Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 239

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 239

After the game.

Kim Tae-won was suffering from the aftereffects for a while.

“Hoo…”

His face, as he looked out the window from the hotel room, was still full of amazement.

“I already knew through broadcasts and articles, but…”

He was well aware of Jung Ha-sung’s greatness.

He thought of him as an unprecedented genius, constantly seeing him in the media and looking up his records.

But the Jung Ha-sung he actually saw was even more amazing.

“Every single pitch is overwhelming. They were on a different level from any pitches I’ve seen so far.”

Each pitch from a top-class ace had something different from other pitchers.

The ball had life as it came in.

His control was excellent.

It wasn’t just about these things.

Aces had something that overwhelmed the batter.

Ha-sung was a player where that aspect was maximized.

“If a player like that plays on the same team, the synergy of the national team can rise endlessly.”

The role of an ace isn’t just about pitching well.

The role of an ace was to give stability to teammates.

From that point of view, Ha-sung was the right person to be an ace.

“I have to get him to join the national team somehow.”

The goal was clear.

The problem was that he couldn’t be reached.

“When will I hear from him…”

Since starting to work for the association, Kim Tae-won had always been in a position of authority.

No matter who he negotiated with, if he had the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] sign, the other party had no choice but to bow down.

He didn’t abuse it, but it was clear that it made his work easier.

That’s why the negotiation with Ha-sung felt even more difficult now.

It was then.

Beep-!

His smartphone rang, and a call came in.

Kim Tae-won checked the number and hurriedly answered the phone.

“Hello!”

[This is Isabel. Jung Ha-sung said he would like to meet tomorrow. Is that time okay for you?]

It was a call from Ha-sung’s agent, Isabel.

* * *

The next day.

Kim Tae-won was facing Ha-sung.

His appearance in person was definitely more grown-up than in the past.

“Thank you for readily accepting the meeting request.”

“You came all the way here and waited for me, so I had to accept. More than that, shall we get straight to the point?”

“Well, shall we?”

“I know very well why you came all the way here. It’s to recommend me to join the national team.”

“That’s right. As you know, baseball has been officially adopted as a sport in this Olympics again. The MLB Secretariat has also signed an agreement with the Olympic Committee to allow major leaguers to participate.”

Kim Tae-won rattled on and on.

Ha-sung listened for a while, then raised his hand to stop him.

“I know all of that.”

“Ahem…”

“The important thing is my answer, right? To answer, I will participate.”

“Re… really?”

It was an unexpected answer.

No, even if he agreed, he didn’t think he would agree so easily.

Perhaps that’s why Kim Tae-won’s eyes widened.

“Yes. The reason I asked to meet today was because there was no reason to delay joining the national team any longer.”

“So you had already made up your mind.”

“Yes. Originally, I was planning to join the national team early on. It was just that the timing was delayed because there were many people provoking me.”

Ha-sung had no antipathy toward the national team.

Originally, it wouldn’t have been strange to join the national team from his first year of professional debut.

But the surrounding circumstances hadn’t helped him in the meantime.

But this time it was different.

Kim Tae-won, who had flown all the way to New York to get him to join, waited with all due respect.

He had no intention of engaging in unnecessary power struggles with Kim Tae-won.

“I will join the national team for next year’s Olympics. That’s my position, and you can announce it right away.”

Kim Tae-won, who was embarrassed by the cool answer, stared blankly at him for a while.

Anyway, Ha-sung’s joining the national team was decided with this.

* * *

[Untouchable Jung Ha-sung! Joins the national team!]

[Jung Ha-sung to join the 2012 London Olympics baseball national team!]

[The best player in Major League Baseball to wear the Taegeuk mark [South Korean flag] at the London Olympics!]

The KBO immediately announced Ha-sung’s joining the national team.

The aftermath was enormous.

It decorated the headlines of all the media, and related posts were plastered on various communities.

The top of the real-time search terms was decorated with words related to him and did not come down for several days.

Ha-sung’s joining the national team attracted tremendous attention from the public.

-Ha-sung is finally wearing the Taegeuk mark.

-Wow~ It took a really long time.

-I thought he would refuse again. What wind blew?

-It was about time to join.

-There was also news of American naturalization. What about that?

-That was just a rumor.

-Ha-sung has joined, so winning the Olympic gold medal is a sure thing.

-You never know.

-I agree. Baseball isn’t a sport you play alone.

-Major leaguers are expected to participate in large numbers this time, so even if Ha-sung joins, I’m uneasy.

-Baseball is a team sport.

-Doesn’t he do everything by himself?

Playing baseball alone.

Like that opinion, Ha-sung was dominating Major League Baseball by himself.

Clang-!!

[He hit it!! A hit that splits the left-center field! Second base runner to home! Even the first base runner has rounded third base!!]

Game 3 against the Red Sox.

In the 5th inning, when the tense 0-0 march continued.

Ha-sung’s bat turned like lightning.

The well-hit ball was enough to bring in the teammates on the bases.

And he himself continued the opportunity by reaching third base.

[Really good swing and fast feet!]

[Jung Ha-sung’s aggressive base running is always refreshing to watch!]

[Jung Ha-sung pitched 8 innings as a starting pitcher yesterday, but there are no aftereffects at all!]

[I have no way to express it other than saying he has monstrous stamina.]

The more Ha-sung played, the more interest in his joining the national team increased.

* * *

Thanks to Ha-sung’s performance, the Yankees won the game against the Red Sox 3-1 and finally rose to the top of the division.

[Signing Jung Ha-sung was the right answer! New York Yankees outpace rival Red Sox and rise to the top of the Eastern Division!]

[New York Yankees’ aggressive investment for playoff advancement is starting to shine!]

[Yankees fans insist on signing Jung Ha-sung to a permanent contract!]

[Jung Ha-sung, who took the overwhelming first place in uniform sales, changed the history of the Yankees!]

Thanks to Ha-sung’s performance, uniform sales also continued to rise.

But there was something else that kept rising.

Pow-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung gets his 290th strikeout of the season with this strikeout!]

[Jung Ha-sung is expected to easily surpass 300 strikeouts this season as well!]

[He is challenging his career-high record, not to mention 300 strikeouts!]

Ha-sung’s pace this season was surpassing last year.

The prospect that his performance would decline as he started pitching and hitting at the same time had long been off the mark.

Now, the focus was on what kind of performance he would record in both pitching and hitting.

Hank Steinbrenner’s lips were drawn with a smile as he watched the scene.

“My brother’s words are coming true.”

Then George, who was standing behind him, said.

“I knew he would become a legend when he joined our team. But he’s showing a speed that exceeds my expectations.”

“I agree. He has become the most outstanding player in Major League history. In just three years.”

It was three years ago that Ha-sung appeared in Major League Baseball.

Starting as a closer at the time, he won the Cy Young Award in his first season, along with a new Major League record for saves.

And last year, when he switched to starting pitcher, he accumulated a tremendous number of wins, along with his career-high season and his second Cy Young Award.

At the same time, he grabbed his first MVP, leaving his name in Major League history.

“A third consecutive Cy Young Award is certain, and it’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll win the MVP.”

“Awards like that have already become meaningless. What he’s challenging is the history of Major League Baseball.”

“A player who challenges history…”

George, as a member of the Steinbrenner family, knew a lot about the history of Major League Baseball.

That’s why he knew how great his brother Hank’s words were.

And his worries about it came to his mind again.

“You have a worried look on your face.”

“I don’t know how much money to give a player who challenges history to satisfy him.”

“Haha! That’s a big worry.”

“I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t be so worried if there was even a player I could compare him to.”

There was no player in Major League history that Ha-sung could be compared to.

He was worthy of being remembered in history as a pitcher, but with him pitching and hitting at the same time, there was no longer a player who could be compared to him.

“However, if we give him a salary based on WAR [Wins Above Replacement], I don’t think we’ll be able to keep him with that amount.”

WAR was one of the most important indicators of 21st century modern baseball.

It was an indicator that quantified the contribution to victory compared to the replacement level, and it was an indicator that showed how much a player contributed to the team’s victory.

Currently, it was also common in Major League Baseball to set salaries using this WAR.

Of course, they didn’t give salaries perfectly matched to WAR.

The value of a player wasn’t determined solely by game performance.

Anyway, it was an important indicator, but there was a reason why George was hesitating.

“That’s right. If we were to pay Ha-sung a salary based on WAR, we would have to pay him an annual salary of more than $60 million.”

“Haa… I’m not kidding. $60 million a year.”

Ha-sung’s WAR is over 13 when pitching and hitting are combined.

If he maintains his current performance until the end of the season, this record will definitely rise further.

If we gave him a salary to match that, it was clear that even the Yankees would have problems with their operations.

“He’s still subject to salary arbitration, so there’s time, but if he declares FA [Free Agency], there’s a problem. We can’t afford to lose him, so we have to sign an extension before that somehow.”

“We’ll have to sign an extension for at least $50 million or more.”

“We’ll have to be prepared to sign a long-term contract of 10 years or more.”

“It will be the biggest expenditure in Major League history.”

The New York Yankees, one of the most expensive sports clubs in the world.

True to that reputation, they were making huge profits.

But even for them, Ha-sung’s long-term contract was a huge expenditure that made them hesitate.

“You say that, but it looks like you have something in mind?”

“I’m thinking about something in my own way. The problem is whether Ha-sung himself will accept it.”

“What is it? As a co-owner, I want to hear that opinion too.”

“Haha! I’m just planning it. I’ll let you know when it becomes concrete. More than that, I heard that Ha-sung is also joining this Olympics.”

“Tsk! You’re changing the subject. I checked the article too. He ended up joining the national team after all.”

“I was preparing to get a green card in case, but it was unnecessary.”