Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 34

End of Pitching, Beginning of Hitting – Episode 33

From the 6th to the 9th inning.

For 4 innings, Lee Jung-woo showed stable defense.

And Derek didn’t hold back on the praise.

It wasn’t like he was a man of few words to begin with, and Jung-woo actually did well enough to deserve such praise.

“I told him to just do as well as he does in training, but he’s even better in the game. He’s a natural in real situations.”

“I’m still far from it.”

“Of course, you are. But after a little more time, I can just stand still like a telephone pole. Oh~ just thinking about it makes me happy.”

Derek joked around.

When he was working with Darren Robson, he had to run around a lot more.

But since Lee Jung-woo came in, things have definitely gotten easier.

He covers a pretty wide area for a shortstop.

And he knows how to throw the ball accurately.

From the second baseman’s point of view, he was a shortstop that he couldn’t help but love.

“Your defense is good. Your hitting is excellent. Will I see you soon?”

“You’re seeing me now, aren’t you?”

Lee Jung-woo, feeling a little more comfortable, threw a joke.

Derek chuckled and nodded slightly.

He really wanted to see him all the way to the 25-man roster [the list of players eligible to play for a Major League Baseball team].

Sorry to Robson and the other shortstops.

But a young, good shortstop is much better than an experienced but underperforming one.

For the team.

And for Derek himself.

‘Honestly, I’m a little tired now.’

It’s not like he’s been cleaning up after subpar shortstops for a day or two.

Now Derek himself is slowly getting older. If he wasn’t tired, he wouldn’t be human.

‘But it’ll be difficult. He still lacks experience and hasn’t proven himself yet.’

He’s only twenty years old.

He spent three seasons in the minors, but the seasons he played as a hitter only lasted less than two months in the minors.

I heard he played in the winter league too,

Even if you add that, it wouldn’t be half a season.

So no matter how good he is. Starting right away was impossible.

Because nothing has been proven for sure.

Even if he shows a good performance in the remaining exhibition games.

‘Sigh, that means I have to roll alone until at least September…’

Fortunately, General Manager Pratt has reinforced the shortstop position.

But their skills weren’t that great. Just enough for a one-season fill-in.

‘That means Pratt is also paying attention to Lee. At least things will flow a little easier.’

It’s a wish that can’t be fulfilled right now,

But maybe it could be achieved within this year.

Derek went back to the dugout.

He said seriously to Lee Jung-woo.

“Lee, always do as well as you did today. In the exhibition games, and in the minors.”

Just do as well as you did today, and I’ll see you in the big leagues by this fall at the latest.

Derek swallowed the words stuck in his throat.

####

When the exhibition game was just around the corner. Some players would make a resigned expression.

They were the ones who showed poor performance in the internal evaluation game.

That made them predict their own future.

Conversely, show a good performance.

There were also players who were full of confidence. Lee Jung-woo was one of them.

I still don’t really trust him. According to Mark, the general manager is paying attention to him.

He showed a good performance in the evaluation game.

There is a possibility that he will play in a few games.

Lee Jung-woo was relatively at ease.

‘The situation has changed a lot.’

I felt a little strange.

In the past, before the regression, Lee Jung-woo was always anxious at this time.

I was thinking about when I would be kicked out to the minor league camp.

Thanks to the huge price tag of 2.5 million dollars being held hostage, I was able to stay until the exhibition game.

No matter how much I threw, no matter how good my condition was, I was struggling with skills that wouldn’t come back.

After showing a home run parade that made my stomach feel empty, I eventually went down to the minor league camp.

That was his last major spring camp in his life.

‘At this point, the club completely gave up on me. It was practically a child who was given up.’

Even then, Lee Jung-woo, who was stubbornly staying in the United States out of pride, was just an average player in the minor league camp.

He was in the bottom tier even in Single A [the fourth level of the minor leagues].

There were many things that were lacking even when compared to rookie league players who had just grown beards.

Then, he was completely eliminated.

Eventually, no team in the United States wanted him anymore.

In the end, he went back to Korea, enduring a two-year hiatus.

But now it’s a little different.

I have a lot of confidence.

I’m much more relaxed.

Unlike before the regression, when I was anxious and impatient as if I was being chased by something.

That’s why he had a slightly different concern than when he was struggling to survive.

‘In the exhibition game. Can I do well enough to satisfy the expectations of the general manager and manager? Can I do well enough to stay in the minds of the fans?’

His goal is not survival.

It was what happened after that.

In this spring training.

When he was immersed in contemplation about whether he could show a figure that would make him look forward to the future. Someone approached him.

“If you keep doing that. Before long, you’ll be taking the bus down [being demoted to the minor leagues].”

A man who grudgingly jingled coins in front of the vending machine, even though the club gave out free drinks.

Along with Derek Hunt, a player who even the manager and general manager of the Braves cannot approach.

Joey Fredman took out two cans of soda from the vending machine.

He handed one to Lee Jung-woo.

“It’s sugar-free and carbonation-free. Don’t worry and drink it. Well, if you like that kind of thing, I can’t help it.”

“Ah, thank you. But… why suddenly?”

“I just don’t like the way you look. You must be thinking all sorts of things. When will I go to the minors? Can I stay here? I have to do well no matter what. I know it well.”

He carefully opened the lid and emptied it in one gulp.

After showing a cool drinking, he threw the empty can towards the trash can.

Perhaps the sense of a top player is demonstrated even in places like this.

The empty can went straight into the narrow hole.

“I did too.”

“Mr. Fredman too?”

“It’s not like I was born with a bat in my hand and hit forty home runs from the time I was born. There was a time when I was still a chick who hadn’t even grown feathers yet.”

Joey Fredman said calmly, but he looked at Lee Jung-woo with both eyes.

Because he looked like a mafia boss making an offer that couldn’t be refused in a movie.

The pressure he exuded was great.

Perhaps it was because he saw his existing image severely damaged in the internal evaluation game.

I didn’t feel any pressure.

“Just think lightly. I was invited. It feels heavy. But after all, it’s just spring training. I won’t be released just because I mess this up a bit.”

Lee Jung-woo was dazed.

Perhaps because he is still a young prospect on the outside.

It seems like he is trying to catch his mentality from the position of a senior.

In fact, I just felt a little strange about the changed situation and became emotional.

I didn’t have any big thoughts.

“I’m a chick compared to Mr. Fredman. I’m not weak enough to be shaken by that much.”

“Well, that’s a relief. There’s nothing more unpleasant than a kid who’s scared for no reason and has a sad face.”

Joey Fredman shrugged his shoulders after hearing his honest feelings.

He wiped the corners of his mouth, which were stained with the remnants of the drink.

He walked away as if he had finished his work.

“Thank you for the drink. I’ll drink it well. Mr. Fredman.”

“Just call me comfortably. I feel embarrassed for no reason.”

Watching him disappear beyond the hallway, Lee Jung-woo emptied the drink in his hand as coolly as he did.

A moderately bitter aftertaste lingered in his mouth. It doesn’t taste very good.

‘It’s not bad to hear this kind of advice.’

Before the regression, even if my skills were lacking, I had built up years of experience.

Usually, I was the one giving this kind of advice.

He thought it wasn’t so bad to be in the position of listening like this.

‘Yeah. Well, it’s just an exhibition game.’

Lee Jung-woo, feeling a little lighter, threw the empty can into the trash can and walked down the hallway.

The carelessly thrown scrap metal landed accurately in the trash can.

####

Desmond Lee was dissatisfied. He showed a pretty good performance in the internal evaluation game.

Because it was buried by another guy.

‘I have to keep showing good performances. I was distracted for a while… but I can get it back.’

He took away the attention that should have been directed at him with his excellent defense and destructive hitting.

He doesn’t get along well with other players, but he easily builds friendships with regular players, including the captain.

He muttered, thinking of someone who was a little unlucky in his opinion.

I admit his skills because I saw it with my own eyes.

But it’s the first time I’ve been pushed back by someone.

I didn’t feel very good.

So, in order to regain the attention of the club and the manager.

He was caught by a group of people who were heading to the training ground earlier than usual.

“Oh! There!”

Someone suddenly pointed at him. Soon people surrounded him.

They handed Desmond autograph papers, baseballs, and unmarked uniforms.

“Please sign!”

“Me?”

“Yes!”

He couldn’t hide his smile.

I often signed autographs in Mississippi.

I never thought I would receive such a request in Florida, not Atlanta.

‘Hehe. If you’re a first-round pick, ranked 30th in BA [Baseball America] prospects, and ranked first in club prospects. Even if it’s a minor league, people will recognize you.’

In fact, most of them didn’t recognize him.

It was just their goal to get an autograph from any baseball player.

The children were only forced to receive it by their parents.

He, who was self-absorbed, cleared people one by one with his autograph skills that he had been honing since high school.

“Okay, kids first! Please keep the order!”

Because I feel good.

It seemed like the autograph was getting better than usual. The smile on his lips never disappeared.

Desmond was having a happy time like that.

Soon, a difficult situation came.

“Oh… you want me to do it there?”

“Yes! Please!”

“Oh…”

He thought.

Should I be happy to see a woman pulling her shirt up in front of her eyes and revealing her upper chest.

Or should I be afraid?

‘I think my agent said something similar… He told me to be as careful as possible.’

I mostly ignored it.

But some words are vaguely remembered.

Sexual harassment. Lawsuit. Huge settlement.

Words that make my heart flutter just by imagining them.

“You’re not going to sign an autograph because a fan asked you to, are you? Signing autographs is a basic fan service…”

In case he refuses.

He couldn’t come to his senses at the woman’s words that put in the final wedge.

If he were a veteran player.

I would have understood the intention and passed it over roughly.

But a minor leaguer in his second year didn’t have that much skill.

When he didn’t know what to do.

A hero appeared.

“Desmond, the manager is calling you.”

“Oh, oh? Me?”

“Who else is Desmond besides you? It’s urgent, so follow me quickly.”

A man who spoke bluntly and grabbed Desmond’s shoulder.

Lee Jung-woo looked down at the woman in front of him for a moment.

He asked for understanding with a smiling face that he had never shown before.

“I’m sorry. The manager is calling me. If you come back later. I’ll do it for you.”

“No, I-”

As if he wouldn’t listen to any objections.

The woman only opened her mouth, watching Lee Jung-woo drag Desmond away with tremendous force.

“Wow, thank you so much. My head was white [I was panicking], but I survived thanks to you.”

“Be careful. There are more cunning people than you think. People who know that the signing bonus for the top round of the draft is over a million dollars or something.”

After putting down the arm he was holding.

Lee Jung-woo, who entered leisurely.

Desmond felt a strange sense of maturity from a player who wasn’t much older than him.

He rubbed his forearms, which were tightly held and turned red while being dragged, watching his solid back like a hero in a comic book.

“His grip is so strong. He was a pitcher, so is that why?”

Desmond thought he might be a better guy than he thought.

####

Lee Jung-woo’s nerves, who saved a young soul from dirty demons, were all focused on the exhibition game.

However, the first game against the Blue Jays is not on his mind.

Even if it’s an exhibition game.

First of all, since it’s the first game.

The starting list will be made up of regulars.

After that, all you’ll be doing is pinch-hitting for one at-bat or playing defense.

What captivated him was the 8th game.

By that time, I think they will give me a chance to start once.

There was another reason.

‘The exhibition game schedule is the same as before the regression. I hope the entry list is the same.’

8th game against the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox had that guy.

Adam Straight.

After switching to a hitter.

He is the future Cy Young winner who gave me a sense of defeat for the first time.

‘If my memory is correct. He definitely pitched at that time. He blocked 2 innings perfectly.’

Watching him catch major league hitters with his energetic body.

I was stained with sticky jealousy.

I remembered vaguely.

‘If it’s the same this time… I want to fight him again.’

Last September.

After meeting and being defeated in Single A.

About half a year has passed.

I have experienced many changes during that half year.

There was also a big growth.

That’s why Lee Jung-woo was curious.

Will the results be the same as then? Or can I beat it this time?

At least what is certain is.

‘If I get the chance. I have no intention of backing down so easily this time.’