Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 247

Game over, Braves win. Despite starting as if they’d already given up, the Braves weren’t a team that would simply hand over a victory.

A crushing defeat. Nationals fans seemed utterly broken, especially after losing to a rookie who debuted today and that, shall we say, *less polished* player who debuted last year.

“Why did we lose this…”

“Tanking is one thing, but how can we lose *even this*!”

“You freaking sons of bitches! Are you even pros? Are you major leaguers?!”

It was a tanking season, and being an away game, there were only a handful of enraged visiting fans cursing and making a racket in one corner of Truist Park. Regardless, the Braves were simply jovial.

“Yeah! We would’ve been so embarrassed if we lost again! Great job! Really great!”

“Hahaha, how are we winning even with *this* rotation? Take it easy! Take it easy!”

“Lee! Lee! You were freaking awesome today!”

A crushing defeat for the Nationals was a thrilling victory for the Braves. Especially since Lee Jung-woo, whom they loved so much, came in as a pinch hitter and hit a game-winning three-run homer, their joy was understandably extraordinary.

Thus, shouts of warmth and camaraderie echoed throughout the stadium, a stark contrast to the curses of the visiting fans who sounded like a force of one hundred. It wasn’t just the usual chanting of Lee Jung-woo’s name, but also congratulations for the new face.

“Maxon! You were freaking amazing today! Keep it up! You’re next after Stevens!”

“You gotta do *that* to be the Braves’ closer! Freaking awesome debut!”

“You know you gotta keep doing well after a debut like that! Get ready for ROY [Rookie of the Year award] next year!”

Tobey Maxon. He debuted out of nowhere and showed incredible pitching, practically leading the team to victory in this game. Countless fans chanted his name.

The faces of the excited people were flushed red, and the person in question was just as red.

The difference was that the crowd was red with joy, while Tobey Maxon was flushed with emotion beyond his limits.

“I… I… I won in the major leagues-”

After the game and even after the interview, Tobey Maxon returned to the locker room and sat in his chair, repeating the same words over and over, as if he still couldn’t believe it.

‘I was like that too. Everyone was like that. Major League debut, it’s like a dream. Especially if you get your first win in your debut game.’

It was a bit cheesy considering his appearance, but Lee Jung-woo understood him. The other players around him felt the same way. Some were reminiscing, thinking, ‘I was like that too.’

It couldn’t be helped.

It would be one of the most precious and valuable moments in his life, almost in the top ten. Major League, the dream stage, was worth it. It’s just different. Everything is.

“It’s different, too different. The big leagues, the majors are different.”

“Yeah, freaking different. Junior, Senior, NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association], Minor. It’s different from all that.”

The major leagues are different.

No matter how many wins you get in the minors, how many strikeouts you get, how many home runs, batting average, or OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] you record, it’s incomparable to even one thing recorded in the major leagues.

In such a major league, a victory in his debut game. He got his first big league win. Everyone had felt the emotion it gave at least once, so they could naturally sympathize, and so the players waited for him to calm down.

“Hoo… Hoo… Ha. Ah, I-I’m sorry. For making you worry-”

Tobey Maxon, who even shed a tear due to the intense emotions, finally seemed to have calmed down after some time. He got up from his seat, hurriedly changed his uniform, and bowed to everyone looking at him.

Contrary to his thief-like appearance, he was very timid, or rather, innocent. Some chuckled and shook their heads.

“Lee, thank- thank you so much. Thanks to you, really-”

Just when he seemed to have calmed down, Tobey Maxon looked at Lee Jung-woo’s face and said those words, looking like he was about to cry again. Lee Jung-woo just shrugged.

“What did I do? Why are you thanking me since earlier? It’s not like I taught you a new pitch like Mason.”

Like he said, he didn’t really do anything. It’s good to say there was nothing at all. Tobey Maxon, caught up in his own feelings, interpreted Lee Jung-woo’s words in his own way and was impressed.

All he did was stop him from overworking himself and tell him to pace himself. Such a trivial, passing thing that he would experience countless times in his life seemed to have greatly affected him, and he kept thanking him, which made Lee Jung-woo feel a bit uncomfortable.

‘It’s not a very good sight. A hairy man, even two inches taller than me, acting like that in front of me.’

It was as if a professional wrestler was wearing a ballet costume in front of him, so Lee Jung-woo made a slightly awkward expression, but on the other hand, the corners of his lips also went up slightly. Contrary to what he muttered in his heart, it was also nice to see. The moment someone achieves their dream.

‘At this point, it’s worth more than enough for one at-bat. Well, I also got one more home run.’

Watching it, Lee Jung-woo thought. It seemed more than enough for just one at-bat, one swing. Thus, the Washington Nationals’ frustration, Lee Jung-woo’s 45th home run of the season, and the newcomer’s first win marked the end of the first game of September, the last of the season.

####

After the first game, Nationals fans were able to witness the sight they had so desperately wanted during the series that followed.

Whether the crushing defeat simply gave the fans a mental shock, or whether they simply couldn’t compete with a normal roster anymore, the Nationals, who seemed poised to continue their unexpected winning streak against the Braves, eventually began to collapse.

[ATL vs WAS Game 2, Braves win 7-2. Is a sweep all that’s left?]

[Operation ‘Lower the Win Rate!’ Nationals achieve their goal, but can’t hide their bitterness…]

[Jung-woo Lee, 5 plate appearances, 4 at-bats, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 RBI [Runs Batted In], 1 stolen base. A bittersweet performance!]

[Countdown begins! Really joining the 50-50 club [50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season]? 23 games left! 5 home runs and 6 stolen bases within that. Is it possible?]

In the second game, amidst an overwhelming performance, Lee Jung-woo, who had hit a dramatic pinch-hit home run the day before, showed a slightly lackluster performance. However, fans were simply satisfied that he had added one stolen base, moving one step closer to joining the 50-50 club.

He was already the best player in the league, and the team had no more room to improve their record, so all that was left was a record that would last forever.

[Yes, the Braves eventually won the third game as well, recording a sweep of the first series in September.]

[The Nationals were the only team in the same division that boasted a nearly equal head-to-head record, but even they have now succumbed.]

The Braves won the third game that followed the next day, recording a three-game sweep. The Nationals, who had recorded a 6-6 tie against the Braves, one of the few in the league, were now pushed far behind.

The fans were able to wash away even a shred of lingering discomfort, having shaken off the equal head-to-head record with the bottom of the division, which could be said to be the only blemish on their successful season, and there was also a small gift.

[And in today’s game, Jungwoo Lee recorded 2 hits, 1 stolen base, and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats, bringing his single-season RBI total to 165. He’s now tied for 13th place all-time for single-season RBIs with Manny Ramirez and Al Simmons.]

[Now, above him are only Sam Thompson, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Chuck Klein, Hank Greenberg, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Hack Wilson. All legends from over 100 years ago.]

[What’s even more amazing is that this player is a shortstop and bats relatively early in the lineup at number 2. Of course, Rollins is positioned at number 8 to maximize RBI opportunities, but still… it’s incredible.]

Lee Jungwoo’s single-season RBI record has climbed even higher.

Now, aiming for the all-time Top 10 seemed within reach, and some even suggested that Hack Wilson’s seemingly unbreakable single-season RBI record was now a possibility.

At this point, he was single-handedly responsible for nearly one-fifth or one-quarter of the RBIs for most teams, so even though its statistical value had diminished due to the Braves’ overall performance, people still exclaimed in astonishment.

[Jungwoo Lee, tied for 13th all-time in single-season RBIs! Jungwoo Lee is on his way to becoming the greatest of all time!]

-Breaking the all-time RBI record might be tough, but he could really catch up to Lou Gehrig, right?

-So, if Lee were to leave the team right now, that would mean 165 RBIs would be gone from the total. Wouldn’t that make us just a mid-tier team?

-It’s stupid to calculate it that way. But including his other abilities, Lee does have that much influence on the Braves.

-If he achieves the single-season RBI record, a .400 batting average, and 50-50 [50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season], what should we call him? The best? A monster? An overpowered character? A Mary Sue [a character, typically in fan fiction, who is portrayed as unrealistically free of weaknesses]?

-Why are you even 고민해 [agonizing]? Just call him the GOAT.

-??? The GOAT??? Why is Lee a goat?

-Greatest Of All Time, you idiot. If he gets all three, he’s the undisputed number one in a single season.

Having grown tired of admiring Lee Jungwoo, who was ruthlessly piling up records, the fans let out weary, hollow laughs. On the other hand, they also paid attention to the records that the team as a whole could achieve beyond Lee Jungwoo individually.

-If we get through this month well, not only Lee but also the Braves can write history.

-You mean the most wins in the league?

-Maybe the highest winning percentage? That’s a bit tough, isn’t it? We’d have to win almost all of the remaining games.

-No, a complete victory against the Phillies.

-…Isn’t the most wins in the league more valuable? Why are you so focused on that…

-There’s nothing more valuable than screwing over the Phillies!

-If we succeed, there might really be a riot. Maybe they’ll shoot our players with lead bullets.

-The last series will be at the Phillies’ home. I’m seriously worried about a mass shooting….

Achieving a complete victory against another team, especially one you hate, is the best feeling, so the Braves fans were already filled with anticipation for this record. Unfortunately, the Phillies game they were hoping for was a little later.

The Eastern Division war, which almost completely filled the Braves’ September schedule, was also a little later.

There was still interleague play left.

####

The private plane took off again with the players on board. Today’s destination was LA, where they had finished off August with a doubleheader a few days ago. Unfortunately, the opponent was a little different.

Not the Dodgers, but the Angels.

In fact, although it has Los Angeles in its name, its actual base is Anaheim, so in terms of distance, it would be fastest to head to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, south of Los Angeles International Airport.

However, the airport was a little too small for the team’s private plane to land, so the destination was still LA International Airport.

‘The Angels are a strong team, a strong team, but compared to the old days, there’s something a little ambiguous about them. They don’t have the same superstars as before.’

On the plane heading there, Lee Jungwoo sat quietly in his seat as usual, thinking about the opposing team, the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels are definitely a strong team. Like their brother team, the Dodgers, they are maintaining first place in the AL West [American League West division].

‘Actually, the entire AL West feels that way at this time. Something ambiguous.’

A good lineup and a decent pitching staff. The first-place ranking created by that made them dazzling, but the problem was the absence of a clear star player. There was no one you could definitely say was ‘the best!’

‘Trout’s shadow is that big. Well, if you didn’t feel the absence of such a player, that would be even stranger.’

Our era’s Mickey Mantle or Ken Griffey Jr. Lee Jungwoo also grew up watching Trout with his father, so he knew how great he was. He was a much closer figure than the very old legends like Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio.

‘The next generation Trout. The Angels are working hard, but even before the regression, there was no such player. In the first place, it’s nothing short of a miracle for such a player to grow up in the farm [minor league system] again.’

Even though it had been five years since he retired, the Angels still felt and craved his absence.

In order to recapture the local popularity that had waned a bit since the retirement of the legendary player who remained as a retired number with Guerrero, they are still working hard to promote similar players.

‘Henry Schmidt. He was the closest player to Trout since his retirement. He’s still a person of interest at this point. Based on the current standard… he probably won ROY [Rookie of the Year award] around two years ago. Well, besides Schmidt, there’s no definite impact, but all the other players are of good quality.’

Although the weight has been reduced a bit due to the absence of the giant Trout, it is still a strong team. Lee Jungwoo was trying to raise his tension towards the opponent, but he couldn’t.

That’s because it was so noisy around him.

“I, I can’t believe I’m playing in an interleague game…! I really feel like I’ve become a major leaguer. Yes, I have to last a long time. I can’t be satisfied here. Like Lee said, I have to last a long time-”

“Ah, I want to settle down properly. I’m just getting a taste of it all the time. Am I still not good enough? Lee, what do you think? Am I okay? You can see, I’m good at defense, and my hitting is good too, right? Ah~ I’m not getting any chances. I’m not getting any chances.”

Usually, Derek sits behind Lee Jungwoo. Because they’re partners. They’re also close. Or Mason, who is also close, sits there.

But today was different. Centered around him, young sprouts were sitting in a row in front and behind him.

Toby Maxon, who was sitting in the back seat, was so moved by something that he kept muttering in a tearful voice, and Desmond Leach, who was sitting in front, was sitting backwards and complaining to Lee Jungwoo about his situation.

‘One is too emotional, which is a problem. The other has too much self-consciousness, which is a problem? No, more than that, why are these guys around me-‘

Lee Jungwoo, who was dumbfounded by this sight, instinctively realized that he had been 맡겨 졌음을 [entrusted] as a babysitter when he made eye contact with Derek, who gave him an awkward smile.

Lee Jungwoo, who looked at Derek with a bit of resentment for 확실하게 짬처리를 [dumping the work] to him, wondering if he was serious about 넘기겠다던 [handing over] the position of captain soon, eventually just let out a long sigh.

Thinking that it was a somewhat tiring away game.