Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 283

[Strike one! The inning ends! The Braves still hold their lead!]

The Braves didn’t give up the lead that Lee Jung-woo’s two-run homer had secured.

The Braves thoroughly wrapped things up, maintaining their positive momentum, which naturally delighted the fans.

The players who secured the victory were able to head to the away games with a more relaxed mindset.

They at least had the thought in their minds that even if they lost all the away games, they could just come back home and win them all again.

“Bring back the trophy!”

“You don’t have to win the championship at home! Just win cleanly!”

“I’ll be waiting for you in Boston! Just keep doing what you’re doing there!”

With what felt like 50% of the championship secured, the team boarded the plane to Boston, leaving behind the cheers of the excited fans.

Entering the postseason, the trauma from last year resurfaced, making the private jet quieter than usual, but there was a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than before.

‘They’re still not playing cards, so they’re not completely letting loose.’

Of course, it was only a slight relaxation, not a complete loosening up, so it was definitely much quieter than during the regular season.

In that atmosphere, time passed quickly, and even though the distance was considerable, it wasn’t as far as LA or San Francisco, so it felt like no time had passed before the private jet landed during his usual meditation.

“The current temperature is 12.7 degrees Celsius, so it’s about 5 degrees lower than Atlanta. Everyone, dress warmly.”

“Is there any mention of rain? It looks a bit cloudy.”

“They said it might rain late at night. But it probably won’t pour.”

Boston, upon arrival, was definitely colder than Atlanta. They didn’t feel it properly because they immediately boarded the team bus, but even in that short time, the difference was noticeable.

Although it was in the same Eastern Conference, Boston was located much further north, about 900 miles away, so the change was perhaps inevitable.

In addition to the slightly changed climate, the city of Boston welcomed them with a distinct atmosphere.

[Red Sox Time!]

[Go! Sox! Go!]

Slogans like these were found all over the city. People wearing Red Sox uniforms roamed the streets.

The faces of Red Sox players often appeared on billboards.

‘Atlanta is great, but this place is just as intense. No, it’s even more so.’

Red Sox supporters are, of course, one of the most passionate fanbases in Major League Baseball.

There’s even a saying that you can find people wearing Cubs and Red Sox uniforms at any Major League Baseball game, at any stadium.

He already knew about the fanatical atmosphere, but experiencing it directly was beyond imagination.

‘Well, they won the World Series last year and made it to the finals for two consecutive years, so this must be the peak of their popularity.’

Any sports team gains fans if they do well. If they don’t, they lose fans. This is an immutable truth no matter what sport you apply it to, so this reaction was natural.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of people showing a subtle sense of devotion, just like the Atlanta fans treated him.

It was also impressive to see Red Sox fans flocking to Truist Park [Braves’ home stadium]. It seemed like the home of such fans was different in many ways.

Lee Jung-woo, shaking his head at the impressive cityscape, suddenly turned to look at Alan O’Donnell, who was sitting in the back seat of the team bus.

He was scheduled to be the starting pitcher for Game 3, and coincidentally, he was from the Yankees. It seemed like pleasantries wouldn’t be exchanged.

The Red Sox’s hatred, no, their loathing of the Yankees, was a long-standing rivalry that was over a hundred years old.

For that Yankee pitcher to be on the mound in the World Series, especially in Boston…

“Don’t all look at me like that. I’m already used to getting cursed at by Red Sox fans.”

Perhaps the other players felt the same way, as they all turned their eyes away, pretending not to notice O’Donnell’s nonchalant remark.

Similarly, Lee Jung-woo, seeing that he was fine, put his worries aside and just focused on the game.

‘Winning the championship in a place like this would be quite a sight.’

####

Fenway Park, the home of the Red Sox, is the oldest ballpark of all the current home stadiums.

It was even built two years earlier than Wrigley Field [home of the Chicago Cubs]. If you include the construction period, they both started in the same year, 1911, but Wrigley Field started construction earlier.

In any case, being that old, Fenway Park also had the unique characteristics of classic ballparks.

“Wow… they made it so difficult to defend.”

The first of the team to exclaim after seeing the field was center fielder Gary Winters.

He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh the moment he saw the deepest part of the center field position where he would be located, a sudden deep indentation in the right-center field.

Right fielder Joey also chuckled at the rapidly widening right outfield, as if someone had forcibly pulled it.

The asymmetrical ground unique to classic ballparks gave the visiting team as much intimidation as the fierce home fans.

‘No wonder it’s pitcher-friendly in terms of home run park factor [a statistic that measures how much a ballpark affects home run hitting].’

That bizarrely shaped ground doesn’t just cause inconvenience in defense.

The tall left outfield fence, the ‘Green Monster,’ standing alone among the low fences, is a home run suppressor in itself.

Ironically, despite having such a Green Monster, and conversely, the right fence being low, Fenway Park was ranked 25th in the left-handed hitter park factor, at the bottom. It was even lower than for right-handed hitters.

Needless to say, the strangely shaped, deep, and wide right outfield was the problem. Unless you hit the foul pole, it was quite difficult to easily hit a home run.

‘But even with all this, it’s still called a hitter-friendly ballpark in terms of park factor.’

However, separately from that, there are many cases where a ball hitting the high Green Monster bounces off strangely and becomes a double, and also, because the other fences are low, a bounced ball often goes over the fence, resulting in a ground-rule double.

Those points, combined with the inconvenience during defense, produce numerous doubles, separate from the low home runs, making Fenway Park, which belongs to the hitter-friendly ballpark category, unique in many ways, just like the fans.

“The real start is now.”

“Let’s go for a L-L-W-W-W-W! [Lose-Lose-Win-Win-Win-Win, referring to the desired outcome of the series]”

“Welcome to Fenway Park! You bastards!”

The spectators who came to the stadium were full of confidence, regardless of the 0-2 record.

Because it was their sacred ground, and because their ace, whom they trusted and relied on so much, was pitching, they were confident that they could win at least today.

“Those guys look fierce.”

“They’ve lost two games. They’re bound to have that expression.”

Perhaps the fans’ support and expectations were giving them strength, as the Red Sox players also glared at the Braves with fiery eyes.

The sight of the opposing team, whose winning mentality hadn’t been broken despite the two consecutive losses, made the Braves, who were winning, feel a bit uneasy.

It was only slightly unsettling, not very threatening. Not only was the series score 2-0.

“Lee, how are you feeling today?”

“Great, amazing.”

“That’s good then.”

“I don’t know why they’re so worked up. They’re going to lose anyway.”

A strong belief in the name of Lee Jung-woo, who was in good condition, was already a solid backing for them.

Just like the Red Sox fans had faith in their team, Lee Jung-woo on a good day was a firm belief for the Braves that had never been broken.

Despite the seemingly difficult away game, no player lost their sense of victory or became discouraged.

‘Alright, let’s plant our flag properly in someone else’s home.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had come to trust himself, felt the same way.

####

[World Series Game 3! Will the Red Sox, pushed back to their home after suffering two consecutive losses on the road, start their counterattack, or will the Braves solidify their lead? Let’s watch and see.]

After all the preparations were completed, the game started. Because it was the Red Sox’s home, the Braves took the first attack, and boos rang out from all over as Lee Jung-woo and Derek, as the 1st and 2nd batters, went to the on-deck circle in advance.

“Boo-oo-oo-oo!”

“Get lost!”

“If you even hit the ball, you’re dead!”

“You’re going to strike out anyway, so don’t act cool and just get lost!”

Most of them were just boos, and some ill-mannered people engaged in severe insults or ridicule.

They were trying to intimidate them or seize the momentum, but it wasn’t very effective.

“They must be anxious. Even though their ace, whom they’ve been waiting for so long, has come out, they’re afraid they’ll lose again.”

“Well, it’s still cute compared to the Phillie fans [referring to the notoriously harsh fans of the Philadelphia Phillies].”

That level of booing was not enough to penetrate their iron resolve, already accustomed to the extreme trash talk from the Philadelphia fans.

Therefore, the two, having lightly brushed it off and finished their preparations, high-fived each other before Derek stepped up to the plate first.

‘Christian Gomez… he’s no joke. Gomez at his peak.’

The best pitcher at the moment.

The protagonist of last year’s AL Cy Young Award [award given to the best pitcher in the American League]. The imposing figure filling the mound exuded an overwhelming presence.

No, it probably wasn’t just because of his physique. Other pitchers with similar physical builds didn’t give off this kind of aura.

It was just the unique aura of a pitcher who had reached the pinnacle, Christian Gomez.

‘He’s a much more dangerous pitcher at this point than Adam Strait, who has a questionable future.’

As if to prove that, the two-seamer that he hammered into the strike zone as soon as the game started was quite powerful.

‘100 miles per hour. In the postseason, and even in the World Series, 100 miles per hour… and that’s a pitcher who rested for only 4 days.’

“Ooh- wow~”

“Chris! You’re so awesome today!”

Unlike his likable face, his ball was very destructive. Just looking at the speed alone was unbelievable.

His fastball’s highest speed was 102 miles per hour, so being able to put out almost full power in the World Series, the last series of the season, was enough to amaze people with just his stamina.

The already excited Fenway Park, which had been further hyped by the 100-mile speed shown by their expected ace from the start of the game and the subsequent pitching, began to erupt.

‘Crazy.’

That’s all that came to mind.

He’s already won a championship once, so does he want to do it again so badly?

The inning ended in an instant with such destructive pitching that made him think that.

Strikeout on the 4th pitch. Derek, who eventually swung and missed at the falling splitter, came down from the plate with a face full of regret.

“The fastball is good. The splitter is also just crazy as usual, but you don’t care anyway. I don’t know about the rest because I couldn’t see them.”

“Is he throwing well?”

“Not completely perfect, but the ball looks good. Well, you can tell just by looking at the speed.”

Lee Jung-woo, who lightly patted Derek’s shoulder, whose eyebrows were slightly furrowed as if he was disappointed by the early strikeout, soon entered the batter’s box. Then, Christian Gomez’s expression, who made eye contact with him, became a little strange.

‘Come to think of it, this guy also got hit by a home run once. It wasn’t in the regular season, though.’

Perhaps the memory of the home run he was hit with last time had resurfaced.

A home run is like a tax for pitchers, and first-class pitchers don’t dwell on each home run, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.

‘Two-seam fastball, slider, splitter, and circle changeup. The most difficult of these is the slider.’

The slider that cuts away from the body is always one of the clearest answers for pitchers to get the same-handed hitters out.

Not to mention if the speed is close to 90 miles per hour.

Of course, in addition to that, the circle changeup, which is the pitch that has contributed the most to left-handed pitcher Christian Gomez’s success against right-handed hitters, and the splitter, which has even been evaluated as top-tier, are also great.

But at this moment, the most difficult thing for Lee Jung-woo was still the slider. He was also a left-handed hitter. Even though he had improved considerably this season, it was also one of his weaker pitches.

‘It’s a bit tricky after all. It was easier during the All-Star Game because I predicted he would throw a splitter.’

Is this how pitchers feel when they look at me? Lee Jung-woo felt like a wall had been erected in front of him, and he was just suffocating.

Even his hands trembled slightly in front of the impenetrable iron wall, but he soon stopped the vibration by gripping the bat tightly.

‘But it’s not like it’s impossible. I’m in good condition today, and there’s also the advantage given by Fenway Park.’

Lee Jung-woo, who briefly scanned the fence one last time, entered the batter’s box at the umpire’s prompting. The catcher tried to get under his skin with a confident tone.

“Do you remember how your team’s old geezer got shut down in front of you? You’ll be like that soon, so get ready in advance.”

‘I think there’s about a two-year age difference with Derek.’ Lee Jung-woo didn’t even bother to respond to the catcher’s attempt to belittle him as an old-timer. Now that it was his home, he was arrogant and subtly trying to rattle him, unlike the second game when he kept his mouth shut, and looked at the pitcher.

Unlike the catcher, whose mouth was chatty, the pitcher’s face was very serious. He seemed to be thinking a little. In Gomez’s case, he had a reputation for proactively planning his pitch selection, so it seemed like that was the case.

“Strike!”

The ball that flew after a long thought.

It’s a fastball. It passed in the blink of an eye. Since this level of speed doesn’t come out in the 90-mile range, it probably exceeded 100 miles.

‘101 miles per hour. What kind of physical gifts do you have to have to throw 100 miles per hour in the World Series? And that’s a player who played a full season.’

As expected, it exceeded 100 miles. He even chuckled for a moment at the fact that it was a whopping 101.2 miles per hour, more than 1 mile faster than the first pitch he threw to Derek earlier.

Conversely, the home fans seemed proud of their ace, who was overpowering the opposing batter with a fastball, and their voices became louder than before. The catcher also chattered more.

“I heard you can’t even touch anything over 100 miles per hour? The rumor has spread on our side too. That there’s something wrong with your fastball hitting. Then what are you going to do? It looks like you won’t be getting on base today.”

In fact, not being able to hit a 100-mile fastball is something that all hitters struggle with.

In the first place, it’s natural because pitchers have increased the speed of their balls to the limit so that hitters can’t hit them.

But since it was just to mess with his mentality, the catcher deliberately ignored that fact and kept trying to provoke him. Lee Jung-woo, who ignored his words, tried to predict the next ball.

‘First, a fastball. And a strike on top of that. Does another one come in? If he throws more strikes here… If he throws a slider, it would be the cleanest sequence for the pitcher. It’s also a surefire way to get me out. Then another fastball? No, a changeup. He mixes it up one more time.’

After finishing his thoughts, Lee Jung-woo adjusted his bat and let out a short breath. He had unknowingly held his breath due to the tension, so he was quite breathless.

Lee Jung-woo, who quickly caught his breath, pressed the bat firmly against the ground and then took his stance again. The pitcher, who had received the ball, also seemed to have finished thinking and took his pitching form.

[Now, the 2nd ball-]

Low three-quarters delivery. He twists his body as if grabbing the air with a pitching form close to an inverted-W. [referring to the shape of the arm during the pitch]

The ball, which stretched out from the tip of his left arm that was swung like a whip, cut through the air and entered the glove. Lee Jung-woo, who took a swing, narrowed his brows.

“Strike!”

‘Fastball. It’s playing right above my head.’

It’s not a thoughtlessly thrown ball. The control was aimed low like a normal changeup. So he must have tricked me once.

He seemed to have anticipated that he was waiting for a changeup. He didn’t feel good because his thoughts had been read.

“Hehehe, are you even going to cool off your sweat like that? Swing a little harder. That way, Gomez will be a little cooler.”

The catcher ridiculed his unsightly swing as if he had been waiting for it, and the home fans in the stands also mocked him, making the surroundings much noisier.

Just as the catcher, who had gained even more confidence from that, was about to open his mouth once more, Lee Jung-woo opened his mouth for the first time since stepping onto the plate.

“The pitcher is doing all the work calling the pitches. You can’t even stop a stolen base. You’re using the catcher’s mitt as a shield, so you can’t hit well either. What are you even doing on the team? What qualifications do you have to be in the World Series?”

“This bastard, what are you saying-”

Did he hit a nerve? It’s not wrong. The only thing lacking in the Red Sox’s near-perfect squad was the catcher.

It’s natural to feel bad even if it’s true, so the angry catcher glared and spewed out curses. But Lee Jung-woo, who had finished speaking, turned back to ignoring him, so he just kept getting frustrated.

‘I had a meaningless trash talk. His mentality must have been hit harder than I thought.’

He was satisfied to see the catcher panting, but in fact, it was something that didn’t need to be done, so Lee Jung-woo tried to calm his mind and regain his focus.

Meanwhile, the pitcher’s face, who seemed to have read something from the angry catcher’s appearance, also became a little subtle.

Even if he’s a teammate, he seemed a little annoyed that he was being ignored by a young guy.

‘It would be best if he threw a splitter… I don’t know. He has a strong confidence in his pitches, so he might throw it if he’s feeling good. No, I shouldn’t expect anything from the opponent. I’m assuming the worst.’

The worst thing in this situation is a slider that is thrown perfectly. It’s difficult to hit, and even if you do hit it, it’s hard to make solid contact, even if you somehow manage to hit it.

‘Let’s narrow it down a bit more.’

Lee Jung-woo moved closer to the home plate, reducing the area the pitcher had to work with.

Pitchers hate it when hitters crowd the plate, so the pitcher might throw a beanball [a pitch intentionally aimed at the batter], but that would be preferable.

As he adjusted his position, the catcher seemed even more annoyed and shouted at him to get lost. But he didn’t hear it anyway.

‘Alright, try throwing anything.’

He deliberately steeled his mind and glared at the pitcher, and the pitcher, who had also made a decision, threw the ball.

‘Inside.’

The ball was close enough to where he had adjusted his position. It looked like a beanball at first glance, but Lee Jung-woo quickly made a judgment.

‘It’s a slider.’

It was the ball he had the most thoughts about. It was the thing he was most worried about. That’s why he took his swing even more confidently.

A swing that cuts through the space in a straight line. Lee Jung-woo, who followed the ball with his unique hitting form of straightening his bat and body, soon bit his lip.

‘Crap.’

Because it was a fastball.

He corrected the trajectory of the bat he had swung, anticipating a slider, and forcibly added force to hit the ball.

It would have been difficult at ordinary times, but perhaps because he was in good condition, he somehow managed to hit the ball. Even though his prediction was wrong, it soared high and flew straight.

[The ball is high, it won’t go over… it doesn’t! Out! It was a powerful hit by Lee, but it was eventually caught by the right fielder.]

The high-flying ball eventually failed to clear the deep outfield of Fenway Park.

Cheers erupted once again at the right fielder, who caught the ball and raised his glove high. Lee Jung-woo, who had been running hard, retreated with a dejected expression.

‘Tsk. I definitely hit it wrong. The distance is short. The angle was also high.’

Three fastballs. Out without even seeing the slider he was worried about. He didn’t like it in many ways. But soon he returned to a nonchalant face.

‘It’s a shame… but I have a rough idea.’

The process and result leading to the out were a bit disappointing to him, but the potential was definitely visible. He also had a picture in his mind of what to do during the remaining at-bats.

‘Fenway Park, it might suit me better than I thought.’