Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 128

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 128

The day after the festival’s eve.

Ha-sung arrived at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, where the All-Star Game was being held.

“Even coming here for the second year in a row, it’s amazing.”

It seemed that even more people had come to the stadium to watch this year’s All-Star Game than last year.

‘There are a lot of Koreans too.’

The number of Korean fans at this All-Star Game had increased significantly.

‘That means my popularity has increased that much.’

Ha-sung’s influence was growing day by day.

He was firmly establishing himself as one of the best stars in Major League Baseball.

Naturally, his popularity and the interest in him from his home country of Korea were at an all-time high.

“Oh… there it is.”

Ha-sung’s gaze turned to the electronic display board as he looked around the stadium.

There, an advertisement for Vigor’s new product was displayed.

“It turned out well.”

It was Vigor’s limited edition, the Finis V1, featuring him as the model.

The word Finis, which means ‘the end’ in Latin, was used as the model name, taking inspiration from Ha-sung’s first nickname, The End.

“Oh~ is that your exclusive model?”

Just then, Joe Mauer approached and asked.

Mauer seemed to show a sense of familiarity, perhaps because they had worked together last year.

When Ha-sung nodded, Mauer said with admiration.

“The design is amazing. The combination of black and red goes very well together. I should buy one too.”

“It’s a limited edition, will you be able to get one?”

“With money, you can get almost anything. You know that too, right?”

“I know it well.”

There’s nothing you can’t do with money.

If there’s something you can’t do, you should assume you don’t have enough money.

It was a joke, but that’s often how the world really was.

Mauer, who had earned a tremendous amount of money with his contract renewal this season, could easily purchase a limited edition.

“Anyway, congratulations. A limited edition, I wonder when I’ll ever get to release something like that.”

“Why don’t you sign a contract as a model too?”

“I’ve been in contact with them lately, but it’s not easy.”

“With your popularity, it’ll definitely be possible. If you do, try it with the mask. You’re a catcher, so you have to be careful of injuries in that area.”

“Haha! That’s true.”

It was while Joe Mauer and he were talking about this and that, that a man was walking from the opposite side.

He wasn’t a player, but a man who appeared to be a club official.

“Why is that trash here?”

However, Joe Mauer showed an aggressive reaction when he saw the man.

It was somewhat unexpected.

Mauer was a player famous for his good personality. He was actually nice enough to come up and talk to him first.

It was strange that Mauer was openly showing hostility.

At that time, the man coming from the opposite side made eye contact with Ha-sung.

Then, he nodded with a smile and passed by.

‘What is it? Does he know me?’

The problem was that he didn’t remember him.

Then Mauer asked Ha-sung.

“Ha-sung, do you personally know the man who just passed by?”

“No. It’s the first time I’ve seen his face. Do you know him?”

“I know him roughly. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know him. He’s not a good person, so ignore him even if you get to know him.”

“Who the hell is that man?”

At Ha-sung’s question, Mauer hesitated before opening his mouth.

“Anthony Bosch.”

An unexpected name came out of his mouth.

It was a name he knew well.

He was the mastermind behind the Biogenesis scandal that shook Major League Baseball in the 2010s.

* * *

[A dream match unfolds with stars of stars gathered! The Major League All-Star Game has begun! The game starts with the National League All-Star team’s first attack! Jung Ha-sung, the first Korean to be selected as a starter in the Major League All-Star Game, takes the mound as the first pitcher for the American League All-Star team!]

The camera captured Ha-sung standing on the mound.

[Jung Ha-sung, who was selected as an All-Star for the second year in a row, takes the mound as a starter this year, not as a closer.]

[He’ll only be pitching for one inning, just like last year, but it’s significant that he’s in charge of the start in the All-Star Game, which is a war of stars.]

[It’s been a long time since Hideo Nomo, as an Asian, started a game.]

[That’s right.]

[It will be interesting to see what kind of pitching Jung Ha-sung, who had an overwhelming performance in the first half, will show against the National League All-Star team.]

Ha-sung finished his practice throws and rubbed rosin on his hands.

In his line of sight, Andre Ethier, the leadoff hitter of the National League All-Star team, was walking to the plate.

‘The hitters I have to face are Ethier, David Wright, and Albert Pujols. Three people.’

They were all hitters representing Major League Baseball.

There wasn’t a single easy opponent, but he didn’t attach much meaning to it.

‘Shall we go.’

Ha-sung stepped on the pitcher’s plate.

[Jung Ha-sung is on the mound. His first opponent is Andre Ethier from the LA Dodgers.]

[Ethier is showing good condition, recording a batting average of 0.321 and a slugging percentage of 0.564 in the first half.]

[He’s not an easy opponent. Well, that’s obvious.]

It’s the All-Star Game.

There was no way an easy opponent would come out.

“Hoo…….”

Ha-sung straightened his upper body, took a deep breath, and focused.

‘There’s no need to think about a long inning. At most one inning, give it my all.’

As he focused, the surrounding scenery was dyed in darkness.

There was only one thing visible.

Only Andre Ethier.

‘What to throw…….’

Swish-!!

Ha-sung, twisting his body with kicking, strode forward.

Whack!!

He rotated his body at the same time as stepping forward.

Whoosh-!!

Ha-sung, rotating his arm to match the rotation of his body, brought it to his release point and threw the ball with all his might.

“Gasp!!”

Swaaaaa-!!

[He threw the first ball!]

The ball that left his hand seemed to be heading right for Ethier’s body.

Whoosh-!!

At that moment, Ethier’s swing began.

His concise and quickly turned bat snatched at the ball as if a hawk were snatching its prey.

No, he thought he snatched it.

Whoosh!!

Pow!!

“Swing! Strike!!”

Ethier’s bat cut through the air.

‘It doesn’t drop as much as before.’

Ethier had faced Ha-sung in the interseason [pre-season exhibition games].

At the time, he showed a decent response, getting one hit.

He timed his swing to match the image at that time, but the ball passed over the bat as it dropped less.

‘Does that mean the power of the ball has increased even more?’

While Ethier was lost in thought, the commentators’ commentary continued.

[Jung Ha-sung’s first pitch is a four-seam fastball with a speed of 100 miles per hour.]

[He throws a fastball without any change-up even in the All-Star Game.]

[Very good.]

[If he strikes out three hitters at this pace, Jung Ha-sung’s mission will be completed.]

Ha-sung exchanged signs and prepared to throw the second ball.

[Jung Ha-sung, who threw a good first ball, throws the second ball.]

The ball that left Ha-sung’s hand this time pierced the outside low course.

‘It fell off.’

The moment Ethier, judging that the ball had fallen off, stopped his swing.

Flick!

The trajectory of the ball changed and slightly dug into the inside of the zone.

Pow-!!

“Strike!! Two!!”

“Did that come in?”

“The ball caught the border line at the end.”

“Huh…….”

Ethier wore a dumbfounded expression.

At that time, the trajectory of the ball was being shown in slow motion on the broadcast screen.

[Jung Ha-sung’s fastball curved at the last moment and caught the border line.]

[Ethier’s judgment was also correct because it seemed to be going straight until halfway.]

[From the hitter’s point of view, this kind of ball will drive you crazy. He judged it as a ball and gave up swinging, but it came in as a strike.]

[In addition, the speed is up to 102 miles per hour, so he’s not giving them more time to think.]

The ball is fast and the movement changes late.

These parts complicated the hitter’s head.

‘I have to get rid of most of the balls.’

In a situation where he was driven to two strikes, he couldn’t just watch the ball.

“Hoo……!”

Ha-sung entered the windup with a deep breath.

The ball to throw was simple.

‘It’s a head-on match.’

He was aiming for the All-Star Game MVP [Most Valuable Player award].

To give an impact, it was to pressure the hitter with a head-on match.

Above all, his condition was good.

In moments like this, it was best to stick with power rather than skill.

“Gasp!!”

Swaaaaa-!!

The ball that left his hand flew at a fierce speed.

The course was right in the middle of the strike zone.

Ethier’s bat turned to meet the ball coming in at chest height.

‘It got caught!’

This height of the ball is perfect for making a home run.

The moment he thought he had connected, the ball shook violently and passed the bat as it was and stuck in the mitt.

Pow-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Three-pitch strikeout! Jung Ha-sung turns Andre Ethier away!]

[The movement of the ball that went in at the end was really fantastic!]

[It was impossible to create a good hit because the ball was dirty!]

[Jung Ha-sung, who turned Ethier away by throwing his highest speed of 103 miles per hour! He gets the first out in the All-Star Game!]

Andre Ethier looked at his bat.

‘I definitely thought it got caught.’

The movement of the ball became more severe than before.

In addition, the perceived speed was faster than the actual speed.

In a word, he couldn’t touch the ball that had become more powerful than before.

‘That bastard is crazy.’

Ethier shook his head.

He was glad that a guy who threw this kind of ball wasn’t in the same league.

* * *

The second hitter entered the plate.

[David Wright of the New York Mets enters the plate.]

[Wright’s hitting indicators are all excellent, including a batting average of 0.313 and a slugging percentage of 0.543 this season.]

[As expected of the All-Star Game, he meets tough opponents in a row.]

Another hitter who is sweeping the National League.

Tension swirled at the appearance of David Wright.

[Jung Ha-sung exchanges signs and throws the first ball.]

Pow-!!

“Swing! Strike!”

[He swings and misses the first ball. National League hitters are not easily matching the timing of Jung Ha-sung’s ball.]

[David Wright has never faced Jung Ha-sung. As a result, he is not adapting to Jung Ha-sung’s ball.]

David Wright also missed the second ball.

He just left the ball digging into his body and the second strike went up as it caught the border line.

[Jung Ha-sung, who has taken a favorable count with two strikes, what kind of ball will he throw as the deciding ball. He enters the windup!]

Ha-sung, who wound up, put all his strength into throwing the ball.

“Gasp!!”

Swaaaaa-!

The course was outside.

The height was near the hitter’s thigh.

David Wright, who saw it, turned his bat.

But.

Whoosh!

Pow!

“Swing! Strike out!!”

[Three-pitch strikeout! Jung Ha-sung turns away two hitters in a row with three-pitch strikeouts!]

[Today, the quality of the four-seam is terrifying!]

[He’s turning away the best Major League hitters in a row!]

Ha-sung, who turned away two hitters in a row, waited for the next hitter.

[Albert Pujols, one of the best National League hitters this season, enters the plate!]

[He’s a player who’s called the best hitter of the 2000s, not just the National League.]

[He won the National League MVP last season, so his overall stats have dropped, but he’s still showing a strong performance.]

[He’s recording a batting average of 0.306, an on-base percentage of 0.415, and a slugging percentage of 0.571. He’s also recorded 20 home runs and is leading in the first half.]

[He’s a player who can also win the MVP this season, so I’m curious to see what kind of match he will have with Jung Ha-sung today.]

Albert Pujols stood at the plate.

The camera focused on the two people, showing Ha-sung and Pujols together.

[Jung Ha-sung faces Albert Pujols!]