Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 8

Pitcher Done, Batter Up -7 (8/287)

Was it stubbornness?

Even though three at-bats were already over, Paharo didn’t step down from the mound.

He wanted to compete a bit more.

The coaches must have wanted to see more too, as they allowed additional at-bats.

‘I’m all for it.’

Lee Jung-woo had no reason to refuse. So, he accepted the offer.

After battling through two more at-bats, he was finally able to step away from the plate.

The result was a complete victory for Lee Jung-woo.

Paharo was dazed.

The pitch that had fooled all the batters he had faced until now.

The slider he thought would pave a flowery path for him.

It was broken too easily.

And by a guy who had just switched to being a batter.

‘How is this possible?’

5 at-bats, 5 hits, 4 runs, 1 home run.

A monstrous record.

Since they were all extra-base hits, he probably would have given up 4 or more RBIs [Runs Batted In] if it were an actual game.

Unless the team’s starting pitcher had a shutout, he would have been the MVP of the game.

He couldn’t come to his senses.

He was planning to finish the mini-game lightly with three consecutive strikeouts, but.

Why did it turn out like this?

He would have felt better if he had made a mistake.

Clearly, the ball was properly struck.

There wasn’t a single bad pitch during the entire contest.

That’s why he felt even worse.

‘Mierda!’ [Spanish for “shit!”]

Paharo muttered a curse.

His eyes were fixed on the batter who was slumping off the plate, grabbing his bat and talking to the catcher.

‘What the hell is that guy?’

Paharo thought he was facing a batter with the most awkward batting form of all the batters he had faced.

Why are the results like this?

He was genuinely curious.

So, he ran over.

“How did you hit it?”

“What?”

“My slider. How the hell did you hit it?”

Lee Jung-woo stared at him for a moment as he rushed over and asked the question out of the blue, and then he thought.

How should I answer?

If it were the old him, he would have ignored him as if he hadn’t heard or just given a rough answer and turned away.

He wasn’t the type to cause trouble, but he wasn’t nice enough to explain kindly either.

But he didn’t want to do that now.

The desperate face of the still young pitcher was quite effective on the old man in his late 30s.

“It just looked good. Maybe your ball and I are a good match. But your slider is highly refined. So, don’t be too disappointed. However…”

Lee Jung-woo, who was calmly comforting him, pondered the advice that came to his mind.

His mental age is much higher, but if you count his age after regression, it’s similar.

Should I, who may even be younger, give advice to that guy?

After thinking for a moment, he finally threw it out.

A pitcher he doesn’t remember.

He probably ended up without making it to the majors.

‘Unless you’re a bullpen pitcher, it’s close to impossible with a two-pitch mix.’

Unless you’re a monster like Big Unit [Randy Johnson, a famous MLB pitcher with a dominating fastball and slider].

The chances of a two-pitch starting pitcher succeeding in modern baseball are infinitely low.

The ball of that guy, Gonzalo Garcia, has excellent power, but it’s not as destructive as Randy Johnson.

So, he will stop advancing someday.

Although he’s never been near the majors.

He had seen many such pitchers during his decades of throwing as a professional player.

Lee Jung-woo, who looked back at the faces that had disappeared even earlier than his broken self, finally spat out the words that lingered on his tongue.

“However, batters with bad matchups like this will appear as enemies in the future. Even if they don’t, there will be plenty of guys who can be exploited. Or your repertoire or timing may be read.”

Paharo’s hair stood on end at his words.

If you don’t have overwhelming skills that devour everything.
You will become obsolete someday without change.

Paharo understood the meaning contained in the words that way.

“But Garcia, your slider is rare. You can be confident.”

If another batter had said those words, Paharo would have been furious.

But because it was said by a former pitcher who had already experienced frustration and was embarking on a new path.

“…Thanks for the advice. Don’t call me Garcia so formally, call me Paharo.”

He accepted it.

As Paharo smiled innocently and held out his hand. Lee Jung-woo grabbed it.

####

Scott’s head was complicated.

Even though it was just a mini-game.

The results were hard to ignore.

‘It was all sliders.’

The origin of it was the slider.

After being cleanly fooled and striking out on the slider.

Lee Jung-woo attacked every slider that came flying.

“Lee, what the hell happened? Have you ever practiced with another pitcher?”

“I don’t know anything other than what the coach knows. I just… saw the ball well.”

“Huh….”

Simply saying he saw the ball well.

Since there are results, he can’t not believe it.

‘I need to check it out more.’

It was a mini-game that started simply to give him experience.

He may have discovered an unexpected talent.

Scott then arranged several at-bats with other pitchers.

From pitchers who would start in Double-A [the second-highest level of Minor League Baseball] next season to pitchers who were scheduled to be released.

Lee Jung-woo was erratic in his matches against people with various careers and skills.

He recorded consecutive extra-base hits against a Double-A pitcher.

He also easily swung and missed at the lacking ball of a guy who was going down to Rookie League [the lowest level of Minor League Baseball].

Moreover, it didn’t matter whether it was a left-hander or a right-hander.

After completing a rough check, Scott looked at the record sheet where he had carefully written down the matches.

As expected.

‘He has a good matchup with vertical movement. Slugging percentage is 0.611. As for vertical movement, he’s Harding level.’

Vincent Harding.

The best hitter of this generation with the nickname “The Flying Dutchman.”

Scott smiled faintly at the record similar to his level as far as vertical movement balls were concerned.

Since there are all kinds of people in the baseball world, there were occasionally such batters.

He allowed all at-bats to be strikeouts to the lowest-ranked pitcher in the league.

He’s good at hitting curveballs thrown by Cy Young Award-winning pitchers.

Lee was exactly like that.

Whether it’s going outside or suddenly dropping in front of home plate.

He attacked everything as long as it wasn’t at the level of bouncing.

Most of them led to extra-base hits.

‘It might be okay to send him out to the game according to the pitcher?’

At this level, depending on the starting pitcher, not as a pinch hitter.

He can start as a designated hitter.

He felt rewarded.

Teaching a player with enthusiasm is a happy thing in itself.

If there are results, that joy is doubled, no, more than tripled.

Of course, there were still many areas that needed more effort.

Still, Scott finally thought the time had come.

‘I need to talk to the manager.’

Since he showed good results.

There must be a reward commensurate with it.

That’s what Scott thought.

####

Lee Jung-woo straightened his batting stance in front of the mirror as usual.

He felt strange today.

Maybe it’s natural.

Tomorrow is finally his first game as a batter.

He was named to the roster for this 3-game home series.

‘It’s not a starting lineup, but he said he’ll definitely send me out as a pinch hitter, so I’ll play at least once.’

Scott said it himself.

The reliability is high.

‘I expected it because the mini-game results were good, but the expectations were right.’

Lee Jung-woo’s heart was pounding.

It is the beginning of batter Lee Jung-woo.

Depending on what he shows in tomorrow’s game, his future will also change.

If he fails miserably and can’t even swing properly.

The next opportunity will be after a long time again.

Maybe the opportunity will come after going down to Rookie League next year.

‘This is important if I want to play a little bit even during the remaining season.’

Lee Jung-woo scanned the data he had received.

He had analyzed batter data a lot, but this was the first time he was looking at pitcher data.

‘GreenJackets, huh….’

Augusta GreenJackets.

As a Single-A team [a low level of Minor League Baseball] under the San Francisco Giants.

Currently, they are ranked 3rd in the South Atlantic League, Southern Division.

‘Since Rome Braves are 4th, they’re just one step higher than us.’

GreenJackets don’t have many league championships or division championships.

In terms of league history, it wasn’t a great team.

He remembered that the recent upward trend was good.

‘Especially the pitching staff is good.’

Since it’s the end of the season, the guys who are going to Double-A have mostly gone up.

So, what’s left is pure Single-A level, and the record was good.

The team ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] was only 3.24 in the last month.

The starters are good, but.

The bullpen finished well from behind, so the record came out.

Lee Jung-woo, who was looking at the data with a firm face against a formidable opponent, found a unique point.

‘The starter is estimated to be Robin Dawson. A right-hander, the main force is the curve, and the speed is in the mid-90s. The record is good too. The other pitchers… all use curveballs. So, that’s why they’re sending me out.’

While playing the mini-game.

Lee Jung-woo also realized.

That he has a unique ability.

He is strong against balls with a drop, and GreenJackets use curveballs for most of their starters and bullpen.

The matchup was good.

‘I guess they’re trying to see if that works in real life too.’

Even if you hit a hundred home runs during training.

It’s all useless if you can’t do it in real life.

Lee Jung-woo nodded, peeking at the intention of the appearance.

He is confident.

There are still many things lacking.

After hitting the pitchers’ balls a few times.

Confidence was filled.

It may be false confidence.

Lee Jung-woo didn’t try to suppress his emotions.

It’s not just a good guy.

‘It’s the best medicine to erase tension. Rather than being frozen in fear. It’s better to puff out your chest like a gorilla, even if you’re stupid.’

He said that.

Lee Jung-woo scanned the data over and over again until right before going to bed while maintaining his confidence.

After all, there was no way to be without worries.

####

“Lee! I heard you’re on the roster. Are you playing today?”

“Well. The manager will take care of it.”

“I heard they’re good, but still, if it’s Lee, you’ll hit well enough. Because you’re the one who sent this Paharo’s ball over the fence. Oh, but do you know a restaurant called Rabbit House on Ash Street? Their tacos are pretty good, would you like to go eat together next time?”

Sitting next to the dugout bench.

Lee Jung-woo shook his head at Paharo, who was talking non-stop.

Why is this funny guy doing this? He’s been chattering next to him ever since the mini-game.

Pitchers are usually close to each other, so why is he sticking to him?

Lee Jung-woo couldn’t understand.

‘Still, thanks to him, even the little bit of tension left has disappeared.’

There was such an effect, but Lee Jung-woo was in pain.

Should I have just said I was lucky and ignored him?

He’s a year older if you count his age.

He was so good-natured that he didn’t even feel bad about the advice of a young man.

‘It’s good to talk, but do it in English, in English.’

His mind was dazed by the words he spat out, mixing Spanish in between.

Then, Lee Jung-woo barely grabbed his soul that was about to fly away at the opposing team’s players entering.

‘The other side has the same unfamiliar faces. After all, it’s rare for players to go up from the minors to the majors.’

Like the players of the Rome Braves.

Lee Jung-woo felt the height of the major leagues anew at the opposing team’s players he didn’t remember.

There are 6,500 players in the minor leagues, but only a very small number of them go up to the majors.

Only a few of them secure a spot as a starter.

Only geniuses who survive the fierce competition go up to the big leagues.

‘I have to go up this time too. I’ll crawl up even if it’s hard.’

Lee Jung-woo thought so and looked at the opposing team’s players.

To climb up even by crawling.

Eventually, you have to overcome the obstacles in front of you.

For Lee Jung-woo, they are obstacles. Or they may become stepping stones.

####

The game that started after a little preparation time was loose.

The numbers on the scoreboard are 0 to 0.

It was already the 7th inning.

Even if you combine the hits from both teams, there were only 6.

It was truly a pitching battle that dried up blood.

However, unless it’s very high level. There’s nothing as boring in baseball as a pitching battle.

Especially if it’s not because strikeouts are popping out.

It’s like both teams’ batters are competing to die first.

If you hit it, it’s a ground ball.

If you hit it high, it’s a fly ball.

If you wait, it’s a looking strikeout.

If there’s a runner after a long time, it’s a double play.

Whether the Braves or the GreenJackets, what kind of magic was on them.

The batters were sluggish.

In the boring pitching battle, the spectators who didn’t have deep fandom left one by one.

The players even rested their chins and watched the game.

‘This guy has fallen asleep.’

Paharo was even nodding off, although he was covering his hat deeply as if he wasn’t.

In the quiet stadium like night, Lee Jung-woo was restless.

‘It’s easier to play if one side leans.’

Scott made a confident statement.

Still, he can’t rest assured.

If the game continues to be tight like this, and the manager wants a high ranking in the 3rd and 4th place game.

He might not be able to play.

So, he was not comfortable, but on the outside, he watched the game with a blank expression as usual.

This is more appealing to the coaching staff than being anxious.

In the first place, his facial expressions don’t change much.

So, the manager saw his calm face as expected.

‘We need a home run to seize the victory….’

It’s the end of the season, but.

Anyway, it’s the minor leagues.

Both the upper management and the fans are focused on player development.

Losing the game doesn’t matter much because they weren’t obsessed with the rankings.

It’s different from the manager’s point of view.

No matter how minor it is, the manager has to win because it’s his team.

‘The opponent’s pitcher’s strength has dropped. We need to attack before replacing him… hmm-.’

The manager, looking around the dugout, checked the faces of the batters who could be used as pinch hitters one by one.

Then his eyes reached Lee Jung-woo.

‘Hmm, Lee is still focused on the game. He’s a player with good work ethic.’

Even if he doesn’t do well.

From a manager’s point of view, a person with good work ethic looks pretty.

So, he wanted to give him a chance.

‘He said he’s good at attacking vertical movement. When I saw it, he easily dealt with the curveball.’

Right-handed pitcher Robin Dawson, whose decisive ball is a curveball.

Lee, a left-handed hitter who cooks falling breaking balls well.

A plausible picture was drawn.

The manager, who was lost in thought with his brows narrowed, finally made a decision.

The conclusion he came to.

“Lee, get ready.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going out in the next at-bat.”

It was Lee Jung-woo’s first appearance.