Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 193

Major League spring training is where players convene after reaching a certain level of conditioning.

Since independent training is common in Major League Baseball, players routinely prepare on their own.

Therefore, pitchers typically arrive at camp in reasonably good shape.

Nevertheless, Ha-sung’s velocity still surprised everyone.

‘It’s exceeding his average velocity from last year. And he’s throwing a pitch close to his top velocity on his very first pitch!’ someone observed.

It was his first bullpen session.

The fact that he threw the first ball at 102 mph demonstrated his excellent physical condition.

‘Is this his peak right now? Or will he get even better?’ people wondered.

Even for Ha-sung, it was unlikely he’d be at his absolute best on the first pitch.

If that were the case, his physical condition could improve even further.

In other words, there was a strong possibility Ha-sung’s top velocity would increase.

‘He was a starting pitcher who threw a top velocity of 103 mph. Is he going to increase his velocity even more here?’

General Manager Chris felt a chill run down his spine.

If that were truly possible, Major League Baseball would be in shock once again.

A starting pitcher, not a closer or relief pitcher, throwing over 103 mph was almost unheard of.

‘I was worried his pitching ability would decline because he was doing both pitching and batting. I don’t have to worry about that anymore.’

Some of the biggest concerns about him playing both positions had vanished.

‘But he still needs to prove himself as a hitter.’

Even without concerns on the mound, Chris didn’t intend to let him pitch and bat without sufficient proof.

He would only put him in the batter’s box after he had thoroughly demonstrated his hitting ability.

Chris was that skeptical about players doing both pitching and batting.

‘No matter how incredible Ha-sung’s stamina is, he’s bound to get tired if he plays as both a pitcher and a hitter. Ultimately, it will negatively affect both positions.’

Chris was responsible for the team’s overall performance.

That’s why he wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible.

He also wanted to witness it as a baseball fan.

‘If he can pull this off… the history of baseball will change.’

No other player would even consider attempting this.

But with Ha-sung, there was a glimmer of hope.

Thwack-!!

Ha-sung’s ball slammed into the catcher’s mitt with a resounding crack.

Chris’s resolve wavered as he watched.

* * *

As the camp opened, various players arrived.

Among them were minor leaguers and seasoned veterans.

Those who hadn’t yet found a team worked even harder than the rookies to prove their value.

‘Getting invited to the camp isn’t everything. You have to show your potential here to get a Major League contract.’

Major League spring training was undoubtedly a difficult place to get an invitation.

But arriving here wasn’t the end goal.

You had to demonstrate your potential and survive to advance to the next stage.

Everyone gathered here was striving towards that goal.

Of course, not everyone felt that pressure.

The Athletics’ starting players weren’t worried about making the Major League roster.

“Ha-sung, your physique is insane this year, too?”

“Your ball is incredible, even after all this time.”

“How on earth do you throw like that?”

Ha-sung’s teammates, who had spent the previous year with him, commented every time they saw him.

They were fellow Major Leaguers, but Ha-sung was on another level.

So, his teammates were simply curious about his training methods.

“You can find out if you train with me. Want to join me?”

Ha-sung offered to train with them.

But everyone declined.

“Oh… train with you?”

“I’ll pass on that.”

“If I follow your training, I’ll be exhausted from overwork before the exhibition games.”

His former colleagues knew better.

They knew how intense Ha-sung’s training regimen was.

That’s why they refused his training offer.

They knew how demanding Ha-sung’s training was.

As professional players, they wanted to improve.

That’s why they had tried to learn his secrets by training with Ha-sung, who was in a different league.

But no one could keep up.

‘My training method isn’t easy to adapt to.’

Ha-sung, who had also prepared to be a leader in the past, knew how extreme his training was.

To be precise, it was too difficult to endure.

If you could get through it, you could improve rapidly, but enduring the process was incredibly challenging.

That’s why he understood his colleagues’ reactions.

‘Will anyone want to train with me this year?’

After his success as a closer, some players had wanted to train with him during the previous camp season.

But no one had lasted until the end.

He wondered if such a player would appear this year.

‘I hope someone who can keep up shows up.’

Ha-sung had no intention of keeping his training methods a secret.

He was willing to work with anyone who asked.

Because he vividly remembered being turned down when he had asked his seniors for guidance in the past.

Above all, there was a synergistic effect from training together.

Ha-sung continued his training, anticipating the arrival of someone new.

A man was watching Ha-sung from a distance.

‘Jeong Ha-sung…….’

The man’s name was Benjamin.

He was 27 years old and playing in Triple-A [the highest level of minor league baseball].

He was a pitcher with a good build and long arms who threw fastballs, and he had been considered a promising prospect when he was drafted in the early rounds.

But now, he was on the verge of losing his chance.

‘My growth has stalled. I have to find a way to break through.’

The professional level was highly competitive, and his talent hadn’t fully developed.

He could sense the team’s expectations diminishing.

‘If I don’t succeed this year, I’ll probably be traded to another team.’

The amount of time he could spend in Triple-A was running out.

There was no guarantee he’d get a chance even if he went to another team.

That’s why he wanted to succeed with the Athletics, who had a relatively shallow roster.

‘I have to succeed this year, now that I’ve joined the camp.’

He would do anything to succeed.

No matter how difficult the challenge, his goal was to overcome it and reach the Major League stage.

To do that, he decided to emulate Ha-sung.

‘Jeong Ha-sung is the best player in Major League Baseball. His training method must be special. If I can adopt that training method, I can succeed in Major League Baseball too.’

It was a simple thought, but his determination was unwavering.

That’s how Ha-sung gained a follower.

* * *

The training camp, where the pitchers arrived first, wasn’t very crowded yet.

Since it wasn’t packed, Ha-sung was able to train according to his schedule.

It was only a matter of time before Benjamin caught Ha-sung’s attention.

‘I’ve been seeing him around a lot lately.’

Ha-sung was slightly intrigued by the guy who was always training alongside him, following his schedule.

After a few days, he realized the guy was copying his training methods.

‘Can he handle it?’

That was his initial thought.

His training methods were so demanding that even Major Leaguers struggled with them.

He doubted whether a minor leaguer could endure it.

“Ugh!”

As expected, the guy was soon seen running off to vomit.

‘I knew it.’

Ha-sung, assuming the guy had given up, stopped paying attention.

But his smile widened when he saw him return the next day, and the day after that.

‘He’s quite persistent?’

Ha-sung had spent his life as a player and a leader.

That’s why he admired people with perseverance.

In particular, he knew how grueling his training was since his regression [returning to an earlier, less advanced condition], so he was impressed by Benjamin’s dedication to following it.

‘Should I push him a little?’

That’s what he thought when he saw him following his training.

But he quickly shook his head.

‘I don’t need to step in and push him unless he asks me to.’

He was willing to help if asked.

But he had no obligation to offer help first.

Especially since he had only met this player this year.

Ha-sung focused on his training, ignoring the other player.

About ten days later.

The camp began to fill up as the fielders arrived.

“Wow~ Ha-sung, why are you so huge?”

“You’re bigger than me now?”

Arnold and Jack, who were close to Ha-sung, arrived and exclaimed at his appearance.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“I’ve been good.”

“By the way, are you really trying to become a hitter?”

Ha-sung nodded at Jack’s question.

“Wow… I thought it was a rumor when I first saw the article. It’s real?”

“Yeah, suddenly pitching and hitting at the same time. What made you decide to do that?”

“Because I’ve already reached my peak as a pitcher. I needed a new challenge for motivation.”

“Oh…….”

“Well, you’ve already achieved everything you can as a pitcher.”

“That’s really amazing.”

The two nodded in agreement with Ha-sung’s words.

Other players might call him arrogant, but Ha-sung had earned the right to say that.

That’s how much Ha-sung had accomplished as a pitcher.

“Have you been practicing hitting?”

“Of course, I have. It’s improved quite a bit.”

“Really? Can we watch you hit today?”

“You can if the general manager gives me a chance.”

Starting today, he would be training with the fielders.

That included batting practice.

Pitchers usually do some batting practice anyway, so he should get a chance.

A chance to show off his improved hitting.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Ha-sung smiled at their support.

* * *

General Manager Chris was reviewing the schedule.

Catherine said to Chris.

“It’s today.”

“Yes. Today’s the day I get to see Jeong Ha-sung the hitter.”

“You still sound opposed to it when you say that.”

“I’m not opposed to it. I decided to give him a chance if he shows potential as a hitter. I’m just concerned.”

“Well, doing both positions will be physically demanding.”

“Yes. If Ha-sung breaks down, the whole team could be affected. That’s how much influence Ha-sung has on the team.”

“Isn’t it impossible to refuse a request from a player like that?”

“Hoo… that’s true.”

Catherine always spoke frankly.

Knowing that, General Manager Chris quietly folded the schedule.

“But if he doesn’t show potential, I’ll block his challenge using my authority as general manager.”

“Everything will be decided today.”

Chris nodded and stood up.

He headed towards the hitters’ batting practice field.

Today was the day for the hitters’ condition check and free batting.

It was a training session to adjust their hitting feel by hitting balls thrown by the batting practice pitcher.

Pitchers usually train separately, but today Ha-sung was waiting there.

And countless reporters were crowded around to take pictures of him.

Watching the scene, Chris approached Ha-sung with a sigh.

“Even though it’s just training today, if you don’t show an impressive performance as I promised, I’ll block your challenge.”

“I understand.”

Ha-sung answered calmly and grabbed a bat.

“Then I’ll bat first.”

“Okay.”

Ha-sung stood on the field with a bat instead of a glove.