Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 285

Pitcher Finished, Batter Starts – 284

[Jungwoo Lee completely crushes the Red Sox…]

[In effect, it’s a coronation for the new emperor…]

[Almost certain to win the MVP triple crown: regular season, championship series, and even the World Series……]

Did I fall asleep with the TV on? I can’t quite remember. All the memories after catching the last ball yesterday are a bit hazy. Even though it was just yesterday, it feels like a long time ago.

Waking up in bed, Lee Jungwoo blankly watched the TV, which was filled with praise. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he turned it off with his still-sleepy eyes.

‘I thought I heard it was going to rain… guess not.’

The view outside the window, where he had thoroughly drawn the blackout curtains for a sound sleep, was quite sunny.

The weather forecast must have been wrong. There wasn’t even a cloud in the clear sky, let alone rain.

Since Boston tends to get a lot of rain, I was a little worried about playing a cold, wet game in the World Series. Luckily, we were in luck.

‘What time is it… did I sleep this long? No wonder the sun is so high.’

I must have slept quite a while. It’s not like I went to bed late, and I crashed as soon as I got back to the room. I slept much longer than expected.

But it’s not a bad thing. Since the game is at night anyway, it’s better to sleep longer than to wake up earlier than expected.

After getting ready and taking a quick shower, Lee Jungwoo nodded, feeling refreshed.

‘Not bad. Not as good as yesterday, but still pretty good today.’

It’s the day of destiny.

If we win today, we’ll immediately grab the World Series trophy and get our championship rings.

Glory that cannot be compared to such material things will follow.

‘A championship, and the World Series at that.’

It was a little bewildering. Can it be this easy? That’s what I thought.

I know it’s an excessive thought, so I tried to dismiss it, but I couldn’t help but feel a subtle emotion.

‘I couldn’t do it as a pitcher for decades. I’m doing it as a batter in just three years.’

I might be counting my chickens before they hatch. The series isn’t over yet. And we’re even at their home.

But for some reason, I didn’t think we would lose.

It might be the result of arrogant hubris, but Lee Jungwoo just believed it. That this feeling was real.

“Yo! You up?”

“Is Derek just getting up too?”

“He woke up once, but said it was too early and went back to sleep. The Captain is getting old. You get more sleep when you get old.”

“Aren’t you a year older than me, Peterson?”

“I have a young mindset. I don’t have any kids yet. You age faster when you have kids.”

When I came down to the restaurant after getting ready, my teammates, who seemed to have woken up around the same time, were already eating.

It wasn’t a hotel breakfast. As it was the World Series, it was made directly by the team’s chefs according to the team’s diet for thorough player management.

Lee Jungwoo also took a plate and joined them. Even though it was a very important game, everyone’s reaction was more subdued than expected.

“So, Daisy called yesterday…”

“I don’t know where she heard it, but my wife gave me her panties, saying it would bring good luck. And they were bright red.”

“Oh… does she not know who we’re playing against?”

“Well, we’re red too.”

They just chatted as usual and emptied their plates. Like Lee Jungwoo, they didn’t seem particularly nervous.

Is it because they’re veterans? No, that can’t be it. It would be the team’s first championship in 50 years, so they had no experience either.

Despite their seemingly relaxed appearance, Lee Jungwoo nodded. It was better than being overly nervous before a championship.

“Ah, that was good. It’s strangely delicious. If you just look at the ingredients, there’s no way it could be delicious.”

“That’s why he’s a chef.”

After finishing their meal, the players got up one by one. Lee Jungwoo, who had also cleaned his plate, got up as well. Then Derek suddenly asked him.

“Lee, are you ready then?”

“Ah, yes, I’m done eating. Let’s go right away.”

“Not that.”

“Then… ah, yes, I have almost no fatigue, so my body feels light, and my hitting feel is good, so today too-”

“Not that either.”

Lee Jungwoo tilted his head at the sudden question, and Derek smiled and said.

“I mean, are you ready to be the World Series champion? You must be ready, right?”

“Ah…”

It wasn’t a big deal.

Strangely, my somewhat drowsy mind cleared up in an instant.

Maybe it’s the power of those words. The power to awaken even a dazed mind in an instant.

“Yes, I was ready a long time ago.”

Lee Jungwoo nodded and smiled similarly to Derek.

####

[Jungwoo Lee ‘completely crushes’ the Red Sox! 4 at-bats, 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs!]

It’s all about this.

[Braves show a ‘near-perfect’ game at Fenway Park, only one win left until the championship!]

Everyone praised the Braves.

[A coronation for a new era at Fenway Park, Lee is heading to the pinnacle of the Major at the age of 22!]

They praised him.

There’s no other way to put it.

A mere twenty-two-year-old is dominating the regular season and breaking several records in the postseason.

In the end, in the World Series, he hit three home runs, and in the first game, he showed a rare feat of a walk-off home steal and 5 stolen bases.

The media no longer hesitated to use the expression coronation.

Even just looking at what has been achieved now, it was already the beginning of a new era.

“Bullshit…”

“There’s still… still a game left!”

Of course, Boston, which was on the verge of losing the championship to the young emperor, was not so bright.

In fact, it is difficult to see or hear the above words in Boston.

The local media here is, of course, friendly to the Red Sox.

They openly talked about things like reverse sweeps.

But those things they glimpsed on the internet annoyed them. It kept coming to mind even when they came to the stadium.

Maybe that kind of thing would really happen.

“You lousy bastards. What do they know… they think they’re Nostradamus.”

“We don’t know yet. No one knows until you open the lid [until the game is actually played].”

So, even though the guys who wrote it wouldn’t be able to hear it anyway, they shouted and vented their anger. But in fact, they were still a little shocked.

The day before, in the third game, their ace, who they had so much faith in, Christian Gomez, who they believed would secure a win if he just came out, was defeated by that young bastard.

He was hit with two home runs by that guy and had to bear the burden of being the losing pitcher.

As Red Sox fans, that was quite serious. It was also scary.

“Today… we have to win today. If it ends like this, we’ll be ridiculed even after making it to the World Series!”

When they made it to the World Series after a tough fight, they were quite confident.

Even though the opponent was the strongest team at the moment, or even in history, they were also strong. And they already had experience.

Even when they lost the first game and the second game, they were confident that they could start again at home. But that thought was shattered last night.

Because of that bastard who easily cleared the fence.

So now they were just scared. Now they thought they wouldn’t even be able to win one game, let alone the championship.

“Booooo!”

“Brave Scum!”

To shake off that anxiety, they shouted even louder at the bastards who had finally entered.

I’m definitely not scared. I don’t doubt victory either. It was as if they were saying that.

They hurled even stronger insults at the particularly bad bastard among the bastards. But strangely, it didn’t relieve their minds.

And the moment their eyes met.

“…”

“…”

They couldn’t even open their mouths anymore.

As if they were all thinking the same thing, silence fell for a moment. The look in that guy’s eyes as he scanned them was as if he was writing a list of people to kill.

Maybe he was saying that the Red Sox would pay as much as the number of people who insulted him.

No, in fact, he didn’t say anything.

They were just scared on their own.

Somehow, his eyes, which seemed the most confident since the World Series began, easily overwhelmed the most fanatical people in the major league.

“What the hell is that look…”

“Has he already won the championship or what? Why is he looking at us like that?”

“Do we look like a joke? Does he think the Red Sox are a joke!”

Even with those shouts, the guy’s appearance as he leisurely looked around the ground was very embarrassing.

Originally, they should have raised their voices even louder, so they could scare him even a little bit. But their mouths wouldn’t open.

“What are you doing now?”

“Doesn’t that bastard have any fear? Shouldn’t he at least have a headache?”

They already knew that his routine was to look around the stadium before the game, but it was the first time in this series, so it was just absurd.

So, it felt like that action wasn’t a unique routine, but rather he was looking around the ground where he would win the championship and putting it in his eyes.

No, maybe that’s really it? It wasn’t certain.

They were curious about what he was thinking, but his face, which was as stiff and expressionless as when they first saw him, didn’t reveal any emotions.

Like a beast passing through a flock of sheep, he looked at them and leisurely returned to the dugout.

The bodies of the spectators who had frozen while watching him were still not thawed. They were still coldly cooled.

In that way, one player overwhelmed tens of thousands of people who were hostile to him alone.

World Series Game 4.

The game that might be the last game of the year slowly began.

####

The die is cast [the decision has been made; there’s no turning back].

The umpire declared the start of the game. And the Red Sox players had already taken their positions on the ground.

And the batter that the home fans hated so much was out of the dugout.

[Yes, World Series Game 4. The magnificent game held at Fenway Park is finally starting.]

[It’s a very 불안한 (unstable/anxious) situation for the Red Sox. But we can’t jump to conclusions. You never know. The many records left in baseball history were written in these difficulties.]

The good thing is that Lee Jungwoo hasn’t stepped up to the plate yet. He started as the second batter as usual.

It doesn’t matter since it’s the next at-bat. Anyway, the spectators took the fact that they didn’t have to face the unsightly face from the beginning as their only consolation.

Of course, there were some among them who shouted boldly, saying that today was the day to put him in his place.

The Red Sox’s starting pitcher was Cliff Kramer, who had pitched in the first game.

Although they lost the game and the Red Sox had their souls 털리다 (completely shaken/emptied) by Lee Jungwoo’s two legs, his pitching itself wasn’t that bad.

So the Red Sox put their faith in him once again. Even though his shoulders looked heavy with a great sense of responsibility, the pitcher willingly shouldered the burden with a determined face.

“Strike!”

‘He’s controlling the ball to the outside.’

Lee Jungwoo nodded at the pitching that showed a very cautious appearance to Derek.

The control that was 잡히다 (caught/established) to the outside overall was quite precise, so it didn’t seem like a 실투 (mistake pitch).

Unlike Christian Gomez, he’s not the type to bring his own ball 배합 (mix/combination), so it’s probably the bench’s idea.

‘I guess he has no choice but to be careful. If he 찌르다 (stabs/throws) to the body like usual and gets hit, he’ll really have to say goodbye to the World Series.’

Having given up 3 wins first.

The Red Sox have no choice but to enter the game inevitably. Even if they try to be bold, they hesitate for a moment.

If they overcome that pressure, miracles sometimes happen. But it wasn’t easy.

The outcome of the game was 풀리다 (unraveled/progressed) to a full count due to the pitcher’s cautious pitching.

‘Derek seems to have caught the timing of the fastball. Then the pitcher…’

A count where both the batter and the pitcher have their own 노림수 (aim/intention).

They faced the game hoping that their judgment was correct. And the winner of the confrontation.

[Pitcher winds up. He hit it! Derek Hunt! A clean right-field hit!]

It was Derek.

The pitcher threw a fastball, and although the course wasn’t that good, he hit the ball with a swift swing. He stepped on first base with a big smile on his face.

A game that started with a 삐그덕 거리는 (creaking/shaky) start.

Some people felt 싸했던 (a chill/unease), and 쓸어내리기도 (also stroked down) their bodies [as if to ward off bad luck].

‘It’s a little cold. Well, it’s almost November.’

Or maybe it’s just that the night air in Boston, which is nearing the end of October, is cold.

Lee Jungwoo vividly felt the tens of thousands of eyes that moved with his steps.

Hate. Hatred. Anger. They were the kind of eyes that seemed to have 담은 (contained) bad emotions. But the most common thing was still.

‘Fear.’

Fear. The experiences of the previous games left them with trauma. Like people suffering from PTSD, they all looked at him with 불안하고 초조한 (anxious and nervous) eyes.

“There’s nothing you can do today.”

“Try hard.”

The catcher greeted him, making noises like a growling beast.

Seeing him do this again after being 털려놓고 (completely defeated) so much throughout the series, I even felt respect.

‘One mouth will take up 30% of his salary [he talks a lot of trash].’

When I shrugged at the glaring eyes, the catcher seemed to think I was ignoring him and became even more fierce. But Lee Jungwoo, who quickly took his batting stance, also concentrated on the game with a 떨떠름한 (sullen/unpleasant) face.

“Ball”

“Ball”

“Strike!”

The game progressed faster than expected. The pitcher threw the ball in succession without resting. Lee Jungwoo quietly watched the ball that was 제구된 (controlled/pitched) to the outside, as he had seen in the previous waiting at-bat.

In the blink of an eye, a count of one strike and two balls was created. The eyes of the spectators 빙빙 돌아갔다 (spun around) at the much faster game than the last at-bat.

“Strike!”

“Foul!”

“Foul!”

One more strike 잡은 (caught).

The count became a little more favorable to the pitcher. But the spectators were not given time to be satisfied with that.

Because Lee Jungwoo made two consecutive fouls.

The foul balls were so strong that a person sitting in the audience overturned his snacks and hurriedly ducked.

[Oh, that’s too bad! It was a pretty delicious-looking nacho. We should ask Lee for compensation later.]

The caster said that at the funny scene. But other than that, no one was laughing in this stadium.

No one cared about the nacho sauce 묻은 (묻은) on the man’s uniform.

Because a tension that was so intense that they couldn’t take their eyes off it was 감돌았 (lingered/swirled) on the ground.

‘Changeup. I think one will come out.’

After the 관중석 (spectator seats) became 부산스러워졌 (bustling/noisy) due to a commotion, Lee Jungwoo, who came out of the batter’s box and 정리한 (organized/cleared) his thoughts while doing several practice swings, went back to the plate.

Soon, when someone couldn’t stand the tension and 삼켰을 침을 (swallowed their saliva), the last ball that would 결정지을 (decide/determine) this game flew.

‘Changeup.’

As expected, it was a changeup. Lee Jungwoo smiled and took a swing. But soon he frowned.

‘Low.’

The pitch was right, but it was lower than expected. If it continued like this, it seemed like it would be a swing and a miss or a 병살타 (double play) that would slightly 스쳐서 (brush/graze), so Lee Jungwoo, who 억지로 배트를 눕힌 (forced to lay down the bat), 맞췄 공을 (hit the ball).

A hitting sound was heard. But Derek, who was on first base, also hesitated for a moment at the 높이 두둥실 떠오른 타구 (high, floating hit ball).

‘Ah, why there… no, but still, it’ll be a 진루타 (hit that advances a runner). Let’s be satisfied with that much.’

The ball flying to the central area. Even though the accuracy was low, it seemed like it had 제대로 실린 (properly loaded) power. Even though it was 높이 뜬 (high floating), the 비거리 (flight distance) was considerable.

If the course was good, it could have been a lucky home run. But maybe he didn’t 끌어당기지 충분히 (pull it enough), the ball flew to the 워닝트랙 (warning track) slightly to the right of the center of the stadium.

It was also a place that was very 움푹 들어간 (indented/hollowed), a place that some people sometimes called the 마의 삼각지대 (devil’s triangle).

If it was to the right, if it was a course similar to the home runs he 날렸던 (flew/hit) yesterday, it would have been enough to 넘어가 (go over) the 담장 (fence). So Lee Jungwoo was a little disappointed when he 확인한 (confirmed).

But Lee Jungwoo, who was 터덜터덜 걸은 (walking heavily), satisfied that he had avoided the worst, soon had his eyes widen little by little.

[Okay, a high 타구 (hit ball). Center fielder Javier Marquez is chasing after it. It seems like it’s an 외야 플라이 (outfield fly)… huh? Uh oh? Could it be- could this be-]

A cool 바람이 불어왔다 (wind blew) from behind him. Just a moment ago, it was just cold and 서늘한 (chilly) because the temperature was low. But now it felt 시원하게 (cool/refreshing).

He was a 고마운 놈이었으니까 (thankful guy).

“Uh, uh uh uh?”

“That- why isn’t that 떨어져 (falling)?”

The 두둥실 떠오른 타구 (floating hit ball) 실었고 (loaded) its body on the autumn 바람에 (wind) like a 연 (kite).

Thanks to that, it 휘청휘청하면서도 (staggering/swaying) and continued to fly.

The center fielder was a little 당황하면서도 (flustered/embarrassed) after 지나친 (passed) the 예상했던 낙구지점 (expected landing point), and in the end, he 빨갛게 달아올리며 (reddening) his face at the 펜스 (fence) that appeared in front of him and 힘껏 점프 (jumped with all his might). But the ball 밀린 (pushed) by the 바람 스쳐 지나갔다 (brushed past) his glove.

[This- this is 넘어가 (going over)! Jungwoo Lee! A 타구 (hit ball) that everyone thought was 무조건 (unconditionally) an 외야 플라이 (outfield fly)! It 넘어가 (goes over) the 펜스 (fence)- the 펜스 (fence)! Two-run home run!]

The center fielder, the spectators, the other players, and even the commentators were all 멍해졌 (stunned/dazed). And that was the same for Lee Jungwoo, who had 날려 보냈던 (sent flying) the 타구 (hit ball).

‘That’s 넘어가 (going over).’

World Series Game 4.

Top of the 1st inning. A 뜬금없는 (unexpected/out of the blue) home run that no one expected, like a 럭키펀치 (lucky punch) that a boxer 날린 (threw), 강하게 후려쳤 (strongly struck) the Red Sox’s 턱 (chin).