Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 275

End of Pitching, Start of Hitting – Episode 274 (275/287)

The postseason drives people crazy. If you love baseball, if you have a team you support, and if that team makes it to the postseason, you can’t help but stay glued to the channel.

Furthermore, even after the game ends, you might find yourself affected in your daily life, whether you’re happy, sad, or angry depending on the game’s content or outcome.

“Drink up, drink up. It’s on me tonight!”

“No, no, it’s my treat. Just sit tight.”

Perhaps that’s why the city of Atlanta felt strangely filled with happiness. People’s faces were painted with pleasant smiles, and sometimes, overcome with excessive joy, they would engage in reckless spending.

[The Braves win Game 2 after all!]

“That’s right! It’s only natural!”

“For the Braves!”

“Cheers!”

In reality, it was more like a drinking party. Those who couldn’t watch the game in person wandered around bars with like-minded people to relieve their disappointment. Since they were mostly the same members who always met, they hugged each other and poured alcohol down their throats.

There was no need for snacks.

The TV screen, the game unfolding within it, and the proud players captured on the screen were enough to fill their bellies just by watching.

[Jungwoo Lee continues to lead the team to victory with amazing performances in the Championship Series, following the Division Series. In this game, he battered the opposing team with 3 hits, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, and 2 walks in 6 plate appearances, 4 at-bats.]

[He’s an unstoppable player. It’s practically impossible to control him.]

“Yeeeeeaaah!”

“Of course! What do you mean, control Lee?”

“Wow~ Just looking at Lee’s face makes me full, so full.”

For example, after Game 2 ended with the Braves’ victory, Lee Jungwoo was caught on camera.

The bar was filled with applause and cheers just because his face was shown, and there were quite a few tables where people started drinking beer again, using the excuse that his face had appeared.

He was a player who filled the fans up just with his presence, and just knowing that such a player belonged to the Braves, the fans wouldn’t feel hungry even if they went without food for three days and nights.

In fact, their mood improved just by seeing his face, so they naturally drank more, and they never really felt hungry in the first place.

“One beer, no, three more!”

“Here! Over here too!”

The bar owner simply wore a satisfied smile at the customers who were already quite drunk but still calling for more alcohol.

He looked at one side of the store’s wall. He had remodeled it with quite a bit of money, and the wall was filled with photos and various memorabilia of Lee Jungwoo.

There was also that strangely bizarre Korean Night souvenir. That was the secret to abundance. Just having his face was enough to naturally draw Braves fans in.

‘Lee really brings in the money.’

He repeated the truth he had realized to himself once again as he filled the beer glasses to the brim, and then people who raised their hands high shouted.

“Now it’s the Dodgers’ home, right? Let’s show them properly! How we can screw them over!”

“Just wait! This time, Lee will go to their home and beat them all to hell, and proudly bring back the World Series ticket!”

“This year, we’re winning the championship!”

“Championship!”

In the past, he would have wanted those noisy guys to just get out of his store, but not anymore. He simply shouted along with them like one of their own.

He felt a slight pang in his heart when he thought of the Cubs uniform he had carefully stored in his closet, but what could he do? This was Atlanta.

To survive in the heart of the newly emerged fanatical cult, the Atlanta Braves, he too had no choice but to roll his eyes along with the others.

And so, shouldering the happiness of everyone, the Braves set out on their road trip, to end the Championship Series at the happiest moment for everyone.

####

A solemn atmosphere flowed inside the plane, so much so that you couldn’t tell it was a team that had won two games in a row.

No one easily spoke, and the players, even those who usually showed a playful side and turned the cabin into a gambling den, now quietly spent the journey with their money and playing cards packed away in their luggage.

‘It’s definitely different from last year.’

It was different from last year.

Back then, when they had won two games in a row, the entire team was full of ease, and that had turned into arrogance.

And in some ways, the situation was better then. Back then, they were returning home after winning two games on the road, but now they were going to the opponent’s base.

So the players couldn’t relax. They had already recorded four consecutive losses in a better situation, frustrating everyone, and they couldn’t let that happen again this year.

‘Will this be a poison or a medicine…’

Excessive tension sometimes ruins games, so it might hold the team back in a slightly different sense from the ease they had back then.

If they lost in Game 3, that tension might really turn into the pressure that the worst-case scenario might happen again.

So, although it wasn’t as bad as arrogance, the current atmosphere was just as dangerous, but Lee Jungwoo thought positively.

‘At least it’s better than looking down on the opponent and taking the postseason lightly.’

That’s why Lee Jungwoo, the coaches, and several key players like Derek didn’t bother trying to instill a winning mentality in the team or lift the atmosphere.

They simply maintained the current atmosphere appropriately. Soon, they arrived in Los Angeles and were greeted by a cloudless night sky with a shining moon. It was beautiful, but less so than the stadium would be the next day. An amazing sight unfolded before their eyes.

“Go Dodgers!”

“Let’s go for the loss-loss-win-win-win-win!” [Referring to losing the first two games and then winning the next four.]

“Let’s start over from here! Let’s do it like last year!”

Dodger Stadium was gradually filling with spectators, painted in white and blue, but here and there, some seats were stained with blood-like red. The voices, which had been exclusively Dodgers, were also gradually being countered by other chants.

“Oh~ Oh oh!”

“Braves! Braves!”

The number of Dodgers fans who had been witnessed at Truist Park was certainly considerable, but Dodger Stadium went beyond that, creating a scene that resembled a neutral stadium.

There were quite a few people wearing Braves uniforms.

The Braves players, who had entered the stadium with serious expressions, couldn’t help but laugh for a moment at the sight of people swinging their tomahawks without paying any attention to the glares around them.

“Seriously, amazing, amazing. Seriously, do they love baseball that much?”

“They love us. Baseball too, but us more.”

“It’s not like it’s Washington or Miami next door, it’s LA on the opposite side, but everyone came so enthusiastically.”

If you cut out only one side, it wasn’t much different from Truist Park, so the players were amazed, but their faces were full of smiles. The fans were just firmly believing in them, making them feel ashamed for trembling with worry.

The solemn atmosphere that had hung over the team subsided, and the emptiness left by the slightly faded tension was now filled with a sense of responsibility. They had to win. Absolutely.

That was all they could think about.

“Aren’t you going out today?”

“I don’t think there’s a need to.”

In that atmosphere, Lee Jungwoo, who had briefly taken in Dodger Stadium and the fans from the dugout, turned around and returned to the locker room.

According to his routine, he would have looked around the stadium, read the atmosphere, observed the opponent, and steeled his resolve, but today there was no reason to do so.

It was already enough.

“Lee! We’re counting on you today too!”

“Hit a home run, a home run!”

“Let’s sweep here! No need to come all the way home!”

The fans who came to the stadium ordered him to win, and he just had to faithfully carry it out. Nothing more, nothing less was needed.

‘Since they came all this way, I should give them a good show.’

####

[NLCS Game 3 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves! Will the Dodgers be able to start a major counterattack today, just like last year!]

The game began amidst thorough preparations, and each broadcasting company with broadcasting rights began their coverage with lively commentary.

[Lee Jungwoo’s condition is key. In the previous two games, he has shown an almost unbelievable batting sense, recording 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 home runs in 7 at-bats out of 11 plate appearances. If that momentum continues until today, it will be a considerable challenge for the Dodgers.]

[Even if they avoid him because of his batting sense, Joey Fredman, the following hitter, is definitely not a player to be ignored, and if there are no runners ahead, Lee Jungwoo’s stolen bases are also tricky, so it will be even more difficult for the Dodgers.]

Each may have different comments, but the Korean commentators, as always, started with Lee Jungwoo, or rather, they started with Lee Jungwoo without even an introduction.

There were quite a few criticisms from viewers that the comments were always the same, but at least today they were justified.

He was, after all, the main protagonist of the two losses the Dodgers had suffered in the Championship Series.

They were going to talk about such an important hitter, so it couldn’t be a sin, right? It was just a solid fact.

Therefore, the commentators continued their praise for Lee Jungwoo without hesitation, and the viewers, while resting their chins with a nonchalant expression at the repertoire they always heard, did not change the channel.

No, even with the cliché, the viewership ratings continued to soar.

The heat of the postseason that had driven America crazy naturally had an impact on Korea as well.

Koreans were completely invested as their most crucial players, so it was impossible not to be interested.

Also, in the case of the Dodgers, although they currently have no Korean players, they still have the largest fan base in Korea other than the Braves, so the attention was extraordinary.

So, if you were even slightly interested in baseball, people would naturally have no choice but to stay tuned to the channel. In addition, even those who don’t usually enjoy watching baseball turned on the broadcast channel.

Media outlets even slightly related to sports poured out articles about Lee Jungwoo every day, and even internet news companies and various programs that mainly broadcast entertainment news provided information about Lee Jungwoo to suit people’s tastes.

Even if they didn’t know much about baseball, they had heard of the player Lee Jungwoo, and when they heard that such a player had gone to some great competition, they naturally became interested.

[Now, the first inning, the Braves’ first attack of today’s game begins with Derek Hunt at leadoff, followed by Lee Jungwoo at number 2, and Joey Fredman at number 3.]

As the game began around the time when half the fans and half the curious people gathered in front of the screen, and Lee Jungwoo, who was in the on-deck circle, was caught on camera, the commentators once again began to sing a paean and praise him.

Soon, as leadoff Derek was out, Lee Jungwoo came to the plate, and they unhesitatingly talked about a hit or a home run.

[Ah… Unfortunately, the ball was caught. Lee Jungwoo. That’s the second out count in this series, right?]

[Lee Jungwoo had been on base in every plate appearance except for recording a ground ball in the previous Game 2, but it’s a bit unfortunate now.]

However, as Lee Jungwoo was soon retired with a fly ball caught by the third baseman, the commentators awkwardly tried to sugarcoat it.

Many people who were disappointed that a towering fly ball came out instead of the expected exhilarating home run left, and at this time, malicious trolls briefly ran wild.

-Lee Jungwoo’s drug is wearing off.

-What’s with the infield fly? I heard he hits a long hit every time he hits, but he can’t even get past the infield.

-Tsk tsk, I can see it, I can see it. It’s going to be like last year. Lee Jungwoo seems to be a bit of a chicken heart? [Slang for someone who is cowardly or lacks courage.]

-Are you crazy? Are you saying chicken heart even after seeing Lee Jungwoo’s performance right now?

The fans were naturally dumbfounded and frowned as they retorted, but there was no need to do so. Even if they didn’t deal with them, they would shut their mouths on their own.

[Lee Jungwoo! Super catch!]

[Haha, Alan O’Donnell is giving a thumbs up. When a fielder catches something like that, the pitcher naturally gains strength!]

A super catch that jumped up quite high and snatched it like a butterfly net. That alone was enough for the anti-fans to lower their heads again.

If it had been even slightly less difficult, they would have shouted that other shortstops would have caught that much, but even those words didn’t come out.

Even in the games that followed, defensive plays that were no less than that occurred frequently, and there was nothing to criticize in his batting, so they bowed their heads even further.

[Lee Jungwoo is on base with a walk. You can feel that the Dodgers battery [pitcher and catcher] is very conscious of him.]

[Considering Lee Jungwoo’s performance in the postseason, it’s inevitable that they’re cautious.]

However, it’s just that the trolls’ rampage has stopped, but the game itself was a bit short of expectations. One short single and one walk after a ground ball.

It was a decent performance and deserved praise, but what most people wanted was an exhilarating long hit and a home run, as the media had been talking about every day. There were no cool stolen bases because the pitcher and catcher were thoroughly checking him.

Of course, he was exerting a tremendous influence on defense as well, so he was active on both offense and defense today, but there was a bit of regret.

[It’s about time for a home run. In Lee Jungwoo’s case, he tends to hit a long hit like a ghost even in situations like this, right?]

[I think the Dodgers are being a little more careful because they know that.]

To continue the box office success, a big hit was needed, so the commentators raised their voices, even though there was no way they could be heard even in the local broadcast.

At that time, the big hit they had been hoping for came out.

[He hit it! The ball is stretching out! He didn’t get it over the fence, but it’s quite deep!]

When the ball that Lee Jungwoo sent flying in his fourth at-bat hit the top of the fence, the commentators and casters raised their voices, and people who had turned on the game and were doing other things were drawn back to the screen. What they faced was Lee Jungwoo running like crazy.

The right fielder’s response was quite fast, but his running speed was so fast that he had already passed second base by the time the right fielder caught the ball, and soon the throw was fired.

[Safe! It’s safe! Lee Jungwoo’s RBI triple! In the top of the 6th inning with two outs, the score is now 7 to 4! The Braves are getting further away!]

[The ball was a bit deep, but… it was an amazing running speed even considering that.]

An RBI triple. A refreshing long hit, fast running play, and even an RBI, a hit that contained everything they had expected filled the regret that was a little lacking, and that alone was already satisfying enough, but that wasn’t the end.

Lee Jungwoo had no intention of ending with just satisfaction.