Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 208

The Mound’s Villain – 208

New York Yankees.

Known as the Evil Empire, this team was the most valuable in all of sports.

High value meant high revenue.

Thanks to this enormous revenue and the full support of the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees aggressively recruited the biggest stars in Major League Baseball.

This approach earned them the nickname Evil Empire, but the fans and the team didn’t seem to mind.

In a meeting of the Yankees’ top brass, one player’s name was mentioned.

“Jung Ha-sung’s performance is incredible.”

“It’s one of the most amazing performances in Major League Baseball history.”

“Some are even saying he’s already surpassed Babe Ruth.”

“If he stays healthy, he’s definitely a player who could change the history of Major League Baseball, surpassing even Babe Ruth.”

Jung Ha-sung.

A player shaking up all of Major League Baseball.

The Yankees were always a team that wanted star players.

It was inevitable that Jung Ha-sung would enter their radar.

“How much money would we need to acquire him?”

“We’d have to offer at least $50 million a year.”

“$50 million?”

“Isn’t that too much?”

“No. If we don’t get him now, his value will only keep going up. Signing him to a long-term contract now is the cheapest way to acquire him.”

$50 million a year.

It was an astronomical sum.

The highest-paid player in Major League Baseball was making around $20 million, so this was more than double that amount.

Even for the wealthy Yankees, that kind of money was a burden.

“You know that giving him $50 million every year could create problems for the team’s finances, right?”

“And there’s no guarantee he can keep performing like this.”

“He’s Korean, so there’s also the military service issue, right?”

Two-way player [a player who can both pitch and play another position].

It was an unprecedented position.

Therefore, there were many uncertainties.

Moreover, like all sports, baseball carries a high risk of injury.

And if a slump hits, players often fail to perform at their previous level.

In fact, the Yankees had spent a lot of money to acquire top-class players, only to lose money on them.

Recently, they had a bad experience with a Japanese pitcher, so they were being cautious.

“Is signing an Asian player really the right answer?”

“Igawa, who we said would succeed, ended up not adapting to Major League Baseball and was a mess from his first season.”

“There’s no guarantee he won’t end up like that.”

Kei Igawa, who belonged to the Hanshin Tigers [a Japanese professional baseball team].

He was a starting pitcher who represented Japanese baseball and was signed by the Yankees with high expectations.

However, his record was only two wins in two seasons, making him one of the worst signings ever.

Therefore, the Yankees’ top brass had a negative image of Asian players.

But there was a big difference between Igawa and Ha-sung.

“Igawa was an unproven pitcher in Major League Baseball, but Jung Ha-sung is different. He’s already a star who has proven his skills in Major League Baseball. It’s a completely different case.”

The scouting team’s assessment began to sway the top brass.

They used Igawa as an example, but Ha-sung’s impact in Major League Baseball was incomparable.

The thought of him wearing the Yankees’ pinstripes sent shivers down their spines.

“The problem is his contract.”

“It won’t be a big problem. After this season, Jung Ha-sung’s salary is expected to increase by at least 200%.”

“He’s currently making $20 million, right?”

“With that calculation, he’ll be making $40 million just through salary arbitration [a process where an independent arbitrator determines a player’s salary].”

“Oakland can’t afford that amount. They’ll end up giving up on him.”

Oakland is a small market team [a team with limited revenue potential].

The owner wasn’t broke, but he was very stingy with investments.

Of course, there was one variable.

“Ha-sung is a player who could change the history of Major League Baseball. Wouldn’t they spend money to keep a guy like that?”

“It’s possible, but based on the current situation, there’s no sign of that happening.”

“Hmm, so there’s room for us to step in.”

“His value is soaring every day. We should contact him as soon as possible.”

“This year might be our last chance.”

It was still early in the season.

More importantly, Ha-sung’s service time [the amount of time a player has played in the major leagues] was still significant.

Nevertheless, the fact that the Yankees were aggressively pursuing him meant that Ha-sung’s value was soaring every day.

But there was one variable.

“What’s the status of Jung Ha-sung’s military service?”

It was the military service issue.

Ha-sung was a player with Korean citizenship.

Naturally, he had to serve in the military.

Serving in the military meant a two-year hiatus.

A two-year hiatus could be devastating for a player.

No matter how talented a player is, their skills would inevitably decline with a break.

“It hasn’t been resolved yet.”

“I heard that in Korea, you get an exemption if you join the national team?”

“I believe it’s possible if you participate in international competitions as a national team member and win a gold medal. But Jung Ha-sung refused to join the national team.”

“Refused?”

“Yes. The Korean national team tried to get him to join, but he refused due to a conflict with them.”

Ha-sung is the hottest player in Major League Baseball.

Therefore, the military service issue and the conflict with the national team were quite famous anecdotes among those involved.

For teams preparing to acquire him, such troubles were not welcome.

“Are you saying he might not be able to join the national team?”

“There’s a possibility.”

“Hmm… so we have to consider a two-year hiatus after all?”

“Getting him a U.S. green card is another option.”

“Is that possible?”

“There was an article about it in Korea. The player’s willingness is important, but it’s not impossible.”

If Ha-sung acquired U.S. citizenship, there would be no two-year hiatus.

The face of the high-ranking official brightened at the news.

“Good. Then let’s devise various methods and start discussing with Oakland to acquire Jung Ha-sung in earnest.”

The Yankees jumped into the Jung Ha-sung acquisition race.

This news quickly spread throughout Major League Baseball.

And other teams that heard this news also began to move one by one.

Whether he knew these facts or not, Ha-sung’s performance continued today.

* * *

Baseball was a sport popular in only a few countries around the world.

Unlike other ball sports, it required multiple people and a lot of equipment.

The cost of acquiring that equipment was also significant, creating a barrier to entry.

In addition, the rules were complex, further raising the barrier to entry.

It was different from soccer, which you could enjoy with just one ball.

In this situation, the International Baseball Federation was preparing and implementing various measures to globalize baseball.

One of them was the World Baseball Classic [WBC; an international baseball tournament].

A tournament created with the aim of holding the best baseball World Cup by the Major League Baseball office and the players’ association.

It was the only global tournament where players on the Major League Baseball roster could participate.

Naturally, it was attracting the attention of baseball fans around the world, but the secretariat was worried.

“Interest in the WBC is high, but there are few new fans.”

“We’re also having difficulty targeting Europe.”

“Since there’s a barrier to entry, it seems difficult to attract new fans even if we hold international matches.”

The reason for preparing the massive event called the WBC was that interest in Major League Baseball was steadily declining.

Even in the United States, the home of baseball, young people were increasingly turning away from baseball.

Therefore, it was essential to develop new markets.

There was a sense of crisis that Major League Baseball would disappear if things continued this way.

But opening up new markets was not easy.

Even if they held a massive event called the WBC, it was not easy to get people who didn’t know baseball to sit in front of the TV.

“Soccer continues to attract public attention with new stars like Messi and Ronaldo…”

“But thanks to Jung Ha-sung’s appearance this time, young people’s interest in the league has increased significantly.”

“The vertical increase in sales of baseball equipment can also be attributed to him.”

“Jung Ha-sung… he has definitely become a player who represents Major League Baseball.”

Ha-sung’s evaluation was very good even within the secretariat.

“He sometimes causes accidents, but it seems that such appearances are appealing to the younger generation.”

“These days, kids are clear about what they want to say. Ha-sung’s appearance is so confident that it’s even better to see.”

“It’s good to see such rude behavior… what’s going to happen to the world…?”

“Haha! But doesn’t it greatly help the operation of the league?”

Even within the secretariat, evaluations of Ha-sung were sharply divided.

There is no one who is loved by everyone.

And Ha-sung’s unique character was an element that further divided opinions.

He doesn’t even care about such things.

“But is Jung Ha-sung not participating in this WBC either?”

“Well, Korea is trying to get him to join the national team, but he continues to refuse.”

“Why is that?”

“On the surface, his justification is that building a career in Major League Baseball takes precedence over the national team. But looking at the inside, it seems there’s a problem with the association in Korea.”

“Well, Korea would try to tame him. But it’s impossible to tame a wild horse like him.”

The Major League Baseball secretariat maintained close relationships with associations in each country.

Naturally, they were well aware of the characteristics of each country’s association.

The associations in Korea and Japan were coercive.

They couldn’t tolerate players challenging them.

Compared to Major League Baseball, where the player and the association had a relatively equal structure, it was a completely different structure.

Naturally, actions like Ha-sung’s were only seen as thorns in the eyes of the Korean association.

“Anyway, if the association and Jung Ha-sung continue to be at odds, Jung Ha-sung may not participate in this WBC.”

“That’s right.”

“If Jung Ha-sung participates, it will greatly help the success of the WBC.”

“It’s not just a big help, it’s a golden opportunity to promote baseball even in countries where baseball is not active.”

Ha-sung was not just a Major Leaguer.