Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 198

Villain of the Mound 198

Homerun in the exhibition game.

And it was against Tim Lincecum, the Giants’ ace and one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.

This news was immediately reported as breaking news throughout the United States and Korea, as well as all countries related to baseball.

[Jung Ha-sung Declares Two-Way Player! Hits Home Run Against Tim Lincecum in First Major League Exhibition Game At-Bat!]

[Two-Way Ambition Was Not a Bluff! Jung Ha-sung Hits Home Run in First At-Bat!]

[Where Are Jung Ha-sung’s Limits? Hits Home Run Against Ace Tim Lincecum!]

[Green Light for Jung Ha-sung’s Two-Way Aspirations!]

[Etching His Name in Major League History!]

The previously negative public opinion regarding the two-way role had changed.

The media competed to shower Ha-sung’s achievements with praise.

Some experts even took the lead in analyzing Ha-sung’s batting mechanics.

As this public opinion formed, the public’s reaction also became heated.

-Two-way wasn’t a bluff.

-Jung Ha-sung is really amazing.

-He changed from closer to starter, and now he’s even succeeding as a two-way player.

-Is this even possible, lol [laughing out loud].

-What can’t he do?

-The fact that he took it from Lincecum, of all pitchers, is terrifying.

-Isn’t it just the exhibition game, so we don’t know yet?

-Major League exhibition games are almost like real games.

-Of course, playing a full season is a different story, but for now, it’s a green light.

As much as the fans’ enthusiastic reaction, the sales of products related to him also skyrocketed.

[Jung Ha-sung’s Uniform Sales Overwhelmingly Rank 1st!]

[Jung Ha-sung Aiming for the Most Sales Ever!]

[Related Products in Collaboration with Vigor Are Experiencing Scarcity!]

[Vigor to Release Jung Ha-sung Exclusive Model Soon!]

[Jung Ha-sung Model Limited Edition Shows Huge Price Increase!]

[Jung Ha-sung’s YouTube Subscribers Rise to 2nd Overall!]

He was just good at baseball.

But everything related to him was rising.

Taking second place in subscribers on YouTube, which was growing into a media giant, was a huge event.

The CEO of YouTube even mentioned it in an interview with a media outlet.

[Jung Ha-sung is a great player. The public is curious about everything he does. He is answering that curiosity on his channel. Everyone should come to YouTube and subscribe to his channel to see a new side of him.]

YouTube was about to become a media giant.

For its CEO to mention him directly was a big deal.

And this article made even more people subscribe to his channel.

Ha-sung continued to fuel this atmosphere.

Clang-!!

[3rd pitch, hard hit!! The well-hit ball bounces off the wall! 2nd base runner turns third and heads home! Even the 1st base runner digs into home!!]

Each of his hits led to extra-base hits.

It was possible because he had tremendous power.

And he showed other abilities as a hitter.

[Jung Ha-sung runs past second base and goes straight to third!]

Taking advantage of the gap when the ball was thrown home, Ha-sung ran past second base and headed to third.

His feet were faster than expected.

It was an outfielder’s mistake who had the prejudice that he would be slow because of his large build.

But catcher Buster Posey was not careless.

‘I’ll get him!’

He judged that tagging at home would be late, so he advanced and caught the ball.

And immediately threw the ball to third base.

“Hup!!”

Whoosh-!!

It was a throw without any hesitation.

It was a clean throw, but Ha-sung’s feet were faster than expected.

Above all, he attempted a head-first slide as if he had predicted the throw.

Whoosh-!

Ha-sung’s hand, which flew through the air with a cloud of dust, touched the base first.

“Safe!!”

[It’s safe! Jung Ha-sung records a three-base hit with a great baserunning play!]

[Ah~ Jung Ha-sung records a two-RBI triple! The baserunning play was really great!!]

From hitting to baserunning.

Ha-sung not only scored points but also created opportunities, allowing the team’s offense to continue.

And the result was very good.

Clang-!!

[He hit it! A high fly ball! The center fielder retreats and positions himself!]

[If it’s this kind of hit, it’s enough for Jung Ha-sung to come in!]

[Jung Ha-sung is ready to tag up! The moment the center fielder catches the ball, Jung Ha-sung starts! Jung Ha-sung steps on home comfortably!!]

[Thanks to Jung Ha-sung’s sensible play, who passed the opportunity to the next hitter with good baserunning, we were able to score an additional point!]

It was a play that deserved a passing grade not only for his hitting ability but also for his baserunning ability.

Chris shook his head as he watched the scene.

‘There’s nothing he can’t do.’

It was Chris who had questioned Ha-sung’s two-way ability.

But the various abilities he showed today, and his tremendous hitting ability in the exhibition game, were enough to dispel all doubts.

‘I have no choice but to allow it.’

Public opinion had already turned.

People were curious about whether Ha-sung’s two-way play would succeed in the pennant race as well.

It was obvious what would happen if he opposed it in this situation.

There was no choice.

‘I never thought I’d see Ha-sung play both ways.’

It was the moment Ha-sung’s two-way play was decided.

* * *

Ha-sung continued his barrage in the exhibition game.

He hit 4 home runs and maintained a batting average of .400.

In addition, he showed tremendous hitting ability with a slugging percentage approaching .600.

As a starting pitcher, he also showed an untouchable presence.

[Jung Ha-sung Continues 6 Innings of Shutout Perfect Performance in Final Exhibition Game!]

[Jung Ha-sung Showed Top-Class Skills in Both Pitching and Hitting in the Major League!]

[There Were No Obstacles to His Two-Way Play!]

[The Pennant Race Is Already Anticipated!]

[How Far Will Jung Ha-sung Go?!]

The media’s hype continued.

It was a natural thing.

No one expected Ha-sung to perform like this.

Ha-sung showed great performance in both pitching and hitting.

It was an exhibition game, not the regular season, but this alone was enough to excite the media and the public.

His performance was unprecedented.

This was not just an event that excited baseball fans.

-Major League Baseball is no joke these days.

-What’s going on?

-A Korean player named Jung Ha-sung declared that he would play both ways. He exploded in the exhibition game.

-In the exhibition game?

-Home runs and even a perfect game. He’s doing it all by himself.

-Is that possible?

-How is that possible? It’s not like a comic book.

-He’s really doing it, lol [laughing out loud].

-There are tons of articles about it.

-It’s real.

-This kind of thing is happening in Major League Baseball these days, lol [laughing out loud].

-Is there a highlight video?

-It’s uploaded on his YouTube channel.

-Oh~ I have to go watch it.

Ha-sung’s performance brought back fans who had stopped paying attention to Major League Baseball.

In addition, as he attracted new fans, the pie of Major League Baseball began to grow.

And this atmosphere led to the Major League pennant race [the championship series].

* * *

After successfully finishing the exhibition game, Ha-sung returned to Oakland.

He immediately had a meeting with General Manager Chris.

“I’ll get straight to the point. This season, I’m thinking of having you play as both a pitcher and a hitter.”

“The decision has been made.”

“Yes. What I asked of you was performance, and you showed it in the exhibition game, so there’s no justification for blocking your challenge.”

“Thank you.”

“But for the time being, you won’t be able to play in the field. I’m planning to use you as a designated hitter.”

If he were to play in the field as well, it could be a physical burden.

As it was Ha-sung’s first season as a two-way player, he didn’t want to be too greedy.

“I understand. I will prepare according to the team’s situation.”

“Okay. Then, from the first game of the pennant race, you should prepare to play as a two-way player. The batting order will be 5th.”

It meant that he was entrusting him with the team’s core batting lineup.

It was a groundbreaking decision.

The core batting lineup was a position that could determine the team’s offense.

But the fact that he was entrusting the pitcher with the 5th spot meant that he highly valued Ha-sung’s skills.

In fact, he showed the best decision-making ability in the team during the exhibition game.

Rather, it would be strange to place him in 5th.

But General Manager Chris’s decision was understandable.

“As you know, there is still little accumulated data. If it were based on the performance shown in the exhibition game, it wouldn’t be bad to place you in a higher batting order, but for the time being, I’ll place you in 5th and see how it goes.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Okay. Then let’s prepare for the season knowing that. If you feel like it’s too hard for you, feel free to tell me at any time.”

“I understand.”

Ha-sung’s two-way play was decided.

* * *

People were curious.

-Was it possible to play both ways?

-Will he be able to handle the entire pennant race schedule?

-Isn’t it too early to decide based on just the exhibition game?

-You’re saying that even after watching the exhibition game.

-He’s already produced results. There’s no justification for blocking the challenge, right?

-People should support him when he takes on a challenge. Why are there so many people trying to ruin it?

-I hope Ha-sung will be at the top of the pitching and hitting stats at the end of the season.

-I’m curious, how much should a player like that be paid?ㅋㅋㅋ [Korean laughter slang]

-The $20 million he’s getting this year seems small.

-Shouldn’t he be paid at least twice as much?ㅋㅋ [Korean laughter slang]

What kind of results will Ha-sung leave behind?

The pennant race was like a marathon.

If he worked as both a pitcher and a hitter for six months, he would inevitably face physical strain.

Therefore, people did not expect Ha-sung to play the entire season as a two-way player.

However, the opinion that he would perform well in the early part of the season was absolute.

The performance he showed in the exhibition game was that great.

People’s expectations were directly linked to box office success.

[Jung Ha-sung Confirmed as Starting Pitcher for Oakland Athletics Opening Game!]

[Jung Ha-sung to Play in Opening Game as Starting Pitcher and 5th Batter!]

[Will He Be Able to Make History From the Major League Opening Game?]

[Oakland Athletics Opening Game Tickets Sold Out in 1 Minute!]

[Athletics Opening Game Tickets Selling Like Hotcakes with Premiums!]

[Jung Ha-sung’s Uniform Overwhelmingly Ranks 1st in Major League Sales!]

The Athletics’ opening game tickets, with Ha-sung as the starter, sold out in an instant.

It didn’t just end there; it affected the entire city of Oakland.

“No, you’re saying there are no rooms?”

“It’s already sold out.”

“Not only hotels but also motels and even shared houses are all booked.”

“There aren’t even plane tickets available.”

Tourists and baseball fans flocked to see Ha-sung, even if they couldn’t watch the game, causing a commotion.

Not only accommodation fees but also ticket prices soared, but people kept coming.

The number of visitors increased to the point where Oakland’s overall sales increased by about 40 percent.

In this atmosphere, the city of Oakland naturally prepared various promotions to attract new tourists.

In collaboration with self-employed people, they made it possible to watch Athletics games anywhere.

And they created spaces throughout the city where people could experience the food and culture of Korea, Ha-sung’s home country.

This gave Americans, who had not experienced much of Korean culture, a fresh experience.

While these various events were being held, D-Day arrived.

Ha-sung was immersed in meditation as soon as he opened his eyes in the hotel.

“Hoo…”

His eyes, which opened with a deep breath, turned to the window.

His eyes, looking at the view of downtown Oakland, were shining more than ever.

“It’s time.”

It was time to announce the start of the two-way play.