Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 124

Mound Villain – Episode 124

Mound Villain 124

Bat flip.

In Korea, this flamboyant bat toss was known as a ‘ppadeon’ [a celebratory bat flip after a home run or significant hit].

It’s a show of excitement by a player who’s just crushed a home run or made a great hit, punctuated by theatrically throwing the bat.

While some older players in Korea used to claim it was just part of their swing, it’s now widely understood and accepted as a form of celebration.

Fans love it; it’s a spectacle, and many eagerly anticipate seeing a ‘ppadeon’.

But Major League Baseball was a different world.

[Ah-! There’s a collision!!]

The incident occurred as Ha-sung rounded second base.

“Hey! Get back here!”

“What?”

“You got no class! Throwing the bat like that?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Pittsburgh’s second baseman, Neil Walker, unleashed a string of curses at Ha-sung.

Ha-sung wasn’t about to take Neil’s abuse lying down.

A heated argument erupted between the two, all caught on camera.

[It looks like Neil Walker had some words for Jung Ha-sung as he ran the bases.]

[Bat flips are generally frowned upon as unsportsmanlike conduct in Major League Baseball.]

[But isn’t it a common sight in Korean baseball games?]

[It’s a cultural difference. Major League Baseball doesn’t have a specific rule against it, but it’s an unspoken rule among the players.]

In Major League Baseball, a bat flip was practically an invitation to get hit by a beanball [a pitch intentionally thrown at a batter].

Therefore, the Pittsburgh players felt somewhat justified in their reaction to Ha-sung’s actions.

[Jung Ha-sung probably just did what he was used to doing in Korea, right?]

[Exactly. Bat flips are so commonplace in Korea that it was probably just a reflex.]

The commentators attempted to rationalize Ha-sung’s bat flip.

And that was, in fact, the truth.

‘I completely forgot about the unwritten rule against bat flips.’

Having spent his entire career in Korea in his previous life, he’d only heard about the taboo without ever experiencing it firsthand.

He hadn’t had a chance to bat much last year in the Major League, and he hadn’t even gotten a hit this year.

So, when he suddenly hit a home run, he’d thrown the bat without thinking.

‘Well, what’s the worst that could happen?’

Ha-sung wasn’t particularly concerned.

He’d hit a home run, it wasn’t intentional, and most importantly, it wasn’t technically against the rules, so he didn’t give it much thought.

“Nice home run!”

“Awesome!”

“Making your first hit a home run, huh?”

“You’re insane!”

Back in the dugout, he was greeted with enthusiastic congratulations from his teammates.

Only then did the reality of his home run truly sink in.

He was basking in the congratulations and quenching his thirst when…

Thwack!!

“Argh!!”

A piercing scream echoed from the field.

The source of the scream was Oakland’s leadoff hitter, Mark.

Seeing Mark collapse in agony, his teammates erupted in anger.

“That bastard hit him on purpose!”

“You son of a bitch!!”

The Athletics players surged towards the fence, ready to jump onto the field.

The scene was being broadcast live.

[Ah-! A beanball just occurred.]

[The tension in the game is escalating rapidly.]

[This is likely retaliation for the bat flip, right?]

[That’s right. They’re throwing a retaliatory pitch immediately.]

Then Mark, who had been writhing on the ground, suddenly jumped to his feet and charged towards the pitcher’s mound.

[Ah-! A bench-clearing brawl is breaking out!]

The field descended into chaos.

* * *

The bench-clearing didn’t escalate into a full-blown brawl, thankfully.

However, the atmosphere of the game took a sharp turn for the worse.

[The animosity between the two teams is palpable.]

[Indeed. Everything that could possibly happen has happened, from the bat flip to the beanball and the bench-clearing.]

[The umpire is heading to both dugouts to issue a stern warning.]

[It seems that’s because the game’s atmosphere is deteriorating.]

The umpire delivered a warning to the Pittsburgh dugout before proceeding to the Athletics dugout.

“This is your final warning. Any further unsportsmanlike conduct will result in immediate ejection of the involved players.”

The umpire’s declaration was firm.

In a short span of time, a series of incidents had unfolded, making the umpire’s strong warning inevitable.

[I hope Jung Ha-sung isn’t affected by this.]

[Affected?]

[Yes. The beanball and bench-clearing were essentially triggered by Jung Ha-sung’s bat flip, weren’t they?]

[That’s true.]

[If he starts blaming himself, it could impact his pitching.]

[Ah…….]

[Pitchers are known to be sensitive, so this kind of situation can have a negative impact.]

The commentator’s concern seemed valid.

Aware of this, the camera focused on Ha-sung in the dugout.

* * *

The Athletics failed to score any additional runs and concluded the inning.

Ha-sung returned to the mound amidst a palpable tension.

[Jung Ha-sung, who is in line to be the winning pitcher thanks to his home run, takes the mound in the 6th inning.]

[He needs to maintain his composure despite the charged atmosphere.]

Unlike usual, a palpable coldness hung in the air on the field.

This tense atmosphere was evident not only to the players but also to the spectators.

However, with the umpire’s warning still fresh in everyone’s mind, most believed that no further incidents would occur.

The same sentiment prevailed among those watching the game.

-Are they going to throw another beanball?

-Nah, no way.

-The umpire warned them; they wouldn’t dare.

-If they throw one here, they’ll be ejected instantly.

-Ha-sung is a bit crazy, but he won’t do that.

-This isn’t UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship], would they really throw another one?

In a situation where the prevailing belief was that they wouldn’t risk another beanball, Ha-sung exchanged signs with the catcher.

‘They threw one, huh.’

He slowly wound up, steeling his resolve.

‘An eye for an eye…….’

The problem was that the resolve he was steeling was of a slightly different nature.

‘A tooth for a tooth!’

The moment he strode forward and unleashed the pitch.

His gaze was locked on the batter.

Whoosh-!!

The batter frantically twisted his body as the ball hurtled directly towards him.

But there was no evading a hundred-mile fastball.

Thwack-!

“Ugh!!”

With a sharp cry, the ball slammed into the batter.

Immediately, the umpire ripped off his mask and stormed forward.

“You’re ejected!!”

[Ah-! Jung Ha-sung is immediately ejected!! And the players from both teams are charging onto the field!! Another bench-clearing brawl has erupted!!!]

The players from both teams swarmed the field.

This time, it wasn’t just threats but actual fistfights.

A player lunged at Ha-sung.

“You son of a bitch!”

Ha-sung heightened his focus as he watched the fist hurtling towards him, accompanied by a torrent of curses.

Time seemed to slow down. Ha-sung countered with a cross-counter punch.

Thwack-!!

Ha-sung, watching the player crumple to the ground, roared at the Pittsburgh players.

“Come at me, all of you!!”

The scene was being broadcast live.

-Oh~ Cross-counter.

-He’s throwing left hooks in this situation.

-This looks like UFC.

-I misspoke earlier. He’s not just crazy; he’s completely insane.

-He’s a total madman, lol.

-Isn’t this the best thing since the spinning side kick?

-lol ㄹㅇ [Korean slang for “real” or “true”]

Ha-sung’s first home run culminated in a bench-clearing brawl.

* * *

After the game.

The visiting clubhouse was swarming with reporters.

Their attention was focused on a single individual.

Ha-sung.

“Jung Ha-sung! Was the bat flip intentional?”

“Why did you throw the beanball?!”

“Wasn’t the bat flip wrong in the first place?”

“You punched a teammate! Please say something!!”

A barrage of questions erupted from the reporters.

Due to the sheer number of reporters, team staff were struggling to hold them back.

Ha-sung, observing the scene from behind the wall of security guards, listened to the questions and finally spoke.

“Ppadeon…… No, the bat flip was just a reflex. Everyone does it in Korea when they hit a home run.”

“You only do bat flips in Korea?”

“What does ‘ppadeon’ mean?”

“In Korea, we call the bat ‘ppadda’. ‘Ppadeon’ is a shortened version referring to throwing the bat.”

“Ppadeon…… Ppadeon…….”

Some of the reporters diligently scribbled down Ha-sung’s explanation.

“What do you mean you only do bat flips in Korea?”

“It means it’s not specifically prohibited, unlike in Major League Baseball.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. So, it just happened without me realizing it. But to throw a beanball…”

“This is Major League Baseball. Shouldn’t you follow the rules of Major League Baseball?”

“Is that rule written down anywhere?”

“It’s not, but isn’t it an unwritten rule among the players?”

“So, you’re saying it’s okay to throw a beanball because I broke an unwritten rule that’s not even an official rule?”

The reporter who posed the question was left speechless by Ha-sung’s retort.

“Who gets hurt by the bat flip? Who exactly is harmed?”

“That’s…….”

“What about the beanball? I was showering earlier, and my friend Mark has a huge bruise on his butt!”

At Ha-sung’s words, the reporters’ eyes darted towards Mark.

More specifically, they were eyeing his butt.

“Hey! What is it? Why are you all staring at my butt?!”

Mark instinctively turned to shield his backside from the sudden attention.

“Bat flip and beanball! Which one is more wrong?!”

A reporter, seeking a sensational answer, posed the question.

Ha-sung nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. I took revenge.”

* * *

Ha-sung’s interview ignited a firestorm.

On Reddit, his dedicated board was flooded with new posts throughout the day.

-Did you see Ha-sung’s interview?

-He throws beanballs with a hundred-mile fastball.

-He truly doesn’t care about the consequences.

-The beanball was one thing, but the cross-counter was a work of art.

-Neil Walker, who got hit, was immediately dazed, right?

-He would have been successful if he went to UFC.

-But isn’t the guy who did the bat flip in the wrong?

-That’s right.

-He said he didn’t know, but he’s the one who did wrong and then throws a beanball.

-He has no manners.

-Weren’t Orientals supposed to be polite?

-You’re being racist.

-If you say anything, it’s racism.

This time, negative opinions were prevalent.

In some ways, Ha-sung’s actions could be interpreted as a blatant disregard for Major League Baseball culture.

This alienated some of the older fans.

However, the reaction was different among younger fans.

-Can’t you just do bat flips?

-He said he didn’t know he was doing it, right?

-They say they just do it in Korea.

-They call it ‘ppadeon’, right?

-I just looked it up. It’s no joke?

-Why?

-These guys’ bat flips are practically art.

-Art?

-What’s it like?

-Please share the link.

Starting with the question of whether bat flips should be allowed, interest in ‘ppadeon’ began to surge.

Capitalizing on this fan interest, the media also began to explore ‘ppadeon’.

[What is Korea’s ‘Ppadeon’?]

[Bat flip: Prohibited by unwritten rules in Major League Baseball. Allowed in Korea?]

[‘Ppadeon’ used as a type of fan service!]

[Should bat flips be banned?]

Some articles also explored the arguments for banning bat flips, sparking a public debate.

Amidst this controversy, the Major League Baseball Secretariat issued a statement.

[Major League Baseball Secretariat suspends Jung Ha-sung for 5 games for intentionally throwing a beanball!]

[Major League Baseball Secretariat suspends 2 Oakland players, including Jung Ha-sung, and 2 Pittsburgh players, including Neil Walker!]

Ha-sung was suspended.