Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 282

Pitcher Over, Batter Up (2)

What kind of reaction would there be if a player attempted a home steal in the World Series?

It depends on their performance.

If it’s a player who usually does well and has earned the trust of the fans, they would be applauded for their courage, or criticized for being consumed by heroism.

If it’s a player who hasn’t been very reliable, there’s not much more to explain. The countdown to being shot by the fans would begin.

But if they succeed, the story changes. The attempt itself is brave, and if the result is good, a hero is born.

No matter what the player was like before, what kind of plays they made, or what kind of stats they had, they become a superstar in that moment.

And if that’s not the end, what if it’s a walk-off? What if the game ends with that run? What if the player who did it had not only earned trust but also inspired faith?

“Uwaaaaaaa!”

“Lee is a god! Lee is a god! We have to hold on tight because he might go back up to heaven soon!”

“Lee did it! Lee did it!”

It just becomes impossible to describe.

Even though the game ended a long time ago, the area around Truist Park was still crowded with people.

Those who still couldn’t escape the afterglow were expressing their emotions for hours, uttering strange exclamations or not even being able to speak.

The media seemed to be using slightly more human language, but it was much the same.

[5 Plate Appearances, 4 At-Bats, 2 Hits, 1 Walk, 1 RBI, 3 Runs, ‘6 Steals’, Jungwoo Lee, Who Mocked the Red Sox with Two Feet!]

[‘The Best Scene in World Series History!’ Jungwoo Lee’s Home Steal Ends the Game!]

[‘Targeting Home Plate with the Heart of a Fielder!’ How Far Will Lee’s Miracle Go?]

[The Run That Perfectly Showed the Braves’ Team Color! Lee ‘The Big Ball’ Jungwoo!]

[The First World Series Home Steal in 80 Years Since Jackie Robinson! The First Walk-Off Ever!]

The media praised, no, extolled Lee Jungwoo, using all sorts of modifiers.

The Major League Baseball homepage didn’t just put a scene of Lee Jungwoo running on the front page, but the entire homepage was covered with just that one image.

The surge in traffic caused several portal sites and internet communities to crash for a few minutes.

-He did a home steal in the World Series. He’s really crazy.

-??? Lee Jungwoo did a home steal? I missed the game. That sucks.

-But didn’t the pitcher catch that? He’s running right next to him.

-No, the pitcher noticed. I saw the짤bang [a short video clip] that was uploaded. He even made eye contact with the pitcher, but Lee Jungwoo just ran.

-I knew he was crazy when I saw him go 50-50, but I didn’t know he was this extraordinarily crazy.

-God Jungwoo, is he a god? God Jungwoo, is he a god? God Jungwoo, is he a god?

-He does a home steal in the World Series with a nonchalant expression.

-Babe Ruth is not the ‘God of Baseball.’ The God of Baseball is Lee Jungwoo, so it’s right to express it as ‘Lee Jungwoo.’

Of course, the atmosphere in Korea was beyond words, and various 드립s [ad-libs or humorous comments] were rampant, accelerating the deification of Lee Jungwoo.

Unlike everyone else’s enthusiasm, the Red Sox’s atmosphere was quite, no, very serious.

-What a disgrace.

-This can’t happen. This absolutely can’t happen.

-It would be frustrating even if we were subjected to this kind of thing in the regular season. Even in the World Series…

The home steal isn’t the only problem. Well, it is a problem, but there are other problems too.

The Boston Red Sox team itself was thoroughly mocked by one player.

Since the pitcher’s pitch was recognized as normal in the final home steal, an additional steal was added, bringing the total to six steals in one game.

Six steals in a single game was the first time in 26 years since Carl Crawford.

Of course, it’s the first and best record in World Series history.

No, in the first place, the record for the most steals in a single World Series is seven. This crazy bastard has climbed all the way up to that level in just one game.

The Red Sox were the ones who suffered that, that kind of thing.

Naturally, the hearts of the supporters who watched it were rotting and festering.

As a result, there was considerable resentment towards the catcher, who was evaluated as having decent steal prevention ability with a regular season prevention rate of 40%.

Anyone could see that the 역적 [traitor] of this game, the culprit of this disaster, was him.

-Are you paying a lot of money to get 도루 [steals] six times in one game?

-You should have caught at least once in the World Series! No, more than anything else, what’s with the steal from 2nd to 3rd to home at the end?

-Even if my grandmother was sitting on home plate, she would have stopped it once.

Of course, the catcher was just frustrated by the fans’ anger.

As the first game ended with a sudden steal feast and home steal at Truist Park.

The World Series, which was already heating up, began to blaze in earnest.

####

Perhaps because of the aftermath of the previous day, Truist Park, which I visited again after one night, was somehow a little more noisy.

The eyes of the spectators were full of sparkling vitality, and the visiting fans were reddening their faces, raising their voices a little more than the previous day.

“Adam Straight? What, I thought Gomez was coming out today.”

“Gomez played in Game 7. They’d rather let him rest for four days and put him out in a home game.”

“You’re not thinking of ignoring him because he’s a rookie, are you? He even made the All-Star team. He’s not just any rookie.”

“What kind of record…”

Preparing for the game in that atmosphere, the players who checked the opposing team’s lineup tilted their heads slightly at the name of the player who was named as the starting pitcher.

Adam Straight.

He’s famous if he’s famous [very well-known].

He was first known as a player who was called up as an expanded roster last year, but this season, as a rookie, he showed tremendous performance enough to be selected as an All-Star, and he was virtually reserving the American League Rookie of the Year award.

Within the Red Sox or the American League, he was a player who showed great performance to the point where there was a saying that he was a pitcher version of Lee Jungwoo with a little exaggeration.

No matter how good he was, it was a little doubtful whether he could withstand the weight of being the starting pitcher for Game 2 of the World Series.

Of course, his record is amazing.

‘Adam Straight, we meet again after all.’

Lee Jungwoo, who heard his colleagues’ whispers, recalled Adam Straight, whom he knew.

A three-time Cy Young winner.

Unlike the Straight name, he is a genius pitcher who freely handles five types of pitches, including a two-seam fastball, splitter, curve, three-finger changeup, and circle changeup, and after a little more time, he equips a slider to handle six types of pitches.

And the emperor of the Boston Dynasty.

He was a complete pitcher, and his career was very perfect.

Because he won both individual awards and team championships.

He was a player who could only be admired from the perspective of the same pitcher because his life was so perfect.

‘But not now.’

As he recalled the past or future 모습 [image/figure], Lee Jungwoo shook off the faint admiration that was growing again like dust and prepared calmly as usual.

He didn’t force himself to concentrate or prepare excessively.

Perhaps because of the frantic run the day before, his legs, which had been light as if he could fly, were still a little heavy, so there was no reason to overdo it in the preparation stage and add more fatigue.

There was no need to prepare that much.

So, following his routine as usual, he warmed up little by little, aiming for a normal condition without being excessive.

The body, which had relieved fatigue with a warm-up, was just right without being too flashy or angular.

‘This is enough.’

Satisfied with that, Lee Jungwoo finished his preparation and stood inside the dugout, scanning the ground.

Whenever he sees the ground that has been maintained and cleaned again, his mindset is renewed.

“Lee! Let’s do well today too!”

“The home steal was 멋졌지만 [amazing], show us a home run today!”

When he looked at the ground, the spectators saw him and raised their cheering voices a little more.

Lee Jungwoo, who lightly waved his hand to those who made eye contact, soon picked up his glove.

The other players, who came out one by one, also prepared themselves.

“Let’s win, today too.”

“We have to win, today too.”

[The second game of the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox is finally…]

####

The defense in the top of the first inning passed quickly. While the 1st and 2nd batters were struck out, the 3rd batter, Huey Morris, hit a double, causing another crisis.

Afterwards, the inning ended as it was, 처리하면서 [handling] the 4th batter with a ground ball.

And the bottom of the 1st inning.

Adam Straight, who came out of the bullpen and headed to the mound during the 공수교대 [change of offense and defense], briefly wet his dry lips.

It was a moment that anyone, no matter how brave, couldn’t help but be nervous.

Especially since there was a bad relationship involved.

‘Lee… I’ve been hit with a home run every time I’ve met him. Even in the exhibition game, even in the All-Star game.’

Jungwoo Lee. It wasn’t a very pleasant relationship. In the minor leagues, he was just one of the many common players who passed by.

And on the other hand, he was also a great motivator.

He was the first player to show him defeat in his life, which had always been a flower path since he first learned baseball.

He was able to work even harder by using that bitter defeat as fertilizer.

‘We finally met in the World Series.’

It’s not common.

Meeting a player from the minor leagues again in the World Series. Only a small number of people become major leaguers, and only a very small number of them step on the World Series stage.

If a creative reporter or YouTuber knew, they would have 뽑아냈으리라 [extracted] a pretty nice story.

If you ask me if I’m interested as the person in that story, I’d shake my head.

‘He’s a great player. He’s a great hitter.’

I had a lot of thoughts about whether this was possible. I pride myself on being a genius, but I doubted whether I could express something like that with the word genius.

But I have to win.

At least today, I had to win in this meeting.

Because it’s the World Series.

He had already warmed up his shoulder enough in the bullpen, but he threw one ball at a time to the catcher to 잡기 영점 [find his range] and practiced pitching.

Soon after the preparation was finished, he lightly turned his fully loosened shoulder at the 주심’s [umpire’s] 인플레이 [in play] declaration and greeted the 올라오는 [approaching] batter.

The Braves’ leadoff and captain. Derek Hunt.

As a defense, he is 당연히 [of course] top-notch, as you can see from the numerous Gold Gloves, and as a hitter, he is a decent A-class hitter, so he raised his concentration as much as possible.

It’s annoying that the batter’s hitting ability itself is good, but the situation that will occur after he gets on base as a runner is even more of a problem.

‘He had a weakness for low balls. Mainly curves.’

The 상성 [compatibility] is good.

He has curves and splitters. So, without thinking more, he 박아넣었다 [drove in] one ball at a time without hesitation.

“Strike!”

“Strike!”

“Ball!”

“Strike!”

On the 4th ball. The batter, who seemed to have 착각한 [mistaken] the splitter thrown after the curve for a fastball, swung and missed, but 비웠지만 [emptied] the 타석 [batter’s box] as if he was disappointed.

Immediately after the 승부 [match] was over, Adam Straight 접어뒀다 [put away] all his attention to him.

Because a new 타자 [batter] was 올라오고 [coming up] who was 불안한 [uneasy] even if he put everything he had.

‘왔다 [He’s here].’

It’s time for 운명 [destiny].

Adam Straight, who swallowed 침을 꿀꺽 [his saliva] while making eye contact with Lee Jungwoo, suddenly recalled the words of the pitching coach and the data from the power analysis team.

‘They said there’s just no way when his hitting 감 [sense/feeling] is good.’

It’s an irresponsible word.

It was a very irresponsible truth to the point where he should 반납해야 [return] the 월급 [salary], but it was a truth that he couldn’t 반박 [refute].

Because I’ve already experienced it once. The 모습 [sight] of easily hitting a home run even though he threw the best ball.

So, he greeted the 타자 [batter], hoping that his 감 [sense/feeling] would be 평범하거나 not good, and threw the 초구 [first ball] according to the catcher’s 리드 [lead].

“Strike!”

A 우렁찬 [booming] strike call.

He threw a 투심 [two-seam fastball] right in the 한복판 [middle], but he didn’t swing, perhaps because he was 간을 본 [testing the waters]. He was just still 지켜볼 [watching] him with an expression that couldn’t read his 감정 [emotion].

And the following 2구 [second ball]. He tried throwing a 서클 체인지업 [circle changeup], but the 타자 [batter] watched it 가만히 [motionlessly] as well.

‘Should I have put it in the strike zone? No, if I had, the 배트 [bat] would have 나왔을 [come out] right away.’

He felt 아까웠지만 [regretful] about one 볼카운트 [ball count] that seemed to have 지나간 무가치하게 [passed meaninglessly], but he 애써 떨쳐낸 [tried to shake off] his 아쉬움 [disappointment].

He threw the 3구 [third ball].

In fact, there aren’t many 선택지 [choices].

Since the curve and splitter are automatically 자제 [restrained], his 자랑거리 [pride] 파이브피치 [five pitches] was 줄어들었으니까 [reduced] to 쓰리피치 [three pitches].

In a situation where the 결정구 [decisive ball] was 사라진 [disappeared].

The 투심 [two-seam fastball], which he 던진 전속력으로 정직하게 [threw honestly at full speed], is 빨려들어간다 [sucked in] towards the 몸 [body] this time. Check swing. And 파울 [foul].

“후우 [Phew]…”

He took a 긴 숨 [deep breath] and roughly 닦았다 [wiped] his 손 [hand], which was 어느새 땀이 흥건해진 [already soaked with sweat], with his 유니폼 [uniform].

He had a little more 정신적인 체력소모 [mental stamina consumption] than he had 던진 겨우 공 세 개 [thrown only three balls].

He also had 짙은 고민 [deep worries] about what to do next.

‘Should I 던질까 [throw]…’

He looked at the 포수 [catcher].

He had 준비해 놓기는 [prepared] a 한 수 [move]. In fact, he’s been 갈고닦은 [honing] it for a long time, but it 어쩌다보니 [somehow] became a 비밀병기 [secret weapon].

When he asked about it, the 포수 [catcher] shook his head. He said there’s no need to 보여줄 [show] it since there are no 주자 [runners], and the 요구 [request] is 투심 [two-seam fastball] again.

He felt a little 거슬렸지만 [annoyed] that he was 던진 [throwing] the same 공 세 개 [three balls] in one 타석 [batter’s box], but he 던졌고 [threw] the 공 [ball], thinking that there must be 무언가 뜻 [some meaning].

‘긁혔다 [It was scratched].’

101 miles. The 공 [ball] that was 제대로 긁힌 [properly scratched] 날아들었다 [flew] to the 타자 [batter].

There was a saying that he 보인다는 [showed] a little 약한 모습 [weakness] to 속구 [fastball] of 100 miles or more, and it 스쳤고 [brushed] his 귀 [ear] with a 살짝 빈약한 타격음 [slightly weak hitting sound], perhaps that was 진짜 [real].

“Out!”

Adam Straight, who 반사신경으로 [reflexively] 캐치 [caught] and 보낸 [sent] it to 1루 [first base] without knowing it, felt like 힘이 쭉 빠지는 [the strength draining] from his 몸 [body].

It was 이상하게 [strangely] a little 힘들었다 [difficult], even though it was 겨우 one 타석 [one at-bat] and he had 겨우 잡은 아웃카운트 두 개 [barely gotten two outs] since the 경기시작 [start of the game].

It was 더욱더 보람차기도 as 힘들었다 [more rewarding as it was difficult], but on the other hand, he 살짝 눈가에 주름을 만들었다 [slightly wrinkled his eyes].

‘느낌이 안 좋은데 [I have a bad feeling]…’

The 발걸음 [steps] of the 돌아가는 타자 [returning batter] was 너무 가벼웠다 [too light]. He was 너무 차분했고 [too calm]. He was 너무 무덤덤했다 [too indifferent].

As if he was saying that he had 벌써 파악했다고 [already figured out] himself. As if he was saying that he 잘 안다고 [knew well].

That 모습 [sight] 날아와 꽂혔다 [flew and pierced] in Adam Straight’s 가슴팍 [chest].

####

The 경기는 이후 이어진 [game that followed] was a 투수전 [pitching duel] that 양측 다 예상치 못했던 [both sides didn’t expect].

Since both 타선 [batting lines] were 뛰어난 팀 [excellent teams], there were many 예측 [predictions] that 점수 [scores] would 금방금방 나오리라는 [come out quickly]. They 서로 주고받은 1점씩 [exchanged 1 point each], and that 상태로 [state] 계속해서 유지됐다 [continued to be maintained].

[쳤습니다 [He hit it]! Jungwoo Lee! Two hits in this game! Passing 1st base and going to 2nd base! Stopping at 2nd base.]

[He’s showing 날쌘 타격감 [nimble hitting sense] again today, but it’s 좀처럼 이어지지가 [not easily connected] to 득점 [scoring].]

However, in the case of Adam Straight, perhaps because the 안 좋은 예감 [bad feeling] that he 느낀 스스로 적중한 [felt himself came true], he 내줬지만 안타 두 개 [gave up two hits] to Lee Jungwoo only in the 이후 두 번째 타석 [subsequent second at-bat] and 세 번째 타석 [third at-bat].

Since it didn’t 연결되지 to 득점 이후 [connect to scoring afterwards], the 균형 [balance] that was 걷는 듯한 살얼음판 아슬아슬한 [like walking on thin ice] 계속해서 유지됐다 [continued to be maintained].

[보통이라면 [Normally] it would be 유리하겠습니다 [advantageous] to the Braves, who have a 불펜 [bullpen] that is 평가를 받는 [evaluated] 조금 더 좋은 [a little better] if the 경기가 이어질 [game continues] like this. But I can’t 단정지을 무어라 [say for sure] because it’s the World Series.]

[It’s a 한방 싸움 [one-shot fight]. Usually, 경기는 이런 [games are like this]. It’s a 대결 [confrontation] of 어느 팀’s 화약 터지느냐 먼저 [which team’s gunpowder explodes first].]

When the 시청자 수 [number of viewers] that had 치솟았던 확 [soared] due to the 여파 [aftermath] of the 전날 [previous day] was 떨어져갈 조금씩 [falling little by little] due to the 지루한 투수전 [boring pitching duel].

Lee Jungwoo, who entered his 네 번째 타석 [fourth at-bat] in the bottom of the 7th inning with two outs and a runner on 1st base, 올랐다 [went up] to the 타석 [batter’s box] with a 얼굴 [face] that was 그다지 변함없는 [not much different] from the 처음 [beginning], or rather, a little more 편안해 보이는 [looking more comfortable].

‘I’ve 잡았어 [caught] the 타이밍 [timing].’

He was 자신 있었다 [confident] because he was almost 익숙해졌고 [used to] to the 타이밍 [timing] of the 패스트볼 [fastball] that was the most 까다로웠던 [tricky], and the 투수’s [pitcher’s] 힘 [strength] was 빠져서 [drained] and the 구속 [speed] was 느려지기도 조금 [slowing down a little].

So, Lee Jungwoo, who 올랐다 [went up] to the 타석 [batter’s box] with a 표정 [expression] that was 자신감 있는 조금 [a little confident], 잠깐 마주쳤다 눈 [briefly met eyes] with the 투수 [pitcher].

They’ve been 노려보고는 서로 [glaring at each other] like this every 타석 [at-bat], but he 느껴졌다 기이한 열망 [felt a strange desire] even now.

‘기분이 묘하네 [I feel strange], in many ways.’

I can 대충 예상이 간다 [roughly guess] what he’s thinking. He’s going to 이기겠다 somehow [win somehow], he’s going to 마무리 짓겠다 [finish] this 이닝 [inning] with my 손 [hand]. He’s going to 만들겠다 [make] the 팀’s 승리 [team’s victory].

Maybe it’s that kind of thing.

The 눈빛 [eyes] now is the 투쟁심 [fighting spirit] for the 최악의 상대 [worst opponent] that he’s 만난 다시 하필이면 [met again especially] when he’s 품었을 그런 결의 [harboring such a resolution].

‘Adam Straight…’

He’s a 위대한 투수 [great pitcher]. No, he 였다 [was], no, he’s going to 될 거다 [become] a 위대한 투수 [great pitcher]? It was a little 애매했다 [ambiguous] because of the 독특한 경험 [unique experience] of 회귀 [regression].

Anyway, even though such a 투수 [pitcher] is 발휘하는데 투쟁심 [exhibiting fighting spirit] while 노려보며 [glaring at] himself, Lee Jungwoo was 그저 덤덤했다 [just indifferent]. Because his 마음 [mind] was 잡힌 다 already 훨씬 더 오래전 [caught already much longer ago].

“Strike!”

After 회귀 [regression], when he first 만났을 [met] in the 마이너 [minor leagues], he 선사해줬고 좌절감을 [presented frustration] to him for the first time after 전향 타자 [converting to a hitter].

“Ball!”

Afterwards, when he 만났을 [met] in the 시범경기 [exhibition game], he 앙갚음을 마이너 [avenged the minor leagues] with a 속 시원한 홈런 반대로 [refreshing home run in return].

“Ball!”

Perhaps that was 트리거 [trigger], he 선보이며 [showcasing] a 더 가파른 성장 [steeper growth] than he remembers before 회귀 [regression].

He 입성했고 올스타전 [entered the All-Star game] in the 루키 시즌 [rookie season], and he 보여줬었다 [showed] a 모습 [sight] that was 흡사한 almost with the 전성기 시절 [peak days] that he remembers when he 만났을 then [met then].

‘As a 투수 [pitcher], Lee Jungwoo was a 선수 [player] that he had to 올려봐야 영원토록 [look up to forever].’

But rather, that’s why Lee Jungwoo could 확신할 스스로 [assure himself] when he 가져갔을 [took] the 홈런 [home run] from him in the 마지막 타석 [last at-bat] of the 올스타전 [All-Star game].

‘I’m 더 잘해 now [better now].’

빠악- [Bang]

Because he already 깨달았기에 it [realized it], he didn’t 들이지 큰 힘 굳이 [put in great effort deliberately]. He didn’t 집착하지도 과하게 [obsess excessively].

He 가볍게 휘두르고 the 배트 [lightly swung the bat]. He 맞췄을 the 공 just [hit the ball just]. That was 충분했으니까 [enough].

“와아아아아아아아 [Waaaaaaa]!”

After 집어던진 the 배트 시원하게 [throwing the bat coolly], he 돌았다 the 베이스 [turned the bases] while 뻗으며 팔 [extending his arms] towards the 물결치는 관중석 [waving stands].

The 과거의 영웅 [past hero] 고개 숙인 [bowed head] 걸렸고 눈에 [caught in the eye], and the 시선 [gaze] of the 레드삭스 팬들 [Red Sox fans] 노려보는 him was 따가웠지만 조금 [stinging a little]. That was 아무렇지 또한 [nothing also].

Because 개자식이 되는 [becoming a bastard] to the 상대팀 [opposing team] is 이제는 제법 익숙했으니까 [now quite used to it].

[중앙 담장을- 중암 담장을~ 넘어가 the 중앙 담장을 [Center fence – Center fence – Over the center fence]! Two-run home run by Lee Jungwoo!]

It was a 한방 [one shot] that 만들어내는 [creating] the Braves’ 2점차 리드 [2-point lead] from a 동점 [tie].

It was also a 한방 [one shot] that was 충분한 [enough] to 가져오기 the 경기의 승리 [bring the game’s victory].