Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 224

Mount Villain – Episode 224

New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox.

The rivalry between these two teams was legendary.

It was often cited as the greatest rivalry in American professional sports.

Even in Europe, where baseball wasn’t as popular, their rivalry was well-known.

European media outlets dubbed their relationship the El Clásico of Major League Baseball.

That’s how long-standing and widely recognized their rivalry was.

[The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry is often traced back to the Babe Ruth trade.]

[Indeed. Babe Ruth began his career with the Red Sox, leading them to World Series victories in 1916 and 1918. However, due to the owner’s financial troubles, the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees for $125,000, a significant sum at the time.]

Up to that point, it wasn’t a major issue.

Although Babe Ruth was a promising pitcher, he wasn’t considered irreplaceable.

However, things changed when he transitioned to being a hitter after joining the Yankees.

[Babe Ruth switched to being a full-time hitter in the 1920 season and broke his own record with 54 home runs, a shocking feat in Major League Baseball.]

[Did Babe Ruth originally hold the home run record?]

[Yes. During his time with the Red Sox in the dead-ball era, he set a single-season record of 29 home runs while playing as both a pitcher and hitter.]

[That’s an incredible record in itself.]

[Considering that most hitters at the time didn’t even reach double-digit home runs, it was absolutely dominant.]

[And then 54 home runs in his first year after the trade…]

His baseball career after setting a new record in his first year with the Yankees was truly legendary.

He was hailed as the greatest player in Major League Baseball history, even deified as the god of baseball.

[With Babe Ruth, the Yankees reigned as the best team of the 20th century. The Red Sox, despite winning five championships by 1918, didn’t win another World Series until 2004.]

[The infamous Curse of the Bambino.]

The Curse of the Bambino was one of the most famous curses in Major League Baseball, believed to be the reason for the Red Sox’s championship drought after trading Babe Ruth.

It was almost inevitable that the Red Sox and Yankees would become rivals.

[And both teams were in the running to trade for Jung Ha-sung, weren’t they?]

[That’s right. After the trade was confirmed, stories emerged about the Yankees and Red Sox’s intense competition to acquire Jung Ha-sung.]

Only a limited number of teams in Major League Baseball had the resources to acquire Ha-sung.

The list narrowed down to three prominent clubs.

The Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers.

All three teams contacted Oakland.

And the Yankees and Red Sox were the frontrunners.

However, the Red Sox couldn’t match the Yankees’ offer.

[The Red Sox offered similar terms, but the key difference was the guarantee of the players’ salaries.]

[The Red Sox were only willing to cover 50 percent of the players’ salaries, right?]

[Yes. As a result, he ended up with the Yankees.]

The Red Sox did their best.

But in the end, it came down to the owner’s willingness to spend.

[Baseball fans are eagerly anticipating the outcome of this trade for both teams.]

The reactions from the media and the public were divided.

Some believed that the Red Sox missing out on Jung Ha-sung would be a repeat of the Curse of the Bambino.

Others argued that the Yankees acquiring Ha-sung would be the worst trade ever.

That’s how significant Ha-sung’s trade was, impacting even big-market teams.

[We don’t know how this trade will turn out, but we’re about to get our first glimpse.]

The Red Sox’s starting pitcher, Josh Beckett, quickly retired the first two batters, showcasing a strong start.

[With two outs, Robinson Canó steps up to the plate.]

[Robinson Canó, coming off a career-high season last year, is performing exceptionally well in the 2011 season.]

Robinson Canó.

A player considered one of the best second basemen in Major League Baseball.

And he still is.

In his early years, there were concerns about his defense, but after winning his first Gold Glove Award in 2010, he was praised as a complete player.

‘He was hailed as the birth of a new franchise star.’

Ha-sung, standing in the on-deck circle, recalled his memories while watching Canó.

‘He definitely has excellent plate discipline, power, and accuracy. The problem is that it’s all fueled by drugs.’

Robinson Canó was undoubtedly an outstanding second baseman.

But his reputation was tarnished by a drug scandal later in his career.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t the Yankees organization known for its issues with performance enhancing drugs?’

In fact, this wasn’t just a problem for the Yankees.

During this period, Major League Baseball was plagued by performance-enhancing drug use.

‘The problem is, I don’t know if that bastard is still using.’

The Biogenesis scandal broke out the previous year.

At the time, Major League Baseball launched a massive crackdown on drugs.

A number of players, including Alex Rodriguez, were caught and punished.

Drug testing was also conducted much more strictly than in the past, and many players were caught.

Yet, Canó wasn’t implicated in the drug issue.

‘It doesn’t seem like he’s caused any problems recently…’

But you never know.

More than anything, I didn’t want to bring this up again now.

‘He’s not someone who provoked me like Rodriguez, and if I bring it up now, suspicion will fall back on me.’

Even when Rodriguez’s drug scandal broke, some people questioned how Ha-sung knew about it.

As a result of the conspiracy theories, there was speculation that Ha-sung was also involved in drugs.

Of course, those theories quickly died down.

But if I cause something like that to happen again, I won’t be able to avoid the backlash.

Of course, there are ways to avoid that.

Thwack-!!

Just then.

With a crisp sound, Canó hit the ball, and it landed in front of the center fielder.

[A hit that drops in front of the center fielder! Canó reaches base with two outs!]

As Canó reached first, the camera focused on Ha-sung.

[Jung Ha-sung, wearing a Yankees uniform, steps up to the plate for the first time!]

Jung Ha-sung of the New York Yankees steps up to the plate.

* * *

A tremendous roar erupted.

“Waaaaaaaaah-!!”

The crowd filling Yankee Stadium roared in unison.

The roar, which shook the mound, unsettled Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett.

‘Is he this popular?’

He knew how good Jung Ha-sung was.

But this is his first game after being traded.

He hadn’t done anything yet while wearing the Yankees uniform.

‘Besides, he’s the guy who replaced Rodriguez, who was practically a Yankees legend. And they’re giving him this kind of welcome…’

In fact, many Yankees fans had expressed their dissatisfaction with Ha-sung online.

That’s why he didn’t expect this kind of roar at his Yankees debut.

But Ha-sung, the person in question, couldn’t hear the roar.

‘My condition is good today.’

He had already entered a state of high concentration.

It was the first time he had maintained this state before even stepping into the batter’s box.

That meant his condition was excellent.

‘I just need to be careful of Beckett’s cutter.’

Josh Beckett’s main weapon was the cutter, a type of fastball that breaks slightly.

It was a relatively new addition to his arsenal, but it was very effective.

Knowing that, Ha-sung performed his batting routine.

“Play ball!”

The game resumed, and Ha-sung’s first at-bat as a Yankee began.

‘There’s little chance Canó will steal.’

Canó averages less than 10 stolen bases per year.

Even though he’s on first base, he’s not much of a threat to run.

‘Let’s focus on facing Ha-sung.’

Beckett, having made his decision, exchanged signs with the catcher.

‘Facing Ha-sung head-on will be tough. Let’s try to get him to chase the cutter.’

‘Okay.’

The battery’s strategy was to induce a weak hit, not to challenge him directly.

Ha-sung was a very dangerous hitter.

So facing him head-on would be foolish.

“Hoo… !”

Beckett, taking a deep breath, took a side step and delivered the pitch.

[Beckett throws the first pitch!]

“Hmph!!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball, released from Beckett’s hand, flew in quickly.

The pitch was an outside low cutter.

It was a good pitch, but Ha-sung didn’t swing.

At the last moment, the ball curved away and was caught in the catcher’s mitt.

Pop-!!

“Ball.”

[First pitch is a ball! It looked close, but the umpire calls it a ball.]

[The ball curved at the last moment. He seemed to pick it up well.]

[That looks like Beckett’s cutter, which has been effective this season.]

[That’s right. Beckett’s cutter is a very effective pitch when he’s on.]

[How does it look today?]

[He looks to be in good form. He used the cutter as his finishing pitch against the first two batters.]

The commentator’s analysis mirrored Ha-sung’s thoughts.

‘It broke right in front of home plate. Was he throwing a cutter this sharp?’

It was impressive.

If I hadn’t been so focused, I might have swung at it.

‘But he won’t keep throwing cutters.’

No matter how good it is, he can’t keep throwing the same pitch.

If he throws the same pitch repeatedly, hitters will adjust and start hitting it.

‘Among the pitches he can throw, the most likely pitch in a one-ball count is…’

Ha-sung mentally reviewed Beckett’s repertoire.

And he quickly identified one pitch.

‘There’s a good chance he’ll throw a slider.’

A slider is a breaking ball that also breaks laterally, similar to a cutter.

The main difference is the amount of movement.

If the cutter breaks sharply like a knife, the slider breaks more gradually, like a boomerang.

That’s why the cutter is considered a fastball variation, while the slider is considered a breaking ball.

‘If I were him, I’d throw a slider that starts over the plate and then breaks away.’

Since I saw the cutter on the first pitch, the hitter’s eyes are expecting that kind of movement.

In that situation, he might not be able to adjust to a slider.

‘But…’

Beckett took a side step and delivered the pitch.

‘If you already know…!’

Beckett’s motion on the mound, throwing the ball, seemed to be in slow motion.

As his arm reached the release point, he snapped his wrist, imparting spin on the ball.

I could feel that he was in good form.

Whoosh-!!

[He throws the second pitch!!]

The ball, released from Beckett’s hand, flew in with great speed.

Unlike the first pitch, it was heading towards the center of the strike zone.

But Ha-sung took a closed stance.

Whoong-!!

He could see the trajectory of the ball changing in his eyes.

And he timed his swing to match the ball’s movement.

The moment the two trajectories met.

Thwaaaack-!!

With a resounding crack, the ball disappeared.

[He crushed it!! And Jung Ha-sung…!!]

Ha-sung, finishing his swing, released the bat as it bounced off his back.

[He threw the bat!!]

The first bat flip at Yankee Stadium, and…

[Jung Ha-sung hits his first home run in a Yankees uniform!!]

The first home run was recorded.