Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 87

End of Pitching, Start of Hitting – Episode 86

After the Futures Game ended.

Lee Jung-woo got up, successfully completing his task for the day.

His parents waved him off, seemingly eager for him to leave, their faces filled with pride at his words that he had to go.

“Throw it so it’s easy to hit. Now that you’re out here, make me number one.”

“Is your shoulder really okay? If it hurts, don’t overdo it.”

“Don’t worry. Just watch comfortably.”

Lee Jung-woo reassured his mother, who was still full of concern for her son, with a gentle smile, and then joined Joey.

They practiced together one last time.

‘Throwing it so it’s easy to hit. That’s my specialty.’

The inner workings of his regression also worked in the Home Run Derby.

Although he had never been a batting practice pitcher before.

He knew how and with what timing to throw so that the batter would be most comfortable.

Thanks to the short time they spent together, Joey became familiar with Lee Jung-woo.

As a result, their synergy was quite excellent for a simple event.

“Hoo-”

Crack-

“Hoo-”

Crack-

The batting cage was filled only with the sound of breathing and hitting. The players warming up nearby glanced at them.

‘Now that I’m out here, I have to make him number one.’

Perhaps it was the competitive spirit of the player at work. Lee Jung-woo threw the ball with burning enthusiasm.

The better the ball, the deeper the smile on Joey’s face.

When the brief warm-up was over, the two men wiped away the non-existent sweat and smiled.

“Hoo. I was just going to come out and mess around… but I might actually win.”

“Share some of the prize money.”

“Of course. Well, I wasn’t going to come out if it wasn’t for you anyway. I’ll give you half if we win.”

Stimulated by the friendly atmosphere between the two, the sound of hitting became more intense from here and there.

Some of them sounded threatening just to listen to.

‘Those guys are monsters. Well, if they’re in the Home Run Derby, they must have hit at least 30 home runs last year.’

As Lee Jung-woo clicked his tongue without realizing it, Joey said with a subtle smile.

“You’re enough of a monster to be here too. Don’t be too intimidated.”

Lee Jung-woo nodded silently at his encouragement.

Yes, to be honest.

Even if he wasn’t a complete monster, he was at least a semi-monster.

If he continued to work hard like this.

He could become a real monster someday.

‘Let’s go all the way this time.’

####

After the Futures Game.

The Home Run Derby, which would captivate the eyes of the audience, viewers, and Major League baseball fans, unfolded.

The participating players swung their bats like crazy for the fans who supported them.

The sound of hitting was like splitting the ball in half.

Even Roman Bernstein, who was evaluated as the weakest of the players, hit 10 home runs in his turn.

He showed off his strength.

[Oh! That’s really big! How far did it go?]

[He made a good impact. He pulled the ball that hit the sweet spot all the way.]

That’s why the cheers filling Dodger Stadium grew louder and louder.

The most cheered person was ironically Lee Jung-woo.

He wasn’t even a player.

He was just a batting practice pitcher for his teammate.

People cheered when they saw him and applauded generously when he threw the ball.

‘Seeing this, even if Americans talk about machismo, they really like emotional things.’

That’s because.

Lee Jung-woo had a story.

One that none of the players could match. A touching and dramatic story that Americans love most.

In the end, it was a story that reached human triumph.

‘A once promising pitcher, he collapsed due to a shoulder injury. After rehabilitation, he stood up again. After losing his past glory, he fell. After converting to a hitter, eventually, he became a major leaguer. Thinking about it, it’s not easy.’

Lee Jung-woo was also strangely amazed.

If he were a third party, he would have applauded such a person.

The problem was that he didn’t feel anything because it was his own business.

Anyway, because it was a storytelling that Americans liked, most baseball fans knew his story.

As a result, the focus of this Home Run Derby was unfairly focused on Lee Jung-woo.

“Good job!”

“You can be a pitcher again!”

Thanks to the support of those people, or maybe because he was just warmed up.

Lee Jung-woo threw the ball a little harder than before.

Like when he was a pitcher.

The ball gradually gained power.

But at best, 85 miles became 86 miles, and the movement improved very slightly.

Joey gestured for him to continue as if he liked it.

‘It’s a good thing I quit pitching.’

Ironically, in the midst of such encouragement and applause.

Lee Jung-woo completely shook off his lingering feelings for pitching.

Joey was a top-class hitter in the league, but when he saw him hitting even when he threw it hard on purpose, he realized that he wasn’t a very good pitcher after the injury.

Usually, when memories become memories, they end up being embellished.

At least for Lee Jung-woo, his pitching career would not be such a memory.

It won’t be embellished either.

It would be different if it was before the injury.

[Joey Fredman hits another one over the fence. He’s hitting big shots for the 8th consecutive ball.]

[He’s a good hitter. But it seems like Lee is throwing it so it’s easy to hit.]

Joey swung his bat like crazy, and Lee Jung-woo felt a slightly subtle feeling of being happy even though he was helping him hit home runs.

He smiled as he clapped and saw his parents cheering.

The two continued to work together, eventually defeating their opponent.

“Ah~ That’s too bad. I was going to win in front of the fans. Joey, did you put too much effort into it?”

David Vaughn, who was the opponent in this round, scratched his head with his tongue out.

He was the main power hitter of the Dodgers, and he was disappointed that he couldn’t meet the expectations of the fans.

He sighed repeatedly.

Soon, he patted Joey and Lee Jung-woo on the shoulders and asked.

“You know this is a prelude, right? You can’t lose to those fake league guys? And Lee, you throw well. Come to the Dodgers next time. It looks like I have to do the Home Run Derby with you to win.”

“Good job, David. Rest comfortably. I’ll beat the fake league easily.”

“Good job.”

It was still awkward to greet the superstar players.

Lee Jung-woo acted calmly.

David Vaughn clicked his tongue for a moment as if he was still disappointed.

Soon he trudged back.

“Now, is the final left? Arthur Hunt. I expected it, but we’re really going to face each other in the final.”

“He’s good. But I don’t have much to fear meeting him.”
The Home Run Derby final opponent was Arthur Hunt, the King Arthur of the Tigers.

He was really like King Arthur in some legend, and his bat was like Excalibur [King Arthur’s legendary sword] pulled from a rock.

He hit like crazy, hitting 25 in the previous semi-final round alone.

He was hitting with the intention of setting a Home Run Derby record.

The National League hitters, who were eliminated early because they were American League players, cheered for Joey or encouraged Lee Jung-woo one by one.

That was probably the same over there.

“Are you tired?”

“I just did some light catch ball. I can’t be tired with this. Is Joey okay?”

“Good. Enough to break the single round record.”

Like that, Joey was about to use up every last bit of strength in the final.

He hit home runs like crazy.

Lee Jung-woo controlled the ball to put it in the course he liked as much as possible.

The opponent, Arthur Hunt, also hit 24 home runs in the final, just like before.

Joey finally surpassed him with his last bit of strength.

Crack-

“Wow!”

“Joey! Joey! Joey!”

“This is the real league!”

[Yes, Joey Fredman finally hits the last one. He recorded 5th place in the single round. He stands shoulder to shoulder with Ronald Acuña Jr., the hero of his former team, Braves.]

That’s how the prelude to the All-Star Game ended. Lee Jung-woo, who took a picture with Joey, had to receive more camera flashes than the players who participated.

“Thank you for showing us a good performance today. Joey Fredman, you worked well together, didn’t you?”

“I tried hard to show a good performance to meet the expectations of the fans. But usually, doesn’t the winning hitter do the interview?”

“Haha, Lee is a special case. How do you feel today? It’s been a while since you’ve been on the mound.”

“When I see the great hitters, I think I did a good job quitting pitching. Well, I’m here thanks to that anyway.”

“Hahaha, Lee is a major leaguer now. In some ways, it was a good choice.”

The reporter continued to ask questions as if he liked the pleasant answer.

Lee Jung-woo answered appropriately, keeping his own cut line for what they wanted.

After the long interview was over.

Lee Jung-woo, who reunited with his parents after a long time, was shocked by the loudly vibrating cell phone while looking around the stadium and the city.

“Wow.”

“Why? What, did something strange come?”

His father tilted his head at his actions, and his mother seemed a little worried, wondering if something was wrong.

When Lee Jung-woo showed the screen, the same reaction came out.

It was a message from the bank.

It said that $500,000 had been deposited in the name of Joey Fredman.

[Take your parents and buy something delicious. You worked hard today, Lee. – Joey]

“Major leaguers are amazing….”

“I guess so.”

Lee Jung-woo, who properly felt the dignity of the Major League franchise star, soon moved again.

To buy something delicious worth $500,000.

####

The All-Star game was more exciting than I thought.

Lee Jung-woo and his parents, who had the tickets obtained by the club, were so focused on the game that they couldn’t even talk.

Even his mother, who had a baseball player son but wasn’t very interested in baseball, watched the game seriously.

If that’s the case, I’ve said everything.

The players, who faced off with the pride of both leagues, continued the tight game until the 9th inning without any hesitation.

The hero of this All-Star game came in as a substitute in the 7th inning.

It was the left fielder of the Chicago Cubs who hit the last come-from-behind home run.

[Gordon Kent! He hit it, will it go over? Is it going over?]

[Yes, it went over. Gordon Kent hits a two-run home run. The exciting All-Star game ends with the National League winning.]

The atmosphere in the National League, which won the game that repeated comebacks and comebacks, was endlessly pleasant.

The American League players endured their frustration, promising next year.

The short festival for the fans ended.

“Eat well. If you want to eat something, call your mom. I’ll send it right away. Is there enough kimchi [traditional Korean fermented side dish]?”

“There are many Koreans in Atlanta. Not as many as in LA, but there will be 100,000 people? And mom’s son can get kimchi. Don’t worry.”

“Don’t overdo it. Take a break little by little. Dad is okay if you’re healthy. And if you meet Vincent Harding next time, get an autograph on your bat-”

“You’ve already received that many autographs from Jung-woo’s colleagues! Still!”

Even after the All-Star game, Lee Jung-woo stayed in LA for two more days thanks to the club’s consideration.

He spent time with his parents, and they seemed relieved to see their son, who had not only completely adapted but was also cheered by people.

They boarded the plane with a much more comfortable face than when they first met.

It was his father who was trying to fulfill his personal desires, but he was soon neatly suppressed by his mother.

He had to go through the boarding process with a sullen face.

‘I should send him one later.’

Seeing that, Lee Jung-woo felt good for some reason. He lingered around the airport for a while because his steps didn’t fall easily.

Eventually, he moved after seeing the plane to Korea take off.

####

After the All-Star game, which pleased their eyes and made them look forward to the future, people were busy predicting the second half of the upcoming league.

Various sports media and magazines.

They were putting out various predictions.

Most of them were team rankings, post-season, and World Series championship team predictions.

Occasionally, there were places that predicted MVP [Most Valuable Player award], Cy Young [award for best pitcher], and Rookie of the Year [award for best first-year player].

In the meantime, the Braves’ evaluation was much more favorable than before the season.

The team, which seemed to be only in 3rd place this time, was doing a good job of keeping 2nd place.

Even the experts broke their existing thoughts.

They had no choice but to evaluate it upward.

[Atlanta Braves 2034 Season First Half Settlement and Second Half Outlook]

The overall outlook was better than expected.

It was a little difficult to jump to 1st place.

It was said that the main reason was that the players who transferred or were taken out of the farm [minor league system] all exploded.

As the team situation changed like this.

Most of the players were also evaluated upward.

Of course, in a few cases, the evaluation was rather lower.

At least Lee Jung-woo was rated better than anyone else on the team.

[Jung-woo Lee]

[Contact – 60] [Power – 70]

[Running – 60] [Defense – 80]

[Shoulder – 60]

[Pratt’s masterpiece that the general manager finally raised.]

[A shortstop with great power and solid defense, who is sure to win a Gold Glove [award for best defensive player] if he fills the required at-bats. He seems to be able to hit 30 home runs every year.]

[His running is very good, but his timing is a little disappointing.]

[His shoulder is not very fast, but it is very accurate. His throwing timing is good because his preliminary movements are simple or non-existent.]

[In the case of contact, there are some ambiguous evaluations, but it is enough to receive Plus.]

[Future prospects – A promising player who seems certain to win the Rookie of the Year if he records about half of the first half. His potential is at the MVP level. If he doesn’t have a second-year jinx, it wouldn’t be strange if he entered the All-Star next year. He is a player who should never be left out of the Braves with Derek Hunt.]

[Pratt’s eye for turning him into a hitter is enough to recognize him.]

“I don’t think it’s that good.”

Lee Jung-woo, who was spending his last break this season with a very friendly evaluation, scratched the back of his head for no reason.

He felt a little embarrassed.

He thought it was crazy, but when he received such an evaluation openly.

As the person involved, he felt strange, but the Braves fans were working hard to spread it.

They shouted that this was right.

[Lee is the best, look at this? Even the experts recognize it?]

[They gave it a little stingy because he’s a rookie. It wouldn’t be strange to give Lee’s power 80 points!]

[That’s right. 30 home runs every year? 50 home runs are possible!]

[But it’s good that the evaluation of the defense is accurate.]

[Actually, this is too obvious. Everyone knows that Lee is good at defense, right? Even the Phillies guys admit Lee’s fighting skills and defense.]

The Braves fans were satisfied, puffing out their noses.

Korea was naturally swept away by what is commonly called national *ppong* [term for nationalistic pride or hype].

People felt something deeply rising from their hearts in the posts that spread the reactions of the Braves fans.

[ㅋㅋㅋ Atlanta guys are saying it for granted. They like Lee Jung-woo so much.]

[Is it possible to give preferential treatment to Koreans if you go to Atlanta?]

[Go now before *ssipgeonung* [derogatory term for someone perceived as overly nationalistic or blindly patriotic] can’t do it.]

[Lee Jung-woo is honestly annoying… but I admit he’s good.]

[At least he’s been doing well so far.]

[Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen 80 and 70 points in a Korean player’s scouting report.]

[Ah, if he had debuted only in May, he would have been confirmed as the Rookie of the Year. It’s a little disappointing that he debuted on that day.]

[ㄴㄴ Even now, if you do 20-20 [20 home runs and 20 stolen bases], it’s almost confirmed. Just do a little more than half of what you’ve done so far.]

[I’m really looking forward to the second half.]

[I really want to see a Korean hit 20 home runs for the first time in a long time.]

[Lee Jung-woo can do it. Just hit half of what you’ve hit so far and one more.]

People were looking forward to it.

I also paid attention.

On the one hand, so that they can rush in at any time.

For now, they were hiding in the bushes, waiting for him to make a mistake.

They were curious. Whether Lee Jung-woo could show his current performance in the upcoming second half.

That’s how the All-Star break, which can be said to be the last break during the season, ended.

Each club and player started again to achieve their goals.