. Those are times that are gone forever now.”

If he hadn’t tasted the bitterness.

He wouldn’t have given up his stubbornness.

Thanks to having such a pipe dream.

He was able to regress and walk a new path.

“It’s enough that I know now. Let’s just think about that.”

Either way, he’s a batter now.

The pitcher is over.

Holding onto lingering feelings is now over forever.

So, it’s right to only think about the talent he’s properly confirmed.

Lee Jung-woo thought resolutely.

And completely shook off even the last bit of lingering attachment.

“Because I’m a batter now.”

####

The Adelaide Giants, who swept the opening game, continued their good momentum.

They took winning series against the Perth Heat in the same division and the Sydney Blue Sox in the Northeast Division.

The Giants, overwhelmingly crushing their opponents, made it hard to remember that they were last in the division last year.

“How many wins do we have now?”

“10 wins. Huh, didn’t we have 15 wins last year? Already 10 wins?”

The few fans who visited the stadium wore ecstatic expressions.

They had already reached the 10-win mark.

At this rate, they were on a division championship pace, which was the first time in recent years.

The spectators, looking at each other in disbelief, soon turned their gaze to the plate.

“It’s all thanks to Lee. He changed the team all by himself.”

“Huh, I never imagined that an Asian guy from America would show such results….”

“To be honest, when I heard an Asian was coming, I didn’t think much of it. I was a fool.”

They looked at Lee Jung-woo, who stepped up to the plate.

As an Asian, he was a player they were a bit skeptical about.

He was the driver of this runaway train.

He changed the constitution of the Adelaide Giants, who couldn’t score even with runners on base.

“Doesn’t it seem like there are more people? It seems a bit more crowded than last year.”

“Come to think of it, something’s a bit cramped, is it because there are so many people?”

“It seems a bit louder too?”

The fans, who were passionately shouting towards that player, looked around at the much louder noise than last year.

There were fewer empty seats.

It was still far from a sell-out crowd, but there were definitely more people.

“He’s been getting a bit more popular these days. The results are good, and there’s Lee.”

“I was surprised this time, you know my son only likes soccer, right? He suddenly said he wanted to go to a baseball game. I almost cried.”

In Australia, where football [Australian Rules Football], soccer, and cricket dominate, a small number of passionate fans were united like cult followers.

The changed atmosphere was a bit awkward for the enthusiastic fans who had maintained their faith in baseball.

They were told to watch cricket instead of watching that.

Like Babe Ruth, who brought crowds and built a stadium, exaggerating a bit.

The emergence of an overwhelming home run hitter gathered people.

“Lee! Lee!”

“Don’t go to America, just stay here! I’ll give you free service at my store for life!”

“Knock it out again this time! Tear up the Blue Socks! And bring more people!”

Lee Jung-woo slightly raised his hand in response to the cheers for him.

‘Yes, this is reality. Forget the past, just do well now.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had cleanly shaken off his lingering feelings and dark emotions, focused all his attention on the game.

In addition, during the series against Melbourne.

He returned to his original form, after making ridiculous swings to check his wrist strength.

He had grasped it to some extent.

Now that he only needed to learn how to use it properly, there was no reason to do that anymore.

When those things came together.

He showed great results.

The ball flying in.

Lee Jung-woo hit it with the beautiful batting form he had honed during the fall.

When that combined with his innate wrist strength, the batted ball soared high without fail.

“He hits it! Will it go over? Does it go over again! It went over! Lee! Hits his 6th home run of the season!”

“The pace is amazing right now. If this momentum continues until the end of the season… maybe the league’s record could change.”

The spectators who visited the stadium for the overwhelming performance shouted enthusiastically.

It wasn’t as packed as the opening game.

However, the spectators who filled the seats couldn’t hide their rising emotions when the home run that led them to the stadium exploded before their eyes.

In the ABL [Australian Baseball League], where the number of regular season games is only 40.

So, Lee Jung-woo’s pace of hitting 6 home runs in 12 games was by far the most outstanding.

His performance, as if saying he wasn’t here to play around, captivated even those who weren’t usually interested in baseball.

“Huh, he really hit it?”

“Why did Lee come here? Honestly, our league isn’t that high level, right? I heard they send him to Latin America.”

“I don’t know. But thanks to him, we’re doing well, right? Let’s cheer.”

Due to the lack of a definite home run.

They had the lowest score even though the team batting average was not low at all.

So, they prayed for at least one great hitter to come, and something beyond imagination came.

“This monster! Hits again? Is there any secret? Is it some kind of Eastern mystery?”

“That’s a discriminatory remark.”

“Lee, are you really going to hit 20 home runs like this? I think it’s possible if you do well.”

“Well. It would be nice if I could.”

“Look how cool he is. Is this the class of a slugger? Give me some of that energy.”

He was hitting one home run every 2 games, so if he maintained the pace, he could aim for 20 home runs.

Of course, it would be very difficult.

The fact that it was even possible was amazing.

“His batting stance is back. I was a little worried when I saw him swinging strangely during the Melbourne game.”

“He did well enough with that weird swing, right?”

“That’s true.”

The coaches stroked their chests as they watched Lee Jung-woo step on home plate and chat with his teammates.

Where did he throw away the beautiful swing he showed during training?

He swung with a broken form in the 4-game series against Melbourne.

It would have been annoying if Atlanta Braves said something about it.

Fortunately, he found his form again.

“With this, the Blue Sox are also a winning series. Who’s the next opponent?”

“I think it’s Geelong Korea.”

Past ties came to Lee Jung-woo, who was constantly rising.

####

The plane heading from Brisbane to Adelaide was quiet.

The players had not been able to rest for a moment during the 4-game series, so they fell asleep as soon as they boarded the plane.

‘Still, this is a bit better. Seeing that we’re moving by plane instead of bus.’

It was a small economy seat.

Compared to the minor league’s away games by bus, it was a luxury.

Lee Jung-woo was satisfied and immersed in thought while deeply sunk in the narrow seat.

‘Geelong Korea… Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’ve met a Korean since regressing.’

Geelong Korea.

They were the next series opponent.

It felt a bit strange as it was the first time he had met Koreans since regressing.

The Koreans Lee Jung-woo knew had conflicting emotions.

The time when pitcher Lee Jung-woo was most brilliant and the time when he was most miserable were extremely divided.

Since he had already shaken off his lingering feelings.

He didn’t have any big thoughts, but it was still interesting in many ways to face Korean players.

Especially since there were names he knew on the player list, it was even more so.

‘It’ll be interesting in many ways.’

He wanted to show them once.

To the past and future relationships.

How he had changed.

####

‘They’re all familiar faces.’

Lee Jung-woo felt strange looking at the opposing team’s players.

The faces were a bit younger than he remembered.

Among them, there were those he was happy to see.

There were also people he didn’t like very much.

While Lee Jung-woo was immersed in emotion looking at them.

The Adelaide Giants players also looked back and forth between the opposing team’s players who visited Diamond Sports Stadium and Lee Jung-woo with playful eyes.

“Why?”

“No, looking at it like this, it feels like Geelong sent a spy wearing our uniform.”

“Lee, you can’t deliberately swing and miss just because they’re from the same country, okay? Hit home runs like usual.”

Lee Jung-woo snorted as if he was dumbfounded at their words.

As the players were huddled together, the coach, who roughly grasped the situation, came and ended the situation.

“You know that spy is the best player on our team, right? Don’t slack off and warm up.”

The coach, who neatly handled the players, winked at Lee Jung-woo.

He thanked him by slightly bowing his head.

Then, as he was walking to warm up like the other players, Lee Jung-woo turned his head at the voice calling him.

“Jung-woo *hyung* [older brother/male friend]? Is that you, *hyung*?”

A high-pitched voice coming from the opposing team’s dugout.

Lee Jung-woo knew it.

Lee Jung-woo, who confirmed the owner of the voice by turning his head, softened his usual stiff face a little.

He raised his hand to the player who was running hard.

“It’s really you, *hyung*! Wow~ I’m seeing *hyung* in Australia. Contact me, I was so worried thinking you got shot by a gang in America.”

“Long time no see, how have you been?”

“What’s with the way you talk? I thought I was looking at the team’s uncles.”

Sung Young-joon.

He was a year younger in high school baseball.

They had been batteries [pitcher-catcher pair] together.

He was so friendly that he told him to just call him *hyung* because he was a catcher.

Sung Young-joon, who was friendly as he knew him, acted as if he had forgotten the gap as Lee Jung-woo smiled faintly at the familiar face he had met in a long time.

“Wow~ your body is so fit, the American water is different. Seeing that skinny person become a muscular American captain.”

“You should eat only meat for two months. You’ll become like this.”

“Why? I think I’ll just like it. But *hyung*, are you a two-way player? Like Ohtani Shohei? I heard a Korean on another team hit six home runs, is that you, *hyung*?”

Lee Jung-woo made a slightly strange expression.

It seemed like he knew how he became a batter.

But looking at him talking about a two-way player.

He didn’t seem to know properly.

‘He said he saw the list. Didn’t he see the position?’

His name would be proudly listed as a shortstop. Seeing him say that.

It was exactly the same as when he was scolded for only sleeping during class.

Lee Jung-woo chuckled at the similar appearance to what he remembered.

“That’s me. How did you know that?”

“Hey, even if I’m a bit slow, I have ears to hear. Wow~ Korea is producing two-way players. Are you playing in this game too? You’re not coming out as a pitcher, are you? If you come out as a pitcher, go easy on me, okay? Don’t throw *tuseom* [two-seam fastball] to discipline your junior.”

“Swing properly. Don’t say you’re a defensive catcher after striking out again.”

“Ah, why are you bringing up old stories? People have to live in the present. Ah! They’re calling me. Let’s talk after the game, *hyung*.”

Then Sung Young-joon runs away.

Lee Jung-woo thought while looking at him.

It would be quite fun to surprise his junior whom he met in a long time.

And let’s distort the other faces once.