Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 127

Mound Villain – Episode 127

Mound Villain 127

[Jeong Ha-seong Achieves 9th Season Win!]

[Jeong Ha-seong Records First 20 Strikeout Game of His Career!]

[Jeong Ha-seong Records 8 Innings, No Runs, 20 Strikeouts.]

[Jeong Ha-seong’s Herculean Strength: 110 Pitches for 20 Strikeouts, a Career High!]

Ha-seong’s 20 strikeouts became a huge topic, dominating sports news and fan discussions.

The story was mentioned daily in the media and among fans.

-Kuh-! 20 strikeouts!

-He finally did it!

-Those strikeouts were insane.

-He pitched 8 innings, is that real? lol [laughing out loud]

-He always threw 7 innings, but now 8.

-This time it was 110 pitches.

-The 102 mph at the end was crazy.

-It’s been a while since a near-perfect game.

-He definitely pitches well.

-He’s a monster.

The 20-strikeout record became a big topic, drawing significant attention to him.

It was also highlighted in the United States, raising expectations for the upcoming All-Star Game.

-Ha-seong is the American League starter for this All-Star game, right?

-Yeah.

-I envy the people going to see it live.

-I have to watch the broadcast.

-Wow… he’s only 21 years old.

-Isn’t he going to break most of the records?

-The possibility is definitely there.

With Ha-seong’s performance, discussions about all-time Major League records began to surface.

-At this rate, he’ll be in the top ten for strikeouts, right?

-300 or more is almost a certainty.

-As long as his pace doesn’t suddenly drop, it’s totally possible.

-Isn’t the lowest ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of all time also possible?

-It’s still in the 0s, so it’s definitely possible. But the ERA fluctuates so much.

-It would be nice if only the strikeouts increased.

-Agreed.

Fans were most eagerly anticipating the strikeout record.

Ha-seong’s dominant performance, striking out batters with his fastball, was etched in the minds of fans, leading to even greater expectations for his future performances.

Then an article popped up.

[MLB Office Decides Not to Accept Jeong Ha-seong’s Appeal!]

[Jeong Ha-seong Cannot Play Anymore in the First Half!]

The MLB [Major League Baseball] office has made a final decision not to accept Ha-seong’s appeal for the suspension to be lifted.

“Damn it.”

Ha-seong frowned as he read the article.

“That old geezer won’t listen.”

He had hoped the commissioner would be understanding since he spoke directly to him.

But it didn’t work at all.

Then the next article caught his eye.

[MLB to Introduce Bat Flip?]

“What is this?”

When he clicked on the article, the details emerged.

[The MLB office has begun discussions on prohibiting retaliatory pitches for bat flips.

Until now, bat flips have been considered unsportsmanlike behavior, leading to various retaliatory actions such as subsequent beanballs [pitches thrown intentionally at the batter’s head].

However, news is circulating that the MLB office is discussing whether to establish a policy of allowing bat flips as a form of fan service.]

It will likely take another 10 years before Major League players regularly show bat flips in actual games.

But if the MLB office sets this policy, we may be able to see it sooner.

“This isn’t bad.”

His negative feelings about Bud Selig [former MLB Commissioner] were still present, but he appreciated this potential change.

“Ah… anyway, it’s a forced break.”

Ha-seong stared out the window and fell into thought.

“It’s actually a good thing. I threw 110 pitches in the previous game, so my body must have taken some damage. Plus, I’ve been running straight through the first half, so resting won’t be bad.”

The matter has already been decided.

It has become difficult to reverse this now.

Then you just have to accept it.

How to prepare for the future was more important than regretting the past.

“Let’s just get some rest.”

The first half is over.

After the All-Star Game, he had to sprint for the second half.

He decided to think of it as a rest leading up to that time.

* * *

Ha-seong was still busy even though he wasn’t playing in games.

He went through training normally and met people he hadn’t been able to meet.

“It’s been a while.”

The first person he met was his agent, Isabel.

She still had a glamorous outfit and an appearance that caught people’s attention.

“You’re still as glamorous as ever.”

“Hoho, I was born this way.”

Ha-seong shook his head slightly at her narcissistic remarks and sat down.

“Vigor [a fictional sports apparel company] contacted me. They plan to start full-scale marketing from the All-Star Game.”

“As planned.”

“Yes. You’ll probably see it during the game. Promotions for Jeong Ha-seong’s limited edition will be broadcast on the electronic display board and TV.”

The Major League All-Star Game was one of the biggest sporting events.

Of course, people’s attention was focused on it, so the promotional effect was significant.

That’s why many companies volunteered to sponsor the All-Star Game and worked hard to promote their companies.

A huge cost is spent to promote at this time.

To promote at such an All-Star Game meant that Vigor was also highly interested in this product.

“Vigor is putting in quite a bit of effort.”

“It’s been difficult to enter baseball until now. So they won’t want to miss this opportunity.”

Vigor had overwhelming recognition in soccer and basketball.

But it was particularly weak in baseball.

That’s why they were aggressively investing in Ha-seong.

Because he is growing into a player with the power to shake up Major League Baseball.

“And according to Jeong Ha-seong’s performance, there are a lot of inquiries about various advertisements and modeling.”

In the first half, Ha-seong was literally the center of Major League Baseball.

“I feel like Jeong Ha-seong’s image is being built by recording a near-perfect game, an ERA in the 0s, and over 200 strikeouts.”

“What kind of image is being captured?”

“Untouchable. And the man who throws the fastest ball in the world.”

Untouchable was a nickname he had even during his closer days.

But he received less spotlight because he was a closer [a relief pitcher who specializes in pitching the final inning of a game].

It may sound strange, but the flower of baseball is the starting pitcher.

That’s why they received the most salary and the most spotlight.

That was the biggest reason why Ha-seong gave up being a closer and switched to being a starter.

“Companies are trying to market by using Jeong Ha-seong’s untouchable image.”

“Then they’ll pay the appropriate fee.”

“Of course. Various offers have come in, promising top-class pay in Major League Baseball. Please check it out.”

She handed over the documents.

It described the companies that had proposed advertisements, their visions, and the reasons for choosing Ha-seong as a model.

“It’s quite detailed.”

“It’s proof that each company has worked hard to capture Jeong Ha-seong’s attention.”

“In fact, the best thing to do would be to offer a higher fee than this effort.”

“Ha… haha…”

Isabel laughed awkwardly as she watched Ha-seong openly say that the fee was important.

‘This man is extraordinary after all.’

She had been working with him for over a year, but they didn’t meet often.

Perhaps that’s why it wasn’t easy to grasp the image of Jeong Ha-seong.

But she professionally managed her expression and accepted his opinion.

“Then I’ll summarize it briefly from next time.”

“Good. But most companies have set my guarantee based on Major League players.”

“Yes? It’s natural to refer to the guarantees of other players because Jeong Ha-seong is also a Major League player.”

“I’m not just any player.”

Ha-seong handed over the documents.

“Please reject them all.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. And when you reject them, please tell them this. I want the highest level of value in the sports industry.”

“The sports industry…?”

“NBA [National Basketball Association], EPL [English Premier League], and even NFL [National Football League]. I want the highest level of guarantee across the board.”

Isabel’s eyes widened at Ha-seong’s remarks.

* * *

Sports was one of the biggest businesses on the planet.

Although the sports are different, the players called top class in each industry receive huge sums of money and stand as promotional models for various companies.

In fact, companies spare no aggressive investment to the extent that players often receive more money in guarantees than in annual salaries.

‘Messi and Ronaldo’s values are unimaginable, but they receive guarantees that exceed that.’

Ha-seong was demanding a value at their level.

‘Of course, they won’t accept it right away.’

They have maintained their position at the top for over ten years, increasing their value.

Ha-seong is currently the best player in Major League Baseball, but he hasn’t even had a 2-year career yet.

Therefore, it was already unconventional to receive treatment as a top-class Major League player.

‘But once the value is set, it’s not easy to change it again.’

Ha-seong knew the structure of the market well.

It was not easy to raise the value once it was set in the market.

If he sets his value now that he is already achieving top-class Major League results, it would not be easy to raise that value in the future.

‘Get the maximum you can get when you can get it.’

Many companies will withdraw from this choice.

They will curse him and point fingers at him.

“I shouldn’t lose out because of the idiots who point fingers and curse behind my back.”

He didn’t want to live while caring about such people.

He decided to only think about what would benefit him.

“Eventually, one will make an offer to me.”

Then at that moment, his value in the market will be determined.

“I’ll clearly show my value at this All-Star Game.”

Ha-seong’s gaze turned to the All-Star Game.

* * *

[Jeong Ha-seong Confirmed as Starter for the American All-Star Team!]

[Jeong Ha-seong to Become the First Korean to Start in the Major League All-Star Game!]

[Jeong Ha-seong, Who Finished the Game in the 09 Season! This Time He Will Start the Game!]

Ha-seong’s All-Star Game start has been confirmed.

The first half ended amid the attention of many people.

[The Athletics Finished the First Half Holding 3rd Place in the Division. This is a somewhat disappointing result as the Athletics did not give up 1st place at the beginning of the season.]

[That’s right. There were difficulties in winning as the hitting slump lengthened.]

[However, the gap with 2nd place has been greatly reduced since hitting picked up in June.]

[It has been reduced to 3 games with 2nd place and 7 games with 1st place, Texas.]

[At this rate, they can aim for postseason advancement depending on the results of the second half.]

As the first half came to an end, reports on the situation of each team were released.

Various programs also conducted discussions on teams and players while settling accounts for the first half.

[Jeong Ha-seong is the most advantageous for the American League Cy Young Award [award given to the best pitcher in each league], right?]

[That’s right. He is overwhelming so far. He has appeared in 17 games and is recording 9 wins, 0 losses, and an ERA of 0.48. He has unleashed the power to strike out 216.]

[He is running alone in first place in ERA, strikeouts, and most innings.]

[If he takes first place in all three categories, he can even achieve his first career Triple Crown [leading the league in ERA, strikeouts, and wins].]

[Unless he suddenly collapses in the second half, the Cy Young Award is certain, and the important thing is the season MVP [Most Valuable Player].]

Major League MVP.

It is a title given to the player who performed the best that season.

It is given including both pitching and hitting.

[There are only 13 players who have won the season MVP in the American League.]

[Since it applies to both pitchers and hitters, hitters have a more advantageous part.]

[The last time a pitcher MVP came out in the American League was Dennis Eckersley, who played for the Oakland Athletics in 1992.]

[Coincidentally, he is the same Athletics player.]

[That’s right.]

[Attention is focused on what award Jeong Ha-seong will win at the finale of this season.]

[Before that, we have to watch Jeong Ha-seong’s All-Star Game.]

[That’s right. We will see you tomorrow with the All-Star Game broadcast!]