Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 212

Pitchers done, batters up – Episode 211

[Finally, the moment that so many baseball fans have been waiting for! Some even call it the highlight of the All-Star Game: the Home Run Derby is about to begin.]

[Occasionally, top-tier players decline their nomination to the Home Run Derby, but this year is different. We have some serious contenders.]

[Yes, it truly lives up to its name as an All-Star event, a stage for the stars.]

The Home Run Derby, a prelude to the All-Star Game, is a battle of power between the strongest hitters in Major League Baseball. As the Futures Game ended and the Derby began, people fixed their eyes on the screen with excitement. Those sharing drinks loudly cheered for their favored player to win.

“It’s gotta be Lee. Who else is gonna win but Lee?”

“Lee is great, I admit, but Hunter hits more home runs.”

“You guys don’t get it. The Home Run Derby is all about hitting batting practice pitches, so it’s not about raw power, but consistent swings. A steady player like Harding has the advantage.”

“Hey, Joey won last year, show some respect.”

With such incredible players, the arguments grew louder. Ironically, or perhaps sadly, no one predicted an American League player would win.

“Todd and Sean are good, but… honestly, it’s tough for them.”

“Let’s be real, they were all second-best when Hunter was around. And Hunter is right there, along with Lee and Harding.”

“The final four will probably be an all-National League affair. Even Joey, who’s the weakest of the bunch, has more power than those guys.”

Many predicted that the final four would be an all-National League battle. Perhaps because of this sentiment, the American League participants looked tense as they appeared on the field.

“Wow, they look pissed. I guess they’ve been giving all the spotlight to the NL guys. Lee, you better watch out! With Roy Pennington pitching batting practice, you might get eliminated in the first round.”

“I don’t even want to imagine that.”

Lee Jungwoo shuddered at Pennington’s joke. He didn’t even want to think about it. He usually didn’t care about public opinion, but if he got knocked out in the first round, it would be a disaster.

‘They’d mock me endlessly, especially with all the talk so far. And I haven’t even said anything myself.’

There had been constant chatter about him being a lock for the finals, a guaranteed winner, and breaking all Home Run Derby records at an unprecedented pace. If he were to be eliminated in such a situation, the reaction wouldn’t be just disappointment. It would be unfair to Lee Jungwoo, but that was the price of being a top player. The best thing to do was to avoid such talk in the first place.

‘And even if I can shrug off what people say, I’d be embarrassed if I got knocked out right away.’

Lee Jungwoo refocused and looked at his first-round opponent, a player with a determined expression, as if he was going to prove something. A third baseman for the Texas Rangers, known for his powerful hitting, he was a great hitter with good power.

‘Todd Baker. Even though the National League has bigger names, he’s no pushover. 35 home runs last year, 24 in the first half of this season. He’s got a lot of pop, like me. Maybe this is his career year?’

He was a hitter with good wrist strength, sometimes called punch power, which made it easy for him to hit home runs. Once he got going, he could launch them one after another.

Lee Jungwoo was worried about Baker’s momentum, but he shook his head and relaxed his face. It was ridiculous to be so tense in an exhibition game.

‘At least I’m not intimidated by Baker right now. He’s a good hitter, but I’m better. Just keep it light.’

He was too strong to be worrying about his opponent.

And feeling the gaze of the Futures players, he was reminded of his own resolution, which gave him strength. He was determined to hold onto the sweet throne of being at the top, which he had tasted for a short time.

‘Let’s start with the Home Run Derby.’

Fortunately, he now had enough power to keep that resolution.

“Roy, let’s work on our timing.”

“Oh, looks like you’re getting warmed up?”

####

Todd Baker had a bitter taste in his mouth.

Being the first up in the first round was already a burden, and the intentions of the league office in setting up the pairings were obvious.

‘They put the guy who’s going to draw the biggest crowd first, for the ratings. I’m just the firewood to get the atmosphere going.’

He couldn’t miss it. With his experience, even if he only focused on baseball, he could figure out the business side of things. He was too seasoned to not realize that he had been chosen as the sacrifice for the young hero.

‘No, they probably want to use the entire American League as firewood, since there’s a difference in popularity.’

Todd Baker scanned the lineup. The AL had its best stars, but the NL was on another level. Even Joey, who had steadily made a name for himself as a power hitter over his long career, was a huge star. And Lee, Harding, and Hunter were, without a doubt, the best superstars of this generation. They were responsible for the popularity of the National League, and even Major League Baseball as a whole.

‘This is annoying. Really annoying. Am I going to be the villain for some kid at my age?’

The displeasure was natural.

He was going to be sacrificed to make a hero out of a player much younger than him, a rookie who had just started to walk.

“Lee! Do your best!”

“Leeeeee!”

As he frowned, the voices of children suddenly pierced his ears. He looked around and saw fans who looked about the same age as his son, who had come with their parents.

And all of those young fans were wearing Braves uniforms, specifically Lee Jungwoo’s uniform. He couldn’t see it clearly, but thanks to a kid who turned around for a moment to whine to his mom, he was able to confirm the number and name on the back.

‘Yeah, he’s really popular. Especially with kids, they say he’s number one.’

The popularity of a sports star can be roughly estimated by the number of young fans they have. The more children like them, the more popular they are.

And right now, Lee Jungwoo was a hero to those children. You could tell just by the sales of children’s uniforms that were being sold all over the United States.

‘Kids need to learn that sometimes heroes lose to villains.’

Todd Baker gave a twisted smile and gripped his bat tightly. He was going to teach the children a lesson. But as he waited for his turn with that determination, he soon realized that something was wrong. The moment Lee Jungwoo stepped into the batter’s box and swung at the first pitch, he realized.

[Lee! He opens the Home Run Derby with a 450-foot home run!]

“Waaaaaaaah!”

“Lee! Lee! Lee!”

“Dad! Catch it!”

Unfortunately, the Home Run Derby he was standing on was not a profound work where the hero loses, but a children’s superhero movie made to sweep up every last penny of their pocket money.

[Jungwoo Lee! He hits 26 home runs in 4 minutes! He moves into sole possession of 5th place for the most home runs in a single round in Home Run Derby history!]

[He’s even pushing out team legends like Yakunya and Friedman.]

As he watched Lee Jungwoo walk off the plate, having broken another record, Todd Baker thought,

‘He makes it look so easy.’

He thought that baseball seemed easy for that guy. After a moment of realization, the semi-finalists of the first round were decided.

[Todd Baker did a great job, but he couldn’t catch up.]

[16 home runs in a round is not a small number, but it’s a shame. Still, he’s definitely a powerful player.]

The winner was Lee Jungwoo, who crushed his opponent by a score of 26 to 16.

####

[Joey Friedman! He hits another home run, now his 11th! There are still 2 minutes left.]

“Joey’s got some power too.”

“He’s making solid contact.”

After the exciting first round, people watched the second match. Lee Jungwoo, having escaped the threat of being eliminated, watched with Roy Pennington, looking much more relaxed.

“I heard Joey’s batting practice pitcher is his high school classmate? He’s throwing it right where he wants it, just like last year’s guy. Come to think of it, Joey’s partner was really good last year. Thanks to him, Joey even won?”

“Yes, he was a shortstop who could throw batting practice pitches incredibly well.”

“If you want to win, you should have seduced a guy like that instead of an old guy like me?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not that close to our team’s shortstop yet.”

“Oh, you’ve known him for over 20 years and you’re still not close? That’s serious.”

Most of it was just joking around. Lee Jungwoo playfully responded to Pennington, who was muttering about Joey’s partner from last year. But Roy could tell that Lee’s eyes were gradually filling with competitiveness.

“You’re a pro, even though you’re young.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

Even if it didn’t affect their careers, professional players wanted to win when it came to competition. Joey’s powerful hitting stimulated Lee Jungwoo’s competitive spirit.

Just as his competitive spirit was reaching its peak, the second match ended. The winner was Joey Friedman.

He hit 22 home runs in 4 minutes, showing off his power, and advanced directly to the semi-finals.

His opponent, Scott Howard of the Red Sox, clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

“Wow, it’s a civil war from the semi-finals? Whoever it is, the Braves are in the finals. That’s a very good thing.”

“Yes, yes, it’s a great thing. We’re forced to have a fratricidal war.”

“But it’s better than Joey getting knocked out in the first round, right?”

“I guess so.”

Lee Jungwoo felt a little strange that his next opponent was a teammate. But he soon thought that a match was a match, and refocused. Soon, someone passed by him as he was watching.

“Oh, Lee, you’re here? I saw your home runs. They were really cool. Let’s compete again this time. Make sure you get to the finals. Joey’s good, but I want to play against you.”

It was Arthur Hunter, the participant in the third match. He stretched out his body, as if he was ready, and greeted him happily. He was already showing his competitive spirit. Lee Jungwoo chuckled.

“Good luck, Arthur.”

“Of course. Oh, if you see Harding, tell him for me. Tell him to make sure he gets up there too. Let’s have a National League civil war from the semi-finals.”

Arthur Hunter joked nonchalantly even during their brief encounter. But soon, Lee Jungwoo saw his eyes change the moment he stepped into the batter’s box.

No, not just Lee Jungwoo, everyone must have felt it. Even someone with a bad sense of things couldn’t miss the intense pressure he exuded.

‘He’s amazing. He’s a bit of a smart aleck when he talks, but he’s a great player.’

[Arthur Hunter! That’s some incredible power! He adds another 30 seconds with a massive 475-foot home run!]

Hunter, who unleashed massive home runs with incredible distance, adding 30 seconds to the time limit, hit home runs as if he was going to break all the records.

The opponent seemed intimidated before the match even started, as if he was ashamed of the title of the player who hit the most home runs in the first half of this season in Major League Baseball.

‘It must be especially impactful for him, since he was in that league until last year.’

Arthur Hunter’s home run show, which loudly announced to his former rivals that he was still going strong even after leaving, filled Kaufman Stadium with cheers in an instant.

There was also a lot of cheering at the Futures Game, but Lee Jungwoo could see why he was a superstar in the major leagues, and his competitive spirit, which had started with Joey’s home runs, grew even stronger.

“Yeeeeeeeees!”

Hunter roared loudly like a beast after finishing his at-bat. The applause of the audience rang out in response. The praise for him, who had even broken a record, was perhaps inevitable.

[Arthur Hunter! He hits 30 home runs from the first round! He moves into 3rd place for the most home runs in a single round in Home Run Derby history!]

[This is really not just a home run party! There have been over 100 home runs, even though there are still three more people left!]

As he hit 30 home runs in one round, the winner was naturally Arthur Hunter. The American League, with three players eliminated in a row, blushed again. And Harding, who went up for the last match of the first round, also recorded 27 home runs, reaffirming his power to the people, which was considered to be less than that of Arthur Hunter and other competitors, and took the victory as it was. As Hunter had said to Lee Jungwoo earlier, the semi-finals, the Home Run Derby semi-finals, were now a National League affair.

“As Arthur said, it’s a civil war from now on.”

“Wow, the American League guys must be feeling a little bitter? They put together their best players, but they’re getting crushed one after another.”

“They must be disappointed. Usually, they could have made it to the semi-finals with that many home runs.”

“Lee, you need to be nervous, right? Joey’s okay, but he’s doing too well, can you win- Oh. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Roy Pennington, who had watched the series of events with Lee Jungwoo, joked about the formidable competitors. But he soon shut his mouth again. Lee Jungwoo’s eyes, watching the competitors who had swept through the plate like a whirlwind, were shining even more intensely.

‘Everyone here and there is fired up. I can’t fall behind.’

As if reading Lee Jungwoo’s thoughts, Roy Pennington shuddered.

“Oh, Joey’s in big trouble. No, am I in big trouble?”

It seemed like he was going to get hit with a lifetime’s worth of home runs today.