Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 200

Villain on the Mound – Episode 200

A pitcher steps up to the plate.

It’s a common sight in the National League, which doesn’t have the designated hitter [a player who bats in place of the pitcher] rule.

But it’s unusual in the American League.

Especially being placed in the 5th batting order instead of the 9th is almost unheard of.

[Jung Ha-sung is at the plate as the 5th batter.]

[He needs to perform well, considering they removed the designated hitter for him.]

[Isn’t it unusual to exclude the designated hitter in the American League, which has the designated hitter rule?]

[It’s practically unheard of. There’s no reason to exclude the designated hitter and put a pitcher with lower batting ability in the batting order.]

[In short, you can say that Jung Ha-sung’s batting skills overwhelm other hitters.]

[If it’s the batting skills he showed in the exhibition game, you can definitely say that.]

While the caster and commentator were explaining.

Ha-sung, caught on camera, finished his preparations according to his routine and stood at the plate with his bat.

The batter’s box felt small as the giant took his place.

‘If I throw inside by mistake, I might hit him.’

The Texas battery [the pitcher and catcher] was surprised that Ha-sung was bigger than they thought.

It couldn’t be helped since if you’re big, your body is bound to be more over the home plate.

In this case, there was a high possibility of a hit by pitch if they carelessly threw the ball inside.

‘Let’s attack outside.’

The pitcher nodded at the catcher’s lead.

[The Texas battery exchanged signs, I wonder what kind of ball they will throw against Jung Ha-sung.]

[They’ll attack cautiously. They know the ability Jung Ha-sung showed in the exhibition game.]

[Didn’t he show such great batting that it would go over if he hit it?]

[That’s right. His batting ability as well as his power was really impressive.]

Ha-sung, in his batting stance, glared at the pitcher from the batter’s box.

‘Is it because I’m a pitcher? I can see what condition he’s in.’

Ha-sung was a player who had achieved great things as a pitcher.

Of course, he knew too well what a pitcher was thinking.

Is that why?

‘There’s a high probability that an outside fastball will come.’

This is not a simple prediction.

Thanks to the numerous games he had experienced in his past and present life, he had excellent insight.

Thanks to that, he could see the pitcher and what state he was in.

[The pitcher goes into the windup!]

The pitcher’s condition in the windup looked good.

But there was one noticeable part.

‘There’s too much strength in it.’

He wasn’t nervous.

But there was too much strength in his posture when he was winding up.

That meant one thing.

‘He’s conscious of me. Does he want to strike me out no matter what?’

He’s also a pitcher.

After all, the mindset was bound to be different from facing other hitters.

‘I can understand.’

It was the opponent’s thought that he could understand because he was a pitcher.

For a pitcher to lose to a pitcher in batting was a matter of pride.

‘He put more strength into it because he wanted to strike me out. If he throws the ball in that situation, there will be a problem with his control.’

Ha-sung’s prediction was exactly right.

“Hiss!!”

Whoosh-!!

[The first pitch was thrown!]

The ball, leaving the pitcher’s hand, flew at a fierce speed.

But was it because he put too much strength into it?

Thud!!

“Ball!”

[First pitch is a ball! It’s too far out?]

[That’s right. Even if Jung Ha-sung doesn’t have much batting experience, there’s no possibility that he’ll swing at that kind of ball.]

It was a ball that completely deviated from the strike zone.

The prediction that he was conscious of himself became a certainty.

With certainty, Ha-sung could predict the pitcher’s psychology even more.

Whack!!

“Ball!”

[It’s out of the zone again!]

[He showed normal condition when facing other hitters. But he can’t control himself especially when facing Jung Ha-sung.]

It was a strange situation for anyone to see.

But Ha-sung didn’t care because he knew the opponent’s state of mind.

‘It doesn’t matter if a bad throw goes out in this state. I have to aim for what’s coming in.’

There was nothing bad about it going out.

If the ball count was high, the pitcher would eventually have to throw the ball to get a strike.

If he could properly aim for such a ball, he could make it a long hit.

‘It’s up to two balls. This time, he’s definitely going to throw the ball to get a strike.’

In order to throw the ball into the strike zone when the control is shaking, he would eventually have to reduce the power.

A ball with reduced power entering the zone was like a death sentence.

But if it becomes 3 balls, the pitcher has no choice because he is cornered.

‘The batter has two choices here. Hoping it will be a ball and reacting passively……’

Ha-sung organized his thoughts while standing at the plate.

‘Or attacking aggressively.’

He had no intention of waiting.

That wasn’t his style.

Plus, he knew how the pitcher would come out.

There was even more reason not to wait.

‘This is the chance.’

* * *

[Jung Ha-sung, who has taken a favorable position with two balls, what choice can he make here?]

[I think it’s okay to wait for one more ball.]

[Is that a strategy to completely corner the pitcher?]

[Yes. The pitcher’s control is shaking for some reason. In this case, there is no need to swing and give the opposing pitcher a chance to breathe.]

There are several ways to respond when a pitcher is shaking.

The commentator’s method was conservative.

Of course, Ha-sung knew that method, but he had no intention of going that way at all.

[The pitcher exchanged signs and throws the 3rd ball with a windup!]

The pitcher slowly wound up and concentrated his mind.

His goal was one.

‘I’m going to get a strike this time.’

If the ball count continues to be pushed, this game will be difficult.

Getting a strike somehow before that happens was a priority.

‘I can’t lose to that pitcher!’

He can’t lose because he’s also a pitcher.

That thought was full in his head.

And that thought soon appeared in his ball.

Whoosh-!!

It was a ball thrown in a state full of thoughts that he had to get a strike.

The ball’s power decreased and the control increased.

As he thought, the ball penetrated the strike zone.

The problem was that the ball with reduced power was only a good prey for Ha-sung.

Whack-!!

Ha-sung, who fixed his lower body with a stride, turned his waist as it was.

Whoong-!!

Following the rotation of the waist, the upper body turned.

And the moment he stopped his upper body, the bat split the air with a heavy sound due to the reaction.

‘I got it!’

The rotation of the lower and upper body occurred organically, and his bat turned sharply.

The bat snatched the ball as if it were a hawk aiming for prey.

Clang-!!

A heavy sensation felt in his hand and a cheerful sound hit his ear.

Ha-sung did not stop the swing of the bat and pushed it all the way to the final follow-through.

[He hit it!!]

[Ah~ This is a really good hit!]

Anyone could tell that it was a good hit.

Ha-sung himself felt it, and the moment the bat that hit his back bounced back.

Whirr!!

He let go of his hand as it was.

[Jung Ha-sung!! He threw his bat, perhaps sensing a long hit!!]

It was a bat flip [a showy way of discarding the bat after hitting the ball].

It was still one of the plays that was taboo in the conservative Major League.

But Ha-sung didn’t care.

He had been confidently presenting bat flips, and the fans who saw it all showed enthusiastic reactions.

“It’s out!!”

“It’s a bat flip!!”

“That guy is really doing that in the pennant race [the final stage of the baseball season]!”

“That’s not the problem, the ball went over as it is!!”

The fans, who had their eyes taken away by the bat flip, hurriedly chased the ball.

In their eyes, they saw the ball going over the fence and landing in the highest part of the stands.

[It’s over!!]

“Waaaaaaa!!”

The fans’ shouts poured out.

Ha-sung, who threw the bat, enjoyed the shouts of such spectators while rounding the bases.

[Jung Ha-sung! He creates a huge hit and makes his first official home run after declaring that he will work as both a pitcher and a hitter!]

[It was good that he made a home run, but the swing that Jung Ha-sung showed was impressive.]

[Is that so?]

[Yes. From the trajectory of the swing, the speed, and the mechanism of putting strength into it. I felt that everything was perfect.]

Experts were surprised by the results Ha-sung produced, but they were even more surprised by the process.

His swing was that complete.

‘It wasn’t just a feeling of practicing for a day or two.’

‘If it’s that kind of swing, he must have practiced a lot.’

‘He’s highly accomplished as a pitcher, and even as a hitter……’

‘Where on earth did that guy come from?’

It had already been three years since Ha-sung debuted in the Major League.

In the meantime, he had achieved achievements that surprised baseball officials.

So no one thought they would be surprised by his performance anymore.

But he once again showed a new side and shocked Major League officials.

It was impossible to know how this was possible.

But one thing was certain.

‘Jung Ha-sung is a monster beyond common sense.’

There were many players who were called monsters.

But a true monster has appeared.

People watched the game with anticipation of how far the monster would perform.

* * *

Ha-sung’s first debut game after declaring that he would work as both a pitcher and a hitter.

It was natural that the attention of baseball fans around the world was focused on it.

Ha-sung continued to perform amazingly in this game.

Thud-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[It’s a strikeout! Jung Ha-sung! He records his 12th strikeout in today’s game and achieves a 7-inning shutout!!]

[Jung Ha-sung showed the home fans a great performance from the opening game, he’s really amazing.]

[The number of pitches has reached 97, so there is a high possibility that he will be replaced now, right?]

[The score difference with Texas is also 7 to 2, so there is a high possibility.]

Everyone expected Ha-sung to be replaced.

But that expectation was easily broken.

[Oakland’s attack continues. But Jung Ha-sung is still showing up in the waiting batter’s box.]

[It seems like he’s thinking of finishing the at-bat and then getting replaced.]

[He must be tired. Will he be okay?]

[He finished pitching early, so it won’t be too much of a strain. Above all, the player with the best batting sense in Oakland today was Jung Ha-sung.]

[As you said, he recorded 2 hits in 2 at-bats and 1 home run, and he also achieved 3 RBIs [Runs Batted In].]

[The 2 hits were a home run and a double, so his long hit ability is really amazing.]

[Jung Ha-sung is showing great performance in both pitching and hitting, what will he show in his third at-bat?]

The opening game hero was Ha-sung.

In pitching, he recorded 12 strikeouts in 7 innings without giving up a run.

He silenced the mouths of experts who said that his pitching ability would decline due to working as both a pitcher and a hitter.

In addition, he proved that his declaration was right by showing the best performance as a hitter.

And the last at-bat.

Ha-sung caused another accident.

Clang-!!

[He hits the 3rd ball hard!!]

He hit the slider [a type of pitch that curves sideways] that was attached to the body as it was.

The ball, which passed the first baseman’s key and fell in front of the right fielder, spun and flowed out of the foul line.

[The ball flows out of the foul line! The right fielder is chasing the ball urgently!!]

[Ah~ This is a long hit course!!]

The ball passed by the side of the right fielder who was running out to handle the ball in front.

The ball, which was spinning, quickly rolled to the fence.

Ha-sung, who was running towards first base, discovered the sight and immediately increased his speed.

[Jung Ha-sung! He increases his speed and passes first base!]

[He can aim for 3rd base!]

Ha-sung thought the same.

He increased his speed even more and passed second base in an instant.

Almost at the same time, the right fielder who picked up the ball ran forward and threw the ball with added momentum.

“Hiss-!!”

[Jung Ha-sung to 3rd base! And the ball is thrown to 3rd base!!]

There is no way to know how far the ball flying from behind has reached.

He has to rely only on the signal from the base coach on 3rd base.

When Ha-sung saw the base coach sending a signal to lower both hands, he threw his body without any hesitation.

Whirr-!!

His body slid and moved towards the base.

And at the same time, the ball was stuck in the third baseman’s glove.

Thud!!

A precarious timing.

A silence fell over the stadium for a moment.

And what broke the silence was the third base umpire’s cheerful shout.

“Safe!!”

[It’s safe! Jung Ha-sung records a triple with an amazing base running play!!]

[Only one hit left until a cycle hit [hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game]! It’s Jung Ha-sung who lacks only a single!]

[Is he going to cause an accident from the opening game?!!]

People’s expectations soared.