Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 10

After the first game.

Lee Jungwoo played in all three home games against the Green Jackals.

“Lee, get ready. You’re up next at bat.”

“Yes, sir.”

In the second game, he came in as a pinch hitter like the first game, taking two at-bats.

‘The pitcher is shaking. Let’s wait him out.’

“Base on balls!”

His first at-bat, he patiently waited and drew a walk on a low fastball.

‘Here it comes, the splitter.’

“Hup!”

In his second at-bat, he connected with a splitter, driving in a run with a go-ahead RBI double.

“Oh? Starting lineup today? Well, you’re batting 1.000 so far, though it’s only three at-bats. Hey, Lee, wanna do another mini-game with me later? I’m trying to throw a horizontal slider. Wanna test it out in a real pitching situation. By the way, what bat are you using, Lee? It’s all black, what kind of wood is it made of?”

‘I must be crazy. I should have just told him to buzz off when he came to talk to me. I’m just asking for trouble.’

Perhaps as a reward for hitting the game-winning RBI in both games, he started as the designated hitter in the final game of the home series.

And he showed his potential in that game as well.

‘Since I did well in the previous games, they’re testing the waters today.’

The Green Jackals had been burned by him before, so they were playing it safe.

In the end, he struck out twice, but he also hit two clean doubles, bringing in two RBIs.

As the Lome Braves’ secret weapon, no one underestimated him anymore; he had essentially dominated the series.

Even the hitters who were initially annoyed now genuinely found him troublesome, not to mention the existing designated hitter who suddenly lost his spot.

This was evident elsewhere as well.

“The ball speed is fast. The angle isn’t bad either…”

“His batting speed is average, but his natural wrist strength is excellent. A pull hitter is good, but if he’s trained well, he could be a spray hitter too?”

“His base running is stable. No bonehead plays. He’s just doing it averagely.”

“His eye for the ball… it’s hard to grasp. Is he hitting based on what he sees, or is he anticipating? We need to watch him more.”

Scouts had come down to write reports on the players as the season neared its end. They took notice of Lee Jungwoo, who was putting up unexpected numbers.

He was showing potential, and his ceiling was high too. This was relayed to the front office as well.

‘7 at-bats, 6 hits, 4 runs, 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 1 walk. Batting average of .667, on-base percentage of .625, slugging percentage of 1.500. Is this guy insane?’

Pratt, the general manager, was astonished by his monstrous performance. This was series MVP level. In fact, Lee had the game-winning RBI in all three games.

“Should I be happy about this, or not?”

Pratt had mixed feelings. It was good to see a promising hitter emerge, but it seemed like the $2.5 million first-round pitching prospect was gone for good. As the one who brought him in, he couldn’t help but feel a bit bitter.

‘The good ones are good at everything, huh? Well, he’s amazing.’

Putting aside his disappointment, he tried to think positively. The Braves already had plenty of pitchers, so wasn’t it good to have a promising hitter?

It was still too early to tell, but Lee’s performance during the series was undeniable. He had definitely shown his potential as a hitter. He started to see the position change in a slightly different light.

“According to the scouts’ reports, his ball speed is good. The angle is ideal too. He has power. They rated him around 70 for the series. They say he could reach 80 if he bulks up.”

“Just looking at his slugging percentage, it doesn’t make sense.”

Pratt chuckled again. Lee’s slugging percentage was ridiculously high. It was something you’d only see in a video game, or even then, you’d have to use an editor to achieve those numbers.

“However, he sometimes swings at ridiculous pitches. But that’s a characteristic of most sluggers, so it’s okay.”

When the GM’s assistant praised him, mentioning the scouts’ evaluations, GM Pratt’s face softened. He had let go of his lingering attachment. He would have to think of him as a decent hitter, not a disappointing pitcher.

“It’s only been three games, but we can say he has potential, right?”

“We need to watch him more, but he’s too good to send down to rookie league, isn’t he?”

GM Pratt nodded briefly in agreement with his assistant’s words. Originally, he was only going to keep him in Single-A until this season and then send him down to Danville in the rookie league next year.

But if he put up decent numbers for the rest of the season, it might be okay to keep him in Rome [Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves] next season as well.

“And according to the defensive coach, he also shows potential in defense. If he adapts to the position, he can play infielder, not just outfielder…”

“Infielder, like third base?”

“They’re teaching him second base for now. It’s a bit of a waste, though.”

GM Pratt licked his lips. Second base was an important position. Along with shortstop, it was the core of the infield defense, especially since the Atlanta Braves still had a shortage of fielders due to the previous GM, making it even more valuable.

But in the current situation, even that felt like a waste. He was a slugger with a potential of 80.

“If he maintains his current performance, second base is a bit of a waste. If we’re going to develop him as an infielder, shortstop or third base would be better.”

“Yes. They’re just teaching him the basics for now. We can talk about it later based on his performance. By the way, where are you going to send him for winter league?”

Winter league. That was an important issue. Especially for players like Lee, who needed to grow rapidly, every game was valuable. So GM Pratt had to think carefully.

If he sent him to a high-level league, he might not get a chance to play and his growth would be stunted. If he sent him to a league that was too low-level, he might become complacent.

“I’m thinking of Australia or Colombia. I should send him to Australia if possible.”

Colombia and Australia were both rated as Single-A, but there was a difference in language. If he were Hispanic, it would be okay to send him to Colombia, but Lee probably only spoke English.

It wouldn’t be good to put another language burden on a player who was already struggling to play baseball in a foreign country. It would be better to send him to Australia, where he could speak English and communicate.

Of course, it would be fine if there was an interpreter, but Australia and Colombia were about the same level anyway, not like the high-level Latin American winter leagues. There was no need to go to such trouble. So GM Pratt had decided on Australia.

“But we’ll have to see. If his performance is bad, I’ll have to send him to Panama.”

Of course, nothing was set in stone. Everything had to be decided based on the player’s performance. At least, that’s what GM Pratt thought.

####

After the Green Jackals series, it could be said that hitter Lee Jungwoo was on track. His unique talent for targeting vertical movement was shining. Seven out of ten pitchers throw curves. The curveball is such a common breaking ball that Lee Jungwoo has an advantage against most pitchers.

Since the results were good, the manager trusted him. As Lee Jungwoo was used more often, the defensive coach became a little anxious. Hitting coach Scott had shown clear results, but he hadn’t produced any results yet.

‘He just needs to adapt, just needs to adapt. He’s ready to play right away… why do I keep getting greedy?’

His throws weren’t slow, but he wasn’t a strong-armed player either. So he had thought of developing him as a second baseman instead of a shortstop. His basic reflexes were good, so he focused on teaching him the basics, including footwork.

But as Lee showed the potential of a power hitter, he revised his plan.

‘A power-hitting shortstop, that’s cleaner, isn’t it?’

Second base was a position where athleticism was important, so there were many minor injuries. It was also a position where you handled the ball as much as a pitcher. So usually, there were many small, quick, and fast leadoff hitters.

Therefore, it was rare to use a slugger as a second baseman. Defense was important, but in the end, hitting a lot of home runs was the best.

‘Should I develop him as a shortstop? He has enough potential, doesn’t he?’

He tore at his hair. The problem was that he was showing potential. Although a strong arm was important, infielders needed accuracy when throwing the ball. Lee was a former pitcher, so his throwing accuracy was excellent. That was enough to make him a shortstop.

His athleticism would allow him to easily catch balls pulled by right-handed hitters.

‘The problem is, there’s no time.’

There was a little less than a month left. He had to teach him everything in that time. There was next year, but it was questionable whether Lee would still be in Single-A next year. He could start in the rookie league.

‘Then all the things I’ve taught him will be taken away.’

If he finished this season as a pinch hitter and designated hitter and then went down to the rookie league next season to complete his position, all the efforts he had made so far would be the responsibility of the Danville [Rookie League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves] defensive coach.

So he wanted to show him off as a fielder in at least one game, but while he was suffering from internal conflicts caused by his lack of basic skills and greed, Lee Jungwoo steadily played in games and accumulated stats.

Although he wasn’t as amazing as he was in the series against the Green Jackals, he was emerging as one of the top hitters on the team. As a result, Scott’s smile only grew wider.

####

Lee Jungwoo, who was stirring the hearts of the two coaches, was lost in happy thoughts.

“Who?”

-Andrew Lavin. He doesn’t have much experience, but his reviews are good. They say he’s excellent at fixing batting forms.

“Lavin, not Robin?”

-Yeah, Lavin. Why? Is he not good? Should I find someone else for you?

“No, no, no. I just like him. Let’s go with him no matter what. Thanks, Mark. Really.”

-Don’t be so cheesy. Anyway, I’ll get everything ready, so don’t worry and just play hard. Your stats are good.”

After finishing the call with Mark, Lee Jungwoo was overcome with excitement. The hitting trainer he had found was no ordinary person.

‘Andrew Lavin. Is it really that Lavin?’

Andrew Lavin. He was a trainer who would make a name for himself in the major leagues in about ten years. He was an ordinary hitting trainer, but he happened to meet Pedro Castillo through a friend’s recommendation.

‘The Phillies’ archenemy. Considering the Phillies fans’ tendencies, it’s a wonder he’s still alive.’

Pedro Castillo was a superstar. He recorded a batting average in the .300s and 30-30 [30 home runs and 30 stolen bases] every season. He boasted an OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] close to .9.

Castillo was a player with excellent defensive skills, but everything collapsed when the Phillies gave him a huge sum of $315 million over 14 years. The Phillies seemed to have forgotten about the legendary bust Jolsin from the neighboring team, and even gave him a full no-trade clause. They seemed to have high expectations for him as a local franchise star, but that was a mistake.

‘He was ruined, miserably.’

He ruined his season with injuries from the first year of his contract, and from the second year, he became a complete bust. Castillo, who was the worst bust in the league, earning the nickname “Archenemy” of the Phillies, met Andrew Lavin when he was considering retirement after ten years of his contract.

‘And he bounced back.’

Due to the aftereffects of his knee injury, he couldn’t show the speed he had when he recorded 30-30, but he showed as much, or even more, power as before. His batting average decreased compared to his prime, but his home runs increased significantly.

Castillo recorded 40 home runs every season for four years, dominating the league. He also showed good performances in the postseason, receiving applause from fans as he retired. It worked well to completely change his batting form. After it was revealed that Andrew Lavin had done it, he received love calls from many stars.

Even teams with unsightly busts grabbed at his coattails. He continued to show good results and even filmed a documentary, so Lee Jungwoo knew his name.

‘He’s the best trainer for me right now. There’s so much to fix.’

Due to the lack of information and the luck of the beginner, he was currently recording good results, but Lee Jungwoo himself was a beginner hitter with many shortcomings, so a good hitting trainer was essential.

The best card he could draw had been drawn.

‘The problem is whether Lavin is the Lavin I know. The person might be the same, but will his skills be the same?’

That was the biggest problem. The Castillo he had fixed had missed half the season due to injury and was playing in the second half of his first year. In other words, there was a time difference between the Andrew Lavin that Lee Jungwoo knew.

‘I have to hope that he has at least 80% of the skills he had when he turned Castillo back into a human being.’

Lee Jungwoo desperately hoped. Perhaps this winter could determine his baseball career.