Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 200

Still ahead.

Still.

Yes, what was important to the Phillies right now wasn’t the clear ‘fact’ that they were ahead, but the uncertain word ‘still’.

They had already lost seven times.

Including last year, they had been crushed so badly that they didn’t even want to remember. In the Division Series, their starters, from the first to the third, were all beaten down, recording a complete defeat. It was such a miserable performance that it was embarrassing to call it a historic season with the league’s best record.

The only consolation was that the Braves were also thoroughly defeated by the Dodgers in the Championship Series and eliminated.

Whatever the case, the most important fact was that since Lee Jung-woo was called up, the Phillies had only comfortably beaten the Braves twice.

And the experience from that past was slowly eating away at the Phillies.

[Hit! It’s a hit! The Philadelphia Phillies score another run! The score is now 4 to 2! The Phillies are back in the lead by two points!]

[I thought it might be a little difficult for the Phillies to score, given that it’s Mason Looper’s start. But the actual game is unfolding a bit differently.]

The immediate situation is good.

They scored 4 runs in the 4th inning against their opponent’s ace, Mason Looper, one of the top pitchers in the league and a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award [award given annually to the best pitchers in each league].

But even that wasn’t enough.

At least, the Phillies didn’t think it was nearly enough.

Even just looking at the faces of the Phillies players as they went down after their attack in the top of the 4th inning, you could tell they didn’t look very happy.

They should have scored a little more. A two-point lead isn’t enough. That thought was written all over their faces.

“They’ve been on a roll lately, and they’re actually hitting pretty well, huh?”

“Are you okay? Strangely, the balls aren’t coming my way. I would have caught them for sure if they had.”

“Well, some games are like this.”

In contrast, the Braves were just calm. Even Mason himself, whose ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] was steadily dropping, was just indifferent.

In stark contrast to the Phillies, who still felt the scent of defeat even though they were leading, the Braves didn’t assume defeat, even though they were the ones chasing.

The Phillies will win no matter what.

The winning streak that had continued since June of last year surrounded that winning mentality like a solid stone wall.

“Don’t worry about me, why don’t you hit one more, Lee? Then you might actually hit 30-30 in the first half.”

“I don’t know about home runs, but I’ll at least make sure our losses don’t go up, so don’t worry.”

Lee Jung-woo chuckled at Mason’s subtle words, fiddled with his bat slightly, and then nodded.

‘Another home run today. And another long hit. Long hits have been a little more frequent than usual since the Mariners game. Has my swing gotten bigger?’

The home run cycle [hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game]. It was a very good record, but Lee Jung-woo was worried that it might be harmful to him.

Like the Home Run Derby jinx [the idea that participating in the Home Run Derby negatively affects a player’s performance for the rest of the season], his batting form could be twisted to match an excessive home run swing.

In fact, he had ruined his batting form himself while trying to hit home runs during an away game at Coors Field [known for being a hitter-friendly ballpark due to its altitude] after being called up last year.

It didn’t matter during the Mariners series because he had plenty of energy thanks to his parents, but it would be a problem on days like today when his condition was relatively normal.

So he was a little worried. He tried swinging the bat slowly as practice, but it didn’t feel much different from usual.

‘I guess that means it’s definitely ingrained in my body now. Not enough to collapse with just one Crazy Mode.’

Even if he doesn’t consciously try, his swing naturally returns to its original posture. It fits his body perfectly, like a batting form that has been honed for decades.

‘Then the easy long hits aren’t my problem, but the pitcher’s problem?’

Long hits come easily.

The home run in his first at-bat.

The long hit in his second at-bat in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Although it didn’t become a fair ball due to the center fielder’s diving catch. The hit itself was strong and well-extended. Even though he pushed it lightly.

Lee Jung-woo pondered a little.

So far, he has grown countless times. He had never faced a proper wall since converting to a hitter.

He started in a much more lacking state than others, so he may have grown even faster. But there’s no need to be so humble.

Lee Jung-woo himself is just a genius. That’s why he had expectations and doubts. He wondered if this was another one of those cases.

“Why are you so serious? Do you have something to worry about? Why? Did the catcher discriminate against you?”

“Him? No way. He’s getting nervous just looking at me now. It’s just that I’m hitting too well.”

“…That’s your worry? Isn’t it just that you’re in good shape today? Or that your hitting feel is good?”

“I don’t think that’s the case, so I’m going to check it out. If my batting form is off, it’ll be a problem.”

Derek laughed incredulously and shook his head, while Popin, who was listening next to him, made a serious face.

“Hey, Lee, our super kid. I know you’re good, but shouldn’t you be focusing on the game? We’re losing right now. We need to score points, not do experiments.”

At Popin’s joking words, Lee Jung-woo glanced at the Phillies filling the field.

He’s right. Professional players should always prioritize the team’s victory in any situation. But that’s why Lee Jung-woo focused on himself.

“The Phillies have to win no matter what. And in order to do that, I have to do well, right?”

“Good, you’re starting to get infected by us. Peterson and Rollins have finally done something big. You’ve become very brazen. Good luck. I hope you find good results.”

In fact, it didn’t really matter if his batting form was off or if there was a problem with his swing. The Phillies will win no matter what.

####

The bottom of the 4th inning passed without incident. It was an attack that continued with the bottom of the lineup, and the pitcher, who gave his all due to a heavy sense of responsibility, blocked it better than expected.

The 4-2 score remained frozen, and the Phillies’ attack started again in the top of the 5th inning. But the change started from there.

A chaotic ground ball.

Whether today was really the day, Mason allowed a hit from the first batter, reminding the fans once again that he was definitely not the same as usual.

“Today, no way…”

“Ah… We made fun of him so much. If we lose…”

The fans started to worry.

They teased him hard. They put their heart and soul into ridiculing the Phillies. To repay what they had suffered during the dark ages in the past. But just as they felt a chill down their spines at the thought that they might be retaliated against this time, another hit came out.

A short single, and now there are runners on first and second base. A situation where one more point could be added. Someone moistened their dry lips and trembled. With not a single out count recorded, the field was filled as it was. Lee Jung-woo walked around his position, observing the situation as if a construction worker was examining the soil.

‘Today, he often sends it to the right, but sometimes he surprises by pushing it to the left.’

Lee Jung-woo, recalling the hitter’s information diligently delivered by the scouting team, stood firmly in his position to check for any situations that might arise.

In a way, it was an unlucky day for Mason. Normally, Lee Jung-woo would have gotten at least three outs by now. But today, the balls didn’t even go near him, so he was just silent.

‘First, increase the out count as much as possible. If a ball comes to me, let’s aim for a double play.’

Lee Jung-woo, preparing himself by forcibly assuming the best-case scenario. And the showdown began. Mason squeezed the ball as if trying to forcibly find his zero point.

One precarious ball and one strike where the umpire raised his hand. The batter, who missed the third ball in a one-and-one count, hit the 4th ball, which Mason hastily threw to get at least one out, as it was.

Slightly earlier than that, the runners ran. Run and hit [offensive play where the runner on first base attempts to steal second as the pitch is thrown, and the batter attempts to hit the ball]. The Phillies’ strategy to widen the precarious lead a little more.

‘It’s coming – but -‘

For now, it came in his direction, as expected from the pushed hit. But it’s quite high, whether it was hit properly or not.

Lee Jung-woo jokingly said that he could catch up to 5 feet above his head for the pitchers, but he doesn’t actually catch all the balls that high.

This shouldn’t be happening. No matter how good Lee Jung-woo’s athletic ability is, he can’t catch this. It’s a very difficult ball that he himself thinks he can’t catch.

Lee Jung-woo, who jumped anyway, was able to realize thanks to the defense he performed properly for the first time in today’s game.

‘I can catch it. Why?’

Questions arose in his head, but Lee Jung-woo’s body moved automatically. Ignoring the second base runner who had already passed him due to the run-and-hit strategy, he tossed the ball lightly to Derek in the air because it seemed a little late to step on it directly. Derek stepped on it and then back to 1st base.

The 1st base runner, who couldn’t turn back in time, was also out, and the inning ended as it was.

Out. Out. Out.

The completion of a triple play [a rare play in baseball where three players are put out during the same continuous play].

[Uh…]

[What is this-]

Even the commentators couldn’t speak. The spectators shouted after a beat. Mason, the biggest beneficiary, just stared blankly as if he couldn’t believe it. Derek, who played a big part in the process, hit his glove hard.

The chaotic ground ball, a situation that would only appear in baseball oddities, was completely engulfed in chaos.

The hitter, who ran to first base with a happy face when the ball was hit, glared at Lee Jung-woo, who stole his hit and RBI [Runs Batted In, a statistic that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored].

The 2nd base runner, who was just following instructions and ran hard to 3rd base, only made a bitter expression as he became an out runner.

Likewise, the 1st base runner, who hurriedly returned but was eventually out, swept his head with his helmet off and expressed his emotions.

And Lee Jung-woo looked around his body. Because he himself was a little dumbfounded.

‘What? Did someone put a spring on me without me knowing?’

One of the jokes that people often make when they see his defense is that he has springs on his feet. It’s an absurd joke, but he was momentarily tempted.

If so, he looked over the strong candidates Peterson and Rollins, but it didn’t seem like it. It didn’t seem like Ian Field, who was nodding diligently from the bench with an impressed expression. So he just did it. He caught it.

It didn’t take long to realize that. It didn’t take long to realize that he had seized the momentum of this game from the Phillies with this.

Even in the midst of this, the only thing that was questionable was.

‘Just one more time, let’s check one more time. It’s definitely not just a matter of condition. There’s something there.’

This, as much as the strong hits, was also not very understandable. Lee Jung-woo wanted to check a little more.

####

Lee Jung-woo, who returned to the dugout after the defense with the welcome of his teammates and the extreme gratitude of pitcher Mason, recalled the most likely assumption.

‘It can’t be that my body is warmed up now, can it? It’s summer.’

That his body is warmed up.

His condition is normal. He knows because it’s his body. There wasn’t much of a special feeling. But his body is good. Then there’s only one thing left, that his body is warmed up only now. But that doesn’t make sense either.

Usually, in the case of major leaguers, they shake their bodies, which have been dormant during the off-season, hard with exhibition games, and by about May, they completely awaken their sense of the game.

Even if he’s a slow starter type of player who’s slower than others, everyone’s body is warmed up by June.

‘No, but it’s impossible to be this good, right?’

It’s summer. Summer. Lee Jung-woo himself has already played a lot of games. If his physical condition drops, it drops. It was impossible for it to go up any further.

But if that wasn’t the case, he couldn’t think of anything else. His swing form is also the same. His teammates and hitting coach said that it wasn’t different from usual, so it’s clear.

As I said before, his condition is normal. It would be a bit of a sorry excuse to say that it was derived from a momentary mental strength like the Mariners game where the home run cycle came out, but the current Phillies are not an opponent that stimulates Lee Jung-woo to that extent. So there was definitely that external factor.

‘What on earth could it be?’

Lee Jung-woo, who was thinking blankly, went to the on-deck circle for the Braves’ attack that started soon. He continued to think even after going to the plate.

And the showdown.

Lee Jung-woo, who was quietly watching the pitcher’s ball, suddenly realized it. And his bat also realized the opponent’s ball.

[It’s flying straight! Right fence! It hit and fell – Lee continues to run!]

[Ah, his body is very light today. He’s fast, he’s fast.]

The second baseman just stared blankly at Lee Jung-woo, who passed by in an instant. Lee Jung-woo, who stepped on third base three steps ahead of the right fielder’s throw, waved his hand to the audience for a moment and nodded at the same time.

‘So that’s why. I get it now.’

He seemed to know now.

Last year, Lee Jung-woo showed an incredible amount of game digestion. It’s not just about Major League games. From November, he played 40 games in the ABL (Australian Professional Baseball League), and if you include the post-season, he played a little more than that.

And he played more than 40 games in Double-A [the second level of minor league baseball]. He played 15 games in the exhibition game. To put it simply, when he was called up, he had already played at least 90 games.

But the record he left behind is enormous. He hit 28 home runs. He took a plane across the Pacific Ocean and went to the Asian Games. He had a home run feast there too.

And now Lee Jung-woo has played a similar number of games as last year. Combining the regular season pennant race and the exhibition game. He’s played about 90 games.

The result of reaching such a point of similarity was simple.

‘He’s a workaholic. A workaholic. No wonder, even when I went up as a stopgap before the regression, I wasn’t tired.’

He knew the fear of the injury so well that he usually saved his body and was careful, so he didn’t know it well. It seemed that Lee Jung-woo himself was the type who had to be rolled as much as possible. Like the mutants who occasionally appear in the world of professionals and are given nicknames such as Iron Man or Steel King.

In short, the only weak part of the elements that make up the human body of Lee Jung-woo was his right shoulder.