Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 85

“You said you got a feel for it. Was it for real?”

“Wow… how did you do that? It’s okay to say it like you did before. Explain it to me.”

Lee Jung-woo entered home plate as confidently as a triumphant general.

The players who greeted him seemed unable to even think about hitting and just stared blankly at him.

To Peterson’s request for an explanation, Lee Jung-woo simply shrugged.

Not that he could think of a better answer than before.

“Isn’t it unnecessary now? Explanations and such.”

Such methods were no longer needed for the opposing pitcher.

At Lee Jung-woo’s gesture pointing to the pitcher who was still hanging his head, the gathered players nodded.

As he said, there was no need for feelings or methods anymore.

Because the pitcher on the mound now was a different person from the one who had been pressing them down until now.

“Our youngest did a great job.”

“He’s done this much. We should feed ourselves now.”

The hitters smiled.

Christensen, whose chances of becoming the victor after a tough pitching duel had increased, wore a satisfied expression.

As Lee Jung-woo had predicted, Iwakuma Takeshi collapsed.

He gave up 3 runs in the 5th inning alone.

And added 2 more runs in the 6th inning.

Showing a ruined pitching performance that didn’t make anyone think he was the same pitcher who had been on a perfect game until just now.

Leaving behind a lonely figure.

He eventually left the mound without completing the 6th inning.

The reaction of the Phillies’ away fans watching him slump was intense.

“Damn it, are we losing again? Are we losing again, you X-bastards!”

“I came all the way to Atlanta to see this kind of game!”

“Walk back to Philadelphia, you X-sons of bitches!”

5 to 0. As if they couldn’t believe that the score was made by their ace.

The Phillies fans couldn’t contain their anger.

They raised their voices and raged, but.

That didn’t make the score on the scoreboard disappear.

Rather, it only increased.

[The momentum has definitely shifted to the Braves’ side.]

[The Braves are overwhelming in an instant, which is quite surprising.]

[When Iwakuma was continuing his perfect game, I thought he would at least pitch a complete game.]

[Lee’s one shot decided the direction of the game.]

As the commentators said, somewhat deflated by the anticlimactic end to the pitching duel, the direction of the game was already decided.

After Iwakuma went down.

The Phillies hurriedly brought up the bullpen to put out the fire and encouraged the hitters to aim for a comeback.

But the Braves’ bullpen was too high a wall.

Moreover, the hitters’ support was seriously sufficient.

The bullpen, which came up following Christensen’s better-than-expected performance in keeping the mound scoreless until the 6th inning, easily closed out the game.

The Phillies eventually failed to catch up. There was no bottom of the 9th.

[Yes, the Braves managed to shut it down until the top of the 9th. Game set. The Braves win the second game of the series with a score of 9 to 2.]

[The momentum is amazing. Is securing second place now certain?]

[Yes, even if the Mets sweep the series. The ranking will not change.]

Today’s game was significant.

The Braves secured second place in the National League East Division on their own.

But there was an even greater meaning than such a ranking for many baseball fans.

####

[The Fall of an Impregnable Fortress! Lee’s Solo Home Run Crushes Iwakuma!]

[The Winner of the Asian Series is the Young Rookie from Korea!]

[Lee Jung-woo Selected as MVP with a Great Performance of 3 Hits, 1 Home Run, 4 RBIs, 1 Walk, and 1 Stolen Base in 4 At-Bats!]

[Iwakuma’s Poor Condition? Perhaps Inevitable as the First Half Nears Its End…]

[A Disappointing 4.1 Innings Perfect Game. If Not for the Counterattack Created by the Young Spirit, a Great Record Would Have Been Possible.]

Iwakuma Takeshi was a pitcher whose place among the top 3 in the Cy Young Award race was almost certain this season.

So the aftermath was by no means light.

However, the tone of each country watching the game was similar yet different.

First, the pitcher and hitter who were raising their stock the most in the National League faced off.

And since the rivalry between Korea and Japan was already famous even in the United States.

The American media found it interesting and spared no praise for the winner of the showdown.

In the case of Korea, it was similar to that, but.

They showed a slightly more heated atmosphere, such as making a big deal out of Lee Jung-woo’s performance as if he had achieved a great record.

On the other hand, in the case of Japan, unlike the tone full of confidence in victory until right before the game.

Very static and quiet, as if they had become a third party.

Only short articles containing the game’s content and records were posted.

However, looking inside.

You could see that it wasn’t just indifferent.

From the moment Lee Jung-woo’s home run exploded, the regeneration of all kinds of internet communities in Japan increased dramatically.

Words like Lee Jung-woo, Iwakuma, and home run also ranked high in the search rankings of famous SNS [Social Networking Services].

As time passed, words like forced off the mound also rose in the rankings.

[The Worst Nightmare Has Come True.]

[I Really Can’t Believe It.]

[No, Did Iwakuma-san Really Lose to That Bratty Korean?]

[He Lost to the Atlanta Braves.]

[He Shook a Lot After the Home Run. He Did Lose to That Guy.]

[Ha, This Spoils My Mood and Starts My Day.]

[I Went to Work and Realized the Office Atmosphere Was Gloomy. Iwakuma Did Something to That Brat. But It Was a Home Run.]

The shock that Japanese baseball received in this game was indescribable.

The player Iwakuma Takeshi was a symbol of the current generation of Japanese baseball.

He was a brightly shining sun like the pioneer Hideo Nomo.

Thanks to such a player continuing his perfect game, the viewership ratings soared.

The atmosphere was indescribably good because he even struck out the prickly brat.

So everyone’s attention was focused on the possible record achievement.

Then it exploded, a shot. It was also a perfect shot that properly lifted his main pitch, the forkball.

Numerous viewers saw it. The scene of Iwakuma collapsing afterward was also broadcast live.

The sight of their hero collapsing to a Korean hitter, of all people, hit baseball fans’ heads like a hammer.

[It Was Already Foreseen. The Last Samurai Also Dies at the End, Right?]

[Hey- Is That Real! This Is Definitely Authentic wwwwww]

[He Died in the Movie from a Machine Gun. Now It’s a Cannon wwwwww Isn’t It Worse wwwwww]

[No, Why Don’t We Have a Hitter Like That?]

[Is Lee Jung-woo Mixed Race? No, How Can a Korean Be So Strong?]

[If He Were Japanese, We Would Have Had a Mental Victory with a Wonderful Match Between Senior and Junior wwwwww]

[He’s Just Out of Energy. Iwakuma-san Has Been Playing Since the Opening, But That Guy Debuted in June. It’s Natural That He Has Energy Left!]

The shock was so great.

They were trying to come to their senses by either experiencing cognitive dissonance or throwing humor as if they were cheerful.

But it was never easy.

Lee Jung-woo, who plunged so many people into shock, received a different kind of attention in the next game.

####

The last game of the first half and the Phillies series started off a bit shaky from the beginning.

As if they wouldn’t allow themselves to be swept at all costs.

The Phillies players were more heated than usual, and it was directly revealed in their play.

[Here Comes the Match at Home- Ah, He Just Rammed Him?]

[Hustle Is Good, But You Shouldn’t Do That. It’s a Very Dangerous Play. There Are Many Cases Where You Get Injured Doing That?]

“Are you crazy? Leaving a perfectly good path and ramming into someone?”

“So what? Then open it properly? What can I do when you’re blocking it with your body? What do you want me to do, just get out?”

“This bastard, but-”

“Calm down, both of you! And Chamington, it would be good to refrain from playing that unnecessarily provokes the opponent.”

“Is it my fault? That bastard blocked the path first. What are you talking about?”

In the top of the 1st inning. Starting with Phillies runner Chamington rushing to home and ramming into the catcher.

Various threatening plays appeared directly.

In particular, the Mad Bull was like he wouldn’t become the Iwakuma of the previous day.

He openly threw threatening pitches to kill the spirit of the Braves hitters as much as possible.

Especially to Lee Jung-woo.

“Are you openly trying to hit me? Why don’t you improve your skills instead of doing that?”

Lee Jung-woo’s heart sank.

He also knew that he was a person of interest in this series. But even considering that, this was a bit too much.

It was fortunate that his reflexes were good.

If he were a slightly duller player, he could have been hit in the elbow as it was.

Moreover, this wasn’t the first time.

The previous pitch was also a dangerous course that could have become a dead ball.

Having been injured once.

Lee Jung-woo couldn’t help but be angry because he knew how frustrating that damn thing was.

But the catcher, who had to be toyed with by Lee Jung-woo throughout the series, didn’t back down either.

“Huh, if you’re scared of baseballs, why don’t you just stay in your room and play baseball games? Or play softball!”

Lee Jung-woo’s insides were boiling, but the umpire was also on edge in the already heated atmosphere.

He held back, knowing that he could be ejected as an example if he rushed in first.

Instead of directly exploding with anger, he found a reasonable way to retaliate.

[This pitch had a good course. Wasn’t it worth hitting?]

[It Seems Like the Timing Was Off. It’s Lee Jung-woo Cutting the Ball.]

It was a pitch count terror.

Lee Jung-woo focused on hitting the ball somehow.

He cut the incoming ball as much as possible.

Each time the number of pitches increased as a result.

The wrinkles on the pitcher’s forehead also increased one by one.

Eventually, after getting on base with a walk on the 13th pitch, Lee Jung-woo didn’t stop.

He increased the lead as much as possible, scratching at the pitcher’s nerves.

Soon, he timed it and showed even what he hadn’t done until now.

‘Okay, green light. The bench must have judged that they shouldn’t be pushed back in momentum? Good, I like it.’

Lee Jung-woo smiled at the bench’s sign, which was easy to see the intention.

Soon after he stole second base.

He delightfully smacked the back of the head of the opposing battery, who had finally escaped his grasp and were relieved.

He stole third base.

Cold water was poured on the already chilly stadium.

[Lee Runs! Third Base Steal!]

[He Completely Took the Timing. Yes. He Definitely Came in First.]

“Safe!”

“Out! Out! I’m Telling You It’s Out!”

Despite the third baseman’s fierce protest, the third base umpire did not change the call.

The Phillies bench was buzzing, wondering if they should request a challenge.

But it didn’t come out as if the judgment that it was safe had been made internally.

Pitcher Giovanni Tuzzi and Torosso’s faces turned red at the sudden steal of third base.

He looked like he was about to explode, but he barely held back his anger.

But the real start of the matter was from Lee Jung-woo’s next at-bat.

[Lee Comes Up to His Second At-Bat. We’re Looking Forward to It, Right?]

[Yes, He’s Been Performing Great During This Series. He Also Fiercely Cut the Ball in the Previous At-Bat. He Showed His Batting Sensation Properly.]

‘Okay, Throw It Properly This Time.’

Lee Jung-woo didn’t back down and fiercely glared back at the pitcher who was staring intently at him.

This time, a threatening pitch came, but the course wasn’t that dangerous.

Lee Jung-woo watched the pitcher without even flinching.

The pitcher continued pitching with a slightly frowning face as if it wasn’t the result he wanted.

This time, the match became longer.

However, there was a difference in that the previous one was intentional, but this time it wasn’t.

‘Hoo. Let’s Calm Down. Don’t Be Swayed by Emotions. Hit Like You Always Do.’

Perhaps it was because he was shaken without realizing it by the anger that soared from the previous threatening pitches.

The timing was subtly off, and as a result, swings that barely hit the ball came out in succession, unlike the confident cuts.

But the problem was that the pitcher accepted it as intentional.

‘Calmly. Match the Timing Properly-’

“Shit!”

Lee Jung-woo, who was horrified by the incoming ball, fell backward as he was lying down.

The headshot he barely avoided narrowly passed in front of his nose as he fell.

The umpire immediately declared the pitcher’s ejection for the headshot that came out in the overheated atmosphere.

But it was too late.

“This X-Bastard! What Are You Doing! Beat Those X-Bastards Up Quickly!”

“These Phillies X-Bastards, Where Are You Daring to Touch Someone! You Want to Die!”

“Woo-Woo-Woo-Woo!”

Before he could get up and protest, not only did the other players run out, but even the manager and coaches neatly emptied the bench.

The spectators, who were furious at the headshot thrown at their beloved rookie, continued to boo.

The ground became crowded in an instant with the bench clearing that occurred.

“Are You Okay? Are You Hurt?”

“Those Motherfuckers Dare! Beat Them All Up!”

“Didn’t You See That X-Bastard Provoked First! No Matter How Much of a Kid He Is on Your Team! A Bastard Who Doesn’t Know How to Respect His Seniors Deserves to Be Hit with a Headshot!”

“You X-Bastard, You Said Everything?”

Lee Jung-woo, who got up with Derek’s support, let out a hollow laugh at the surroundings that were filled in an instant.

‘It’s a Mess. I Thought This Would Happen.’

In fact, Lee Jung-woo himself was trying to be satisfied with just the pitcher’s ejection.

But he couldn’t help it because his teammates ran out ahead of him before he could stop them.

Still, perhaps considering that he had fallen, the coaches and teammates pushed him back, so he didn’t have to participate in that brawl.

He watched the situation unfolding before his eyes as if he were purely an audience member.

‘They’re Really Fighting Here.’

He has had bench clearing a few times.

Because it often happens in Korea too.

However, the atmosphere was quite different.

Of course, even in Major League Baseball’s bench clearing.

It was the same that only a small number of players directly exchanged punches.

But since the sizes are all good.

A fairly heavy atmosphere was formed.

Lee Jung-woo, who was blankly watching with a curious mind, soon shook his head at the sight of the pitcher, Giovanni, who was blowing away all the players around him like an angry bull.

‘That’s Why They Told Me Not to Provoke Him in My Debut Game. I’ve Seen It a Lot in Videos, But It’s Even More Amazing in Person.’

Even Peterson and Popin, who were strong, fell off when he shook his body.

Small players only circled around and couldn’t even dare to approach him.

Even the same Phillies players.

Lee Jung-woo was impressed by his appearance of advancing like a mad bison.

But from the moment he realized that the direction was himself, his pupils shook wildly.

‘If I Get Caught Wrong, One Part of Me Will Break?’

The fear that the injury he was so worried about might happen now crept in.

As a result, Lee Jung-woo, who was momentarily stunned even after seeing him running at him, even though.

“Shit! Lee! Get Out of the Way!”

Ironically, his reflexes shone again this time.

[Oh, Giovanni Tuzzi Threw His Body Properly- Lee Avoids It as It Is.]

Lee Jung-woo, who avoided his attack flying at him by quickly turning his body, seemed to collapse as it was.

He stood upright again and looked at Torosso, who was foaming at the mouth and glaring at him, with troubled eyes.

Lee Jung-woo’s head spun quickly like during the play at Torosso, who was running at him again.

‘So, What’s the Way to Subdue a Running Person? I Don’t Remember Because It Was a Long Time Ago.’

There was a fairly intense bench clearing even in Korea.

The club Lee Jung-woo belonged to was miserably defeated.

The club thought of it as humiliating.

Whether it was because they even brought in a security expert to lecture on how to subdue the opponent.

He vaguely remembered.

Lee Jung-woo quickly scanned his body at Torosso, who was running vigorously, thumping as if he was going to knock him down as it was.

Soon, he avoided his swinging arm and played with his feet.

‘So, They Told Me to Kick the Back of the Knee? The Soles of My Feet Have Spikes, So Use the Instep.’

Fortunately, his body followed well.

Lee Jung-woo was impressed, thinking that at least the club at that time, Masters, didn’t waste money on Torosso, who had fallen heavily.

“Oh, It Really Works.”

The players who seemed worried about him and ran with all their might had a momentarily dazed look.

Soon, they surrounded Torosso, who was trying to get up again, by two or three people and subdued him for sure.

Since the vanguard (?) was attacked.

The Phillies’ momentum, which had flared up like wildfire, also subsided.

As the bench clearing subsided as it was, the players looked at him with sparkling eyes.

“How Did You Do That? Tell Me.”

“Wow, Is That Some Kind of Martial Art? It Looks Like Something Out of a Movie.”

Lee Jung-woo, who awkwardly smiled at the flood of questions, was relieved that the situation was resolved faster than he thought.

But he thought at the declaration of the umpire who came soon.

He Should Have Just Kept Avoiding It.

“Ejection!”

“Me?”

“You Participated Directly.”

“It’s Just Subduing, Right?”

“What You Did Was Close to Striking. And You Even Used Your Feet. Then It’s Unconditionally Ejection. There Are No Exceptions.”

‘Masters Wasted Money. Come to Think of It, It’s Ejection If This Happens.’

Lee Jung-woo readily admitted to the umpire’s declaration at the word using his feet.

Certainly, there were many cases where you would be ejected if you used your feet in any situation.

On top of that, even if it was subduing, it was still a strike anyway.

This Couldn’t Be Avoided.

‘No, If You Think About It, What Did That Person Teach Baseball Players?’

Lee Jung-woo, who recalled the future lecturer he would never see again, let out a hollow laugh and trudged off the ground with the players who were ejected together.

####

[Lee, Eastern Martial Arts? No! Perfect Modern Subjugation Technique]

[Lee’s Ejection Is Unfair! He Just Subdued! Manager Mancini Complains of Unfairness!]

[A Brawl That Occurred at the End of the First Half. The Start Is Clearly with the Phillies. But It’s True That Lee Also Gave Cause]

[Respect for Veterans? Taking Care of Rookies Comes First! Headshots Are Not Allowed in Any Situation.]

[Unsightly Headshots and Unpleasant Defeats!]

[Giovanni ‘Torosso’ Tuzzi! The Unbeaten Record of Bench Clearing Is Finally Broken!]

The bench clearing was naturally noticed.

Not only did it happen in the last game of the first half, but it was also a fairly full-fledged fight.

People couldn’t help but be interested.

Both teams were criticized for their immature handling, but ironically, Lee Jung-woo got a good response because of this bench clearing.

[Lee Was a Real Man. I Honestly Thought He Was a Bit Introverted Because He Didn’t Show Any Facial Expressions and Was Always Just Calm. But That Wasn’t It!]

[Did You See Torosso Sitting Down?]

[Oh, I Thought It Was an Illustration of David and Goliath.]

[Lee Is a Bit Big for David. But Anyway, It’s Similar.]

[Is It Some Kind of Secret Korean Martial Art?]

[I Have to Learn How to Knock Down Such a Giant with One Kick. I Think My School Bullies Need Something Like That]

[You Should Cheer Up First.]

[I’m a Dodgers Fan. I’ll Support Lee From Now On. I Knew That Torosso Bastard Would End Up Like That Someday If He Kept Playing with His Fists Like That.]

[I’m a Pirates Fan Too. I’ll Support Lee. And I’m a Little Disappointed.]

[Why? Because He Used His Feet? There’s No Other Way.]

[No, It’s Not That, I Should Have Just Broken Torosso’s Legs. So That X-Bastard Can’t Do That Again. When I Think About Our Harding Lying Down for 2 Weeks, I Still Feel Like My Blood Is Running Backwards.]

Until now, Lee Jung-woo’s image has created various controversies and showed cool bat flips.

He didn’t really enjoy interviews and had extremely few emotional changes.

He was somewhat close to being a model student.

The catchers who were attacked by him would grind their teeth if they knew.

Anyway, that’s what the public saw.

But with this one shot, he was recognized as a real man.

In particular, most of the fans of the teams that had been attacked by Torosso had a relieved reaction.

Not only in the United States but also in Korea.

[LOL, Our Jung-woo Is Good at Fighting Too!]

[Did You See Him Properly Kicking the Back of His Knee?]

[Yeah, I Saw It. That’s an Expert’s Touch.]

[He Must Have Learned It Properly.]