Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 218

“Lee hit a home run! Lee hit a home run!”

“Waaaaaaaaaa!”

“Lee! Lee!”

“He pointed at us! He gestured to us!”

The quiet stadium instantly became boisterous, and the children responded with high-pitched cheers to Lee Jung-woo, who ‘clearly’ gestured to them.

The surrounding spectators watched the scene with pleased expressions, and the director of the orphanage, who had accompanied the children, couldn’t hide her excited expression while calming them down.

Such opportunities were rare. To watch a sports game live at the stadium. Actually, it wasn’t just rare, but this was her first time, except for when she watched an NBA game with her boyfriend back in college.

She wasn’t the type to leave the children and enjoy such hobbies alone, and she didn’t really enjoy watching professional sports that much. But since the children liked it, she often watched baseball with them, and she knew how well the Braves and Lee Jung-woo were doing.

The feeling of watching the game live was different. The electric atmosphere of the baseball stadium captivated not only the children but also her. And the powerful home run was enough to cheer for in itself.

“He’s really amazing. He’s really an amazing player, just like you guys said.”

At her words, the children giggled and boasted, nodding their heads as if she had confirmed something they already knew. But only one child, the one who had asked Lee Jung-woo to win the bet, had a slightly different reaction, and the director asked him.

“What’s wrong? Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

“It’s not that. I just think everyone is too excited right now.”

“It’s Lee’s home run. You and your friends love Lee’s home runs.”

“That’s why. It’s a waste to be happy with just one.”

At the child’s words, she widened her eyes. He had a strangely confident face. As if he knew everything, he crossed his arms and looked down at the field.

“Lee clearly said with his eyes that this is just the beginning. There’s no way Lee would be satisfied with just that, right?”

“Haha, our little gentleman knows something. That’s right, Lee isn’t the type of player to be satisfied with just one home run.”

“He needs to hit at least a multi-homer to even breathe a little?”

As the surrounding spectators nodded in agreement with pleased smiles, the child, whose cheekbones rose as if ascending to heaven, said proudly.

“Last time I came, when I asked him, I should have bet with my friend not on whether he could hit a home run, but on how many he would hit – Ah, shoot…”

The child was surprised by his slip of the tongue about the bet. With a look that said, ‘Oh, that’s not what I meant,’ he glanced at the director.

The director shook her head as if she couldn’t help it, but her face was full of smiles.

“Then you’ve already won the bet, so you won’t do that with your friends next time, right?”

“Of course, Ma’am.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Then from now on, let’s just purely watch the baseball game. Lee will hit more home runs, just like you said. We have to cheer him on hard, right?”

“Of course!”

The director, smiling at the innocent child’s face, looked down at the field again. Although she couldn’t see him well because he had gone into the dugout, she thought of Lee Jung-woo.

Although she had only seen him in person that one day, he seemed like a good person, so she thought he would fulfill the child’s expectations this time as well.

####

After Lee Jung-woo’s home run gave them the first run, the Braves finished the top of the 1st inning without scoring any additional points.

‘I tweaked my batting style a bit from the end of the first half. Since my accuracy was dropping and I was only making ground balls, I increased the launch angle even more.’

The next inning, in the top of the 2nd, Lee Jung-woo took action again to revive the embers he had directly ignited in the usually quiet crowd, which was unusual for him.

Recalling the opposing batter’s style and changes in his batting that the scouting team had told him, Lee Jung-woo carefully watched the large man filling the batter’s box.

The leadoff hitter in this inning was the cleanup hitter [typically the fourth batter in the lineup, expected to drive in runs], who mainly aimed for long hits with powerful power, befitting his position. But his contact rate was low, and like the other hitters, he was only making ground balls. So, as a solution, he changed himself into a type of empty swinger, lifting the ball up even more.

Even if he missed the other at-bats, he was determined to hit just one.

‘His contact is lacking, but his power is still strong, so if he hits it well, he can create a powerful line drive. A quick reaction speed is crucial. I need to maintain a moderate level of tension so I can move at any time.’

Having made all the preparations, Lee Jung-woo stared intently at the leadoff hitter’s at-bat. Since the starting pitcher was Mason, it would be difficult to hit the ball with a big swing. But even so, an empty swinger can sometimes get lucky. Focusing all his attention, Lee Jung-woo loosened his legs so he could run at any moment, and at that moment, a heavy hitting sound erupted.

‘The speed is fast, but the height is low. And the direction is close too.’

As Lee Jung-woo jumped diagonally towards third base, the left fielder, center fielder, Rollins, and Winters, who had started running as soon as they heard the hitting sound, let out pure exclamations.

[He got it! Lee is flying again this time! Sometimes he is compared to Hermes, the god of Greek mythology [the swift-footed messenger god]. I understand why. He must have wings on his shoes.]

[Yes, it’s Lee’s unique play. He covers all directions within his space, whether it’s front, back, left, right, or even up and down.]

[If you want to get past me, just hit a home run. He’s a disaster for right-handed hitters!]

[Ironically, the player most often mentioned by experts when comparing Lee’s defense is Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith, who is now on the receiving end of that defense.]

The batter, unable to contain his anger at having a hit stolen, threw his helmet down. The home crowd booed the violent behavior, but soon Lee Jung-woo took the ball out of his glove and threw it into the stands as if to calm them down. As if it was nothing.

Since it was his own play, Lee Jung-woo was used to even these super saves. He didn’t feel any great emotion. After all, no matter how stimulating something is, you develop a tolerance to it if you keep doing it.

But the spectators and his teammates were different. Lee Jung-woo’s super plays, which often occurred, were the kind of thing they could never get used to.

“You surprise me every time you do that, so please give me a heads up in advance. It’s not good for my heart,” said Poppin, the third baseman, who had witnessed the scene up close, jokingly holding his left chest. Lee Jung-woo chuckled and then scanned the stadium.

Truist Park, which had become noisy again as if it had never been quiet. Lee Jung-woo thought that this suited it best. Rather than a quiet library.

‘After all, a baseball stadium should be a bit noisy.’

Having reaffirmed his belief, Lee Jung-woo simply watched the subsequent defense without doing anything. As if he was ashamed of being hit by a batter on a downward spiral and barely being saved by the shortstop. Because Mason mercilessly butchered those who came up next.

‘He stirred up a hornet’s nest. I don’t know why he had to hurt someone’s pride.’

If the Cardinals knew that the very person who had snatched the batted ball and erased a long hit was thinking this, a bench-clearing brawl would have broken out immediately. Fortunately, none of them were mind readers.

So, there was only one moment when his heart dropped, but the defense ended cleanly this time as well. As Lee Jung-woo headed to the dugout for the change of offense and defense, he smacked his lips at the loud voices he heard amidst the applause of the home crowd.

‘They’re going to lose their voices. They’re doing the work of a hundred people.’

A small number, a very small number, of Cardinals fans were diligently whipping their sluggish players, but they didn’t stop cheering as if they wouldn’t be defeated by the revived home crowd.

“You X-heads! Why are you so bad! Is it that hard to swing a wooden bat? Don’t you feel sorry for the pitchers!”

“It’s still doable! We can win! I know it! I believe in you! We swept them last time we met! Let’s work hard!”

“Pittsburgh? Cubs? We can catch up enough! They’re not doing well either! We just need to win step by step! I believe in you! I believe in you guys! That’s why I came all the way here!”

Despite the team’s miserable situation, their appearance of still expecting victory felt a bit sad. Unlike those passionate fans, the players, the Cardinals, were a bit sluggish.

‘The gap between the fans and the team, no, the organization, is big. Well, seeing as they’re watching the game even in the Cardinals’ current situation, they probably aren’t ordinary fans, so it’s natural that they unconditionally want victory.’

Supporters who want victory and an organization that has chosen tanking [deliberately losing games to secure a higher draft pick]. The conflict between them always existed. Not only in baseball, but in all professional sports where a rookie draft exists, where the order is determined by ranking, and where a so-called draft jackpot is possible.

Lee Jung-woo knew the Cardinals fans’ feelings well because the teams he had mainly played for in the past were like that. And he also knew that it wasn’t very good. No matter how much you close your ears and eyes, the players, who inevitably have ears and eyes, get tired, and the fans’ hearts rot away as they watch a team that keeps failing to meet their expectations.

Lee Jung-woo wanted to make them comfortable from that vicious cycle.

‘Now that things have come to this, let’s just liberate them completely.’

Because it’s easier to give up.

####

[Bottom of the 3rd, it’s the Braves’ attack again. They didn’t score any additional points in the previous attack. We’ll have to watch this inning.]

[Yes, the batting order has come around again.]

After each team wasted the 2nd inning. The Cardinals retreated with a three-up-three-down in the 3rd inning, and the Braves’ third attack came. The spectators already had excited faces.

“Aren’t they going to hit another two-run home run?”

“Definitely! The captain will definitely get on base. And then Lee will definitely hit it.”

The batting order starts from number 1 because it has come around again. They couldn’t help but have expectations since they had already tasted its destructive power once in the bottom of the 1st inning. But unfortunately, that prediction went wrong from the start.

[Swinging strike! Derek Hunt records a disappointing swinging strikeout in his second at-bat.]

[Yes, he was completely fooled. It was the timing for a breaking ball, and the batter was waiting for it. But he throws another fastball here.]

Derek’s disappointing swinging strikeout. The expected two-run home run was gone, but the energy didn’t drop.

“Lee will take care of it.”

“The captain does that sometimes. It doesn’t matter since Lee is next anyway.”

As Lee Jung-woo’s turn came around again, the atmosphere rose even more despite Derek’s strikeout. With each step he took, voices full of anticipation rang out.

And as if not to be defeated by that, the visiting fans cheered even louder for the pitcher. Even though he had already been hit with a home run once. Because he was their proud ace.

‘Perhaps he’s the source of their faint hope. Unlike the generally lacking batting lineup, the pitching staff is good.’

As if to say that just because a team is failing doesn’t mean everything is failing, the Cardinals’ pitchers were putting up fairly good results. In fact, they were ranked 2nd in average ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] in the Central Division, where their team belonged, following the Cubs. And if you look at the entire league, they were in the mid-range.

‘In other words, if only the hitters had done well, they could have at least been 2nd in the division. Well, the wild card would be difficult because of the Giants and Phillies.’

Among the Cardinals’ pitching staff, who were the hope of the Cardinals’ fandom, the first-line ace was naturally a must-win card for them. In fact, he was the pitcher who was still racking up wins amidst the batting lineup’s slump and accumulating losses.

That’s why the fans don’t give up hope even though he’s already been hit with a two-run home run. He had also effectively blocked the powerful Braves batting lineup since then.

‘Four-seam fastball average 95 mph. Maximum 98 mph. The movement is ordinary, but the stuff is decent. Changeup and slider as breaking balls. And sometimes a splitter. His control is also good. The command of his breaking balls is also good. And his location is certain.’

The Cardinals’ starting pitcher’s overall skill is excellent, befitting a first-line pitcher. There’s no major flaw.

The home run in the bottom of the 1st was hit with a splitter thrown as the first pitch, perhaps aiming for surprise, so the catcher is more responsible than the pitcher.

‘I should see him as feeling similar to Mason from the Giants era. Not special. But overall excellent. However, he’s a bit lacking compared to him.’

In short, he was an A-class pitcher who didn’t have his own unique characteristics that Top-class players have.

As Lee Jung-woo recalled the pitcher’s information again and raised his concentration, the catcher, who glanced at him, stuck out his lips with a sullen expression.

Even though he had hit a home run, he seemed to be properly focused, judging by his blank eyes. Thinking that he was a tenacious guy, the catcher let out a short breath and soon stretched out his palm and sent a signal, and the pitcher, who was more nervous than ever, nodded.

[Okay, here’s the first pitch.]

“Ball!”

A straight four-seam. The umpire declared a ball because it was slightly out of the zone and stuck on the outside. The catcher and pitcher looked at the umpire as if they were one body.

But there was nothing they could do but grumble in front of the umpire’s firm expression.

Having unfortunately wasted the first pitch, the battery [pitcher and catcher] readjusted their opinions, and the catcher glanced at Lee Jung-woo from time to time.

It was difficult to read his emotions from his stiff poker face, and there were many cases where they got caught up in it themselves.

Last year, when he had just debuted, they mistook it for nervousness, but now that his position and status had changed, no one thought that way.

They were just intimidated by the pressure emanating from his hard face like an iron mask. Like in this case.

“Ball.”

[It’s a ball again.]

[In the case of the first pitch, the pitcher originally enjoys using the outside location, so it was close to being slightly off. But in this case, he deliberately took it out of the zone.]

[Is he trying to walk him?]

[He might be. Since the plan went wrong from the start with the first pitch being called a ball. It’s easier to just walk him.]

A moment of avoidance. As Lee Jung-woo glanced down, the catcher avoided his gaze this time. Walk or plan. The catcher and batter had a brief psychological battle between them.

And then the battle again. Lee Jung-woo watched the 3rd pitch quietly this time as well. The result was a strike. The location also returned to normal as usual. After throwing the ball to the same course once more and raising another strike, the atmosphere turned cold. People clenched their fists tightly. In particular, the small number of Cardinals fans put strength into their fingers as if they were about to burst their palms with tension, as if they were walking on a tightrope.

[It’s a moment where both the pitcher and batter are showing extreme concentration.]

[The process wasn’t very pleasant, but he put him in a two-strike count. However, from the pitcher’s point of view, the fact that Lee didn’t swing his bat and observed the ball is a bit worrying.]

‘Four-seam. Changeup. Four-seam. Four-seam. And what’s next?’

Lee Jung-woo thought for a moment. About the next ball the catcher was aiming for. So far, the pitcher had only sincerely thrown three four-seams. The changeup was for walking, so excluding that.

‘I can exclude the splitter. Is the most likely one the slider?’

Although he had erased his weaknesses, the slider was still the pitch with the lowest head-to-head record, so it was the most reliable pitch for pitchers when facing Lee Jung-woo.

Sometimes, even if they can’t throw it well, they force themselves to throw it. And in this case, he was throwing it fairly well.

‘The speed is a bit slow. But the control is certain. He knows how to adjust the angle exactly as he wants.’

He wasn’t at an overwhelming level like Ian Field, but when it came to naming players who throw sliders well, he was often mentioned by baseball fans in the NL Central league [National League Central division], where he meets him often.

‘If so…’

Lee Jung-woo loosened his grip on the bat and tapped the ground and his helmet once each. As he took his stance, people, even the pitcher and catcher, swallowed hard.

A moment of silence. Numerous thoughts must have passed through their minds during that short time. The pitcher, with his mouth tightly shut, held the baseball full in his hand.

And the 5th pitch.

The gaze was fixed on the brown dot originating from the pitcher’s hand. The ball, which had been smeared with magic mud [a type of mud used to improve grip] to prevent slipping, had its pure white appearance dirtied.

‘Changeup.’

Lee Jung-woo didn’t hesitate. Slider, he throws it well. He throws it fairly well. He’s a player who throws it well. And as much as Lee Jung-woo knows that, he himself will know it well.

So he thought. Maybe the changeup that he threw away as if he was walking him was the key point. He must have realized that he can’t just throw the splitter, so excluding that. To the extent that he didn’t regret the four-seams that he had passed up, even though he could have made a long hit if he had hit them well. The result was good.

Lee Jung-woo told the passionate minority Cardinals fans through the flying batted ball.

[The batted ball is stretching out! Over the right field fence! Lee’s 32nd home run of the season! His second home run of this game! He scores again with a solo home run, and the score is now 3 to 0!]

[At least Lee doesn’t seem to have the Home Run Derby jinx [a superstition that participating in the Home Run Derby negatively impacts a player’s performance].]

Just like the other fans, you guys should comfortably look forward to winning the lottery (rookie draft) next year.