Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 240

#239. Boston Red Sox

“He wants to see me!”

“Yes, if you have time now.”

“Of course! Absolutely! Where is it? Where do I need to go?”

The Major League Baseball Commissioner, who was receiving a report on the massive brawl between the Seattle Mariners and the LA Dodgers that occurred yesterday afternoon, turned pale and jumped up from his seat.

A bench-clearing brawl so intense that eight players were ejected—the fiercest in recent years.

To make matters worse, Tegan Burkhead of the Dodgers, who instigated the incident, reportedly suffered fractured ribs after being beaten by Han Su-hyeok.

Although many people were involved, the investigation at the league level was already complete.

The investigation clearly and concisely revealed that Tegan Burkhead hurled severe personal insults, including racial slurs, at the opposing pitcher, and in the ensuing clash, Seattle’s Korean player, Han Su-hyeok, beat Tegan to a pulp.

Among the generally mild-mannered Dodgers, Tegan Burkhead was the only one with a nasty and foul temper. Consequently, there had been several minor and major bench-clearing incidents caused by him.

Judging from the situation, it seemed he had stirred up trouble again and finally met his match.

However, regardless of the circumstances, rules are rules.

No matter what happened, fists flew on the field, and a player was injured, so disciplinary action had to be taken thoroughly.

It was a bit unfortunate that one of the targets was Han Su-hyeok, who has recently contributed significantly to the popularity of Major League Baseball.

“This way, please.”

“Ah, yes, I’m finally getting to see this place. It’s truly an honor.”

But that wasn’t the important thing right now.

He entered the massive building in the very center of Rockefeller Center, consisting of 21 skyscrapers, which he had never entered before despite being in the same Manhattan area.

“This is where the head of the family resides…”

“Yes, that’s correct. You can use this elevator here.”

“Oh, just looking at it, I can feel the elegance and class…!”

The commissioner, guided by a man presumed to be a secretary of the Rockefeller family, got into the elevator and began to look around cautiously.

He had rushed over at the summons of the head of the family that moved America, but he had no idea why he was being called.

The commissioner representing Major League Baseball was not someone to be taken lightly, but in these people’s eyes, he was probably less than an ant on the street.

What on earth could they want from him?

He rolled his eyes, trying to figure out the situation, but eventually had to give up.

*Ding*

The elevator had already reached its destination.

“This way, please have a seat here for a moment.”

Although the exterior was clearly a modern skyscraper, the interior he arrived at after getting off the elevator resembled a medieval castle.

The commissioner’s eyes widened at the unexpected sight as he looked around.

“Sorry to call you all the way here when you’re busy. I thought about coming to you, but it seemed like it would make things even bigger.”

“Ah, no, not at all! Head of the family, it’s an honor to meet you!”

He had only seen her once before at the President’s inauguration celebration, and even then, only from a distance.

The head of the Rockefeller family, the true owner of this land who has moved America for over 100 years, revealed herself.

To his knowledge, she was now in her late thirties, but she looked so young and beautiful that she could easily pass for someone in her twenties.

As she sat down in front of him, the commissioner’s heart began to race wildly.

Did I do something wrong? Did my donation to the Democratic Party last time bother her?

No, that couldn’t be. There’s no way the head of Rockefeller would care about such a trivial matter.

As the commissioner prepared answers for the hundreds of thoughts running through his head,

Angela Rockefeller, the head of the Rockefeller family, said something unexpected.

“My child has been very into baseball lately.”

“The young master is into baseball! How wonderful! This is a great honor! Of course, what’s America without baseball!”

“Yes, I’m glad he’s found a great hobby to spend his free time with. He said he wanted to watch his favorite player’s games every day, so I went ahead and acquired a few broadcasting stations.”

“Ah, so that’s why ESPN was acquired, ah, yes, that’s right. Baseball is best enjoyed by following your favorite player. Thank you so much. I’m so happy and grateful that I can be of even a little help to the young master’s leisure time, Head of the family.”

“Yes. But you see, Commissioner.”

“Yes?”

“Yesterday, my child looked upset. When I asked him why, he said his favorite player beat up some weirdo and might get disciplined…”

“Pardon?”

“The player’s name was probably Han… yes, Han Su-hyeok, I believe.”

* * *

[MLB Announces Disciplinary Actions and Rule Changes Following Bench-Clearing Brawl Between Seattle Mariners and LA Dodgers]

[LA Dodgers’ Tegan Burkhead Suspended for 15 Games and Fined $20,000 for Inciting Incident; Teammate Ellen Rodriguez Suspended for 1 Game and Fined $10,000; Seattle Mariners’ Ty Johnson Suspended for 1 Game, Fined $10,000, and Required to Perform 120 Hours of Community Service; Han Su-hyeok Suspended for 1 Game, Fined $20,000, and Required to Perform 120 Hours of Community Service]

[MLB Commissioner Jeff Peterson: “Insults and taunts containing personal attacks are as egregious as beanballs aimed at the head. As a result of this incident, the league will significantly strengthen its rules regarding bench-clearing brawls and disciplinary actions. Dodgers’ Tegan Burkhead severely insulted a veteran teammate and made some racially discriminatory remarks. We have determined that all physical altercations on the field stemmed from this, leading to severe penalties.”]

[In response to criticism that the penalties for players who directly threw punches were too lenient, Commissioner Jeff Peterson stated, “As previously explained, Tegan Burkhead’s insults were deemed as malicious as intentional beanballs. Therefore, we concluded that these players acted in self-defense to protect themselves and their teammates. This new rule will be immediately applied to the entire league.”]

[Tegan Burkhead’s voice from the umpire’s black box at the time of the incident confirmed severe insults regarding the age and physical condition of former Dodgers player Mike Warren, as well as racially discriminatory remarks against Han Su-hyeok and Mike Warren]

[Seattle Fans: “We welcome the league’s wise decision. Justice prevails.”]

[Dodgers Fans: “His ribs were shattered, and that’s all the punishment he gets?”]

[Korean Baseball Fans Participating in Online Comment Wars: “Daring to provoke that monster’s temper, may the Dodgers’ fools rest in peace.”]

[LA Dodgers Appeal Disciplinary Actions, but League Remains Firm]

[Mike Warren Earns First Win of Season with 8 Innings and 3 Runs Allowed in Second Game Between Seattle Mariners and LA Dodgers Marred by Fights and Ejections: “Quick matchups were effective. Above all, I am grateful for the help and dedication of my teammates. I want to play for Seattle and retire here.”]

“Alright, everyone. Today, Ty and Han can’t play. Whose fault is that?”

“Those damn blue rookies!”

“That’s right. Help the starting pitcher crush those morons and come back! Let’s go!”

The third game against the Dodgers, with both Han Su-hyeok and Ty Johnson absent due to disciplinary actions, turned into a fierce pitching duel.

The game pitted Seattle’s ace Ryan Thibodeau against the Dodgers’ number two starter.
The game, which remained tight at 1-1, ended in Seattle’s victory when Kevin McCloud, who came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth, hit a ball that went over the right field fence.
The Seattle team’s atmosphere was buzzing as they achieved another winning series despite the brawl and suspensions.

And then came the three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
Han Su-hyeok, returning from his one-game suspension, started and pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and one walk in nine innings. At the plate, he hit another home run, bringing his total to 13 home runs in 25 games this season.

Meanwhile, the game, which was broadcast live across the United States on ESPN, recorded the highest viewership of any regular season game in the past three years, excluding playoff games.

This was thanks to the large number of American baseball fans who tuned in after hearing about the fiery bench-clearing brawl the day before and Han Su-hyeok’s recent performance.

Thus, Seattle’s unstoppable march continued.

Another winning series in the three-game series against the Chicago White Sox, two wins and two losses in the four-game series against Baltimore with a travel day in between, and two wins and one loss in the three-game series against Minnesota.

Now, a little over a month after the start of the season,

Seattle is 22-12, with a winning percentage of .647, placing them first in the American League West Division and second in the entire league, behind only the Yankees.

There were several reasons for Seattle’s early success.

First, ace and captain Ryan Thibodeau anchored the team with an even stronger performance than last season, and the addition of veteran Mike Warren, who recorded two wins in three games after the trade, also played a role.

In the batting lineup, Ty Johnson batted .375 with an on-base percentage of .458, a slugging percentage of .601, 10 home runs, and 37 RBIs, dispelling concerns about the highest-paid contract in team history. The remaining hitters, who had struggled due to lack of experience until last season, also stepped up, transforming the team into a powerful offensive force that ranked first in the league in slugging percentage.

But the real reason was something else.

A player who has now become known to everyone, a player who is showing the qualities of the strongest player from his debut season in the big leagues to the point where even the title of super rookie seems awkward.
Han Su-hyeok.

As a pitcher, he has won all five of his starts, with 5 wins, an ERA of 0, and 38 consecutive scoreless innings.

At the plate, he is batting .446 with an on-base percentage of .538, a slugging percentage of .955, 16 home runs, and 38 RBIs.

Now, no one mentions the difference in level between the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] and Major League Baseball in front of Han Su-hyeok.

It has been proven that he is a player who can be the best anywhere, regardless of the league.

What’s even more frightening is that his skills are still improving.

Several indicators, which have risen even higher than in the KBO, prove this.

“Hey! Han! Look over here! Just look over here! Damn it, yeah! You’re the best!”

“Sign, sign, please sign! Please!”

The number of fans following Han Su-hyeok is increasing, with his continuous scoreless inning record still in progress, the anticipation of breaking the home run record of a drug user, which remains a blemish on Major League Baseball, and his fighting skills as fiery as his baseball skills.

He was becoming a national star, going beyond Seattle.

“Hey, Han. Where are you looking? Are you looking for someone?”

“No, just looking.”

But the more fans he had, the more Han Su-hyeok felt a sense of disappointment.

Because he still couldn’t see her anywhere among those many fans.

Thus, Han Su-hyeok’s first month in the big leagues, which was more spectacular and bustling than any other rookie’s, passed, and May began.

Seattle’s next opponent, riding the momentum, was none other than the Boston Red Sox, the very team that, along with the Yankees, reigns as the strongest in the American League.