Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 151

“Play ball!!”

The umpire’s cry echoed across the field.

[Jung Ha-sung is just two strikeouts away from 300! We’re all eager to see what kind of pitching he’ll show us today.]

The camera zoomed in on Ha-sung.

Not only Korea but also the United States was focused on his game today.

However, not everyone wanted him to succeed.

“Damn it! Why is he playing like nothing happened?!”

Rodrigo was watching the game from his living room.

The smashed TV was gone, replaced by a new one.

“Those bastards aren’t even answering my calls…!”

He had hired someone to take care of Ha-sung.

The day was supposed to be today, but for some reason, he couldn’t reach them.

And Ha-sung was playing perfectly fine, driving him crazy.

“Was it so hard to just take out an arm?”

The request was simple.

To cripple Ha-sung’s arm.

Taking his life would have been too easy.

And too clean.

He needed to destroy the arm that the guy cherished like his own life, to return the despair he had felt.

[Thwack-!]

[Strike! Batter out!!]

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung strikes out the first batter! Recording his 299th strikeout of the season!!]

The TV screen was filled with praise for Ha-sung.

“Until recently, they were chanting my name…!”

The game was being broadcast live across the nation on ESPN [Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, a US-based sports channel].

His name used to be on their lips all the time.

But now, only Ha-sung’s name was being mentioned.

“Damn it…!”

Sitting alone in his mansion, watching TV, he looked miserable.

* * *

After getting the first out, Ha-sung faced the second batter.

‘Low and outside.’

Ha-sung nodded at Trevor’s sign and threw the ball.

Whoosh-!

Thwack!!

“Strike!!”

The umpire called it without hesitation the moment the ball hit the mitt.

[Jung Ha-sung throws a 101 mph fastball right from the start against the second batter!]

[He has a big record in sight, but his pitching is relentless!]

As the commentator said, Ha-sung’s pitching was relentless.

Clang!!

“Foul!!”

[Second pitch foul! Two strikes!]

Thwack!

“Ball!!”

[Third pitch, a high fastball, but the batter holds back! One ball, two strikes!]

Ha-sung quickly gained a favorable count and exchanged signs with Trevor.

‘Should we go with a slider this time?’

‘No. I’ll go with this.’

Trevor nodded at Ha-sung’s sign.

He didn’t question it anymore.

The best pitcher in the major league was on the mound.

All he could do was accept whatever he wanted to throw.

[Jung Ha-sung exchanges signs! He throws the fourth pitch!]

He wound up and threw the ball.

Whoosh-!!

The ball left his hand with fierce speed.

‘Same course as before.’

The ball was coming in on the same course as the high fastball he threw on the third pitch.

The batter made his decision early and gave up on the swing.

That’s when it happened.

Swoosh!

The trajectory of the ball changed drastically.

The ball, which was clearly coming in as a high fastball, suddenly dropped and entered the strike zone.

‘Oh, shoot!’

The batter tried to swing in a hurry, but it was already too late.

Thud!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung gets the second out by throwing a splitter that drops from the trajectory of a high fastball!]

To think he would throw a splitter as a finishing pitch, not as a decoy.

It was an unexpected move.

That’s how he was able to get the second out.

[At the same time, Jung Ha-sung records his 300th strikeout in his first major league starting season!!]

It was the moment Ha-sung recorded his 300th strikeout.

[Jung Ha-sung becomes the first Asian to record 300 strikeouts in the major league! He etches his name in another chapter of history!!]

The camera focused on the stands.

The fans who came to the stadium all stood up and gave Ha-sung a standing ovation.

[The fans who came to the stadium are all standing up to celebrate Jung Ha-sung’s 300th strikeout!]

[The scoreboard also shows a message congratulating Jung Ha-sung’s 300th strikeout.]

The Oakland Athletics seemed to have prepared a lot as well, with Ha-sung’s profile and the letters 300K appearing on the scoreboard.

After a brief celebration, Ha-sung rubbed rosin [a sticky resin used by pitchers for a better grip] on his hands and calmed his mind.

The game was not over yet.

* * *

Ha-sung’s momentum, after achieving 300 strikeouts, did not stop.

Thwack-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung strikes out the third batter in the second inning, recording his 4th strikeout of the game today!]

Ha-sung shut down the major league batters in succession and finished the second inning without giving up a run.

And that sight made the fans at the stadium feel refreshed.

“Wow! That’s Jung Ha-sung for you!”

“I was worried that he might be shaken after recording 300 strikeouts, but it was just a needless worry!”

“I’m so glad I came to see this in person!”

The crowd responded to Ha-sung’s great pitching with cheers.

Bird Selig, watching the scene from the VIP room, was deep in thought.

‘He definitely has the qualities of a star.’

Jung Ha-sung was a sensational player.

He was the most outstanding of the rising stars and was taking over the major league in a short time.

His star power was clear, and if he continued to grow like this, he would surely become a star who would be responsible for the major league’s success.

‘It’s not just Ha-sung; the next generation is already being prepared.’

Buster Posey, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Evan Longoria, Tim Lincecum, and more – these were just some of the players poised to dominate Major League Baseball.

‘It’s entirely possible to discard the past.’

Rodrigo was once a superstar.

A superstar can single-handedly influence the popularity of Major League Baseball.

However, he was repeatedly caught using performance-enhancing drugs and was rapidly falling from grace.

There was no need to hold onto him any longer.

‘Ha-sung can replace him.’

The commissioner was someone who always considered the league’s overall success.

Therefore, when he considered dismissing Rodrigo, he needed to be sure there was a player ready to take his place.

Ha-sung was a player who could potentially fill that void.

But he couldn’t be completely certain yet.

‘If he shows me just one more thing…….’

If Ha-sung, who achieved his 300th strikeout today, could demonstrate one more exceptional quality, he felt he could make that decision with confidence.

Bird Selig didn’t yet know what that ‘one more thing’ would be.

He was simply watching the game, closely observing Ha-sung’s pitching.

* * *

Ha-sung was in a league of his own.

Thwack-!

“Strike! Batter out!”

[The third out in the 3rd inning! That’s 7 strikeouts for Ha-sung so far!]

[He’s striking out batters left and right! His dominant pitching continues!]

His strikeout ability was already exceptional, but today felt different, even more extraordinary.

Thwack!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Jung Ha-sung adds two more strikeouts in the 4th inning! He now has 9 strikeouts in today’s game alone!]

[He gave up one hit, but he finishes the inning without allowing any further baserunners!]

He quickly increased his record to 307 strikeouts, fanning 9 of the 12 outs recorded.

And this incredible pace showed no signs of slowing down.

Thwack!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[It’s another strikeout! Jung Ha-sung adds three strikeouts in the 5th inning! That brings him to a staggering 12 strikeouts!!]

[Jung Ha-sung is in phenomenal form today!]

As the game reached its midpoint, a buzz began to spread through the crowd.

-Hey, hey, what’s going on with Jung Ha-sung today?

-He just passed 300 strikeouts and he’s not letting up.

-Already at 310 strikeouts for the season.

-No, more than that, is it even possible that he has 12 strikeouts in just the 5th inning?

-There are still 12 outs remaining in the game.

-What’s the record for the most strikeouts in a Major League game?

-20.

-Only 8 more to tie?

Everyone’s attention was now focused on the possibility of Ha-sung challenging the single-game strikeout record.

In Major League history, only a handful of pitchers have reached the 20-strikeout mark in a single game.

Roger Clemens accomplished it once in 1986 and again in 1996, Kerry Wood did it once in 1998, and Randy Johnson achieved it once in 2001.

The crowd was both amazed and apprehensive at the prospect of witnessing history.

-The 5th inning just ended.

-Yeah…….

-20 strikeouts seems almost impossible.

-No way…….

However, some held a different view.

-Did anyone think Jung Ha-sung would throw a no-hitter this season?

-No.

-Did anyone think Jung Ha-sung would throw a perfect game this season?

-No.

-Then he just might get 20 strikeouts.

-It’s possible…….

-Because it’s Ha-sung.

-Totally possible.

Many believed it was within the realm of possibility simply because it was Ha-sung on the mound.

That’s how completely everyone’s attention was captivated.

And Rodrigo was also watching the game with intense focus.

“Please…… please……. Get shelled from now on and get pulled from the game…….”

He was desperately praying for Ha-sung’s downfall.

* * *

People often say that reality is stranger than fiction.

That’s because unbelievable and unimaginable things often happen in real life.

Ha-sung’s pitching performance today was one of those extraordinary events.

Thwack-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[It’s a strikeout! Jung Ha-sung finishes the 7th inning with his 17th strikeout of the game!!]

[He’s pitching flawlessly except for the single hit he allowed in the 5th inning!]

[Jung Ha-sung hasn’t walked a single batter so far!]

[In Major League history, only 3 pitchers have achieved 20 strikeouts in a single game. But among them, only one pitcher has recorded no walks! That was Randy Johnson!]

[Jung Ha-sung is now challenging that legendary record!]

He had racked up 17 strikeouts through the 7th inning.

If he records just 3 more strikeouts in the remaining 6 outs, he will tie the all-time record.

But it wasn’t going to be easy.

Manager Tony studied Ha-sung’s pitching stats with concern.

‘Too many pitches.’

Ha-sung had already thrown 88 pitches through the 7th inning.

That averages out to 12.6 pitches per inning.

Based on that average, he would only need to throw around 25 more pitches to finish the game, but as fatigue sets in, the number of pitches required to get each out tends to increase.

‘If they could score a few more runs, I wouldn’t mind…….’

The Athletics’ offense was struggling in today’s game.

In particular, Arnold, the team’s star player, was 0-for-3 with a double play.

He was clearly not at his best, and as a result, despite Ha-sung’s dominant pitching, they had only managed to score 1 run.

‘If we win today, we tie with the Rangers for the division lead.’

This was a golden opportunity to catch Texas, who were currently in first place.

And yet, they were clinging to a precarious 1-point lead.

Under normal circumstances, he would have substituted Ha-sung if he thought his stamina was waning.

But not today.

‘I have to trust him until the end.’

It was Ha-sung who was on the verge of making Major League history.

There was nothing to do but trust him and wait.