Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 181

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – Episode 180

By the 8th inning, both teams had racked up significantly more runs than the previous day.

[The score is 8 to 7. The Braves are in the lead again, but they can’t afford to relax.]

[In baseball, a one-run lead is fragile, especially in a high-scoring game like this.]

Despite the stadium’s reputation for favoring pitchers, the slugfest showed no signs of slowing down as it neared its conclusion.

Although there hadn’t been any home runs, both teams had strung together impressive at-bats, making for a thrilling contest. As the Braves took their turn at bat, hoping to extend their lead:

“Let’s shut them down and get the lead back!”

“Show those country bumpkins what the Giants are made of!”

The home fans roared, trying to demoralize the Braves with their cheers. Most people were simply enjoying the game, caught up in the excitement, and the visiting fans shouted themselves hoarse.

However, as always, there were a few unruly individuals present.

As the game approached its final stages, some fans, fueled by beer, began to make their presence known with slurred shouts.

“You dirty cheater!”

“If you’re going to use drugs, just admit it! You love to cheat!”

“Cheater OUT! Druggy OUT!”

Lee Jung-woo, the leadoff hitter, was about to step up to the plate for his fifth at-bat when he heard the taunts.

He had heard similar insults countless times the day before, but this was the first time today, as the game had been so captivating and intense.

Although they were a small minority compared to the previous day, the alcohol gave them courage, amplifying their voices so they cut through the surrounding noise. Lee Jung-woo, about to enter the batter’s box, stopped and glanced in their direction.

“Can’t the Giants control their fans? Why are they letting those guys into the stadium?”

Some of his more level-headed teammates shouted, visibly embarrassed, while others cursed under their breath.

Fortunately, Lee Jung-woo’s calming gestures and the coaching staff’s quick intervention prevented the situation from escalating further. Unfortunately, the hecklers didn’t stop their tirade.

Emboldened by the reaction, they shouted even louder, souring the atmosphere. The situation was only diffused when security guards arrived, but the once-electric mood had turned cold. Some Giants players glanced at Lee Jung-woo, looking apologetic.

‘If you want to get drunk, go to a bar, not a baseball stadium.’

Thinking this, Lee Jung-woo shook his head and stepped into the batter’s box. The catcher, who had been watching him, spoke with a more sympathetic tone than before, refraining from his usual trash talk.

“Not everyone’s like that, so don’t let it get to you. You’re always going to get some weirdos when you have a big crowd, right? We see those guys all the time in this job. Just ignore them.”

As a catcher, he often used trash talk to try and get under the batter’s skin, but this felt different, more like an apology from one player to another.

Of course, he had subtly tried to rattle Lee Jung-woo earlier and had even questioned his incredible performance, but this was different.

He clicked his tongue, as if his enthusiasm had waned. Lee Jung-woo simply shrugged with his usual indifferent expression, despite the catcher’s awkward attempt at consolation.

“I know. If everyone was like that, we couldn’t even play the game. They’re either drunk or just a little crazy. It doesn’t matter. Let’s just focus on the game. That’s what most people in the stadium want.”

“Alright, let’s do that. By the way, you’re having a great day. Why don’t you take it easy this at-bat? Three hits are enough, right? Honestly, I feel bad for Harding, but you’re definitely going to be the Player of the Month anyway. What do you say?”

“Harding is playing well too, so we’ll see.”

“At this point, you could at least humor me and say I’m doing well. You have no sense of humor, just like your face. First pitch is a curveball. You haven’t seen many of those lately, have you? Everyone’s been playing it safe. I’ll give you one, so swing away.”

They exchanged light jokes, easing the awkward atmosphere, and refocused on the game, trading everyday trash talk. Soon, however, the catcher’s face twisted in frustration again.

“You son of a bitch, I told you to take it easy.”

Lee Jung-woo had ignored the curveball and smacked the fastball instead, getting on base.

The catcher shook his head, glaring at Lee Jung-woo, regretting his attempt to console him. He would have been even more upset if he had known that it was unnecessary.

After confidently taking first base, Lee Jung-woo adjusted his gloves and glanced around.

‘The excitement is gone. Not just for me, but for everyone.’

It didn’t bother Lee Jung-woo personally, but the game’s momentum could easily be disrupted. Oracle Park, which had been buzzing with energy just moments ago, had turned as cold as the sea breeze off McCovey Cove.

‘It’s not all bad. If they lose their rhythm, it’s advantageous for us, since we’re ahead. Our bullpen is better too.’

Lee Jung-woo, glancing at the empty seats where the ejected fans had been sitting, then looked toward second base as usual.

This was exactly what those who hated him so much would despise.

Lee Jung-woo and Vincent Harding, the two players at the center of attention, had made the second game as intense as the last day of the month, but the ending was much colder and more awkward than the day before.

Lee Jung-woo and Harding mirrored each other’s performance with 5 at-bats, 4 hits, and 4 runs each.

####

The Braves won the second game as well. As Lee Jung-woo had predicted, the Giants failed to mount a comeback due to the disrupted momentum, and the game ended with a somewhat disappointing score of 8 to 7, considering their earlier performance.

“You had a very impressive performance in today’s game with 4 hits. What are your thoughts?”

“Of course, I’m happy. Especially since I scored 4 runs, which contributed to the team’s victory, rather than just getting 4 hits.”

“There’s a lot of talk that you’ve practically secured the Player of the Month award for May. What do you think about that?”

“It’s still uncertain. There were many other great players. Harding, who played with me in this game, also had a performance worthy of the award.”

Harding and Lee Jung-woo had identical batting stats, but Lee Jung-woo, who was selected as the MVP [Most Valuable Player] because his team won, gave a brief interview and was then held back by the reporter. His teammates watched him with smiling faces.

“If you had hit a home run in today’s game, you would have recorded double-digit home runs and 10-10 [10 home runs and 10 stolen bases] this month. Are you disappointed?”

“Not at all. Honestly, I don’t think I could have done any better than I did.”

“Okay, so as the last game of May, how would you personally evaluate this game?”

Lee Jung-woo, trying to quickly formulate an answer to the reporter’s question, smiled brightly at a face he saw in the distance.

“I’d say it was a fun game. Not only did I and my teammates perform well, but the Giants also played well enough to show why they are a strong contender for the postseason, even though they didn’t win. In particular… I could really feel why Vincent Harding is called the best. I’m sorry to Arthur Hunter, but I personally enjoyed today more.”

“Yes, ‘a fun game.’ That’s an impressive statement, just like your performance today. Thank you for the interview.”

The departing crowd reacted slightly to the final interview. They were happy about the victory, but also offered moderate praise for the opposing team, the Giants.

Including the fact that he praised Harding, who had become their pride even though he had only recently joined the team, as the best.

Unlike the intense game, the ending had a warm atmosphere, but both sides felt a sense of emptiness.

“In the end, the Giants ruined the game because of their own fans.”

“Who can they blame? It’s all their fault. They should have controlled their fans better!”

“It’s okay. There are people like that everywhere. It’s just the Giants who are being unfairly treated. Well, I think we would have won anyway.”

Considering that the Braves’ victory and the Giants’ defeat were influenced by some heavily drunk Giants fans, it was a self-inflicted wound like no other.

The defeated Giants and the victorious Braves could only chuckle as the game truly came to an end.

The spectators, feeling somewhat empty after a game that ended anticlimactically compared to its intensity, left the stadium, cursing the troublemakers as scapegoats.

The players also packed their bags and prepared to leave. Lee Jung-woo, who had finished his interview and was heading to the showers, ran into someone unexpected in the hallway.

“You’re more ordinary than I thought outside the field? You were like a fierce beast inside.”

“Harding? What’s up?”

Vincent Harding. Lee Jung-woo tilted his head at Harding, who approached him and joked as if he had been waiting for him. Harding shook his head as if it were nothing and spoke.

“I just wanted to say that I enjoyed today’s game too.”

“Ah, yes. I learned a lot-”

As Lee Jung-woo gave a Korean-style canned response [a polite but somewhat insincere reply] to the sudden remark, Harding shook his head as if that wasn’t what he meant.

“Don’t be so stiff. I just… I just had fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve competed with someone like that. Hunter and I have very different play styles from the start, so it wasn’t this kind of feeling.”

Lee Jung-woo paused for a moment at Harding’s awkward scratching of the back of his head. He had heard unexpected words and seen an unexpected side of him.

‘Was Harding… this kind of player?’

A player who was always known to be serious, sincere, and approach the game with a reverent attitude like a devout priest.

That player’s somehow fresh and friendly appearance gave Lee Jung-woo a slight shock.

Of course, the content was significant, like being hit in the back of the head with a heavy sledgehammer.

‘Did I… earn his respect?’

If that was true, then he had achieved something that no one else had ever done.

It meant that even Arthur Hunter, who was considered his rival, had not been able to make him enjoy himself.

Also, it meant that not only Lee Jung-woo himself, but Harding also saw this game as a ‘competition.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had frozen due to the sudden surge of emotion, soon smiled brightly and extended his hand.

“Let’s do our best next time. There are still many games left, right? The pennant race, the postseason, and beyond.”

“That’s true. I’m still young, so there’s plenty of time left.”

The two lightly shook hands, giving off a smile that their fans would have gone crazy for, as it was so rare to see. After the short meeting, Harding, who was walking away, suddenly spoke again.

“Oh, and just ignore those idiots. They’re just saying things they don’t know anything about. I know you’re not that kind of player. I believe it too. So, don’t worry about it and keep doing what you’re doing… well, not exactly, but anyway, do your best. Like you said, for the future.”

“That’s more than enough, it’s too much. ‘That’ Harding’s belief.”

Lee Jung-woo chuckled again at his words and added one last word before parting.

“Don’t worry too much, Harding. It’ll all disappear in a few days.”

Harding raised his eyebrows as if asking what he meant, but Lee Jung-woo left only cryptic words and walked to the showers.

“If you’re curious, watch TV around the 8th of next month.”

With that, Harding and Lee Jung-woo ended their short farewell.

####

[Braves Win Their Last Game of May! ’27 Wins, 2 Losses,’ A Beautiful Record Adorned with Victory!]

[ATL, 58 Games, 50 Wins, 8 Losses, First to Reach 50 Wins! ‘A Team That Doesn’t Know Defeat’]

[‘Win Rate 0.862’ Is ATL’s Goal This Season Another Cubs (0.763)?] [Referring to the 2016 Chicago Cubs, who had an exceptionally high win rate.]

As May ended, the Braves were the center of attention. They had shown monstrous potential by winning 50 games in just two months, April and May, not just the first half of the season.

Some people speculated that if they maintained this pace, they could aim for the highest win rate in history. Others declared that the Braves had practically secured a spot in the postseason early on.

That was because, even though there were still more than 100 games left in the regular season, they would achieve 100 wins if they won only half of them. It was inevitable that such predictions would emerge.

As such, the Atlanta Braves, the team itself, received widespread attention.

Among them, one player was by far the most spotlighted.

[‘Amazing May’ Batting Average 0.485 On-Base Percentage 0.554 Slugging Percentage 0.845, 9 Home Runs, 34 RBIs, 10 Stolen Bases, Lee, Player of the Month ‘Almost’ Confirmed!]

[‘A Player Who Gets on Base 2 Out of 1 Times’ Lee Jung-woo’s Value Is Immeasurable!]

[Overwhelming Defense, Perfect Hitting, Jung-woo Lee Is the League’s Best ‘5-Tool Player’ [A player who excels in all five major baseball skills: hitting for average, hitting for power, running, fielding, and throwing.]]

Lee Jung-woo had recorded monstrous individual stats as well as contributing to the team’s transcendental performance, so most media outlets and many experts acknowledged that Lee Jung-woo was the best player of May, showering him with praise.

Although he narrowly missed recording the double-digit home runs that everyone had expected, leaving some regret, no one cared because his other stats were so perfect.

Even just looking at his batting average, which was close to .500, and his on-base percentage, which was well over .500 and in the mid-.500s, was already amazing. Not to mention his slugging percentage.

[‘Best Stats OR Stats That Will Be Erased Anyway’ Doubts About Lee Continue…]

[‘Player of the Month Completed with Doping’ Meaningless Inappropriate Record!]

Of course, as always, there were those who tried to diminish his achievements. There were countless articles that openly targeted him, and some more cunning ones subtly manipulated public opinion by omitting his name.

As articles spread that he was almost certain to be the Player of the Month, they began to react vehemently.

-What kind of award is there for a drug addict?

-Just enjoy it while it lasts. Because it will all be taken away anyway.

-You only hit nine home runs after doping? An Asian is an Asian.

-You’re working hard today. By the way, is your Liberty Bell safe? I think Lee smashed it last time. Did you put a new one on? Why don’t you just take it off this time? [A reference to the Philadelphia Phillies’ stadium, Citizens Bank Park, which features a replica of the Liberty Bell.]

-Why is the Liberty Bell even being mentioned here, you Mother****

Of course, the petty attacks didn’t properly affect the Braves fans, who were already ecstatic.

They just thought, ‘Oh, another Philly fan is acting up.’ In fact, most of those who raised doping suspicions against Lee Jung-woo were Phillies fans. While the suspicions continued to grow despite such lukewarm reactions, one article was published.

It also came with the sensational title of an exclusive report.

[Lee Visiting Emory University Hospital? Estimated Around Late May!]

The report that Lee Jung-woo had visited a university hospital, especially the renowned Emory University Hospital in the United States, quickly spread worldwide.

[Major League Baseball League Player, Lee Jung-woo (李貞玗) Spotted at University Hospital!]

[‘Lee Jung-woo Received a Doping Test?’ Hospital Visit Confirmed…]

Starting with the United States, Japan, Korea, and other countries that were somewhat involved in baseball all reported extensively. In particular, in the case of Korea, where the attention on Lee Jung-woo was skyrocketing, it was the lead story on every broadcasting station’s morning and evening news.

[‘Strong Pressure from the Club?’ If it’s a doping test and the club is involved, there are concerns about the players’ union’s backlash!]

[‘Jung-woo Lee Injured?’ The poor performance in the last Washington Nationals game may be due to the aftereffects of the injury…]

Since only the hospital visit and its timing were confirmed, there was a lot of speculation. The main theory was that he had received a doping test, but conversely, there were also claims that he might be erasing traces of doping.

It goes without saying that most of the sources that promoted such theories were tabloids or anti-fans of Lee Jung-woo.

And Lee Jung-woo, who had seen all these reactions, nodded.

“Let’s start revealing it little by little. There’s no point in keeping it a secret any longer.”

“We have to. It seems like it’s enough to change the game now.”

As everyone, the entire baseball world, and all the media were paying attention to the player Lee Jung-woo, just as he had hoped, because the fruit was properly ripe. In the storm-like atmosphere created by the continued suspicions and unexpected reports, each major media outlet soon received a call.

June 8th. A day of rest is given due to the league’s schedule.

It was a call announcing that a large press conference would be held at Emory University Hospital.