Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 192

After an exciting first game, Lee Jung-woo continued his impressive performance into the second.

Fortunately, the snacks that had made him feel strangely jittery after just one bite didn’t seem to cause any adverse effects this time.

Lee Jung-woo soared, leading the team to another victory, and as before, any concerns about stamina or injuries vanished completely.

After a clean two-game sweep against the Reds, the Braves, having added another win and a loss in a two-game series against the Rockies back at home, were ready for the festival they had been diligently preparing: Korean Night.

[Atlanta Braves ‘Korean Night,’ A Triumph Achieved by the Korean Community!]

[‘Korean Night!’ ATL VS SEA. Han In-kwon Ready for His First Start! Showdown with Lee Jung-woo?]

The media was busy promoting the event, trying to attract attention, and for the sake of ratings and buzz, they even tied it to a Korean-American major leaguer on the opposing team, which naturally caused some backlash.

-Han In-kwon? What a load of crap. His player profile clearly states Matt Bowman.

-It’s honestly a bit embarrassing to give an American citizen of the United States a Korean name.

-He’s not even half-Korean; he’s a quarter.

-The embarrassing one should be Lee Jung-woo. A top-tier major leaguer is being compared to a backup player who got called up thanks to injuries.

Of course, those people’s reactions weren’t very effective. They were lightly dismissed for the sake of sensational headlines. Amidst various comments and issues, people gradually grew excited, not just for Korean Night, but also because Lee Jung-woo was challenging a somewhat special record.

[Lee Jung-woo, 19 Home Runs, 26 Stolen Bases. ‘Approaching 20-20 in the First Half!’]

[The Epitome of Power and Speed! Lee Jung-woo Challenges for the Best Player of the First Half in 35 Seasons!]

[‘Korean Night, Can It Truly Be a Night for Koreans?’ Lee Jung-woo, Targeting 20-20!]

20-20, meaning 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Unlike in Korea, in the NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan’s highest baseball league] or MLB [Major League Baseball], where there are many more games, it’s not specifically called the ’20-20 Club,’ and it wasn’t a particularly noteworthy record after the value of stolen bases declined. But achieving it within the ‘first half’ had another meaning.

It meant that a player commonly called a power-speed threat was achieving a season’s worth of stats much earlier than usual.

-Lee Jung-woo is achieving in just under three months what others barely manage during the season.

-If he keeps up this momentum, isn’t it seriously worth aiming for 40-40?

-He could probably get 40 stolen bases, but home runs might be a bit iffy. Still, he’s definitely getting 30-30.

-If he gets 40-40, will he win MVP [Most Valuable Player award]?

-Absolutely. Unless someone hits .400 or gets 60 home runs, it’s a guaranteed lock.

-Looking at it this way, Lee Jung-woo is truly an extraordinary madman. I still can’t believe it. That such a player is Korean.

-20-20 is a meaningless record, but honestly, it would be amazing if he achieved it during the Korean Night game.

-It’s also his birthday. It seems like it would be particularly meaningful.

Since Lee Jung-woo had already achieved close to 20-20 and was approaching 30-30, people watched with anticipation, marveling at his incredible abilities.

Especially Korean media and netizens hoped that he would achieve it on the 27th, his birthday and the day of Korean Night.

As people stayed up all night anticipating the 27th, Lee Jung-woo was frowning during a brief call with Mark.

“Why the hell did you make such weird food?”

-Haha, didn’t you like it? The club was trying hard. I guess it doesn’t work for the locals. But it was okay, wasn’t it?

“Not at all. Koreans will be angry if they eat it. They’ll think you’re making fun of them—Mark, what was that just now?”

Lee Jung-woo, who was complaining to Mark about the bizarre food that claimed to be Korean fusion, frowned at the small voice he heard over the receiver.

A voice he had heard somewhere before. It was so small and fleeting that he couldn’t hear it properly, but it was very familiar.

Decisively, it was Korean.

-Sound? Oh, ah. I think it’s the voice of an employee? I’m at a restaurant right now.

“The employee speaks Korean?”

-…A Korean restaurant, it’s a Korean restaurant. Haha, hearing about the snacks suddenly made me want to go. It’s getting late. Let’s hang up, I have a game tomorrow, I need to rest well. It’s an important day. Oh! And let’s have a party after the game. It’s my birthday. Okay, bye.

Lee Jung-woo couldn’t shake off his suspicion at the hasty end to the call, and he tilted his head, still doubtful.

‘He told me to look forward to it… there’s something more.’

Besides the weird food that he couldn’t even finish and left in the corner of the fridge, there was definitely something more. Lee Jung-woo stared at the phone, which was only emitting a dial tone, for a moment before shaking his head and lying down on the bed.

Although he was very concerned, he had to adjust his condition for tomorrow’s game, as Mark said, so it was time to sleep.

Since such a grand event was being held, he didn’t want to embarrass the people who came to see it.

####

The next day, after a quick breakfast, Lee Jung-woo headed to the clubhouse and found something flying towards him as soon as he opened the door.

He wondered if angry anti-fans, hooligans or something, were staging a terrorist attack, and he squeezed his eyes shut. But he opened them again at the soft sensation.

The sweet smell filling his face, the greasy cream and soft bread he felt on his skin, and the expectant eyes looking at him made Lee Jung-woo realize the situation.

“Happy birthday, Lee!”

The players were swarming around him.

The birthday poppers went off at the right moment, and colorful paper scattered around. Some of it stuck to his cream-covered face.

“…What is this?”

Lee Jung-woo, his face covered in cream from being hit squarely with the cake, looked around, and his teammates, who had come out early, unlike usual, were giggling at his messy appearance.

“The event is one thing, and your birthday is another, right? We prepared a little event for ourselves.”

“When I asked at the Korean restaurant, they said that’s how you do it in Lee’s hometown? They call it Sang-il Bbang [Birthday Bread]? They said you hit them hard to celebrate their birth. Or throw cake on their face like now.”

‘Ah, birthday punches.’

Lee Jung-woo couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief at experiencing his hometown’s customs (?) in a foreign land.

“It’s similar to Birthday Punches, right? We didn’t want to do Spanking between hairy men.”

“What, should I give you a punch if it’s not enough? I’ll hit you gently.”

‘Ha… At least they didn’t put candles in it before throwing it.’

As his anger soared to the top of his head, or maybe because he had gone beyond his limits, he just kept laughing in vain.

As Lee Jung-woo covered his face with both hands and shook his shoulders with a deflated sound, his colleagues nodded with satisfied expressions.

“We prepared well. Look how happy he is. He looks like he’s about to die of happiness?”

“It’s Korean Night, so we had to celebrate Lee’s birthday in his hometown style. Sometimes Peterson is right.”

“Hahaha. Captain, you’re always right. Hey, Lee! Do you like it that much? If I had known, I would have taken care of you like this last year.”

“It was a little bland last time. We should have done it as wonderfully as today.”

“Because we weren’t that close then.”

Lee Jung-woo, who had roughly wiped off the cream at the self-praising figures, looked around. The infielders, the pitchers, even the backup players. It seemed like the people who usually came to the training ground in the afternoon when there was an evening game had gathered very diligently today.

‘I received a gift. I have to repay it.’

“Peterson, Field, Rollins.”

These guys, who looked like the masterminds of this incident at first glance, or even if they weren’t, their faces were so bright that he felt twisted inside.

“Why? Do you like it too much?”

“It was worth getting yelled at by Aaron (clubhouse manager).”

“I bought the cake. How is it? Is this how you do it?”

“I like it so much that I want to reciprocate. I’ll take care of you in the ‘Korean’ style that you guys like so much when it’s your birthdays. Look forward to it.”

With those words, Lee Jung-woo went straight to the shower room, and the three, who didn’t seem to understand the meaning of the words, tilted their heads while high-fiving each other. But as if sensing something strange, the surrounding players quietly stepped back, as if they had nothing to do with it.

Even Derek, who had been smiling contentedly, slipped away, and only then did the three realize the situation and widen their eyes violently. But Lee Jung-woo had already gone far away.

####

After finishing a light practice according to his usual routine until the evening of the game, Lee Jung-woo, who entered Truist Park to prepare for the game in earnest, clicked his tongue.

‘Even if a Korea-Japan match is held in Korea, it probably won’t be like this.’

Everywhere he looked, there were things that looked like the Korean flag. It was so excessively laid out that the unusual appearance made him feel a sense of incongruity, as if he were looking at a composite photo.

It would have been better if it was just that, but the countless photos of himself contributed to his embarrassment.

“Lee! Happy birthday!”

“Give us a cool shot today to celebrate your birthday!”

“Lee Jung-woo! Thanks to you, we have this day! Thank you so much!”

“Show us your power in the game!”

However, Lee Jung-woo returned to his serious face at the sight of some Koreans who seemed to be genuinely happy with the sight. He himself felt a little embarrassed for some reason, but it was certainly meaningful to the Koreans.

Because the huge force of the major league team, the symbol of this region, took the initiative to take care of them first. No matter how many they were, they were bound to be a minority in this huge city.

Lee Jung-woo was already a source of pride for Koreans in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Southeast. This event was enough to go beyond that level. Even for people whose identity as Americans was stronger than that of Koreans after generations.

“I bought a souvenir, can I get an autograph here?”

“Of course. What’s your name?”

“I came from Korea to see today’s game, can I take a picture?”

“I’ll sign it for you, do you have anything you brought?”

Lee Jung-woo waved his hand lightly or responded with simple fan service to the voices filled with such feelings.

The atmosphere was always full of laughter, but the familiar smell that wafted from time to time was also tormenting him. But the atmosphere was much brighter than he thought.

Not to mention the Koreans who were directly involved in the event, even the local fans who habitually visited the stadium nodded, as if they liked the fresh atmosphere.

“The smell is so… amazing.”

“Lee, have you tried the snacks? They said it’s a special snack, and I’m going to buy one.”

“Isn’t 10 dollars for a bucket of chicken a good price? The smell is a bit weird, though. Should I buy one? I usually go to Korean restaurants often. Lee, is it okay?”

However, Lee Jung-woo sternly warned those who were trying to cross the line while intoxicated by such an atmosphere.

“Never eat it. It’s not the kind of food you guys are thinking of. Just starve or drink only drinks.”

After entering the stadium, Lee Jung-woo briefly stopped by the locker room, came out to the ground, and warmed up for the last time, and scanned Truist Park, which was sparkling with lights.

The empty seats were slowly filling up, and the stands were swarming with crowds like ants, and among them, he caught sight of more Asians, Koreans, than usual.

‘Korean Night.’

It may be a trivial event, or it may be a passing event. It’s just one of the countless pennant race games. It doesn’t have a big impact on the rankings.

But somehow, it felt different. He felt a little more strength in his body than in a normal regular league game.

‘My hitting feel is back up.’

Whether the home run he hit in the Reds game eventually became the catalyst as expected, the hitting feel that had been raised had returned to normal after going through the two-game series with the Rockies. So the feeling was good, but if there was one thing that bothered him.

‘I have a feeling this isn’t the end. I think there’s something more…’

An strangely subtle feeling. Lee Jung-woo tilted his head, and soon he was able to realize the truth, the reason why General Manager Pratt and Mark were smirking.

####

‘Seattle Mariners. They were ranked 4th. Their team condition isn’t very good right now due to injuries to key players. I wonder how they managed to get their cooperation.’

Lee Jung-woo shook his head at the sight of the fierce-looking opposing team’s players. On the other hand, he understood. It wasn’t easy to get cooperation from other teams in the same National League because they had all been severely beaten by the Braves, and the feelings between them weren’t very good. So it might be easier to have a neighboring team with no grudges at all.

‘By the way, why is the pre-game event so long?’

“She sings well? She looks so delicate, I didn’t think she’d have the strength.”

The invited singer was singing hard. She was said to be a singer with a fan base in the United States, but Lee Jung-woo, who didn’t know much about this, in fact, was close to being ignorant of most things other than baseball, just stared at her with a nonchalant look.

She came to the dugout before the event and exchanged simple greetings, but he didn’t feel anything in particular. He was just worried about the first pitch.

‘I wonder if the ball will even reach home plate. She’s too small.’

Even if he didn’t measure it against his own standards, which could be called a giant, she was thin enough. If she threw a weak first pitch in a situation full of attention, good words probably wouldn’t come out, so Lee Jung-woo, who was worried, looked at the singer who was singing hard, but his expectations were pleasantly wrong.

“Huh?”

[Please welcome the first pitchers of this game with enthusiastic applause! Myung-sun Kim and Hyun-soo Lee! Lee’s parents, whom we love so much!]

The two people walking towards the mound and the batter’s box, respectively, with the stadium announcer’s loud introduction, were too familiar to Lee Jung-woo, like the voices he had heard in his call with Mark the night before.

It was his parents.

“What is this-”

He had a strange feeling, but he never thought that they would not only plan such an embarrassing event, but also bring his parents, so Lee Jung-woo looked at the ground with a blank expression.

“What? Are they really his parents?”

“I think so? They look the same as when I saw them at the All-Star Game.”

“Wow, if it’s about Lee, his parents are no joke. They even do the first pitch.”

“His father is also in good shape. Did he play baseball when he was young?”

The surrounding players asked, but Lee Jung-woo, who was so dazed, didn’t hear them, so he remained silent and smiled again at the sight of the two who winked at him as if they had found him.

If they were expecting a surprise, the effect was outstanding.

“Lee’s parents?”

“Did I hear wrong?”

“If they are the grateful people who gave birth to Lee, then the first pitch is nothing! No! I can even do the postseason first pitch! If possible, even the World Series!”

“Of course, Lee came to us thanks to those people. What’s the big deal about the first pitch? President? Tell him to get lost. From now on, the opening game first pitch is unconditionally those people.”

The atmosphere was better than expected. Because they were Braves fans whose favorability towards Lee Jung-woo had reached MAX, and had exceeded the limit to the end of the universe.

The stadium was filled with tremendous cheers that were so loud that the singer who sang earlier was embarrassed. When the balls thrown together by the two flew quite plausibly, as if they had prepared hard, loud applause also poured out.

“Wonderful!”

“Wow! Lee looks like his parents!”

“If you have time, you can run to the bullpen!”

Lee Jung-woo, who was walking towards the ground to greet his parents after the short first pitch, couldn’t maintain his poker face. He felt strange. He was already desperately feeling that the Braves loved him so much. He didn’t know it would be this much.

‘They’re doing this much for me, so I can’t just stay still. Korean Night, let’s literally make it a real Korean Night.’

Lee Jung-woo, who smiled brightly on his face and returned to his usual stiff face, had fierce and hot eyes even in his blunt expression. Perhaps because of the deep emotion, the condition that had just risen moderately began to burn brightly with the atmosphere.