Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 31

Pitchers Done, Batters Up – 30

Lee Jung-woo became a celebrity at the camp.

The batting coach, unable to refuse his earnest request, reached an agreement with the pitching coach.

He consistently challenged the pitchers, and Lee Jung-woo was smashing them all. A young punk who couldn’t even drink was going around conquering all the pitchers.

It was impossible for him not to become famous.

“Wow, another one goes over. They can’t handle him?”

“The pitchers’ mentality is collapsing. Is this even allowed?”

“Doesn’t he ever get tired? He’s been going at it for three days straight, just switching pitchers.”

Most of the players initially thought nothing of it, but as it continued, more and more players gathered to watch, and some wore pleased expressions at the rookie’s emerging talent.

Of course, there were also those who were jealous.

“It’s just Double-A [the second-highest level of minor league baseball], right? I could do that with my right hand.”

“What’s the point of just being strong? You need technique.”

“He’s twenty, right? That says a lot about the pitchers’ level. Getting beat by a kid like that.”

They were mostly players in similar situations to Lee Jung-woo.

Desperately trying to leave a good impression, when suddenly some guy steals all the coaches’ attention.

They became anxious.

As players gradually started leaving the camp, that feeling intensified even more.

They feared they might be sent down instead of Lee Jung-woo.

While they were so anxious, Lee Jung-woo also encountered a somewhat difficult situation.

####

‘It’s starting to get a little tough.’

From the first day to the third day of camp, Lee Jung-woo defeated all the Double-A pitchers invited to the camp during those three days.

With the few pitchers being knocked out one after another, the batting coach adjusted Lee Jung-woo’s skill level upwards, and the level of his opponents also increased.

Lee Jung-woo wanted to gain experience by competing against stronger pitchers, so he gladly accepted it, but the competition was indeed getting tougher.

Triple-A [the highest level of minor league baseball] and quasi-Major League.

Those were the players he was facing.

‘I’m striking out a little more often. And the ball isn’t really extending. Is this about the level?’

He struck out swinging with a refreshing breeze, and sometimes couldn’t even get the ball past the infield.

He also occasionally fell victim to looking strikeouts due to being outmaneuvered.

Thus, his performance in the mini-games showed a slight downward curve, and some players watching him sent mocking glances.

“See that? He’s just Double-A. He’ll be sent down soon.”

“If I were him, I’d pack my bags now. It’ll be heartbreaking to gather them later.”

Surprisingly, Lee Jung-woo was calm.

It was an expected result, and the level was different from now on.

Triple-A.

To be honest, from here on out, the gap in skill between the majors isn’t that big.

No, it’s not just ‘not that big,’ it’s almost nonexistent.

Most of the players have stepped foot in the Major League, and they possess both skill and experience.

Same skill, but lacking guts.

They have guts and skill, but they are old.

They have age, guts, and skill, but they lack luck.

Triple-A, where countless human figures gathered, was like a demon realm to minor league players.

A demon realm teeming with monsters who couldn’t climb any higher.

So, it was natural that the results were bad.

‘They at least know how to handle batters. And… they’re throwing with all their might to use me as a stepping stone. It’s impossible for the results to be good.’

Therefore, Lee Jung-woo focused not on the declining performance, but on his own growth.

‘Don’t obsess over the results. Just try a little harder and learn. Gain experience too.’

Anyway, he had already made a sufficient appeal.

He had clearly demonstrated that he had skills that transcended Double-A.

So, Lee Jung-woo stopped appealing to the coaches and focused on the competition itself.

“Hey, want to play a game with me? Your at-bat, how about it?”

“I’m in.”

“Let me see your great skills.”

“Come to the batting cage.”

Thankfully, there were plenty of opponents.

‘It’s become easier to get games thanks to jealousy.’

A rookie who was getting attention.

Perhaps, unlike them, he could truly cross the threshold of the big leagues. A sprout that could become a real major leaguer. They were jealous of that.

There were many players who wanted to step on and twist the growing sprout to prove themselves.

“Ah, a swing and a miss. Completely fooled by the changeup [a type of pitch designed to look like a fastball but arrive much slower].”

“He’s still young, so he probably can’t distinguish between fastballs and changeups.”

“Hey, it was fun watching him blast them… hit one out!”

“Why? It looks good. He looks like a kid now, doesn’t he?”

The competition became fierce, and there were more spectators.

It was noisy in many ways, but Lee Jung-woo didn’t seem to care about the reactions of those people.

He showed incredible concentration and filled his shortcomings through the competition.

‘Hmm, from here on out, if I only hit with my wrist, the ball gets pushed.’

‘The impact wasn’t right. Twist my waist a little more…’

‘Was I just following with my eyes too much? Draw the trajectory in my head rather than just watching.’

Naturally, he repeatedly suffered defeats like growing pains for a while.

He was focusing on refining himself rather than the results.

But he continued to grow.

As if proving that all he needed was experience.

‘The quality of the batted balls is getting better. The angle is ideal, and the power is properly loaded. Any ball that gets hit will go over.’

The batting coach could see it.

The ball was gradually getting closer to the center.

He was getting used to the timing, but his skills were also improving.

‘He readjusted his batting form himself. He’s also properly using his batting techniques.’

Twenty years old, a kid who just switched to being a batter.

He thought he would be devoured by the old monsters, but instead, he was only chewing and swallowing what he needed.

Like a monster evolving as he fought.

‘His growth is so rapid. If he’s given time, he’ll easily conquer Triple-A. Even now, he can hit a long ball if he gets a good pitch.’

The batting coach, who had simply been watching a young player, was now truly serious.

He knew he wasn’t Single-A level, but he thought he was at best Double-A level.

But that wasn’t the case.

He seemed to get beaten up for a while, but he grew quickly, and now, at the very least, he was Triple-A.

If he was generous with the standards…

‘Major League. Not a starter, but at least a pinch hitter [a substitute batter brought in late in the game] is possible…’

The batting coach pondered.

There are many other promising players.

There are guys who were picked in the upper rounds of last year’s draft, and when you look at those who are more mature, there are plenty of players who are much more complete than this guy right now.

But strangely, this guy caught his eye.

‘It’s like I’m seeing the birth of a monster.’

####

Derek Hunt slightly turned his head to look at his current defensive training partner.

The face, which seemed to have just shed its downy fuzz, looked a little young even for an Asian whose age was hard to guess.

‘Ah, he said he’s twenty, right? He doesn’t just look young, he is young.’

Of course, unlike his youthful face, his barbarian-like solid body and powerful hitting were very impressive.

Derek had also seen it a few times.

‘His hitting definitely has talent. If he does well, he could even become like Joey.’

He compared him to the team’s best hitter and one of the league’s top sluggers, which was quite a generous assessment for a mere Single-A [the lowest level of minor league baseball] prospect, but Derek didn’t care.

The way he kept competing even while repeatedly losing and the way he diligently trained every day without rest captivated him.

‘A rookie needs that kind of spirit. I hope his defense is as good as his hitting… but that’s going to be tough.’

He gave up early on.

He didn’t know why, but the defensive coach had asked him to take a look, so he ended up working with him in this training session, but he didn’t have much expectation.

Since he’s a shortstop, he’ll probably do okay, but he had suffered too much to expect anything from another player’s defensive skills.

‘Sigh, don’t rely on others. Just do well myself. Just don’t be too bad.’

It was a kind of resignation.

If you have faith, you’ll be betrayed, so he didn’t believe in the first place.

Derek had the idea that the other fielders besides himself were just mannequins, and that was the same for the young rookie he was working with for the first time today.

His positioning was a little awkward.

He had been a pitcher until last year, so he probably hadn’t fully adapted yet. That’s why he prematurely gave up on any expectations.

‘By the way, should I really play shortstop this season? Robson is still the same…’

Derek seriously considered changing positions.

He had done it a few times.

His defense was much worse than his Gold Glove-level [an award given to the best defensive players] second base, and his hitting was also much worse, so the team opposed it, and he acknowledged his shortcomings and gave up the idea.

But now, the backup shortstop they traded for wasn’t good either, and Robson, the existing shortstop, still couldn’t play well based on his training.

He thought it would be better for him to play shortstop, considering that.

Derek was lost in deep thought, but he snapped out of it when he heard the defensive coach’s voice.

“Okay, everyone ready? Keep your positions and coordinate well.”

A booming voice.

As the training began, this training partner, Lee, greeted him.

“Please take care of me, Captain.”

“Okay. Let’s do well, Lee.”

The training that started was about handling batted balls with runners on base.

It was a way to train both defense and base running at the same time.

Since there were runners, the training itself was difficult.

If the coordination between them wasn’t good, it could lead to a big mistake.

‘I have to lead. He’s still young, so the coordination won’t be good.’

Derek Hunt steeled himself and stared intently at the coach, and the moment he hit the ball, he quickly ran out.

‘I caught the ball.’

“Lee! Cover the base-”

After catching the ball, he quickly turned and was about to shout at the shortstop when his eyes widened.

The shortstop, who had already stepped on second base, was waiting for his throw.

He was flustered by the faster-than-expected movement, but he naturally threw the ball, and the situation was resolved.

“Oh? Oh… good job. Keep doing that.”

Derek awkwardly encouraged him, but he felt a little strange.

‘The connection… works?’

He was going to order him because he expected the guy who had just switched positions to be slow to judge, but he acted faster than he thought.

It was just a base cover, but the first start wasn’t bad.

‘He seems to have the basics. That’s a relief.’

Thinking that way, Derek’s satisfaction gradually increased as he focused on the training again.

It had been a long time since he had a shortstop who did everything on his own and had high stability.

‘He seems to be doing well in defense. The chemistry is good too. Did the coach know?’

Derek smiled faintly and looked at Lee Jung-woo with a pleased look, but soon he felt something more than that.

A super play broke out.

The ball, which seemed to have been hit properly, flew sharply with power, and he quickly ran to make a diving catch, then called out to him.

“Captain!”

“Throw it!”

The moment he checked the ball, Derek, who had already stepped on the base, held out his glove, and the throw sent from the lying position accurately landed, and the situation was over.

Perfect defensive coordination.

Derek, who approached Lee Jung-woo, who had gotten up, and brushed off the dirt, looked at him with a strange expression.

‘Usually, he either fails to catch it or makes a mistake in the throw. It’s one of the two…’

This time, everything was perfect.

The catch, the connection, and the throw.

The three elements were perfectly in sync, and that was unfamiliar to Derek.

While Derek was feeling indescribable emotions, the manager, who was watching the defensive training, was also making a similar expression.

“His defense is pretty good.”

“Yes. His reflexes are fast, and his judgment is accurate. He also has good coordination with Derek. However, his positioning is a bit awkward. It must be because he lacks experience.”

“He said he hasn’t been converted for long. If we give him a mentor, he’ll fix it.”

Overall, it was good defense.

Not because of the diving catch, the defense itself was quite stable.

At least that’s how it looked to the manager.

“His hitting was good too. He knows how to swing freely. Is he still competing?”

“Yes. He’s playing against Triple-A players, and he seems to be faltering a bit, but according to batting coach Colson, his growth is rapid.”

“Hmm….”

When his right-hand man, the head coach, gave a good evaluation, the manager scratched his chin.

Thanks to the general manager constantly singing his praises, the name stuck in his memory.

Rather, he had a sense of aversion and didn’t think much of it.

When he heard that he had just converted to a batter last year, he even scoffed.

When he heard that he was a $2.5 million pitcher, he frowned.

“I thought Pratt was just trying to cover his own ass.”

So he didn’t think much of it and erased it from his mind.

But he showed his talent on his own.

In both hitting and defense.

He clearly proved his ability.

“Not bad. Pratt told me to put him in the exhibition game no matter what, right?”

“Yes, it was almost like a threat.”

He was yelling without swearing.

His appearance was almost like a threat.

He felt unpleasant because it seemed to ignore the manager’s authority.

“If he does well in the intra-squad scrimmage [a practice game between players on the same team], let’s listen to that threat.”