Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 243

[Ninth inning, two outs, runner on first. The score is 6 to 3. Harry Foreman, the seventh batter, is at the plate.]

[Alright, first pitch – he hits it! But the shortstop catches it and throws to first! Out! Game 2 also ends with a Braves victory!]

[For those who may not know, today’s games are being played as a doubleheader, so after the field is reconditioned and a 20-minute break, Game 3 will begin shortly. Viewers, please stay tuned to the channel.]

In the end, the Dodgers couldn’t come back, and Lee Jung-woo, who ran hard until the very end, played a crucial role in stopping the Dodgers’ offense, making himself the hero of the game. Though it wasn’t quite the outcome he or the team had hoped for.

“It’s kind of awkward. Instead of leaving the stadium after winning, we have to stay here.”

“Yeah, doubleheader games are a bit nerve-wracking like that. You have to feel the full force of the home fans’ anger.”

A slight lull.

Perhaps because the Giants had closed the gap even further, the stadium was filled with an almost murderous aura, and Lee Jung-woo was taken aback, but he didn’t have time to sightsee. Or rather, he didn’t have the energy to sightsee.

“Lee, are you going to die?”

“I was rolling around pretty hard today, but should I just play two games? I think it would be better for Lee to be subbed out.”

“I’m young, so it’s okay. It’s a little tough… no, is it really tough?”

“What are you doing here? Lee, let’s warm up, quickly.”

Lee Jung-woo looked so exhausted that his teammates, who also had to play in the doubleheader, were worried. He was dragged away by the physical trainer and forced to lie on the massage table.

Especially since he had been sprinting throughout the game, his legs, which were usually light, felt as heavy as if they had lead weights attached to them, and the physical trainer seemed to know this, focusing on loosening up his lower body.

‘What a mess, what a mess.’

Lee Jung-woo, sprawled out in a corner of the locker room while receiving a massage, clicked his tongue at the more chaotic scene than usual.

In fact, he wasn’t the only one getting a massage. Most of the players were slumped over, staring blankly at the ceiling, and the physical trainers hired by the team were running around the locker room, vigorously relieving the fatigue of each player.

The time allotted until the next game was only 20 minutes. They had to minimize the fatigue of the team as much as possible in that short amount of time.

“Give me some more bananas.”

“Don’t chew the candy, try to suck on it. I heard it’s better that way.”

“Are there any energy bars left? I think I need to eat three more.”

“I’ve prepared drinks, so replenish as much as possible, and let me know if you need anything.”

In addition, some players were forcibly trying to sleep to recover their energy, while others were munching on high-calorie energy bars, seemingly to replenish their energy.

Lee Jung-woo was also receiving a massage while gobbling down bananas and nuts to replenish his energy, but the thought in his head was that he was going to die.

“It’s harder than I thought. It wasn’t this bad after games usually…”

“The mental fatigue is also significant. At other times, the game is over, so you can go back to the dorm or home, so you’re suppressing it. But today is different. It’s bound to be more difficult.”

The physical trainer, who was diligently loosening his body while sweating profusely, gave a plausible answer, and Lee Jung-woo, who already knew that the mind had a significant impact on the body, nodded as if it made sense.

“Still, it’s amazing. Considering that Lee’s position is shortstop, where he runs around all day catching balls, it’s truly remarkable. Shortstops with weak stamina often pass out as soon as the game ends.”

“So, I don’t know if that’s fortunate or unfortunate…”

His body wasn’t in good condition, but as he chatted and received a massage, he felt like he was recovering, so he was lying blankly and getting a massage when the head coach came into the locker room.

“Alright, I’ll tell you the lineup for Game 3 again, so listen while lying down. Don’t get up. First, Derrick and Clarkson will be replaced…”

The briefing continued. In fact, there weren’t any major changes to the roster. It was just that a backup player would be starting and there would be some adjustments to the batting order. However, Lee Jung-woo’s name was also included in those batting order adjustments.

‘Sixth. They must be considering my stamina. I’m not the only one, but the team must be feeling uneasy seeing me like this.’

Lee Jung-woo’s batting order was adjusted from the original second to sixth, lower in the batting order. Since he was expending so much energy, the team wanted to conserve his stamina as much as possible, so they adjusted his batting order so that he would have fewer at-bats.

He had heard about it in advance, and it was a welcome change for him, so Lee Jung-woo accepted it without saying a word.

After some adjustments to the roster, reconditioning of the field, and a very short break, the game resumed.

The locker room was bustling again with players sluggishly putting on their uniforms, and Derrick, who had been replaced by Clarkson, tried to help the other players as much as possible, forcing himself to concentrate.

Lee Jung-woo also changed out of his dirty uniform into a new one and left the locker room, returning to the dugout.

Soon, the field unfolded before his eyes once again, not like his living room or bedroom, but the familiar baseball field.

That scenery, which he would normally see before a game on an afternoon game day, gave him a sense of reality for a moment.

‘This is really messed up.’

Along with a sense of fatigue that weighed heavily on his body, more than ever before.

####

The game started, and Lee Jung-woo, sitting quietly on the dugout bench according to his batting order, stared blankly at the pitcher, lost in thought.

‘Is this about 70% of my usual condition, or even less?’

About 70% of his usual stamina. It wasn’t terribly low. It wasn’t like he couldn’t play the game.

However, it was clear that his entire body was sluggish. It wasn’t just the condition of his body after the game, but something even more lacking.

‘The mental impact is significant. The shock of being back on the field, rather than in my room, is much greater than I thought.’

The resulting void felt very awkward to Lee Jung-woo. It was a feeling he had never experienced before; even on days when he was in the worst condition, he had never experienced such a dip in stamina. And along with the sense of reality that the field gave him, the mental pressure from that awkwardness was also quite intense.

Knowing for sure that I’m tired makes it feel even harder.

‘The only good thing is that the opponent is in a similar state to us, but the problem is…’

“Strike!”

“Strike!”

“Strike out!”

‘Most of the pitchers are fine.’

Rollins, who had moved up to the first spot in the batting order in place of Clarkson at second base, looked listless and struck out.

He usually bats eighth, but that’s to get runners on base ahead of Lee Jung-woo.

He used to be the leadoff hitter for the Braves, and he was a good hitter with a quick swing. But from his first at-bat, he swung wildly and struck out.

Not only that, but the subsequent batters also struck out in droves, and all he could do was laugh wryly.

‘I used to be a pitcher, but being a batter, it’s really unfair.’

Of course, even though it’s a doubleheader, the pitchers are all fine. They never play two games in a day, no matter what. It’s rare for a manager to make them pitch in consecutive games, so it’s only natural.

Also, especially in Game 3, the starting pitcher for this game, unlike the starter for Game 2, whose starting rotation was slightly disrupted by an unexpected day off, had a day off as scheduled, so he came out in full condition as usual. It was only natural that he would catch the batters who were on the verge of collapse.

Also, the pitcher’s pitching style was optimized to catch those batters.

‘He’s relatively fast. He can’t throw 100 mph, but he can throw a fastball up to 99 mph. His average speed is 95 mph. I might have been able to hit it normally, but it’s difficult in a situation like this where my swing is slow.’

It wasn’t just talk. When Lee Jung-woo swung his bat a few times to check his condition, his bat speed was noticeably slower than usual, just like the other batters.

So, he fiddled with the shorter bat, which was a temporary measure in this situation, getting used to the feel of it in his hand.

‘Our pitcher is fine too, and they’re just as messed up as we are. So, it’s more of a one-shot battle. Even if we waste a few at-bats, it might be better to aim for one big hit, but that’s only possible if the bat can keep up.’

Lee Jung-woo moved his body briefly a few times, trying to maximize his familiarity with the bat, then put it down for a moment and put on his glove. For his tenth defensive inning of the day.

####

-Breaking) Lee Jung-woo is dying in real time. World’s first live broadcast of death by overwork lololol

-Can’t he be substituted?

-If Derrick recovers his stamina, he might be able to come in instead? Send Clarkson to shortstop and go to second base, or Derrick can play shortstop too.

-Is that hard? Playing two games a day in amateur baseball is easy. Shouldn’t professionals be able to do it with a smile?

-Are you comparing it to amateur baseball where you only play 5 innings, you crazy bastard… It really drains your stamina. Especially since it’s the end of the season now.

The reactions of the fans watching the game, especially the Korean fans, were half worried and half amused.

Lee Jung-woo looked so tired that you could feel it through the screen, and yet he continued to play defense.

There were quite a few reactions worrying that he might get injured due to excessive fatigue, but some people, seeing Lee Jung-woo panting, took the opportunity to make fun of him.

-He overdid it a bit in the afternoon game, I knew this would happen. His stamina is weaker than I thought. He doesn’t seem to be able to control it.

-Can’t they just take Lee Jung-woo out? Honestly, he’s useless in this game. Agree?

-He’s worse than useless. His defense is still above average, but he just keeps swinging and missing at the plate.

He was passing the ball to his center-line partner Clarkson and third baseman Popin more than usual, but unlike his defense, which he was still handling well, his batting ability, which had deteriorated due to lack of stamina, had the effect of making him swing at air throughout the game.

Seeing this, the anti-fans started to criticize him, saying that he hadn’t managed his stamina and that it was his own fault, but they were quickly suppressed.

Because they weren’t the only ones watching the game.

-How can you take Lee Jung-woo out here, you idiots? There’s no substitute.

-Stamina control? What a load of crap. All the balls were flying towards him in the afternoon game. So, what, should he not catch them? You have to make sense.

-Since it’s a one-shot battle anyway, it would be weird to take Lee Jung-woo out of the lineup in the current situation. Know something before you talk.

-The funniest thing is that Lee Jung-woo is the only one who’s still somewhat okay. The Braves and Dodgers are all on the verge of death lol

-Wow, that’s the first time I’ve seen Arthur Hunter panting. He’s a real iron man too. This double-header is brutal.

People laughed or shook their heads at the awkward scenes created by the double-header’s unique nature. Unlike the exhausted fielders, the pitching battle between the 4th and 5th starters, invigorated by the fresh pitchers, saw the Dodgers score the first run.

-YESSSSS Arthur Hunter solo home run~

-Can’t do anything, Jungwoo Lee? Can’t do anything, Jungwoo Lee? Can’t do anything, Jungwoo Lee? Can’t do anything, Jungwoo Lee?

-MVP [Most Valuable Player]? I can’t hear you over the sound of someone with stamina issues failing to hit a home run in a double-header?

-This is the MVP! This is the MVP! This is the MVP! This is the MVP! This is the MVP!

-This is a slugger! Unlike someone who only hits in bursts, this is pure home run pace without the bubble! This is the real ‘power hitter’!

Lee Jung-woo’s fans tried hard to suppress the taunts, but the moment Arthur Hunter hit a home run, various baseball communities erupted with ridicule towards Lee Jung-woo and comparisons to Arthur Hunter.

In reality, both of them were just swinging at air throughout the game, but one of them hit a home run, and the other didn’t. This stark contrast left the fans with no reasonable counterarguments.

They just hoped and prayed that Lee Jung-woo would also hit a home run, or at least a timely hit.

####

Occasionally, players who are retiring or nearing retirement say things like this: They feel like they can do so well, but their bodies just can’t keep up anymore.

They have accumulated experience and are mentally complete, but they lament their aging bodies. Lee Jung-woo also often had such thoughts.

To survive with weak pitches, he refined his ball distribution, tightened his body, and gained the ability to read the opponent’s moves, but his shoulder ruined everything.

And today, he indirectly experienced something similar.

‘My hitting feel is definitely sharp. Well, I’ve been at the plate seven times today. The problem is my body…’

His hitting feel was better than ever. Playing two games in a day, facing pitchers, facing them again and again, his senses were completely heightened to the limit. The problem was his body, which couldn’t keep up with that hitting feel.

Even with the shortest bat he had, his swing was slightly, very subtly, late. Perhaps in consideration of that, both teams were throwing mostly fastballs, leaving the hitters dazed.

‘There is one final method, though.’

However, there was a way. It was just a risky gamble, so it was hard to choose.

‘Should I swing with my eyes closed?’

Not looking at the ball or even the pitcher, just swinging according to my timing. In other words, cutting out anything that consumes even a little bit of time.

‘The problem is, if the pitcher notices that, I’ll become a gorilla in a cage.’

It’s practically foolish. It could solidify my own swing, making the bat much more threatening, but if they just throw the opposite of what I’m aiming for, that’s it.

That’s why it was a type of hit that only rookies with broken mental states would attempt, and it wasn’t a good method, but what could he do? The situation called for it.

‘If I hit it just once, that’s enough. With my current hitting feel, I can break through even if I just graze it. My body isn’t in good shape, so a home run might be difficult… but a long hit is guaranteed.’

An unrelenting barrage of punches, a series of fastballs. Lee Jung-woo was crouching, but he held one last straight punch in his heart, waiting for an opportunity.

And in the bottom of the 8th inning, Lee Jung-woo barely filled his position in the last defense of this game, practically just standing there.

His leaden feet wouldn’t move, and perhaps in consideration of that, today’s partner was running hard.

“Mine! Lee, stop!”

‘At least the defense is easier than usual thanks to Clarkson.’

As a utility player who could be called a defensive specialist, Clarkson didn’t have the great defensive skills of Derrick or Lee Jung-woo, but he covered a wide range with his quick feet, which was a great help throughout the game.

Thanks to that, he was able to run until the end. He was able to save some energy for the last hit. After finishing the defense relying on him, Lee Jung-woo gripped a clean, new bat tightly and waited for his turn.

‘Please, let it come to me.’

With Lee Jung-woo’s earnest wish, the Braves’ last attack began.

[The double-header between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. The final inning has finally arrived. The score is 1-0. It’s a score worthy of a desperate battle created by both teams, exhausted.]

[The score has been frozen since Arthur Hunter’s home run, which is unavoidable. The hitters are so tired, and Arthur Hunter’s hit was practically just a lucky swing.]

Both sides were exhausted. The score was still 1-0, the same as when Arthur Hunter’s solo home run was hit. In that situation, the Braves’ last attack had a very heavy impact.

[The Braves’ last attack in this game starts with the 3rd batter, Joey Fredman, and continues to the 5th, Popin. It’s formidable.]

[Their names are impressive, but they seem a bit struggling today. Their batting averages are quite low.]

Normally, it wouldn’t be strange if they all hit home runs. The problem was that all three of them had poor results in this game.

So, the Dodgers fans hoped that they would easily stop the attack as they had done so far, and that the game would end with the Dodgers’ victory. They, too, looked down at the ground with tired bodies.

[Joey Fredman! Ah- that’s caught by the center fielder! One out!]

[Swing and a miss! James Peterson was completely fooled. Only one out left until the victory of the game!]

[He shook the timing perfectly. It seems like he was 맞춰본 [matched] for a fastball, but he was played by the changeup.]

“Just one more! Just one more!”

“It’s finally, finally over!”

As if responding to those expectations, two outs were quickly made, and the usually quiet Dodger Stadium stirred, and they shouted out the outs.

However, as with everything, baseball doesn’t always go the way fans want it to.

[Popin! It’s going far! Is it going over? Is it going over! Is it going- it’s over! Solo home run! Top of the 9th! The Braves tie the score with two outs! Now-]

[Ah- no way…]

A random shot. Just like Arthur Hunter, Popin’s random shot changed the direction of the game, and a heavy silence fell over the stadium. Even some of the Braves players had dry lips.

[Since the Dodgers’ attack in the bottom of the 9th is still left, we don’t know yet, but both teams may have to prepare for extra innings.]

Bottom of the 9th. The Dodgers’ attack proceeds with the bottom of the lineup. In that situation, a tie was made, so the worst assumptions could not help but come to mind, and while the number of people washing their faces increased, Lee Jung-woo walked to the plate with a confident stride.

‘It finally connected. There are no runners, but if I hit just one, just one, I can get into scoring position.’

Lee Jung-woo didn’t get greedy. He wasn’t in good enough shape to be greedy. Just second base. Even if he only got to second base, it would be enough to be in scoring position, so Lee Jung-woo, filling the batter’s box with that goal in mind, swallowed hard. In fact, it was quite burdensome. This situation, which might go to extra innings, not to mention the double-header, was terribly burdensome to him.

‘So I have to do it even more. Even to avoid the worst.’

Lee Jung-woo, armed with a firm determination, glared at the pitcher, not taking his eyes off the pitcher who was narrowing his forehead as if annoyed. The pitcher, who was also glaring at him, took his stance, exhaling strongly.

‘The goal is high and inside, fastball. Even if he just pretends to throw, I’ll swing no matter what.’

A tightly gripped bat. And the subsequent pitch. Only looking at my body and the bat, swinging recklessly. Thanks to that, the batting timing was faster than ever. Now, all that was left was to hope that the course was right, the pitch was right, and the speed was right. Maybe it was because he had lived a decent life…

‘I hit it!’

He succeeded in hitting it.

A heavy feeling in his hands. Lee Jung-woo, forcibly returning the incoming ball, looked at the hit while running. Unlike his usual cool long hits, it was a fast ground ball flying low in a straight line to the right-center field. The second baseman hurriedly jumped up, but failed to catch it, and after falling into a delicate position between the center fielder and the right fielder, the ball rolled fiercely again, and Lee Jung-woo continued to run without saying a word.

‘The position- the position is strange. They’re both late. This is a misjudgment. They came forward and got caught in the opposite direction.’

Right in front of second base. The outfield, which he glanced at again, was chaotic. Maybe they were all 넋을 놓고 [lost their souls], both the center fielder and the right fielder were flustered, and his slow steps, which had become sluggish due to exhaustion, were too slow to chase after the fast hit that had already passed them and entered the deepest right-center field, even though it was a ground ball.

And his head became complicated.

‘It’s heavy. It’s damn heavy.’

His body was heavy. It was too light during the day, making people miserable, but now it was too light, making him frustrated. But he had to run.

‘Even if my legs explode.’

Continued advance. Lee Jung-woo, who passed second base, went straight to third base, and the third base coach seemed to be caught in a dilemma. It seemed certain that he would go to third base, but anything beyond that was ambiguous. A slight difference, like the triple in the first inning of the last game, happened to open up the possibility.

If it had been completely closed, he could have just stopped, but the Dodgers’ infield, whose start was late and judgment was regrettable, shook the 판 [game/situation].

‘F***. F***. F***.’

Lee Jung-woo repeated three curses in his mind instead of 참을 인 three times [the phrase ‘참을 인’ (in忍) which means ‘patience’ is written three times], and took each step a little further, as if to explode his heavy feet, and thought.

Which is better, stopping at third base or running home? Even if he stops at third base, the score remains the same if the next hitter doesn’t get a hit, and the same is true if he gets caught running home.

And if they finish the bottom of the 9th cleanly, they will enter extra innings. At least he didn’t want to see that 꼴 [sight/situation]. Also, rather than entrusting it to the uncertain next at-bat.

‘F***, run!’

He just runs. His calves were pumping blood as if to explode his heart, and his thighs, with their muscles raised tightly, swelled as if to tear his uniform.

His breath, which had already reached its limit, was gasping, but it wasn’t enough to die yet. The third base coach, who had been 고민하던 [agonizing] until the end, watched him pass by with a 허망한 [futile/empty] look, and without even looking back, he desperately hoped that the throw would not come and stretched his legs to the limit.

‘I can’t slide in this condition. I can’t avoid the tag either. Just running is the best.’

Already 기호지세 [in a situation where one cannot stop]. He can’t stop now. The spectators in the third base direction, visible to his right, looked at him with shocked expressions as he passed third base. The dugout was also a mess.

Someone’s curse was faintly audible, but he wasn’t relaxed enough to listen to each and every one of them, so it passed by like a noise hundreds of meters away.

A run that was truly like a racehorse looking only ahead. At the last moment, he saw a 황토색 [yellow-earth colored] ball slightly in his field of vision, which was enough to frustrate him. But the throw that flew past him.

“Fuuuuuuuck!”

Overtook even the catcher’s body. It flew over the catcher’s head and the glove he had stretched out.

So now all that’s left is to gently step on home base.

‘It started with legs, and it ended with legs.’

Top of the 9th, two outs.

It was a come-from-behind walk-off run.