Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 226

Villain on the Mound – Episode 226

Ha-sung stood on the mound at Yankee Stadium.

‘There’s definitely something special about pitching on the mound at Yankee Stadium.’

It was the team that produced the most legends in Major League history.

The Yankees had been home to countless legendary players, boasting the most retired numbers in the league.

Standing on the mound of such a team, a unique sensation washed over him.

“Heh~ This is interesting.”

Ha-sung wasn’t one to be intimidated.

After a light warm-up, Ha-sung rubbed rosin on his hands and waited for the game to begin.

‘If I break all the records of those legends here, everyone who came here will be amazed.’

Ha-sung was well aware of public opinion regarding him.

Especially the feelings of the die-hard Yankee Stadium fans.

‘I can feel those guys trying to tear me apart, even here.’

Standing in the middle of the stadium, he could sense it.

There was a group of spectators glaring at him from a particular section.

‘Those guys are the most notorious of the old-school Yankee fans.’

Not all fans are benevolent.

Especially when their love for the club runs too deep; they sometimes exhibit a twisted side.

The Yankees were no different.

In fact, the longer the history, the more extreme the fans could be.

‘Well, I don’t really care.’

He had received this kind of twisted attention from fans even before his regression [return to the past].

The way to avoid their animosity was surprisingly simple.

‘Just show them skills that leave them no room to complain.’

Ha-sung’s concentration intensified.

* * *

Tommy, a lifelong Yankees supporter, visited Yankee Stadium almost every day.

His frequent presence at the stadium led to close relationships with other regulars.

He created an online community with these people, and they often cheered together on-site, raising their voices.

As individuals, their power was limited, but as a group, they sometimes found their opinions voiced by the media.

As Tommy gained influence, he wrote a lengthy post online criticizing the recent acquisition of Ha-sung Jung.

The post was picked up by smaller media outlets, though not the major ones.

Most of the articles echoed his criticism of Ha-sung for supposedly ousting Rodrigo.

“Tommy, I enjoyed your post this time too. You pointed out the problems with the current Yankees so well, didn’t you?”

“Thanks. Actually, anyone can see that the executives’ decision to sign Ha-sung Jung was a mistake.”

“I agree. No matter how great a player is, they can’t do anything if they can’t fit into the clubhouse, right?”

“That’s right. Above all, the Yankees need to sign Cano soon, and they also need to bring in a top-tier starter from outside. But considering this expenditure and the salary they’ll have to give Ha-sung in the future, the scope has narrowed.”

Tommy spoke as if the reasons for questioning Ha-sung Jung’s acquisition, which various experts had mentioned, were his own original thoughts.

And Tommy’s opinions were supported by the people gathered there.

“That’s right. I agree with Tommy’s opinion.”

“Tommy’s analytical skills are as good as any expert’s, you know?”

“People like Tommy should be in the Yankees’ leadership. Our leaders are all idiots.”

As he was praised by those around him, Tommy’s pride grew day by day.

But not everyone agreed with Tommy’s opinion.

“I have a different thought.”

“What?”

It was Smith, who had recently joined the group.

Running a small IT company, he was always vocal about his opinions.

That hadn’t changed today either.

“Ha-sung is a player who can perform at an ace level no matter which team he goes to. Plus, he’s a player who can play the role of a third batter. The Yankees’ executives made a good choice by pushing themselves to sign him.”

“His skills may be good, but the problem is that he can’t fit into the team.”

“It’s only been two days since he transferred. No player can fit into a team in such a short time. He’s not a player who has major troubles with the players, so he’ll be fine soon.”

“No trouble with the players? Have you forgotten that he got Rodrigo kicked out?”

“That’s because Rodrigo committed an unforgivable act. I don’t think it’s wrong for other players to point that out.”

It was a fair point.

In fact, some experts were blaming the existing players for the trouble between Ha-sung and the Yankees’ team.

But many media outlets directed their criticism toward Ha-sung.

Whether it was true or not, that was sure to attract more public attention.

And Tommy was easily influenced by such media.

‘This guy is constantly trying to argue with me. How dare he challenge me?’

Tommy considered himself an influential person.

That was certainly true within this group, so he didn’t appreciate Smith’s defiance.

Perhaps sensing Tommy’s displeasure, some of his close associates began to scold Smith.

“Hey. Your opinion is important, but Tommy knows more about the Yankees than any of us. Ignoring Tommy’s words is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“No, I’m not ignoring it, but…”

“You may not have intended to ignore it, but that’s how it looks now.”

“That’s right!”

“Are you a fan of Ha-sung Jung? Or are you a fan who supports the Yankees?”

“Too arrogant!”

As the majority protested and stood up against him, Smith eventually had no choice but to shut his mouth.

‘This is what power feels like, you son of a bitch.’

Tommy looked at the ground with a satisfied smile.

“Okay, okay, everyone stop and let’s watch Ha-sung’s pitching. He’ll probably throw terribly anyway.”

“Tommy must be right.”

“A guy with no skills is just messing up the clubhouse atmosphere.”

“I’ll boo him if he makes a mistake today!”

As Tommy set the tone, those around him agreed and glared at Ha-sung.

The atmosphere was ominous even before the game started.

* * *

[Ha-sung Jung is on the mound. The catcher who will be working with him is Jorge Posada.]

[Jorge Posada hasn’t had many chances to wear the mask recently. He’s starting as a catcher for the second day in a row.]

[Russell Martin’s All-Star Game appearance must have had a big impact, right?]

[I think so. The All-Star Game is definitely an event that puts a physical burden on the players.]

[In that respect, it’s amazing that Ha-sung Jung is playing right after the All-Star Game.]

The camera focused on Ha-sung.

There was no wavering in his practice pitches.

[Ha-sung Jung’s stamina is one of the seven wonders. Even though he’s a two-way player, he doesn’t look tired at all in the second half of the season.]

Even without playing defense, being a two-way player consumes a lot of stamina.

But Ha-sung was playing in the game without any significant rest.

This surprised many experts.

[I’m curious to see what kind of pitching he’ll show in his first start wearing a Yankees uniform.]

Ha-sung’s practice pitches were finished.

After finishing his pitches, he rubbed rosin on his hands and looked at Posada in the catcher’s box.

‘This is making me uneasy.’

Jorge Posada is a veteran catcher.

He certainly played a great role in his prime and was one of the legends known as the Core Four among Yankees fans.

But not anymore.

His prime was long gone, and his ability as a catcher was at an all-time low.

‘The reason the Yankees signed Martin was largely due to Posada. Since he couldn’t play the role of a proper catcher, they had no choice but to sign one from outside.’

Jorge Posada’s current position was clearly that of a washed-up player.

As a catcher, he was even behind backup catcher Francisco.

‘But there’s no choice in the team right now.’

Francisco was out with an injury, and the other catchers were strained.

In addition, Martin needed rest due to the All-Star Game.

There were no other options besides Posada.

‘I have no choice.’

Ha-sung stepped onto the pitcher’s plate and finished his preparations.

‘If his ability is at an all-time low, I’ll compensate with my own ability.’

It wasn’t a thought that Ha-sung, who was only in his third year, should have.

But Ha-sung had the confidence and skill to cover the catcher’s declining stats.

‘You just catch the ball.’

Ha-sung’s focus intensified, and Posada’s sign came into his view.

‘Low inside.’

He was calling for a low inside ball for the first pitch.

‘Aggressive, huh….’

Ha-sung nodded and went into a windup.

[Ha-sung Jung throws the first pitch!!]

With a high leg kick and a long stride, Ha-sung released the ball.

‘I like it!!’

“Ha!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball left Ha-sung’s hand and flew with fierce speed.

‘Center!’

Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Red Sox’s leadoff hitter and currently their best hitter.

He assessed the ball coming into the low center of the plate and stepped forward.

‘It’s a mistake!’

It was nothing short of a mistake in his eyes.

To throw such a ball to him.

‘I’m going to hit it out of here!’

Ellsbury concentrated all his power into the bat and swung it.

Whoosh-!!

It was a swing clearly aimed for a home run.

It could be called greed, but the trajectory of Ellsbury’s bat aligned perfectly with the ball’s path.

‘Danger!’

It was Posada who noticed it first.

‘This is caught!’

He judged that Ellsbury’s bat would connect with the ball.

Swoosh!!

‘Huh?’

The trajectory of the ball changed.

Like a snake, it darted towards Ellsbury’s body and landed in the low inside corner he had requested.

Whoosh-!!

Pow-!!

“Swing! Strike!!”

[First pitch strike! A 99-mile fastball sharply cuts inside on Jacoby Ellsbury!]

[Jacoby Ellsbury is in good condition recently, but Ha-sung Jung’s fastball overpowered his swing!]

Ellsbury had a bewildered expression.

‘It was definitely a fastball….’

He had clearly tracked the ball’s trajectory accurately.

But at the last moment, the ball deviated from its path.

Ellsbury tried to calm down and asked Posada.

“Was it a two-seam instead of a four-seam?”

“It’s as you saw it.”

“Hmph-! You got me.”

Ellsbury thought Posada’s pitch calling was clever.

Posada threw the ball back to Ha-sung with a subtle smile instead of answering.

“Nice ball!!”

At the same time, he assessed Ellsbury’s state of mind.

‘Is your head spinning? It would be even if I was at the plate. It was definitely a four-seam fastball. Because it changed like a two-seam [a type of fastball that has slight horizontal movement].’

He didn’t say it on purpose to further confuse Ellsbury.

‘If I throw this at times like this, his mentality will break even more.’

Ha-sung, who checked the sign Posada sent, nodded.

‘As expected, he has a lot of experience, so he knows what to throw at times like this. It’s a lead I like.’

Ha-sung, who went into a windup, threw the ball with the same routine as the first pitch.

“Hmph-!!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball that left his hand pierced the outside low corner.

‘This time it’s outside! But if it’s a fastball this time, it’s a mistake!’

Ellsbury confidently swung his bat.

But.

Swoosh!!