Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 227

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – Episode 226

There are only two people Philiigan hates: Lee Jung-woo, and Jung-woo Lee. It’s not much of a pun, but it might be the best explanation of the Phillies’ recent fandom trends. Because Lee Jung-woo was the most hated Phillie of all.

“You son of a bitch, you’re showing your shameless face in Philadelphia again. You bastard.”

“Damn it, all his limbs should be broken so he can’t even say the B in Baseball again… He’s already ruined himself once, he can do it again.”

“You son of a bitch! If you act like a jerk again this time, I’m really going to kill you, so play well!”

As if to prove it, the Phillies fans greeted Lee Jung-woo, who entered the ground, with a warm welcome(?). The fans’ hearts for him seemed to be getting thicker and thicker, and Lee Jung-woo’s chest swelled as he walked around the ground.

“Philadelphia’s superstar, superstar. Your name is everywhere.”

“You’re a strange guy. Do you have to walk around the ground in this atmosphere? Even if it’s a habit. You’ve got a lot of guts.”

“Lee’s guts are beyond words. Who but a crazy bastard would think of hitting that Liberty Bell [a famous symbol of American independence located in Philadelphia] when the Phillies are watching with their eyes open? He’s a tough guy.”

Lee Jung-woo looked around the stadium with a haughty expression in this ominous atmosphere, and his fellow players clicked their tongues. They looked at Lee Jung-woo as if he was not normal, and pointed their index fingers at their heads and spun them around, but Lee Jung-woo just shrugged his shoulders. He seemed quite satisfied with the atmosphere of the stadium, and slightly raised his usually stiff lips.

‘The best son of a bitch. At least he’s really the best here. It’s less unfair to be this good. Rather than just hating him in a subtle way…’

Being hated by someone is not a pleasant thing, but if it goes too far and the reason is your ‘skill’, I can gladly accept it.

That’s what Lee Jung-woo is doing now.

He felt the gazes of tens of thousands of eyes hating him, and he felt like he was becoming the best son of a bitch as he had hoped, and he felt more and more energized.

‘They’re expecting so much. I have to satisfy them anyway. And fulfill the wishes of our team’s fans.’

It is difficult to satisfy the two sides, which are so different, but fortunately, the minds of the tens of thousands of Philiigans [a nickname for Philadelphia Phillies fans] in front of him and the Braves fans in front of the TV are the same. They’re all thinking about home runs.

Of course, one side is hoping that it won’t happen in this game, and the other side is thinking of seeing it today. Either way, the fact that home runs are strongly embedded in the minds of both fandoms is the same.

That intense obsession and desire gave Lee Jung-woo strength.

“How is it? Are you feeling energized?”

Mason, who seemed to have noticed Lee Jung-woo’s inner thoughts, asked slyly. He had no chance to pitch in this series because of the rotation, so he was practically a first-class spectator. Lee Jung-woo nodded with conviction.

“Yes, I’m feeling energized thanks to the passionate support of those people over there. I think I can get one.”

“If I had known that, the Phillies wouldn’t have glared at me like that.”

“What can I do? It’s because they have bad intentions.”

“Well, if you think about what you’ve done, even a great saint, if he’s a Phillies fan, I don’t think he can stand the F-word.”

Lee Jung-woo chuckled at Mason’s words and looked back on the past. He was sure that even a great man of character would not be able to hold back his anger. He had been through all sorts of things.

‘What can I do? It seems like it’s too late to turn back, so I’d rather reach the top in this field.’

Mason, who saw Lee Jung-woo’s side profile with his lips raised, clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

“Tsk, you should be pitching at times like this. It’s a shame, it’s a shame.”

If he were to pitch on a day like today, it would be a guaranteed win.

####

[The first game of the three-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves is finally about to begin. The head-to-head record between the two teams this season is significant, right?]

[In a way, yes. To put it simply, the Phillies are suffering from a terrible Braves phobia. 10 games, 0 wins, 10 losses. They are on a losing streak this season.]

As the game preparation was almost over and the umpire’s in-play declaration was about to begin, the commentators talked about the two teams’ records with interest, fueling the Phillies fans’ anger.

[Actually, it’s not just this season. That Braves phobia. They had a terrible head-to-head record last year as well. Even in the postseason…]

[They recorded a complete loss in the Division Series [a round in the Major League Baseball playoffs]. The Phillies recorded the best NL [National League] win rate last season, but they didn’t even make it to the Championship Series because of the Braves, who came up from the Wild Card [a way for teams with good records who didn’t win their division to make the playoffs].]

[That’s why the Phillies, who used to have a stronger rivalry with the Nationals and Mets, who are located in nearby areas, hate the Braves more than them these days. That’s why this game is also an exciting matchup.]

[The key point to watching this game is whether the Phillies can break their losing streak this time. First, if you look at the data…]

After the commentator’s brief explanation of the head-to-head record, the pitching and hitting records, the ball distribution, and the batted ball distribution, the umpire declared in-play as if he had been waiting for it. The Braves, the visiting team, were the first to attack.

“Wooooooo!”

“Get that son of a bitch off the ground!”

“Braves captain? Screw that! King of the idiots, maybe.”

The atmosphere of the Phillies’ home game, which started with Derek, the leadoff hitter, was very fierce. So I could tell. They are very afraid of this game.

A scared dog barks more, and if you have peace of mind, you become more relaxed and quiet. The home crowd, who are usually foul-mouthed, but today are almost foaming at the mouth, are like fighting dogs wagging their tails against their will at the cool sensation that brushes against their necks.

“Whew~ It’s not a joke today. You’d think we killed one of their family members.”

“It’s the Phillies. It’s Philadelphia. You have to take this into account.”

“If you win 10 games in a row against one team, you can’t help but get cursed. I’d curse too if I were them.”

“If it’s this bad for the captain, it’s going to be deafening when he goes out.”

“It’s a good thing they’re not throwing trash.”

Nevertheless, the effect of the barking was certain. The Braves players, who were used to it, clicked their tongues and shook their heads. Some of them looked at Lee Jung-woo, one of the main causes of this situation, in the waiting batter’s box, as if they felt sorry for him.

It’s this bad for Derek. It means it’s going to be much worse for Lee Jung-woo.

Lee Jung-woo, the next victim, just watched the ground with a nonchalant expression, as if he had lost interest, unlike before the game when he had a subtle smile on his face.

Lee Jung-woo’s face, as if he was ignoring the Phillies, made his teammates click their tongues and turn their eyes back to the ground. But it was a little different.

‘The Phillies’ goal for today’s game is, of course, to stop their losing streak. If that’s not possible, they’ll do everything they can to stop at least one of me. They won’t care about their pride in this situation. They’ll probably focus on throwing balls [pitches outside the strike zone]. Then the hot and cold zones [areas where a batter tends to hit well or poorly] inside the zone are meaningless.’

He wasn’t ignoring his opponent, he was just focused and looked dazed. Rather, he was thoroughly looking for loopholes.

‘If you include the hot and cold zones outside the zone, the only high fastball on the outside is the closest to blue [likely referring to a color-coded chart indicating a favorable hitting zone]. If I focus on that, it’ll be hard to hit the center of the bat. Do I need more power? No, if I’m conscious of the home run and try to lift it up, it’ll just be a fly ball. Rather, I’ll focus on contact and make sure I have a solid impact. If I hit it accurately, the angle will be enough since the course is high anyway.’

Lee Jung-woo predicted the situation after the game as well as the game itself, but there was no real answer. It’s hard to connect to a home run when the opponent throws mainly balls.

The only way to do it is to have good contact and good impact, which is the same as saying you just have to do everything well. So Lee Jung-woo frowned slightly.

‘If that’s the case, it’s going to be hard to hit a home run. But I can definitely get a hit. I don’t know how I’ll feel in a real game yet, but my body is in good condition. But… I want to hit a home run.’

Lee Jung-woo stared intently at the ground and the players with his eyes narrowed, and then tried to restrain the corners of his lips from rising.

I saw a trick.

‘Don’t be impatient, lay the groundwork slowly. I think it’s possible…’

“Out!”

“That’s right! That’s right! That’s how it should be!”

“Do you know your place now? If you do, get out of here! Don’t ever put your dirty ass in our batter’s box again!”

While he was deep in thought, Derek, the leadoff hitter, recorded a ground ball on the 5th pitch.

Lee Jung-woo, who saw this, trudged from the waiting batter’s box to the batter’s box and glanced at Derek, who briefly conveyed the condition of the opposing pitcher as usual.

“The curve is good, but it has nothing to do with you. It seems like the fastball is being controlled well today, so just be careful of that.”

“Good job, Captain.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t see much. I should have seen about 3 more pitches.”

“5 pitches is enough.”

After encouraging Derek, who was clicking his tongue, the catcher glared at Lee Jung-woo, who entered the batter’s box, and spat out a blunt word.

“There’s no good ball, so just stay still and go [implying he will be walked intentionally].”

“Are you going to intentionally walk me?”

“Don’t argue. This Son of- Hoo. I’m annoyed just looking at your face, so if you don’t want to get hit again, stay quiet and be good.”

“Oh, that’s a little disappointing. I was going to fight back if that happened again today. You know I knocked out your team’s Torosso, Giovanni, right?”

The catcher barely controlled his emotions, exhaling a long breath at Lee Jung-woo, who added one last word, and the referee, who was watching the two men’s argument with interest, put on a stern expression as if nothing had happened.

“Just in case. The moment blood flows in my ground, I’m going to suspend both of you, so keep that in mind.”

The two men nodded at the firm words, and watched the pitcher in the same way, without either of them being the first. And Lee Jung-woo hoped that the opponent wouldn’t be cheap [resort to unsportsmanlike tactics].

‘If they’re dirty, the fastball control is good, so it’s even more difficult. Just be a man [play fair]. I don’t want to make it hard for you either.’

Contrary to his earnest wish, the opponent came out exactly as he had predicted. A distant course. Anyone could see that it wasn’t a strike. The referee also declared a ball, and the catcher didn’t even say a word.

‘First, far to the outside. Center line. Then…’

The balls were thrown in succession. As expected, the pitcher threw the ball with a slightly high, diagonal course that went far across the zone. Lee Jung-woo, who had quickly reached three balls, wondered if this was any different from walking, but he didn’t stop putting the pitcher at the end of his gaze.

‘At this rate, it’s going to be hard to hit a home run. Even if I’m a monster. Then all that’s left is Plan B.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had cut the fourth ball as if he was testing the waters, drew out a few more pitches, and then made two strikes himself after cutting the fifth ball. He saw greed in the pitcher’s eyes, but the catcher took action. He quickly regained his composure.

[So far, the courses have been a little ambiguous. They were balls that were too risky for the batter to hit. But Jung-woo Lee is making foul balls in a row. Is he getting the timing right?]

[He’s such an unconventional player that it’s hard to predict. But I think that’s probably the case. Maybe he’s trying to provoke the pitcher.]

Lee Jung-woo, who had failed to scratch his competitive spirit, stuck to the batter’s box and waited for the ball, and soon hit the ball mercilessly as if the previous foul balls were just a breather. It was a swing that hit accurately even at the end of the bat. As expected, his condition and hitting feel were good. Probably entirely thanks to the Phillies fans.

[Hit! It’s a hit! A batted ball that falls in front of the right fielder! The right fielder caught it, but he didn’t throw it. Jung-woo Lee takes first base with a clean hit from his first at-bat!]

[There’s no need to throw it to second base when he’s already stopped at first base. If there’s a mistake, he’ll run all the way to third base, considering Lee’s base running.]

[It’s definitely dangerous to give Lee more than second base, considering the hitters behind him. Even a moderate outfield fly would send him straight home.]

Lee Jung-woo, who hit a clean single that fell into the perfect space between the second baseman and the right fielder, took a quick breath and nodded with a satisfied expression, quickly glancing at the right fielder who was shouting something.

‘I got a hit for now. Right where I wanted it. Let’s slowly reel them in like this.’

The right fielder, who was shouting so hard, whether he was a little disappointed or encouraging the pitcher, looked very appetizing. Lee Jung-woo, who had chosen him as his fishing target for this game, was satisfied with the first bait that seemed to have gone in properly, and drew an arc on his lips. Hiding his true feelings, disguised as the joy of a hit.