Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 154

Villain on the Mound – Episode 154

The league office’s decision to discipline players doesn’t automatically mean it’s accepted.

A player has the right to fully defend their position.

These proceedings usually take place in hearings, mostly after the season.

But this time, it was different.

[MLB Office! Hearings scheduled to discipline players involved in the Biogenesis scandal, including Alex Rodriguez!]

[An unprecedented situation, holding hearings during the season, unlike previous ones!]

[MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, in an interview, expressed his determination, saying, “We intend to impose appropriate penalties on the players involved in this scandal.”]

Bud Selig stepped into the media spotlight.

It was unusual.

He had always been passive about drugs until now.

Fans were surprised by this change.

-What’s up with Bud Selig?

-I know, right?

-He wasn’t usually like this.

-Suddenly declaring war on drugs.

-Isn’t it a good thing, anyway?

-I guess so.

-Will his favoritism towards Milwaukee continue?

-Looks like he’ll sanction Braun this time too.

Many believed this time would be different.

Bud Selig’s recent actions showed a different side than before.

But not everything was resolved.

[This situation severely infringes upon the rights of players! As Rodrigo’s lawyer, I am informing Major League players that the league office’s actions are very dangerous.]

John McCully, newly appointed as Rodrigo’s lawyer, appeared in various interviews and in front of cameras.

It was a complete turnaround compared to Rodrigo’s silence and avoidance.

It meant Rodrigo was cornered.

-Rodrigo is showing his teeth.

-That A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez, a famous baseball player] is being petty until the end.

-Didn’t the team abandon Rodrigo?

-They did, but if his suspension isn’t properly enforced, he’ll come back, right?

-It would be annoying if he keeps adding to his records.

-Erase his records!

Fans criticized Rodrigo’s changed attitude.

But his claims were consistent, and experts said this wouldn’t end easily.

[In fact, Alex Rodrigo’s claims are valid.]

[Is that so?]

[Yes. Major League Baseball also has difficulty with retroactive application. If they change the rules, they should only punish violations after that point.]

[But this time, they’re applying it retroactively.]

[That’s the problem. This scandal is clearly a serious issue. They want to strengthen the regulations and apply them retroactively to warn other players, but Rodrigo is using this as an excuse to counterattack.]

Watching TV, Ha-sung frowned while eating vegetable sticks.

“Damn it. Those bad guys are always smarter.”

He thought he could get rid of him for sure if the commissioner moved.

But Rodrigo was even smarter.

More precisely, his lawyers were quite promising.

“And he has so many connections that even the commissioner is having a hard time.”

In his previous life, Rodrigo fought with the league office until the end.

In the process, the league office, which tried to retire Rodrigo, was eventually forced to impose a one-season suspension.

He didn’t know what happened, but one thing was certain: Rodrigo’s power was immense.

“I’ll be sick if the same result happens again.”

The same result twice?

He didn’t want to see that.

Just then.

Buzz-!!

His smartphone rang.

Checking the number, it was Arnold.

“Hey, what’s up?”

[Can we meet up today?]

He agreed to Arnold’s heavy voice.

A little later.

Ha-sung met Arnold and his friends at a cafe in the hotel lounge.

“Is something wrong? You coming to my hotel.”

“Well, you see…….”

Arnold hesitated.

He could sense something unusual.

“Coming all the way here means you came to tell me something. So, speak freely.”

Did Ha-sung’s words give him courage?

Arnold carefully opened his mouth.

“You know who these guys are, right?”

“Yeah, you said they’re your friends.”

“Right. Friends from the neighborhood. But they didn’t come to the stadium to see me that day.”

“Then?”

“They came to see you.”

Ha-sung’s gaze turned to the two friends.

“I guess their intentions weren’t pure.”

Sanchez, one of the two men, spoke at Ha-sung’s words.

“Hoo……. I’ll tell you the truth. We were asked to ruin your shoulder.”

“My shoulder?”

“Yeah. Whether it’s putting a bullet in it, stabbing it with a knife, or smashing it with a bat. They told us to ruin your shoulder somehow.”

Ha-sung’s face distorted.

“We knew it was dangerous, but since it wasn’t murder, there wasn’t a big risk even if we got caught. And the pay was good.”

“I’m curious. How much were you supposed to get paid?”

“50,000 dollars.”

It was about 55 million won [approximately $41,000 USD].

It was a large sum for the average person, but not for a top-notch ace like Ha-sung.

If his shoulder was fine, he would earn tens of millions of dollars in the future.

“So, you came to ruin my shoulder, met Arnold, and were stopped.”

“Arnold is like family to us.”

Ha-sung crossed his arms and looked at the three.

‘So, I was able to avoid this incident because Arnold was in the major leagues?’

It was ironic.

Originally, Arnold wouldn’t be called up to the major leagues at this time.

And the team he debuts with in the major leagues wasn’t Oakland.

The beginning of all this was that his life changed because he met Arnold.

He didn’t care much about it.

He didn’t think it would be a big problem.

But he didn’t know it would flow in a direction that would benefit him like this.

‘Well, everything’s okay as long as the result is good.’

In the end, he was able to stay safe thanks to Arnold’s help.

And he had a good card in his hand.

Ha-sung’s mind raced, and the two felt uneasy at his silent gaze.

Just as they were about to ask what he was thinking.

Ha-sung opened his mouth.

“I have a proposal for you two.”

“A proposal?”

“Yeah. It won’t be bad for you either.”

A smile spread across Ha-sung’s face.

* * *

While the league office and Rodrigo were engaged in fierce media play.

Ha-sung showed a sluggish performance in his last appearance in August.

Thwack!!

[He got a hit! But the ball is high in the air! The center fielder runs out and catches the ball safely! Jung Ha-sung finishes the last out count of the 6th inning with a fly ball to the center fielder!]

[Perhaps due to the influence of the previous game, Jung Ha-sung is showing a sluggish performance today.]

6 innings, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts.

It wasn’t a bad record for other pitchers.

He recorded a quality start [a start in which a pitcher lasts at least six innings and allows three or fewer earned runs].

But the problem was that Ha-sung achieved this record.

[Still, Jung Ha-sung recorded 7 strikeouts today, increasing his season strikeout record to 335!]

[With this, Jung Ha-sung surpasses Randy Johnson’s 334 strikeouts in the 2002 season, ranking 10th!]

Ha-sung finally ranked 10th in the MLB single-season strikeout rankings.

This record was very meaningful in many ways.

[Jung Ha-sung, the first Asian to rank 10th in MLB single-season strikeouts!]

[Jung Ha-sung, the youngest player in MLB history to surpass 300 strikeouts!]

[Recording a great record in his first year of debut as a starter!]

[Jung Ha-sung, the first Oakland player to rank 10th in single-season strikeouts!]

Ha-sung achieved various achievements with this record.

Naturally, the American media highlighted him and paid attention to what kind of performance he would leave this season.

[Jung Ha-sung of the Oakland Athletics surpassed Randy Johnson of the 02 season with 335 strikeouts.]

[What’s even more amazing is that he still has at least 5 more appearances left.]

[Jung Ha-sung, who recorded an average of 11.3 strikeouts per game, can surpass Nolan Ryan of the 73 season with a simple calculation.]

[Nolan Ryan was the best K-machine [strikeout pitcher] in MLB history. Jung Ha-sung is having a truly phenomenal season.]

[And he only needs one more win to reach 20 wins this season, right?]

[Jung Ha-sung is now competing for the most wins.]

Ha-sung could aim for the most wins depending on the results in September.

His ERA [Earned Run Average] and strikeouts were overwhelmingly first, so if he won the most wins, he could achieve the Triple Crown [leading the league in ERA, strikeouts, and wins].

Fans were looking forward to how Ha-sung would finish this season.

Bigger was holding meetings every day due to Ha-sung’s records.

“Jung Ha-sung’s popularity is skyrocketing.”

“Fans want his products faster than we expected.”

“The sales of the regular version of Finnis have also increased by 30 percent compared to last month.”

Finnis, Ha-sung’s exclusive model.

After the limited edition sales ended successfully, Bigger immediately started selling the regular version.

The sales of Finnis, which were sold that way, were increasing rapidly.

In particular, with Ha-sung’s performance, it was gaining worldwide popularity without any special marketing.

“Releasing running shoes was a stroke of genius.”

If Finnis had been released as spikes, it would not have recorded the same sales as now.

Spikes are baseball shoes, so it would have been difficult to use them in everyday life.

“How is the production of Finnis version 2 going?”

“The design is currently in the final stages. The prototype is scheduled to be completed in October.”

“I hope Oakland makes it to the postseason [playoffs].”

“The possibility is high. They are tied for first place with Texas, but Oakland is currently in better shape.”

Oakland’s recent pace was terrifying.

In particular, Ha-sung was leading that pace.

From Bigger’s point of view, if Ha-sung performs well in the postseason, the promotional effect will increase further, so it was a situation to celebrate.

“By the way, what is the relationship between Alex Rodrigo and Jung Ha-sung like recently?”

The Biogenesis scandal was started by Ha-sung.

That’s why they had to react sensitively to the Biogenesis scandal.

“There hasn’t been any special news recently.”

“The media doesn’t seem to be linking Rodrigo and Jung Ha-sung much.”

Fortunately, Ha-sung triggered this scandal, but he hasn’t been heavily involved since then.

From Bigger’s point of view, it was fortunate that he wasn’t heavily reported in the media.

“It would be best if it flows quietly like this…….”

But that was just Bigger’s hope.

“B…… Big trouble!”

“What’s going on during the meeting?”

“J…… Jung Ha-sung was attacked!”

“What?! What are you talking about?!”

“T…… To be exact, a group that tried to attack him confessed to the police!”

“Damn it! What are you talking about?!”

The subordinate hurriedly brought his smartphone.

“H…… Here’s the article.”

The man’s face distorted as he checked the article.

[A group that tried to attack Oakland Athletics’ Jung Ha-sung has surrendered to the police.

Although the police avoided detailed explanations, it was revealed that the group that tried to attack Jung Ha-sung was hired by someone, causing shock.]

Jung Ha-sung is back at the center of the incident.