Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 218

The Mound’s Villain (2)

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 218

Unlike in Korea, trades were commonplace in the United States.

Major League Baseball saw significant trades involving big-name players leading up to the trade deadline on July 31.

Regardless of high salaries, any player could be traded unless their contract included a no-trade clause.

This was especially true for teams far from contention.

However, the situation was different for teams vying for a championship.

[As of the end of May, the Oakland Athletics are leading the Western Division.]

[Isn’t Oakland’s first-place position due to Jung Ha-sung?]

[That’s right. Jung Ha-sung has an incredible record of 11 wins, 0 losses, and an ERA (Earned Run Average) of 1.12 in 12 games.]

[Moreover, he’s demonstrating tremendous power as a hitter, leading in home runs and slugging percentage.]

[I’m red-faced with embarrassment for having opposed his two-way ambitions when he first declared them.]

When Ha-sung announced his intention to be a two-way player,

many experts tried to dissuade him.

Some even called it foolish.

Of course, it was now clear who was foolish.

In any case, Ha-sung’s performance was overwhelming.

And it was also clear that he was leading his team to first place.

Perhaps because of this, the media didn’t readily believe the trade rumors.

[Despite Jung Ha-sung’s outstanding performance, rumors about potential trades have been swirling recently.]

[He was linked to the LA Dodgers again today.]

[If the Oakland Athletics weren’t in first place, these rumors might be plausible, but as it stands, aren’t they unlikely to materialize?]

[Even though Oakland is a small-market team without much money, they’re unlikely to let go of Jung Ha-sung when they can compete for the championship.]

Logically, a Ha-sung trade seemed impossible.

However, as the rumors persisted, talk began to surface that a trade might actually happen.

While these rumors continued,

an interesting article about the All-Star Game was published.

[Major League Baseball All-Star Game Voting Opens!]

[Jung Ha-sung is overwhelmingly in first place as soon as voting opens!]

[Jung Ha-sung is listed in the designated hitter category, making it certain that he will participate in the All-Star Game as a hitter.]

[Major League Baseball has announced that if Jung Ha-sung is selected for this year’s All-Star Game, he will also participate in the Home Run Derby.]

Ha-sung had declared himself a two-way player.

If he were selected for the All-Star Game, what position would he play?

Would he only play as a pitcher, as before?

Fans had these questions.

Those questions were answered ahead of the All-Star Game.

[Jung Ha-sung Likely to Play as Both Pitcher and Hitter in All-Star Game!]

Once fan voting and player recommendations were finalized, he was scheduled to participate in the game as both a pitcher and a hitter.

* * *

As June began, Ha-sung set another record.

[Jung Ha-sung Sweeps Player and Pitcher of the Month Awards for May, Following April!]

[No Pitcher or Hitter Was Better Than Jung Ha-sung!]

[Jung Ha-sung, First in Major League History to Win Player and Pitcher of the Month Awards for Two Consecutive Months!]

[His Unprecedented Feats Are Becoming Major League History!]

He swept the Player and Pitcher of the Month awards for two consecutive months.

This unprecedented record in Major League Baseball became a major topic.

And Ha-sung continued his relentless performance without being satisfied.

[Jung Ha-sung is taking the mound.]

First start in June.

He took the mound, aiming for his 12th win of the season.

His opponent was the Boston Red Sox.

A prestigious club recognized throughout Major League Baseball.

[Haven’t there been rumors recently that Jung Ha-sung might be traded to the Red Sox?]

[Yes. He’s been linked to the Red Sox almost daily.]

The Red Sox, a big-market team representing Major League Baseball.

As a wealthy team, it was natural to be linked with Ha-sung.

If Ha-sung were to transfer to the Red Sox, today’s game was likely to be a key factor.

[Jacoby Ellsbury, the Red Sox’s leadoff hitter, steps up to face Jung Ha-sung.]

[Ah, Jacoby is having an amazing season.]

[As a leadoff hitter, he currently has the highest batting average, home runs, and slugging percentage on the Red Sox, right?]

[That’s right. He’s always had potential, but no one expected it to explode this season.]

Jacoby Ellsbury.

He was on track to be the first player in Red Sox history to record 30-30 [30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season].

Of course, this performance would be the highest of his career.

‘This guy’s 2011 season was a global sensation.’

30 stolen bases are possible for a leadoff hitter.

But 30 home runs are a different story.

‘He’s at the peak of his career right now. I need to be careful.’

Ha-sung exchanged signs with the catcher, mindful of Jacoby.

‘Low and outside.’

Ha-sung nodded after receiving the sign and began his windup.

[Jung Ha-sung, windup!]

With a kick and stride, Ha-sung threw the ball with all his might.

“Hmph!!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball left his hand, cutting through the air.

The target was the mitt located low and outside.

The ball flew with tremendous speed and landed directly in the mitt without a single centimeter of error.

Thwack-!!

“Strike!!”

[First pitch strike! A powerful 100 mph fastball to take the lead against Jacoby, who has been on a roll recently!]

Regardless of the trade rumors, Ha-sung’s pitching was perfect.

* * *

The trade of Jung Ha-sung, a player representing Major League Baseball, was not easily done.

[I’ll raise the conditions a bit more.]

Hank’s face twisted as he received Lewis’s call.

But knowing he was in a weaker position, he tried to maintain his composure and continued the conversation.

“Tell me.”

[You’ll need to give us a bit more cash. There are quite a few teams that want Jung Ha-sung.]

“You need to tell me exactly how much you want so we can discuss it.”

[We need ten million dollars more.]

Ten million dollars.

A large sum.

But from Hank’s perspective, it felt like an absurd amount.

‘He’s trying to raise the cash somehow to fill his own pockets.’

Lewis Wolff.

This man was a businessman to the bone.

That wasn’t necessarily bad.

But it was pathetic to see that his abilities as a businessman were lacking.

“I’ll discuss it.”

He avoided giving an immediate answer and hung up the phone.

A man approached Hank.

“Is Lewis asking for more money?”

The man’s name was Hal Steinbrenner.

Hank’s younger brother and the man who currently co-operated the Yankees.

“Yeah.”

“Jung Ha-sung is a great player, but isn’t that guy’s greed too much?”

“You think so too?”

“Of course. 30 million in cash plus three of our A-level players. On top of that, we’re covering 50 percent of those players’ salaries.”

The conditions proposed by the Yankees were unprecedented.

There hadn’t been a trade with such conditions since the live-ball era [an era in baseball history characterized by rule changes that favored offensive play].

Even though the Yankees were called the Evil Empire [a nickname for the New York Yankees, often used by rival fans due to their high payroll and frequent success] and were the most popular team in Major League Baseball, such expenditures were not easy.

Naturally, Hal, as a co-manager, had no choice but to oppose it.

“You also think it’s the wrong choice.”

“Of course. Two-way players are uncharted territory. He’s doing well now, but it wouldn’t be strange if Jung Ha-sung’s body broke down at any time.”

“That could happen.”

Hal was frustrated with his older brother, Hank.

It wasn’t that Hank couldn’t think of what he was thinking.

He was clearly aware of it, but he was still pushing for the acquisition.

“I don’t understand what you’re thinking. If this acquisition fails, our Yankees will spend the next 10 years in the dark ages.”

It was no exaggeration.

What if Ha-sung couldn’t continue his current performance?

The Yankees would suffer tremendous damage from this expenditure, and as a result, they would likely fail to manage properly for 10 years.

Hank agreed with that statement.

“What you’re saying is definitely true. But on the other hand, his success will lead to the Yankees’ success.”

“It’s too risky of a gamble.”

“High risk, high return.”

“Why bother?”

“Baseball is dying. The younger generation no longer comes to the ballpark.”

Hank looked out the window.

There, he could see the splendid scenery of Yankee Stadium.

The newly renovated Yankee Stadium looked more magnificent than ever.

But there was something different from the past.

“Even our Yankees, the most popular team in Major League Baseball, are now seeing empty seats in our home stadium.”

Major League Baseball.

It was called one of the world’s top three sports and had become a huge industry.

But its popularity in the United States, which had been its foundation, was declining day by day.

There were several reasons.

Complex rules.

Long game times, etc.

The demand from the younger generation was decreasing day by day due to various factors.

It wasn’t just the commissioner who felt this sense of crisis.

Some of the team owners also had this sense of crisis.

Hank was one of the most representative figures among them.

“To overcome this crisis, we need a player who transcends the league. A player like Messi in soccer.”

“You’re saying Jung Ha-sung will play that role?”

“He’s already performing beyond the league. It’s just that Oakland isn’t utilizing him properly.”

“You’re confident that you can utilize him properly if he comes to our team.”

“That’s right. At least I’ll utilize him better than Oakland is now.”

“Even so, I’m against it. It’s too much spending. Considering his current salary and the salary he’ll be getting in the future, it’s a salary that would be a problem for our team.”

What is Ha-sung’s future value?

It’s not yet clear.

But some are already talking about contracts worth over $300 million.

Some even talk about over $500 million.

The reason for this large discrepancy is that Ha-sung is the first two-way player in Major League Baseball history.

Since not only the pitcher’s salary but also the hitter’s salary had to be determined, the discrepancy was large.

Even for the Yankees, paying such costs was not easy.

“It would be a burden for you, who is trying to run the team efficiently.”

Hank and Hal were brothers, but they had significant differences in their team management styles.

Hank was more aggressive, while Hal was more efficiency-oriented.

It’s impossible to say what the right answer is.

But it was inevitable that these two would have different opinions.

“The era of one player changing the fate of a team is over. Now, the priority is to invest money efficiently and have a large number of players.”

Hal talked about his management philosophy.

And he was actually applying his philosophy to the team’s management.

He was changing things from small places, even though his older brother Hank was there to prevent him from doing it completely.

Hank knew it, but he didn’t bother to stop him.

Even if he was his younger brother, he was a co-manager.

He had no intention of interfering as long as it was within his authority.

But the acquisition of Ha-sung was not.

“Players who represent an era have always been born. And if we don’t get Ha-sung, future enthusiasts will say this to us.”

Hal looked at Hank.

“They’ll say we missed the second Babe Ruth [one of the greatest baseball players of all time].”

“You rate him that highly?”

“I believe Jung Ha-sung will rise to an even higher position than that.”

Seeing Hank’s resolute attitude, Hal sighed.

“So you’ve made up your mind.”

Hank nodded.

“I’m bringing Ha-sung.”

Villain On The Mound [EN]

Villain On The Mound [EN]

마운드의 빌런
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] He sacrificed everything for his team and the roaring fans, pouring his heart and soul onto the mound. But when a devastating injury forced his retirement, he was left with nothing but shattered dreams. Now, imagine a second chance. A chance to rewrite his destiny. This time, he's not playing for the team, the fans, or anyone else. This time, he's pitching for himself. Witness the rise of a Villain On The Mound.

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