Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 122

Mound Villain – Episode 122

Mound Villain Episode 122

[Jeong Ha-seong’s scoreless streak ends at 62 innings!]

[The scoreless innings streak is over, but the undefeated streak continues! Achieves his 5th win of the season against the Giants with 6 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, and 11 strikeouts!]

[Disappointing end to the record! But already achieved the top spot in Major League Baseball!]

News of Ha-seong’s record being broken made headlines.

The reactions were varied.

-62 innings without a run, lol.

-That’s a record you’d only see in a comic book.

-Even in comics, they’d get criticized for that.

-True, lol.

-Good job so far.

-A Korean is number one in Major League Baseball? Seriously?!

-Switching to a starting pitcher was the right call.

-Looking forward to what’s next.

-Wasn’t he even cooler after giving up the run?

-He didn’t waver at all.

-His mentality is amazing.

While some purely congratulated Ha-seong on his record, others remained critical.

-lol, the record’s broken, right?

-The bubble’s about to burst.

-How can a rookie get a triple against him, lol.

-Didn’t you watch the game? It was a fielding error.

-Either way, the record is a triple, right?

-Ha… are you in elementary school?

-What comes after a great record? Nothing but rock bottom~

-We’ll get to see Jeong Bubble get hit now.

The remaining haters still reared their heads.

For those eager to criticize Ha-seong for not allowing a single run, the end of the record was a golden opportunity.

They didn’t miss the chance and poured out a torrent of negative opinions.

But their hopes were dashed along with Ha-seong’s impressive pitching.

* * *

Season 11th game.

[Judging by the number of pitches, it looks like this will be Jeong Ha-seong’s last inning.]

[He continues to perform well, striking out 9 batters in today’s game.]

Ha-seong, on the mound in the 6th inning, unleashed his remaining strength against the batters.

“Hmph!!”

Whoosh-!

Whack!

“Strike!”

Although he’d thrown over 80 pitches, Ha-seong’s fastball still reached the high 90s [miles per hour].

[Jeong Ha-seong’s speed doesn’t drop even as the number of pitches increases.]

[His durability is really amazing. Last year, his speed would drop after throwing around 30 pitches, right?]

[That’s definitely the case according to the data. But how did he manage to throw faster and throw more pitches?]

[It’s probably related to bulking up. It seems he not only increased his muscle mass but also trained his endurance.]

[So, he increased both power and durability at the same time?]

[That’s what we can assume… but it’s questionable how that was possible.]

Ha-seong induced a weak swing with a cutter on the second pitch.

Clang!!

[He hit it! But it’s a weak hit! Second baseman catches it and throws to first!]

Thud!

“Out!!”

[It’s out! Jeong Ha-seong gets the first out with just two pitches!]

[The proportion of cutters has decreased since he switched to a starter, but it’s still the most effective pitch for inducing weak hits.]

Ha-seong secured the second out with a strikeout.

Whack!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[7th pitch! The batter can’t react to the fastball that blazes inside! The speed is 100 miles!]

[His speed definitely increases when he throws the decisive pitch.]

Ha-seong strategically increased his speed for crucial pitches, demonstrating excellent stamina management.

This veteran-like composure was rare to see in a rookie.

‘The more I watch him, the more he seems like a seasoned pro.’

Chris, the general manager, couldn’t help but admire him.

Just then, Catherine approached.

“Manager, we have a slight issue at the stadium.”

“Problem?”

“Yes. The production of the plaque to be presented to Jeong Ha-seong for Korean Day is delayed.”

“Haa… connect me by phone immediately.”

“Understood.”

Chris was planning a special event for Ha-seong.

It was a ceremony to commemorate his consecutive scoreless innings record by creating and presenting a commemorative plaque.

This would be a significant gesture, both meaningfully and for marketing purposes.

It was a great way to attract not only Oakland locals but also Korean fans.

Whack-!!

The umpire’s loud call echoed behind Chris as he walked away.

* * *

Season 6 wins.

Ha-seong’s winning pace began to accelerate.

This also indicated that the Athletics’ batting lineup was coming back to life.

‘The kids are hitting well now.’

Just a month ago, the batting was a mess, but recently the lineup had been revitalized.

‘It started with Davis.’

As Davis regained his form, Arnold, batting in front of him, benefited.

Then, Jack also found his rhythm, and the core of the batting lineup began to solidify.

This synergy soon spread throughout the entire batting order, resulting in a batting performance comparable to most teams.

‘I don’t know when they’ll slump again, but it’ll help me rack up wins for the time being.’

Victory felt like a reward.

‘It’s not a big deal if I don’t get it, but it feels good when I do.’

As Ha-seong finished his training in a good mood and headed to the clubhouse,

“Ah! Jeong Ha-seong.”

Catherine, approaching from the opposite direction, called out to him.

“Yes?”

“I need to discuss Korean Day with you. Could you come to my office for a moment?”

“Okay.”

Ha-seong nodded and followed her.

‘Korean Day… I didn’t expect such an event to be held in Oakland, not Los Angeles [Dodgers].’

The LA Dodgers were the first to initiate Korean Day.

The Dodgers had a long-standing relationship with Korean players, and Los Angeles had a large Korean immigrant population.

That’s why the Dodgers were able to host Korean Day.

But what about Oakland?

Not many Korean immigrants lived in Oakland.

There weren’t many tourists either.

‘But that’s changing this year.’

The reason Koreans started visiting Oakland was from the summer of last year.

As Ha-seong’s performance improved, more and more tourists began to visit Oakland.

Since he became a starting pitcher this year, the number of tourists visiting Oakland had tripled compared to last year.

‘The essential activity for tourists visiting here is to see the Athletics’ game.’

There was one main reason tourists visited Oakland: to see Ha-seong.

These fans naturally visited the home stadium, and for this reason, Athletics prepared a special event for the Korean market.

“Please sit over there.”

“Yes.”

As Ha-seong sat down, Catherine handed him the prepared documents.

“This is the schedule of events for Korean Day. Since it’s an event for Koreans, Jeong Ha-seong will be quite busy.”

The events listed on the paper were well-organized.

And as Catherine said, the schedule required Ha-seong to be actively involved.

“If there’s a conflict with your starting routine, we can adjust the schedule, so please let me know.”

The club was ready to actively consider Ha-seong’s input.

They were treating Ha-seong, the team’s ace, very well.

In a way, it was understandable.

It would be difficult to find a team that would mistreat a player challenging Major League Baseball history.

“It’s okay. There shouldn’t be any major issues with my routine.”

“That’s a relief. Shall we proceed as planned then?”

“Yes. Is that all?”

“Yes. Oh, here’s the plaque that will be awarded.”

“Oh ho.”

Catherine pointed to the display case behind her.

There, alongside various trophies, was a plaque created to celebrate Ha-seong’s new record.

“It’s modeled after Jeong Ha-seong’s pitching form. Do you like it?”

“I like it very much.”

The silver plaque depicted Ha-seong’s dynamic pitching motion [posture].

He smiled with satisfaction at the plaque made to commemorate his record.

* * *

Korean Day was held in conjunction with Ha-seong’s 13th appearance of the season.

[Today, numerous Korean immigrants and tourists have gathered in Oakland.]

To cover Korean Day, many personnel from Korean broadcasting stations were sent.

Thanks to this, Korean fans could fully experience Oakland Korean Day.

“Honey! It started!”

“Really?”

Because it was the weekend, Ha-seong’s parents also enjoyed Oakland Korean Day while watching TV at home.

“Look over there! Look! Our Ha-seong’s name is written there.”

“That’s right! So many people are cheering for Ha-seong.”

“They are such appreciative people.”

The parents’ eyes welled up at the sight of the fans cheering for Ha-seong.

At that moment, the screen showed Ha-seong signing autographs.

“It’s my son!”

“Son!”

[Here, Jeong Ha-seong is holding an autograph session for fans. Despite the large crowd, Jeong Ha-seong is providing excellent fan service without showing any signs of fatigue.]

Ha-seong, caught on camera, was doing his best to engage with the fans.

Seeing this, his father felt proud.

“Good job! Our son! Keep cheering up the fans even if it’s hard!”

It wasn’t just his father watching the scene.

Many Korean fans were impressed.

-Jeong Ha-seong’s fan service is amazing.

-He responds with a smile even when so many people come.

-Compared to the players who were cursing, lol.

-That’s what I’m saying.

-Isn’t it a bit much for a starter to do that?

-He’ll manage his condition.

-Yeah, he probably agreed to it.

-We’ll see the results when he plays the game.

-By the way, did anyone see Jeong Ha-seong’s shoes?

-Huh?

-What about them?

-They look like a Vigor product, but the design is so nice.

Someone’s comment was followed by a screenshot.

It showed Ha-seong wearing running shoes with a red and black color scheme.

-Oh~ the design is pretty good?

-What product is it?

-Does anyone know?

-Is this another limited edition?

-If it’s a Vigor product, there’s a possibility.

-Eh~ but they wouldn’t release running shoes as a limited edition.

-I agree, it’s not even baseball equipment.

-How long has it been since they released the uniform, and now they’re releasing this again?

-If it’s true, I won’t buy it.

-I have to buy it.

-Me too.

-It’s a must-buy.

People were enjoying Korean Day while discussing Ha-seong’s unknown shoes.

* * *

Ha-seong began preparing for the game after finishing the fan service.

Contrary to the online concerns, Ha-seong felt as good as usual.

‘Today’s game will be perfect too.’

Maintaining his usual condition was crucial.

Consistency was essential for delivering a good pitching performance.

‘Shall we head out?’

Ha-seong, finished with his preparations, left the clubhouse and entered the dugout.

The fans in the home team’s stands cheered as Ha-seong arrived.

It was the same as usual, but with a noticeable difference.

“It’s Ha-seong!”

“Jeong Ha-seong!!”

“Please pitch well today!”

“I came all the way to Oakland to see your game!!”

While he usually heard mostly English on weekdays, today he heard more Korean.

‘It’s like I’m in Korea.’

Feeling like he was in Korea, Ha-seong noticed Trevor eating something.

“Trevor, what are you eating?”

“Huh? Snacks from a Korean fan. It’s delicious.”

He held out a sweet Korean snack.

Ha-seong suddenly remembered a Dodgers player eating the same snack in the past and chuckled.

Just then, Catherine called him.

“Jeong Ha-seong, it’s time for the plaque presentation ceremony.”

Ha-seong nodded and walked onto the field.

The waiting camera captured him, and Ha-seong’s image was displayed on the electronic scoreboard.

“Waaaaa!”

“Jeong Ha-seong!!”

The plaque presentation ceremony proceeded amidst thunderous cheers from the fans.

And this scene was broadcast to Korea, celebrating his new record.

* * *

Ha-seong concluded his Korean Day appearance with a win.

[Jeong Ha-seong delivered a dominant performance, striking out 14 in 8 innings and allowing 1 run on Korean Day in Oakland, earning the win.]

[Jeong Ha-seong with 7 wins this season!]

[There is no end to Jeong Ha-seong’s potential!]

[Analysts in the US continue to speculate that Jeong Ha-seong will be the starting pitcher for the All-Star Game!]

And before long, the All-Star season was approaching.