Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 106

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 106

Ha-sung’s perfect game was huge news.

[Jung Ha-sung of the Oakland Athletics Achieves Perfect Game in First Start!]

[Jung Ha-sung, 19th Player in Major League History to Achieve a Perfect Game!]

[First Time in Major League History a Perfect Game Has Occurred on Opening Day!]

[Enters the Ranks as the Second Youngest Player at 20 Years Old to Achieve a Perfect Game! First Was John Montgomery Ward.]

[Enters the Ranks as the Player with the Most Strikeouts (18K) in a Perfect Game! Previous Record Holder Was Sandy Koufax with 14 Strikeouts.]

[Enters the Ranks as the 9th Pitcher to Achieve a Perfect Game with the Fewest Pitches (100 Pitches)!]

With Ha-sung’s record, all the existing records related to perfect games were brought up again.

This wasn’t just in Korea.

In the United States, special programs and articles about perfect games were published.

It became a major talking point.

In some ways, the impact was even greater than in Korea.

[The Athletics’ Third Perfect Game Achiever Has Emerged. It’s None Other Than The End, Jung Ha-sung.]

[There was much discussion about changing his nickname because ‘The End’ was given to him during his closer days, but Jung Ha-sung ended the game even as a starter.]

[It was a truly amazing pitching performance. His highest velocity reached a whopping 103 mph, and his average fastball velocity was a staggering 98 mph.]

[His average velocity was 100 mph until the 6th inning. Can you believe it? A pitcher whose average velocity is 100 mph, not just the highest velocity, is unbelievable.]

Baseball analysts on TV panels expressed their astonishment.

It was inevitable.

The 2000s saw the frequent emergence of pitchers throwing 100 mph, but it was still considered an exceptional speed.

The 2000s was an era where throwing such a ball even once in a game would earn you the title of a “fireballer.”

But an average velocity of 100 mph was an awe-inspiring feat in itself.

[With the achievement of a perfect game, Jung Ha-sung has written Major League history. We are already looking forward to seeing what he will do this season.]

The special program broadcast on ESPN was shown throughout the United States.

And the reaction of the people who heard the news was explosive.

-Opening day perfect game, is this real life lol

-Is it true that the average velocity was close to 100 mph?

-Highest velocity is 103 mph?

-What? Did you pull a record from a Japanese manga?

-It’s real.

-I heard a 20-year-old pitcher from Korea recorded it?

-Where is Korea again?

-Isn’t that where Kim Jong-il is?

-A pitcher came out of a place that shoots nuclear missiles?

Some Americans, unfamiliar with the distinction between South and North Korea, immediately thought of North Korea when they heard the word “Korea.”

The 2000s were like that.

It was before South Korea was widely known to the world.

There were also those who spread accurate information to these people.

-Not North Korea, but South Korea.

-It’s not a place that shoots nuclear missiles.

-You know the guy from the Athletics who set a new Major League save record last year?

-Ah-! The End!

-Why is The End achieving a perfect game?

-He’s transitioning to a starter this year.

-Wait, a 19-year-old rookie who set a Major League save record transitioned to a starter in his second season?

-Yep.

-And he achieves a perfect game on opening day?

-Yep.

-The highest velocity is 103 mph and the average velocity is 98 mph?

-Perfect!

-WTF! You want me to believe that now?!

-Just telling you.

The unbelievable news began to spread through all social media and online communities in the United States.

It wasn’t just ordinary internet users.

[Tom: Did you see The End’s perfect game? It was really great pitching!!]

Starting with Hollywood actors, Billboard-topping singers, etc.

Famous stars in various fields also posted about Ha-sung on social media.

That’s how huge this perfect game was.

The reaction in the United States was this great, so Korea was literally turned upside down.

[Jung Ha-sung of the Oakland Athletics Achieves the 19th Perfect Game in Major League History.]

The news was broadcast as breaking news on public television.

[Jung Ha-sung became the first player to achieve a perfect game on opening day. Jung Ha-sung, who focused the attention of the audience by throwing a maximum velocity of 103 mph from the first pitch, achieved a perfect game by striking out 18 of the 27 batters he faced.]

With the reporter’s explanation, Ha-sung’s pitching highlights were replayed and spread throughout the country.

Until 2010, smartphone usage wasn’t widespread.

Above all, the impact of TV was still significant because sites like YouTube weren’t yet popular.

If a public broadcaster reported something as breaking news, it was an event close to a social phenomenon.

Netizens showed an enthusiastic response to such an event.

-It explodeddddd-!!

-Crazy lol

-Hey, isn’t this fake news?

-It’s real lol

-No, how can you believe this lol

-A perfect game came out last year and this year too.

-More than that, is the most strikeouts in a perfect game real?

-Yep, surpassed Sandy Koufax, the existing record.

-Caused an accident as a closer last year and causes an accident as a starter this year.

The main reaction was disbelief.

Haters couldn’t even write posts. It was clear that they would be bombarded if they did.

But there were bound to be people who had to try it themselves.

-How can the velocity not drop while throwing 100 pitches? Didn’t he use drugs too?

-Are you a drug parrot now?

-Can’t you read the room?

-What kind of place is the Major League that you’re talking about drugs in?

-Do you even know about doping?

-Get out of here, you armchair expert.

-Just get lost!

An anti-fan who experienced more than 100 hate comments in an instant disappeared quickly.

In that way, the internet became a clean zone again and was plastered with praise for Ha-sung.

* * *

The day after achieving the perfect game.

Ha-sung woke up and checked his physical condition.

“There’s nothing too bad?”

Surprisingly, his physical condition was normal.

There was nothing much different from usual.

He felt a heaviness in his shoulder, but it wasn’t that bad.

It was enough to do light stretching without straining.

“My body has gotten really good. I felt like it was burning until yesterday. I woke up after a day and it’s all better.”

He didn’t feel any particular pain at the moment he achieved the perfect game.

Because he was in an excited state, a huge amount of adrenaline was secreted, putting him in a state of extreme excitement.

But when he left the stadium and was alone, muscle pain washed over him.

Even in his shoulder, which he had iced sufficiently, the burning sensation gradually rose and tormented him.

“It was a natural fever because I threw such a ball 100 times. But such a fever disappeared in just one day.”

When you throw a fastball, inflammation occurs in the shoulder.

One of the common reactions of inflammation is fever, so there was no big problem.

The problem was how quickly it recovered.

“In my previous life, I often had a fever until the next day. In this life, it all disappeared after one night.”

It couldn’t be explained simply because he was young.

“The fact that I’m still young is one reason, and the effect of training is also added to it.”

It wouldn’t be this much if there was only one thing.

But several reasons were working together to create a synergistic effect.

“Also, after regression [referring to his time travel/reincarnation], I feel like my body is better than before. It’s like a sponge that accepts everything as it is when I train?”

He didn’t know why, but he definitely felt that way.

“Is God playing a trick on me?”

He shook his head.

“Whatever the reason, it’s not a loss for me right now. Let’s visit the medical center first and accurately assess my current physical condition.”

Ha-sung washed up and got ready to go out.

* * *

An employee came out to meet Ha-sung, who arrived at the club.

“Catherine came out herself?”

“The manager was originally scheduled to come out, but I came out because a meeting with the president was scheduled.”

“I see.”

“Shall we go then?”

Catherine headed to the medical center with him.

Major League clubs have their own medical centers or have partnerships with local hospitals to check the physical condition of their players.

Most people receive treatment when there is something wrong with their body, but starting pitchers were an exception.

“Hmm… there’s nothing strange. Seeing that the inflammatory response is only this much even after throwing that much, it seems like your body is really made of steel.”

Starting pitchers throw nearly 100 pitches.

The pitching motion itself was a motion that pushed the body to its physical limits.

Repeating that motion 100 times was a lot of strain.

Therefore, starting pitchers had to visit the hospital the day after pitching to receive a diagnosis.

“At this rate, it’s to the point where there would be no problem even if you threw tomorrow.”

Dr. Lyman showed a bewildered reaction.

Catherine asked Lyman about that.

“Then does that mean you can do a normal pitch?”

“Yeah. I think you can prepare for the next start according to the routine. Tell Chris, the manager, that there’s no big strain.”

“I understand. I’ll ask you to send the data to the training center.”

“Okay.”

The medical center and the training center were organically exchanging information to check the player’s physical condition.

Considering the American medical system, it was a surprisingly quick measure.

It was a system that was possible because of the huge amount of money spent annually.

Catherine looked at Ha-sung as she left the hospital with him.

‘He’s an amazing person. How can he be okay even after throwing that much?’

He was young, but she had seen various Major League data.

That’s why she was negative about complete games.

This is because pitching that goes the distance doesn’t have a good effect on pitchers in the long term.

But at least this perfect game didn’t seem to have any impact on Ha-sung’s body.

“There’s no training schedule today, so I can go to the stadium in the evening, right?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter. Do you have any other schedule?”

“I have to go buy some stuff for my friends.”

“Stuff?”

“Don’t you know the Major League culture? What you have to do when you achieve a perfect game.”

“Ah… !”

Catherine, who realized what Ha-sung was saying, nodded.

“I understand. Then I’ll see you in the evening.”

“Yep.”

Ha-sung, who exchanged greetings, got into his sports car.

Catherine, who saw him driving away with a loud engine noise, shook her head.

“Who would see such a normal person as someone who achieved a perfect game yesterday?”

No one would ever guess.

* * *

There is a tradition in Major League Baseball.

When you achieve a perfect game, you give a Rolex watch to the catcher who worked with you.

This is because the pitcher gives a gift in recognition that the perfect game was achieved not only by the pitcher’s own skill but also by the catcher’s contribution.

“You can’t record these moments every time.”

Ha-sung arrived at a Rolex store in downtown Oakland to buy such a Rolex watch.

But he didn’t get out of the car right away and was setting up his camera.

“The camera on my smartphone is still too bad.”

So he bought a DSLR [digital single-lens reflex camera].

Ha-sung switched the camera to video mode and got out of the car.

“Hello, this is Jung Ha-sung.”

And he continued his commentary while filming himself with the camera.

“Today, I came to buy a Rolex for Trevor, who helped me achieve a perfect game.”

He, who had transformed into a YouTuber, entered the store.