Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 64

End of Pitcher, Start of Batter – Episode 63

[Lee follows the fly ball – caught! Game over! They finally complete the sweep.]

[The Braves’ momentum is terrifying. The Giants are considered a strong contender for the championship, but they were completely overwhelmed in their home stadium.]

[The Giants, who were barely holding onto first place, have finally been knocked down.]

The fourth game against the San Francisco Giants also ended with a Braves victory.

Oracle Park was even more somber than it had been during the first two games.

But that didn’t matter to the Braves anymore.

They had something more important to focus on.

“How did the game go? Did they lose?”

“Wait, it’s not over yet.”

After their game ended.

People quickly changed the channel and watched the new game with nervous eyes.

Usually, after an Atlanta game, they would pack up their things or have another drink to celebrate the victory or mourn the defeat.

But today, there was something more important.

It might seem strange to watch another game after just seeing Atlanta win.

In fact, they usually wouldn’t care about other teams’ games.

But now, the Braves fans were watching the game more intently than anyone else.

[Bottom of the 9th, two outs, runners on 1st and 3rd. The score is 8 to 7. Hernan Cordova steps up to the plate.]

It was the final game of the series between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies, which had started similarly to Atlanta’s game.

Since the first condition of sweeping the Giants had been met, all that remained was for the Mets to lose.

Unlike the Braves’ easy win against the Giants.

The fierce battle at Coors Field was more exciting than expected.

[This is the Rockies’ last chance. Can they pull off a dramatic comeback?]

[We have to trust Hernan. If his power combines with Coors Field, he could definitely hit one out.]

The Mets scored 8 runs by the 7th inning, taking a 6-run lead. But then the Rockies started hitting home runs one after another.

Now, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, they were only one point behind.

Watching the tense game, the Braves fans shouted.

“That’s right! That amazing Coors Field [known for its hitter-friendly environment due to its altitude] has to do it again!”

“Damn Coors, I’m rooting for you just this once. Send it far. Make it go over the fence.”

“Hernan, you son of a b*tch, you hit a home run against us last time, right? Just do that again!”

People cheered for Coors Field, the home of another team that showed heaven to hitters and hell to pitchers.

They also sent passionate encouragement to the annoying hitter from another team.

“Go, go Rockies! Show us your power!”

“You guys are the best sluggers in the National League! You have the advantage of the stadium. Anyway, you have to win in that dirty stadium!”

The Braves’ chance to take second place depended on this game.

If the Mets won this game, the Braves wouldn’t be able to take second place even if they swept the series against them. It was a simple reason.

The Mets had played one game less than the Braves. Even if their number of wins was the same, their winning percentage would be higher.

But if they lost this game, narrowing the gap to two games.

And if the Braves could sweep them, the Braves would be ahead in both the standings and the winning percentage.

So the fans wanted them to lose no matter what.

Of course, it was a little funny to be so obsessed with second place when it wasn’t even the second half of the season yet, and there was still about a month left in the first half.

But for the Braves, second place had a special meaning.

“When was the last time we were in second place after May?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even remember.”

“We have to do it this time. Take second place and hold it until the end of the season.”

In the early part of the season, they were sometimes in second place, and even took first place with a sudden winning streak.

But as the season progressed for a month or two, the Braves would magically fall to third place.

That’s what had happened for the past four years! Without fail!

As a result, there were those who made fun of them, and it remained a sore spot.

To restore their fallen pride. They wanted to see the Braves running in the top ranks, not in the middle, during the hot summer days or the chilly autumn season.

And now, an opportunity had come.

In a very dramatic way, they would face off directly against the second-place team, a rival in the same division, whom they had to bring down.

“Please!”

As if hearing the wishes of those Braves fans. Hernan Cordova stubbornly continued the battle.

And eventually became the last batter for the Rockies.

The huge hit he made, filled with the Coors buff [advantage from playing at Coors Field], soared over the fence.

[The ball goes over the left field fence! Hernan Cordova’s walk-off three-run home run! Game set! The Colorado Rockies show tremendous potential. They finally overturn a 6-point game!]

[The team that wins in the end wins. It’s a very simple story.]

The people who filled the bar cheered as if it were their own business, thanks to the come-from-behind walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th that happened like a dream.

“Let’s go! Let’s go to New York and smash them!”

The scenario was complete.

Now, all that remained was for the Braves to win.

####

The plane flying to New York, a city like the heart of the American giant, was silent.

Usually, it would be noisy with players who were friendly with each other chatting lightly.

Or simply having a drink, but.

Today, it was particularly quiet.

The players were all sitting quietly in their seats, controlling their minds in their own ways.

‘Even major leaguers are human. Seeing them so nervous. Well, the expectations are no joke.’

The players knew how much the fans were looking forward to this series.

No, it would be strange if they didn’t know, since the media was already making a fuss about it.

The reason for such expectations was the Braves’ recent performance.

And Lee Jung-woo had played a part in it.

Since he came up, the Braves had gone on a 6-game winning streak.

And after a brief slump, they had been on a 5-game winning streak since the last game against the Cardinals.

In addition, the buzz Lee Jung-woo had created was significant.

It was enough to fuel the fans’ expectations, so they hoped it would be the same this time as well.

It put pressure on the Braves, but Lee Jung-woo didn’t care.

‘I just have to do my best. My condition is good anyway. My hitting is in full swing.’

He believed in his skills.

After a short slump, his senses had definitely improved.

And that was evident in the last game against the Giants.

He had recorded 10 RBIs [Runs Batted In] during the series alone.

And he confidently hit a home run against one of the best pitchers in the league, a home run that went into the sea.

Thanks to that, Lee Jung-woo’s confidence was at its peak.

‘I’m good enough to make it in the majors.’

He gained that conviction.

Until now, he had been a little worried that the bubble might burst.

But now he realized that this was not a bubble, but his skill.

That’s why he was just purely looking forward to the match against the Mets.

Wouldn’t it be nice to raise the team’s ranking with his own skills?

‘Let’s just do what I’ve been doing.’

That’s what Lee Jung-woo thought.

But the big leagues were not easy.

####

The bright light of the electric lamp brightly illuminated the scouting room.

Time passed slowly.

Originally, they would just give a brief explanation, organize the data, and hand it over.

But since it was a game with the rankings on the line, the scout explained to the Mets’ coaching staff with a serious face.

“As you know, the Braves’ main players are Joey Fredman and Derek Hunt. Usually, Derek would get on base, and Joey would drive him in.”

Just as this series had a special meaning for the Braves.

It was the same for the Mets.

They were busy trying to catch up with the Phillies.

And they had no intention of being held back by their neighbor, who was recklessly running wild after adding a ridiculous rookie.

“Actually, is there anything more than Joey? Aren’t they all just so-so?”

“Why? Mason does pretty well, right? Isn’t he coming out in the second game of this series?”

“He may be an ace, but he’s a second starter if it’s just a top team. I guess it’s because he’s getting old. His velocity is slowly dropping.”

But the atmosphere was chaotic.

The coaching staff was busy exchanging opinions.

And the manager was the only one who was somewhat focused.

In fact, to be honest, the Mets had no interest in the Braves.

They were not competitors.

They always maintained third place.

Looking at the rankings, there was a difference of one or sometimes two steps.

But in terms of game difference, they were far below.

That had been repeated for several years.

And in fact, it was the same this year.

Recently, they seemed to be gaining some momentum.

Nevertheless, the coaches didn’t think this series would be that difficult.

But the scout saw the Braves’ momentum as threatening.

The more he looked into it, the more dangerous it became.

‘They cleaned up the sh*t in defense properly. And since June, they’ve even added a masterpiece.’

First of all, the sh*t-stains like Ray Garza and Darren Robson were gone.

Garza, who had a different weight in the plate unlike Darren, was gone.

But even so, the weight was not reduced.

Because the replacement, Poppin, fit in perfectly.

In addition, with the emergence of a rookie named Lee, it eventually exploded completely.

‘In addition, the lineup is on fire. The batting average has increased since May. But the scoring ability is no joke. Just by adding one rookie, it’s changed seriously.’

He looked around at the still lukewarm people.

Then he put the results on the screen.

“But there’s one more thing that’s been added. Jungwoo Lee. Everyone knows. Because it’s the reason why our pushover neighbors have become noisy.”

Jungwoo Lee.

47 plate appearances, 42 at-bats, 17 hits, 6 home runs, 22 RBIs, 5 walks. An overwhelming slugging percentage with a batting average of over 40% and the power of a bull.

He was the best player on the Braves right now, no matter what anyone said.

Even Joey Fredman’s performance was insignificant compared to the results he had achieved right now.

No, in the first place, Joey couldn’t be compared to Lee right now.

Lee was the player who was competing with the monster Vincent Harding for Player of the Month.

As his record came up, the coaches who had been chaotic changed their eyes.

“The percentage of runs he’s been involved in among the scores the Braves have scored recently is overwhelming. He struggled a bit in the games against the Marlins and Cardinals. But he soared again in the game against the Giants. As everyone knows.”

“Hmm… he’s good. Especially his batting stance is clean.”

“It’s amazing, seeing that he has good power with that stance.”

“He’s just a rookie anyway. He’ll shine for a while and then fall quickly, right?”

“He may be good at defense later on. But I think we should think of his batting as having a bit of a bubble.”

The scout who glared at some of the coaches who spoke negatively shook his head firmly.

“No, it’s not a bubble. No, there may be some bubble to some extent. But it won’t be as big as you think.”

Soon the scout played the video.

The coaches watched it with uncomfortable faces.

In the video, Lee was hitting home runs against the best pitchers in the major leagues.

Too easily.

The manager fiddled with his beard for no reason at the powerful appearance that made the back of his neck feel chilly.

“His strength is simple. He produces fast and high-quality hits with fast bat speed and powerful punching power. You can see that just by looking at the average speed of the hit, which is 94.3 miles.”

The league average hit speed was 87-88 miles.

Considering that Joey Fredman, a hitter on the same team, was 91 miles.

Lee’s hit speed was insane.

The funny thing was that not many of them were properly contacted.

He knew how to produce such hits purely with power alone.

But strangely, he even makes proper contact with the curve.

In fact, the average hit speed is 94.3 miles.

But when looking at the curve alone, you can see that the average is close to 100 miles.

“With the basic tools and the characteristic of being strong against the curve. He’s recording amazing results like now.”

“His batting average against the curve is over 50%. Huh, is that possible? Is there some kind of mechanical device attached?”

The pitching coach grumbled, biting his lip as he watched Ilya Danilov’s beautiful curve being produced with a strange posture, and such a dirty and cool hit that went over.

After that, the atmosphere became even more uncomfortable for the scout who only listed the advantages.

The manager, who had been calmly listening to him, raised his hand and asked.

“I already know he’s good. I can’t not know. He’s one of the hottest players in the league right now. So what’s the way to stop him? Well, I already have a guess.”

The scout smiled and put one indicator on the screen.

The Mets’ manager nodded briefly as he looked at it.

It seemed that his thoughts and the scout’s thoughts were the same.

Lee, he’s a really good player, and he’s a promising young gun.

But the manager thought this series was an exception.

####

Lee Jung-woo’s impression of Citi Field was simple.

‘Pitchers must be happy as I’ve heard.’

The stadium with a vast outfield and a strangely shaped right fence, as can be seen in the park factor [a statistic showing how a park affects offensive and defensive stats].

It smiled brightly at the pitchers.

Oracle Park, where he had played just before, was pitcher-friendly for a slightly external reason called sea breeze.

Citi Field was a pitcher-friendly place for a very orthodox reason that the outfield itself was deep and wide.

Lee Jung-woo, who was now used to being a hitter, looked at the stadium with a slightly bitter look.

He had a bad feeling for some reason.

“How is it? Can you hit it over here too? Even Joey just complains when he comes here.”

Derek approached and asked with a smile, wondering if it was strange that he was suddenly looking around the stadium while warming up.

Lee Jung-woo smiled.

“It’s just a baseball stadium anyway. There’s nothing I can’t do. I have to keep up the good momentum. I’m just going to do what I usually do.”

“It’s good to see you so confident. Keep doing that.”

Lee Jung-woo, who said that, went into the game without much thought.

But when he went up to the plate for the first time in the top of the second inning, he frowned.

He had emptied his head.

But the opponent didn’t.

Looking at the spider web being cast on the ground the moment he stepped onto the plate.

[Lee is up to bat, and the Mets are shifting their defense. It’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?]

[Since Lee’s pull rate is almost ninety percent. There are many balls going to the right fence. So they’re going to block that as much as possible. The Mets are being tough on the rookie.]

[That means the Mets recognize Lee that much. Now, let’s see how the game goes….]

The commentators, who couldn’t help but be biased towards the Braves, clicked their tongues.

Lee Jung-woo was dumbfounded.

‘Why are there two right fielders? Did the rules change while I was sleeping last night?’

Lee Jung-woo rubbed his eyes, but the second right fielder, or more precisely, the center fielder who had moved his position, did not disappear.

He let out a hollow laugh.

Defensive shift [a strategic realignment of fielders to counter a batter’s tendencies].

The way the Mets found to stop Lee Jung-woo was simple.

It was to move the entire defensive formation to the right fence.

The center fielder suddenly became the second right fielder in the stadium.

The left fielder moved to the center, becoming the left-center fielder.

It was nothing more than a custom-made snipe for Lee Jung-woo.

It was the Mets’ recognition.

The Mets recognized that Lee Jung-woo’s momentum was so good that he even had a defensive shift.

Thank you very much.

But honestly, Lee Jung-woo wanted to reject such recognition.

‘I’m a bit extreme, but still, that’s too much.’

Lee Jung-woo also admitted.

That he had almost always pulled the ball until now.

He had worked hard on that side.

And he insisted on it because it fit well and the results were good.

He looked at the defensive shift that properly pointed that out with difficulty.

But soon he grabbed the bat tightly.

It’s just difficult, but not to the point where he can’t overcome it.

‘The way to break the defensive shift is simple. Just hit it harder and break through.’

Stronger and faster table tennis.

In the end, that’s the truth.

Whether you pass it or not.

If you send a hit that the defense can’t catch in any way, it’ll just work out.

‘Let’s do it as usual, as usual.’

Lee Jung-woo, who repeated it like a spell.

But he soon realized that he shouldn’t do it as usual.

‘Four-seam curve, slider, changeup, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever show me the curve. Is he going to throw a slider this time too?’

The battle continued for the 6th pitch.

The pitcher was being picky.

He was actively using the slider, putting Lee Jung-woo in a corner.

Two and two [count of two balls and two strikes].

It was a situation where a strike would be a strikeout.

So it was a little disadvantageous for the hitter.

But Lee Jung-woo, who had seen the ball enough, looked up at the pitcher indifferently without any tension as usual.

The pitcher was sweating profusely.

Lee Jung-woo smacked his lips at the pitcher who glared at him for no reason when their eyes met.

Soon he hit the ball he threw.

‘Slider, but it’s worth hitting.’

It was a course that was going out.

But it wasn’t that far.

Lee Jung-woo, who turned his waist with force as it was, hit the end of the bat with the ball.

[He hit it! Is it big?]

‘Okay, it’s going to the fence. 2nd base will be enough.’

Lee Jung-woo thought that the hit that would have passed the right fielder and rolled to the fence as usual would be similar this time as well.

But the result was just an outfield fly.

The center fielder, who had divided the right side of the stadium up and down with the right fielder, caught the ball without walking a few steps.

‘He catches it so easily.’

Lee Jung-woo, who had run hard and passed first base.

He stopped in place with a dumbfounded expression and trudged back to the bench.

‘They’re doing all sorts of things to the rookie.’

Lee Jung-woo, who was a little annoyed that the hit that would have been a long hit was caught in vain.

But he softened his heart at the words of Gary Winters that he heard as he was returning to the dugout.

“These bastards… does that mean I’m not even in their eyes?”

When he turned his head, the defensive position was back to normal.

He felt a little better when he saw that.

‘Okay, let’s think positively. Lee Jung-woo has made it. I’m getting this kind of treatment too.’

Lee Jung-woo tried to erase the scene from his head while thinking that.

But he couldn’t completely shake off the unpleasant feeling he felt behind his neck.