Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 230

Mound Villain – Episode 230

Mound Villain Episode 230

Babe Ruth.

In a word, he is the god of baseball.

The man who ushered in the live-ball era after the dead-ball era.

And he was the one who made Major League Baseball America’s greatest sport.

In short, he was a legend and could be described as baseball itself.

Because he was such a monumental figure, various anecdotes have been passed down.

The most famous of these is the predicted home run.

[October 1, 1932. In Game 3 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Babe Ruth reportedly told Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett, “All it takes is one pitch to hit a home run,” and then hit a home run right away.]

[But there’s a lot of debate about that anecdote, isn’t there?]

[Yes. There are claims that it wasn’t a predicted home run, and the facts haven’t been definitively confirmed. However, a film of the scene was discovered in 1970, lending more credence to the story.]

In Korea, a special program was organized.

It was because of Ha-sung’s predicted home run today.

[Didn’t Jung Ha-sung also create a similar scene today?]

[Yes. The scene unfolded in the 6th inning. With runners on first and second, Jung Ha-sung pointed to the outfield. And then he launched a home run.]

[Let’s watch the video together.]

Footage from today’s game was shown.

Ha-sung pointed his bat to the outfield and then hit a home run.

Babe Ruth’s video was in black and white.

Therefore, the quality was not good, and it looked blurry.

But Ha-sung’s home run remained very clear.

[It was undeniably a predicted home run to anyone who saw it.]

[After the game, Jung Ha-sung confirmed in an interview with the media that “It was a predicted home run,” didn’t he?]

[That’s right.]

There was one more key difference between Babe Ruth’s alleged predicted home run and Ha-sung’s.

Babe Ruth never explicitly stated that the home run he hit was a predicted one.

That’s why there is still so much debate about its authenticity.

But Ha-sung openly admitted his predicted home run.

[Let’s watch the interview about that together!]

Immediately after the game.

The Yankees’ clubhouse was more crowded than ever with reporters.

Ha-sung stood before a wall of microphones.

A reporter asked him.

[What was the gesture you made before hitting the grand slam in the 6th inning today?]

[It was a declaration that I would hit a home run.]

[Are you saying you declared a predicted home run?]

[That’s right.]

After that, reporters continued to fire questions at him.

But the most important revelation was already out.

Ha-sung predicted a home run.

And he delivered.

That alone was enough to amaze people all over the world.

* * *

Babe Ruth holds a very special place in the New York Yankees’ history.

He was like the very symbol of the Yankees, and no player could ever truly surpass him in the public imagination.

It was no exaggeration to say that the modern history of the Yankees began with Babe Ruth.

There are no longer people who openly criticize Ha-sung for doing the same thing as Babe Ruth.

Even if there were, no one would dare say it out loud.

More than anything, although it was somewhat overshadowed by Ha-sung’s predicted home run, it was Ha-sung who saved the team from being swept in the first series of the second half against the Red Sox.

[Jung Ha-sung not only hit the game-winning home run but also showcased his prowess on the mound, pitching 8 innings without allowing a run and striking out 16, earning the win as the pitcher.]

Ha-sung, who achieved the rare feat of being both the winning pitcher and delivering the game-winning RBI [Run Batted In, a baseball statistic], quickly became a Yankees hero.

Ha-sung, whose recognition in New York skyrocketed, along with his worldwide fame from the predicted home run, was thoroughly enjoying the reaction.

“Hehe, it’s going exactly as I planned.”

He hadn’t initially intended to call a predicted home run.

But unexpectedly, it played out that way.

“There’s no reason for me to admit now that I didn’t intend to do it.”

Fame soon translates into money.

Ha-sung, who knows this well, was planning to capitalize on this incident in every way possible.

In fact, he didn’t need to do much.

“That’s what the media will do for me.”

Ha-sung knew better than anyone how to leverage the media.

“Franco can spout useless nonsense, but not many media outlets will believe him.”

The fact that he had a brief exchange with Franco was covered by several media outlets.

Thanks to advanced video technology, they even captured the scene of the two people talking.

It’s a scene that’s not usually highlighted, but given the circumstances, it was aired as a key moment this time.

“I don’t have to worry at all. My predicted home run will dominate the headlines far more than anything he says right now.”

Ha-sung savored this moment with a smile.

It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of the repercussions from this predicted home run.

But one thing was certain.

“Now I’ve become a player who transcends the major leagues.”

It meant that he had ascended to a position where he was untouchable.

* * *

The KBO [Korea Baseball Organization] Technical Committee was convened.

The reason for the committee’s meeting was to select the initial list of players for the Olympic national team next year.

“Thank you all for your hard work. Let’s proceed with announcing the players on the first list as it stands.”

“Hoo-! It was really difficult to coordinate this with the clubs.”

“That’s right. The Olympics were decided so suddenly that it wasn’t easy to persuade the clubs to release their players.”

It was KBO’s prerogative to select players.

However, KBO can only make requests and cannot forcibly mobilize players.

Above all, KBO is heavily influenced by its parent companies.

Many teams would struggle to operate the league without the financial support of their parent corporations.

Naturally, the influence of these large corporations was strong and affected the selection of the national team.

It was difficult just to coordinate that and finalize the first list.

“The problem is that they will also try to influence the second list.”

“That’s right. Considering that they tried to include too many players who have not completed their mandatory military service when putting together the first list…….”

“I’m already getting a headache.”

The technical committee members’ complaints were by no means an exaggeration.

These Olympics offer the significant benefit of military service exemption for medal winners.

As the WBC [World Baseball Classic] was excluded from military service benefits, clubs were even more eager to secure exemptions for their players.

The Olympics, appearing at such a time, became a golden opportunity for the clubs.

The reason why they are exerting so much pressure on us is understandable.

“Above all, the biggest problem is the selection of the coach.”

“Hmm…… that’s true.”

The national team coach had not been decided at the time of compiling the first list.

Originally, Lee Yong-soo, a respected veteran in Korean baseball, was slated to be the national team coach.

However, he recently fell ill and ultimately stepped down from the position.

“Are there still no figures who have volunteered to be the coach?”

“There are a few candidates, but…….”

“Unfortunately, they are not ideally suited for the national team coach role.”

It is a uniquely challenging position to be the national team coach.

It is a place where all of KBO’s star players converge.

It is also a position that receives intense scrutiny from the entire nation, so there is tremendous pressure.

If you perform well, it’s considered par for the course, and if you don’t, you’re guaranteed to face severe criticism.

A position where your coaching career could potentially end if you make a misstep.

That’s why the national team coach position is sometimes described as a poisoned chalice.

“It would be impossible to pick someone from the active roster, right?”

“Yes. Since the Olympics are not held after the season but in the middle of the season, we have to find someone who is currently unattached.”

“Lee Yong-soo was the most suitable senior. Why did his blood pressure have to spike…….”

“What’s the point of regretting what’s already happened? We have to narrow down the candidates again.”

“I understand.”

It was impossible to predict who would be the national team coach.

But it was clear that the technical committee would have a major headache until then.

“The last agenda item.”

“Is it Jung Ha-sung?”

Ha-sung is popular not only in Korea but also in Major League Baseball.

No, recently he has become popular even in Europe, far beyond Major League Baseball.

He has everything, including popularity and exceptional skill.

It was only natural to include him in the national team.

But there was a significant hurdle.

“I’ve included him on the first list for now, but the problem is whether he will even agree to participate.”

The national team is a dream for almost every baseball player.

In addition, those who have not completed their military service are desperate to participate in competitions that offer military service exemptions.

But Ha-sung was in a different situation.

“Because of the controversies he faced at the WBC and Asian Games in the past, he may refuse to be on the national team again this time.”

“Haa……. I’m already getting a headache. Military service benefits aren’t that significant for him anyway.”

“That’s right. He’s even considering immigrating to the United States if things don’t go his way…….”

“And yet he’s so incredibly popular…….”

Korea is a very sensitive country when it comes to military service.

Every young man is expected to serve, and the primary reason is that the country technically remains at war with North Korea.

In such a country, immigrating to avoid military service is a highly unpopular decision.

In fact, there have been cases where entertainers who attempted to do so were barred from entering Korea.

But Ha-sung was an exception.

He possessed the skills and popularity to quell any potential controversy.

Of course, it is impossible to know what would happen if he actually took that step, but that has been the case so far.

“Let’s include him on the first list and send it out for now. I wouldn’t place too much emphasis on the first list.”

Almost all eligible players are included in the initial list for the national team.

Therefore, it was a list that didn’t carry much weight.

However, things become more critical from the second list onwards, so we need to clearly confirm his intentions.

“And compile a list of people within the association who have even a slight connection or friendship with Jung Ha-sung.”

“Are you planning to meet him in person?”

“I have to. We need to demonstrate our sincerity by visiting him in person, not just calling him, to try and change his mind.”

“I guess we have to do that.”

Everyone in the association was aware of Kim Min-gyu’s past mistake.

Those who witnessed the incident are now on the technical committee, so they are determined not to repeat the same error.

“Kim Tae-soo, the former technical committee member, was the closest to him. How about bringing him in?”

“Committee member Kim Tae-soo? What is he doing now?”

“I believe he’s working as a coach at a high school.”

“Contact him and bring him in. Ask him to join the meeting group going to the United States, even if he can’t resolve the situation immediately.”

“I understand.”

Technical Committee Chairman Min Seong-ho urged once again.

“This Olympics is a golden opportunity to reignite the popularity of domestic baseball. Don’t forget that Jung Ha-sung holds the key to that, and start working on this immediately.”

“Yes!”

Chairman Min, who was left alone after all the technical committee members departed, sighed.

“I never imagined the technical committee would be so focused on appeasing just one player.”

It has already been 30 years since he started working in the Korean baseball world.

During that time, countless star players were born and faded away.

But no one could ignore the power of the association.

However, a player has emerged who can seemingly disregard not only the association but also the media and public opinion.

“And this time, it’s being called the reincarnation of Babe Ruth.”

The reincarnation of Babe Ruth.

This comparison did not originate in Korea.

It was a headline used by the prominent American media outlet, the New York Times.

That’s how high Ha-sung’s standing has risen.