Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 245

End of Pitching, Start of Hitting – Episode 244

After finishing the conversation with the manager, Lee Jung-woo returned to the training field. It was an unexpected conversation, and the topic was a bit embarrassing, but since it ended well, he slowly warmed up with his usual expression.

“We’re really stiff. If we don’t loosen up now, we’re going to die.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s why I came out to the training field to loosen up.”

The aftermath of the doubleheader was significant. Groans of pain echoed here and there, and some players let out strange moans as they moved their bodies according to the physical trainer’s instructions.

It was quite disgusting, considering it was coming from hairy middle-aged men.

‘Disgusting or not, everyone’s going to be replaced tomorrow, including me.’

The doubleheader, coming at the end of the season, made the already exhausted Braves even more worn out, which was perhaps an opportunity for new faces.

“You’re up again this time?”

“Huh? Yeah, well, there’s no one else to bring up besides me, right? Among the catchers.”

“True. You need to secure your spot firmly next year, right?”

“I wish I could. But Lipton seems to be at his peak this season.”

Desmond Richie. He had gotten to know Lee Jung-woo quite well and built a friendship, so they chatted while warming up together.

Perhaps, excluding the starting players, he was one of the most comfortable players to be around. He was a promising prospect the team was paying attention to, and his position was catcher.

From the team’s perspective, he was practically the third-string catcher and was recognized as the future field commander of the Braves, so it was easy to feel comfortable.

‘By the way, who is that… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere, but I can’t quite remember…’

While relieving his fatigue and talking with Desmond, Lee Jung-woo looked at a player he vaguely remembered and soon realized.

‘Ah! That—Toby, Max? Maxon? Ah, right, Maxon. Is that him?’

“Desmond, is that Toby Maxon?”

“Oh? You remember him? I thought you’d forgotten all your Double-A teammates since you’re doing so well in the majors.”

“He must have been doing great? He’s on the 40-man roster.”

Toby Maxon.

A player who played on the same team in Double-A, and he had a strange connection with Lee Jung-woo. He had given him advice, not exactly advice, when he was getting crushed and his starting position was in danger.

“He was amazing. Don’t you know the team’s situation too well, even though you’re in the majors? He was ranked 46th in BA rankings. He’s the highest among our farm [minor league] pitchers, I think?”

BA rankings. A familiar name to baseball fans who like Major League Baseball. It’s a baseball magazine that mainly covers high school and college baseball and the minor leagues, and it’s famous for publishing rankings of each team’s farm system and minor league prospects.

It’s a great magazine to see who will be the next All-Star and which prospects are developing well in your team. Being ranked 46th in the prospect rankings they publish means that he’s a prospect worth paying attention to in at least one team.

‘And isn’t he a bit old?’

In Toby Maxon’s case, he wasn’t that young, so it could be seen as even more impressive, and only then did Lee Jung-woo understand why the pitching coach was often hovering around him.

‘Objectively speaking, our team’s farm isn’t that great. Pitchers always pop up, but even considering that, it’s just average.’

Major League fans often say that about the Braves’ farm system. It’s an overhyped empty shell due to the birth of a star named Lee Jung-woo. Lee Jung-woo, who came from the farm system, is doing incredibly well, to the point of being seriously amazing, so it feels great, but that’s not really the case.

‘Objectively speaking, there aren’t many notable prospects besides Desmond. Especially since we went to the postseason last year, our draft pick order was pushed back a lot this year.’

It’s not completely ruined like some other teams, but with a farm system that’s ambiguous to call good, it’s only natural to pay attention to a 46th-ranked prospect, even if it’s late.

‘But, was there a guy with that face in the major leagues at this time? His impression is so strong that I couldn’t have forgotten him if I had seen him even once.’

Lee Jung-woo was a bit doubtful about that. Was there a guy like that? In the major leagues? Although his memory was fading and he wasn’t very knowledgeable enough to know all the major leaguers, Toby Maxon looked like a barbarian, so if he had seen him even once through news, newspapers, or articles, he couldn’t have forgotten him.

But even in Double-A and now, his pre-regression appearance didn’t come to mind, so even if he went to the majors, he either failed miserably enough not to be covered by the media, or he originally couldn’t become a major leaguer, one of the two.

‘I’ll know when I see the game. Which one it is.’

####

Among those who came up through the 40-man roster, there were some who were simply ready-to-use players to finish this season well, but there were also prospects that each team brought up to give them a taste of the majors.

Among them, there were, of course, players who were so highly regarded by the media that they were drooling over them, and the media quickly rushed to interview such players.

Somehow, they all…

[My goal? ‘Only Lee exists.’ Ambitious aspirations!]

[‘I want to open a new era with Lee.’ The emergence of a new hero?]

[‘I was much better than Lee in the minor leagues! Now it’s the same in the majors!’ Confident genius!]

[‘I want to face Jung-woo Lee. Why? Because, of course, you have to beat the best to become the best.’ Challenging the best!]

The nuances were all similar.

Lee Jung-woo here, Lee Jung-woo there. They all talked about Lee Jung-woo and aimed for him. Or admired him.

It was a natural thing. He was the most successful player at the moment, no, the best player, and he reached the peak in just two years after his debut.

It was inevitable that it would resonate more greatly and easily with prospects of a similar age to Lee Jung-woo. They couldn’t help but think, ‘I want to be like that too.’

Still, from the person’s point of view, it felt a bit strange, so Lee Jung-woo stopped training for a moment, sat down to rest, and checked it on his phone, asking those around him with a sulky expression.

“Did someone put a bounty on my head? Guys I don’t even know are all doing interviews saying they’re going to take my head.”

It’s not like he’s a wanted criminal, and these young kids, no, they’re only a year or two older than Lee Jung-woo, are shouting that they’re going to take his head.

They were remarks that could be laughed off as rookie spirit, so he wasn’t very unpleasant, but it was a bit unsettling.

“Think about your position right now, Lee. You’re a walking wanted man.”

“Just take it as it is, you always hear all sorts of things when you’re doing well.”

“You’re famous, and you’re the youngest, after all.”

“Huh?”

His teammates comforted him with a word or two, as if they understood, but Joey, who was also being rolled around by the physical trainer in a similar way because he had played in the doubleheader, hit the nail on the head. The youngest. It was a word that was hard to understand at first glance, but soon Lee Jung-woo nodded as if he understood well.

‘That’s right, being good is good, but Hunter, Harding, and me. I’m the youngest of the three, so there’s less pressure when mentioning me. No matter how important confidence is in America, Hunter and Harding are distant seniors from the prospects’ point of view.’

Even in America, unlike what people often think, it’s a bit burdensome to do a bold interview towards seniors in the same industry. Especially if there’s no justification for it.

So, they’re focusing on Lee Jung-woo, who is the youngest among the best players at the moment. Although he’s ranked the highest among all players this season, he’s still a young player and has a short career, so if they focus on him, they won’t be called arrogant or disrespectful juniors to their seniors. They’ll just be praised for their spirit.

‘I don’t know if I should see this as clever or pathetic. What’s even funnier is that one of those guys will definitely grow into an All-Star-level player later on.’

After reading it, it was ironic that he was amazed at Toby Maxon just before, but they all had BA rankings, and some even ranked within the top 10, prospects who would represent the league in the future.

So, in about five years, he might be able to form an All-Star team with the guys who are targeting him and interviewing him now. Those guys are throwing all sorts of words at him.

‘The intention is a bit unsettling, but it’s still pretty good, not bad.’

He didn’t feel bad at all. No, he felt good. It meant he was being recognized that much, and that he had become such a big deal.

Someone, players with enough talent, are aiming for him and preparing to challenge him. Just like Lee Jung-woo had aimed for Arthur Hunter or Vincent Harding not long ago. Now, he himself has become such an existence to other players.

‘I have to live up to that expectation—’

“Lee, break time is over. Let’s loosen up again. You have to loosen up as much as possible so you don’t get injured—”

“Yes, yes… I’ll go right away.”

Lee Jung-woo was full of energy, but unfortunately, the physical trainer didn’t allow him to exert himself without his permission, at least not today.

####

The Braves’ first opponent in September was the Washington Nationals, and they were very accommodating ahead of the three-game series with the Braves. Some even wished for the Braves to achieve a sweep.

Since they had been tanking [intentionally losing to secure a higher draft pick] for a long time, their main goal was to lose cleanly and lower their win rate as much as possible. That’s why the Nationals wanted to lose, but the roster was a bit different from their intentions.

[The Braves have filled their starting roster with newly promoted players. Some starters are included, but except for a few, they’re almost all new faces.]

[It seems they need rest because they played a doubleheader in the previous game. Also, at this point, the Braves desperately need to manage the stamina of their starting players rather than win. They’re using the expanded roster well.]

112 wins. That was the Braves’ current number of wins. Their win rate was still maintaining in the mid-70s. Is the season over? No, there’s still more than a month left. But they’ve already surpassed 100 wins.

At this rate, they could aim for the all-time record. That’s why the Braves didn’t desperately need to win right now.

Their postseason appearance and division title were already confirmed, and they had more than enough.

[Of course, if they add 15 more wins here, they can tie the record for the most wins in a season. The highest win rate is virtually impossible because they have to win almost all the remaining games. However, the highest win rate in the 30-team system is definitely worth challenging.]

[Yes, that’s true… But to be honest, if I had to choose between winning the World Series and the most wins in the regular season, I think I would just choose the World Series.]

Perhaps because they were free from the pressure of winning, there were players in various positions that made people wonder, ‘Who is that?’ The Nationals were a bit embarrassed when they confirmed it. Because their team’s chances of winning had increased.

Of course, fans always want their team to win, but they knew what they had to do now, so they couldn’t help it.

“Hey! Do it properly!”

“Hey, you guys, what are you doing! We want to go to at least the 3rd pick!”

“Ah, stop raising our win rate and running away, just win as spectacularly as you do against other guys!”

In fact, there was already a precedent. In the second half of July, the Braves gave the Nationals, who were considering tanking, a clean sweep as a gift, raising their win rate.

That’s why the few Nationals fans who came to the away game shouted and yelled to do it properly, and the home fans glared at them, but in fact, they were also a bit dissatisfied.

“I understand because the last game was a doubleheader, but still…”

“The ticket price is a waste, right?”

“Ah, I came to see Lee. He’s not coming out today, as expected. They have to manage his stamina…”

“This, I don’t think it’s going to be 50-50? If he misses a few games like this, it’ll be harder to accumulate home runs. Steals, well, he can raise them quickly if he wants to.”

They came to see the starting players, but they were disappointed because the ground was filled with unfamiliar faces.

Still, although Lee Jung-woo wasn’t there, Derek, who was also the face of the team, and Peterson, a recognized slugger in the team, were playing as starters, and the starting pitcher was Christensen, who had once been the ace of the Braves and protected the team, so the home fans watched the game with some satisfaction.

It was like reminiscing about the past.

“It’s like the old days. When Lee wasn’t there. No, it’s not the old days, it’s just last year.”

“It feels a bit like that.”

“Then Darren Robson is going to be in the shortstop position instead of him? And Ray Garza is going to be in the third base position.”

“Darren? Garza? Who is that—Oh, Fuck, if you say those guys’ names one more time, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“Those guys are those guys, but what kind of old days is it without Joey? And some other guys are missing too.”

“Maybe, in a parallel world where Lee and Joey aren’t there, our team is like this…”

“That’s terrifying just to imagine…”

Ah, correction. It wasn’t a memory, it was a nightmare. The home fans suddenly got goosebumps at the thought that one of the many parallel world Braves might really be like this. It was terrifying just to imagine.

The home fans, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable with the sense of déjà vu, watched the game with a slightly sullen expression, and the sullenness deepened as the team was losing hard.

“Most of them are on the 40-man roster. Even if it’s the Nationals, it’s a bit tough…”

“Wow, the captain is dying because Lee isn’t there. I’m realizing it again. Yeah, it was exactly like that before June last year. The captain was doing all sorts of dirty work alone to clean up Darren’s mess… It’s so frustrating again.”

Other pitchers were the same, but starting pitcher Christensen seemed to feel the absence of the shortstop he usually trusted and relied on quite a bit, contributing to his ERA [Earned Run Average] increase and the team’s loss by giving up 5 runs through 6 innings.

The batting lineup seemed a bit weak, perhaps because the team’s mainstays, including Lee Jung-woo and Joey, were largely missing.

5 to 1. The situation was so dire that even the embers of the chase were faint. The spectators began to look at the ground with a slightly indifferent expression, and the only thing that was hot in this stadium was the away fans.

They were heated for a slightly different reason.

“We need Lee.”

“He’s amazing usually, but whenever he’s missing like this, the void feels terribly big.”

“If Lee plays 2000 consecutive games like Cal Ripken Jr. [a famous baseball player known for his consecutive game streak]… He’ll either die before that or stab the manager with a knife. How did that guy play like that?”

“If it’s Lee, he’ll say he’ll do it. The team will stop him instead.”

A slightly loose and vacant game. The common thought of the people was the same. ‘We need Lee.’ While reaffirming that, the first game of September was almost over. But an opportunity came.

The scene they had been wanting to see so much had arrived. As if to say they would recover the value of the expensive ticket.