Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 81

“How long has it been since I’ve been home…”

“Ugh, I’m dying. I think I spend more time on the plane than playing the game.”

“At least you guys don’t have kids. My princess must have forgotten what I look like.”

After finishing the Milwaukee Brewers series with a loss.

The faces of the Atlanta players returning to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport were filled with fatigue.

Since last month, after the last home game against Washington.

The road trip back to Atlanta via Miami, Denver, San Diego, and Milwaukee was brutal.

No matter how comfortable the seats were or how well they were treated.

It felt harder than when they were riding around in old buses in the minors.

“Isn’t that the Braves bus?”

“I think so… it is! Isn’t that the Captain over there?”

“Good job, everyone! Let’s get the Phillies this time!”

Perhaps sensing the players’ struggles.

The fans who encountered the team bus didn’t complain about the losing streak.

They simply encouraged or comforted them and clapped lightly.

Especially for Lee Jung-woo, who recorded 3 hits, 2 RBIs, 6 walks, 1 HBP [hit by pitch], and 5 stolen bases in 28 plate appearances and 21 at-bats during the seven games of the Padres and Brewers series.

They sent him unwavering support despite his recent slump with a batting average in the .100s.

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, take it slow, take it easy!”

“We’re always cheering for you, Lee!”

“We believe in you until the end, just keep playing good defense like you always do!”

It was too much to criticize his poor performance, considering what he had done so far, and his defense was still perfect.

They just wanted Lee Jung-woo to shake off his current slump.

And become the core of Atlanta once again.

Lee Jung-woo waved slightly from the car window to those who shouted and encouraged him.

Like they said, he had a confident expression as if to say, ‘Just trust me.’

“Wow~ Lee, you’re popular.”

“He’s only been playing for a little over a month. How does he have so many fans?”

The players watched the scene with pleased expressions or slightly envious eyes.

Lee Jung-woo’s popularity in Atlanta was unrivaled, except for the undisputed number one Captain Derek and Joey.

And the new ace, Mason, the rest of the players couldn’t even dare to compare.

A young, handsome, and all-around perfect shortstop. That alone was already enough to be popular.

With the title of hope that appeared during a long dark period, and being a homegrown player from the Atlanta farm like the captain Derek.

Lee Jung-woo was bound to be popular.

“I’m so jealous, so jealous.”

“Lee, you don’t have to worry about starving later, do you? You’ll be a millionaire just by holding autograph sessions later, right?”

“Time is so cruel. When I was young-”

“Peterson, you know I’ve played with you for six years, right? Even since the minors.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t even close to that when I was young, are you satisfied?”

The players teased Lee Jung-woo, but he ignored them as if he was used to it and asked Derek in the back seat.

“Is the first half over now?”

“Yeah, after the Phillies game. Then it’s the All-Star break.”

“Wow, how long has it been since we finished the first half in second place?”

“It’s been at least three years. I came here three years ago. We were fourth then.”

The final game of the first half.

The way the Braves players accepted it was quite different from last year, which Lee Jung-woo didn’t know.

They always had to accept the ranking with a sense of guilt towards the fans, like a brand.

The situation changed drastically in just one year.

The fans who were ashamed of the team were now proud of the Braves.

The harsh curses and expressions were replaced with warm smiles and passionate cheers.

The players were satisfied with that. And they wanted to be even more satisfied if possible.

“If we sweep all three games this time, how many games behind are we from the Phillies?”

“Six games. They’ve won a lot too. The lead they built up in the beginning is big.”

“Still, isn’t it worth trying to turn it around with a six-game difference?”

At Derek’s words, the other players nodded one by one.

Lee Jung-woo also fueled his competitive spirit.

“It’s doable. There’s still a lot left.”

“It’s thanks to you. Winning against the Phillies back then was pretty big.”

“Yeah, the Phillies guys were completely out of their minds back then. Saying a rookie stopped their momentum.”

Philadelphia Phillies had been on a winning streak, winning or sweeping most of the series since the league opened.

But their march came to a halt when they lost three games in a row due to Lee Jung-woo’s performance in the four-game series at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies fans cursed Lee Jung-woo.

They resented him.

But Lee Jung-woo wasn’t afraid.

And he was confident that he could receive such curses once again.

####

The day before the first game against the Phillies.

While the other players were busy recovering from the fatigue of the road trip.

Lee Jung-woo visited the training field in the morning.

“Lee? What’s wrong? Aren’t you resting?”

“I’m just going to check my batting feel for a bit.”

“Oh, it’s good to be diligent, but don’t overdo it and take a break. You know what they say, rest is also a form of training, right?”

The hitting coach, who he met, clicked his tongue and tried to send Lee Jung-woo back right away.

But Lee Jung-woo boasted his strong body as if he was fine.

“I know, I’ve heard it so much that my ears are ringing. I’m only going to do it for a little while anyway, so don’t worry too much.”

“Okay, you must be tired from being on the plane for so long. Take it easy. Do you need anything?”

“I’m just going to do some tee batting. Could you check my form?”

“Form? Ah, that.”

Everyone knew that Lee Jung-woo’s batting stance was slightly off.

Especially Colson, the hitting coach, couldn’t not know, so he had a somewhat ambiguous expression at Lee Jung-woo’s request.

He was worried that he was too obsessed.

But seeing his confident expression, he also wondered if it might be possible.

Especially since it had become almost the same as before recently. He even thought, ‘Maybe.’

“Okay, go ahead and wait. I’ll go get the equipment.”

“Thank you.”

“This is my job.”

Colson, who said that and disappeared, appeared with various items not long after Lee Jung-woo entered the empty batting cage.

“Then, let’s start by not putting too much force into it. Let’s do it with the feeling of just checking your form.”

Lee Jung-woo, who nodded, faithfully carried out his words.

And gradually added strength to his swing according to the instructions.

And finally, when he swung with all his might, with a full swing.

Colson smacked his lips.

“You’re completely back. There’s no more slight shaking.”

“That’s a relief. I was a little worried because it’s before an important game.”

“What are you worried about? You’re so calm that you’re almost indifferent.”

The hitting coach Colson chuckled and then watched a few more swings.

He almost dragged Lee Jung-woo out of the training field.

Lee Jung-woo also obediently returned home without much resistance.

Because he had confirmed it.

There was nothing more to be curious about or to do.

‘Good, I’m completely back. Let’s give the Phillies a hard time.’

####

“Look who’s here, our pushovers?”

“Don’t give us too much this time. Just a losing series is enough! We won’t even be greedy for a sweep this time.”

“Fuck you! You son of a bitches!”

“Don’t act like you’re all that just because you won by fluke once. Shut the fuck up!”

Truist Park was fierce from the start.

The Braves fans welcomed the Phillies.

But the Phillie fans, who had taken up quite a bit of the stands despite being visitors, were already spewing out curses full of animosity.

This somewhat strange sight was due to the previous series.

In fact, the Phillies fans didn’t really dislike the Braves team.

They hate all the other teams except the Phillies, and sometimes they hate the Phillies too.

But they didn’t hate them as much as the traditional rivals located in the same state and the most X-like Pittsburgh Pirates.

Or the archenemy New York Mets in the same division, or the equally unpleasant enemy and now the condescending Washington Nationals.

There wasn’t really a rivalry to speak of.

For the Phillies, the Braves had been a pretty quiet and kind neighbor for quite a long time, ‘daring’ not to get ahead of the Phillies.

But recently, the animosity towards the Braves has grown quite a bit.

“You guys get ready to be swept at home!”

“How dare you poor bastards be in second place? No, is it better than the Mets being in second place?”

“We just have to sweep them too, and then sweep the Mets later. You idiot.”

“Ah, yeah, you’re right.”

The reason was the losing series they suffered in June.

Not only did they pour cold water on the Phillies, who could have aimed for 100 wins in the regular league.

But after that, as if they were using them as a stepping stone.

The Phillies fans were annoyed that the Braves continued to perform well.

They were also angry that they dared to challenge for the championship.

If the Braves were a noisy and annoying neighbor to the Phillies fans,

to the Braves fans, the Phillies were ‘angels’ [meaning they were easy to beat].

Because the Braves had leaped forward since the series against them.

“Just lose only three games like last time. Oh, is a sweep too much to ask?”

“Phillies, haven’t you seen our lovely Lee [referring to Lee Jung-woo] in person for a long time? Take a good look, it’s because of your energy. He’s awesome.”

Because of that.

Unlike the already noisy Phillies fans, the Braves fans were very gentle.

The Braves players, seeing the Philligans [a derogatory term for Phillies fans] yelling in someone else’s house, shook their heads as if they were fed up.

“Those guys are really crazy. Is baseball that good?”

“It’s not that they like baseball. They like swearing while watching baseball.”

“Seriously, they have so much money. It’s always amazing to see them come to away games in such large numbers.”

Gathered in a circle.

The sight of the Phillies fans completely turning one side of the stands into their territory was even terrifying on the one hand.

But Lee Jung-woo didn’t care.

Because his condition wasn’t at its peak. There was no guarantee that he would do well in this game.

At least it’s different from the past games.

Seeing those passionate Phillies fans, he felt sorry for them for no reason.

“You [expletive], you’ve been so bad lately?”

“Just play today’s game like last time. No, we’re much better than those San Diego or Milwaukee [expletive]. You might do even worse.”

“Others get called up in September [referring to roster expansion]. You’ll probably get called down in September. Did you use it all up in advance?”

“You [expletive] bastard, you dared to do a bat flip to Torosso last time? Prepare to die! You’re going to get one in the head.”

Of course, on the one hand, he also wanted to beat them up so they wouldn’t say such things again.

In this already heated atmosphere, the first game of the final series of the first half began.

####

The Phillies’ offense in the top of the first inning was poor.

Despite the team’s batting average ranking 4th in the NL [National League] in the first half, and its slugging percentage and on-base percentage ranking 5th,

thanks to the day off, they adjusted their pitching schedule.

They couldn’t get past ace Mason, who pitched a little earlier.

Lee Jung-woo also played a part.

‘If those guys study vocal cords, they’ll win a Nobel Prize in no time. How can they shout like that without losing their voice?’

Even though it was a simple ground ball,

seeing the Philligans screaming for that reason,

he couldn’t help but think that, considering that they maintain that pace until the end of the game. It even felt serious.

But on the other hand, he liked it quite a bit.

‘How much louder would they shout if I hit a home run?’

The cheers (?) he heard at Citizens Bank Park [Phillies’ stadium] in his debut game were definitely amazing.

Everyone stood up and cheered enthusiastically for the home run he hit.

It would be quite a sight if it was combined with the cheers of his beloved home fans.

“How are you doing today? Colson keeps telling everyone that your swing is back.”

“It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good.”

“Oh, so are you starting up again?”

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

While saying that to Derek’s question, Lee Jung-woo couldn’t hide the confidence on his face.

Today’s opponent is the 5th starter. It’s the last game of the first half.

The Phillies should have adjusted their starting days.

Whether they didn’t rate the Braves that highly,

or whether they thought they could win with just the hitters,

or whether they wanted to save their expensive ace, Iwakuma Takeshi, as much as possible, they didn’t.

‘I’ll make them regret it.’

After the change of offense and defense,

Rollins, who went up as the team’s first batter, showed his usual tenacity.

He seemed to have expected a ball in the full count match.

He was unfortunately struck out looking.

But he increased the number of pitches to 11, passing the baton to the other players.

“Go!”

Thanks to that, Derek, who had enough time to observe the opposing pitcher, pierced the Phillies’ infield with a lightly pushed hit.

He stepped on first base.

‘It’s coming to me.’

Lee Jung-woo, seeing Joey going to the plate after him, immediately grabbed his bat.

He will definitely get on base.

Seeing his confident gait, he just thought so.

[He hit it! Joey Fredman’s RBI double!]

[The Braves are off to a good start. The power of the top of the lineup is considerable.]

[The top of the lineup is rated as one of the best in the league.]

[Yes, that’s right. So, unless Michael Peterson hits a double play, will it connect to Lee Jung-woo?]

[Yes, he’s the 5th hitter. He’s been showing a little less than expected lately. I wondered if he would be pushed to number 6, but Manager Mancini’s faith is strong.]

And as expected, Joey hit a big hit that slammed into the right fence of Truist Park [Braves’ stadium].

He brought Derek home and entered second base comfortably.

Soon after, Peterson also hit a surprise push, hitting a hit that fell slightly in front of the left fielder.

It was a little short for Joey to come home, creating a situation with runners on first and third.

Lee Jung-woo came to the plate.

“Boo!”

“Double play! Double play!”

“Ground ball devil! The ground ball devil has appeared!”

Following his steps, the stadium became noisy.

It was already noisy,

but the Phillies fans shouted especially louder.

‘They’re so petty.’

Whether they still resented being bat flipped by a rookie in his debut game,

Lee Jung-woo felt that the Phillies fans who hated him so much were amazing on the one hand.

Whether they followed the fans, the familiar-faced catcher glaring at him was also very strange.

“Long time no see. How have you been? Is your head okay? I heard your bat is broken.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. You haven’t changed even after more than a month.”

“I have to treat a cocky rookie like you like this.”

Lee Jung-woo, glaring at the catcher who welcomed him with harsh swearing, suddenly thought of his debut game.

He slyly rolled his foot and sprinkled dirt on the catcher.

“People need to know that you’re such an [expletive], right?”

“Yeah, I wanted that reaction.”

“If you’re going to keep acting like a sissy, why don’t you quit baseball and play jacks? Oh, and make me some sandwiches.”

Lee Jung-woo, finally satisfied with the catcher’s rude behavior, ignored his swearing and focused on the pitcher.

The catcher seemed even more angry at that sight, and he poured out swear words.

But with the referee’s restraint, he had to shut his mouth with a bulldog-like sullen face.

‘Four-seam, two-seam, changeup, curve. He mainly uses the four-seam, and also throws the two-seam often, but sometimes he strikes out with a changeup. His main breaking ball is the curve. Will he throw it?’

He shook his head.

He didn’t seem like he was going to throw a good ball.

‘His pitching style is usually inside, outside, then high inside, but his control often wavers. He also gives up walks in this game. And whenever that happens, he always…’

Lee Jung-woo, who predicted the pitcher by combining the data provided by the club and the appearance he saw directly in today’s game, soon gripped his bat tightly.

‘The next match is a first-pitch strike.’

“I’ll give you a curve. I heard you like it? How about it?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Lee Jung-woo, who expressed his insincere gratitude to the catcher who was spouting words he didn’t mean, just stared at the pitcher.

Soon, his two eyes moved along with the ball thrown by the pitcher.

‘Fastball? A little low-‘

It was the pitcher who threw as expected.

But somehow, he just had a feeling.

He had a feeling that the pitcher or catcher had looked into his head.

Lee Jung-woo trusted his gut if possible.

Sometimes the results are bad when following it, but his heart is more relieved than when he fails without following it.

That’s why Lee Jung-woo twisted the timing set for the fastball a little.

“Huh-”

Thwack-

He felt a thrilling sensation in his hands.

So it didn’t go over.

But it was a big enough hit.

There was no unpleasant feeling.

There is no strange sense of déjà vu.

Unlike the past games, he felt refreshed as usual when he hit a hit.

“Goodbye. See you later. Don’t lie next time. Be honest.”

[He hit it! A 쭉쭉뻗는 타구! [A 쭉쭉뻗는 타구 is a Korean expression for a sharply hit ball that travels far in a straight line] It looks a little low to be a home run!]

[The power is properly loaded. If the angle was a little higher, he could have passed the fence enough.]

The Phillies fans froze at the sight of the big hit that was enough for even the slow Peterson to come in comfortably.

Soon they realized

that the [expletive] bastard who was running hard on the base was not a funny rookie who was having a hard time falling into a slump after running around like a circus clown as they expected,

that he was the [expletive] rookie they remembered, the [expletive] rookie they saw with their own eyes,

and that they had to face the rookie who had returned by chance.

A Phillies fan who saw Lee Jung-woo, who arrogantly pointed at them as if to show off, muttered,

“We’re screwed.”

That was more sincere than any words he had said since arriving in Atlanta.