Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 89

Unfortunately, he didn’t get an RBI. Lee Jung-woo finished his at-bat and took his position in the field.

He glanced over at the busy opposing dugout.

‘Back then, the Cubs steadily built up their score.’

The current Chicago Cubs were a team with a decent overall offense.

The Cubs’ team slugging percentage was in the lower-middle of the league, not really suited for modern baseball where fly balls were the norm.

However, their on-base percentage was excellent, ranking 5th in the entire Major League as they approached August.

As such, the whole team was skilled at setting the table, but the problem was the lack of a reliable finisher.

Just two years ago, the Cubs had many hitters who struggled to hit even 20 home runs, let alone 30 in a season, and only one hitter with a slugging percentage above .500.

That’s why, when Joey was about to become a free agent, they actively jumped into the recruitment race.

But Joey signed an extension with the Braves, shattering their happy dreams.

After that, the Cubs contacted several power hitters, searching for someone to capitalize on their setups.

Then, Jeff Shelton, who was called up last September, finally broke out.

He had shown the potential of a star home run hitter since his time in the minors.

He captivated Cubs fans and finally made his major league debut, unleashing his potential.

He continued that this year, and according to Lee Jung-woo’s memory, he would continue to do so in the future.

Jeff Shelton became the perfect all-around player for the Cubs.

‘Given the situation, even though he’s still a prospect, the fans can’t help but love him like that.’

Even though he wasn’t up in the batter’s box, Cubs fans chanted Jeff’s name as he slowly warmed up on the bench.

His face, as he nonchalantly waved, was full of confidence.

Then, when he briefly made eye contact with Lee Jung-woo, he gave a faint sneer.

As if to say that someone like Lee Jung-woo was nothing.

Lee Jung-woo was dumbfounded.

Of course, the Jeff Shelton he knew was a good player, a player who would be recorded as a great one.

In the future, he would sweep Silver Slugger awards and All-Star selections, and even finish third in MVP voting.

‘But that’s a story from before the regression, which may not even happen now. We’re in a similar position now.’

But not now.

Lee Jung-woo himself was a fresh rookie, but Jeff Shelton was also just a second-year rookie.

Their home run counts were 19 and 13, respectively, but since Lee Jung-woo’s debut was later, his home runs per game were actually much higher.

Of course, in Lee Jung-woo’s case, it was an unexpected call-up that no one had predicted.

Opposing teams had somewhat limited data on him, and pitchers underestimated his young age, getting unexpectedly hammered.

Even Lee Jung-woo thought he was being a bit overrated, but even so.

Frankly speaking, when it came to impact, Lee Jung-woo was far above Jeff Shelton.

‘At least I’m not falling behind.’

So, since they were both rookies, Lee Jung-woo took offense at Jeff Shelton looking down on him as if he were already a veteran, and he soon burned with determination.

‘Okay, I know how great you’ll become, and I admit you’re good now, but don’t even think about sending the ball my way today.’

Since it had come to this.

It would be fun to throw a handful of dirt on the future superstar and current Rookie of the Year contender.

Besides, Jeff Shelton was a right-handed hitter who often pulled the ball for big hits.

There would be many balls coming his way.

Lee Jung-woo was determined to catch anything that wasn’t flying more than two meters above his head.

“Is something wrong?”

As Lee Jung-woo made his decision and focused intently, Derek, who had been glancing at him, tilted his head, slightly puzzled by his sudden reaction.

But soon, the defense started, and he refocused his attention on the batter.

####

He walked up to the plate.

He glanced up at the pitcher on the mound, then shifted his gaze to the shortstop a little further back.

Their eyes met, staring intently at each other.

The intense atmosphere and the face that looked like a character from a noir film led him to call the Asian player this.

A noisy bastard.

“Jeff! Hit another one!”

“It’s a bit of a shame it’s a solo home run this time, unlike last time, but I’ll be satisfied with that for the first inning!”

He was noisy.

He was even more boisterous than the crowd that cheered him on so enthusiastically.

He found it unpleasant.

Why were people so enthusiastic about that guy?

He couldn’t understand it, but he could understand that far.

But as people increasingly compared him to that guy, whom he already disliked, he started to hate him.

That’s why he wanted to teach those clueless people a lesson.

‘Mason, he’s definitely good, like a true ace. But I’m even better than that.’

Just the last time they met.

That self-proclaimed billionaire had been hit with a three-run homer by him.

He had to bear the disgrace of a come-from-behind loss.

And it would be similar this time.

At least he would be the one to bring down that pitcher.

No matter how well that noisy Asian guy did, he would do even better.

Jeff Shelton firmly believed it.

This pride, as thick as blood, was the driving force that had brought him this far, along with his innate talent.

The game started.

The pitcher, displeased that he was focusing on the infielder instead of the mound, threw an even more powerful pitch than when he had struck out the previous batters.

‘97 miles. About 3 miles faster than the previous at-bat. His top speed is 98 miles, so is this a full-power pitch?’

The pitch had good velocity.

If he had swung, the bat would have grazed over the ball.

Jeff Shelton, who had finally shifted his gaze from the shortstop to the mound as the count went up, seriously engaged in the battle.

“Jeff! Jeff!”

The crowd, feeling some kind of good energy from the full count, chanted his name, and the pitcher, though his expression didn’t change, seemed even more displeased.

He had no intention of letting that displeasure end with just a feeling.

‘I have to hit it this time.’

The timing was right.

As Jeff Shelton grinned mischievously, the pitcher’s displeasure deepened.

As if to break that displeasure.

He took a deep breath.

He stretched his leg out long.

He threw the ball with his arm, swinging it menacingly.

It was a very fast pitch.

It was a speed that the eye couldn’t follow, but his bat was different.

There was no ball that the swing that had given him 9 home runs last season and already 19 this season couldn’t catch.

Paak-

A wonderful sound of the bat hitting the ball rang out.

The batted ball drew a beautiful trajectory, taking off endlessly.

He was sure.

His batted ball would not crash into the ivy like the noisy guy had done earlier.

‘It’s gone, it’s gone.’

[Jeff Shelton’s 20th home run of the season! Jeff Shelton hits the first home run of the second half of the 2034 season!]

[He’s one step ahead of his Rookie of the Year competitor. Lee did get a ground-rule double to second base first, but it’s no comparison to a home run.]

[Usually, if a player with Rookie of the Year qualifications hits 30 home runs, their award is almost guaranteed. Jeff Shelton is almost 70% there. At this rate, he could hit more than 30 home runs.]

“Jeeeeeff!”

“Yeeeeeeeeeees!”

With fireworks bursting in the background, probably prepared by the club, he ran the bases and gave the shortstop, who was standing there blankly, a refreshing smile, just like he had done from the bench earlier. As if to say, ‘Can you do this?’

He didn’t like the still indifferent expression, but at least he would be noisier than that guy today.

He smiled contentedly.

####

‘I want to burn it all down.’

As the first game neared its end.

Lee Jung-woo had thoughts that would have made anyone worry about his mental state if they knew.

Fortunately, what made him think that way wasn’t the home crowd that was enthusiastically mocking him and the Braves, or the Cubs players who were reveling in their victory.

It was the damn ivy surrounding the old-fashioned fence.

‘If it weren’t for that, I would have had at least 3 more RBIs.’

The team was on the verge of defeat.

But Lee Jung-woo’s performance in this game was very good.

He had three doubles.

The problem was that they weren’t normal doubles, but all ground-rule doubles declared because they went into the ivy.

Two of them would have been triples in other stadiums.

Moreover, all three times, the runners who were on first base when he hit the ball would have easily scored if they had been in play.

If that had happened, the Braves wouldn’t have had a narrow 4-2 loss, but would have won 4-2, adding to his disappointment.

[The ball rolls to the mound. The pitcher catches it and throws it to first base. Out. That’s how the game ends. The score is 4-2. The Braves unfortunately lose their first game of the second half.]

[Lee Jung-woo had a very good performance in this game, but ironically, he had a bit of bad luck. The same goes for the Braves.]

[At least they avoided a shutout thanks to Joey Freeman’s two-run home run. But James Peterson, the cleanup hitter, kept hitting ground balls, and Lee Jung-woo hit well, but he had bad luck. The same goes for Poppin.]

[It was an overall unlucky game, and that ultimately determined the joy and sorrow of both teams.]

“Let’s win tomorrow!”

“Let’s win the day after tomorrow too!”

“We’re going to win three days from now!”

The crowd shouted.

Jeff Shelton, who would be named the MVP of today’s game, received a sports drink shower from his teammates with a confident look on his face.

Lee Jung-woo’s stats were very good, with 3 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 walk, and 1 stolen base in 4 plate appearances.

But strangely, he didn’t have any RBI luck.

Jeff Shelton, on the other hand, swept up the team’s RBIs with 1 hit, 1 home run, 1 sacrifice fly, and 3 RBIs in 4 plate appearances.

That determined the expressions on the two men’s faces after the game.

“Just ignore him. You’re much better. If it were our home, you’d have 3 RBIs too.”

“Yeah, well. I have to do well tomorrow.”

Derek came over to encourage him, worried that he might be shaken.

Lee Jung-woo nodded, but he didn’t stop watching Jeff Shelton, who was screaming.

He felt a surge of annoyance.

In the end, he didn’t achieve any of his goals today.

He couldn’t stop Jeff Shelton, he couldn’t hit better than him, and he even lost the game.

He wasn’t the type to care about others, but perhaps he unconsciously thought of him as a rival.

Lee Jung-woo was not in a good mood.

‘Sigh. But my hitting feel is good, so let’s just keep going like this. If I do, I’ll get lucky someday.’

Someone looked forward to the next day.

Someone rejoiced in the victory of the moment.

The first game ended.

The latter had a comfortable and satisfying night.

The former sharpened his sword of revenge, vowing to do better.

That’s how the Rookie of the Year candidate war slowly heated up.

####

[Jeff Shelton hits his first home run of the second half against ATL, reaching 20 home runs for the season!]

[Braves, lack of concentration in the lineup! If they really want the postseason, they need to reduce the ups and downs of the lineup…]

[Jeff Shelton, challenging 40 home runs? Experts, ‘His pace is consistent. It’s definitely possible…’]

[Jeff Shelton, making strides towards Rookie of the Year!]

As if they had been waiting for it.

Starting with Chicago local media.

Media outlets that were friendly to the Cubs. Even larger and more impartial media outlets.

They welcomed Jeff Shelton’s 20th home run and poured out massive articles.

As if it were a great record that no one had ever achieved.

Lee Jung-woo also had stats that were good enough to be praised, but they soon disappeared, pushed aside by Jeff Shelton’s articles.

It couldn’t be helped.

In Lee Jung-woo’s case, he had recently gained popularity rapidly, reaching the threshold of a superstar in an instant.

But strictly speaking, there was a bit of a difference in popularity compared to Jeff Shelton.

Although his looks were quite decent.

Lee Jung-woo had the penalties of being Asian, a foreigner, and still somewhat unfamiliar.

Jeff Shelton, on the other hand, was at least more familiar to the public than Lee Jung-woo, was an American born and raised in the United States, and had the advantage of being white.

As a result, Lee Jung-woo’s popularity and star power were inevitably a bit lower.

Of course, Lee Jung-woo’s personal fans and Braves fans were furious about it.

Hoping that Lee Jung-woo would bring the fickle media back to their side.

Whether the aftermath of the first game had an impact on the next game, or whether it was just a series of lucky days.

Lee Jung-woo was victimized by the ivy again in the second game.

[He hit it! A long fly ball! Is this going deep- Did it go in again?]

[Ah… It would be hard to do on purpose. The batted ball keeps going into the ivy.]

[Yes, Wrigley Field’s fence has become a little heavier than the day before.]

However, this time he had one less hit but had 2 RBIs.

The problem was that Jeff Shelton hit another home run.

Fortunately, the team won.

Even though Lee Jung-woo contributed greatly to the victory, even if it wasn’t the game-winning hit.

He was pushed aside by Jeff Shelton’s buzz again.

[When will Lee’s first home run of the second half come? He’s great, but not as much as the fans expect…]

[Is Lee falling behind his competitor like this?]

[Lee Jung-woo’s excellent performance with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 4 at-bats! He greatly contributed to the team!]

At least until now, the Korean media and Atlanta local media, which were his home grounds, were raising him up even more, as if rebelling against such arguments, but even that soon faded.

“Lee, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m just not in good condition.”

Lee Jung-woo’s performance in the third game was 0 hits and 3 strikeouts in 4 at-bats.

Until now, he could have countered by saying that he had hit many more hits.

But in that game, he was too pathetic to even make such a rebuttal.

Jeff, on the other hand, continued his home run streak for three games, leading the team to victory and attracting everyone’s attention.

As the situation was like that.

Even Korea was no longer just his home ground.

[Jeff Shelton! Demonstrates monstrous power with home runs in 3 consecutive games!]

[Jeff Shelton’s 22nd home run of the season! Is the Rookie of the Year award virtually decided this season?]

[Lee Jung-woo is now exposed. He met the real deal and his spirit was crushed.]

[Why are you even comparing Lee Jung-woo and Jeff Shelton in the first place? One is a fluke, and the other is real skill.]

[Lee Jung-woo 2 RBIs in 3 games, our Jeff 3 consecutive home runs, MVP. Cubs fans, scream!]

As always.

They rejoiced and despaired depending on the results.

A battle for the high ground unfolded.

Until now, even if he wasn’t as good as his competitor, his stats were still good.

Lee Jung-woo’s anti-fans, who had been quietly watching, and those who didn’t welcome his selection to the Asian Games roster, finally occupied the high ground.

[Lee Jung-woo’s decline will start now.]

[It’s hopeless from the start to select such an inexperienced kid for the national team. They should have chosen a more proven player.]

[I can see it. His mentality is breaking down even with just league games. He’ll faint in national team games.]

[He just looks like that, but he’s secretly a scaredy-cat, Lee Jung-woo.]

They made baseless rumors.

The fans who were just suppressing their anger at those who were diligently tearing him apart and making scratches prayed fervently.

For their sake.

For the sake of their mental health and physical fatigue from stress.

They hoped that Lee Jung-woo would fly high again and shut them up.

And Lee Jung-woo was ready.

####

“If we have a losing streak from the second half, the fans will be very embarrassed, you know? Let’s win easily today.”

The most enthusiastic response to Derek’s words before the game came from Peterson and Poppin, who had only hit ground balls in yesterday’s game.

Joey also nodded solemnly with his usual solemn face.

The players knew who was burning the most here.

“Lee, you’re still worried about yesterday’s game, aren’t you? And luck is inevitable. Just be comfortable as usual. Don’t overdo it.”

He looked expressionless at first glance.

But if you looked closely, Lee Jung-woo’s eyes were burning fiercely.

Seeing that, Derek lightly soothed him, worried that he might overdo it.

He only nodded, but his eyes didn’t change much.

Lee Jung-woo thought.

‘I’ll pay it all back today.’

He would turn everything upside down.

Whether his anger and the fans’ desperate wishes reached the heavens, and his sincerity was recognized.

His condition, which had been the worst of the season due to a mild cold the day before, was now perfect.

After blaming himself for not taking care of his body properly and falling asleep with his eyes open.

When he woke up early the next morning, the whole world seemed beautiful.

It was as if a filter that made the now-tiresome Windy City [Chicago] outside the window look dazzling had been put on his eyes.

It was so perfect.