Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 229

Pitcher done, batter up – Episode 228

[‘If you don’t have teeth, use your gums; if you lack power, use your legs?’ Lee Jung-woo records an inside-the-park home run, marking his 36th home run of the season!]

[Phillies’ ‘dream’ collapses again, suffering their 11th consecutive loss to the Braves! Utter shock and horror]

[‘Phillies’ Grim Reaper’ Jung-woo Lee maintains his title, recording 3 hits and 1 home run in 4 at-bats!]

Their mentality shattered.

That was the only way to describe the dazed state of the Phillies fans. They thought they almost had the game, that the losing streak was finally breaking, but again, and again, and again. Once more, it was all ruined by the same guy.

– You X-like X-sons of bitches!

-Fuck! Fuccccccccccccck!

-You Son of a Bitch right fielder! What the hell are you doing! Your tires will be slashed every week from now on, so remember that. I know your car!

-When that guy above slashes your tires, I’ll be there smashing your windows too, so keep that in mind.

The Phillies’ right fielder, who practically gifted Lee Jung-woo the home run, was praised when he initially caught the ball, but he instantly became a traitor, receiving the hatred of the entire city of Philadelphia.

As it was his own judgment, the trust with the bench was already broken, and the fans’ continuous rage was enough to shatter his mentality as well.

And the civil servants of Philadelphia also shed tears because of Lee Jung-woo. They thought today would pass quietly, but in the end, trash cans were smashed all over the city and left scattered on the streets.

Deploying new trash cans was now a kind of fixed expenditure that always occurred whenever there was a game against the Braves.

So, while the officials budgeting for this and the Phillies fans, the right fielder, and the entire city of Philadelphia were groaning in pain.

Atlanta was simply thrilled.

-Wow~ He does it like this?

-I thought it was over because he kept hitting singles today. Wow, he shows us a home run like this.

-Right, if the ball doesn’t go over the fence, he can just run into home himself. That’s a home run too. Why couldn’t I think of something so simple~

-Lee shows us an inside-the-park home run every now and then when we forget about it.

-Looking at him running, he seemed to be shouting; was Lee himself happy?

-That’s how excited he is!

Unlike the neighboring town, which was like a funeral home or had been swept away by a natural disaster, the Braves supporters, who had become cheerful, were a little more greedy.

People’s greed is endless; now that they had seen Lee Jung-woo’s home run, they wanted to take care of the next one as well.

-We won the first game too. Now that it’s come to this, isn’t it okay to give the Phillies their 13th consecutive loss?

-Aren’t we giving them a win because we’re in a good mood?

-They’re such idiots anyway; even if we tried to lose, they’d just screw up on their own, right? Actually, I’m very happy about Lee’s home run, but it was also closer to them self-destructing.

-That’s true. What stupid bastards. Look at them failing to win even when we spoon-feed them.

-They’re just not on our level. Can a rabbit withstand a lion gently tapping it?

With this momentum, there was a prevailing opinion to sweep this game as well and completely destroy the Phillies. However, many people tilted their heads, saying that it was already a given.

Thus, while the Braves smiled happily and anticipated the victory in the next game, the Phillies wanted victory for the opposite reason. Now, only spite remained.

-Win no matter what.

-If we can’t win even one game, then…

-Let’s do well, please.

-The Braves are nothing special. We lost today, but they weren’t great until the later half. That damn yellow-haired guy was just a singles hitter who wouldn’t have recorded a home run if it weren’t for that miss.

-We don’t ask for much. Just end the losing streak.

The Phillies fans, who had been hit with all sorts of home runs and even suffered the bonus humiliation of an inside-the-park home run, only wanted victory. There was nothing else.

The posts on various fan communities and social media did not contain any profanity, unlike usual. They only said to win, but that made the club even more afraid.

It meant that the anger had already reached its limit, as ‘those’ Philly fans were coldly shouting without even cursing.

####

The next day, Citizens Bank Park was cold. It was chillingly cold. The gloomy atmosphere that had settled over the city made the space even cooler, thanks to the moderately cloudy sky.

“Wow… this is no joke?”

“Yesterday, they just seemed like nagging kids. Today, it feels like someone’s going to die if we’re not careful.”

“Shouldn’t we be careful? I’m seriously worried we might get shot.”

The Braves players, who were already used to the infamous Philly fans because they were in the same division, felt a slight sense of fear. Today’s stadium felt more ‘real’ than ever before.

Even last year, when they swept the Phillies in the Division Series of the postseason and eliminated them, it wasn’t this intense.

It was as if the emotions that had been building up since yesterday had exploded. The energy emanating from the Philly fans, who had reached the limit of their limits, made the stadium sticky like mud on a rainy day.

“Shouldn’t you be careful today? If something happens today… you’ll definitely be the victim, Lee.”

“I’m the one who caused this, so I have to endure it.”

“I don’t think it’s something you can just endure…”

Mason gave Lee Jung-woo a look full of worry, and the other teammates around him were also subtly aware of him. Like Mason said, if those extremely angry spectators did something, it would definitely be related to Lee Jung-woo.

Perhaps because others had the same thought, the coaches also paid attention to Lee Jung-woo and made some recommendations.

“Lee, shouldn’t you avoid doing that today if possible? It looks a little dangerous.”

“That?”

“I’m talking about looking around the stadium as a warm-up. If you’re not careful, something dangerous might fly at you.”

Usually, players and coaches never touch someone’s routine.

Whether it’s a veteran or a rookie.

There’s respect, and it’s also a kind of consideration. Routines have a significant effect on the mind, and the side effects of not doing them are certain.

That’s why there had been no restrictions on Lee Jung-woo’s routine of looking around the field, which could provoke the opposing team’s home crowd during away games. They had only given subtle glances, but today, the hitting coach directly advised him to refrain.

In the current situation, Lee Jung-woo’s routine was similar to walking around on gunpowder with a torch.

“Um… yeah. I guess I’ll pass today.”

“Huh? Are you okay with that?”

The hitting coach, who had advised him, seemed a little embarrassed when Lee Jung-woo readily nodded, and Lee Jung-woo shrugged.

“It’s not such a meaningful action that I can’t stand missing it for one game. I’m not such a delicate person that I’ll fall apart just because I couldn’t do that one thing.”

“Um… okay. Sorry. Try to bear with it until the end of this series, and feel free to walk around from the next series.”

Lee Jung-woo chuckled at the hitting coach, who patted him on the shoulder with an apologetic expression and disappeared. He then scanned the field and the stands with a stiff face.

‘There’s no need to take unnecessary risks. Especially risks that could harm other teammates, not just me. And there’s no need to look around; I can clearly feel the atmosphere of the field even sitting on the dugout bench. This is enough.’

He had already seen Citizens Bank Park enough to be sick of it. There were even a few spectators whose faces were familiar enough to be welcome. Also, even if he just sat still and watched, the emotions were so intense that he could feel everything.

‘It’ll explode if you poke it. It’ll go over if you hit it. I’ll need some precarious tightrope walking. The players… are very nervous.’

In Lee Jung-woo’s view, it didn’t seem like only the Braves were feeling the pressure from the crowd. Like the crowd, which was more intense than yesterday, the Phillies players were also feeling more pressure.

‘It would be good if it was just pressure, but it seems like their concentration has increased.’

The fans were already furious. The Phillies had to prevent the rage from turning to them if they lost again. So, it was only natural for them to concentrate more than usual.

‘If we want to continue our winning streak, we have to break that. Like the crowd, anything less than that will only provoke them more. In the end, the method is the same for both sides. That makes it easier. Especially on a day like today.’

After observing the opposing team, Lee Jung-woo turned his attention to himself. The Phillies, with their picky fans and players.

Fortunately, there was a way to overcome it, a way to end this atmosphere much faster than he thought. He had enough power to carry it out.

Today, the goddess of fortune was smiling on Lee Jung-woo and the Braves.

####

‘Let’s do well. We have to do well today no matter what. If the same thing happens today as yesterday, I’m really going to be assassinated.’

The Philadelphia Phillies’ right fielder clenched his teeth and chanted to himself. No, it was more of a threat. It was a dangerous situation where he had to whip himself.

Yesterday, after being hit with an inside-the-park home run and then getting beaten up again, the dugout he returned to, the eyes of the manager and coach looking at him were chillingly cold. Just like today’s stadium.

Of course, unlike the players with multi-million dollar salaries, the manager and coach were like mayflies, so he wasn’t in a position to be afraid of their glares. But it was very uncomfortable.

And the fans’ reaction that followed, their eyes glaring at his back so intensely that it still felt hot, gave him a direct and deep sense of fear.

‘I have to avoid doing anything that can be criticized. I can’t take the blame again. Damn it, was it my fault? It was a logical decision.’

Even though it was a little late, he followed the ball and caught it, and his throw was accurate, but he was blamed for the loss just because it became a home run.

He had no intention of becoming such a scapegoat again today, so he decided to strictly follow the bench’s instructions. If he did that, at least even if the result of the game was bad today, all the blame wouldn’t be directed at him like yesterday.

‘Still, I definitely have to secure this position. I thought my stamina was low, but… even if I can’t get it over the fence, I still have enough power to make a long hit. He tricked me.’

As the Braves’ offense began, the right fielder glared at Lee Jung-woo, who came out to the on-deck circle. It was his responsibility because he made a misjudgment, and he himself admitted it to some extent, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been deceived.

He was the one who had mocked him and caused all this, so the right fielder sharpened his body and mind with hostility and concentration. He was fully prepared to move at any time.

‘Damn it, I’ll win no matter what. Even if my lungs burst from running, I’ll catch every ball that flies my way.’

Perhaps when his other teammates, who were thinking similarly, had finished their mental preparation, the game began in earnest. The start was a little different from the previous day.

Derek, who had only recorded ground balls throughout the first game except for one at-bat in the top of the 8th inning, recorded a clean left-field hit from the first at-bat today and got on base.

The right fielder flinched for a moment at the sharp sound of the hit, but he didn’t move because it wasn’t his position. He stayed in position, annoyed that a hit had come out from the start.

It was a game they had to win no matter what, but did these pitchers even have any thoughts…

‘My back is going to be pierced. My back is going to be pierced. Fucking… phew. No. I just have to do well. Let’s just do well. At least let’s not get targeted today.’

Forcibly swallowing his emotions, he focused again and poured all his eyesight and mental energy into the batter coming up. As if he were the pitcher facing him.

Vowing to avoid the humiliation he had suffered the previous day, he watched the game. His emotions fluctuated wildly each time the count went up and each time Lee Jung-woo made a cut.

Ttaak-

Three consecutive foul balls. The swing pulled the ball continuously over the foul line, a little to the right of the first baseman.

It wasn’t fair, but considering the distance and direction, it was a similar hit to the previous day. The right fielder shook his head violently.

‘Do you think I’ll be fooled twice? Damn it, whether you record 4 hits or record a hit in every at-bat, I’m going to stick to the shift today, so do whatever you want.’

He muttered that to the batter far away, even though there was no way he could hear him. Even so, he maintained his body’s senses to the limit. So that he could run at any time.

And the 8th ball. The moment he caught the feeling, he fidgeted under his feet. For some reason, he felt like the batter was going to send a real, proper ball flying this time, not a foul.

‘Come.’

In the tense moment, he shouted loudly with a hot gaze and fixed his eyes on home plate. After the pitcher’s motion passed, he immediately finished the batting stance that followed, and the moment the loud sound of the hit was embedded in his ears, he moved his body. But he couldn’t move.

It was a contradictory statement, but he just couldn’t move. There was no value in moving.

“Ah…”

The hit ball flew towards the center fielder, not him. And even if he had moved in the first place, it was the kind of thing he couldn’t catch.

“Fuck.”

Because it just went over the fence.

Whether it was because of the concentration that had risen to the limit, the gaze that had been sucked in as if it had been zoomed in returned to normal in an instant.

The connection was broken.

When the ball fell softly beyond the center fence, the concentration of the Phillies players and the cold anger of the home crowd also fell softly.

Like a kite with a severed string.

####

Lee Jung-woo leisurely rounded the bases. Without paying attention to the gazes directed at him. Unlike before, it wasn’t particularly dangerous.

‘This is always the answer in baseball.’

It was just futile. It was empty.

The ending of the losing streak they had so longed for. The victory after 12 games. The start of a counterattack. That wish with its various names had flown away in the first inning, just two at-bats after the start of the game. It was bound to feel futile.

The Citizens Bank Park, which had been filled with countless words and emotions exchanged through gazes even without sound, was now truly silent and quiet.

In the middle of the ground, as quiet as a park at dawn, he lightly stepped over the diamond-shaped bases and firmly stepped on home base, as if to show off to the Phillies players, who were stiff and only followed his tail with their eyes.

“You… you…”

“What kind of bastard is this…”

“Are you even human?”

It was the same two-run home run, but there was no intense welcome like yesterday. The people who would have usually rushed in and beaten him up together were instead keeping their distance and just staring at him blankly.

Derek, who had come into the dugout with him, was the closest, but even he just let out a hollow laugh as if he didn’t understand something.

“Aren’t you going to praise me? I just hit a home run.”

“At this point, aren’t you just crazy instead of courageous? No, how can you hit a home run in this atmosphere from the first at-bat…”

“Lee, even though I look like this, my heart is very weak? Please turn on the blinker [signal intention].”

“This is a big problem. It seems like the bomb is going to explode sooner than I thought?”

The Braves players, who shook their heads at Lee Jung-woo’s words, looked at the stands with a fed-up expression.

It was a bomb that seemed like it would explode if you touched it, but this cheeky brat in front of them didn’t just touch it, he punched it with his fist.

They thought that the reaction would be sluggish for now because they were stunned, but a huge storm would come soon. But Ian Field, who was sitting leisurely on the bench, shook his head.

“Hey, why are you so scared? Are you Chickens instead of Braves? Lee took the initiative to remove the bomb, so you should be thanking him.”

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

When the other players, who didn’t understand, asked back, Ian Field grinned and took off his helmet. Lee Jung-woo, who was walking over and sitting in his seat, scanned the scenery outside the dugout.

The same scenery he had expected was unfolding at Citizens Bank Park.

“Do you know the most sure-fire way to remove a bomb?”

“What is it?”

“It’s to blow up the building first. How absurd would that be? You worked so hard to install it. If you blow up the building first.”

At Ian Field’s words, the other players finally realized. Why Citizens Bank Park was still quiet without a single curse.

Lee Jung-woo had just punched the angry opponent straight in the face and knocked them down. So stunned that they couldn’t even think of getting angry.

“But won’t they get even more pissed off when they rest for a while and come to their senses?”

When Peterson said with a sullen expression, Lee Jung-woo, who was replenishing his moisture this time, slightly raised the corners of his lips.

“Ah, don’t worry about that. My condition is good today. If I keep hitting them every time they try to come to their senses, it’ll be okay until the end of the game.”

Lee Jung-woo’s condition was the best today. So much so that there was no need to waste all sorts of fishing and plans to make a home run like in the first game the day before.