Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 61

End of Pitchers, Start of Batters – Episode 60

Lee Jungwoo felt a different atmosphere compared to yesterday.

Even though he felt the passion, it was just an ordinary previous game.

Today, Oracle Park seemed to be engulfed in madness, not just passion.

People were waving well-made signs and shouting at the top of their lungs here and there.

Perfect, best pitcher, and all sorts of praises were showered on the pitcher practicing his throws.

“Danilov is definitely a star.”

“He’s as popular as Harding. And he’s good, too.”

Derek is also a franchise star who boasts absolute popularity in Atlanta.

But the audience at Oracle Park now reacted to him as if they were watching a celebrity, not a baseball player.

Every time Ilya Danilov, who was practicing his throws, smiled, there were screams.

When he looked around the stands, they giggled as if they were so happy.

“Long Live the Czar!”

“Watch out! You’re going to get perfected today!”

“Let’s start a 3-game winning streak from now on!”

“Give up! Give up! You can’t win anyway, so just give up!”

People were shouting at the Braves bench with all their might.

As if overwhelmed by the echoing stadium.

Some young players, like left fielder Rollins and catcher Lipton, had slightly stiff expressions.

Players who were weighed down by the atmosphere irritably shook their heads.

But among them, or rather, among the players who would be playing in this game, the youngest Lee Jungwoo was just as indifferent as usual.

‘Why be scared? They’re not cursing, they’re just cheering for their team.’

Thanks to the hardships before his regression, Lee Jungwoo’s mentality had become strong, so he wasn’t greatly swayed by the audience’s reactions unless it was a serious curse.

And frankly, he was happy to be facing such a player.

‘I get to see Ilya Danilov in a game. The world has gotten so much better.’

Derek, seeing Lee Jungwoo laughing like an old man who had seen it all, tried to change the atmosphere.

He deliberately mentioned him.

“The game hasn’t even started yet, and no one’s scared, right? Look at Lee, even our youngest is like that, so you’re not scared, are you?”

It was provocative and blatantly intentional, but it worked better than expected.

Because they were ashamed to act like they had already lost when even a young kid who hadn’t even been called up for a month and was about to turn twenty-one was acting so bravely.

“Yeah, we have to set an example for the kid.”

“Perfect? Bullshit. Just wait, I’ll hit a home run when the game starts.”

“The weather’s nice today! How about a splash hit [a home run that lands in McCovey Cove, a body of water beyond the right field wall of Oracle Park]?”

“You’re a right-handed hitter, though?”

“I’ll be the first right-handed hitter to do it.”

The atmosphere became noisy again.

Joey, who had been silently preparing for the game, subtly gave Derek a thumbs up, seeing his satisfied expression.

The game started like that.

Unfortunately, Derek’s efforts were only effective until the first inning.

####

“You created a good atmosphere, but how can you get cut off yourself?”

“Haha, it’s a bit much. Is it a day where I’m getting scratched?”

Derek laughed awkwardly at Lee Jungwoo’s question.

But both of his ears were as red as well-cooked shrimp.

The Braves started the game confidently, but it took less than 2 minutes for the top three hitters, from Rollins at number 1 to Joey at number 3, to be dismissed.

Because all three of them were struck out on three pitches.

“…”

“What’s wrong with everyone? It’s just the first inning. There’s still a lot left. Just wait.”

“Let’s focus on defense. We can strike out Christensen, too. Let’s finish the game quickly today.”

As the Braves’ boasted hitters were easily cut off, the atmosphere hit rock bottom again.

Except for the coach’s encouragement, silence flowed through the bench.

And Lee Jungwoo, who had slightly teased Derek, was also a little surprised inside.

‘It’s even more terrifying in person.’

Although he had only seen it from the bench, it felt different from just watching videos.

‘The fastball speed is 97 miles [approximately 156 km/h], and the force is enough to push Joey’s bat back. And seeing him swing and miss the high fastball, the vertical movement must be considerable.’

Can I even hit that?

For a moment, he had that thought.

But soon, Lee Jungwoo slapped his cheek.

Because what he was aiming for was to hit a beautiful curveball and smear ink on the hearts of such a great player and his fans. If possible, even a splash hit.

That was Lee Jungwoo’s goal.

‘I’ll abandon the fastball. Let’s be patient and persistent.’

####

“Wooooooo!”

Overwhelming boos poured down on the Braves players who came out onto the field for defense.

The voices flew through the wind and spread throughout the stadium, causing a commotion.

It was a 180-degree different reaction compared to the festive atmosphere just before.

But surprisingly, the Braves players acted calmly.

We have to defend well.

Let’s give up as few points as possible.

That’s roughly what the players were thinking, and Lee Jungwoo, who was in his usual shortstop position, was just having fun.

To him, it finally felt like a baseball stadium.

‘A baseball stadium has to be like this.’

Even though the atmosphere has changed a lot over time.

Most Major League stadiums were a bit static compared to Korea.

Sometimes, each team would make a fuss with their unique cheering methods.

But the home fans were more interested in watching the game than actively cheering.

Today, it felt like watching a Korean professional baseball game.

Lee Jungwoo felt a familiar feeling and defended comfortably, completely forgetting about the opposing pitcher’s pitching.

‘Fortunately, Christensen is in good condition, too. We won’t be pushed back too much at this rate.’

Today’s starting pitcher, Gordon Christensen, didn’t strike out three batters in a row like the opposing pitcher, but he finished the inning cleanly with a strikeout and showed the aspect of being the Braves’ number 1 ace before Mason was acquired.

Thanks to that, the slightly lowered atmosphere was raised again.

And Lee Jungwoo wanted to pour oil on it.

‘Let’s sprinkle some red pepper flakes properly [add some excitement].’

Lee Jungwoo smiled and prepared for his at-bat.

Today, his batting order was 6th.

Even though he was playing instead of Clarkson, it wasn’t like Mancini had submitted the lineup.

So the batting order was the same as when he usually started.

‘It would be nice if at least one runner got on base, but it’ll be tough. Both of them are weak against curveballs.’

In fact, among the remaining hitters on this team besides Lee Jungwoo, there wasn’t anyone who was particularly strong against curveballs.

They were just average, or weak like Peterson and Poppin.

So Lee Jungwoo didn’t expect them to get on base from the start.

And that prediction unfortunately came true.

“Peterson just watches the waterfall curve that drops sharply – looking strikeout! Ilya Danilov continues his streak of four consecutive strikeouts!”

“Poppin’s swing and a miss! Strikeout! Ilya Danilov continues his streak of five consecutive strikeouts! He’s in amazing condition today!”

“He was completely fooled. He couldn’t have imagined he would throw curveballs in a row.”

“Czar! Czar! Czar!”

“This is the Giants! You bastards!”

“Let’s go for the record!”

The two who had been *털리고* [thoroughly defeated] returned in an instant were drooping, and while the audience was going crazy and *날뛸* [running wild], Lee Jungwoo, who was watching the game from the on-deck circle, nodded.

‘The curveball drops more than I thought…’

Although he had shown a good performance by hitting 3 hits in the previous game.

People didn’t seem to care, and ridiculously, Lee Jungwoo was the same.

To be honest.

‘It’s not like I can’t hit it at all.’

Lee Jungwoo smiled.

The catcher glanced at him slightly.

“I heard you came out instead of the shit-slinger. Did you eat something wrong, too?”

The catcher, who had turned Clarkson, who couldn’t play due to diarrhea, into a shit-slinger, asked.

But Lee Jungwoo just shook his head briefly as if it was nothing.

“You’re a bland guy. Well, you become a sacrifice, too. Today is the day our Czar is getting scratched [dominated].”

Even while saying that Lee Jungwoo was bland, the catcher scratched [insulted] him one more time until the end.

But Lee Jungwoo just stared blankly at the mound.

‘Seeing it directly from the plate, it’s stranger than I thought.’

Honestly, it was a little funny.

The pink manicure that was clearly visible even from the plate, or the bright yellow hair like the sun in a drawing drawn by an elementary school student.

It’s more fatal than I imagined.

The way he licked his tongue with a playful look like a hyena in a movie also pierced his lungs.

‘Is it because I couldn’t hit because I was laughing?’

He seriously had that thought, but Lee Jungwoo soon changed his eyes.

The moment the pitcher took his windup stance, the feeling changed completely.

Lee Jungwoo, who had been struggling to stop the corners of his mouth from rising until just now.

Now, he put all his concentration on the pitcher’s fingertips and tightened his muscles so that he could swing at any time.

But the ball passed in an instant.

“Strike!”

“Wasn’t that awesome?”

The catcher asked.

But Lee Jungwoo couldn’t answer.

The fastball that came flew past Lee Jungwoo’s body, and at the sound of the leather exploding, Lee Jungwoo unknowingly stepped back slightly from the plate.

It was to check if it was close, but he was a little scared.

‘If I get hit in one spot, my bones will break, right?’

96 miles [approximately 154 km/h]. The speed wasn’t very fast, but the force was extraordinary.

And two more of those were *박혔다* [hammered in] in a row.

The pitcher, who had thrown only three fastballs as if he had underestimated him, but Lee Jungwoo couldn’t swing.

Six consecutive strikeouts.

The Czar of San Francisco went wild like his people.

####

The game was progressing unfavorably for the Braves.

Christensen fought hard, only giving up 2 runs, but the hitters’ spirits were severely broken.

“Ugh, why does he have to get scratched [be at his peak] when we’re playing against him?”

“He should have gone down after throwing that much. He’s throwing until the end.”

Ilya Danilov’s strikeout record continued until the 3rd inning, reaching seven consecutive strikeouts.

But it was soon broken when Lipton, who was 8th, got on base with a hit-by-pitch.

But that alone didn’t break his momentum.

As if he was trying to fulfill the Giants fans’ bold promises.

Except for the hit-by-pitch he gave to Poppin and the walk he recorded against Joey.

He had been maintaining a no-hitter.

The game was already in the top of the 7th inning.

And with two outs, it was now really worth trying for the record.

The noisy stadium became quiet, and only the gentle sound of the wind filled Oracle Park.

‘He’s not throwing the curveball. Is it that obvious?’

Lee Jungwoo was aiming for his curveball.

But Danilov threw everything but the curveball at Lee Jungwoo.

Two consecutive at-bats with three-pitch strikeouts.

The miserable record was driving Lee Jungwoo crazy, and his confidence faded a little.

Is that how good he is? The Cy Young winner [award given to the best pitcher in each league] running at his peak was clearly different.

‘He doesn’t seem like he’ll give me the curveball until the end. Should I aim for the fastball now?’

Just as Lee Jungwoo was thinking that, Poppin persevered until the end and recorded the Braves’ third *출루* [time reaching base] of the game.

Lee Jungwoo, who went up to bat after him, tapped his helmet with his bat and *마음을 다잡았다* [composed himself].

‘Okay, good, let’s go all the way.’

As he came up, the catcher said quietly.

“Ready for your third strikeout? I was worried about the runner getting out. I’m glad it’s you.”

Lee Jungwoo ignored it and focused on the pitcher.

Yeah, he’s probably tired now. I might be able to hit the fastball.

That’s what he thought.

“Ball!”

The fastball thrown with a high overhand dug deep into his body.

It was as good as the first at-bat.

The speed was still constant at 95 miles [approximately 153 km/h], and the force hadn’t dropped.

The control wasn’t perfect, but it seemed to have gone in a position somewhat similar to the desired location.

So Lee Jungwoo was convinced.

‘No, let’s go all the way. If he doesn’t throw it, there’s nothing I can do. Clarkson’s stamina must have dropped because of the diarrhea, so I’ll be playing in the next and the one after that.’

Thinking that made him feel comfortable.

‘Let’s wait, let’s wait. Let’s wait comfortably.’

Lee Jungwoo, who mumbled as if singing, came to the plate and moved closer to home plate.

The pitcher tilted his head as if it wasn’t the feeling he had expected.

He probably thought he was nervous.

He briefly coordinated with the catcher and then *박았다* [hammered] one more fastball at a slightly high course.

But Lee Jungwoo didn’t swing, and he even gave an additional fake.

‘I’m scared. I’m scared of your ball. I’m really scared. So make yourself comfortable.’

He slightly opened his lips, closed and opened his eyes, and stiffened his body slightly.

He couldn’t see the pitcher, but he deliberately swallowed *침* [saliva] to be seen by the catcher, and he looked at the pitcher.

Danilov made a slightly strange expression and then exchanged opinions with the catcher again.

Then he threw the ball.

This time, he *깔았다* [laid down] a changeup low, and it came slightly below the zone.

Strike.

It was a position worth hitting, but he seemed to be convinced by Lee Jungwoo, who didn’t swing again.

That noisy kid seemed to be *쫀* [intimidated] to him.

“What, are you really going to help me with the no-hitter record? You were ruthless yesterday. You’re a good guy after all?”

“Shut up.”

When a nervous answer came back, the catcher smiled as if he was so happy.

Watching that, Lee Jungwoo was convinced.

The pitcher might not know, but this guy was completely fooled.

‘Okay, just give me one curveball. Induce a swing and miss. Make the spirited kid look pathetic.’

Soon, the pitcher wound up again.

Danilov shot the ball down, *찍어 내리며* [bringing down] his arm as it was at the high point.

And Lee Jungwoo filled his eyes with the rapidly *이어지는* [connecting] continuous motions.

He had a good feeling for some reason.

His heart was pounding.

At the concentration that had risen to the limit, everything seemed to slow down as if time had slowed down.

‘It’s coming.’

The pink fingertips were clearly visible, and he could see the ball it was sending properly.

The groundwork so far didn’t seem to have gone to waste.

A high-speed curveball that was a little faster than what he had faced so far.

Even so, the curveball with a large drop was flying towards him.

And a *적당한* [moderate] gentle breeze cooled the sweat flowing down his cheek.

And Lee Jungwoo widened his eyes slightly.

The curveball dropped more than he had expected.

Was it this much?

‘I can hit it. Calmly, raise it properly.’

He was momentarily flustered.

But Lee Jungwoo was as calm as possible.

*맞춰서* [adjusting] to the curveball with a large drop.

Instead of his usual upright posture, he *과격하게* [violently] bent his upper body, almost lying down.

Someone laughed at the strange batting form that only tried to hit the ball somehow.

But it soon became directed at himself and the Giants.

*빠악-* [Crack! (sound of bat hitting ball)]

Because that strange swing contained the power to *터트릴* [burst] the ball and *후려쳤다* [smash] it properly.

“He hit it! It’s stretching to the right fence – this is amazing! It’s big! It’s very big!”

The *무지막지한* [tremendous] hit.

Lee Jungwoo threw his bat.

The catcher, who had been *열심히 떠들어대던* [chatting busily] during the *승부* [match], was now just looking at Lee Jungwoo with a blank expression.

Ilya Danilov was *실실* [smirking] laughing even though his no-hitter was over.

But *당연하게도* [naturally], the *모습* [appearance] of other people was not the same as that.

“The ball goes over the fence – it falls into McCovey Cove! Is this real? Is what I saw correct?”

“Lee stabs a dagger into the heart of San Francisco’s Czar!”

A two-run home run that *끊는* [cuts] the no-hitter and also makes the team’s *동점* [tie].

Since it even went into McCovey Cove.

The audience’s reaction was simple and obvious.

“You X새끼야! [You X bastard!]”

“X바아아아아앙아아아아알! [X BASTARD!]”

That is, they *달아올리며* [heating up] their faces red with the *기세* [energy] to *터트릴* [burst] their *뇌혈관* [cerebral blood vessels] and *퍼붓는* [pouring] curses.

Lee Jungwoo turned around with a satisfied face at the *다시금 시끄러워진* [once again noisy] Oracle Park.