Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 248

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – Episode 247

Mike Trout.

A legendary name. A name from a previous era, and a name of glory for the Angels.

“Ever since Trout retired, it’s been…”

“I know, I just can’t bring myself to watch them anymore. Seeing the uniform just makes me feel empty.”

“Ah… Trout would have caught that.”

“Do it like Trout! Why can’t you hit like that!”

And it was also the brand placed on the current Angels players. Trout, if it were Trout, like Trout, as much as Trout. A whip offering various variations was swung at them.

Especially for the center fielders, it was like a whip with a handful of lead weights, not just a whip.

A career .300 batting average. A .400 on-base percentage. A slugging percentage in the high .500s. An OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] in the high .900s. Over 500 career home runs. Cumulative WAR [Wins Above Replacement] ranked 6th all-time.

And probably next year, thanks to finally meeting the requirements, he will unconditionally enter the Hall of Fame. Some predict that he will enter unanimously.

They have to fill the void left by such a player. A player whose position is evaluated to potentially lead to the Hall of Fame if they achieve only half of what he did.

The funny thing is, even if they do that well, they’ll still be called the second Trout. Because what the Angels fans want is still the avatar of the star who remains vivid in their memories.

‘What’s even funnier is that they covet that empty throne, even knowing it’s impossible.’

Henry Schmidt chuckled. It was such a harsh position, but many wanted it, and he was one of them. He made his full-time debut two years ago and quickly secured the starting center fielder position with the fans’ expectations and the club’s support.

People went wild when he hit 28 home runs, stole 21 bases, and recorded an OPS of 0.925, winning the Rookie of the Year award. Three years after Trout retired, his successor appeared right away.

The following year, he recorded decent stats, which became a certainty, and when he finally surpassed 30 home runs this season, he even received recognition from the retired Trout. Through an interview where a reporter forcibly dragged out that he was the most similar to himself during his active career.

‘Well. Can I really become Trout’s successor?’

But Schmidt thought that maybe the fans were intentionally ignoring it. Because Trout’s successor, no, ‘replacement,’ had already appeared in the big leagues a long time ago.

Vincent Harding. Although not a center fielder, but a left fielder, he was considered by those other than the Angels to be the most similar player to Trout.

Because he was also an outfielder and showed perfect performance in all categories. The only differences were a slightly different position and being in the NL [National League], not the AL [American League]?

‘And another one has appeared. If we compare the impact on the league as a whole, there’s even a guy who’s similar to Trout, maybe even surpassing him.’

Jungwoo Lee. A name that is heating up the league these days. At least for this season, he was putting on a performance that could relegate all other players to ‘nothing,’ and.

He debuted just one year older than Trout, shook the entire league, and this year, he was armed with an impact that should be discussed in history. Schmidt thought he was, in some ways, the true successor to Trout.

‘If he’s a real successor to Trout, he has to be the best in the major leagues. Like Lee right now, giving off the feeling that he’s untouchable. Such a player.’

Recently, there have been talks among Angels fans that when Schmidt becomes a free agent, they should just not sign him and keep that money to wait a little longer and sign Lee.

Maybe the fans also know. That the real successor is in Atlanta, not Anaheim.

‘But, no one calls him that. Unlike me.’

Ironically, that’s why people didn’t associate him with Trout or see Trout in him. No, not just Trout, but now they don’t bring up other players, saying he’s the second someone or someone of our time. They just call him Jungwoo Lee. Just call that name.

Because he was too good a player to simply be someone’s successor.

‘Could I ever become like that?’

The thought suddenly came to him, and he felt a sense of deprivation. He still couldn’t see any signs of breaking free from the Trout name tag that bound him tightly. Someone was already walking an even steeper path than Trout.

But there was no time to be caught up in thoughts. He couldn’t even be envious.

‘Because, at least to the fans right now, I’m Trout.’

So he had no choice but to overcome it.

“Alright, everyone knows this is an important game, right? They’re guys we might meet in the World Series later. So we have to break their momentum first today!”

The manager, who came into the locker room, shouted loudly, awakening the players’ spirits, and Henry Schmidt, who was sitting blankly and caught up in thoughts, also got up from his seat and nodded. Yes, they had to win. Even if the opponent was a monster who might be even more than that Trout, they had to win.

####

“Wow~ The weather is great. This is it! California.”

“If we have a double header again this time, I’m going to kill myself?”

“Are you crazy? Why would you die? You should ask the higher-ups instead of dying. Ask them if they’re trying to kill us.”

Unlike the Dodgers game a few days ago, the Braves players, who got off the plane and got on the team bus in the clear weather, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Because last time, it was a bit dark with dark clouds from the first time they arrived, but today it was the clear weather unique to California that everyone knew.

Also, now that it was slowly approaching the end of summer, the heat was also subsiding, so the moderately warm climate, perfect for playing baseball, also captivated some veteran players.

“Should I come to California after I retire? It seems like a good place to live.”

“Atlanta is good too, but… the West is different. The feeling is different.”

“I’m going to Florida after I retire. The taxes are cheap, the weather is moderate, and it’s good, right? My wife said okay too.”

Since the older players were at the point where they had to decide when to retire, they imagined their lives after baseball and spread their imaginations, and Lee Jungwoo, who barely heard the chattering next to him, was suddenly caught up in emotion.

‘Retirement, I probably would have retired. If I hadn’t regressed. Because I was exhausted. A lot.’

A life of repeated releases and constant dissatisfaction with himself. When he was released from the Devils right before his regression, it was the limit he felt.

He had never thought about retiring even once while crawling on the ground like a dog and begging for a living, but at that time, he just had that thought.

So maybe if he hadn’t regressed, that would have been his last moment in baseball.

‘I would have ended up like that, without anyone remembering me, reminiscing about me, or feeling sorry for me.’

Maybe about 10 years later, or maybe 20 years later, some hipster movie director would have shed light on his life. Attaching a terrible title such as a genius of misfortune with broken wings or an unfortunate man who loved baseball.

Because he was released so many times and wandered around so much, he still left a lot of traces here and there. Although he didn’t want it himself.

‘Geez, what a terrible story.’

Lee Jungwoo, who was laughing while thinking about the possible ifs, suddenly looked around. Men with hairy bodies wearing suits because of the dress code. They all look silly, but they are all major leaguers. And Lee Jungwoo himself too.

‘It’s changed a lot. A lot. There’s still a lot of time left, but.’

Until the Devils were released, when he thought about retiring, it was about 15 years in terms of time? There was still a lot of time left, but a lot had already changed.

‘It’s been a little over two years since I regressed. I’ve been running hard.’

Probably much earlier than originally, even if he retired right now, unlike before the regression, many people would remember him.

To the point where he doesn’t have to worry about who will remember him, but worry about whether he can live quietly after retirement.

Because there were so many people who loved him that if you put them all together, you could create a country.

‘But it’s a bit lacking. It’s too early to be satisfied now.’

But the changed life, life, and situation, like the mind that had already changed for a long time, still craved something bigger. He’s not talking about popularity or fame. Because those are all secondary anyway.

‘Let’s go further. This time, much longer. If I play in the major leagues for about 20 years, I’ll be a little satisfied.’

Not thinly and long, but filthy thick and damn long. In the end, the ultimate goal in this life was only that one thing.

“We’ve arrived. Angel Stadium.”

“Already? Did we get here faster than I thought? Is it because the roads were wide open?”

As soon as he finished thinking, the team bus, which had just arrived at its destination, slowly slowed down, and Lee Jungwoo, who looked out the window, briefly turned his gaze to the stadium he was seeing for the first time.

‘I heard it’s slightly pitcher-friendly? Not much, though.’

Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Angels’ home stadium, nicknamed The Big A, was a slightly pitcher-friendly stadium.

Of course, it’s not as much as the Giants’ Oracle Park or the Pirates’ PNC Park, but it’s slightly tilted towards the pitcher side, but sometimes it hits the middle in the park factor.

‘Well, unless it’s Oracle, it doesn’t matter much. It’s not like I’m severely affected by the stadium.’

Lee Jungwoo, who nodded slightly, soon saw the people passing by. Judging by the uniforms they were wearing, they seemed to be fans who had come in advance, and among them were brave people wearing Braves uniforms, specifically Lee Jungwoo’s uniforms.

Of course, they were all Asians. Although it’s not LA, it’s close to Orange County, so many Koreans live there, so they came to see him.

Lee Jungwoo’s eyes, who was pursing his lips for no reason at the sight, were soon caught by something. While most of the people were older, a fairly young group was holding a picket.

“Schmi…Trout? What does it mean? Is it German? Or English?”

Desmond, who was sitting next to him again this time, read the letters written on the picket, as if he wasn’t the only one who found it, and Lee Jungwoo told him the answer as he tilted his head as if he didn’t know what it meant.

“It’s a mix of Schmidt and Trout.”

“Schmidt?”

“If it’s Schmidt… you mean Henry Schmidt, right? The one who won Rookie of the Year two years ago. Ah… that player was really good too… If we meet on the mound….”

“Hey~ It’s nothing~ Toby, how can you be scared of Schmidt when you have an even bigger monster next to you?”

Toby Maxon was already sighing at the people holding pickets that seemed to connect him with Henry Schmidt and the retired Trout, and Desmond comforted Maxon by mentioning Lee Jungwoo. Lee Jungwoo, who had become accustomed to ignoring them after being harassed throughout the flight, closed his ears and turned his eyes back out the window.

‘The second Trout… It must be incredibly difficult. Being compared to such a player throughout his debut. Well, it has nothing to do with me.’

Leaving behind the pickets containing ridiculous puns, the team bus completely entered the stadium, and the first interleague game in September slowly began.

####

[The interleague matchup between the Los Angeles Angels and the Atlanta Braves, the first game of the two-game series, will finally begin. First, let’s take a look at the lineups of the two teams…]

Lee Jungwoo, who was named in the starting lineup as the second batter as usual, stretched his body for the last time in the on-deck circle, and tilted his head at the spectators who were looking at him with slightly subtle eyes.

‘What? Why are they like that?’

It’s a look I’ve felt before. Like the Cubs or the Dodgers. The fans of clubs with quite a bit of money looked at Lee Jungwoo like that. Very greedy and lewd.

‘Shoo~ Shoo~ I’m not going to play the role of Trout for you, so please turn your eyes away. Or take the power out.’

Of course, since he said it in his mind, there was no way he could hear it, so some spectators, including an old gentleman with neatly combed white hair, still focused their attention on him. As it got a little longer, another look was also felt.

This time, the gaze came not from the stands, but from the ground, far away in the outfield, and Lee Jungwoo, who turned his eyes slightly, found the owner of the gaze that was a little blurry because it was far away.

‘Schmidt. He looks more like Harper than Trout. Although he doesn’t have a beard.’

Henry Schmidt, a player who is highly anticipated by Angels fans, stood blankly in his position, looking at him with a slightly complicated expression. He seemed so serious that he didn’t even know that Lee Jungwoo had noticed his gaze.

Lee Jungwoo clicked his tongue for no reason at such a look. It’s still a little uncomfortable for someone, especially a big man, to stare at him. It’s not a good sight.

But on the other hand, he was also used to it.

‘Admiration, envy, jealousy. Or competitiveness. It must be one of the four. Just like other players have done so far.’

Because he had received countless gazes of that kind since his debut. Especially this season. A season that rose much earlier and much higher than others. It was only natural that reactions would follow. In particular, there were people who felt deprived of his very existence and looked back on their baseball careers.

Two years after switching positions. It was only natural that those who had been hitters from the beginning felt that he was irregular, as he had reached this position in such a short time.

‘It can’t be helped.’

[Ah, Derek Hunt! I tried to hold back, but in the end, a swing and a miss on the 5th pitch! He looks like he’s wetting his lips with regret.]

[It can’t be helped, he swung to match the fastball timing, but a changeup came out from there. Even the god of baseball can’t help but give up a strikeout if the timing is off.]

“Good job, Captain. How is it?”

“It’s normal, it doesn’t seem to be scratching much. I just didn’t do well this time.”

“Looking at it from the on-deck circle, the pitcher was throwing wildly? Then it’s not the captain’s fault.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m very grateful that you said that. Then go and get my revenge, you who are better.”

Lee Jungwoo, who lightly high-fived Derek as he walked out, looked at the outfield instead of the catcher or pitcher who greeted him, and saw the huge figure sticking out slightly next to the pitcher. It was the player who was still staring at him.

‘It’s subtly annoying. It doesn’t seem like there’s any malice….’

Lee Jungwoo, who wet his dry lips, took a batting stance and took a long, deep breath. Because he had received so many gazes of that kind, he also knew how to solve it.

“…Anyway, I heard you’re flying around. Take it easy today. We’re going to meet in the World Series later anyway. There’s no need to use your strength in the regular season in advance.”

Ignoring the catcher who was chattering, whether it was trash talk or too much talk, and the center fielder who was still sending him glances, Lee Jungwoo, who only had the pitcher in his eyes, forcibly pulled up the concentration that was trying to rise slowly.

The focus that was slowly being sucked in. The condition was also good compared to usual, so the concentration was fast. The concentration that had reached the limit in an instant.

‘Inside, low. Fastball.’

Always grants what you want.

A loud hitting sound that rang out. Lee Jungwoo, who threw his bat away with a refreshing expression, trudged out of home plate. This was the method Lee Jungwoo found. A way to deal with players who send him various gazes.

It’s simpler than I thought. Because it’s something I’ve done 45 times, no, 46 times this season.

‘If I hit a home run, they’ll look at me less, I wonder if it’ll be the same this time?’

Whether it was the second Trout or whatever, it didn’t matter to Lee Jungwoo what kind of determination the opponent had or what they were thinking when they looked at him. Because it would be one of the many kinds of challengers he had experienced so many times and would meet countless times in the future.

So he just practiced the method he had learned through experience (?), and when he saw the center fielder who was stunned by the batted ball that fell beyond the distant center fence, it seemed that the effect was good this time as well.