Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 10

Mound Villain – Episode 10

The pitching order was determined by the current rankings.

The first Black player, who was noticeably fast, stepped onto the mound.

“Throw 10 pitches.”

“Yes, sir!”

To put it bluntly, his pitching wasn’t impressive.

It seemed he might have chosen the wrong sport.

If he’d focused on sprinting, an Olympic medal wouldn’t have been out of the question.

‘But Bolton’s around, so that’s impossible, right?’

While I was contemplating the king of sprints,

the second pitcher took his place on the mound.

“Start.”

“Hmph!”

He hurled the ball as soon as he heard the signal.

The power generated from his towering 6’6″ frame looked formidable.

The ball, released from a three-quarter arm slot [a pitching motion where the arm is between a sidearm and overhand delivery], was decent, matching his powerful pitching form.

Thwack!

“Hmm.”

The officials monitoring the speed were visibly impressed.

‘Looks like he hit around 90 miles per hour?’

90 mph isn’t a bad speed at all.

His pitches also had good movement, suggesting he could potentially play in Triple-A [the highest level of Minor League Baseball].

But that assessment quickly changed.

Swish!

“Whoa!”

“Throw it properly!”

His control faltered from the second pitch onward.

His speed increased slightly, but he struggled with accuracy.

‘Still, at that level, they’ll probably take a chance on him.’

The purpose of selecting players in High-A [an intermediate level of Minor League Baseball] isn’t to find ready-made talent.

It’s to evaluate their potential for future development.

So, if their arm seems healthy, they’ll pick them.

“Next! Ha… Ssung-jung?”

“It’s Jung.”

Ha-sung’s name was called.

As he walked onto the mound, people whispered.

“He’s Asian?”

“Where’s he from? China? Japan?”

Son of a…

Always with the China and Japan assumptions.

I’m not particularly nationalistic.

But I can’t help but feel a little annoyed.

‘Is that all there is to Asians in this world, Chinese and Japanese?’

Actually, I’m no better, labeling Westerners as white or black.

They all have different nationalities, but I just lump them together.

But that’s that.

Feeling bad now is just feeling bad.

“Hey, what are you doing? Throw it.”

“Yes.”

At the manager’s prompting, I grabbed a ball from the basket.

‘Typical High-A. The balls are crap.’

The balls were used and worn.

Thankfully, the seams were still intact.

‘This kind of test is just…’

I rubbed rosin [a sticky substance used by pitchers for a better grip] on my hand and stood on the mound.

It’s not Double-A or Triple-A.

Single-A [the lowest level of Minor League Baseball] is just a stepping stone.

‘I’ll get through this easily.’

Swish-!

I rotated my body to the left while kicking my leg.

After completing the windup, Ha-sung balanced on one leg and focused on the catcher.

‘His balance is good?’

The manager watched, his eyes lighting up.

‘His lower body is well-trained. His physique isn’t bad for an Asian. Now, how does he use that power…’

Then Ha-sung stepped forward.

He swung his arm wide with the stride and brought it forward.

Whoosh-!!

The sequence of movements was clean and fluid.

‘He’s smoothly transitioning to the next movement at the right timing, maximizing the power transfer.’

His lower body is well-trained, so his left leg perfectly supported his entire body.

Since his lower body was solid, the rotation of his rapidly turning waist and upper body was also smooth.

He channeled all that rotational force into the ball and sent it flying.

Whoosh-!!

The ball sliced through the air and crossed the distance in an instant, slamming into the mitt.

Thwack!!

A tremendous sound echoed.

“Wh… What’s that sound?”

“Sounds like the ball hitting the mitt?”

“Was that a bomb exploding?”

The players being tested nearby turned their heads.

The manager, Jameson, was equally surprised.

‘The speed on the first pitch is around 94 mph. More than anything, the ball is alive. The ball flew to home plate with incredible energy.’

Not all pitches with the same speed possess the same power.

Because the spin on the ball varies.

This spin is determined by how much force was applied at the last moment of throwing the ball.

‘It’s the first time I’ve seen a guy with such a live spin on the ball. There’s nothing more to evaluate.’

Jameson checked the list and called his name.

“Ha-sung… or Jeong, was it?”

“Yes.”

“You can stop throwing. Pack your things and leave.”

The surrounding players looked puzzled.

Then Jameson continued.

“Let’s meet in the office.”

This meant only one thing.

He passed.

“I understand.”

What was even more surprising was Ha-sung’s reaction.

He nodded as if it were expected and walked off the mound.

* * *

The Single-A office.

It contained only a desk and a chair.

At least there was a spare chair.

As I sat there waiting, Jameson entered.

“I’m late. The test ran long. We haven’t introduced ourselves yet, have we? I’m Jameson. I’m an instructor.”

“If you’re an instructor, are you affiliated with the Athletics [referring to the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team]?”

“You know your stuff.”

Although separate entities, the minor league is essentially a farm system for the major league.

They need to know which prospects are developing well on the farm.

The instructor’s role is to assess that.

“Ha-sung Jeong, you’re from Korea. Kim’s country. You know him, right? The Korean player who played for the Dodgers.”

“Of course, I know him. Everyone in Korea knows Kim Sung-hoon.”

Kim Sung-hoon is considered the pioneer of Korean major leaguers.

He signed with the LA Dodgers in 1998 and made history by going straight to the major leagues.

He is still active and boasts a record of 197 home runs in his major league career.

“Kim was amazing when he first came to the major leagues. I thought he was the real deal when he hit home runs in three consecutive games.”

His nostalgic story began.

He reminisced about the past and recounted Kim Sung-hoon’s performance.

But there was no reason to keep listening.

“It seems like you’re more interested in Kim Sung-hoon than signing a contract with me.”

“Oh? Oh dear, I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

In Korea, that would have been considered rude.

No, would it be considered a curse?

But this is America.

The other person recognized his lapse in professionalism and acknowledged his mistake.

“Will you sign with the Blaze?”

The offer was casual.

That’s because it’s a minor league contract, not a major league contract.

Signing bonus?

Salary negotiation?

There was no such thing.

All there was to look forward to was bread with jam, and the accommodation was a basic motel.

“Please cover the cost of accommodation for 3 months.”

“3 months?”

“I have to come from Korea. It’s difficult to find a place to live right away. And 3 months isn’t a significant burden on the club’s finances, is it?”

“…Okay. Since you’re coming from so far away, I’ll agree to that much. However, if the details of this agreement are leaked, the support will end immediately.”

“I understand.”

The clause was added to the contract.

“Check it out.”

It’s a standard contract.

There was nothing complicated.

I wrote my name and signed.

All contracts were finalized.

It was lightning fast.

Since it was a team I had in mind from the beginning, there was no reason to consider other options.

Jameson, after reviewing the contract, shook my hand.

“You’ll be playing for the Blaze next year.”

“It’ll be a short time, but please take care of me.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Why do you think I asked for only 3 months of support?”

“Because you know it’s hard to get more than that?”

“That’s one reason, but there’s another reason.”

“Another reason…?”

Ha-sung said, picking up another contract.

“You mentioned Kim Sung-hoon earlier, right?”

“Ah, I did. Are you still thinking about it?”

“Of course not. I just wanted to tell you that I have a different favorite player.”

“Different…?”

“Born to the K.”

“That nickname is…”

Who is the Korean major leaguer who has achieved the greatest success in the United States?

Ten out of ten people will say Kim Sung-hoon.

But the answer to the question of which player left the biggest impact is different.

“I like Baek Young-ho more.”

“Nuclear Submarine…”

Baek Young-ho.

He is the second Korean and the first pitcher to set foot on the major league stage.

There’s a famous story about him.

After graduating from high school, he signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.

Like other players, he started as a rookie, and in just five months, he was called up to the major leagues.

In other words, the 3 months that Ha-sung requested meant that he would follow in his footsteps.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

Ha-sung left the office.

Jameson, left alone, examined the contract and stared at the seat where he had been sitting.

“Will it end in arrogance? Or…”

Will a monster be born?

Jameson was already looking forward to next season.

* * *

I expected things to go well to some extent, but it worked out perfectly.

“I can go back to Korea right away.”

The sooner I finish my business in the United States, the better.

The more days I spend, the more expenses I incur.

“I have to succeed as soon as possible.”

His body was 19 years old, but his mind was over 40.

Since he had achieved financial independence in his previous life, he wasn’t accustomed to receiving support now.

‘Getting used to it is also a problem. Once a person gets used to something, it’s hard to break the habit.’

Ha-sung organized his thoughts and packed his bag.

“First, let’s go back and wrap things up.”

It was time to conclude matters in Korea.

* * *

Even after Ha-sung went to the United States, the Korean baseball world was still in turmoil.

“If the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization] is so uncooperative, we will have no choice but to be uncooperative in all future matters!”

“Are you threatening us?”

“It’s not a threat, it’s the truth!”

The KBO and the Amateur Baseball Association were still at odds.

“Are you so afraid of Major League Baseball?”

“What did you say?”

“The media also knows. You can’t speak loudly to Major League Baseball, so you’re dragging your feet.”

“What nonsense! And in the first place, isn’t this incident caused by your association’s mishandling of the situation?”

“What are you talking about?!”

“If you had handled the coaches who received kickbacks properly in the first place, would student Jeong Ha-sung have done this?”

They were exposing each other’s weaknesses and tearing each other apart.

Because of this conflict between the two associations, Ha-sung’s case was still unresolved.

It was then.

Knock knock-!

Someone knocked on the conference room door.

Soon, the door opened, and an employee walked straight to the TV and delivered his message.

“There’s news you must see.”

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Jeong Ha-sung is giving a return interview.”

“Return interview?”

“When did that guy go abroad?”

The two associations weren’t even aware that Jeong Ha-sung had gone abroad.

Perhaps it was understandable.

Ha-sung wasn’t a member of either association.

If they had known, it would have been akin to civilian surveillance.

As the TV turned on, the employee changed the channel to cable.

[Sports Today]

The person from the amateur association who saw the channel sneered.

“I thought he was doing interviews with some major networks. It’s just Sports Today?”

Sports Today was a channel that primarily broadcast sports news.

It wasn’t very popular and barely managed to stay afloat.

The possibility of a significant impact was small even if an interview was conducted on such a channel.

“Huh? What is that? Jeong Ha-sung signed a contract with a minor league team?”

“What are you talking about…!”

The KBO employee exclaimed in surprise.

Only then did the association official, who saw the screen clearly, stiffen his face.

[Exclusive Interview!]

[Jeong Ha-sung, the first Korean player to sign a direct contract with a minor league team!]

While the two were stunned,

the content of the ongoing interview flowed through the speakers.

(So, you passed the tryout, which is known to be extremely difficult, and signed a direct contract?)

(Yes, that’s right.)

(There would have been an easier way, but why did you choose that method?)

At the reporter’s question, Ha-sung’s gaze turned to the camera.

(The first reason is that I thought it was unfair.)

(Unfair?)

(Yes. I couldn’t play in games when I was in the third grade for reasons other than injury. For as long as 6 months.)

(Yes? Taeil High School’s statement said that he couldn’t play in the game because of an injury.)

Ha-sung smiled at the camera.

It was time to detonate the bomb.

(I personally went to the hospital last year and got a diagnosis. At that time, I was diagnosed with a risk of injury and rested. But in winter, I was diagnosed with a full recovery.)

It was time to reveal all the unfair treatment he had received, like a bomb about to explode.