Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 258

[Phillies Replay Mets’ Humiliation with Intentional Walk, Only More Disgraceful!]

[Phillies’ Ungentlemanly Play Ruins Lee’s 50-50 Challenge]

[Humiliating Intentional Walk with Bases Loaded: Going This Far to Suppress a Record?]

[Phillies Unable to Face Jungwoo Lee After His Confident Performance!]

[Jungwoo Lee’s Great Season: Just One Home Run Left to Complete 50-50!]

As soon as the game ended, articles poured out as if they had been waiting for it. Perhaps it was the tension and anticipation of whether it would really happen that day, or the frustration of the intentional walk that dashed all hopes at once, but the reporters’ fingers were itching to type.

The reporters’ anger at missing out on a scoop was significant, especially those who had gone to witness the potential historic moment themselves. They tore into the Phillies like a pack of ravenous dogs.

[‘Worst Scene in Major League History.’ Philadelphia Phillies Disgracefully Blocks Rival’s Challenge!]

[‘An Inevitable Choice.’ ‘Walking a Good Hitter is a Perfectly Normal Choice.’ Phillies Manager Excuses!]

[‘Is This the Phillies Spirit?’ But Even in Philadelphia, the ‘F-word’ Echoed]

[‘Made Philadelphia Look Like Cowards.’ Phillies Fans Furious at Manager’s Wrong Choice!]

Beyond mere ridicule aimed at the perceived losers or cowards, people even began to question the Phillies’ sportsmanship. Even the notoriously die-hard Phillies fans [known for their unwavering loyalty and often aggressive behavior], who would typically defend their team against anything, unleashed a torrent of curses towards the club and braced themselves for the inevitable backlash from Braves fans.

[Jungwoo Lee’s Wrong Behavior! Ceremony Disrespectful to Opponent, ‘Emotions Understandable, But Could Face Disciplinary Action…’]

-Don’t talk sh*t.

-Please just shut up. Writing that kind of thing is making us look even worse!

-You’re already a f***ing idiot, why are you trying to stir up more trouble? Are you a super f***ing idiot?

This sentiment was evident in the fact that there was no discussion about Lee Jungwoo’s performance or the bat flip after the intentional walk, which they would have normally seized upon and blown out of proportion.

Instead, they were the first to bombard the pro-Philadelphia local media outlets that criticized the bat flip as unsportsmanlike, forcing them to retract the article. Even ‘those’ Phillies fans trembled in the face of the overwhelming criticism, but the situation didn’t end there.

[‘Should Know Shame…’ Chipper Jones Expresses Opinion on the Matter]

[‘Disappointed in the Phillies Today.’ Even Trout’s Fan Heart Couldn’t Suppress Disappointment!]

[‘Lee, Your Bat Flip Was Great Today. And Congrats on 50-50. I’ll Consider It Already Achieved.’ Arthur Hunter Comforts Lee?]

Statements of condemnation from other current and former major leaguers followed, launching a fierce attack on the already battered Phillies. One media outlet even described the current situation as a ‘scandal.’

[Phillies’ Wrongdoing Shakes the Entire League. Like Several ‘Scandals’ That Have Plagued the League in the Past.]

Looking at the reactions of fans and various industry figures, it was clear that a similar level of shock was reverberating throughout baseball, reminiscent of past Major League Baseball controversies like the ‘Black Sox Scandal’ [where players were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series], the ‘Mitchell Report’ [which exposed widespread steroid use in baseball and effectively ended the steroid era], the ‘Biogenesis Scandal’ [which revealed ongoing performance-enhancing drug use despite previous efforts to curb it], and the more recent ‘Sign Stealing Scandal’ [where teams were caught using technology to illegally decode and transmit opponents’ signs], which remains a dark chapter in the league’s history.

In fact, the comparison wasn’t far off, as the fallout was reaching a similar magnitude to those incidents. Braves fans, in particular, were openly issuing death threats towards the Phillies.

-F***ing Phillies bastards. Philadelphia bastards better watch out. If you come to Atlanta wearing that sh*tty uniform, you’ll get shot and die.

-Beasts only listen when bullets are lodged in their heads. The Phillies are exactly at that level, so they need to be shot once to come to their senses.

-I went with my son, and my kid loves Lee even more than I do. So I was looking forward to it, but what is this? Are you even a Major League team? Are you even major leaguers?

-I was so disgusted when they walked him even with the bases loaded at the end that I felt like throwing up.

-I really felt today how strong our players’ patience is. If it were me, I would have rushed in and punched the pitcher in the face, regardless of the game.

-The captain seemed really pissed too. When he was grabbing the captain going to second base after the walk, his fists were clenched so tight that his fingernails were about to dig into his skin.

The only fortunate thing was that there was still one game left in the series, and Lee Jungwoo had demonstrated impressive hitting ability throughout. This gave Braves fans, who hadn’t completely lost hope, a reason to remain somewhat calm.

-Leave it alone, it’ll end with the Phillies being sh*t as always. Why? Because Lee, who’s just as pissed as we are, will give them a proper lesson.

-That’s right. Everyone calm down! Lee’s going to hit a home run anyway, so why are you getting so worked up?

-Did you see Lee’s hitting feel? If just one comes in right, he’ll knock it over right away? F*** it, let’s go for another pre-announced home run. That’s what it’ll take for them to come to their senses.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the Phillies, their players, or their coaching staff that were suffering from this enormous fallout. Lee Jungwoo, arguably the central figure in the incident, was also keenly feeling the repercussions.

However, his experience was of a slightly different nature.

####

After the game, he returned home and collapsed into sleep as if he had fainted. However, Lee Jungwoo woke up at his usual time, thanks to his precisely calibrated internal clock.

Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen, Lee Jungwoo stumbled to his feet and was struck by a sudden thought.

‘…I’m going to die?’

I really feel like I’m going to die. Waking up early in the morning is always a struggle, even when you’re used to it, but today felt different.

Every inch of his body ached, and he even entertained the absurd notion that he had been assaulted in his sleep and lost his memory.

‘I knew the reaction wouldn’t be minor… I guess you shouldn’t push yourself too hard at the end of the season.’

Still, he wasn’t completely incapacitated, so he forced himself to stretch his aching body. His condition improved slightly as his muscles loosened.

By the time he finished forcing down the diet he usually endured to maintain his physique, he recovered faster than he had anticipated.

But it was too early to be complacent, so Lee Jungwoo headed straight to the training ground. He needed to assess his condition definitively.

“Why are you here already? You should rest more.”

“You looked like you were on death’s door yesterday. Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? Get some more sleep.”

“The fans’ mood is no joke. I’m not lying, they’re about to plant a bomb in the Phillies’ dorms, right?”

“They deserve it. Where else would they get away with doing something like that?”

When they saw him, the players who had arrived earlier greeted him with concern, either worrying about his well-being or discussing the aftermath of the previous day. Lee Jungwoo acknowledged their concerns and proceeded with his usual simple warm-up.

“Why don’t you take it easy today? You really overdid it yesterday.”

“I have something to check.”

Despite the prevailing atmosphere of concern and the attempts to dissuade him, Lee Jungwoo stubbornly completed his routine and finally entered the batting cage for a definitive test.

After a club employee made a few adjustments, the pitching machine whirred to life. Lee Jungwoo completed a few rounds of batting practice, then wiped the sweat from his forehead. His assessment was simple.

‘It’s serious.’

During the brief training session, his body struggled to keep pace with his mind. The commands from his brain, accustomed to his nimble body, were executed a fraction of a second late. One might attribute this to mere fatigue, but it was more than just sluggishness.

The energy reserves themselves were significantly depleted.

Like a bank account drained by excessive spending.

But since he had anticipated this, Lee Jungwoo tried to remain optimistic.

Compared to the possibility of sustaining an injury, this was a better outcome than he had feared.

‘Where is it that there are no injuries? I have to put up with this much.’

To draw an analogy, it was as if his account balance was low due to large expenses, but he wasn’t completely bankrupt. As long as he worked diligently, he could replenish his reserves at any time. However, he was concerned about the length of the recovery period.

‘It’s annoying again. Why did they do that kind of thing….’

Perhaps he wouldn’t fully recover until the end of the regular season and wouldn’t be able to achieve 50-50. Lee Jungwoo, fueled by resentment towards the intentional walk and the Phillies’ decision, barely managed to calm himself down.

Because even if he didn’t retaliate himself, they would suffer greatly.

####

Just before the third game, the fans who arrived at the stadium tried to shake off the unpleasantness of the previous day and steel themselves, hoping to witness Lee Jungwoo hit a home run. But that atmosphere was short-lived.

“What? Why isn’t Lee in the starting lineup?”

“What are you talking about? Why isn’t Lee there? I told you to fix your eyes – What the f***! Why isn’t Lee there!”

“Looks like Lee is starting on the bench today?”

“It’s all because of the Phillies! Lee’s energy is all drained because of those f***ing bastards!”

Lee Jungwoo’s name was conspicuously absent from the starting lineup. Instead, a Triple-A player who had been called up to the expanded roster was listed at shortstop. The fans were immediately shocked and dismayed.

Anger flared instantly at the thought that they might not see a home run that day and would have to postpone the 50-50 quest. Those who had purchased expensive tickets on the secondary market to witness the historic moment cursed the Phillies.

They blamed the Phillies for draining Lee Jungwoo’s energy.

“They’re sinners, completely.”

“They should be sinners. F***ing bastards.”

“Woah… Is the captain in battle mode today too? Take it easy, take it easy. There are millions of people who will curse besides us.”

Even though they were being cursed for what seemed like a ridiculous reason, the Phillies players simply lowered their heads like guilty parties, not even daring to venture near the edge of the dugout.

Lee Jungwoo felt a twinge of sympathy for them, but the other players didn’t seem to share his sentiment. They reacted as if the Phillies deserved it. Even Derek glared at the Phillies with animosity and spat out curses, clicking his tongue.

‘The rebound is a rebound, but the aftermath here is more severe than I thought.’

Unlike the physical repercussions, which were within the expected range, the fans’ anger was beyond anything he had imagined. Lee Jungwoo clicked his tongue at the sight of a situation where a violent outburst wouldn’t be surprising, but surprisingly, he felt pretty good. He experienced a sense of vicarious satisfaction.

‘People love me so much that they show this kind of reaction, so I should be thankful instead. And they deserve to be cursed.’

With that thought, Lee Jungwoo munched on a banana and watched the game with a detached feeling, as if he were an outside observer for the first time in a long time.

[The third game of the series between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies is finally starting. The starting lineup is a bit unexpected, right? Desmond Leach is in the catcher position, and especially Lee Jungwoo is missing from the shortstop position.]

[Although Lee is not starting today, perhaps because of yesterday’s incident that caused several controversies, I can feel a determined strength in the faces of the other Braves players.]

The Phillies were already subdued. On the other hand, the Braves were filled with a determination to punish the Phillies for their terrible (?) treatment of their franchise star.

It was a game where the outcome seemed predetermined from the start. True to form, the game unfolded as a one-sided massacre by the Braves, so lopsided it was almost embarrassing to describe.

“Do well. Don’t cry because I’m not behind you.”

“Don’t worry and watch. I’m going to kill all those f***ing bastards.”

“Take it easy.”

First, starting pitcher Harry Stewart delivered a dominant performance. As Lee Jungwoo is beloved by pitchers for his exceptional defense, Stewart channeled his anger and stifled the Phillies lineup with three consecutive strikeouts on three pitches each. Perhaps it was easier because the Phillies had already lost their spirit.

[He hit it! Derek Hunt! A ball that’s soaring! It keeps soaring! The ball goes over the left fence – over the left fence -! Lead-off home run! 14th home run of the season!]

Subsequently, in the first at-bat, Derek, the lead-off hitter, scored the first run with a towering solo home run, and the Phillies’ nightmare began.

The Braves’ momentum, which resulted in 7 runs from the beginning of the game by scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning and 2 runs each in the 2nd and 3rd innings, completely overwhelmed the already demoralized Phillies, leaving them unable to mount any resistance.

Even though they were under pressure to avoid a humiliating winless season series, the Phillies players failed to deliver an effective performance.

“Aaaaaaah!”

[It goes over again! Desmond Leach records a two-run! Bottom of the 6th inning, the score is now 13 to 0! The Braves are completely massacring the Phillies!]

Meanwhile, the score on the scoreboard continued to worsen. The pitchers, who were getting hammered each time they took the mound, shed bitter tears as their ERAs climbed rapidly.

“This is justice!”

“Kill them all! Let’s go up to 20 points!”

“Watch out! It’s nothing to beat you even without Lee! You f***ing trash!”

The audience, as if infected by the same fervor, chanted for justice in Truist Park, which had transformed into a courtroom. Lee Jungwoo, watching from his premium seat, simply let out a hollow laugh.

“If it was like this every day, all the hitters would have hit 30 home runs each, right?”

“No, if it was like this every day, all the other clubs would have risen up and tried to kick us out of the league, saying we’re ecosystem destroyers.”

Lee Jungwoo, sharing lighthearted jokes with the hitting coach, watched the game with a relaxed attitude. As the game reached the bottom of the 8th inning, the Braves’ final at-bat, runners gradually accumulated on base, as had been the case throughout the game. The atmosphere was building towards something significant. An overwhelming game, regardless of the final score. A pitcher who had been brutally battered and had bloodshot eyes. It was a perfect setup.

It was for Lee Jungwoo, the victim, to preside over the execution ceremony for the Phillies.

####

“Lee, it’s the last at-bat, how about one appearance?”

“Oh… I’m always good.” [T/N: He’s saying he’s always down for it]

Lee Jungwoo readily accepted Mancini’s offer. While he was feeling the effects of the previous day, it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t handle one at-bat. It was an easy decision, as he had been observing the fans’ reactions and knew he would have to step up to the plate eventually. As he rose from his seat, the stadium erupted once more.

“Huh? Lee’s coming out?”

“That’s right! Lee has to come out!”

“Wheeeeeee!”

“Open your mouth! The true education is coming!”

Amidst the whistles and cheers, the Phillies players turned their gaze towards the bustling Braves dugout, their expressions a mixture of apprehension and bitterness.

It was a complex dynamic, unlike other days. Lee Jungwoo was the reason they were being subjected to such intense animosity, but they were also the ones who had committed the actions that warranted the condemnation.

In the charged atmosphere, Lee Jungwoo confidently strode onto the field, greeted by thunderous applause. He waved his hand in acknowledgment and approached the plate as the manager announced him as a pinch hitter.

[Bottom of the 8th inning, Lee Jungwoo comes out as a pinch hitter with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd base. He didn’t put his name on the starting lineup today due to a decrease in stamina, so is he okay?]

[He definitely showed a bit of a tough appearance right after the game yesterday, but I can’t guess what it will be like because it’s Lee. However, it’s a scene that the fans wanted, so it will definitely be a fan service.]

“F***, hit a home run!”

“Show those f***ing bastards what justice is!”

Lee Jungwoo, stepping into the batter’s box amidst the fervent cheering, glanced down at the catcher, but the catcher avoided his gaze and remained impassive.

Even the other players, whom he deliberately scanned, avoided eye contact. Only the pitcher forced himself to look at him, but even his gaze lacked conviction.

‘I feel great. The Phillies, these f***ing fighting chickens, are all avoiding my eyes.’

It was unusual for the Phillies players, known for their aggressive personalities, to act this way, perhaps due to the reputation of their notoriously passionate fans. Lee Jungwoo felt a small sense of satisfaction, but nothing more.

The fans were urging him to hit a home run, but he was well aware of his physical condition and knew it was nearly impossible.

‘Let’s think of it as fan service. Even if it’s just a sacrifice fly, I’ll be grateful.’

It was a relatively modest goal, but considering his condition, even that was a challenge. Lee Jungwoo approached the game with a relaxed attitude, but his swing was surprisingly violent.

[A swing and a miss! It’s Lee who swings wildly. It’s different from his usual hitting, right?]

[Lee usually hits with a level swing using his wrist strength. The one just now was an extreme upper swing.]

Unlike his usual precise and concise style, a rather reckless swing emerged, causing the fans to tilt their heads in confusion. Even the pitcher looked slightly perplexed.

Some people liked it, saying it was powerful, but it was an awkward look that didn’t suit Lee Jungwoo at all. But perhaps that was natural.

‘Proper contact or base running is difficult anyway, so I’m just aiming for unconditional power. Let’s just try to send it as far as possible. It’ll be hard, though.’

Since his mindset was different from usual, his hitting was bound to be different as well. An extreme hitting style, reminiscent of when he first learned to hit, but even more forceful. In the first place, his body had deteriorated, so he had no choice but to find another way. The people’s doubts grew even more at Lee Jungwoo, who committed another swing and a miss with such a wild swing.

“Ball.”

The Phillies also threw a ball outside the strike zone, perhaps because they were unsure of his condition. This time, there was no swing. Or rather, he couldn’t swing. [T/N: He couldn’t swing]

‘As expected, my body can’t handle it. It was a slider….’

If it had been a normal day, he would have been able to hit it easily the moment he recognized a changeup that had drifted slightly outside. But now, he merely flinched slightly and couldn’t swing at all.

Lee Jungwoo, clicking his tongue slightly as if disappointed that he could have hit one more home run if that kind of pitch had come to him yesterday, resumed his stance.

‘By the way, I’m seeing that pitcher for the first time, so he was probably in Triple-A, right? His repertoire is a fastball, slider, and curveball, three pitches. Then, is he going to throw a slider again this time? Or a fastball? If he throws a fastball with all his might, I definitely can’t hit it.’

His tired body couldn’t keep up with the maximum speed of a 95-mile fastball. The result of that was the two swings and misses he had shown earlier.

That’s why Lee Jungwoo, calming his mind and hoping that the slider would enter the strike zone this time, glared at the pitcher.

The pitcher, who threw a ball low to his body this time, testing the waters, still had a suspicious expression on his face at Lee Jungwoo, who only flinched again. He assumed a pitching form to throw the last ball.

‘It doesn’t seem like I’ve been completely figured out. Please throw a slider!’

Lee Jungwoo, seeing a glimmer of hope in the pitcher’s expression, gripped his bat tightly.

And the 5th ball. The pitcher threw the ball, and Lee Jungwoo opened his eyes as wide as he could, even with his fatigued body. And as with his eyes, his special ability, which was still functioning perfectly even while everything else was scraping the bottom, and which he had not been able to use often during this season, stirred.

‘This…’

The ball, which should have appeared as a white dot, was clearly visible. It was so clear that the trajectory itself was felt by his body. Looking straight at it, Lee Jungwoo thought.

‘It’s a curveball.’

Perhaps it might be the last opportunity given to him in this series.