Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 147

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – 146

The bat that flew to the left of home plate rolled on the ground. Citi Field turned deathly silent.

The fans who had provoked Lee Jung-woo trembled. Other fans stared in disbelief.

Instead of throwing behind him or lightly tossing it, he paused for a moment and then swung the bat flip in reverse, shocking everyone. It was as if he’d rewound the motion.

“Wow… Lee is really something else.”

“It looks like he recharged his craziness, not his stamina, during the break?”

“Wow~ I only expected an F-You, but that’s even worse?”

Even the Braves players were taken aback. Lee Jung-woo, who nonchalantly rounded the bases, leaving the frozen catcher behind, returned to home plate.

After jumping slightly and stepping on the base, he even stretched out his arms towards third base, completing the final flourish.

“Lee, what did you do….”

“I have to do this much so they won’t try that crap again later.”

“Yeah, that’s right too. Anyway… good job, I feel refreshed.”

After entering first, he lightly high-fived Derek, who was waiting for him. Lee Jung-woo returned to the dugout to the cheers of his teammates, but the stadium was still subdued.

The Mets players chuckled dryly or sighed deeply. Some flinched as if they had missed their cue to react.

Although it wasn’t their fault, some Mets fans had started it first. Since they had already crossed that line, the Mets players had no choice but to suppress their anger. The pitcher, who was hit hard even though it wasn’t his fault, seemed to have his confidence completely shattered, barely finishing the top of the first inning after giving up two more runs.

“Haa… what the hell were those X-shins [a Korean slang term for idiots or troublemakers] thinking doing that-”

“4 runs in the first inning… we’re screwed. Ian Field, he’s really on one too….”

The cold Citi Field thawed slightly again. But now, only sighs echoed.

In that atmosphere, the pitcher returned to the dugout like a sinner, but no one blamed him.

The home fans just glared at the third base stands, which could be said to be the root cause of the situation.

Their actions caused the trouble. Even if that hadn’t happened, a home run might have been hit, but at least there wouldn’t have been a humiliating ‘reverse bat flip’.

The group that caused the trouble now wore their hoods deeply and kept their heads down as much as possible. If their faces were exposed, they wouldn’t be having a good time.

“It’s not over yet!”

“Let’s just take it one step at a time!”

“Ian Field? He’s good, but so what! You guys are better!”

As some fans tried to liven up the atmosphere, Citi Field, which had been gloomy despite the bright day, regained some of its energy. The fans wanted at least a minimal fight, but the damn Braves infielders and pitchers didn’t even allow that minimum.

[Swinging strike! Strikeout! Ian Field is on a roll.]

[He was completely fooled by the backdoor slider. There’s no choice, it’s a pitch that the batter can’t resist.]

Ian Field, the starting pitcher for today’s game, was energized by the 4-run lead, and he induced swinging strikes with his slider.

The strikeouts piled up like crazy. The Mets, who didn’t even hope for a comeback and just had realistic expectations of chipping away at the lead, saw the score widen more and more due to the pitcher’s dominant pitching.

And even if they barely got past Ian Field.

The next wall existed.

[The Braves’ infield center line is perfect. How many outs is this already?]

[Actually, it’s almost comical to keep pointing it out. Derek Hunt has won several Gold Gloves, and Lee is already expected to win one. They are the best in the league.]

Lee Jung-woo and Derek. The two partners caught everything that flew their way, as if they wouldn’t allow any mediocre batted balls to get through. No, not just mediocre, but even balls that would normally be hits, they tracked down and caught them, making the Mets fans click their tongues.

In particular, Lee Jung-woo’s defense was as spectacular as his offense on a good day, so some people burst into anger.

“Huh, his defense is fine too?”

“No, then what was true of what the media said! He’s just fine! They said he was shaken, you X-bal [a Korean profanity] bastards!”

[Today, Lee seems to be shouting to the media. ‘Did you think I was that shaken? Do you still think so after seeing this?’ He’s the same as before. There will be many people who are ashamed. There were a few too many excessive words.]

The media speculated that the young Lee Jung-woo would be shaken by the unexpected incident, but Lee Jung-woo became the Mets’ nightmare today, refuting it head-on.

“아이구! [A Korean expression of frustration or annoyance]”

[He hit it! Lee’s super catch! And the throw – out! Ah… the Mets miss another chance. Again, it’s Lee!]

[Wow… a defensive play that could be included in the best scenes of the season comes out every inning.]

Lee Jung-woo, who always showed his face every inning, regardless of offense or defense, gave chills to those who watched. Of course, it just felt like a midsummer nightmare to the Mets fans.

“You vicious bastards! Please just give us one point, just one point! X-bal, is that such a difficult request!”

“You guys play baseball like X!”

The Mets fans, who watched the game to the end with a feeling of spitting blood, pouring out the best compliments(?), couldn’t stand it when the score of 9 to 0 was made in the late game as the innings continued to flow.

Citi Field, which was full of people at the beginning, had empty seats one by one.

“I knew it… a sweep? I was a fool to believe it.”

“While the Phillies are going bad, they’re catching the shaken Braves and jumping to the top of the ranks? Bullshit. What top of the ranks with this? It’s ridiculous.”

“The postseason is over this year, it’s over.”

The spectators got up from their seats, saying one word each. Even so, for those who hesitated with lingering regrets, Lee Jung-woo personally took action to free them from their pain until the end.

[Top of the 7th inning, two outs. Jungwoo Lee is at the plate, his fourth at-bat of the game. His record is 2 hits, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, and 1 walk in 3 at-bats.]

[He’s hitting home runs in two consecutive games following the previous day. It seems like he recharged properly during the break.]

In the top of the 7th inning, Lee Jung-woo, who entered his fourth at-bat, aimed for the pitcher’s first pitch, which had changed like a textbook.

As he came to the plate, the tired pitcher looked defeated, and the new pitcher had a determined look on his face. The home fans, who had been hesitating in front of the aisle at the sound of the hit that rang out a few seconds after the practice pitches were over, left without regret.

This time, he rounded the bases quietly. In fact, it didn’t seem like it would be more shocking if he did anything more. The Mets fans had already lost their souls because they couldn’t take it anymore.

[He’s really having a great day today! Jung! Woo! Lee! It’s his 4th home run of the season!]

[He pushed it lightly, but he’s such a strong player, so it just goes over.]

“Ha… you X-like [another Korean profanity] bastard….”

The words left by an unknown spectator as he left lingered emptily in Citi Field.

####

Immediately after the game, of course, there was an explosive reaction. The media, internet communities, and even offline.

There were many games besides the Braves and Mets game, but the topic was so overwhelming that attention was focused on it for a moment.

Lee Jung-woo’s starting appearance. Multi-home run. Impressive defense. In addition, there was the somewhat inappropriate behavior of a few fans from the start of the game and Lee Jung-woo’s retaliation.

Each topic was enough to chew on for a day, so even fans of other teams mentioned Lee Jung-woo’s name instead of their own team.

The main topic was one.

[‘Inappropriate retaliation that provokes fans!’ It could turn into a big deal…]

[‘Extreme arrogance’ The Asian rookie is making fun of Major League Baseball!]

[‘Swing in reverse?’ What exactly is Lee’s intention?]

The retaliation in the form of a ‘reverse bat flip’ caused a huge stir.

It wasn’t just thrown to the left. It was a bat that was thrown as if swinging in reverse. No matter how tolerant bat flips have become, it was said that this one crossed the line.

If the media was criticizing Lee Jung-woo for his arrogance, the reaction of baseball fans was the opposite.

-What’s the problem? The morons who did X-shin [idiots] first.

-Are you telling me to just watch when they’re openly acting up?

-Frankly, it’s not like he threw the bat into the stands, so it’s terribly fussy.

-Isn’t throwing the bat in reverse quite common? No, if that’s not allowed, then they should ban throwing it behind the back in the first place! No, just ban bat flips themselves! At the league level!

-Honestly, isn’t it X-na [a Korean expression of satisfaction] cool? He repays the provocation with a home run + retaliation.

-I’m a Mets fan, and it’s X-like [frustrating], but it’s cool.

-Lee, I found out that he’s a real man! Yes, that’s how you should do it!

-No, his posture is accurate even when he’s doing a bat flip. A genius hitter is a genius hitter.

The reaction of baseball fans was simple.

‘Why are you complaining when it’s cool?’

Not only did he completely destroy the opponent’s provocation, but he paid it back twice or more. The coolly flying bat even gave the viewer a strange catharsis.

Even though he didn’t hit anyone or fly into the dugout, there was no big controversy, and some even welcomed Lee Jung-woo, who had been a little subtle, as he walked the path to becoming a true icon.

-Ha, Major League Baseball has lost its roots these days. You have to respect tradition.

-Huh? Huh? As I was doing it, the league suddenly became dirty. You can’t do this! Don’t you even think about the pitchers’ feelings?

-Yes, I admit that Lee is angry. But what crime did the pitcher commit?

Of course, conservative fans still frowned and looked at Lee Jung-woo with displeasure.

There were also those who said that the pitcher who was hit for no reason was guilty, but even that became awkward when Lee Jung-woo apologized to the pitcher in the post-game interview.

In addition, unexpected support continued, and the atmosphere changed rapidly.

[@TrueKingArthur – (Photo) Lee gave a proper etiquette lesson to the ignorant guys. Sometimes people seem to forget that players are human beings. You have to do this to these morons! X-na [satisfying] is cool, I really like it! I thought there were no good guys other than Harding, but there was a real one. I’m liking the National League more and more 🙂 #TrueEducation #ThisTimeIt’sMyTurn #WaitAndSee]

Arthur Hunter, a big-name player, suddenly came out to support him.

He was originally famous for his bat flips without looking at people’s reactions, so the support was understandable to some extent. However, Arthur Hunter uploaded a captured photo of the audience raising their cameras and actively criticized them, which caused the minority of criticism to lose its power.

Rather, the focus was turned to those who were the beginning of the incident. The Mets issued an indefinite stadium ban to the 10 people, and the incident was settled, but the topic left by the Mets series was still plentiful. It also gave birth to something a little unexpected.

####

After finishing the Mets away game, the Braves, who returned to Atlanta, continued to win against the Cubs, who were greeted at home. The Braves, who found Lee Jung-woo as a driving force again, were generally energized, but Lee Jung-woo personally had to accept a rather burdensome reaction.

“How dare you score the first point! The fairy of the bat flip will not forgive you!”

“Lee! Since you’ve returned home, give us one here too!”

The home fans made excessive demands.

Not only did he return from an away game, but they were dissatisfied that he showed such a wonderful(?) ceremony not at home but at another stadium. To be exact, the fans who were a little sulky shouted that they wanted to see it with their own eyes. Their shouts properly scratched the Cubs’ nerves.

The Cubs pitchers threw with their teeth clenched, as if they would never be subjected to such humiliation.

“You did well in New York, but why are you doing this at home? They want it so much, so try to hit one today. This time, throw it into the opposing team’s dugout.”

“Are you crazy? It’s a relief if you don’t get shot.”

“Who was it who did that shooting? Lee, you look a lot like him. I remember he was Korean too. Do you know who he is?”

“That’s because the other side crossed the line first.”

Lee Jung-woo became increasingly dizzy with his colleagues who were teasing him and the spectators who continued to shout enthusiastically. It wasn’t just his wonderful bat flip that was the problem. There was another cause.

“Arthur Hunter next door~ is working hard at Dodger Stadium too~ What is our Lee doing~”

“Don’t discriminate, show us too, just throw it once!”

“Lee, you throw it more coolly than that Arthur Hunter! This time, throw it forward, how about that? Awesome!”

Arthur Hunter, who had supported him, hit a home run and showed off a wonderful bat flip, then pointed at Lee Jung-woo. He said it was his turn now. He told me to run the race together.

His sudden actions made things worse. It set fire to the fans’ hearts.

The cause was Truist Park now.

‘When did that person see me and suddenly get hooked on me? I’m going crazy.’

He didn’t know why someone he had never met suddenly did that to him, but Lee Jung-woo blamed him for fanning the situation and blocked his ears to the voices calling him.

“It’s our turn now! Lee! Is the bat loaded?”

“Throw the bat here! Even if my arm breaks, I’ll catch it! I’ll keep it as a family heirloom and keep it well for generations!”

It didn’t really work.