Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 207

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – 206

[Jeongwoo Lee’s First Half Batting Average…]

[The Best First Half Ever…]

[A Walking Record Machine…]

[Lee Jeongwoo’s 35th Season First Half, the Final Piece: 30-30…]

[To Be Remembered in History…]

[Second Highest Ever…]

Lee Jeongwoo felt as if the whole world was watching him. Maybe he was overestimating himself, but that’s how he felt, at least for now.

On the flight to New York, all the media, all the baseball fans, everyone with even a passing interest in baseball, were talking about him.

‘It’s a burden, but I have to endure it and understand it. I’ve done things that inevitably draw attention, so I have to accept the consequences as my share.’

Superstar.

Lee Jeongwoo was becoming somewhat accustomed to that awkward and burdensome title. Even he thought his performance justified such words.

‘There isn’t even a similar player. I have to push myself even harder.’

With the All-Star break just around the corner, Lee Jeongwoo stood at the end of the first half of his 35th season as a player untouchable by anyone. He was leading both leagues in almost every batting category, including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. His batting average was still well over .400, not to mention his on-base and slugging percentages.

‘My batting average has benefited a lot from walks. I have almost twice as many walks as other players.’

Perhaps that’s why Harding and Hunter, who were similarly, or even more highly, regarded as MVP candidates since the beginning of the season, were now generally considered to be far behind Lee Jeongwoo in terms of performance.

In the past, Lee Jeongwoo couldn’t be considered a rival due to his inferior career compared to them. Now, jokes were circulating that he couldn’t be one because of his overwhelmingly superior performance.

In a situation where even those major league hitters who seemed to dominate the league were falling behind, no one was close to Lee Jeongwoo. Not just in the NL [National League], but even in the AL [American League], no player had put up similar numbers.

‘It’s amazing even to me. Looking back, it’s been an unbelievable time. No wonder people call it a fluke.’

Untouchable. In the first half of this season, Lee Jeongwoo was in a league of his own, and his performance made the league seem like it was experiencing extreme hitter-friendly conditions.

Lee Jeongwoo himself thought it was a fluke, so how much more would those watching think so?

People thought that the pinnacle and final goal of the beautiful path that Lee Jeongwoo had walked since the season’s opening until the end of the first half was 30-30.

It was a kind of masterpiece. To decorate the finale of a first half already filled with numerous records, performances worthy of being counted in Major League history.

A symbol that clearly showed he had dominated the first half. That’s why people hoped and expected Lee Jeongwoo to fill in that last piece.

And he had almost reached it.

Now, 28 home runs. Stolen bases already stopped at exactly 30.

‘Two home runs to go with three games left. It’s tough, but there’s no need to feel pressured. The first half has already been as good as it could possibly be. A first-half 30-30 is a performance that makes even that seem trivial.’

He didn’t have as much desire as those on the outside expected. He thought it was already extravagant to wish for anything more, considering how great his performance had been.

There was no burning desire.

He had accomplished things that would be remembered for decades, even if he retired now. He had already filled the history of Major League Baseball with his name.

So, in the first-half 30-30 record, which he himself didn’t think much of, the only meaning he attached to it was adding another ‘first’ title to the career that Lee Jeongwoo would build in the future.

‘And that’s enough.’

That alone was reason enough, so Lee Jeongwoo calmly composed himself, waiting for the final series of the first half.

In the heart of enemy territory, New York. To add another spot to his name in Major League history.

####

“It’s dead silent.”

“I thought they’d be cheering and welcoming us. Looks like they’re more scared than I thought.”

The City.

The New Yorkers who filled Citi Field, located in Queens, a place in the city that boasts tremendous influence, so much so that the nickname is not a nickname, were silent. They couldn’t hide their anxious eyes.

At the end of everyone’s gaze was one player, one person. The most dangerous player in the Big Leagues at this point. No, a monster who had already broken numerous records with performances comparable to the best first halves in Major League history, not to mention achieving the unprecedented home run cycle, and was now trying to add one more.

The faces of those watching him were ashen, and a deep sense of gloom permeated the vast stadium.

“Why only us…”

“No, we’re not livestock marked for sacrifice.”

“He’s already broken all the records. Why add 30-30 on top of that…”

“30-30 isn’t the problem now. That guy is aiming for Ty Cobb’s record too.”

“What’s that? How many records are at stake?”

“The highest batting average in the first half. Ty Cobb holds the record, and he’s almost there. If we get crushed in this series, maybe that too…”

In fact, it wasn’t completely silent. There were quite a few people muttering and whispering among themselves. It just felt quiet because no one was raising their voice.

The sight of them shuddering as they talked about the first-half 30-30 and other records at stake made them look like people who had already given up.

The game hadn’t even started yet.

‘You’d think they’ve already lost.’

Lee Jeongwoo, who was scanning the stadium, found those sights a bit amusing, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but understand them.

Not Lee Jeongwoo personally, but the Braves team had already allowed a record that only existed in history, and Lee Jeongwoo himself had thoroughly crushed the Mets in their head-to-head matchups.

‘They must hate it. Madly. They’ve already been victimized once. They wouldn’t want to be sacrificed twice.’

Lee Jeongwoo turned his gaze away from the wet eyes of the crowd and looked at the Mets players. If the eyes of the opposing team’s fans were gloomy, the players’ gazes were cold. A chilling aura slightly different from gloom.

Especially the pitchers, who seemed more determined than anyone else, were busy scanning Lee Jeongwoo with cold yet somewhat fiery eyes.

‘It won’t be easy.’

He realized it the moment he saw it.

It didn’t seem like it would be easy.

He could feel that the opponent wouldn’t let him hold a festival in their home stadium, even if it meant hitting Lee Jeongwoo with a headshot. He had hit three home runs and his momentum had waned a bit, so he was in fairly ordinary condition, making those glares feel even more threatening.

‘They’ve gone all in. They’re going to give it their all. The only good thing is that, judging from their expressions, they don’t seem like they’re going to intentionally walk me.’

Given their determined expressions, and the fact that so much attention was focused on them, it didn’t seem like they would openly walk him, no matter how much they disliked Lee Jeongwoo and the records at stake.

Lee Jeongwoo gained a sliver of comfort from that.

‘It’s so burdensome, I feel like they’re staring right through me.’

It was just a sliver, though.

####

[Finally, the first game of the final series of the 2035 season is about to begin.]

[This game is particularly important, I would say.]

The broadcast began as the game preparations were in full swing. As all of Major League Baseball’s attention was focused on the game, the commentators opened their mouths as cautiously as possible, uttering each word only after thinking about it at least four times.

A series with historic records at stake.

They didn’t want to be hit by a barrage of angry people for speaking carelessly.

[This game is particularly important because…]

[In the case of Jeongwoo Lee recently…]

[His head-to-head record against the Mets this season is…]

[He is currently maintaining a .400 batting average and is also aiming for the highest batting average in the first half…]

[His slugging percentage is also very close to the all-time record…]

While delivering as much information as possible and telling viewers and fans who didn’t know exactly what kind of performance Lee Jeongwoo was putting up and what they could expect from this series.

The extremely limited and cautious atmosphere, like a broadcast during a perfect game, made the broadcast somewhat uninteresting.

However, since there were already plenty of stories to tell without having to make it interesting, and the attention was at its peak, the commentators maintained that stance. This was the same for all broadcasts that were broadcasting this game, not only in the United States but also in countries like Korea and Japan.

However, there was a slight difference between the broadcasts in the two countries and the United States.

[Commentator Kim Byung-gyun, how do you predict Lee Jeongwoo’s performance in this game?]

[Lee Jeongwoo has been in great form during July, so I predict that he will have a good series.]

[Um… Commentator Iwamoto, do you have any thoughts?]

[Looking at his pace this month, Lee Jeongwoo’s hitting is excellent, so I cautiously believe that he will ultimately leave a mark.]

Unlike the American broadcast, which was almost neutral, the Korean broadcast was full of love for Lee Jeongwoo, who had emerged as a symbol of Korean baseball, which had been struggling to gain traction in Major League Baseball since his debut, and was essentially single-handedly supporting Major League broadcasts. Similarly, the Japanese broadcast, which had turned favorable with the narrative of being the pride of Asia after his incredible performance and the unprecedented home run cycle, made optimistic predictions.

Thus, the game began with the broadcast maintaining a quiet atmosphere, just like the local atmosphere. However, as time went on, groans full of regret flowed through the speakers to every corner of the world.

####

“How is it? Is your hitting feeling better this time? You’ve been playing terribly so far. It’s almost laughable to hear people call you ‘historic.’ See, people are putting too much pressure on you. Right? You’re just a twenty-two-year-old kid. You’re only in your second year. They’re saying too many undeserved things to a guy like you, so you’re getting scared. You have to treat kids like kids.”

“…”

The catcher kept talking non-stop. As if it didn’t matter that there was no response, the catcher’s voice echoed in his ear, subtly tempting and, on the other hand, putting a little pressure on him.

“Foul!”

The swing he took, trying to swallow it down. When an unfortunate foul ball came out, the spectators, whose hearts had pounded at the sound of the hit, stroked their chests. The batter gripped his bat tightly as if he had caught the feel, but.

“Time!”

A timely call for time disrupted the timing again. That was repeated throughout the game. Immediately after, the ball was thrown from the pitcher’s hand, like a showcase pitch from a promising prospect, not thinking about the aftermath, just putting all his strength into it.

‘Fast. Incredibly.’

The bat swung as it was. But it was too late. The ball was a little faster than the swing. He must have heard the tick-sound clearly, so it seemed like he had grazed the bat, but the game was over as the catcher caught it as it was.

A 98-mile fastball. The result was a foul tip.

“Strikeout!”

Anyway, it was a swinging strikeout.

“That’s right! That’s right!”

“Serves you right! You bastard!”

“Let’s keep going like this! Let’s crush him completely!”

Citi Field shook at the umpire’s strikeout call. The spectators, who had been gloomy at the beginning, were shouting as hard as they could, as if they had never been gloomy before.

Considering the score of 6-0 on the scoreboard, with the Braves at 6 and the Mets at 0, it was an absurd scene, but there was a reason for it.

‘It’s not easy after all.’

Because the person who struck out was Lee Jeongwoo. Lee Jeongwoo, who had given up a swinging strikeout to the pitcher’s fastest fastball on his 8th pitch, briefly clicked his tongue and scanned the pitcher on the mound and the opposing team’s bench.

The pitcher was still emitting a burning gaze. Not only him, but all the pitchers and all the Mets players who had passed by so far were like that.

‘They’re pulling up all the stops just to catch me. Is it because there are no games after this?’

It was now the top of the 7th inning.

So far, Lee Jeongwoo’s record was 4 at-bats, 4 at-bats, 0 hits, and 2 strikeouts. The team was hitting the Mets hard, but Lee Jeongwoo had recorded disappointing results, just like in the 1st and 2nd games of the previous Marlins series.

At that time, he didn’t worry much because it was just a slight slump in condition. But this time, the reason was different.

‘They’re pouring everything in.’

Every pitcher, even the starting pitcher, was throwing with all their might against Lee Jeongwoo, abandoning stamina management. The catcher was framing with all his might [presenting pitches to the umpire in a way that makes them look more favorable to the pitcher].

In addition, even though the rule was revised after 2019, requiring a replaced pitcher to face three batters, the bench was not sparing left-handed specialists, as if they were only looking at Lee Jeongwoo, and brought them up to every at-bat.

‘Their bullpen isn’t that good. Aren’t they taking too much of a hit just to catch me? No, more than that, what are they going to do for the next game…’

He couldn’t understand it. But the Mets were desperate, and it was quite effective, as you can see from the score of this game. They had properly sealed Lee Jeongwoo so far.

In addition, like the previous at-bat, time requests that cut off the flow and trash talk that made his ears hurt from listening to anything, even though he didn’t want to, were also quite effective.

It was nothing short of mobilizing everything against Lee Jeongwoo, except for intentional walks. Lee Jeongwoo couldn’t help but laugh at such actions, which even felt like a strange obsession, and his mouth went dry.

‘I wasn’t that obsessed, but my heart is getting a little nervous.’

There was probably only one chance left in this game. If he missed that too, there would only be two games left. Although he didn’t have great ambitions himself, now that he was about to lightly shake off his mind, it wasn’t easy to do so.

‘I didn’t think much about it, but it’s a little disappointing to just let it go like this.’

The opposing team, the Mets, were making a desperate effort and giving it their all. To break through that, Lee Jeongwoo also needed a special method, just like them, who had mobilized everything.