Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 29

Eighth inning, bottom.

Runner on first.

It’s his last at-bat.

Lee Jung-woo, who barely missed a home run in his previous at-bat when his double hit the top of the fence, steps up to the plate with a determined look.

But the new pitcher was tricky.

The sinker, clocked in the low 80s [miles per hour], wasn’t particularly impressive in itself, but his overall pitching motion and delivery were the problem.

He was an unfamiliar sight on the mound.

‘An underhand throw. It’s amazing just to watch, but even more so when you’re facing it at the plate. This is the third time I’ve seen it, but I still can’t get used to it.’

His pitching form was the real issue.

Underhand throw.

There used to be many pitchers like that. Some even started games.

But in Lee Jung-woo’s era, only a few, like knuckleballers, used such a delivery.

Most were relief pitchers.

Even those few were mostly found in Korea or the NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan’s major league].

There hadn’t been an underhand pitcher in the major leagues since Chad Bradford.

The same went for the minor leagues.

‘Even if they threw underhand before the draft, teams often change their form after they join.’

That’s how underhand pitchers disappeared.

The reason is simple: it’s not effective. Because it doesn’t work well, they were eliminated from the competition.

Underhand pitchers generally had poor records and results.

So it became a relic of the past and disappeared.

Lee Jung-woo, facing this as a hitter in a foreign country, not Korea, tilted his head, struck by the strange unfamiliarity.

‘I can’t predict the trajectory. Is this deception? It’s beyond simple deception.’

It was as if he was scraping the ground.

The pitching form, lowered as much as possible, made it impossible to see the ball clearly, even at the moment it was released.

The deception was considerable.

Even though it was a slow pitch, it felt as fast as a fastball.

‘And his slider seems to have even more bite than in the previous game.’

A slider that moved in an unusual way.

A sinker with an unpredictable trajectory.

The unfamiliarity created by these pitches led to the current count.

‘Two strikes, three balls.’

A full count.

It’s usually a disadvantageous count for the pitcher, but this situation was a little different.

If he got on base with a walk here…

Perth Heat would probably cheer.

In a way, it would be a victory.

By competing until the end.

Because he had prevented 20 home runs.

‘Let’s just try to foul it off for now.’

He shortened his grip on the bat.

He intended to prolong the at-bat a little longer and hold out until he got more accustomed to the pitcher’s style.

The pitcher seemed to sense that, too.

He kept throwing balls that were difficult to hit, but Lee Jung-woo forcibly bent his wrist.

He barely managed to make contact with the end of the bat.

The count remained the same.

The number of pitches gradually increased.

Clang-

“Foul.”

Clang-

“Foul.”

Clang-

“Foul.”

The number of foul balls continued to increase.

Seven consecutive fouls.

Lee Jung-woo didn’t know it, but he had already set a new ABL [Australian Baseball League] record for RBIs, hits, and batting average.

The pitcher, feeling the strain from the constant foul tips, wiped away the sweat and glared at Lee Jung-woo.

But it was just as hard for Lee Jung-woo.

It’s not easy to forcibly dig out those pitches.

‘Hoo. This is rough.’

“Isn’t it hard? Just take the walk. Why keep dragging it out? You’ve hit 19, that’s a lot, right? That’s three more than the record. You’re so greedy. Just do it moderately. It’s good for both of us, right?”

Stepping away from the plate.

The catcher flicked his tongue like a snake as he caught his breath.

But Lee Jung-woo scoffed.

It’s the last game.

It’s the last at-bat.

The score difference is significant, so the ninth inning won’t happen. This is his last chance.

But give up?

That was ridiculous.

“Wouldn’t you give up if you were me? Not when you have the chance to leave your name in the league’s history.”

“…”

A textbook answer.

The catcher closed his mouth with a sulky face. It was hard to argue.

If he were in Lee Jung-woo’s position, he would be just as desperate.

‘Hoo. I have to finish this quickly. I’m not sure how long the pitcher can keep this up.’

He became a little impatient.

Lee Jung-woo, who had been tapping the ground with his bat in frustration, grabbed the grip again.

The bat, lengthened as before, felt heavy in his hand.

‘But I’m getting used to the ball. If one comes in the right spot, I can definitely hit it out.’

Thanks to the stamina he had built up, the unfamiliarity had faded considerably. Lee Jung-woo repeated to himself that he could do it.

He stepped back into the batter’s box.

Then the tired pitcher turned his head and looked at the dugout.

As if asking if he should just walk him. That’s how cornered the pitcher was.

Seeing that, Lee Jung-woo was convinced.

If the pitcher threw one in a hittable location…

He could definitely hit it over the fence.

Lee Jung-woo took a deep breath as the pitcher began his windup, watching him closely in a state of suspended animation. The trajectory of the ball, thrown as if scraping the ground, was now familiar.

‘Slider.’

It wasn’t as wild as a Frisbee anymore.

But the amount of horizontal movement was still unusual.

He had already been driven to two strikes with a swing and a miss.

But now he was used to it.

No matter how deceptive a pitch is, you’ll eventually get used to it if you see it enough times.

Lee Jung-woo swung his bat without hesitation.

“Is it going over? Is it going over? Holy Shit! and Good! Bye! 20 Home Runs!”

“I can’t believe it! He really did it! He did it! 20 home runs in the ABL! It explodes in the last game of the season!”

No one could catch the flying ball. He dropped his bat.

Lee Jung-woo, who watched the batted ball for a moment, stretched out his arms towards the stands and began his home run trot.

’20 home runs. I finally did it.’

He held up three fingers. A smile spread across his usually indifferent face.

Lee Jung-woo was now sharing the joy with the fans.

“The first player in ABL history to hit 20 home runs is… Jung-woo Lee of the Adelaide Giants!”

“Waaaaaaaaa!”

Beyond the stadium speaker.

A familiar voice boomed.

It was the stadium announcer from Diamond Sports Stadium.

Unlike his usual calm tone, regardless of the situation…

This time, he couldn’t hide his excitement.

He shouted with all his might.

It mingled with the roar of the crowd.

It echoed through the stadium.

‘Now all that’s left is the post-season.’

The game was over.

Perth Heat had already given up early, and they didn’t order an intentional walk, out of pride.

His mind was already focused on what came next.

So now, the only thing left to do in Australia was to prepare for the final challenge.

‘Not just in Australia. I have to do it in the majors, too. 20 home runs? No, even more than that.’

In that day’s game.

Lee Jung-woo held up three fingers exactly three times.

####

[Rampaging Giant Corps! Now all that’s left is the first championship in franchise history!]

[The Giants want the throne. Manager Baker: ‘I’m definitely confident.’]

[Can the Adelaide monster continue to hit home runs in the post-season?]

[He is a young player. The pressure of his first post-season will be immense.]

[The owner of the ABL is the Northeast! Sydney’s ABL Fourth Dynasty Construction?]

[The Canberra Cavalry, the cavalry has the potential to become the protagonist of the story!]

[Perth Heat: ‘Giants? The throne is not theirs. As always. Tradition does not change with just one hitter. The ABL’s long tradition is that the Giants cannot win.’]

After the last game of the regular season, the media began to focus on the post-season in earnest.

With an overwhelming powerhouse.

Because it was the Giants who had been on an unstoppable march.

People also wanted the underdog to create a wonderful drama.

For the sake of the league’s success.

Because there must be interesting storylines.

Of course, the Adelaide Giants fans scoffed and were furious.

“The first championship in franchise history is just around the corner. And these bastards are trying to jinx it.”

“You sons of bitches, you write articles like this, so the kids get discouraged. Anyone can see that we are the favorites this season.”

“Sydney? Ah~ That team that we beat in the series. Canberra is the same. This season’s champion is definitely us.”

It had been a long time since they had reached the post-season.

In addition, the first championship in franchise history seemed within reach. But the media was trying to undermine their hopes with all sorts of negative narratives.

They couldn’t help but feel bad.

They had already heard from people around them that they were supporting an unpopular team that couldn’t even win a championship.

The media was now actively poking at their insecurities.

Anger boiled over.

But with the interview that followed, they had the kindest faces in the world.

[Jung-woo Lee: ‘Tell me about the team that stopped us this season. Who is there? If my memory serves me right, there isn’t one. I and the Giants have always won. That is an absolute truth. And I’m sure that will be the same in the post-season.’]

The player, who was famous for being blunt, even gave such an interview for the team.

Moreover, that player was the ace of the team this season.

No one frowned.

“Lee is sure? It’s definitely a championship.”

“We just have to cheer hard. Lee will take care of everything.”

Lee will take care of everything.

The Giants fans recited those words like a mantra.

As always.

Lee Jung-woo repaid their faith.

The Canberra Cavalry, who defeated Perth Heat in the wild card game.

They took the lead on the road in the first game, but they couldn’t maintain it until the end.

“His bat doesn’t rest in the finals! The Giants make a comeback!”

Starting with a great come-from-behind victory that overturned a 7-2 deficit, Adelaide’s post-season continued without hesitation.

Towards the throne.

Towards the championship.

There was endless progress.

The number of games needed to win the first championship in franchise history was only four.

“The game is over! Sydney eventually fails to build a dynasty! Game set. The series score is 2-0! The owner of the throne is New Face! The Adelaide Giants take the championship!”

The cavalry was wiped out.

The blue socks were torn.

The Adelaide Giants, who defeated the Canberra Cavalry and the Sydney Blue Sox, eventually won the glory of the first championship in franchise history.

The fans couldn’t believe it.

“Championship? Are we really the champions? Did we win the championship, not just the division?”

“I can’t believe it. I’ve been watching since the Adelaide Bite [previous team name]. We really won.”

“Did we win so easily? We? We?”

Too easy a victory.

It took away the sense of reality.

Even after the players finished their post-game celebrations, the fans remained in the stadium, still in their seats.

“It seems like our fans have heavy butts?”

“That’s why they cheered for us. Until now, they cheered for guys who couldn’t even win.”

The players also seemed to feel strange.

Without even entering the locker room.

They blankly looked at the fans.

When their eyes met.

Lee Jung-woo found himself isolated.

The first post-season in his life.

The joy of winning as a professional.

The fans’ emotions.

The cheers.

He felt them.

Lee Jung-woo, with his hand on his chest, asked himself.

‘Are you satisfied?’

He looked around the stadium.

The field was empty.

It was cold.

The enthusiasm of the fans, who were even shedding tears, was great.

But it didn’t seem to reach him.

Perhaps, the burning desire for baseball that had driven him to come back…

It was still as strong as ever.

‘It’s still not enough.’

147 at-bats and 127 at-bats in the regular season.

62 hits, 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, 19 walks.

With a batting average of 0.488, a slugging percentage of 1.039, and an on-base percentage of 0.557.

Lee Jung-woo, who broke most of the ABL’s batting records and became a legend in the league’s history.

The emptiness that had accumulated over the years was not filled at all.

He confirmed it again with this victory.

‘The big leagues… it has to be at that level.’

That’s how Lee Jung-woo’s Australian league journey ended.

####

Lee Jung-woo, who returned to Florida, rested.

He began preparations for spring training.

It wasn’t intense training, because he needed to allow his body to recover from fatigue.

What he had to prepare was a strategy.

“As you know, the goal of spring training is to make an impression.”

“Of course.”

Although he had achieved great results…

At best, it was the Australian League.

At best, it was Single A.

So he had to demonstrate his skills directly in front of the team during spring training.

That’s how the results he had achieved would become real in their eyes.

“By the way, Lee, what you need to showcase this time is your defense.”

“Defense? Not hitting?”

Unexpected words.

Lee Jung-woo frowned.

He was decent at defense.

But no matter what anyone said, Lee Jung-woo’s strength was his hitting.

His reputation as a slugger was built on overwhelming power.

But suddenly, he was being told to focus on showing off his defense.

He tilted his head, puzzled by the incomprehensible words. Mark, as if he had anticipated this reaction, explained calmly.

“Your call-up is ultimately under the jurisdiction of General Manager Pratt. He already knows you’re a good hitter. I heard that he was so surprised when he saw your Australian record that he nearly fell over.”

“That’s an exaggeration. I did okay. It wasn’t that impressive.”

Lee Jung-woo didn’t believe it.

It was ridiculous to think that a Major League general manager would be so shocked by a Single A player’s record.

He thought it was nonsense.

In fact, as he suspected, General Manager Pratt didn’t actually fall over in surprise.

He just spit out some coffee.

But his belief in Lee Jung-woo had grown even stronger.

“You never believe anything I tell you… Anyway, he already knows you’re good at hitting, so you have to show him other strengths, too. With your own two eyes.”

‘That’s not wrong. The impact of the unexpected is bigger than you think.’

People get used to things easily.

Even if you’re good at something, if it’s repeated…

It becomes expected.

There’s no real reaction.

But if you show a side that they didn’t anticipate…

It creates a huge reaction.

Mark was aiming for that.

“But how? There’s a limit to showing your defensive skills through training.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave it to the exhibition games. He’s watching you closely. He probably wants to test you.”

“If that’s the case, that’s a relief.”

Going through spring training without being able to make an impact can have a bigger mental impact than you think.

You start to feel like you’re nothing.

You start to doubt whether you’re even at a big league level. And that feeling isn’t entirely wrong.

“Defense… Should I dive for everything? Show some hustle?”

“The ambition of a rookie player. That’s not bad either. But what the fans and the team want is a little different.”

Mark, after saying that, brought out his laptop and played a video.

“This is…”

“Braves’ error highlights. Watch it carefully.”

The video, created by some insightful fans, contained the errors recorded by the Braves last season.

There were scenes filled with ridiculous mistakes that made you wonder if they were really professional players.

And there was one person who stood out the most among them.

Derek Hunt.

He is the captain and starting second baseman of the Atlanta Braves.

He is a franchise star who boasts popularity that no one in the Braves can match, even surpassing Joey Fredman, who won the National League Silver Slugger award with 44 home runs.

First of all, he has played for a long time.

His stats are also decent.

He is diligent and exemplary.

Most importantly, he is good at defense. You can tell just by looking at the comments on the error highlight video.

[The captain is suffering alone among all the trash.]

[ㄴHe’s thirty now. He’s the only one playing defense on the team. What is this?]

[ㄴIt’ll be the same this season. Garuza was replaced, but everything else is the same? They also signed a pitcher in free agency. Well, at least they signed a good one.]

[ㄴHonestly, if it wasn’t for Atlanta, he would have won two more Gold Gloves?]

[ㄴHe’s only ruining his career by cleaning up after other guys.]

A player who boasts excellent defensive skills, recording 4 Gold Gloves.

When other players make mistakes…

He is the irreplaceable force in the current Atlanta Braves who cleans up the mess.

“Home runs and diving are good, but what you need to appeal to in this spring training is chemistry. What General Manager Pratt wants are two things: a slugger to support Joey, and a shortstop to pair with Derek. You’ve already achieved the first one.”

“Aim for the second one, that’s what you’re saying.”