Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 237

Pitcher Done, Batter Up (2)

“Good luck today, too.”

“Five feet above the head, you know that without me saying it now, right?”

“Still 5 feet? Isn’t it about time for 6 feet? Considering your growth rate, you’ll probably hit 10 feet next season. Maybe even 20 feet at your career high.”

“I really don’t think I could do that even with springs on the soles of my shoes.”

The game started, and Lee Jung-woo, heading out for defense since it was a home game, briefly encouraged the starting pitcher before returning to his position, feeling the ground.

‘Their eyes aren’t very friendly. Not quite Phillies or Mets level, maybe Marlins level.’

Strictly speaking, the Houston Astros were just strangers to the Atlanta Braves. Strangers they met maybe once every three years. They weren’t teams located in similar regions, nor had they ever met in the World Series.

So, it was normal for them to be just casually acquainted, but there was a strange unease flowing in Truist Park. It wasn’t the intense animosity felt when facing particularly disliked teams like the Phillies or Mets, but…

‘They’re glaring quite a bit. If every away game has this atmosphere, it’s no wonder their faces are grim. What’s their fault, anyway?’

A slight unpleasantness. Not quite my trash, but the kind of reaction where you hold your nose slightly while looking at someone else’s trash. Even after the game started, the home crowd continued to show this.

As a fellow player, I felt a little sorry for them, but internally, it wouldn’t be bad if the opponent was intimidated, so Lee Jung-woo licked his lips slightly and scanned the opposing team’s batters.

‘From 1 to 9, no, since there’s a pitcher’s spot today, up to 8. Not much that’s particularly special. Their ranking is low, to begin with.’

The Astros aren’t a very strong team right now. Houston itself isn’t a prestigious team, and with the scandalous incident [likely referring to a past cheating scandal], players avoid them, so they haven’t made good acquisitions in trades or free agency.

The front office’s team management policy also focuses on the farm system [a team’s minor league system] rather than simply acquiring big names, planting prospects and nurturing franchise stars from among them.

‘They hold back like that and then explode once in a while, a team run like a small market, separate from their finances. You’d have to see this as a resting period. Though it’s a bit long.’

In fact, the Astros themselves are definitely not a small market. Houston itself is one of the top cities in the United States, and they receive a considerable amount in broadcasting rights. Despite that, their constant tanking [deliberately losing games to secure better draft picks] and rebuilding like a small market, diligently collecting revenue sharing, made other teams’ fans furious.

‘Still, thanks to their tenacious gathering, their farm system itself is quite usable. Plus, the starting lineup is all young, so the fans are looking to the future.’

The current Astros roster was made up of young players in their mid-20s, to the extent that some disparaged them as youngsters. The captain and franchise star starting catcher was the oldest, but even he was only around thirty.

That’s why the Astros fans had expectations for that youth. Even though they were younger than others, their skills were quite good, so once they started to explode, they could sweep the World Series again in an instant. Especially the hitters, who all had decent power tools [raw power and potential for hitting home runs], which further fueled those expectations.

‘As I remember, they didn’t explode as much as those expectations, but they still grew up decently. I think they made the postseason a few times… Hmm, my memory is getting hazy now.’

Like a young team, they had the characteristic of exploding once they caught fire and gained momentum. Of course, that was relatively speaking compared to other teams, and it couldn’t be seen as absolutely true.

‘A team that hits unexpected home runs regardless of the batting order. But if the momentum keeps getting cut off, they seem to falter endlessly. Well, everyone’s like that, but still. Anyway, they all have explosive power, so it’s best to be careful in defense, but that’s the pitcher’s job. I just have to catch what comes my way.’

After stomping his feet a few times, Lee Jung-woo glanced back at the pitcher, gave him a reassuring smile, and then glared coldly at home plate.

After all preparations were complete, the umpire’s loud “play ball” declaration rang out. The leadoff hitter, who had looked intimidated just a moment ago, stared intensely straight ahead, as if that was unbelievable.

Just looking at that, it seemed like his concentration was fully up, but the fingers fidgeting on the bat handle told us that it wasn’t quite perfect yet.

‘Right-handed hitter, his batting average this season is probably in the late .200s. On-base percentage is in the late .300s. Slugging percentage is similarly in the mid to late .400s. 9 home runs. He’s quite fast, like a table setter [a player who gets on base frequently to set up scoring opportunities for other hitters].’

He was a hitter with stats slightly lacking the ideal .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage slash line, but considering his age of twenty-five, it was clear that his ceiling was definitely high, true to the team’s characteristics.

If he exploded from there and filled in the missing pieces, he could be reborn as a complete player. However, judging by the slightly unfamiliar name, it seemed that he ultimately didn’t fully explode in the future before Lee Jung-woo’s regression.

‘They said he’s the type who creates line drives rather than fly balls. His contact is pretty good.’

Lee Jung-woo, picturing the hitter’s information in his head, tensed his body to be ready to jump out at any moment. As soon as the pitch was thrown, he flashed his eyes at the batter’s swing.

[He hit it-]

‘Far to the left. A little difficult, but-‘

A surprise first pitch hit hard. Whether it was the bench’s order or he was trusting his instincts like a young player, a sensational hit came out, and although it was a ground ball, the speed of the batted ball was quite fast, as I’d heard. Even for Lee Jung-woo, it was hard to catch.

Of course, it’s hard, but…

‘It’s not like I can’t catch it.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had jumped out as prepared, reached out his hand, stopped the ball just past the third baseman, opened his glove like a net spread out in a valley, and snatched the batted ball.

Lee Jung-woo took the yellow-brown ball out of his glove as if to show off, half-rotated, put the strength of his shoulder into the throw, and the ball, flying straight, went into the glove of the first baseman, who had just put it out.

With that, the first base umpire’s loud out call rang out, and the batter, who had been excited and running after hitting the ball, had to change his course again, leaving a few steps to first base.

“How dare you roll the ball to Lee! Are you trying to get hit!”

“If you wanted your stats to drop that much, why didn’t you just strike out looking? That kind of batted ball is going to get caught anyway.”

“Good job running! Now, go back to your dugout and whine!”

The spectators, whose hearts had momentarily thumped at the sharp sound of the hit, shouted excitedly as if they had never done so, and the batter, who was returning to the dugout with a bitter expression, glanced at Lee Jung-woo with lingering regret before dropping his head and walking his way again.

“Now I’m starting to get seriously scared. Why do you catch even those things? And your throws are too accurate. Do you know that I get surprised every time I see you do that?”

“Isn’t it about time for you to adapt, Captain? It’s been over a year since I started working with you.”

“There are things to adapt to… But… you seem to be in good shape today?”

Lee Jung-woo, who only shrugged his shoulders at Derek’s question as he approached and tapped his glove, returned to his original position, leaving only a trustworthy smile to the pitcher who was shaking his glove as if to say thank you.

Whether it was because he was energized by his great defense, the pitcher cleanly struck out the next second batter. Lee Jung-woo focused his gaze on the batter who came up next. He handled even the ball hit by the third batter, who could be said to be the best in the team, and the top of the first inning ended with a three-up, three-down [retiring the side in order with only three batters].

And on the way back to the dugout again. Lee Jung-woo glanced at Derek and said.

“Just block the 1st-2nd base side well. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Oh, is it finally a day off? I get to enjoy this luxury from time to time since you came.”

Derek smiled and walked ahead with light steps. Because he felt comfortable. A day off that sometimes comes since Lee Jung-woo was called up. Today seemed to be that day.

####

Bottom of the 1st inning. While practicing his swing in the waiting circle, Lee Jung-woo recalled the data he had looked at several times. The hitters with abundant potential but not yet fully exploded were cleanly blocked in the top of the 1st inning. Then what about the pitchers?

‘Similar to the hitters. They seem to have the potential to become top-notch in the league if they explode well. Especially the starter for this game, we’re paying attention to him. He’s our opponent’s second starter, right now.’

Peter Hicks.

Perhaps even more than the hitters with power, the Astros were focusing on this pitcher. They thought he would one day become the team’s ace [best pitcher] and lead them to victory. Just like the Dodgers had such expectations for Aidan Styles.

‘Actually, his talent itself is considered similar to Styles. In the first place, most of the first-round draftees are considered Cy Young [award for the best pitcher in each league] prospects. However, what’s different from Styles is…’

Lee Jung-woo looked at the pitcher adjusting to the mound. A player with a thick beard connected to his sideburns and slightly stubborn-looking pursed lips.

‘In the end, there was no explosion as much as he wanted.’

His name was faint to Lee Jung-woo. Unlike Aidan Styles, who was similarly evaluated at this point, his name was clearly engraved in his head.

If he had really become a Cy Young winner, or at least left a great impact and made it to the final candidate 2nd or 3rd place, that couldn’t have happened. So, unlike the fans who wanted him to become a Cy Young winner, it was safe to say that he ultimately failed to do so.

‘Of course, not being a Cy Young winner doesn’t mean he’s bad. Just look at Ian or O’Donnell, they’re doing great. Mason, I think he’ll win it this year, so excluding him. No, just looking at him as the second starter, I can’t ignore him, but…’

Lee Jung-woo, who had taken a breath, entered the batter’s box at the gesture of the umpire as if urging him to come up. While he was blankly looking at the pitcher, Derek, who was the leadoff, was struck out.

“How is it? Now that you see him in person.”

“Good, overall. Especially the splitter [a type of fastball with a sharp downward break] is quite mature… It has nothing to do with you, right?”

“Yes, it has nothing to do with me.”

“If I were to say something else besides that, his velocity is a bit fast. A little more than what’s on the scoreboard. His deception is good. He knows how to hide the ball properly. The slider isn’t bad. I don’t know about the circle changeup because I haven’t seen it. His control is all over the place. I don’t know if he’s setting the zero point with the catcher or if he’s just throwing it on his own.”

“That’s enough.”

“Hit a home run. His glare is a bit annoying, so put my share in it properly.”

After lightly high-fiving Derek, he entered the batter’s box, and the pitcher stared intently at him with a spirited look. No, it was closer to glaring, as Derek had said.

‘A wild pitcher. Not bad. It’s better for a pitcher to be like a gorilla than to be chicken-hearted.’

He probably regarded Lee Jung-woo as a sacrifice that would become a pillar of his career.

‘Being too successful is also a problem. Everyone’s trying to eat me up.’

In a way, it was the sorrow of the summit. Just as Lee Jung-woo himself had aimed for Harding and Hunter, now he was becoming the target of other players.

Especially since he was arguably the best in the major league at the moment, pitchers with strong competitiveness regarded him as a kind of final boss and burned their will.

‘Left-handed. Overhand. His pitches are fastball, circle changeup, splitter, slider. His velocity is amazing. Was the maximum 100 miles? His power is also said to be moderately good. However, his control and ups and downs are erratic, so he has a few walks, and the problem is that he gets hit unexpectedly. However, if that’s supplemented, he can aim for the Cy Young. His evaluation is amazing. His current skills are also good.’

Lee Jung-woo, who recalled the information he had dug out of his head, chuckled. He certainly knew enough why the Astros fans were so excited. Even his current skills were top-notch.

‘There are many reasons for the ups and downs. It could be mental, or it could be physical. Most of the time, it’s a physical problem. But when I see him eating more than 180 innings, it doesn’t mean his stamina is falling. By the way, you said he throws as he pleases? Is it true?’

A truly difficult pitcher. Lee Jung-woo, who tilted his head slightly, looked at the pitcher, and the pitcher, who had taken his gesture, emitted an even more ferocious glare.

And the first pitch he threw. A fastball that stabs high towards the body. Lee Jung-woo, who had stepped back slightly because he could have been hit, stuck out his tongue as he watched the 100 miles on the scoreboard.

As he glanced at him, the pitcher’s face was still hot.

‘A beanball [a pitch thrown intentionally at the batter’s head]? Or a control miss? There’s nothing to dig out of a guy like that. Until I hit a home run. Then, I have to stab this side…’

“Don’t be too scared. It’s not a beanball.”

The catcher, Gabriel Marquez, spoke as if he had read his thoughts. In a way, he was the only complete player in the current Astros. He was the team’s leader, the oldest, and a franchise star.

And a war of words with such a catcher was not very beneficial to the batter.

“He’s not a bad guy, he just doesn’t have good control. Maybe it’s because he has a bad temper, but the ball bounces like his personality. So please understand. Avoid it if possible. You have good reflexes, right? I heard the rumors, it’s not a big deal to avoid one ball, right? I heard you catch 100-mile batted balls?”

“Are you scaring me?”

“Did you hear my words with your ass? Did you forget that I told you not to be scared? I’m just saying don’t be too scared.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

A common batter intimidation. It was a trivial trash talk that made me laugh, but the effect was quite good because the pitcher was a pitcher. Since the guy with erratic control was also fast, the batters would feel not a common beanball, but a headshot that might really hit my head someday.

‘Even I feel a little uneasy, so the effect is quite good for saying a few words.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had a slight anxiety, was still stuck to home plate, and the pitcher’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The second ball that suddenly flew in was also a high ball towards the body. But it was a little different.

‘Here it comes.’

Bang- Lee Jung-woo, who hit the ball coming into the zone unlike the first pitch, bit his lower lip in disappointment. He was late to bat because he was thinking a little to gauge the course.

“Foul.”

‘Then it’s one and one [one ball and one strike]. From their point of view, did they give one ball and earn one strike?’

Was it intentional? A fastball in a similar course to a batter who had already experienced a ball close to a dead ball is not very reliable. To the extent that you can’t help but think a little. So it could have been intentional.

‘Then it’s probably the catcher’s or the bench’s instructions. He follows well. Unlike his appearance, he’s a more docile guy than I thought. Or maybe he just likes beanballs.’

Lee Jung-woo, who bounced his helmet with the end of his bat as if reflecting, tried to get into batting position again, but soon changed his grip on the bat. He wanted to check it properly. Since it was a day with good condition, he had to know the opponent accurately to extract it properly.

And the fight that followed. Lee Jung-woo, who slowly accumulated the number of pitches by repeating several cuts and rejections, looked at the pitcher, and the question was still not resolved.

‘Did Derek see it wrong? I didn’t feel like he was throwing as he pleased…’

Although I couldn’t know exactly, judging by the fast pitching timing, there was not much difference of opinion between the battery [pitcher and catcher]. He follows the catcher’s lead or the bench’s instructions well.

‘Still, I’ve seen it up to the full count [three balls and two strikes], 9 pitches, so this is a worthwhile deal. I’ve checked all the pitches except the splitter. Now it’s time to hit.’

Lee Jung-woo performed the routine. Simple yet subtly trivial movements of bouncing his body, tapping the floor with the end of the bat, and nodding his head. The home crowd was enthusiastic when they saw it.

If you’re a Braves fan, you can’t help but know those movements.

‘It doesn’t matter what you throw. Do your best.’

A little waiting. For the first time, the pitches were not coming out differently from what they had been so far, as if they were confronting each other’s opinions, and the pitch clock was getting lower and lower.

And finally. The pitcher, who made a sullen expression, finally nodded, and the moment the catcher put on his glove, he shook the ball he had hidden until the end, as Derek said, with his long arm stretched out.

And Lee Jung-woo’s pupils contracted. The focus became a little clearer.

‘Here it comes.’

Splitter. Lee Jung-woo clearly watched it coming similarly to a fastball and then dropping sharply. Along with the curve, it was just a welcome guy to him. Especially these days when pitchers never throw it, he was grateful enough to smile brightly every time he saw it.

However, there was a bit of embarrassment because I didn’t expect him to throw a splitter, but fortunately.

Today his condition is.

“Huh-”

It was not so weak that he would miss the opportunity with a little embarrassment.

Rather, it was at the level of completing it more thoroughly.

Bang- A loud hitting sound rang out, and there was no taste in his hands. Lee Jung-woo, who threw his bat away, realized only then as he watched the pitcher jumping up and down on the mound.

‘He has his own stubbornness. He’s the type to follow well until the end and then do as he pleases at the last minute. No wonder his control and ups and downs are erratic even when he throws well. The person in charge must be having a hard time.’

Before going to first base, Lee Jung-woo sighed and said to the catcher, who was trying to calm the pitcher as much as possible.

“Are you having a hard time?”

“If you hit a home run, just get out of here. Don’t keep messing around on my home plate.”

“Where’s your stuff here? It’s our home. Anyway, good job.”

Now it was time to leave because I knew everything I wanted to know. And it was time to keep hitting.