Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 117

Just as everyone expected.

The game didn’t end with just 4 runs.

Both teams, as if they had made a pact, were hitting like crazy.

It started in the bottom of the 2nd inning with a home run from the Pirates.

[Yes! He got it! Barely clearing the Clemente Wall. The Pirates are closing the gap by one run.]

Unlike the Braves, who had a lackluster top of the 2nd inning compared to their fiery performance in the top of the 1st.

In the bottom of the 2nd, the Pirates, conversely, finally started scoring with a leadoff home run.

[After giving up 4 runs early in the game and missing a chance in the bottom of the 1st, the atmosphere had turned chilly for the Pirates. But they’re quickly catching up.]

[Because they’re the Pirates. It’s not surprising when any player hits a home run at any moment.]

[The score is 4-1, the Pirates have closed the gap by one run. There’s still a point difference, but considering the Pirates’ offensive power, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible for them to catch up.]

“Wooooooo!”

“This is what the Pirates are all about!!”

“Full-scale bombardment starts now, you landlubbers!”

“Prepare all cannons! Target: Atlanta hicks!”

Naturally, the crowd cheered wildly, reveling in the excitement.

In fact, it was a bit of an overreaction. They also knew that they had been a bit quiet earlier.

That meant Lee Jung-woo’s super catch was even more amazing and shocking.

Whatever the reason, the crowd tried to change the atmosphere.

They deliberately raised their voices even louder, gradually raising the energy of the stadium.

That became a great source of strength and a buff for the Pirates, but it seemed to apply to the Braves as well.

Both teams were taking turns, like in a turn-based game, exchanging blows.

“Wooooooo!”

“A has-been who’s worse than a rookie!”

“I heard he can only hit home runs like a gorilla, but he can’t even do that here?”

“Hey, Joey! I’ll give you some advice. You’ll remain a loser forever! A loser overshadowed by the great Harding!”

The home crowd hurled taunts and insults. But they didn’t know.

That it might work on someone with a weak mentality.

Or low self-esteem.

Or someone who isn’t seasoned.

But it doesn’t work on a solid veteran player.

And the Braves had several such players.

Like the famous saying, ‘If you don’t know, you have to get hit.’ Their taunts were met with a hefty punishment.

[Joey Fredman! He finally hits it over the deepest part of the left-center fence.]

[Perhaps because he’s a right-handed hitter, Joey Fredman’s performance at PNC Park has always been below expectations since his debut. But today is different.]

Top of the 3rd. Joey, who entered the game hearing the word ‘loser,’ which would only make a top-class hitter laugh, made up for his slightly disappointing PNC Park performance.

Following Derek’s hit earlier, with a powerful swing that hammered the ball.

He recorded a two-run home run that soared far beyond the deepest part of the left-center fence.

“Fuuuuuuck!”

With the point difference widening again to 5 points.

There was an incident where a scene of a fan, who looked abnormal, shouting loudly was caught on the broadcast camera.

The camera briefly moved to the next hitter coming up.

But the fan showed his face on the screen again.

####

[Jungwoo Lee, it’s still too early to judge, but he is undoubtedly the reason why the Braves were able to seize the momentum in this game.]

[The hit that brought in all the runners is great, but to be honest… I can’t easily forget the super play in the bottom of the 1st.]

As Lee Jung-woo entered the plate, following Joey who hit a two-run home run, the commentator licked his lips while looking at him.

As a commentator regularly covering the Pirates, he was secretly rooting for them.

But honestly, as a pure baseball fan, he almost applauded at ‘that’ scene earlier.

[Perhaps everyone who saw it, or will see it later, will think the same thing.]

It’s not often that you experience a dazed mind and a trembling body.

It was already a super play just with the catch, but including the process made it even more chilling.

[The ball kept curving to the right, and there were consecutive foul home runs. In that situation, who could have predicted that the ball would suddenly come to the middle?]

[But Lee just caught that ball, even though it was a high ball slightly closer to the second baseman.]

The commentator shook his head.

The unexpectedness of the sudden course was already difficult, but it was even a fast and powerful ball.

If it had been left alone, he was sure it would have crossed the fence in the end.

He just ran over, jumped up, and caught it.

[The key is whether Lee can show such an amazing performance this time as well.]

The battle started with those words.

Lee Jung-woo’s mindset as he accepted his second at-bat was ordinary.

‘I need to score more points. Peterson and Poppin are behind me. Let’s just get on base.’

Lee Jung-woo gripped his bat tightly.

He was being greeted by a new pitcher who had just come up to the mound, replacing the starting pitcher who had been completely *teolryeotda* (털렸다, a Korean slang meaning ‘destroyed’ or ‘beaten up’).

If Lee Jung-woo’s memory was correct, he was a September call-up [a player brought up from the minor leagues in September when rosters expand].

His performance was decent, just about average for a rookie in his first year.

In fact, he was just ordinary in practice pitching as well. So Lee Jung-woo was confident.

‘Mediocrity is the best match for me.’

The current batting form he completed last off-season, the crazy weight training, and the overwhelming bat speed created by bulking up.

That fast bat allowed Lee Jung-woo to keep up with any ball.

‘I need to work harder. It’s still not enough. It would have been impossible without Rubin.’

A deep breath in.

And exhale again.

“You freaking brat! Get ready to strike out this time!”

“You’re screwed now. How dare you catch the Flying Dutchman’s ball [referring to an exceptionally difficult catch]. A curse will befall you!”

The timing was perfect.

The curses came from everywhere at the same time as he exhaled, as if Lee Jung-woo had conjured them.

‘It’s a bit cliché, things like that.’

Already, except for the Braves.

Lee Jung-woo didn’t care because he had become a *gaejaeshik* (개자식, son of a bitch) to most NL [National League] teams.

And the battle continued.

The pitcher was as expected.

He pitched smoothly.

A 91-2 mph fastball.

A slider-like slider.

A changeup-like changeup.

Just average pitching.

Lee Jung-woo waited patiently.

And suddenly, he saw one spot.

‘Right-side bias. Well, I hit it a lot to the pull-side [hitting the ball to the same side of the field as the batter’s handedness].’

The opponent’s positioning.

The gap within it.

Lee Jung-woo aimed for it.

Unlike most swings.

A concise push-hitting swing unfolded from his hands.

Ta-ack-

Cutting through the left-center.

The ball flying freely.

Up to that point, it was similar to the ball Harding had hit earlier, except for the lower angle.

But the result was different.

Unlike Lee Jung-woo, the Pirates’ shortstop couldn’t catch it.

The ball fell safely to the ground.

“Ah, really, fuuuuck! Hey! Hey, you son of a bitch!”

“Tie that bastard up!”

Because Lee Jung-woo’s pull-hitting rate was close to 80%.

The opponent was flustered by the ball that flew and fell in a different direction than expected.

Thanks to that, even though it was a shorter hit than expected, Lee Jung-woo advanced to second base.

And the crowd was annoyed.

[Ah, just like in defense, Jungwoo Lee continues to show good performance in hitting.]

[He’s an undeniable player.]

Lee Jung-woo, who became a runner in scoring position on his own, had already shown good hitting just by that.

But there was a man who saw it with slightly different eyes.

“It’s similar.”

“Who? What, Lee? Are you talking about Lee? Who does Lee look like-”

“There is such a thing.”

It was Joey Fredman, who had hit a two-run home run in the previous at-bat and was resting on the bench, receiving heroic treatment. He looked at Lee Jung-woo with strange eyes. Desmond, who was sitting next to him and bored, asked.

He closed his mouth tightly again as usual.

####

Unfortunately, the Braves were satisfied with 2 points in the top of the 3rd because they couldn’t bring in Lee Jung-woo.

Following the Braves, the Pirates also scored only 2 points in the bottom of the 3rd.

Reducing the gap again.

It was literally a back-and-forth game. That shape continued steadily until the second half of the game.

“Ah, my heart is going to explode.”

“Are we going to lose this?”

“Ah, you bastard! Why are you saying it out loud and making things unlucky?”

“We’ll definitely win. We’ll definitely win. Of course! Harding will take care of everything!”

Even in such a chaotic battle.

The Braves maintained the lead they had taken earlier and managed the game.

The more that happened, the more impatient the Pirates became, and they launched a fierce attack.

The result was a messy, back-and-forth slugfest, similar to a dirty boxing match, where they only attacked each other in PNC Park, which is hell for right-handed hitters and difficult for left-handed hitters due to the great wall named after a great legend [Roberto Clemente].

[In fact, both team managers had the same idea. Rather than the core relief pitchers, they are mainly putting in slightly inferior pitchers. They are trying to win by out-hitting each other.]

[It’s an unavoidable choice. It’s a game where the hitters’ momentum is high. In this case, it’s not easy to put out the fire no matter which pitcher you put in.]

However, there was a team that was gaining momentum even in that.

It was the Braves.

####

[Vincent Harding is coming up to bat for the fifth time in today’s game. His record for today’s game is 2 hits and 4 RBIs in 4 at-bats.]

[Vincent Harding is showing off his batting sense today as always.]

[Yes, the hit in the bottom of the 1st, the other batted balls that were processed as ground balls, the hits, all of them could have been home runs. It’s just a little disappointing. That’s why Pirates fans are hoping that Harding will hit a decisive one.]

“Harding! Please hit one! Let’s make a come-from-behind victory in the bottom of the 9th against the Braves!”

“You can do it. You can do it. Baseball starts from the bottom of the 9th anyway.”

“Hit a home run and show that brat a thing or two! Let’s go, Harding!”

The game is already in the bottom of the 9th, which may be the last.

The crowd sent mad cheers to Harding, who came to the plate with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out.

They held onto their last hope for him.

Some even hoped for a home run, which had been hinted at throughout the game.

[Harding! It’s a solid hit – but… again, it doesn’t quite clear the wall. Vincent Harding gets an RBI single!]

[It’s frustrating, so frustrating. Why does the Clemente Wall [a high outfield wall at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates] seem so high today?]

[It’s a wall he’s cleared dozens of times this season. But today, it looks like an impregnable fortress. Still, there’s a chance. In baseball, the outcome can change right up until the end of the game. He’s sparked a flicker of hope.]

Not everything went as expected.

A double. And one RBI [Run Batted In, a statistic for runs scored as a result of a hit]. It was definitely a good result.

His personal record was 3 hits and 5 RBIs in 5 at-bats over 5 plate appearances.

He also outperformed the challenger with 2 hits and 3 RBIs in 4 at-bats with one walk.

Despite leading as the team’s offensive powerhouse.

A moment later, Harding was caught on camera sighing.

In the end, there was no comeback.

The follow-up hitter, the Pirates’ cleanup hitter [the batter who bats fourth in the lineup, typically a strong hitter], grounded into a double play.

The crucial opportunity vanished, and the game ended anticlimactically.

The result was a victory for the Braves.

A heated slugfest, but it ended in a loss.

“Tch, I should have cleared it in the first at-bat… Did I misjudge it? No, maybe he just played it well.”

Harding felt a lingering regret.

Bottom of the 1st. It was a really good hit.

Not only was it aimed surprisingly towards center field.

Even though the launch angle was a bit low, the power and speed were great.

And it was on a steadily rising trajectory.

A line drive home run that barely cleared the end of the fence was within reach.

Even if it hadn’t gone over.

If it had been a hit as he intended.

He could have brought in all the runners.

But it was caught.

The more he thought about it, the more regret and disappointment welled up.

But Harding quickly shook off the lingering feelings.

He knew that dwelling on it would only lead to a slump.

As Harding struggled to swallow the disappointment of this game.

Lee Jungwoo was gaining an unexpected realization.

####

“Alright, everyone worked hard today. Let’s win tomorrow too!”

“Yes Sir!”

After the game.

The players packed their bags one by one.

And prepared to leave.

Lee Jungwoo sat alone on the locker room bench.

Lost in thought for a moment.

Because of what Joey had said to him earlier.

Immediately after the game.

Lee Jungwoo was being fawned over by the pitchers as usual.

Then, Joey suddenly approached.

He looked at Lee Jungwoo with a curious expression.

When Lee Jungwoo asked why.

He asked an unexpected question.

“Lee, about Harding’s at-bat in the bottom of the 1st. Did you know the hit was coming to center? It wasn’t just reflexes. It was like you predicted it.”

Lee Jungwoo tilted his head.

He just moved following his gut feeling.

But the players around him seemed to have similar questions, and they gathered slightly and asked.

“Yeah, I was wondering too. Did you predict it?”

“He kept going to the right, right? But you expected it to come to the center? Does that make sense? Didn’t you just run fast?”

“He was too fast. It was a play he couldn’t have made if he hadn’t anticipated it.”

Despite the repeated questions, Lee Jungwoo couldn’t understand.

He just moved following his gut feeling. Why was he being asked to explain his instincts?

Lee Jungwoo shrugged and gave a simple answer.

“There’s nothing to it. It just worked out. It’s as I’ve said.”

“Hey, don’t hold out on us… Really? Then how did you know the hit was coming to the center? You definitely predicted it and ran.”

Even so, the question wasn’t easily resolved, and Lee Jungwoo scratched the back of his head.

He just had a feeling that he could catch it if it came his way. So he focused.

Then, by chance, the hit came to a spot where he could catch it.

He caught it as he always did.

He was being asked to explain his actions. It was difficult for Lee Jungwoo.

Even the captain, Derek, had a questioning look on his face.

Lee Jungwoo realized how much curiosity they had and thought carefully.

‘Actually, it was just a gut feeling… But looking back, I think I see a reason. Why I had that feeling.’

As he thought more.

Why he acted that way.

Why he was so focused.

Why he had such a premonition unconsciously, he could roughly see the reason.

Lee Jungwoo opened his mouth.

“Harding definitely hit a pulled foul home run earlier, right? The timing was right too. So he gradually shifted to the right. The outfield defense.”

“Oh, that’s right. The coach ordered it. He often gets hits by pushing it [hitting the ball to the opposite field]. We don’t usually do defensive shifts. But at that time, he kept hitting foul home runs. So the overall adjustment was made. Why?”

At Popin’s words, Lee Jungwoo briefly recalled the field.

“So there was a gap. As you said, he sometimes pushes it, so Rollins kept a moderate position. But Gerry and Joey went a little more to the right. And there was an empty space in the center.”

“So Harding, with his existing mindset, aimed for a home run. At the same time, he also considered the possibility of not clearing the fence.”

“He focused a little more on contact. To hit the ball into the empty space, even if it got caught by the fence. He aimed for a hit that would sweep through. Maybe he saw the outfield positioning. He made a split-second decision. Actually, I just moved following my gut feeling. But maybe that’s what happened.”

As Lee Jungwoo finished speaking.

The gathered colleagues showed various reactions.

At the last word, ‘gut feeling,’ some scattered as if they were let down, or grumbled that it was some kind of delusion.

Joey had a subtle expression.

“I think I understand. Lee, how you read the hit in advance. And why you suddenly made a play to center field that you don’t usually do.”

Joey nodded as if his question was resolved. When Lee Jungwoo asked with his eyes what he meant.

He smiled.

“You’re the same kind. You and that monster. So you unconsciously predicted it. It’s a simple story.”

To a rookie, being called a player similar to Harding is a greater compliment than any other praise.

Even with Joey’s very serious expression, the players chuckled or scattered again as if they were let down.

The atmosphere became normal, like the usual locker room.

Joey, who had said unexpected words, also trudged off to prepare for the after-game routine.

Lee Jungwoo stood there alone, lost in thought for a moment.

He felt strange.

‘I’m the same kind as Harding, the great?’

Lee Jungwoo glanced down at his hand.

The sensation of catching the ball in the bottom of the 1st was still vivid in his hand.

The tingling sensation that ran down his fingertips from the hit that barely touched the end of the glove.

He was being compared to a player who could make such hits, a legend both before and after his regression.

By the mouth of a player who would also remain a legend.

‘Harding….’

His heart pounded.

Maybe it was just a casual remark to encourage and praise a rookie.

But it pulled the trigger.

‘Is that how I look? In other people’s eyes.’

At first, he thought so.

That’s how he looked.

But suddenly, Lee Jungwoo looked back at himself. The path he had taken since becoming a hitter. The results he had accumulated. The achievements he had made. His current skills.

And the time it took.

Only then did he realize.

‘Ah.’

I was a genius too.

Defense, even when I was a pitcher.

I knew I was pretty good, so I didn’t really think anything of it.

But I had been secretly downplaying the hitting side until now.

I have talent, but not a genius.

My results are good, but there are also lucky elements.

My current results are thanks to my unexpected wrist strength and meeting a good trainer named Andrew Rubin.

I’m doing really well now.

But my results will drop someday.

The reason was simple.

‘It felt undeserved. For myself. It’s only been a little over a year since I switched to a hitter. So, even though the total amount of effort is clearly different, the results are good. I was worried in advance that they would drop someday.’

Of course, effort is always the key. And the fundamentals built up that way are a solid foundation.

But just because you put in effort.

Doesn’t mean everyone gets the same results. Or the same efficiency.

Lee Jungwoo finally realized.

Or rather, he admitted it.

‘There may be lucky elements. I’m a rookie, so there may be things that haven’t been analyzed yet. But in the end, one thing is certain. I caught up. In a short amount of time. With talent alone.’

Lee Jungwoo chuckled.

‘I was being foolish. What’s more reliable for a sports player than their own talent?’

He glanced at the bat.

And silently grabbed it.

The feel of the wooden bat filled his fingertips.

He felt like he had returned to his original mindset.

Not the original mindset when he switched to a hitter. But the original mindset when he first started playing baseball.

‘I felt like I could beat anyone. And I actually did.’

After discovering his genius and realizing that he was a genius pitcher.

Until his injury, he felt like he could crush anyone he faced.

And the same feeling arose in Lee Jungwoo now.

It wasn’t just a matter of physical condition.

His body was already exhausted from running around everywhere in the slugfest.

A mental shift, a very small change in thought had occurred.

Lee Jungwoo’s eyes sparkled.

The results that a slight change could bring were beyond imagination.

Like that, without anyone knowing.

The trigger that no one expected was pulled.