Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 76

“What’s with the sudden provocation?”

“It was too noisy.”

“Good job. Our youngest is really boosting our morale.”

Derek, who came out to greet him, seemed satisfied with Lee Jung-woo’s response.

He patted him with a somewhat pleased expression.

But the players who rushed in afterward weren’t so kind.

Lee Jung-woo had to silently endure the merciless onslaught.

A chilling voice flew and pierced his back as he forced his way through his teammates toward the dugout.

“Lee, good job, but be careful. What were you thinking?”

Coulson, the hitting coach, seemed worried about the fierce atmosphere.

He lightly chided Lee Jung-woo.

But he was indifferent.

The other side started the attack first for a ridiculous reason.

There was no need to just listen, so Lee Jung-woo didn’t regret his actions.

“Be careful. Prepare well so you don’t get hit in the bones.”

As if giving up on that reaction.

Lee Jung-woo smiled at the hitting coach’s realistic advice and briefly looked around the field.

The gazes some players were sending him were truly icy.

Lee Jung-woo was dumbfounded.

‘Anyone would think I hit a pitcher with a bat or something.’

Honestly, bat flips aren’t a big deal in the major leagues these days.

The issue of fairness has become serious due to the suppression of a batter’s expression of emotion.

Also, cool bat flips captivate fans.

Thanks to the league’s promotion for the sake of the league’s success, the rigid atmosphere has eased, and many players do it these days.

Even Arthur Hunter, one of the league’s best superstars.

His signature stylish bat flip was like his trademark.

Of course, the difference in status between veterans and rookies is enormous.

But anyway, it’s not an unforgivable act like it used to be.

That’s why Lee Jung-woo couldn’t understand the animosity toward him.

‘Let them do what they want. I’m going to throw my bat hard, at least in Coors [Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, known for its hitter-friendly environment due to the altitude].’

He doesn’t particularly enjoy bat flips, but Lee Jung-woo thought this series would be different.

Vowing to go all the way since he started.

He rested with a calm face as usual, but he was a little nervous.

“Lee may look like that, but he’s a man, a real man. Look at how he provokes them.”

“Didn’t you see him watching the trajectory? He watched it for a few seconds after it went over.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to stand it if I were the Rockies.”

“It’s amazing they didn’t jump out.”

“They missed the timing. They probably didn’t know a rookie would act so boldly.”

Voices began to murmur from beside him.

There was some laughter mixed in.

Most of it was just teasing.

“Get the pain relief patches ready in advance.”

“We won’t need bandages, will we?”

“You might want to bring them just in case. He could get hit in the bone.”

“He might get hit in the head, shouldn’t we call an ambulance in advance?”

“Forget that, we need to run out there first.”

“Ah, I’ve been feeling a bit stiff lately… well, it’s our youngest’s business. Time to use my fists for the first time in a while.”

“I’ll grab the pitcher, you do the one-two hook, okay?”

As if his ceremony had relieved their feelings.

The Braves players had slightly softened faces.

But Lee Jung-woo wasn’t happy.

Instead of venting their anger on the crowd.

They chose to tease him.

Deliberately loud.

Lee Jung-woo shook his head at his teammates’ behavior of chattering next to the bench where he was sitting.

“Hey, do you have to talk like that next to me, scaring me?”

“Oh, his spirit is good, I like it. This is what the Braves are all about.”

“I think he just doesn’t know the power of a dead ball [a pitch that hits a batter].”

“He’s still young, he doesn’t know how much the ball hurts.”

“He’ll think differently when he sees the bruises later. Be prepared.”

“It’s good he’s young, though. They heal quickly at that age, right? No worries about a loss of power.”

At his words, the players chattered even more.

Some even smirked.

The most unsettling kind were the ones looking at him with an indescribable sense of pride.

Among them was Peterson, who had worked hard to embarrass him in the previous at-bat.

He was looking at Lee Jung-woo with warm eyes, as if he were looking at a grown-up son.

‘I’d rather get hit quickly. I can’t stand this creepiness.’

####

Perhaps because his two-run home run was the trigger.

Thanks to both teams engaging in a refreshing slugfest.

His at-bat came around again in the top of the 4th with one out.

The scoreboard was already boasting a score of 5 to 4.

Before going to bat.

Lee Jung-woo had to listen to advice from the coach and teammates.

“Try to get hit in the butt as much as possible. That’s the least painful.”

“If it flies towards your wrist or head, dodge it no matter what. And you know, if that happens, we’re all running out there no matter what. Be tense.”

It wasn’t exactly the warmest kind of advice.

“My son, you’re finally becoming a real man. Get hit like a man and come back. And let’s have a beer together after the game, son. I’m proud of you.”

“Please be quiet.”

Lee Jung-woo, who briefly shouted at Peterson, who patted his shoulder and smiled contentedly, soon went up to bat and looked around the ground as usual.

‘Joey is on second base. Scoring would be possible with just a fly ball… but it’s impossible.’

Lee Jung-woo made eye contact with Joey on second base.

He thought about scoring additional points, but soon gave up.

Looking at the atmosphere that welcomed him, he wouldn’t be swinging this at-bat.

“Wooooooo!”

“You Son of Bit-”

“Hey! hey, you mother-”

“Are you ready to get one in the head!”

‘They’re making such a fuss over one bat flip. Well, if I think about it, it wasn’t just a bat flip.’

He was a little dazed by the ball that went further than he thought, and he ended up watching the trajectory unintentionally.

So it was true that the people who were hit were a little unpleasant.

Even so, it was too much, so Lee Jung-woo frowned.

Soon he had to be fully prepared.

“Our pitcher is going to have ‘a little’ trouble with his control right now. You know that, right?”

“Why don’t you just say you’re going to throw it at my head? That’s more honest.”

“So you know you did something wrong?”

“Not at all.”

As if more angry at his dignified appearance.

The catcher who had been betrayed by Lee Jung-woo gnashed his teeth loudly enough for Lee Jung-woo to hear.

Lee Jung-woo focused his gaze on the pitcher’s fingertips as much as possible.

‘He’ll be ejected right away, so he won’t do that, but if it flies towards my head, I have to dodge it no matter what.’

He had already prepared to get hit and threw the bat.

He also knew that this atmosphere would be resolved only if he got hit by a dead ball.

So he was willing to endure some pain.

But not a headshot.

Lee Jung-woo was very nervous, wondering if the pitcher would slip and throw the ball at his head.

In that situation, the referee gave a slight warning.

“You know it’s very unpleasant for me to say that in front of me, right?”

“I’m just giving a warning. His control is strangely off. He’s just overreacting.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

The catcher lengthened his words as if making an excuse, and Lee Jung-woo apologized briefly.

‘He’s not really trying to stop me. He just said the usual things.’

In Lee Jung-woo’s view, the referee’s restraint was for his own protection.

In case things get bigger.

He’s pretending to say that he stopped him.

He built the image he wanted and then stopped talking, so you could see.

If it were Korean professional baseball.

He would be ejected as soon as a beanball [a pitch deliberately thrown at the batter’s head] came out in this atmosphere.

But it’s like an unwritten rule.

Because it was a slightly more lenient major league.

Follow-up measures would also end with a light warning.

Knowing that, Lee Jung-woo gave up.

‘I can’t help it. I guess I have no choice but to get hit.’

As expected, the referee didn’t care, as if telling them to do it themselves.

He didn’t show any additional gestures.

‘Here it comes. Fortunately, it’s not high.’

The pitcher threw the ball.

Lee Jung-woo, who estimated the course, turned his body slightly and took it with his butt.

With his athletic ability.

He could have avoided it if he wanted to, but he didn’t bother.

To prevent any further talk.

He had to show that he had paid the price.

In fact, the audience seemed quite satisfied.

“This is justice!”

“Justice has been served.”

“He should have hit him in the head! What’s with that control!”

“If you do that crap like that again, it’ll be a headshot next time. Be careful, kid!”

The audience cheered, shouting the slogan of justice.

Lee Jung-woo acted calmly.

He gestured to his teammates, who were on standby to jump out at any moment, that he was okay.

He trudged to first base.

To be honest.

‘It hurts more than I thought. They said the butt is the least painful. How much does it hurt if you get hit somewhere else?’

He wanted to rub his butt right away.

He had never been hit by a ball before, so he underestimated it a bit.

Moreover, the pitcher’s speed wasn’t that fast.

But this was much more stinging than he expected.

“Good job. Is there anything uncomfortable? I’ll replace you right away, so be honest.”

“I’m okay, I just got hit in the flesh. It stings a little, but it won’t interfere with my play.”

“Yeah, it hurts and you’re angry, but let’s pay it back at the plate.”

“Yes, we should.”

When Lee Jung-woo stepped on the base, the first base coach came over and gently massaged his shoulder to calm him down.

Lee Jung-woo nodded briefly.

Fortunately, the Rockies bench didn’t want to make a big deal out of it either.

It was a routine beanball.

Considering that, it seemed like the pitcher put a little effort into it.

Anyway, it wasn’t a very dangerous kind, so he didn’t feel too bad.

There was a little annoyance.

‘Beanball, I’ll pay you back double, no, squared.’

Lee Jung-woo was going to pay it back with a hit, just like the first base coach said.

In fact, the series that started with Lee Jung-woo’s home run.

He underwent a new change by getting hit by a dead ball.

####

Thwack-

Lee Jung-woo properly kept the resolve he had made while getting hit by the dead ball.

He poured out hits like an overheated cannon.

The Rockies’ defense easily collapsed under his barrage of hits.

“Run! Get everyone in!”

“Yes! Yes!”

[Lee is hitting again! Third base runner Derek scores! Second base runner Joey also enters home comfortably! Lee’s two-RBI hit! The game score is now 11 to 7. The Braves are pulling further away from the Rockies’ pursuit!]

Top of the 9th. Lee Jung-woo, who went up to bat for the fifth time in the Braves’ last attack, stabbed a dagger into the Rockies’ hearts until the very end.

The caster shouted with blood in his neck.

That’s because Lee Jung-woo shone brighter than any other player in today’s game.

[The Braves were holding a precarious lead. Lee added fuel again. It’s a little disappointing that there was a headwind. If not, it would have been a home run. The angle and speed of the ball were ideal.]

The first game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies was a slugfest filled with Coors buff [the increased offensive output at Coors Field due to the altitude].

Both teams swung their bats like crazy and showed off their long hits as if boasting to each other.

The result was despair for the home fans.

“Ah, seriously. What the hell is that bastard?”

“No, why does he keep getting hits? Even if it’s a home run.”

“At least induce a ground ball!”

Unfortunately, he couldn’t get into home from second base.

The head coach greeted Lee Jung-woo, who returned to the dugout for a change of offense and defense, with a smile.

“You’re in good form today?”

“I’m turning anger into fuel. And this is a pretty good stadium.”

At the coach’s words, Lee Jung-woo answered while taking a big breath of the oxygen respirator in the bench.

The pitchers were busy glaring at him for his bold words.

Lee Jung-woo was serious.

The chilly atmosphere pouring out on him was still annoying.

But he quite liked Coors Field itself.

‘The ball goes further than usual. I wish all stadiums were like this… then the pitchers would go on strike.’

Lee Jung-woo glanced at Coors Field.

‘Should I come here if I get traded or if the front office is stingy in FA [Free Agency, when a player is eligible to sign with any team]?’

It’s a very distant future.

If the situation is okay.

He thought it would be okay to come here.

It was a reactionary thought that Pratt and Braves fans would have foamed at the mouth if they knew.

Fortunately, such a thing would not happen because there is no machine that reads people’s minds even now that technology has advanced.

‘Also, my hitting feel is pretty good. It’s coming up properly.’

Even though it was only one game.

He recorded a monstrous record of 5 at-bats, 4 hits, 1 home run, 6 RBIs [Runs Batted In], and 1 HBP [Hit By Pitch].

The fact that the Coors stadium suited him well also played a part.

His rising hitting feel also played a part.

‘I like this series more than I thought. If I do well, I might be able to raise my stats a lot.’

When Lee Jung-woo nodded with a satisfied expression.

The pitchers were busy glaring at him.

“This bastard is having fun alone while we’re suffering like this?”

“Haa, Lee, you should come here as a pitcher and you won’t say that Coors is good.”

“No, why did those Rockies X bastards build a stadium in a place like this and X?”

“Why? I quite like it. I don’t like the people. And the hometown is Denver in the first place. Where else would you build it?”

“Shut up, Captain. Did you have some fun too? You were cursing all sorts of things at the beginning.”

If the batters were excitedly and diligently hitting, the pitchers were in a position to be exposed to it.

Their complaints were natural.

The appearance of the pitchers, who had become exhausted as if they had completed 9 innings, was pitiful in many ways.

In that situation, it was fortunate that Lee Jung-woo’s words didn’t fit.

Fortunately, he did perfectly in defense as always.

Everyone just frowned and endured it.

‘I’m going to get beaten up if I’m not careful.’

Lee Jung-woo quickly got out of his seat, grabbed his glove, and went out to the ground.

Soon, when the bottom of the 9th started.

His eyes turned to the opposing team’s bench.

To be exact, he saw Bernstein preparing for the attack with a determined expression.

‘As expected, he’s good.’

He was the core of the Rockies’ attack today as always.

Although he didn’t hit a big home run as the fans expected.

He scored 4 RBIs.

He tormented the Braves pitchers and ignited the Rockies’ pursuit.

Just looking at the score, it was 11 to 7, and if it weren’t for him, the Rockies would have suffered a crushing defeat.

Even so, his expression was not very bright now.

He was stiff with a sense of duty, like a person carrying all the burdens of the world.

‘It’s amazing how he maintains his mentality even in that situation.’

He certainly showed a good performance in this game.

The problem is that it wasn’t the image the fans expected.

The Rockies fans wanted him to easily crush the arrogant brat named Lee Jung-woo.

With a big and cool home run.

None of those expectations were realized.

The fans’ reaction was quite different from the beginning of the game.

The burden he felt would also be different.

‘Even if you exclude this game, there are still two more games left. If I do well, I might be able to meet expectations.’

Lee Jung-woo smiled faintly.

His hitting feel was great in today’s game.

He could tell.

‘My condition is slowly pointing to 12 o’clock [at its peak].’

It will be even more amazing tomorrow.

Lee Jung-woo’s good hitting feel, which had been going on, was finally reaching its peak today.

It was also revealed in defense.

“Bernstein! Bernstein!”

“Connect somehow! Wolverine will take care of everything!”

The audience enthusiastically shouted the name of Bernstein in the waiting box, to the point where the batter would be upset.

Bottom of the 9th, two outs. Runners on 1st and 3rd.

If the batter gets on base and he comes up, it’s a situation where a tie is possible if he does well.

But Lee Jung-woo had no intention of giving such an opportunity.

“Let’s go lightly, lightly! Just roll it to the Captain and Lee.”

When catcher Michael Lipton shouted loudly, Stephen Becker, who had come up to finish the game, nodded slightly.

He soon threw the first ball with a sweat-soaked face.

The batter hit the fastball that boldly penetrated the body as it was.

“Mine!”

Reading the ball that hit the ground and flowed between 3rd base and shortstop.

Lee Jung-woo ran with a more tired body than usual.

Poppin was a little closer, so he could have caught it.

But if he was a little late because he wasn’t very fast.

It was a course where both the batter and the runner could live.

Lee Jung-woo ran like crazy, exerting the strength he had when he was breastfeeding.

The audience cursed at him.

But unfortunately.

In the 21st century, in a scientifically advanced society, such superstitions did not work as a matter of course.

“Yes! Yes!”

“You pretty bastard! Are you doing all the defense alone?”

[Lee catches and throws! A close game, but- out! Game set!]

Lee Jung-woo, who got up with the support of Stephen Becker, who handed him his hand while spitting out all sorts of praises, briefly looked at the waiting box.

Amid the sounds of regretful exclamations heard here and there.

Bernstein was making an even more regretful expression than that.

[Roman Bernstein is hitting his head with the bat as if he is a little disappointed.]

[If he had connected to himself, a comeback would have been possible. It would be even more disappointing.]

“It’s okay! Show us a great performance in the next game too!”

“You can give up one game! Let’s do better tomorrow! I believe in you, Bernstein!”

In such a situation, the audience comforted and encouraged him.

As a result, a scene was created like a hero who was attacked by an evil villain and the citizens who supported him.

Unfortunately, such trials were not over today.

“You worked hard today too. You look a little tired. Are you going to rest tomorrow? You’ll have bruises tomorrow and it’ll hurt a lot.”

“No, I want to play tomorrow no matter what. No matter what.”

The evil villain’s condition happened to be at its peak.