Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 238

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 238

The four-game series against the Red Sox.

The first game shaped up as a pitcher’s duel.

Thwack-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester notches his 9th strikeout!]

[Lester, who had been struggling in the second half, seems to have found his form today, delivering a stellar performance.]

[Jung Ha-sung is the only player to have managed a clean hit off him in today’s game.]

[That’s a testament to how dominant his pitching has been.]

Jon Lester’s pitching was truly brilliant.

It was reminiscent of his prime years.

‘His pitches are definitely sharp. I can’t seem to get a solid hit because of it.’

It wasn’t the kind of thought Ha-sung, who had already managed two hits, should be having.

But it was the truth.

The reason he couldn’t produce a long hit today was simply because Lester’s pitching was exceptional.

‘Unless Lester’s pitching falters in today’s game, the Red Sox will likely win.’

Ha-sung’s prediction soon came to pass.

Clack-!!

With a sharp crack, the Red Sox’s offense exploded.

* * *

[Red Sox defeat their rivals, the Yankees, winning the first game of the four-game series.]

[Red Sox starter Jon Lester: 7 innings, 1 run, 3 hits – a masterful performance!]

[Red Sox take the lead in the series! They increase their game advantage over the second-place Yankees!]

[Yankees’ Jung Ha-sung delivers a multi-hit performance but couldn’t prevent the team’s defeat!]

As Ha-sung predicted, the Yankees lost to the Red Sox.

The score was 4 to 1.

Except for the 1 point they managed to score against Lester, it was a complete shutout.

Naturally, the Yankees fan community was in an uproar.

-Losing to the Red Sox like this?

-Ha-sung is the only one who’s actually hitting well.

-What’s wrong with you, Yankees? Can’t even figure out Lester?

-With this, what division championship are we even talking about!

Yankees fans were already furious.

It was just one game, but the problem was that it was a loss to the Red Sox.

As the biggest rivals in Major League Baseball, losing to them was a significant blow in itself.

-Still, Ha-sung is starting tomorrow.

-That’s true.

-We can win if it’s Ha-sung, right?

-We can trust that guy.

-Let’s go-!

The atmosphere shifted with a single post someone made.

Ha-sung’s scheduled appearance, as the team’s ace and one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, was enough to change the fans’ mood.

And most Major League Baseball experts also predicted an easy victory for Ha-sung.

[The second game between the Yankees and Red Sox is expected to go to the Yankees!]

[Ha-sung will surely shut down the Red Sox with overwhelming pitching.]

[Major League Baseball gamblers are already betting heavily on Ha-sung!]

Various media outlets predicted Ha-sung’s victory and couldn’t hide their anticipation for his appearance.

* * *

The second game between the Yankees and Red Sox.

Crowds flocked to the stadium to watch the game that day.

Among them was Kim Tae-won from the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].

He was amazed by the huge crowd at the stadium.

“The American crowds are always enormous.”

“That’s right. Korea is also approaching 7 million spectators, but we still have a long way to go to catch up with the United States.”

“To catch up with them, strong performance in international matches is crucial.”

Recently, Korea had not been showcasing its full potential in international matches.

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they achieved decent results in the WBC [World Baseball Classic] and Asian Games.

The problem was that they were not meeting the high expectations of the public.

After achieving the feat of winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, the public’s expectations were set on nothing less than victory.

However, as Korea failed to consistently achieve such results, public interest naturally waned.

“It’s fortunate that baseball is included in this Olympics.”

“That’s right. If we win a gold medal again at the Olympics, it’s a foregone conclusion that public interest will surge.”

“To do that, our current strength alone is not enough.”

“There’s also talk that Major League players will participate this time.”

“The Olympic Committee and Major League Baseball (MLB) have joined forces, so the possibility is high.”

Baseball’s global recognition has been increasing rapidly recently.

The reason was Ha-sung.

The emergence of a player who transcends the typical popularity of the sport has made even those who were not previously interested in baseball pay attention.

“I can see that its popularity in Europe is rapidly increasing.”

“I never thought baseball would become popular in Europe.”

Europe is a market that Major League Baseball has tried to penetrate several times.

However, with cricket and soccer being so deeply ingrained, there was little room for baseball to gain a foothold.

However, with the emergence of Jung Ha-sung, baseball’s popularity has also increased in the European market.

The Major League Baseball Secretariat believed that the globalization of baseball would be achieved through this Olympics.

“This year’s Olympic baseball will definitely be held on the largest scale ever. If we win a gold medal in such a competition, the ripple effect will be enormous.”

“To do that, we absolutely must include Ha-sung.”

Kim Tae-won nodded as if agreeing with his subordinate’s words.

“By any means necessary.”

* * *

The first game between the Red Sox and the Yankees went to the Red Sox with a decisive victory.

Naturally, the Yankees fans were as angry as they could be.

“Damn it! To lose to those guys wearing red socks.”

“Isn’t our batting lineup just completely out of sync?”

“It’s not just that our guys didn’t hit well, but the Red Sox also pitched well.”

“What? Are you saying the Red Sox played well?”

“I’m just stating the truth.”

“Bullshit! Those Red Sox guys don’t even know the basics of baseball!”

The fans exchanged their opinions and raised their voices.

It was a confrontation that could only come from loving the team so passionately.

Knowing the fans’ feelings, the players also felt burdened.

“Hoo… If we lose again today, the fans will go crazy.”

“It can’t be helped. Our rivalry with the Red Sox is just like that.”

Rivalry is not something that players necessarily want.

It was a relationship that naturally developed over time, so now they just accepted it as a given.

Some people found it stressful, but most players enjoyed the rivalry because they identified so strongly with the team.

“Still, Ha-sung is starting today.”

“That’s right. That guy can just crush those Red Sox bastards.”

“That’s right. He’s annoying, but his skills are undeniable.”

There were still many in the Yankees team who harbored antipathy towards Ha-sung.

However, no one questioned his abilities.

Because he had consistently proven his skills all along.

“Today will be the day the Red Sox guys bleed.”

The Yankees team trusted Ha-sung.

Whether they liked him or not.

* * *

The attention of baseball fans around the world was focused on the second game between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

[Untouchable Jung Ha-sung takes the mound.]

[The Yankees, whose gap with the Red Sox has widened again due to the defeat in the first game, must win today’s game.]

For the Yankees, who are aiming for first place in the division, the defeat in the first game was a painful setback.

Therefore, they needed to win the second game at all costs to close the gap again.

[Jung Ha-sung, starting as the pitcher and batting 3rd in today’s game, all eyes are on whether he will deliver his usual dominant performance as the team expects.]

What the team and fans wanted from Ha-sung was simple.

To perform as he always does.

That was everyone’s earnest wish.

He had consistently displayed unparalleled skills, so they expected that if he simply played to his usual level, he would easily defeat the Red Sox.

And Kim Tae-won also expected such a performance from Ha-sung.

‘The enthusiasm for Ha-sung felt in person, not just read in articles, is even more intense.’

He could read every day that Ha-sung’s popularity was immense.

However, the popularity felt locally was beyond anything described in those articles.

‘It’s like Korean idols gaining popularity in Japan.’

The popularity of Korean idols in Japan was very high.

Ha-sung’s popularity was similar to that.

No, it could be said to be even greater.

‘It has definitely surpassed the popularity of past Korean stars or Hideo Nomo [a famous Japanese baseball player who played in MLB].’

It was clear why the MLB Secretariat was so concerned about Ha-sung.

“I wonder what kind of performance he will put on today……”

It was as he was looking at the field with anticipation.

“Waaaaaa-!!”

The crowd cheered all at once, and the stadium shook.

Surprised by the huge cheer, Kim Tae-won saw a man walking out to the mound.

‘It’s Jung Ha-sung. He feels bigger and more imposing than when I saw him before……?’

The last time Kim Tae-won met Ha-sung was two years ago.

At that time, Ha-sung had bulked up [gained muscle mass] and appeared surprisingly different.

However, Ha-sung, whom he met after 2 years, had an even more complete physique than before.

‘Is there any other player who can transform themselves to this extent?’

Pitchers are sensitive.

If the balance of the body is even slightly off, it will immediately affect their pitching.

Therefore, they have to be very careful about bulking up.

However, if you don’t bulk up, you can’t withstand the demanding schedule of Major League Baseball.

In addition, the physical difference between Westerners and Asians is difficult to overcome with ordinary effort.

Overcoming that is not easy.

You need a physique that you are born with.

Ha-sung had it and maximized it through hard work.

As a result, when looking at his physical attributes alone, he could be compared to any player in Major League Baseball.

‘That’s why he can endure the full season of Major League Baseball and achieve such amazing results.’

What you can see on TV is only a fraction of the story.

Ha-sung, whom he saw in person, had become even more impressive than in the past.

‘If that guy joins the national team, winning a gold medal at this Olympics is not impossible.’

It is incredibly fortunate that baseball is included in the Olympics.

But not everything is ideal.

The US national team plans to include Major League players on a large scale in this Olympics.

Japan has also announced that it plans to field the best possible team, including overseas players.

‘Other countries are the same. Major League players are expected to come from a number of countries, including Dominica.’

Unlike in the past, Major Leaguers can participate in the Olympics because the Major League Baseball Secretariat has allowed it.

Dreaming of globalization, they overturned their previous stance and this time allowed players to be drafted into the Olympics.

‘It will probably be the most difficult competition among all international matches to date.’

It was natural that the difficulty of winning a gold medal increased as more Major Leaguers participated.

‘Ha-sung is absolutely essential.’

That was the biggest reason why the KBO needed Ha-sung.

So, Kim Tae-won, who had past interactions with Ha-sung, was sent directly to the location.

The problem was that, contrary to their expectations, Kim Tae-won was not particularly close with Ha-sung.

‘To persuade Ha-sung, you have to respect him.’

In the past, others had shown rude attitudes towards Ha-sung.

Kim Tae-won did not intend to repeat such mistakes, so he did not contact Ha-sung after arriving.

‘I’ve contacted the agent, so I’ll get a reply soon. The important thing is to observe Ha-sung’s condition until then.’

It might seem pointless to assess the condition of the best player in Major League Baseball, but he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

What kind of performance is Ha-sung delivering in person.

“Play ball!!”

Then, the game started with the umpire’s shout.

Ha-sung, after exchanging signs with the catcher, unleashed his first pitch with a wind-up.

“Heup-!!”

The shout was audible through the crowd’s cheers.

Swaaaaaaek-!!

Then, the ball that left his hand instantly slammed into the mitt.

Thwack-!!

The moment the incredibly powerful ball hit the mitt.

Kim Tae-won felt a shiver down his spine.

‘Untouchable…….’

He immediately understood why that nickname was given.