Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 40

End of Pitching, Beginning of Hitting – Episode 39

The day after the Red Sox game.

As usual, Lee Jung-woo woke up early in the morning.

Mark called him as he was about to head to the training grounds.

“Interview?”

-Yeah, it seems like almost everyone’s contacted us. What do you want to do? Reject them all again this time?

Lee Jung-woo pondered his words.

‘It’s about time to give them a carrot [a reward or incentive].’

Until now, he had rejected all interviews.

He wasn’t particularly interested in fame or attention.

He thought it was better to train a little more during that time.

But now the situation was a bit different.

‘The attention must have increased a lot. I started as a starter, and my performance is good, so they must be eager.’

So, if he rejected them all again this time.

They might hold a grudge and frame him as being arrogant for a minor leaguer.

In fact, he had been criticized quite a bit before his regression.

His mentality wouldn’t be shaken by such media play.

But it wasn’t good to be at odds with the media.

‘Especially since the military service is on the line. It’ll be tough for this year’s Asian Games, but I have to go to the next Olympics.’

Even just being a regular in the big leagues.

They’ll come to scout him.

But the future is uncertain.

He could get injured and lose a few years.

It’s better to build up fame in advance.

And have a few friendly reporters.

So that later media play becomes possible.

And associations can’t interfere.

Lee Jung-woo, thinking it was time to give them a carrot, recalled the media companies Mark had mentioned.

Fortunately, there was a pretty decent sports newspaper among those who had requested.

‘Sports Korea is player-friendly and keeps things within reasonable bounds. I don’t know if it’s still the same now… but anyway, it’s not bad to establish a relationship with a major media outlet in advance.’

That’s what the surrounding players said.

Lee Jung-woo, remembering how they had always treated him with respect and interviewed him even when he was an insignificant losing pitcher, made a decision.

“Schedule an interview with Sports Korea, and reject the rest appropriately.”

-Alright, I’ll coordinate it well.

####

The baseball fans’ interest in Lee Jung-woo was a little greater than he had expected.

That was because.

Some unknown guy.

Suddenly got invited to the Major League spring camp, put up amazing numbers in the exhibition games.

And showed a perfect play against the Red Sox, who were considered a championship contender.

[MLB) Lee Jung-woo ‘Surging Skills!’ 3 hits, 1 home run, 5 RBIs against the Boston Red Sox!]

[Who is this guy and why is he so good? Was there someone like this?]

[ㄴHe’s a minor leaguer who got invited to the exhibition game. He’s doing surprisingly well]

[ㄴThis is the kind of guy who becomes a major leaguer. Not like those guys who suck but are full of bluff.]

The timing was also coincidental.

Just as the players who had gone over through posting [a system where a team makes a player available to foreign leagues via auction] with the expectations and support of many fans were struggling in the exhibition games, the Red Sox game happened.

Because of that.

From the baseball fans’ perspective, they couldn’t help but pay attention.

When curiosity only grew because he wasn’t exposed to the media.

Lee Jung-woo had an interview at just the right time.

And when it was edited and uploaded appropriately, it created an explosive reaction.

[‘A Typhoon in the Grapefruit League [referring to the spring training games held in Florida]!’ Meeting Lee Jung-woo]

[I support Lee Jung-woo! To overcome such difficult things.]

[I’ve been watching him since he played in Australia. I’m glad he’s doing well. I hope to see him in a Major League broadcast next time.]

[This is what an interview should be. Not trying to package up guys who can’t do well, but focusing on players who are doing well.]

[Look at how solid his body is. This is an athlete’s body. Kwak Hyung-sun should watch and learn from Lee Jung-woo. What? Endurance? Baseball pouch? The dog will laugh.]

Coincidentally.

On the very day the interview was uploaded.

Kwak Hyung-sun, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks through posting, showed poor performance.

It contributed to the stark contrast.

[MLB) Kwak Hyung-sun 1 Sacrifice Hit against the White Sox! Dedicated Play for the Team.]

[What a load of crap. They conveniently left out the two strikeouts.]

[ㄴThis guy is just suited to being a boss in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].]

[ㄴThat’s right. He’s not a guy who can make it in the majors in the first place.]

[This is the level of a loser. A 22-year-old kid crushed the Red Sox. How can he be worse than a minor leaguer?]

A minor league player they hadn’t even heard of scored 5 RBIs.

As the strongest hitter in Korean professional baseball.

The player who crossed the Pacific with tens of millions of dollars only recorded one sacrifice hit.

He benefited from the backlash caused by fans who were swept up in anger.

The interview, which received attention from netizens [internet users], boasted tremendous views and comments.

And some of the content caught the eye.

[Q-The Asian Games preliminary roster selection is currently underway. Are you interested?]

[Lee Jung-woo – Of course I am. I think most professional players would be. But since I’m still in the minors. I’m going to work hard and cheer for the national team.]

The Asian Games.

The biggest topic in the current baseball scene was mentioned, and a small number of people focused on the words of cheering hard.

[LOL, he’s much better than Kwak Hyung-sun, but he’s just cheering.]

[A national team that this kind of player ‘cheers hard’ for on TV will only be made up of players who are as good as Major League All-Stars, right? Because it’s elite? ^^]

[Aren’t the Red Sox a strong team?]

[They’re championship contenders. The Red Sox exhibition game members alone are much stronger than the Asian Games entry.]

[If you’re going by skill, Lee Jung-woo would beat the KBO hitters with a stick. Another preliminary round elimination scenario this time.]

[If you’re really going to build an elite team. You have to pay attention to players like this. Not look at guys like Jo Sung-woon.]

Some malicious fans quoted his remarks and ridiculed the association for shouting all over the place that they were building an elite entry.

In reality, no one wanted to put Lee Jung-woo on the list.

But that alone was a big advantage for Lee Jung-woo.

In any case. He ended up planting a seed in the minds of a few fans.

####

While a short, informal interview was gaining strange popularity in Korea.

Lee Jung-woo across the Pacific was having a work explosion.

“Lee, you’re starting in the next Phillies game, so prepare well.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“What thanks? It’s because you’re doing so well.”

After proving himself in the Red Sox game.

The club adjusted its evaluation of him upwards.

If they thought of him as a lottery ticket with a big jackpot if it hit.

Now they judged that he would be at least 3rd prize.

That soon turned into an opportunity.

They were trying to feed him as much experience as possible.

“You’re going to play when we face Baltimore, so get in shape.”

“Starting?”

“Of course.”

The Braves were giving him so many opportunities to play, as if they were desperate to get him out there.

Lee Jung-woo gratefully accepted what was given to him.

[Ah, a called strike on the 7th pitch!]

[It was a slider. It was slightly on the zone, right? I think he judged it was ambiguous. But the umpire caught it.]

Of course, not everything is successful.

Sometimes he was struck out looking in vain.

And sometimes he swung wildly.

Sometimes he flipped the table on the prepared meal [ruined a good opportunity] and even burned it with a double play.

He even ruined an entire game.

But all those experiences became his blood and flesh.

“I was sure he was only Triple A at best….”

“Now he’s really Major League level.”

“Is this even possible?”

Watching Lee Jung-woo, who was spinning the training cycle as usual, as if he never got tired.

The coaches let out a hollow laugh.

To be honest.

They wondered if he was even human.

His growth rate was too steep.

Like a baby who is born and grows up.

The way he changed day by day was incomprehensible.

“He’s only twenty years old, right?”

“Yes. I believe he turns twenty-one in June.”

Even his age is young.

Twenty-two in Korean age, twenty is almost the same as the average age of last year’s draft.

It’s more than the high school draftees, but when compared to NCAA graduates, he’s actually a year younger.

His current appearance was bizarre.

“Could it be ‘that’?”

The head coach, who suddenly thought of the word drugs, muttered with a nervous expression.

And Colson, the hitting coach, wondered if anyone had heard him.

He looked around quickly and shook his head.

“He lives in the dorm. I don’t think that’s the case. And you know he’s not that kind of player, right? That’s not cheating. It’s the result of hard work and talent.”

“I misspoke. Then we have to think that the remaining potential was that much from the beginning.”

“He’s what you call a genius, Lee is.”

The word genius had great persuasive power in itself.

Great skill, rapid growth.

Everything could be explained by that alone.

The head coach, who erased the drugs from his mind, nodded briefly.

His eyes were on Lee Jung-woo.

“Well, it hasn’t even been a year since he switched to hitter. It’s only natural that there’s more room for improvement.”

“Whatever it is. It’s good for us.”

They couldn’t hide their satisfied smiles.

####

Thanks to Lee Jung-woo, who continued to show good performances even after the Red Sox game, the Braves’ general manager’s office was filled with loud phone calls.

A young, good, and seemingly mentally strong prospect.

It was the perfect condition for the hyenas of Major League Baseball to drool over.

That created a phone bombardment.

“Pratt, it’s the Tigers on the phone. It’s Brandon.”

“Tigers? Ha, I can roughly guess what he’s going to say. But connect him anyway.”

It’s not that he’s suffering from poor performance from fans or club directors.

Listening to the barking of the same kind of bastards in the same situation.

It was something that consumed his mental strength in many ways.

Pratt sighed briefly and picked up the phone.

“Brandon, what’s up? You’re calling me first.”

Unlike his soft voice.

Pratt’s face was distorted like someone who had eaten shit [looked disgusted].

That was because.

He already expected what the other party would say.

-Pratt, I won’t say much. Give me Lee. Then-

“Fuck off.”

After spitting out a curse at the other party who was spewing nonsense as expected.

Pratt put the phone down roughly and shook his head.

Lee, Lee, Lee.

They were all coveting Lee.

Teams that didn’t even contact him properly on a regular basis.

They made trade offers almost every day.

Most of them send ridiculous conditions because of his injury history and the fact that he’s still in Single A, but there are occasionally tempting offers.

Those things tormented him.

“What did Brandon say?”

“What else? He’s telling me to hand over Lee. I hung up without listening. I used up some of the teeming pitchers. Do these guys see me as a pushover? To sell a prospect like this?”

Pratt grumbled annoyingly.

Unless he’s an idiot, no, even the biggest idiot in the world.

He would never sell a player like Lee.

Pratt was sure that even the former general manager, the blockhead Stone, wouldn’t do such a stupid thing.

His expectations were already high.

It became clear with this exhibition game.

He’s definitely going to make it.

Although it’s not the regular league.

If you see him confidently beating a big league pitcher even once.

Even if you just rummage through the record book. No general manager would make the choice of trading.

Pratt was sure.

“Still, you should have listened to the offer. Who knows? Maybe they’ll hand over Hunter.”

“Hunter? He’s good, really good. But what are we going to do with him? He’ll be a FA [free agent] next year. Are you telling me to win the championship right away this season? I’ll sell some uniforms. Hunter or whatever. At least as long as I’m the general manager. Lee is definitely Not for sale.”

“Well, that’s what I mean.”

Arthur Hunter.

Even if he hands over the Flying Dutchman of the Pirates, Vincent Harding, and one of the best players in the league.

He should never sell Lee Jung-woo.

His will was firm.

Anyway, he can only use it for a year even if he brings it, and it’s not a force that can win the championship.

But what if he sells it? What if he explodes in another team?

At that time, he would have to worry about his life in earnest.

No matter how relatively gentlemanly the Braves fans are.

At that moment, they will be as violent as the Phillies.

“They’re going to cut off my head. With a sharp tomahawk chop [a reference to the Braves’ controversial team name and fan cheer].”

Pratt shuddered as he imagined the fans chopping his neck with a large ax like the club’s traditional cheering method.