Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 203

After wrapping up the two-game series against the Dodgers with two clean wins, the Braves left LA quickly, their next destination being Phoenix, Arizona.

The Arizona Diamondbacks. The atmosphere on the plane heading for their three-game series was familiar.

Players mingled and chatted with their close teammates, engaged in friendly gambling with meal money, or meditated and slept to manage their condition.

Everyone spent their time in their own way.

“…”

However, one thing that was slightly different was the silence of Ian Field, who would normally be chatting enthusiastically with guys like Mason or Peterson, with whom he got along so well.

And as if understanding him, the other players, coaches, and even Lee Jungwoo didn’t bother him.

It must be very complicated for him.

‘From our perspective, it’s a thank you for the trade, but it’s not like he left on good terms. It’s bound to be different from Mason’s situation.’

Until last year, no, even at the beginning of this year, he was the Diamondbacks’ franchise star, a player who was expected to sign a long-term contract with the team without even testing free agency.

He was the player closest to becoming the new face of the Diamondbacks, following in the footsteps of Bob Fots, but not anymore. Brutus, Judas Iscariot, etc. To the Diamondbacks fans, he had fallen to the level of a historical traitor.

In effect, he had left after what they perceived as betraying the team and fans.

‘In that situation, it’s his first match since the transfer. He’s even scheduled to pitch during the series, so he must be feeling terrible.’

Ian Field, who usually had a playful face, maintained his silence after the plane took off.

Lee Jungwoo glanced at Ian Field and nodded. It can’t be helped. It’s something he chose himself. And Ian Field himself has to endure it.

From the time they departed from LA until they arrived in Phoenix, Ian Field didn’t say a word. His expression grew increasingly stiff.

‘Yeah, it’s no joke.’

The closer they got to Chase Field, the Diamondbacks’ home stadium, the more fans there were. When they arrived at the stadium, there were quite a few people wearing team jerseys.

It was July, when Phoenix’s intense heat was in full swing, and as always, there were hardly any clouds, so the sun was shining brightly.

And when they occasionally spotted the Braves’ team bus, they sent disapproving, even hostile, glances. They saw them as the bastards who stole their future. There was also hatred for the former hero who had abandoned loyalty and the love of the fans.

Ian Field’s face hardened a little more at the sight of the Diamondbacks’ home fans. Derek and the coaches glanced at him.

‘Amazing. That means he was a well-loved player. Enough to provoke this level of betrayal.’

In fact, Lee Jungwoo couldn’t completely understand his feelings. He wasn’t a player who was loved enough to provoke hostility simply because he went to another team.

If he was released, it usually meant that the team’s pitching situation had improved, so they would welcome it and have a celebratory atmosphere.

‘I don’t know much about it, but he’s a professional player, a major leaguer, so he’ll get over it himself.’

He wasn’t a mentally weak player, so Lee Jungwoo believed that he would get over it, and the other teammates didn’t bother to offer words of encouragement.

In this way, the Braves, who had essentially fled from the newly created enemy territory of Los Angeles, entered the enemy territory that was waiting for them, grinding their teeth.

####

‘They don’t boo terribly, but their eyes are fierce.’

Lee Jungwoo, who was looking around the stadium as usual, clicked his tongue at the venomous gazes of the spectators who seemed to be glaring at him.

It was a relief that Ian Field wasn’t showing his face today because it wasn’t his pitching day, but he couldn’t even imagine how much hatred-filled gazes he would receive on the day he pitched.

‘The team’s performance isn’t good either. That must make them even angrier.’

The Arizona Diamondbacks were currently maintaining their position at the bottom of the Western Division. They were one game behind the Padres in fourth place, so the gap wasn’t that big.

Of course, they were a team that typically competed for third place with the Rockies, trailing behind the Dodgers and Giants, but this year it felt particularly worse.

‘The starting pitcher, the de facto ace, has left. The other teams in the same division have seriously strengthened their lineups. The ranking is bound to drop.’

In that situation, the Braves were doing very well, seriously successful in a different sense. Even Ian Field, who had left, was still performing well enough to be considered a top pitcher. For the Diamondbacks, the Braves themselves were bound to be hateful.

They gave an unnecessary boost to a player who was already doing well, and then stole him away, leaving their team in this state.

Lee Jungwoo, who had been lightly running around the dome-covered ground, which blocked the sunlight, as usual, was subjected to concentrated fire from those uncomfortable gazes and shook his head.

‘Last year, there was a lot of talk about the Korean Derby [a series of games featuring multiple Korean players]… This year, it’s hot in a slightly different sense.’

Lee Jungwoo, who was shaking his head, suddenly looked at the opposing team’s players and felt even more unfamiliar.

Since Lee Jungwoo’s appearance, many Korean players have benefited from him, but there were also players who didn’t.

Most of them were players who were older or who the team thought had no room for improvement at all.

One of them was Kwak Hyungseon, the Diamondbacks’ third baseman.

In the end, due to his unimpressive hitting, mediocre defense, and advanced age with no room for further development,

This season, he was completely pushed out of the starting lineup and relegated to a backup, and then pushed out of that position as well, falling to Triple A [Minor League Baseball]. Unlike last year, Lee Jungwoo was the only Korean at Chase Field.

Perhaps that’s why the Korean media showed a much quieter response to Lee Jungwoo’s game against the Diamondbacks than last year.

Unlike the Mariners game, which had the special feature of Korean Night and at least some Korean heritage mixed in, this game had nothing to talk about at all. They just glossed over it.

So, unlike the somewhat quiet Korean reaction, this year the local atmosphere is burning like the Phoenix weather.

Lee Jungwoo chuckled at the strange gap created by that bizarre situation, but the gazes glaring at him became even more intense. Unfortunately for them, that was not enough to penetrate Lee Jungwoo’s increasingly thick skin.

‘Their eyes are a bit annoying, but they’re not swearing or flipping me off. This isn’t bad.’

Most of the opposing team’s fans would flip him off, swear at him, or even make throat-slitting gestures when they made eye contact with Lee Jungwoo. This was a relatively mild level of animosity.

Some opposing team fans (Phillies) even openly threatened to kill him, so giving him a hard look wasn’t a very effective threat to Lee Jungwoo.

Lee Jungwoo confirmed this with his game play.

‘Well, it’s a bit awkward, but it has nothing to do with me anyway. Let’s just play the game well.’

####

The Diamondbacks are weak.

Originally, they weren’t a very strong team without their one-two punch [their two best players]. Now they only have one punch left. And even that one punch has become old and less effective.

-The Diamondbacks must be very angry and want to get revenge. But the difference in weight class…

-Last year, it was doable. This year… it’s going to be tough.

And everyone knew it. Other team fans who understood the Diamondbacks’ feelings, Braves fans who were deliberately more brazen, and even the Diamondbacks themselves.

-Objectively, it’s going to be tough. We’re screwed, and the Braves are arguably the strongest team this season. But it’s also true that it’s a game where we can’t be objective.

-Last place? I don’t care. Since that damn Judas left, we have to tank [intentionally lose games] and aim for the draft to replenish. We just have to screw over the Braves.

Nevertheless, the enraged fans were filled with the thought of somehow defeating the Braves. Whether that anger had an effect, or whether it was just because the opposing starting pitcher was the 6th starter, the score itself was a little better than usual.

[The ball goes over the right fielder – Hit! Runner scores! The batter passes second base and goes to third – Safe! Harry Stewart allows a triple and another run! Today’s game looks a little tough.]

[The Diamondbacks usually score an average of 3 points per game, but today they’ve already scored twice that amount, 6. Harry Stewart has thrown a lot of pitches and allowed a lot of runs, so it looks like this inning will be his last.]

They scored 6 points and chased the opposing pitcher in just 4 innings, so it was definitely an unusual game, not objective, as they had hoped.

However…

The problem was that their starting pitcher was also getting hammered.

‘Charles Bonham. Right-handed three-quarter delivery. Fastball average speed is 93 miles and the highest speed is 95 miles. The speed is average, but the power is decent. The control is not good either. Four-seam, sinker, slider, circle changeup with four pitches, but the command isn’t great. Like a 5th starter.’

If the Braves had a 6th starter, the Diamondbacks had a 5th starter. Even that was unstable. The Braves, and especially Lee Jungwoo, were merciless against such a player.

‘The ball distribution is mainly four-seam, and then an off-speed or breaking ball. The last one is up to him. He’s free-spirited without a particular style, but there’s no need to play mind games.’

Especially now that he’s realized his unique role, his body is properly warmed up in the summer. Lee Jungwoo worked hard to become a villain.

‘Just hit it.’

A hit from the first at-bat. With a light swing that pushed the slider thrown as the first pitch, the ball quickly drew an arc and then dropped right in front of the left fielder as if teasing him.

Nevertheless, the ball itself was fast and fell right in front of the fielder, so Derek, who had gone out first, stopped at second base. He didn’t score a run, but that was just the beginning.

“Aaaagh!”

“Block it, damn it!”

“What are you doing! Is it so hard to catch one batter!”

Throughout the game, Lee Jungwoo continued to produce clean hits like a contact hitter who had reached the realm of mastery. Unlike the powerful long hits and tremendous RBI production that he had shown as a strong number 2 hitter, only short singles continued to come out. The hitting ability that covered the base with his footprints was perfect for irritating the Chase Field home crowd.

“Run! Run!”

‘It’s enough, it goes in.’

Also, his two feet and the subsequent batters were enough to score points for the team in the future.

Hit and home run. Like a song on repeat, every time he came to bat, the replay of his plays caused people in Chase Field to clutch the back of their necks.

“Ugh- Ugh-”

The camera captured someone choking as if they were about to pass out, causing the commentators to try their best not to laugh. Barely managing to compose themselves, they praised the team that was currently performing better to calm their minds.

[The Braves are really strong. Very strong. The Diamondbacks are also showing good hitting today, but the Braves are one step ahead.]

[Following the last series, Jungwoo Lee stands out again today. Although he doesn’t have any RBIs today, he has recorded an on-base appearance and a run in every at-bat.]

4 at-bats, 4 hits, 4 runs.

People couldn’t contain their anger at Lee Jungwoo, who honestly hit just one at a time in each at-bat—not two or three, just one—and scored.

“Th- Th- That kind of-”

“Those Braves sons of bitches are awful, even the kids! You goddamn sons of bitches!”

“What kind of guy is that?”

“They even took Ian, they really have no conscience! You bastards!”

“Ian! Ian! You son of a bitch! Is this why? Is that why you left! Do you like that kid that much?”

Instead of just glaring as they did before the game or in the early innings, people were now expressing their emotions directly, and it seemed they just hated the whole situation. They even shouted at Ian Field, who was sitting quietly on the bench.

But the direction was wrong. Ian Field, who was being lumped in with the insults, wouldn’t affect this game anyway since he was the starting pitcher for the game after next.

And Lee Jungwoo, as mentioned before, was someone who was used to this kind of atmosphere.

[Another hit! Lee! He’s showing incredible hitting in today’s game!]

[Strangely, he’s not getting any RBIs, but that doesn’t matter. Not for a batter who has five hits in one game.]

[Yes, you’re right. Four of the 10 points the Braves scored are from Lee’s runs.]

So, it didn’t matter that they shook up the pitcher first, felt good, or scored twice as many points as usual.

Whether it was beyond people’s expectations or not, the result was the same as expected, regardless of the performance.

[First base – Out! Game set! The Braves win the first game of the series against the Diamondbacks with a score of 11 to 7!]

[Today was Lee’s game. 5 at-bats, 5 hits, 5 runs. Even the scorching heat of Phoenix couldn’t stop Lee’s burning momentum.]

A disappointing defeat. The hateful glares and the genuine curses they spat out were all ineffective. Rather, they backfired.

####

In the approaching second game, the Diamondbacks fans still held onto their expectations. Their opponent’s super ace, Mason Looper, was pitching, but they also had Bob Potts, a symbol of the Diamondbacks and Arizona, on the mound.

-Bob! Show them what you’ve got! Show that ungrateful traitor what class is!

-Let him know that he ran away without surpassing Potts. Tell him he’s still below you there!

-Show some class! Let’s go for a shutout for once!

Bob Potts.

Old Lion. King of the Old Era. Just looking at the prefixes attached to these beautiful titles was enough to explain what kind of player he was.

It was true that he was severely lacking compared to Mason Looper, a pitcher who was still closer to youth. Although he was a number one starter, his performance and immediate skills were only at the level of an average second or third starter in the league. But he was still a player who gave fans hope.

He didn’t have the overwhelming fastball he used to have, nor did he have dazzling control to compensate. But he often evoked nostalgia for the past.

[A showdown between a former Cy Young winner [award given to the best pitcher in each league] vs. this season’s likely Cy Young candidate!]

[Experienced class vs. full-blown skill! Mason Looper vs. Bob Potts, who will be the winner of the match?]

In fact, not only the fans but also the media were interested in it. It was a match between the best player now and the best player in the past.

And as expected, the second game was quite tense.

[It’s a high-level pitching battle that’s hard to believe after yesterday’s game. Both starting pitchers are not backing down easily.]

[Bob Potts doesn’t have the powerful fastball or overwhelming toughness of his youth, but he’s showing what experience is all about.]

As he did last year before allowing Lee Jungwoo to hit for the cycle [hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game], Bob Potts was manipulating the batters with inspired ball distribution. On the other hand, Mason was just.

[Swing and a miss! KKK! Mason Looper finishes the inning by striking out three batters in a row!]

[Really, he’s strong. Very strong. The modified two-seamer [type of fastball] he newly installed this season is great, but overall, his skills are quite good.]

Pressing down.

The pitchers with completely different styles were killing the batters, and they only gave up one point each until the 7th inning, tightly shutting down the opposing lineup and making everyone sweat.

“We have to win today…”

“Bob is doing this much for us. We have to win no matter what!”

“Step it up! You sons of bitches! Just show half of what you did yesterday!”

In that situation, the Diamondbacks fans expected a win and whipped the batters, who had returned to normal unlike the previous day, but this was also a meaningless act.

[It seems Bob Potts will be coming down after this inning.]

[Considering his age, pitching any more than this is dangerous.]

7 innings, 1 run allowed.

The home crowd applauded Bob Potts, who showed a strong pitch that belied his age, but only for a moment. The game immediately fell apart from the next inning.

Compared to Mason Looper, who didn’t allow more than 1 point and completely blocked the game with a complete game until the 9th inning, the bullpen pitchers who took over the mound after Bob Potts gave up runs one after another.

“Ah, please! Come on! You sons of bitches! Are you really going to do this? Are you going to embarrass us? Show us something!”

“Ah… damn it. Haa…”

3 to 1. The score was very different, but the result of the second game was the same.

They were armed with the mindset that they would win no matter what, but things didn’t go as planned, and they were pushed into a sweep.

The Diamondbacks fans’ anger rose even further. They didn’t like the current situation, and it was time for the pitcher they hated so much, the one who was now closer to hatred than affection, to come out.

####

-Haa… When Ian was there, we still had the belief that even if Bob lost, we would win the next game…

-That son of a bitch, that traitor. He left like a son of a bitch and came back like a son of a bitch. With those sons of bitches.

-Let’s win just one game, please just one game. No, please don’t lose to that son of a bitch! Please, I’m begging you!

The losing streak was already confirmed.

And the player who would complete the sweep was none other than Ian Field. The stadium the next day was, of course, more intense than the previous games.

‘Wow.’

Lee Jungwoo was momentarily impressed. All the home fans were united and looking in one direction.

“Wooooooo!”

“Get out! Get out!”

“Judas! Judas! Judas!”

The voices shouted ‘Judas,’ comparing him to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Some just wanted him to disappear and shouted words to that effect. Others, too annoyed to even do that, just booed rawly. The power of tens of thousands of spectators focused on one player with a united heart was so intense that even Lee Jungwoo was momentarily surprised.

It was as if the previous games were just child’s play. In an atmosphere where it was surprising that food or trash wasn’t flying, Lee Jungwoo slightly turned his head to look at the bullpen.

Ian Field would be warming up. What would he think of the current sight? How would he accept this? It was one of two things.

‘Either be crushed or explode.’

Depending on the result, the outcome of the game would be determined. That’s why not only Lee Jungwoo but also the coaches and other players were focused.

And the player who came out of the bullpen after completing all preparations. The face of the player walking confidently amidst the overwhelming curses pouring down on him was stiff.

Seeing that, Lee Jungwoo thought.

‘The game will be fine. It’s what comes after that’s the problem.’

Ian Field had maintained a consistently stiff face on the plane, the day before, and the day before that. But today was a little different. Unlike how he seemed a little complicated until yesterday, the emotion he held now was just one thing.

“I’ve done so much for those sons of bitches, and they treat me like this just because I didn’t sign a FA [free agent] contract? Me? Fine, watch closely. I’ll show you that I made the right choice.”

‘Oh? He’s pissed?’

Confirming that, Lee Jungwoo was certain. Today, just like in the second game against the Dodgers, they would probably leave as if fleeing as soon as the game ended. With the result of a sweep in their arms, just like then.