Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 91

“You’re really something.”

“Lee, wouldn’t it be nice to just indulge in sentiment sometimes?”

He said this after hitting a home run and returning to the dugout.

Other players shook their heads, watching Lee Jung-woo swinging his bat alone in a corner of the bench.

*What kind of rookie was so disgustingly thorough?*

“I almost screwed up last time doing that. I can’t repeat it.”

He was indifferent to their reactions.

Lee Jung-woo seriously checked his batting form.

He had been wildly successful against the Colorado Rockies, only to mess up unnecessarily.

It might be forgivable to let it slide once, but Lee Jung-woo didn’t want to repeat it.

Being swayed by his own batting was a foolish mistake he only needed to make once.

[What is Lee doing? At first glance, it looks like he’s refining his batting form… It’s hard to believe he’s the same batter who just hit a home run.]

[That’s how strong his work ethic is. Many people see Lee as just a naturally gifted hitter, but such thorough effort is the foundation of his success.]

[That’s why he’s doing so well now.]

The broadcast camera focused on Lee Jung-woo slowly checking his batting form, and the commentators were impressed.

The viewers acknowledged it too, but…

The Cubs fans, seeing the scene on the scoreboard screen, were furious.

It was admirable and pleasing to see a young player doing his best, and if their player were doing that…

They would have gladly praised him, but…

Because *he* was annoying and hateful.

He looked bad no matter what he did.

“Look at that show he’s putting on.”

“He’s managing his image. Trying to look like a diligent, hardworking player or something.”

“Isn’t he mocking us right now? Like, the home run against the Cubs means nothing, or something!”

They made paranoid remarks.

And the Cubs fans clicked their tongues.

But beneath the surface, there was a deep fear.

The home run just now was definitely no less impressive than what their prized Jeff could do.

There was even an illusion, a mistaken impression, that his power was a bit stronger.

It instilled a sense of terror in them.

And it was becoming more and more real.

[Yes, Lee is coming up to bat. He seems to be in good condition today. The key is whether he can show the same performance as his previous at-bat.]

[As you said, he looks to be in good condition. Both in the previous at-bat and in his earlier fielding, he showed excellent agility.]

Top of the 4th, no outs.

Lee Jung-woo came up as the lead-off hitter for the inning, and the eyes on his second at-bat were of two kinds: expecting or cursing.

There were still slightly more people cursing.

There were slightly more Cubs fans than Braves fans, and even among those who had no connection to either team.

There were many people who disliked Lee Jung-woo.

For example, fans of the Phillies, Rockies, and Giants, who had been thoroughly beaten by him.

“Wooooooo!”

The boos poured down, but…

He had heard it so much.

It was now as familiar as his entrance music.

He was somewhat grateful to the crowd for filling the sound in place of the entrance music he hadn’t particularly chosen.

Lee Jung-woo, who went into the batter’s box indifferently, glanced at the catcher.

Yesterday, knowing that he wasn’t normal, he went crazy and talked nonsense again.

So, he wondered if he should throw another corny joke today to shut him up, but…

Maybe because he got hit earlier.

He seemed to have clammed up again, which he liked.

*Keep doing just that.*

Lee Jung-woo, who thought this inwardly, turned his eyes away from the catcher, who no longer needed any attention.

He looked up at the pitcher on the mound.

He had given up a home run in the previous at-bat, so normally he would be glaring and cursing with his eyes, but…

He couldn’t see that kind of expression from the opposing pitcher right now.

*Yes, he understood.*

*He’s scared, of me.*

Lee Jung-woo understood.

Why the pitcher didn’t feel any will, passion, or even anger.

The pitcher had only given up 1 run through the 4th inning thanks to the solo home run he had given up to him.

Nevertheless, he was discouraged, at least when it came to the batter Lee Jung-woo.

Being the object of someone’s fear is more enjoyable than you might think.

*Not just a one-off. Let’s make his eyes shake whenever he sees me in the future.*

With that goal in mind.

Lee Jung-woo was ready for the game, but…

The problem was that the pitcher wasn’t even thinking of throwing the ball.

Even though he hadn’t thrown the first pitch yet, the pitcher kept refusing the signals, so the catcher let out a faint sigh.

After glancing at Lee Jung-woo for a moment, he soon got up from his seat and went to the mound.

After making several vigorous gestures, he came back to home plate.

“I know you’re having a hard time. I wish you’d throw the first pitch.”

“Wait. I’m going to throw you something good.”

Lee Jung-woo, shrugging at the curt reply, watched the pitcher.

He waited for the good first pitch he would throw.

And his two eyes moved greatly, following the pitcher’s movements.

He was originally going to be a little calmer, but…

*This changes things.*

Lee Jung-woo was grateful to the catcher.

He seemed to be demanding a head-on match to tell him not to be afraid.

The pitcher faithfully carried it out.

Of course, it was also because of the catcher’s request, but he was a professional player, a major leaguer.

He was desperately denying the fact that he was afraid of a nobody like Lee Jung-woo.

He probably wanted to shake it off himself.

He was a good pitcher. It might have been a good choice, and it might have produced good results, but…

The problem with it was just one thing, and that problem was too big.

That is, Lee Jung-woo’s condition was by no means ordinary.

A fastball thrown with all his might.

Normally, you just have to swing at such a fastball with a sense.

But for some reason.

Today, his two eyes followed it perfectly. No, to be exact, he didn’t exactly follow it.

He just saw the ball well.

Like they often say.

It wasn’t quite as big as a watermelon, but…

It looked like a good-sized oriental melon.

Compared to when only pure white traces remain when he is normal.

That difference is very big.

“Huu-”

A Cubs fan sitting in the seat behind home plate, watching the smooth and natural shift of the body’s center of gravity, shouted a beat earlier.

“Fuuuuuuuuuck!”

He seemed to have seen the future a little earlier than others.

Someone tasted the pain of a prophet, but Lee Jung-woo made sure he wasn’t alone.

He gave everyone the same shock.

[Lee hit it! A fast, powerful hit! How far will it fly! Will it go over the fence?]

[It has power, but it flew too high. It doesn’t look like a home run… It’s not falling?]

[The center fielder is chasing after it… Yes. No more retreating is possible. Behind him is the wall. The ball went over the fence. Lee hits a solo home run. The score is 2 to 0. Lee’s 15th home run of the season and his second home run of the game.]

The commentator predicted that it would be a fly ball due to the severely high angle, but…

He soon had to laugh embarrassedly.

The batted ball was far from a fly ball.

It landed a little further back even after going over the fence.

The Cubs fans, witnessing the tremendous power, slumped down in dismay.

“Damn it, what the hell!”

“That went over? Did that bastard take drugs or something?”

“There’s no way an Asian can have that kind of power! It’s definitely drugs, drugs!”

“What is the secretariat doing! Letting that bastard roam around the league!”

The Cubs fans, so shocked that they even denied reality, soon suspected drugs, but…

That didn’t particularly help in the current situation.

Either way, the ball went over.

Their prized manual scoreboard also raised the Braves’ score.

Watching Lee Jung-woo waving his hand during his base running to the Braves visiting fans who were shouting at them as if to show off.

The Cubs fans seriously had homicidal urges in their hearts, but…

It was still too early to have such feelings, and the game was too long.

####

The Cubs fans gave up.

It seemed like they had been completely caught up with.

Both the series score and the head-to-head matchup of the players they were proud of.

In fact, the head-to-head match between the two players had already been caught up with. Rather, they were on the verge of reversing it.

“FuckFuckFuckFuckFuck.”

“That bastard is disgustingly good.”

Even though he had attained enlightenment, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t swear. Rather, his anger was just a little less intense than before.

What enraged them wasn’t just the score of 5-0, but also…

The performance of that damn Asian hitter and Jeff Shelton was significant.

While Jeff Shelton recorded his worst performance of the series with 0 hits and 0 on-base appearances in 3 at-bats,

That son of a bitch blasted 3 hits, 3 home runs, and 5 RBIs in 3 at-bats.

Yes, he was on a streak of three consecutive home runs and was challenging the major league record of four consecutive home runs.

Similarly, he negated all of Jeff Shelton’s good hits, who had been continuing his own record.

That alone was enough to make them feel sick and want to vomit everything inside.

The biggest problem was that it didn’t seem like it would end with just three consecutive home runs.

[Looking at the distance of Lee Jung-woo’s home runs in today’s game, it has been consistently increasing. What do you think about this?]

[If it were against the same pitcher, we could simply say he’s gotten used to the timing. But considering he hit the third home run against a different pitcher and the distance was even greater than before, it seems like his hitting is really on fire right now.]

As the Korean commentators excitedly chattered, the power of Lee Jung-woo’s hits grew stronger and stronger.

The third one was so big that they worried it might go out of the stadium entirely.

His strength didn’t wane as the game went on; instead, it seemed to increase even more.

That appearance was just like the main character in a novel or movie who gets stronger and stronger.

The Cubs fans couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“Just walk him, just walk him! It’s okay, just walk him!”

“Yeah, we won’t say anything. Just intentionally walk him!”

“Is getting criticized by other guys a new thing? Just walk him!”

The Cubs fans were mentally cornered enough to tolerate the disgrace of giving an intentional walk to a hitter challenging a record.

Perhaps their feelings were conveyed, as the Cubs bench was seriously discussing it.

“His condition… is really good. Do you think it’s possible?”

“With his current momentum, he’ll definitely hit anything that comes even slightly inside the zone over the fence.”

“Damn it. You think so too, right?”

The Cubs manager scratched his head violently.

‘Why the hell did that bastard go crazy when he’s up against us?’

He’s doing too well.

Looking at that guy challenging a major record that only six people in the entire history of Major League Baseball have achieved,

He felt a surge of anger.

He didn’t understand why he had to deal with this natural disaster, and he felt wronged.

“If we walk him, how big will the backlash be?”

“What’s certain is that we’ll be ridiculed wherever we go for at least this season.”

A rookie is challenging a major record, and they’re avoiding the match because they’re afraid? Against a rookie who just debuted and is still fresh?

The Cubs would become a laughingstock.

Maybe even decades later, if the sport of baseball still exists,

It might be remembered as a cowardly choice.

The manager who ordered it would be criticized as someone who abandoned sportsmanship.

Even by his great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren.

“…Let’s just try to throw it as far outside as possible.”

Therefore, this was all he could bear.

He couldn’t allow an automatic intentional walk. Just something like a walk that happened vaguely.

Just to that extent.

The head coach, who knew the manager’s thoughts well, nodded and gave instructions to the pitching coach again, and the manager let out a long sigh.

Suddenly, the worst imagination came to mind.

‘If he still hits it, we’re really screwed….’

####

“The article is ready, right?”

“Yes, it’s already written. Everyone is just waiting to upload it.”

“Tell them to report it extensively as soon as he achieves it. What about the local broadcasters?”

“They’ll make noise on their own. And the operations team said they’re all prepared.”

“Tell them to do everything they can. This is a more difficult record than a perfect game. We have to do this much.”

General Manager Pratt was more excited than ever.

Lee was about to cause a huge incident.

Colquitt had almost challenged the record of 4 home runs in a game, but this was on a different level.

Unlike the 4 home runs in a game, which was slightly less than a perfect game but still similar, the record of 4 consecutive home runs in a game was officially achieved by only seven people in league history.

‘In simple terms, it’s the maximum impact a hitter can make in a game.’

As the general manager of a team, if such an opportunity came,

It was right to bet everything.

The next thing to do was to trust the player.

“Hoo.”

Putting aside all those business matters, General Manager Pratt, as a pure baseball fan, as a Braves fan,

wanted to see Lee Jung-woo achieve the record.

The same was true for the other front office staff.

It was the middle of work hours, but everyone had thrown their documents aside.

They gathered in the conference room to watch TV, and some were even gnawing on their fingernails.

Everyone quenched their parched throats with tension when Lee Jung-woo came up.

“Let’s go!”

“Lee! Blast it away!”

They were just wearing suits,

Becoming passionate fans.

If someone saw the sight of them all shouting together, they would have chuckled,

But thankfully, at least the people here were all of the same mind, so there was no one to point it out.

The general manager, the highest-ranking person except for the president, was also rolling up his sleeves and shouting.

“Those, those Cubs, you sons of bitches!”

“They’re just going to walk him!”

“Look at them pretending to be sorry. They’re throwing the ball blatantly!”

They rejoiced and despaired at every ball.

They cursed the pitcher for blatantly missing the ball and pretending to be ambiguous, and when

Lee Jung-woo forcibly followed and cut, overcoming the crisis of a walk, they sighed together.

And the moment of destiny came.

“Please, please.”

Already a full count.

As if exhausted from the continued cuts,

Lee Jung-woo in the screen took a slight breath and wiped away the flowing sweat.

People focused as if it were their own tears.

General Manager Pratt didn’t even have the courage to watch the match, so he buried his head on the table and quietly recited a prayer.

Lee Jung-woo stepped into the batter’s box again, and the camera zoomed in on him.

His two eyes only contained the pitcher, and when the sweat he couldn’t wipe off flowed down his cheek and gathered at the tip of his chin,

The last ball was thrown.

General Manager Pratt slowly raised his head.

The sounds bursting out from here and there sounded as beautiful as the harmony of a choir.

It was a face that had been lowered with a tense expression, but when he raised it again, his face was full of smiles.

####

[Yes! It’s over! The ball passed the fence and fell into the stands. No one could catch it.]

[In the end, he succeeded. It’s uncertain whether it was a mistake, but the pitcher threw a good ball for the first time, and he waited for it and hit it over the fence.]

[The rare record of 4 consecutive home runs in a game has reappeared in the Major League with Lee Jung-woo’s hands. Lee Jung-woo puts his eighth name on the record that only seven people in Major League history have succeeded in.]

Even while running, Lee Jung-woo stomped on the base so hard that the surrounding dirt flew up, lest he commit someone’s fault [miss a base].

Because of that, his base running was slower than usual.

Usually, when a visiting guy hits a home run and runs that slowly,

The home fans would jeer or swear,

Fortunately, there were no fans to shout at him in Wrigley Field right now.

Oh, there were.

“Leeeeee! Look over here! Look over here! I came all the way here to see this!”

“Let’s go together forever! Retire with the Braves! You’re ours, so just play here forever! I’ll grab Pratt’s collar and get you a permanent number right away!”

The visiting fans, who were already excited, went crazy and jumped around,

Echoing loudly throughout the stadium.

‘Hoo. Crazy bastard. Crazy bastard, crazy bastard!’

While listening to that,

The moment he stepped on the last base,

A sense of reality returned at once.

Lee Jung-woo called himself a crazy bastard.

There was no other word to describe himself.

It’s just that his head was stiff with too much joy, so no other expression came to mind.

‘I did it all at once. What are you going to do?’

Carried to the bench in a palanquin [carried in triumph] by the players who rushed out,

Lee Jung-woo saw the center fielder, Jeff Shelton, who had run to the outfield fence chasing the ball.