Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 5

Lee Jungwoo sighed in relief.

He was transitioning to being a batter.

He had feared he would be demoted to the Rookie League.

Fortunately, he was still in Single-A.

‘I thought I was going straight to Danville. Did the front office show me some consideration? Whatever it is, I’m glad.’

He had only played two games for the Danville Braves, but he knew that the support in the Rookie League was quite poor.

First of all, they don’t give you much of a salary, and the signing bonuses aren’t very good.

And most of the training equipment was outdated or nonexistent.

So staying in Rome [the city where the Single-A team is located] was a great relief to Lee Jungwoo.

It also meant that the club was still giving him a chance.

As Lee Jungwoo sighed in relief,

Hitting coach Scott smiled faintly in front of him.

He was happy that a good prospect was continuing to play baseball,

But the fact that he had a job to do also played a part.

At Single-A, the coach’s role isn’t as big as you might think.

The players have a strong sense of pride.

They stick to their own methods as much as possible.

They didn’t want the coach’s interference either.

So, if you messed with them without the club’s instructions or the player’s request, you’d be cursed for ruining their routine.

Therefore, the hitting coach’s main job, besides helping a few players,

Is mostly mental management, skill assessment, and finding ways to analyze and attack opposing pitchers for most hitters.

But now he had no choice but to guide him.

Plus, the player himself had a strong will.

‘He said he was doing tee batting alone late at night.’

A club employee told him.

The night before making the big decision to switch to hitter.

Lee had stayed at the training ground late into the night to do tee batting.

For quite a long time.

It’s not a good idea to do unfamiliar training without a coach or trainer,

But that’s how strong his determination is.

That’s why I can’t help but be excited.

‘It’s good that he’s got his mind right… but I’ll probably have to teach him everything from A to Z.’

It’s like starting all over again.

So the hitting coach’s role is very important.

He felt a lot of pressure, but Lee Jungwoo’s words relieved it.

“I won’t blame you, Coach, so don’t feel pressured and teach me accurately.”

Scott felt a sense of responsibility instead of pressure because Lee Jungwoo was bowing his head and speaking politely.

‘He was aiming for home runs, wasn’t he?’

He thought back to Lee Jungwoo’s batting in the past.

He hadn’t seen it since before he was injured, so everything didn’t come back to him clearly.

So I wanted to check again.

“Let’s start with your stance. Can you swing naturally ten times without being conscious of it?”

“Yes.”

At Scott’s words, Lee Jungwoo nodded and took his stance.

He held the bat long.

His legs are slightly apart. And he stretched his upper body.

The hitting coach rolled his eyes.

Yes, that’s the stance.

Lee was like that when he did free batting to relieve stress in the past.

An extreme batting that focuses on power rather than accuracy.

If he just hits it, any ball will lead to a long hit.

‘The key is how well that stance suits Lee.’

That’s the key.

If it’s not suitable.

Instead of correcting the posture, I have to completely overhaul it, which makes it quite difficult.

“Hoo.”

When Scott looked at him.

Lee Jungwoo, who had taken his stance, took a deep breath. And he grabbed the bat tightly.

He imagined a virtual pitcher throwing the ball.

He doesn’t have enough experience or imagination to do image training.

He couldn’t perfectly draw every situation, but he was a little more focused when he thought there was a pitcher.

He swung with force.

The muscles swelled.

The extending leg touched the ground.

The swing that rotated his waist as it was.

Instead of the sound of hitting, the sound of cutting through the wind pierces his ears.

‘His power is still outstanding. He’s not very big….’

Scott clicked his tongue as he watched it.

Although he maintained a poker face, that violent swing was quite threatening.

6.2ft (188cm), 192lbs (87kg) is not a very good physique even among fielders.

He’s tall, but his weight is low. He should weigh 20 pounds more than that.

So, if you only consider his physique, he can’t be strong. But he is.

‘He’s just born with it.’

He scanned Lee Jungwoo.

The forearms under the short sleeves are not sturdy. It’s like a rock.

The inside, hidden by the uniform, must be full of muscles.

Maybe that’s the source of his unusually good power.

Usually, being that muscular would stiffen your body and be disadvantageous. Lee Jungwoo was even flexible.

‘But, he’s only good at power. There are definitely a lot of things to fix. But the swing itself suits him well. If I maintain the basic posture, with a few corrections, he’ll be a good slugger.’

Lee Jungwoo lacked overwhelming skill and experience.

His power is good, but the final follow-through is awkward, so if it were an actual hit, not all of the power would be transferred to the batted ball.

His stride is also inconsistent, which reduces accuracy and makes his power erratic.

His center of gravity shift and rotation are awkward, which slightly reduces his batting speed.

Other postures were also inconsistent.

‘He’s full of flaws, but he has potential.’

I had a rough idea of how to teach him.

“Are you okay?”

“Well… honestly, it’s not good.”

Lee Jungwoo nodded indifferently at the honest evaluation.

It’s been a year and a half since he put down the bat with his body. It’s been more than a decade in his mind.

It would be strange if it were good.

“But there’s also potential. A lot of it.”

Scott was serious.

He just looked at the swing.

How long has he been doing this? I just know it when I see it.

Lee has the qualities of a slugger.

‘It’s my job to make sure it doesn’t just end with talent.’

####

Lee Jungwoo, who was about to go back to his dorm after the first training session and grab a shower, picked up his cell phone, which was ringing loudly.

‘Who- Mark?’

The name Mark was on the phone screen.

Lee Jungwoo’s eyes widened when he saw it.

Come to think of it, I forgot.

That he had an agent at this time.

“Hello.”

-Ah, you’re finally answering. Sorry for calling you at night. But I’m in a hurry.

Familiar voice.

He was very urgent.

-I heard about it from General Manager Pratt. Switching to a hitter. What’s that all about? How could you not talk to me!

“Mark.”

-Yeah, I know you’re having a hard time right now. But no matter what, you can’t switch to a hitter. You’re a pitcher! A natural pitcher!

A man who spits out his words like a machine gun without answering even if you call him.

Lee Jungwoo smiled for the first time, breaking his expressionless face.

‘It’s been a while, Mark.’

Mark Taylor

An agent he signed with when he graduated from high school.

After being released from the Braves, he bounced around the minor and independent leagues before finally leaving for Korea, he terminated the contract.

‘I asked to terminate the contract first. I was scared alone.’

Lee Jungwoo relied on him.

He always contacted him and took care of him when he was struggling in a place where he had no connections.

He helped me find a rehabilitation trainer and center when I was injured and rehabilitating.

Even when his grades plummeted after rehabilitation. He always encouraged me.

Every time he was released from a new place, he always went around trying to promote Lee Jungwoo as a player.

So I was scared.

The fear that even such a grateful person might turn his back on me haunted him.

He was consumed with frustration that he was not worthy of an agent and inferiority about his insignificant skills.

He asked to terminate the contract first.

Mark tried to persuade him until the end. The relationship ended with a firm request.

He still contacted me from time to time after that, but I deliberately ignored it and tried to forget about it, so I completely forgot about it.

Even the simple common sense that he should have consulted with me before switching to a hitter.

‘He must have been very embarrassed to hear the news of switching to a hitter out of the blue, even directly from the general manager.’

It was natural for him to call in the middle of the night and pour out his words.

Lee Jungwoo felt a little sorry for him, but that didn’t mean he was going to change his decision.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. But please respect my choice.”

-Ha. What respect… Is it because you’re not getting good grades right now? I told you. Relax. Let’s take a long-term view, Lee. I’ll explain it to the general manager. Let’s cancel the switch to a hitter even now.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I already know it well. I’m done as a pitcher.”

His voice faded as if he was a little shocked by the self-deprecating words.

A heavy silence filled the club’s dormitory.

Lee Jungwoo predicted his reaction.

He probably won’t like it very much.

He might shout again. Or maybe he’ll be so angry that he’ll notify you of the termination of the contract.

But I trusted him.

‘He always thought of me first.’

As he thought, after a moment of silence, Mark asked in a calm voice.

-Did you think it through and make a decision?

“I’m sorry for acting arbitrarily without consulting you. But I made this decision after much deliberation.”

Perhaps it was because his firm voice conveyed his firm will.

Mark eventually supported him as expected.

-Hoo. I don’t agree that you’re done as a pitcher. But if that’s how determined you are, I can’t help it. You’re learning from the hitting coach right now. I’ll find you a trainer by the stove league [off-season].

“…Thank you, Mark.”

Then and now.

I swallowed the rest of the words.

Gratitude remains the same.

After his call with him.

Lee Jungwoo strengthened his will.

Before the regression [time travel]. Including the share that he had suffered for him. I wanted to give him a lot of money.

####

Fortunately, it’s good that he stayed in Single-A thanks to the club’s consideration.

Lee Jungwoo had to suffer a little.

‘Isn’t his mouth dry? He’s talking non-stop.’

The manager supported his switch to a hitter.

The pitching coach respected him.

The defense coach was embarrassed.

Other coaches, such as the head coach, didn’t care.

But the players were in an uproar.

“He thought he was so great. He’s finally ruined.”

“I knew it. Honestly, if he wasn’t a bonus baby, he would have been released right away, right?”

“He’s the one who’s loved by the general manager. To be exact, he’s afraid of him. Because he gave him $2.5 million.”

The pitchers laughed at him.

A player who is different from them.

A promising player that the club is paying attention to.

A genius who is in a different class and cannot be compared at all.

That’s why many pitchers were jealous of Lee Jungwoo.

To be exact, they were jealous of the talent that Lee Jungwoo had and they didn’t.

Such a genius was injured and collapsed.

Eventually, he ran away as a hitter.

That made them feel superior. They laughed as much as they wanted.

‘What’s the point of being good in the past? I’m much better than a pitcher with a broken shoulder who can’t even throw the ball properly.’

‘He’s like that because he’s forcing himself to throw the ball with a weak shoulder. Honestly, it’s a bit of a bummer.’

If the pitchers were just laughing at him.

The hitters were upset.

There’s no need to worry about losing your spot to a rookie who’s just started training.

There’s no sense of inferiority because the positions have been different so far.

What makes them angry is Lee Jungwoo’s switch to a hitter itself.

‘A guy who used to throw balls suddenly grabs a bat without ever hitting. It must look ridiculous.’

Some of the hitters who were resting during training looked at the batting cage where Lee Jungwoo entered.

An awkward swing as if advertising that he hasn’t done much hitting.

They frowned.

“He’s going to be a hitter in that state?”

“He used to strike out batters before he got injured, right? So it must look easy. He doesn’t even remember being *owned* [dominated] after that.”

“Look at his swing. What kind of hitter is he with that kind of form?”

“Maybe the defense will be even more spectacular? It’s going to be quite a sight.”

They thought Lee Jungwoo looked down on hitters.

He wasn’t able to do that after the injury. In the past, he mercilessly slaughtered hitters.

They say he looks at hitting easily.

So, unlike the pitchers who were just laughing, the hitters had animosity towards him.

Lee Jungwoo didn’t really care.

Anyway, he was already prepared for that kind of reaction when he switched to a hitter.

No matter what he says now, it won’t reach their ears.

So, instead of worrying about it and wasting time, it’s better to practice a little more.

‘Anyway, I can’t make proper contact. I’m going to float it high no matter what. If I hit it awkwardly, I’ll just hit a ground ball.’

That was Scott’s idea.

Good eyes are important for things like natural dynamic vision.

You also need experience.

You need to have enough experience to pick out the ball, regardless of your eyesight.

Eventually, you can make proper judgments.

Contact, the ability to hit the ball accurately, basically requires such good eyes.

However, Lee Jungwoo, who lacks serious experience, does not have great dynamic vision.

As a result, his eyes are poor. His hitting skills are not great enough to compensate for that.

‘So, I’m just going to abandon batting average and on-base percentage. I’m going to maximize my power, which is my strength, and aim for home runs no matter what.’

So Scott instructed Lee Jungwoo to do tee batting.

It’s about learning how to properly impact the swing.

I also learned how to take a good swing.

‘Even if it’s slow, focus on shifting your center of gravity as much as possible….’

“What is it, a turtle? He must have struck out ten times already.”

“Does he have superpowers or something? Like stopping the ball.”

The hitters were talking again as they watched him swing the bat slowly.

They soon closed their mouths as they had done so far.

Tak- The slowly swung swing hit the ball accurately.

The ball, which was filled with power, flew away quickly.

The hitters who were watching Lee Jungwoo were momentarily terrified by the swing that seemed like it would smash the ball.

“He’s just stupidly strong….”