Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 163

Pitcher Finished, Batter Starts – Episode 162

The Rogers Centre, the game venue, gradually filled with people, and soon a considerable number of spectators occupied the seats. This was hardly surprising.

Toronto is a metropolis with a population of just under 3 million, and the greater metropolitan area boasts nearly 7 million. The Blue Jays, based in such a megacity, benefit from a large market. Despite being in third place, their performance was reasonably good, and they even had a Canadian-born franchise star that the fans had longed for. It was no wonder there were so many spectators.

“Always the best, so easily beat the NL!”

“Show the power of Canada! Jordan! Always believe in you!”

The fans filling the stadium cheered the players with enthusiastic support, hoping for victory. But in reality, both they and the Blue Jays players on the field, preparing to defend against the Braves’ attack, already knew.

‘We’re the clear underdogs here.’

It was a matchup between the team that had been insanely accumulating wins, dominating both the National League (NL) and American League (AL), and holding the top spot in Major League Baseball (MLB) in terms of win rate, and a team that, although doing well in third place and showing potential, ultimately had a slim chance of reaching the postseason.

Inevitably, the win rate was bound to heavily favor one side. Moreover, if the top team wasn’t just the win rate leader, but exuded an overwhelming force reminiscent of several teams that had dominated the league in the past, then the disparity was even greater.

‘They probably don’t know how to lose. Just looking at their current record, the number of games they’ve lost can be counted on one hand.’

Jordan Nash shook his head.

Even though it was happening in the neighboring league, their momentum was so extraordinary that anyone with ears to hear and eyes to see couldn’t help but know.

As a result, a palpable tension flowed through the field as they prepared to face the Braves’ potent offense.

Even for a team evaluated as having perfect pitching and batting, there was always something that stood out the most. And the special thing about the Braves was, undeniably, their offense.

‘Hunt, Fredman, Peterson, Poppin, and… Lee. We’re strong too, but they’re on another level.’

Looking at the Braves’ lineup from an outsider’s perspective, they were beyond monstrous.

The entire upper lineup had both power and batting ability.

And Lee, Jungwoo Lee, was the most shining player among those great hitters. The media referred to him as:

‘The hitter who restored ‘class’ to the once-gloomy prestigious team. The core of the core.’

Jordan Nash’s gaze towards this player was somewhat complicated. No, in fact, it was very complicated. To be more precise, anger rose from deep within his heart.

It had taken him 20 years to get to where he was. From junior baseball to middle school, high school, and college baseball, all the way to the minor leagues. Through that long period of tempering, he became a proud major leaguer and established himself as a good shortstop. There were countless guys who went through the same process as him but failed to make the final leap and fell by the wayside.

But what about that guy?

“Two years…”

‘Damn short. Really, damn short.’

Jordan Nash muttered the time under his breath and bit his lip without realizing it. Two years—the time it took for a guy who was originally a pitcher to convert to a hitter, then to a shortstop, and reach the top from the minors to the majors.

One-tenth of the time Jordan Nash himself had spent. In that damn short amount of time, that guy who had been below him was now looking down on him.

Yes, he knew it well—that it was a base and ugly inferiority complex. He also knew that he would look the same to players playing in the minors or other foreign professional leagues.

But he was true to his feelings. And according to the thoughts that arose from that feeling, he wanted to beat that guy, at least during this matchup.

‘Just being ahead in one series won’t change the evaluation. They won’t put me next to Arthur Hunt like they do with that guy. But a brief moment of victory would be enough.’

Jordan Nash, who had been sending a fierce gaze to the guy in the on-deck circle, soon refocused solely on the game. After all, concentration was essential to win.

“Let’s win today too!”

“Let’s win!”

As he shouted out with everything he had from the bottom of his heart, the other players echoed through the Rogers Centre with loud cheers.

Like himself, his teammates, the Blue Jays, always wanted to win.

Although they were facing a tough opponent, much like seeing the Red Sox in the same division, a strong team doesn’t always win, and there was also a minor variable in this game.

‘Designated hitter, if we win, it’ll probably start from there.’

Everything is the same between the NL and AL, except for one thing: the designated hitter (DH). Since the game was being played at the Blue Jays’ home, the Braves also had to field a designated hitter during the series.

‘We have a core hitter; they have a pinch hitter or a backup. Even the same designated hitter is different.’

Most designated hitters are players who are older and whose fielding has become sluggish, but whose batting sense is still alive. At least their hitting has to be solid. Of course, if their salary is high and their position is secure, they may be used as designated hitters even if they fall short of that. But at least the Blue Jays’ designated hitter was doing his part.

The experienced veteran hitter had given up the 3rd spot due to slowed reflexes, but as the designated hitter in the 5th spot, he was still recording an OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a common baseball statistic] in the high .900s and was a powerful hitter approaching 30 home runs, as well as the team’s main gunner.

On the other hand, NL teams often fill the position with backup players who have been pushed out of position competition or with pinch hitters. Even if the skills of the designated hitters are similar, there is still a difference.

Defense is a bigger factor for hitters than one might think. The mental impact of suddenly not doing something you used to do is greater than expected.

‘In addition, there are also problems with the pitchers. It becomes ambiguous to control the pace. Most pitchers take the pitcher’s at-bat into account and rotate their cycles accordingly, but now that’s gone. Problems could arise from there.’

Through the designated hitter system, pitchers also gain a physical advantage by not entering the batter’s box. But there is also the burden of having to face one more professional hitter.

Although he wasn’t a pitcher himself, Jordan Nash knew well how much even a slight difference from the norm could affect sports players, where even the smallest things are sensitive.

This small difference was one of the biggest reasons why the American League had a slight advantage in interleague play.

If that reason had an impact today, Jordan Nash believed that an upset was possible, at least at home.

‘To do that, we have to stop their offense first.’

Jordan Nash smacked his lips, watching the batter trudging up to the plate as the umpire declared the start. Derek Hunt, the great captain that the Braves were proud of. Even excluding that symbolism, he was a good enough hitter to be loved.

‘Instead of lacking a bit of power, he’s precise. Looking at the distribution of his hits, the entire field is marked. His eye is also good, so his on-base percentage is high.’

Even though he was getting old, his still-present eye and contact skills knew how to torment pitchers.

Jordan Nash, who had been watching intently without letting his guard down from the moment the game started, stared at the incoming ball.

It was fast and sharp.

‘This is impossible to catch – no! I can do it! I can do it!’

A course that would normally be difficult to catch.

He probably would have let it go seven out of ten times. But perhaps because of his intense determination, one of those few times happened now.

He dove with all his might and snatched the ball. It was an out without even needing to throw.

‘Hoo…’

“He caught it!”

“That’s right! That’s right!”

“Nice Jordan! I believed in you!”

First pitch, hit.

He thought he would watch once as he was the leadoff, but he hit it like a ghost. If he had been even a little late, the infield would have been breached immediately. The crowd was simply cheering for Jordan Nash, who had caught such a threatening ball.

“Jordan! Jordan!”

“Jordan! You’re much better than that little punk!”

“Jordan, Jordan! Just keep doing that!”

Canada’s idol.

The nickname that was often attached before, after, or in the middle of Jordan Nash’s name told how much that player was loved in Toronto. He was an ambiguous player to be considered league-leading, but at least to the fans, he was the best player.

In fact, he had been steadily filling the shaky shortstop position for several years since being called up from the minors. And when such a player showed off a great play as if to show off to his rival(?), the spectators raised the decibel level.

Just for a brief moment.

‘Hoo… damn it, this is no joke.’

Jungwoo Lee.

The Rogers Centre, which had been enthusiastic about the letters and jersey number that appeared on the scoreboard, became quiet in an instant.

It was a heavy name that could change the atmosphere single-handedly. It was a heavy player.

At least, he was a man that anyone who liked baseball could never not know—the most talked-about top hitter recently.

After removing the donut ring [a weight added to a baseball bat during warm-up] that had been placed on the bat for practice swings, he slowly stepped into the batter’s box, and the sound of swallowing could be heard here and there.

Jordan Nash frowned at the pressure he exuded. How could a guy with such a short career exude such force? He couldn’t understand it at all, and he didn’t want to understand it.

‘What the hell is it?’

Jordan Nash shook his head, overlaying the image he knew. It couldn’t even be compared to now. If the guy in the video was violent like a monster, now he was oppressive like a tyrant.

“Don’t be scared! He’s just a hitter! It’s just one out! Let’s go clean!”

The catcher shouted forcefully.

But even he couldn’t hide the distorted frown visible beyond the catcher’s mask.

After entering the batter’s box, the face of the hitter, standing upright and looking at the pitcher, was nothing but calm, unlike the Blue Jays.

The expression, so indifferent that it seemed devoid of emotion, was his famous trademark. From the perspective of someone witnessing it directly, it felt very intimidating.

‘Yeah, don’t be afraid, Hank. If you just do what you’ve been doing, you can get him. Give him a strikeout!’

Jordan Nash, who was mentally encouraging the pitcher, unconsciously moistened his dry lips as the first pitch was soon thrown.

One strike. The start was good. He wondered if he would aim for the first pitch like the previous hitter, but thankfully he didn’t.

The continued battle.

The hitter let the balls that the pitcher threw confidently pass or cut them.

The pitching was so aggressive that Jordan Nash, who was on the same team, was sweating in his hands.

It was good that he managed to force two strikes without giving up a ball, but after that, the number of pitches gradually increased, but the count stopped at two strikes.

And on the 7th pitch, a huge foul homerun chilled the stadium as if cold water had been poured on it.

Even though the heater was turned on full blast, it was chillingly cold at this moment.

‘Really… is it possible?’

In a situation where each was only one step away, the hitter had also clearly learned the timing. In response, the pitcher also had to show a sure finishing card. However, the problem was that it was difficult.

When a question suddenly arose in Jordan Nash’s mind after confirming the previous foul homerun,

The starting pitcher, who took a brief breath and composed himself, soon nodded at the catcher’s sign. A quick windup. The moment the ball was shot from the end of the arm that was swung with all its might, Jordan Nash wanted to shout—to say, ‘No!’

At least in his view, the trajectory of the swing that the hitter was swinging and the trajectory of the ball almost exactly matched.

Thwack-

As expected, a loud hitting sound rang out soon, and when the pitcher, who had anticipated a homerun, tightly closed his eyes, the hitter ran out of the batter’s box.

Fortunately, it didn’t hit the sweet spot properly, so it didn’t go over the fence. But it was a long hit far enough away, so the hitter soon passed first base, stepped on second base, and because he arrived long before the ball came, he was naturally safe.

Jordan Nash’s molars slightly clenched as he witnessed the series of events.

‘Damn…’

A cool hit. Powerful power.

Even though he wasn’t a pitcher, a swear word came out involuntarily. He didn’t understand what he had to eat to have such a swing—the hitting that current and former players and experts praised with spittle flying. Seeing it directly made his competitiveness even stronger.

He didn’t want to admit it.

That feeling had already arisen from the moment he saw his face before the game, but now it was even stronger. It was really frustrating just looking at him as a hitter, and even more so because he was even in the same position.

He felt even stranger.

‘Okay, that’s good. A genius hitter? Bullshit.’

Although he was a much lower underdog, like the gap between the Braves and the Blue Jays,

‘Let’s give it a try.’

That didn’t matter.

####

The first run was not scored.

Even though he had been hit hard, the pitcher didn’t waver, and he handled the subsequent hitters with ground balls.

“Ah~ he caught that perfectly.”

“He doesn’t throw curves to Lee, but he just throws them at me.”

“But the effect is good, right?”

The hitters muttered as if they were disappointed, but it was only the top of the 1st inning, so they didn’t have much attachment to it. They would have at least two more chances.

So the players, thinking only about defense, filled their positions again with serious faces. And Jungwoo Lee also sharpened his eyes and filled his position with the determination to catch everything as usual.

‘It definitely feels like it’s going further. It’s not a hitter’s stadium for nothing. Not only are there long hits, but the bounces are also severe, so I have to be careful.’

Jungwoo Lee, who was reminded of the things that the defense coach had been instilling in the fielders, patted his chest to reassure the pitcher who was glancing back. It was a trivial action, but it was one of the new routines that had arisen for the pitchers.

In fact, it wasn’t like Jungwoo Lee caught every ball within his defensive range every time, but at least the pitchers gained some mental stability from it.

“Play ball!”

The game started the same as usual, solving even the Braves’ short routine.

The first player to enter the batter’s box was Jordan Nash, who had been giving Jungwoo Lee strange looks from before the game until just now. It was still incomprehensible, so it was a bit embarrassing for Jungwoo Lee, but as he started to do well, there were occasionally players who sent such looks, so he lightly dismissed it.

‘Jordan Nash, he’s similar to our team’s captain. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage are all good. He also occasionally hits homeruns. It seems like his homerun pace is a bit better this year, but was it a career high? I don’t remember well.’

Jungwoo Lee, who tilted his head because he knew he was a famous player but didn’t remember the career-high season in detail, soon wiggled his body at the start of the game.

The player, who had a play style of dragging out the game as much as possible by drawing out the number of pitches like a traditional leadoff hitter, showed the same appearance in this game.

The pitcher’s ball became more and more violent against the hitter who persistently followed even somewhat ambiguous balls to inflict a pitch count terror, and Jungwoo Lee was ready to run.

‘It would be good if Michael calms him down… but if he can’t, there will be a hit.’

The pitcher’s excitement is always bad.

Jungwoo Lee, who recalled his at-bat ahead of the increasingly intense game, prepared for the worst. And as expected, there was a hit.

‘I can’t catch this…’

The left-handed hitter pulled it straight.

That meant that Jungwoo Lee had nothing to do. His defensive range and the direction of the ball were completely opposite.

In fact, there wasn’t much to do even if it had flown this way. Like the jokes that his teammates often made, unless he really had thrusters on his feet.

No matter how good Jungwoo Lee was, there was no way to catch a long hit that soared high above his head. He could somehow catch it if it started low and gradually stretched upwards.

“Waaaaaaa!”

A hit that slightly passed the right fielder’s head. The right fielder, who failed to catch it, immediately followed and caught it again to throw it. It flew quite quickly, so it was a close match, but the hitter was faster.

“Safe!”

As Derek nodded willingly at the umpire’s firm declaration, the spectators once again clapped loudly or cheered in ecstasy. The franchise star wasn’t pushed back by the competitor in the same position and produced the same result. They had reason to be happy.

‘If this goes wrong, we might lose the first run first.’

When Jungwoo Lee tightened his tension at the runner in scoring position that occurred from the top of the 1st inning, the hitter, who was readjusting his batting gloves, looked at Jungwoo Lee again.

Unlike before, when he couldn’t understand the meaning, this time, Jungwoo Lee also changed his gaze slightly at the look that seemed to say, ‘It’s a tie,’ and he didn’t avoid his gaze.

He felt a little moved. He still didn’t know what it was about himself that stimulated him, or what thoughts he had in mind when he did that, but now he felt like he knew.

‘Is this what it feels like? To be challenged by someone. It’s more fun than I thought.’

That being in the position of being challenged, this situation itself is fun.