Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 233

Fortunately for the Giants, they won the game. The batters who followed failed to score, so Lee Jung-woo’s home run ended the game prematurely.

[Ultimately, the Braves didn’t score any more runs after the two-run homer, and the game ended in the top of the 9th. The Giants won Game 1.]

[This is a valuable win for the Giants, who need to accelerate their competition for the top spot in the Western Division… but the fans don’t seem very happy. Conversely, the visiting Braves’ fans are smiling contentedly.]

A valuable victory against a strong team in the second half of the game. However, the home fans leaving Oracle Park looked gloomy. It was a clear win. Judging by the stats alone, Harding, with 3 hits, 1 home run, and 1 walk, outperformed Lee Jung-woo, who had 1 hit and 1 home run, just as they had hoped. But something was missing, and something unexpected had been added.

[Lee Jung-woo’s home run in the top of the 9th will probably never be forgotten.]

[Yes, it was a shocking moment. It was as if he was declaring that he had already secured the Gold Glove. Maybe even the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award.]

While applauding the winning team, the home fans couldn’t hide their unease. Like the commentators’ closing remarks, the image of the ball hitting the giant glove kept replaying in their minds.

They were annoyed that this irritating guy had stolen a historic moment in their stadium. Even though they had won, it felt like a loss, and the aftermath wasn’t much better.

Except for the San Francisco local media, and even some of them, the focus was on Lee Jung-woo’s 40th home run and that scene, rather than the Giants’ victory.

[Jung-woo Lee, Season 40th Home Run! A Blast He Endured Throughout the Game!]

[Cheers from the visiting fans! The Tomahawk Chop [a celebratory arm motion and chant used by Braves fans] Dominated Oracle at the Last Moment! Jung-woo Lee Impresses Fans Who Flew Thousands of Miles!]

[A Picture-Perfect Home Run! He Sacrificed the Previous At-Bats for This! Lee Showed Overwhelming Power, Hitting the First Gold Glove at Oracle Park!]

[The Team’s Disappointing Defeat! But the Protagonist Was ‘Lee’ Again This Time.]

[5 At-Bats, 5 Plate Appearances, 1 Hit, 1 Home Run, 2 RBIs. Lee, Showing Signs of a Slump? ‘Today He Was a Powerful Gorilla!’ Experts Critically Criticize!]

[San Francisco Giants General Manager, ‘Will Charge Lee for Repair Costs.’ Reveals Petty Thoughts!]

Articles poured out as if they had been waiting. Some articles with slightly inaccurate information were uploaded, as if they had been pre-written about Lee Jung-woo’s 40th home run. They were uploaded without being corrected because of the rush.

In fact, that was mild. Compared to the articles hastily cobbled together from other sources, it was somewhat more diligent, but still based on the reporter’s own interpretation.

Thus, Lee Jung-woo’s home run kept all sports media workers busy.

[Lee Jung-woo, Season 40th Home Run! Only Five Stolen Bases Left Until 40-40! Undisputed ‘Symbol’ of This Era]

[‘Pride of Asia!’ Atlanta’s Lee Jung-woo (李貞玗) Showed the Power of the Orient to All of America! Celebrates 40th Home Run!]

[Lee Jung-woo’s Home Run Train Even Oracle Park Couldn’t Stop! Is the Next Goal 50 Home Runs? ‘Definitely Possible’ at the Current Pace!]

In particular, the Korean media, always focused on Lee Jung-woo, and the Japanese media, which had shifted from previous criticism to unimaginable praise, were shouting about praise, symbols, 50 home runs, etc., showing an over-the-top reaction. Various portal sites and internet communities related to baseball and Major League Baseball were flooded with posts, threatening to crash the servers.

Even those who usually disliked the excessive praise surrounding Lee Jung-woo’s performance felt differently today.

It was absurd to call one player hitting 40 home runs in a season excessive, and the moment was so great that criticizing it felt wrong.

– I really can’t say anything. Is he Korean? That’s all I can say.

– A shortstop with a perfect fielding percentage hits 40 home runs in a season? It’s unbelievable. Is Lee Jung-woo not an MVP candidate yet? Is he still overrated?

– He’s not even a pure power hitter. He showed some of that today, but even if you take away home runs and slugging percentage, he’s still a top-class hitter.

– I still don’t understand. Is this kind of power possible for an Asian? Seriously, is one of his ancestors Samoan? Or Cuban or Venezuelan?

– Don’t insult his parents.

– It’s not an insult, I just can’t believe it. I’ve lived to see a Korean hit 40 home runs in a Major League season.

Korean netizens, in particular, seemed dumbfounded. They simply couldn’t believe it. The moment Lee Jung-woo’s home run count went from 39 to 40, an indescribable shock resonated, leaving a lasting impression.

Korean. Major League. Slugger. 40 Home Runs. Separately, they’re just ordinary words, but together, they form a sentence that creates immense cognitive dissonance. And this strange sentence had become reality.

Moreover, it wasn’t easily achieved; it was a moment that exploded at the last second after hope had dwindled, following a series of disappointing at-bats throughout the game, making the catharsis even sweeter.

Forty home runs were significant, but this particular home run felt tens, hundreds, or thousands of times more precious than the usual splash hit [a home run that lands in McCovey Cove beyond the right field wall of Oracle Park].

– I thought it wasn’t his day after seeing the batted balls keep getting caught. But his power is insane.

– If he hit that kind of ball in other stadiums, it would be amazing, but in Oracle? Where the sea breeze is crazy?

– It would have been an out-of-the-park home run in another stadium, right?

– Totally agree. No, without that huge glove, it would have been an out-of-the-park home run without even going to another stadium. It hit the glove and fell into the stands, so it didn’t happen.

– Actually, this is more valuable than an out-of-the-park home run. I heard it’s the first time ever. Hitting that thing with a batted ball. This is God Jung-woo’s class.

The entire internet in Korea was buzzing about Lee Jung-woo, and the Braves’ fans were ecstatic.

It was a festival, a riot. That level of reaction exploded. The visiting fans who had waited patiently and witnessed it rejoiced as the ultimate winners and looked forward to the next game without regret.

####

The Giants managed to save face by seizing the momentum and nearly securing victory in the second game the following day.

It might seem strange to say that a team that won the previous day was saving face, but that’s how the fans felt. The victory yesterday, which they thought would be talked about forever and remembered even after Oracle Park was demolished and replaced with a new stadium, felt worse than a loss.

“We need to get rid of that damn glove. Just looking at it makes me feel like crap.”

“Leave it alone, it’s not like it did anything wrong. That bastard [Lee Jung-woo] is the bad guy.”

The giant glove, one of the iconic symbols of Oracle Park along with the giant Coca-Cola bottle nearby, had been reduced to “that damn thing” in just one game.

The home fans were somewhat comforted by winning another game and the excellent pitching of their ace, Ilya Danilov, who started that day, but Lee Jung-woo subtly ruined even that small consolation.

‘Don’t get too comfortable just because I’m on second base.’

The game was in the top of the 7th. Lee Jung-woo, who had earned an RBI (Run Batted In) with a double in his at-bat, surveyed the field.

Faces that seemed slightly relieved because there was a runner on second base. Especially since Lee Jung-woo, who rarely attempts to steal third base, might have made them even more relaxed.

And Lee Jung-woo didn’t seem to like the complacency of those Giants players. He carefully glanced at third base, trying not to be noticed by the second baseman or shortstop, his eyes as cold as a snake.

‘Slowly, one step at a time. Carefully, so as not to draw attention.’

Fortunately, the pinch hitter, Joey Fredman, was drawing all the attention, making it a little easier. They were distracted by him and overlooked Lee Jung-woo, who was already planning to steal a base.

‘Timing… here it comes.’

Having been given the green light to steal bases, his movement was fearless. Lee Jung-woo started just as Ilya Danilov wound up and threw the ball. The catcher was startled, but thanks to Joey’s perfectly timed slow swing that interfered with the throw, the steal was successful.

[3rd Base Steal! Jung-woo Lee! Amazing speed! He took advantage of the gap perfectly!]

[He’s a player you always have to watch when there’s no runner ahead of him. But they couldn’t this time. Actually, it’s understandable. From the pitcher’s or catcher’s perspective, with Joey Fredman at the plate, they can’t focus on the runner.]

“You son of a bitch! Fuck!”

The refreshing curse uttered by one spectator probably reflected the feelings of the entire Giants team. Yesterday, Lee Jung-woo crushed their spirits with a home run at the last minute, and today he was tormenting them with his stolen bases.

Lee Jung-woo finished with 5 at-bats, 3 plate appearances, 1 hit, 2 walks, 1 RBI, and 3 stolen bases, keeping his face on the screen until the very end.

Still, the Giants secured the victory and swept the Braves, a tough opponent, but until the end of the series, the fans and players couldn’t shake off their uneasy feelings.

“Ah, today was fun too. I’m glad I came to see it. It’s worth the plane ticket.”

“This is Lee. Home runs and stolen bases, we just need to see two more stolen bases.”

“Right, since it’s at home, it would be perfect if he got two more stolen bases and achieved 40-40.”

On the other hand, the Braves, who had already secured the top spot, were satisfied with having achieved enough of their goals, such as Lee Jung-woo’s 40 home runs and his nearing 40-40 milestone, and smiled brightly, as the game’s outcome had long ceased to matter.

[Somehow, the expressions of the winners and losers seem reversed. The visiting fans are leaving the stadium with a refreshed expression, while the home fans can’t hide their uneasy feelings.]

[This series was also about Jung-woo Lee in some ways.]

####

After finishing the Giants series, which felt like a loss despite winning, the Braves returned home after a long time to face the Miami Marlins, the 4th-place team in their division.

They were one of the teams that consistently lingered at the bottom and couldn’t even approach the postseason, but Atlanta, who had brought them in because the Nationals were steadily declining, was filled with excitement.

“The owner of our regular bar said that if Lee gets 40-40, everything will be half price that day. Should we go there?”

“Are you crazy? Watch such an amazing moment on a TV screen! This is a must-see in person! [직관 is a Korean term for watching a game live.]”

“I just got a new jersey customized, what do you think? Does it look good? I put 40-40 on the back.”

“It looks good, but you should have waited until the end of the season. He might get 50-50.”

“Then I’ll just have to buy a new one and customize it again.”

40-40 with only 2 stolen bases left. A rare record achieved by only four players in history. It was right in front of them, within reach. And that player is a Braves player.

There was no reason why the entire city of Atlanta wouldn’t be swept up in the excitement with these facts alone. It was a moment that might not come again in their lifetime.

“Ah! Seriously! It’s fucking expensive! They tripled the original price!”

“Hey, that’s cheap. Some places start at $300. But those are good seats.”

“$300? What the fuck, it’s not like it’s the World Series… So where is that? Are there any left?”

“You should have bought a season ticket. Like me. I bought it last year after seeing Lee do well, and it’s worth the money.”

“If you’re teasing me, get lost. I don’t have the luxury [余裕 is Korean for leeway or spare time/money] to listen to you showing off.”

As a result, tickets for all games in the series sold out instantly, and season ticket holders snapped up all the seats, so those who couldn’t get tickets even bought expensive black market tickets. Those who couldn’t even get those were prepared to wander around the stadium on game day and look for scalpers.

And the impact of this atmosphere extended beyond just Braves fans and led to regional movements. Companies and stores in Atlanta and other southeastern cities where the Braves are popular were preparing for a bonanza [한탕 is Korean for a big score or windfall] by making pledges related to Lee achieving 40-40.

[One player’s influence is shaking the entire city. Maybe even the state, or more.]

Like the title of an article discussing this fervor, Lee Jung-woo’s name dominated the entire southeastern region of the United States, a vast area.