Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 231

Batter Up – 230

As everyone knows, Oracle Park isn’t exactly the most hitter-friendly ballpark. The sea breeze blowing in from the ocean and the high fences have often frustrated many sluggers.

[MVP’s Last Hurdle, ‘Oracle Park’]

[Home Run Sensation Fueled by Phillies, Will He Conquer Oracle Too?]

[Lee’s Coronation Will Be the Next Series. Oracle is Always Harsh to Sluggers!]

[‘Slump Starting?’ If Home Runs Stop at Oracle Park, Major League Experts ‘Warn!’ Lee Jung-woo Could Fall into a Slump]

Therefore, many people anticipated similar challenges this time. Lee Jung-woo had previously recorded a splash hit [a home run that lands in McCovey Cove beyond the right field wall] at Oracle Park, indicating he wasn’t entirely helpless there. However, Oracle Park was still significantly different from other stadiums.

And the Giants fans were particularly eager for their home stadium to assert its dominance, especially in contrast to Harding.

[‘God of Oracle Park’ Vincent Harding, Who Has Hit 17 Home Runs Only at Oracle!]

[Vincent Harding Continues His Home Run Pace Even at Oracle!]

Vincent Harding, who had transferred from the Pirates to the Giants, found that PNC Park, the Pirates’ home stadium, was also a difficult place to hit home runs. Consequently, he was maintaining a similar home run pace to the previous year, even at Oracle Park.

Perhaps this was why Giants fans were even more enthusiastic about Harding. Like Barry Bonds, whose memories were becoming a sensitive topic, Harding was hitting impressive home runs in this notoriously pitcher-friendly stadium.

Therefore, Giants fans were convinced that Harding was by no means inferior to Lee Jung-woo.

“Lee has more home runs, but his home field is Truist Park, right? Harding’s is Oracle. Truist isn’t exactly a hitter’s paradise, but it’s nothing compared to Oracle.”

“Honestly, it’s not like there’s a difference of ten home runs; it’s only five. You could say their power is pretty comparable.”

“I admit Lee is having a phenomenal season this year, to the point where he definitely deserves MVP. But it’s not like Harding is out of the running.”

The Giants fans’ devotion to Harding was intense, even though he had only joined the team this season, mirroring the Braves fans’ support for Lee Jung-woo. Their competitive spirit towards Lee Jung-woo, who threatened to push Harding to second place or lower in his first season after the transfer, was strong. Of course, it wasn’t to the level of hatred seen with the Phillies or Mets; it was relatively mild in comparison. But it was clear that their feelings towards Lee Jung-woo were not particularly warm.

“I saw him last time, and he’s good at hitting home runs, but he tends to hit them in clusters, unlike Harding, who hits them more consistently.”

“His home run pace is good? Whatever. We’re not the Phillies; we’re the Giants. Even if we’re both second in the division, the level of competition is completely different. The results will be different too.”

“Lee? Yeah, he’s good at hitting home runs, but there’s no way he’s hitting 40 home runs here. For the sake of our—Harding’s—pride.”

“The competition isn’t over yet. Who knows? Lee might stall, and Harding might make a final push, starting with this game.”

Therefore, they subtly downplayed Lee Jung-woo’s achievements and suggested that Harding still had a chance. Of course, few genuinely believed that Harding would surpass the other contenders and win the regular season MVP award again this year, as he had the previous year.

Even if Lee Jung-woo were to enter a terrible slump and fail to reach 40 home runs or achieve a 40-40 season [40 home runs and 40 stolen bases], his performance in other areas was so dominant that even if he were suddenly sidelined for the season, Harding’s chances of winning the award were uncertain.

They simply hoped that Lee Jung-woo wouldn’t hit his 40th home run at Oracle Park, effectively ending the MVP race before their eyes.

For the sake of the Giants and Harding’s pride.

Thus, the Giants fans welcomed the visiting team with a fiery intensity. And the plane carrying Lee Jung-woo and the Braves players, whom they viewed with such suspicion, soon landed at San Francisco Airport.

Along with a plane carrying some unexpected people.

####

The players who arrived at Oracle Park slowly warmed up and noticed the Braves jerseys scattered in the stands.

“Huh? Is that a Braves jersey? There’s another one over there. And there. What’s going on?”

“Are there this many of our fans in San Francisco? How far is it… amazing.”

Compared to the home fans, they were a small minority, but there were definitely more visiting fans than usual for an away game.

Some players were amazed that fans were showing up even far from the home base because the team was doing well. But suddenly, Derek stopped.

“Those people… aren’t just regular fans; they came all the way here. They look familiar…”

Somehow, their faces seemed familiar. Especially the large, bearded guys dressed as Vikings; they were definitely hardcore Braves fans who often appeared at Truist Park.

When Derek pointed them out, the other players were skeptical. San Francisco was on the West Coast, while Atlanta was on the East Coast, a distance of 2,100 miles. The flight time alone was four hours.

So, no matter how enthusiastic the fans were, it wasn’t easy to fly that far for a regular season game without playoff implications. It wasn’t easy, but…

“Hey, Captain must be mistaken. How far is it from here to Atlanta? To come that far just to see one game…”

“Leeeeee! I came all the way here to see you hit a home run! Hit 40 home runs and secure the MVP!”

“Hit one home run and steal five bases in two games! Don’t drag it out; just get the 40-40 done at once!”

“Woah~ Ohhhhh! Ohhhh! Ohhhh!”

“Looks like they came.”

“They’re bold, doing the tomahawk chop [a celebratory arm motion mimicking a chopping action] in someone else’s house. Were our fans always like this?”

But it was indeed reality.

The Braves fans’ love for Lee Jung-woo exceeded the players’ expectations. They didn’t seem to care about the glares from the surrounding home fans as they swung their foam tomahawks. The players, both Giants and Braves, were speechless.

And Lee Jung-woo, who was the center of attention, felt his face burning at the sight of the Braves and Giants players smiling at him and the fans who were still cheering.

Something was… while he was grateful for the support, a strange and embarrassing feeling was mixed in.

“You have to hit a home run no matter what. With this kind of support, it would be incredibly embarrassing if you didn’t.”

“Wow, they’re amazing. They even brought a tomahawk in this situation? It’s foam, but they still crammed it into their luggage.”

“Is this Truist or Oracle? It feels a bit cold from the sea breeze, so I guess it’s Oracle.”

Lee Jung-woo sighed at his teammates, who were chuckling and making jokes, and lowered his head further.

It wasn’t just embarrassment; he was also proud because these people had come all the way to see him hit a home run.

As a professional player, there’s nothing more rewarding than being loved, but he still couldn’t lift his head because…

‘I’m not in good condition today.’

As one of his teammates had said, he was receiving this kind of support and attention, but unfortunately, today wasn’t a good day. If he didn’t hit a home run today, he expected to face ridicule.

“Now that it’s come to this, let’s hit one in the first inning again today, like the second game against the Phillies. That would be perfect.”

“Wow~ Just imagining it makes my heart swell. It’ll be a big story: ‘A young star who repaid the fans’ faith!’ How’s that? Perfect title, right?”

Lee Jung-woo, unable to bear his teammates’ jokes, sighed and tried to calm himself down.

Even as a professional player, it’s hard to always repay the fans’ faith, and it’s impossible to fulfill every expectation.

‘But let’s try hard. They came all the way here, so let’s make sure their ticket price is worth it. If I play well, a lucky shot might happen.’

####

[The two-game series between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves is about to begin. The starting lineups for both teams are similar to usual…]

[If I had to pick something to pay special attention to today, it’s Lee’s challenge for his 40th home run. Lee has recorded a home run at Oracle Park, an away game, last May. He also hit a splash hit last year, although it’s not an official record because he was an away player.]

Lee Jung-woo’s pursuit of his 40th home run was a major storyline for fans, the media, and broadcasting stations. The most watched and popular player in the major leagues was chasing an exciting milestone.

Not only in Korea but even on American broadcast channels, a graphic in the upper right corner of the screen indicated that Lee Jung-woo was challenging for 40 home runs, using it for promotion.

[Lee has been evaluated to have regained his home run pace, hitting four home runs in three games in the previous series against the Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, regardless of pace, Lee tends to hit in bunches, and he rarely records home runs in consecutive games, so some believe it will be difficult.]

The game started amidst high expectations. As Lee Jung-woo was the second batter, he would come to the plate in the top of the first inning, so most viewers, especially Braves fans, eagerly awaited his turn. Just seeing him in the on-deck circle made them excited.

When leadoff hitter Derek struck out, the living rooms of Atlanta homes and the pubs where fanatics gathered erupted in noise. Since the neighbors were all doing the same, no one complained.

“The pitcher’s got good stuff today, overall. Regardless of the pitch. He’s definitely not a fifth-starter level pitcher, so Lee, be careful.” [In baseball, the fifth starter is typically the weakest starting pitcher in a team’s rotation.]

Lee Jung-woo nodded briefly at Derek’s warning as he returned and entered the batter’s box with a slight tension.

Then, the catcher glanced at him and then at the mound, trying to appear nonchalant, but he kept glancing sideways. He couldn’t hide the anxiousness in his eyes behind the catcher’s mask.

‘The ball is good… Tsk, bad things come in bunches. Of all times to not be in good condition… Haa. But let’s calmly aim for just one. The pitches are probably fastball and two-seam, and slider and splitter? I wish he would throw just one splitter, but that’s unlikely. Then, I’ll aim for a two-seam and hit it.’

Lee Jung-woo, having set his goal, looked at the pitcher, who met his gaze without flinching. Lee Jung-woo saw confidence in the pitcher’s eyes.

Good condition and good pitches were enough for the pitcher to be confident, but as a hitter, it wasn’t a welcome sign.

Because there’s nothing as annoying as a pitcher who has unwavering belief in himself.

‘If I think about it, I lacked that before the regression. I knew too well how messed up I was, so I lacked confidence. Is that why I got hit more? No, no. Let’s not have any random thoughts.’

On days when he wasn’t in good condition, it affected his mental game. Just the fact that he was momentarily lost in random thoughts while observing the pitcher was evidence of that.

A strangely unfocused concentration. Lee Jung-woo, trying to regain his scattered focus, almost sighed as the two-seam whizzed past him, but he held it in.

“Strike!”

‘The one I was aiming for flew away.’

Lee Jung-woo, clicking his tongue at missing a pitch he could have hit, set his next goal. Another two-seam might come, but according to the data, the pitcher rarely threw consecutive two-seamers, so the remaining options were fastball or slider. One of the two.

‘Fastball. The course is high.’

Lee Jung-woo, gambling on a high fastball similar to the first pitch, adjusted his bat. As if they had coordinated their strategy, he watched the pitcher take his stance and prepare to throw the second pitch.

‘This is… fastball!’

Fortunately, his prediction was correct. Lee Jung-woo’s lips curled up as the pitcher threw the fastball he expected, and even threw it high. He extended his bat to meet it.

“Hmph-”

A swing that pulled a little harder, considering his less-than-ideal physical condition. The impact was solid at the moment of contact, but his face hardened.

[He hit it! But – it crossed the foul line, and the right fielder is there – the ball – caught it! Out!]

[Ah, that’s a shame. But the distance was quite good. If the impact had been a little stronger, it would have gone over.]

[Or, if today’s stadium wasn’t Oracle Park, it might have gone over.]

A foul fly.

The right fielder who caught the ball smiled brightly, and the visiting fans who had stood up, anticipating a home run and waving their tomahawks, sat down again with embarrassed expressions.

‘It was slightly twisted at the end. I made good contact… Haa, it’s true that nothing works on a bad day.’

Even though he had chosen the pitch well and made perfect contact, the ball was hit slightly off due to a slight twist, resulting in a foul fly. Lee Jung-woo, instantly annoyed, stepped out of the batter’s box under the glares of the catcher and the umpire, and his eyes fixed on the distant outfield fence.

He was determined.

‘Okay, let’s do it. Let’s see who wins: me or this damn condition. If I keep hitting them like that, one of them will eventually go over.’