Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 262

End of Pitching, Start of Hitting – Episode 261

After finishing the match against the Nationals and returning home, Lee Jung-woo diligently lazed around during his day off, a perk earned due to the travel day. His form was already at its peak, and further training wouldn’t yield any improvement. It was far better to properly recharge his stamina.

‘It’s not bad to rest like this sometimes. If I can endure it.’

He was constitutionally unable to stay still, so complete rest felt quite awkward. However, as he gradually felt his stamina replenishing, Lee Jung-woo suppressed his restlessness and spent the day lounging at home, his gaze suddenly drawn to the TV screen.

On the screen, players in familiar uniforms were roaring enthusiastically.

Their opponents looked dejected, heads bowed.

[The Giants sweep the Pirates! The Pirates take another step back in the wild card race!]

‘The Giants won. The Giants were already confirmed [to advance to the playoffs]. Only the Phillies are left.’

Even after Harding left, the Giants continued to demonstrate their strength, inflicting three losses on the Pirates, who were second in the Central Division and third in the wild card race, sweeping them cleanly.

In another division, they would be a team capable of winning the division outright. They had already secured a spot in the wild card race, and the gap with first place wasn’t narrowing, so this victory wouldn’t mean much to them. But it was different for the Phillies.

The Pirates were closely chasing the Phillies, who were second in the wild card race after the Giants.

With this sweep, the distance had widened a bit, so all sorts of praise for the Giants would be pouring out in Philadelphia right now. The praise for Harding, who hit three home runs during the series and made a final spurt, would also be immense.

‘Well, it won’t last long.’

Of course, that reaction wouldn’t last long. Even if the Giants and Phillies decided the wild card game, only one of them would advance to the Division Series, so they would probably only be friendly now. In about a week, they would be hurling all sorts of insults at each other.

‘And the team that wins will face us. It feels like the final boss. No, not like, but just the final boss? At least for this season.’

Lee Jung-woo looked back on the Braves’ performance this year and chuckled without realizing it. He laughed not because it was funny, but because it was almost absurd. They had swept up so many incredible victories, to the point where the term “final boss” didn’t sound like a joke.

‘115 wins. Just one win away from tying the most wins. The highest winning percentage is impossible even if we win all the remaining games, so let’s put that aside. If we do well, we can break the most wins record.’

Just one win away from the most wins recorded by the 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 1906 Chicago Cubs, who achieved it much earlier, just one year after the Eulsa Treaty [a treaty signed between Korea and Japan in 1905, effectively making Korea a protectorate of Japan]. If they won one more game, the record that seemed like it would last forever would be broken again.

So, as Lee Jung-woo personally had the best season of his career, it was safe to say that the Braves as a team were also having the best season in their history.

‘It was amazing, in many ways.’

Looking back, even Lee Jung-woo chuckled and shook his head. So he steeled his resolve one last time.

‘We’ve come this far, so we have to finish strong.’

Everything was perfect, so it would be even better to have a beautiful ending, if possible.

Fortunately, thanks to the last rest, his body was almost fully recovered. Just right to decorate the end of the season and hold the launching ceremony for a new beginning.

‘It was the Angels this time, right? Let’s fill the precarious record first.’

####

The next day, at another home game, the still expectant crowd celebrated the final interleague series, welcoming the visiting team, the Angels.

“Just one win! Let’s just get one win!”

“If possible, break the tie record at home! I even bought a camera to film it!”

“Go Braves! Let’s win today! Let’s remain in history forever!”

People didn’t expect much. In the previous series held at their home, they had exchanged one win and one loss, so they hoped to exchange just that much this time as well.

They didn’t expect a renewal [of the record], but they hoped to at least tie the record at home. Also, even if they couldn’t renew it this time, it would be quite fun if they created it in the next series, at the Phillies’ home, who had caught the last train to the postseason festival.

So, in a moderate atmosphere, the game began, and the crowd, still so happy that Lee Jung-woo’s name was on the starting lineup again, cheered enthusiastically.

“Leeeeee!”

“You know I always come to see you, right?”

“Your hitting feel was good in the last game! Let’s get a hit today!”

Lee Jung-woo, who waved to the people who were talking about their somewhat ambiguous wishes, as if they had expectations but didn’t want to put pressure on him, walked around the ground as usual and met the gaze of the opposing team.

‘It’s a bit different from last time.’

The Angels players, bustling around, glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes, trying to pretend they weren’t. As the most watched person this season, it was always the case, but the emotions mixed in their eyes were a little different.

The gazes they showed in the previous series held at their home were mostly fear or dread. There was also quite a bit of childish competitiveness. As he was a player at the peak of his career at the moment, those were natural reactions and familiar things, but…

Today was similar to that time, but a little different. There was fear and competitiveness, of course, but more than that…

‘Admiration…?’

Admiration. Even in the eyes that pretended not to be, those emotions were sufficiently revealed, so thickly that he couldn’t not know.

He had felt this once before. No, countless times. Right before the All-Star Game, during the Futures Game, the eyes of the minor league players watching him were exactly like that. But that’s why it was different.

If there was a thick mixture of envy in the emotions at that time, now, while still envious, the volume of pure admiration as a fellow worker in the same industry was much larger. He was receiving such gazes.

“And from the same major leaguers.”

It’s not a very common experience to receive such gazes from those who play on the same stage of dreams. It’s only allowed for veterans who have played for at least 10 years, especially those who are recognized as legends.

“Why so much…”

In the case of the Angels players, most of them were young, so it was a little understandable, but on the other hand, he was a little embarrassed, so when he shook his head, Desmond, who had followed him, said as if he was dumbfounded.

“Lee, think about what you’ve done. Of course, that kind of reaction will come out, right?”

“What I’ve done?”

“Your batting average is .400, your on-base percentage is .500. Your slugging percentage is .800. You even did 50-50 for the first time in history [50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season]. Your RBIs are also aiming for the all-time number one. Even your defense is called the best in history. Try to think from Lee’s perspective. If it were you, what would you think of such a player?”

“If it were me… it would be similar.”

“Right? That’s it.”

It was just a list of his current grades, but that alone was enough to touch his heart, and Lee Jung-woo nodded. Certainly, even if he was in that position, he would have unknowingly sent such a gaze.

‘This is… just as the fans are getting quieter, now the opposing team is putting pressure on me.’

Lee Jung-woo, who entrusted his body to that challenging gaze for a moment, returned to the bench with a slightly hardened face.

“Let’s go, you’re starting today too, right? You have to warm up properly.”

“Huh? What, you’re not taking a picture of the fence? You usually do? I was going to get some of that energy even though I’m starting today….”

“So that’s why you followed me? You should warm up a little more thoroughly at that time-”

“Yes, yes, you’re a coach.”

Since they were sending him such enthusiastic support, he would have to respond to it so that he wouldn’t be ashamed, at least.

####

The spectators watching the game liked three things. First, they could see Lee Jung-woo with their own eyes because it was a home game. Second, Lee Jung-woo was on the starting lineup, and third, Lee Jung-woo’s movements were so good.

‘It’s high, Popin can’t catch it.’

“Mine!”

[Slightly floating ball! Popin jumps- but doesn’t reach! Lee catches it! Jungwoo Lee rushes in and snatches the ball in an instant!]

It was quite satisfactory.

“It feels good today?”

“Isn’t he always like that? Lee’s defense always feels like that, right?”

“Are you blind? He’s faster than the last game? It’s the same anyway because he’s going to catch it no matter what.”

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief. Lee must have recovered a lot of stamina.”

The home fans, who were simply happy that he came out, had a slightly darker smile on their faces at the movement of quickly running out and catching the ball coolly from the beginning of the first inning.

Expectation and relief arose together. They were very worried that the sudden stamina problem might continue until the postseason, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to be the case.

“Hit one out!”

“You’re not going to be satisfied with 50, are you? You can hit more, Lee!”

“51st, let’s gooooo!”

That soon led to expectations at the plate, and the faces of the fans watching the attack that followed after finishing the top of the first inning with a clean three-up, three-down showed strong trust.

They believed that he would surely be able to satisfy these expectations. Lee Jung-woo, carrying such voices on his back, lightly practiced his swing in the waiting batter’s box and stared intently at the pitcher.

‘I think he’s a rookie, but his ball is quite… no, it’s very good? I didn’t hear that his control was good?’

The pitcher who came up on the expansion roster was already taking up a starting roster, probably because the team was pushing him quite a bit. And accordingly, he threw a pretty good ball, enough to be felt even from the side.

It seemed like he hit it properly, but seeing that it was a foul, it was enough to push the bat away. Especially considering that the batter at the plate was Derek, who had skillful hitting ability, he was at least not ordinary.

‘I’ll have to stand at the plate to know, but if it’s a good day, it’ll be a bit of a headache…’

His stamina was all recovered, and his form was all up, but if the pitcher was having a good day, if he couldn’t break through, it would affect his senses.

Until now, it wasn’t a slump, but just a drop in stamina, but if he continued to have no hits today following the last game, his hitting feel would be shaken, and a real slump might come.

‘Let’s watch first.’

As he stared intently, the pitcher, feeling his gaze, glanced at him while facing Derek, and his expression hardened slightly. He felt a little strange, as if he had become a monster, but if he could help Derek and put pressure on the pitcher in this way, it was quite a worthwhile deal, so he glared at the pitcher with even more intense eyes.

However, despite such efforts, Derek recorded a disappointing line drive caught by the shortstop and came down from the plate. Lee Jung-woo, who took out the rubber ring that added weight to the bat, approached Derek and asked.

“How is it? It seems like he’s having a good day.”

“Yeah, he’s having a really good day. It’s no joke. It’d be better to just forget what the power analysis team gave you.”

“Is it that much?”

“The balls keep getting pushed. You might be able to just pass it, but be careful anyway.”

Lee Jung-woo, who nodded firmly at his sincere advice, put his troubled feelings in and went up to the plate with a calm expression as usual.

Then, the pitcher greeted him with a still nervous look. After the first ball that was thrown slightly off course went up as a ball, Lee Jung-woo found his composure at the face that hardened a little more.

‘He’s having a good day, but he doesn’t know it yet. Whether he’s having a good day.’

A rookie who just debuted. His head must be white [filled with anxiety]. Nervousness would be covering his whole body. Whether those things were eating away at his nerves, the pitcher didn’t seem to realize yet how good his condition was and how good his ball was.

‘No, maybe the catcher is inducing it. There are times when recognizing it is worse. If he was going to tell him, he would have already told him.’

The veteran catcher chose to control the pitcher firmly, not showing any gestures to the pitcher. Usually, he would tell him that his ball was good.

He judged that it was better to maintain this level of subtle tension and keep this level of ball going, rather than letting him get intoxicated with himself and throw excitedly.

‘It’s not a bad choice. It’s a bit tricky from my point of view too. The speed is 96 miles [per hour], but the control is good, so it’s a little difficult to aim for a big one with the fastball. The cutter and slider also look good. Let’s exclude the curve anyway.’

He was a pitcher who was forced to use three pitches out of four pitches, but that alone was pretty good for today. But that could be different if you saw it directly, so Lee Jung-woo, who waited quietly, clicked his tongue at the slider that was quickly cut off.

‘It’s almost at our team Ian’s level? If he does this every game, he’ll just win the Cy Young [Award, given to the best pitcher in each league].’

Looking at the fact that he didn’t remember his name, he probably didn’t succeed that much, but considering the potential he was showing now, he could see why the Angels were pushing him enough to kick out the 5th starter and put him in the rotation instead.

‘Why is he so nervous while throwing such a ball.’

Only a hollow laugh came out at the pitcher’s face, which was still full of strength, but soon he clenched his bat tightly and measured the timing.

‘Still, it’s not like I can’t hit it at all. If I hit it accurately, a long hit is possible.’

Even though the pitcher’s ball was good, he was also in a state of flying because he had recovered all his body, so he wasn’t very afraid, and he just faced him confidently and added pressure to the pitcher.

A moment of hesitation. And the thrown 3rd ball. The right-handed pitcher, whose overhand pitching form that slammed down as violently as possible was impressive, fluttered his long arms and brought the release point forward as much as possible before releasing the ball from his hand. The ball, which received the power of his whole body properly, stretched out strongly.

‘Cutter? Fastball? Fastball, it’s a fastball.’

Without giving in to that, Lee Jung-woo also drew the trajectory of the fastball in his head and pulled the bat out. The level swing that stretched out in a straight line advanced as if it would cut the home plate in half.

The moment the ball and bat, which had moved forward so frighteningly, met each other, a strong hitting sound burst out.

“Waaaaa- ah…”

The spectators stretched out their arms and cheered without realizing it, but it soon turned into a disappointing sigh. Because the ball was so good, the fielders couldn’t even react to the quickly stretched ball. So if the course was right, a big hit would have come out, but unfortunately, the course was too honest.

The right fielder, who barely managed to stretch out his hand and catch the ball, tilted his head with a blank face, as if he was embarrassed even after catching the ball himself, and the spectators were even more disappointed because of that stupid face.

“It just got sucked in, sucked in.”

“Ah, if it was just a little to the side, he wouldn’t have been able to catch that.”

“Look at that blank face. He got caught by luck, it was definitely a hit.”

It would have been better if he had caught it with a cool diving catch, but it was at the level where the ball just stuck into the glove on its own, so there were sighs here and there, but Lee Jung-woo, the person who blew it away, wasn’t very disappointed. He just narrowed his eyes at the pitcher as if he was feeling uncomfortable.

‘It was a ball that was going over, but it was pushed back a little. Because of that… they realized it too.’

The pitcher’s face, which had been so nervous that it was strange that he wasn’t sweating, softened somewhat, and the two eyes that had been shaking a little, on the contrary, shone coldly.

Lee Jung-woo thought as he looked at it. It seemed like the pitcher had realized it thanks to him. The fact that his ball was good. And that wasn’t a good thing.

‘Still, there’s little deception compared to the excessive pitching form. Thanks to that, it’s easy to catch the timing. Let’s aim slowly.’

Still, there were things he gained, so he emptied the plate, regretting but not dwelling on it. For the opportunity in the next moment.