Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 75

Pitchers Out, Hitters In – 74

Coors Field, in and of itself, wasn’t a terrible stadium for hitters.

With its wide outfield, it wasn’t easy to defend, making it a place where extra-base hits were likely to occur.

However, combined with the dry, low-density air caused by its location at an altitude of 5,280 feet (1609 meters), it led to a decline in pitching quality. Due to low air resistance, batted balls traveled farther than in other stadiums.

The result was Coors Field, an overwhelmingly hitter-friendly stadium that was nothing short of hell for pitchers.

Unfortunately, Lee Jungwoo had to experience these characteristics of Coors not at the plate, but during the bottom of the 1st inning on defense.

“You all noticed your swings were bigger than usual, right? Don’t get excited; let’s stay calm.”

“Yes, Coach. We were being foolish.”

“Right, winning the game is the real revenge. Everyone understand?”

Perhaps because they were too excited, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hitters, Rollins, Derrick, and Joey, all hit ground balls in succession.

Lee Jungwoo, who didn’t even get to bat as their first attack ended in a quick three outs, had to experience Coors Field on defense first.

“Watch closely! I’ll show you real hitting!”

“We can’t hit weakly like you Braves! Gotta swing big and clear!”

As the bottom of the 1st inning began,

The fans shouted excitedly, but the Rockies players betrayed them.

Rodrigo was experiencing some control issues, but ironically, the opposing team’s batters swung at those pitches,

resulting in ground balls.

[It’s going towards the gap between third base and shortstop. Can Lee grab it?]

“Mine!”

And handling such ground balls was too easy for the Braves.

Because they had a Gold Glove second baseman and a shortstop who was considered to be nearly as good.

Lee Jungwoo, calling out loudly, snatched the rolling ball and fired it to first base,

and with that, the second out of the top of the 1st inning was recorded.

‘This is more intense than I thought?’

It was an easy ground ball,

and he hadn’t even walked many steps,

but Lee Jungwoo chuckled at how quickly he was getting winded.

It wasn’t just good for the hitters, it seemed. That wasn’t wrong.

‘This is no joke.’

As he gasped for breath, experiencing the mysteries of Coors Field,

the crowd quieted down a bit.

They had expected more, but with two outs recorded in an instant, they were embarrassed.

But that silence didn’t last long.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

‘The main character is coming up.’

The opposing team’s cleanup hitter was slowly making his way to the plate.

####

A physique as solid as if carved from stone, with excellent balance.

And the appearance of the hitter, boasting arms full of hair like a wild animal, caused Coors Field, which had been trying to quiet down, to roar again.

“Bernstein! Bernstein!”

“Wolverine! Wolverine!”

“Bernstein! Teach them a lesson!”

“Bernstein! Bernstein!”

Roman Bernstein.

As Denver’s hero appeared, the crowd shouted in unison,

and some young children even let out high-pitched cries like sopranos.

He was, literally, a hero to the Rockies.

His skills were a factor, but he also had a special story.

‘He’s an amazing player. Honestly, I can understand why the Rockies fans are so upset.’

Debuting in the 29th season, he was one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year in the National League at the time.

While enjoying such success, he collided with the catcher’s blocking while running the bases,

breaking his arm and sidelining him for nine months, which saddened many baseball fans.

Not only was the Rookie of the Year award a loss, but there was also the risk of a promising player’s baseball career ending.

But defying such concerns, he returned in just three months, helping the team’s Wild Card race and rising to stardom.

In the end, the Rockies narrowly missed the postseason due to their win rate,

but he became a hero to the Rockies by showing hustle until the end and achieving good results.

His abundant hair and quick recovery from injury made it seem like he had a healing factor,

earning him the nickname “Wolverine.”

Since then, he has consistently performed well,

and Lee Jungwoo’s eyes were fixed on the player who had become the Rockies’ franchise star.

‘He has 41 home runs, but when you think about it, he’s more of an accurate contact hitter than a power hitter.’

He was considered one of the league’s leading power hitters,

but most experts classified him as a contact hitter.

He boasts precise hitting, not just pulling the ball, but also pushing it well,

and because he spreads the ball evenly across the field, his batting average is also good.

His high home run total is also much higher at Coors Field, and he doesn’t even hit half as many on the road.

In fact, his hitting style itself was ambiguous to be considered a power hitter.

But that’s why he was often highly regarded.

Not just a great player at Coors Field, but even if he went somewhere else,

his home runs might decrease, but his hitting would remain consistently good.

‘I need to learn from that. I need to master that kind of hitting.’

What if Lee Jungwoo’s own power was combined with his precise hitting?

It was quite exciting, so Lee Jungwoo focused on him.

He was trying to learn something, anything.

Perhaps sensing that gaze,

Bernstein, who had been adjusting his bat, turned his head and looked at Lee Jungwoo.

Lee Jungwoo didn’t avoid his steady gaze,

and the two of them looked at each other before turning away, almost simultaneously.

‘He’s basically a left-handed hitter, but he’s a spray hitter, so he can send the ball anywhere. The fans are expecting a home run, so he might reverse course and lightly push it to the opposite field.’

After thinking, Lee Jungwoo tensed up, ready to spring into action at any moment,

and the ensuing battle went on for quite a while.

It wasn’t that the hitter was cutting the ball or that today’s starting pitcher, Rodrigo, was being difficult.

It was just control issues.

‘He was doing that to the previous hitters too. At this point, it’s a real control problem. They say control gets harder at Coors Field, and it’s true.’

Rodrigo Albelda was certainly not a pitcher with great ball control,

but he was at least a player who knew how to throw strikes.

But in this at-bat, he was pitching like a rookie pitcher who had just debuted.

He couldn’t even get it inside the zone.

It had been like this throughout the 1st inning, so Lee Jungwoo wasn’t surprised and just focused on the at-bat.

The crowd booed the mound at the continued balls.

“Woooooo! Are you dodging? Are you scared of giving up a home run?”

“Be a man and face him properly! Don’t dodge and throw!”

“Cut off your balls! My daughter is more of a man than you!”

Rodrigo, who had been glaring at the fans who were cursing him so enthusiastically even though it was only the 1st inning, adjusted his hat with a frustrated expression.

Soon, he competed properly, as they wanted.

The umpire immediately called a strike as a ball that slightly grazed the outside of the plate for a left-handed hitter came in,

and Rodrigo weakly uppercutted as if he had finally found his rhythm.

It was a bit unsightly to act like that after finally getting one strike,

but Lee Jungwoo could understand.

‘It feels great when you finally get one in after not being able to find your rhythm. And then they keep coming in similarly after that. But… I’m a little worried. He watched it properly.’

“Don’t worry about the crowd! Take it slow! Just trust us like you have been!”

Derrick encouraged Rodrigo,

but a faint worry also appeared on his face.

No, not just him.

The Braves players who had watched the at-bat properly all had the same thought.

Bernstein had watched the previous strike properly.

As if to prove that their eyes weren’t wrong,

Bernstein quickly swung,

timing the ball that was coming in.

Thwack-

A clean hit rang out.

The crowd shouted.

The well-hit ball soared.

“It’s going!”

“Good shot! Good shot! Good shot!”

It was a beautiful sound,

and the crowd cheered loudly as they heard it,

but it soon became premature.

‘I can catch it.’

Because Lee Jungwoo moved.

Lee Jungwoo’s body, which had been preparing in advance, stirred, and his feet powerfully pushed off the ground.

[Bernstein swings! He hit it-]

[Lee! Lee Lee Lee Lee Lee!]

[He caught it! Lee caught it! Why did he catch that? How did he catch that?]

Lee Jungwoo’s outstretched left-handed glove, diving to the side, caught the bullet-like ball.

After falling spectacularly, kicking up dust around him,

Lee Jungwoo quickly got up again and shook the ball in his glove as if showing it off to the umpire, and the crowd seemed to have lost their voices.

“Th- Th- Th- Th-”

“What the f-”

“No, no, what is this-”

They were all unable to finish their sentences, only muttering low sounds.

Bernstein also looked at Lee Jungwoo for a moment, as he had before the at-bat,

then clicked his tongue regretfully and stepped away from the plate.

‘It’s fine if you’re good at what you do. But I can’t stand you sending the ball my way.’

His mentality was so well-trained,

that he didn’t care about the boos he was getting today,

but honestly, he was still human.

He couldn’t help but want to throw mud at the players and team that the crowd, who were showering him with boos, loved so much.

So, although Lee Jungwoo didn’t say it out loud,

he warned the Colorado Rockies players with his eyes.

Until the many people filling the stadium shut up, or until he was satisfied,

they shouldn’t even think about sending the ball this way.

“Ugh, I’m gonna die.”

Lee Jungwoo, who had glared so coolly, groaned.

He wasn’t hurt from falling.

He was just too winded.

The rebound he got was incomparable to when he made the same play elsewhere,

and Derrick gave Lee Jungwoo, who was breathing heavily, a worried look as if asking if he was okay.

Lee Jungwoo, answering with a light thumbs-up, scratched his beardless chin.

‘It’s even more exciting than I heard. It’ll be amazing at the plate too.’

It was harder than usual, but he preferred it that way.

Since it was the same as what he had heard on defense,

wouldn’t it be the same at the plate?

His stamina was great because he was young,

so Lee Jungwoo looked forward to the Coors buff [a performance boost due to the stadium’s unique conditions],

and returned to the dugout.

####

After the bottom of the 1st inning,

the Braves hitters, returning to the dugout to prepare for the change of offense and defense, were quiet.

They silently grabbed their bats or put on their helmets, and their eyes, glancing at the stands, were cold,

but they were still full of simmering anger.

They wanted to return the curses and boos they had been hearing since entering the stadium.

Perhaps that emotion was too strong in the top of the 1st inning,

which is why the hitters all ended up grounding out together.

[Fourth hitter Rollins is coming to the plate with an even more determined expression than usual.]

[He’s really angry. Actually, the viewers can’t hear it well, but the boos are still incredible right now. Players are human, so it’s inevitable that they get angry.]

[I’m a little worried. The hitters were similar in the top of the 1st inning. I wonder if their swings got bigger because they were too emotional, which is why they went down in three outs?]

[Yes, I understand, but they still shouldn’t get too caught up in their emotions.]

The commentators watched the hitters with slightly worried eyes,

but were soon relieved to see Peterson persistently holding back.

[Peterson calmly picks his pitch.]

[Fortunately, he seems to have regained his composure. I hope it stays like this.]

As expected, Peterson patiently endured the breaking ball that was trying to induce a ground ball and walked to first base,

but soon expressed his emotions without hiding them after stepping on first base.

With a very excited face, he stomped hard on the base and then applauded Lee Jungwoo, who was coming up from the on-deck circle, as if showing off.

[Ah, Peterson seems to be encouraging Lee like a veteran.]

[Lee has also been suffering a lot from public opinion. He’s telling him not to be intimidated by such things. It’s a good look.]

[Yes, that’s how it should be. Cold at the plate, passionate in support. That’s the right answer.]

Since it was a Braves broadcast,

the commentators explained it in a positive light and praised Peterson,

but the person who received that encouragement was blushing.

‘No, what is he doing?’

To be honest, he was a little embarrassed.

He was already a somewhat simple and lighthearted person,

but why was a grown adult acting like a five-year-old?

Lee Jungwoo couldn’t understand,

and tried his best not to look towards first base.

“Wow, he’s a cocky rookie; it seems like that’s not wrong? A senior is doing that; he should at least say hello.”

Such efforts quickly faded due to the catcher teasing him as soon as he stepped up to the plate.

Lee Jungwoo, glaring at the catcher who was smiling and joking, said in a low voice.

“Put yourself in my shoes. How would you feel if a teammate did that to you?”

“Well, I would seriously recommend psychiatric counseling.”

“Yeah, so shut up and focus on the game. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Fortunately, whether it was because he had a good personality,

or because he looked pitiful as he sighed,

Lee Jungwoo, who was able to fully concentrate on the game thanks to the catcher who quickly shut his mouth, observed the pitcher.

The Rockies’ fourth starter on the mound right now was, simply put, below average.

Even considering the pitchers’ Coors debuff,

his stats were a bit serious.

‘He’ll either be demoted to the fifth starter when the second half starts, or he’ll be kicked out to the bullpen altogether. No, he might even be sent down to the minors.’

He might rebound,

but Lee Jungwoo didn’t see much potential.

It wasn’t for any other reason.

It’s just that the pitcher’s skills were lacking.

‘Everyone was just too excited and messed up in the top of the 1st inning. The ball was just okay, according to the data. Being a left-handed pitcher is a bit tricky. The sinker’s velocity is quite fast at 95 mph, but it’s bland and ordinary. The two-seamer is just so-so. The fastball is as good as non-existent. The curveball is pretty good, but it doesn’t apply to me.’

Simply put, that pitcher was a perfect match for Lee Jungwoo.

Overwhelming power combined with the Coors buff,

and the opposing pitcher’s quality is bland? Even a curveballer?

Lee Jungwoo thought the heavens were helping him.

‘Alright, let’s hit my 9th home run.’

Lee Jungwoo tapped his helmet with the end of his bat and then twirled it around, provoking the pitcher,

and the pitcher, who had been making a frustrated expression, shook his head several times.

It seemed like he was worried because the hitter was so confident.

Lee Jungwoo watched the pitcher with a soft smile to ease his tension(?),

and the pitcher, seeing that, seemed to make a decision and took his stance with a determined expression before throwing the ball.

‘Fastball, sinker? Two-seamer? Four-seamer?’

The ball was coming in like a fastball.

Lee Jungwoo hesitated a bit because there were so many fastballs he could throw, but he soon picked one.

‘It’s a sinker.’

He was full of confidence.

Lee Jungwoo, judging that he was trying to use that to aim for a double play, drew his bat straight along the sinker’s course.

A tremendous swing diagonally cut across home plate.

The catcher’s eyes widened.

Some of the spectators slapped their thighs as if harming themselves.

‘He’s really pulling it.’

Lee Jungwoo pulled the bat that had hit the ball all the way through,

and the swing that went over his head sent the ball flying like a cannon.

Paah-

A smooth hitting sound rang out,

and Lee Jungwoo, who had hit the ball, was a little taken aback as he watched the flying ball.

[It’s flying! It’s big! It’s huge! It’s incredibly huge!]

[It’s going over, it’s definitely going over. If this doesn’t go over, I’ll quit my job as a commentator.]

[It finally goes over! Lee’s two-run home run turns the game around! He hits his 9th home run at Coors Field, and the score is now 2-0. The Braves take the lead.]

‘Uh… uh? It’s going that far?’

He definitely didn’t seem to put more power into it than usual,

but the distance was extraordinary.

He wondered if it was really going to go over the stadium like that.

Unfortunately, it didn’t,

but the ball flew so far that it could have been an out-of-the-park home run if he had put a little more power into it.

“Ahem. Are you going to get out of here now?”

“Ah, sorry.”

Lee Jungwoo, who had been blankly looking back and forth between the ball and his left arm because he was so amazed by it, finally came to his senses at the catcher’s cough and was about to start running the bases,

“Get out of here, you X bastard!”

“A rookie is watching the ball? You want to die? Should I make a bullet hole in your head?”

“Wear two helmets next at-bat. A headshot is coming.”

Annoyance surged at the boos directed at him.

He glanced down at his bat.

A famous internet saying suddenly came to mind.

‘If someone hates you for no reason, then make sure to give them that X-like reason.’

That’s a great saying.

Lee Jungwoo thought so.

It was a criticism that would disappear someday,

but it was true that he was angry right now.

Since things had come to this, it seemed like it would be good to give them a real reason.

‘I’m getting cursed anyway. What can’t I do?’

He would have gently put down the bat normally, but Lee Jungwoo threw the bat with all his might as if showing off.

[Oh? Lee is doing a bat flip [a celebratory action where a batter flips their bat after hitting the ball] ?]

[Oh, that’s very cool. It’s a beautiful bat flip. He’s been getting cursed at constantly right now. There’s no reason to just listen, right?]

[I’m worried that he’s creating an excuse… but he threw it really coolly.]

The commentators lightly admired the bat that flew much more beautifully than the soaring ball,

and the home fans had a blank look like people who had their souls taken away.

“Did it go over?”

“No, why is that bastard before Bernstein…”

“That bat flip was amazing….”

Because it flew so cleanly,

even the Rockies fans chuckled and admired it,

but the catcher was different.

He glared at Lee Jungwoo with a betrayed expression, as if saying, ‘I was considerate enough for you, how could you do that?’

Lee Jungwoo, feeling sorry, slightly bowed his head to him and then leisurely circled the bases, thinking.

‘Coors… is good?’

He really liked it here.