Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 190

Mound Villain – Episode 190

Mound Villain 190

Ha-sung’s eyes widened at Geyer’s suggestion to switch to a left-handed batting stance.

“Is that even possible?”

“It’s difficult. It might even be impossible.”

“Why would we do something impossible?”

“Because Jung Ha-sung wants to be both a pitcher and a hitter.”

Geyer’s words sparked a theory in Ha-sung’s mind.

Then Geyer continued.

“The pitching motion and the hitting motion have something in common. It’s the rotation of the body.”

Some people thought pitching and hitting were completely different.

But from a biomechanical point of view, they had a lot in common.

The mechanism of rotating from the lower body to the waist and upper body to generate rotational force.

The difference between pitching and hitting was whether to unleash the rotational force using a tool [a bat] or with the hand [the ball].

“Jung Ha-sung is already putting a lot of stress on his body from pitching. Right now, he’s young and healthy, so he can recover quickly even after throwing over 100 miles per hour.”

Being young was a big advantage.

He could recover quickly even if his body was strained.

The same was true for stamina.

“But youth is not eternal. As you get older, recovery will slow down, and naturally, your velocity will decrease.”

It was a cold, hard fact.

Ha-sung didn’t expect his recovery ability to last forever.

So he listened to Geyer’s explanation without much surprise.

“In that situation, if you stand at the plate as a right-handed batter, your body will accumulate stress even faster.”

“Is it because you’re rotating in the same direction?”

“How did you know?”

“I could easily infer it from the conversation so far.”

“You have good insight. That’s right. If you rotate in the same direction for hitting, your muscles will be more strained, and naturally, the risk of injury will increase.”

“So you’re saying that adding the opposite rotational force through a left-handed stance will help.”

“Yes. That’s the only way to reduce the risk of injury.”

The human body was by no means indestructible.

As you get older, you get sick and gradually weaken.

Knowing that, Ha-sung could understand Geyer’s proposal.

He also knew about the research on Shohei Ohtani.

‘Ohtani also had the position of right-handed pitcher and left-handed batter. Experts have published research suggesting that this combination reduces the risk of injury by reversing the body’s rotational force.’

Geyer was suggesting this 10 years earlier.

Ha-sung thought he had made a good decision in recruiting him.

“Okay. Then I’ll switch to a left-handed stance as you say.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a high chance of failure.”

“I recruited you to increase that possibility. More than anything, you’re saying that switching to a left-handed stance is the right answer for a long career, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then I should change. I’m not going to play baseball for just a day or two and quit, so it’s better to change as soon as possible.”

Geyer was slightly moved by Ha-sung’s words.

‘Until now, when I talked about theory, people were often resistant. Because it’s not a typical case. But why does this person immediately accept my words?’

It was his first time experiencing this.

A person who immediately accepts his theory.

And from the way he answers, it seems like he even understands it.

‘This man is unusual.’

He didn’t think he was an ordinary player.

* * *

Ha-sung began full-scale batting practice.

Switching from right-handed to left-handed is not easy.

He had to use muscles he had been using in the opposite direction, so it was awkward at first.

‘It’s fortunate that I’m not completely set in my hitting style.’

Ha-sung had only seriously hit until his first year of high school.

He showed talent as a pitcher, so he didn’t practice hitting very hard.

In other words, he was almost a blank slate when it came to hitting.

The fact that he hit a home run even in that situation meant that Ha-sung’s physique and talent were outstanding.

Anyway, Ha-sung gradually adapted to the left-handed stance by practicing hitting every day.

‘Is it okay to switch to a left-handed stance…?’

Isabel watched the scene with worried eyes.

It was not uncommon to find cases where promising amateur players changed their batting hand.

But professional players are a different story.

That’s why she was worried.

One difference was that Ha-sung hadn’t proven himself as a hitter yet.

‘It’s like starting from scratch, so switching to a left-handed stance now might not be a big problem, but…’

From an outsider’s point of view, it was understandable that she was worried.

She was worried about whether he could adapt to the left-handed stance in a short period of time, given the unfavorable public opinion.

‘These damn media outlets are running wild because Ha-sung hasn’t said anything.’

Ha-sung did not conduct interviews with any media other than his YouTube channel.

So the media continued to report aggressively on Ha-sung.

The more conservative the media, the more intense the attacks.

The problem was that Ha-sung rarely made official statements through YouTube.

Because there was no strong rebuttal, people were accepting the negative reports as true, and public opinion was worsening.

‘YouTube is not under my direct control, so I can’t directly influence it…’

If it were her, she would have made a more detailed statement through YouTube.

She would have made a video to clear up the public’s misunderstandings.

Ha-sung didn’t do any of that.

“Hoo…”

Thanks to that, Isabel’s stress was growing.

But she soon shook off her stress at the sight of Ha-sung sweating in front of her.

‘He’s working so hard. I, as an agent, have to work even harder.’

Ha-sung’s training volume was enough to make you sick just by watching it.

The relentless repetition of eating, training, and resting.

It was hard to understand how a person could follow such a routine so thoroughly, almost like a machine.

I even entertained the delusion that if I peeled off Ha-sung’s skin, an android would appear. [This is a humorous exaggeration to emphasize Ha-sung’s dedication.]

That’s how astonishing Ha-sung’s commitment to training was.

‘I should respond in kind,’ Isabel thought.

Isabel began to take action on Ha-sung’s behalf.

* * *

As the training camp began, vlog-style videos started appearing on Ha-sung’s YouTube channel.

In this era, the term ‘vlog’ didn’t exist, and the concept was largely unknown. [Vlog: A video blog, a personal diary shared in video format.]

However, Ha-sung understood very well how directly it could reach the public.

That’s why he created his training videos in a vlog format and uploaded them to YouTube every day.

[The purpose of aerobic training is to strengthen cardiovascular endurance. We plan to train cardiovascular endurance to the limit through interval training, which Olympic athletes primarily use.]

Following this brief explanation, scenes of Ha-sung training played in rapid succession.

Thanks to the fast-paced editing, viewers could watch the video without getting bored.

Moreover, Ha-sung uploaded almost all of his training footage without editing, allowing viewers to witness his intense dedication firsthand.

-Wow… how many sets is he doing?

-I’m confident I’d be knocked out after just one set.

-Does he do that kind of training every day?

-Not just every day, that’s just his morning routine lol

-Seriously crazy.

-How many times a day does he do this kind of training?

-Isn’t that overwork?

-He’s going to hurt himself like that?

-Rest is as important as training.

Viewers expressed concern about the intensity of Ha-sung’s training.

However, they were relieved and impressed as they watched the videos related to meals and rest that were uploaded subsequently.

They could see how systematically the training was being conducted, ensuring proper recovery.

In addition, as Isabel actively worked behind the scenes, some media outlets also began to publish favorable articles about Ha-sung.

[Jeong Ha-sung challenges the unknown world!]

[It’s right to offer encouragement rather than criticism to the pioneer!]

[Two-way [playing both pitcher and hitter] is not an untouchable sanctuary!]

As positive reports about Ha-sung emerged from various media outlets, public opinion began to shift, little by little.

-The criticism was too one-sided.

-Is it really so wrong to challenge the two-way role?

-He’s already at the top as a pitcher, so what’s wrong with challenging himself as a hitter?

-I agree.

-Wouldn’t it be great if he succeeds in both pitching and hitting?

-I don’t think we need to be so rigid about it.

Of course, the change wasn’t instantaneous.

It was still a minority opinion, and many people maintained a negative view.

Many argued that Ha-sung’s training methods were flawed, but the tide was slowly turning.

In the meantime, a visitor came to see Ha-sung.

“It’s been a while, Manager.”

It was Chris, his agent.

* * *

Ha-sung sat face to face with Chris.

“You came all the way to Hawaii. I imagine you have a serious matter to discuss.”

“I think you already know.”

“It’s about the two-way challenge, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I doubted my eyes when the first article came out. I didn’t think you would make the same bombshell announcement as last year without consulting the club again.”

Chris recalled his initial reaction to the article.

He wondered if he had misread it and checked again, rubbing his eyes.

Not satisfied, he had Catherine read the article to confirm it one last time.

After confirming its accuracy, Chris held meetings at the club every day.

He tried to call Ha-sung, but Ha-sung, deep in training, was unreachable, so he flew all the way to Hawaii.

“I hope you will reconsider this decision.”

Chris addressed the issue directly.

His opposition was even stronger than when Ha-sung had switched to a starting pitcher last year.

Ha-sung shook his head, anticipating this reaction.

“I will pursue this challenge.”

“You will fail.”

“That’s not a certainty.”

“Yes, it is. If it were possible, other players would have already succeeded.”

“That kind of closed-minded thinking is why they never even tried.”

Ha-sung didn’t back down an inch.

Chris frowned at Ha-sung’s response and said,

“The club is paying you a huge amount of money, $20 million. I hope you feel a sense of responsibility for that investment.”

“I do feel a sense of responsibility. And I will perform well enough to justify that amount.”

“We need you as an ace pitcher, not as a mediocre player trying to do two things at once.”

Ha-sung’s voice lowered at Chris’s agitated words.

“If you continue like this, you’ll cross the line.”

Chris fell silent at Ha-sung’s warning.

He realized his words were harsh, fueled by his own anxiety.

The club was deeply concerned about this situation.

“I apologize if I crossed the line. But the club has no choice but to oppose this endeavor.”

“I have no intention of using my position to force the two-way challenge on you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s the same as last year. I’m asking for a chance to prove myself in the exhibition games.”

One year prior, Ha-sung had overcome the club’s opposition and demonstrated his potential as a starting pitcher in the exhibition games.

That’s why Chris had ultimately used him as a starter.

It was the same situation now.

“If I don’t demonstrate sufficient talent as a hitter in the exhibition games, I will abandon the challenge.”

He was never approaching this challenge lightly.

He was always facing it with the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff.