Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 276

The national team began full-scale training.

Since the players were of such a high caliber, coordinating with each other wasn’t too difficult.

Occasionally, there were minor signal mismatches, but they resolved these through discussion.

Ha-sung also coordinated his signals with the catcher.

“So, you’re planning to primarily use four-seam fastballs during the game?” Kang Doo-ho asked.

“Yes. I also frequently use the high-speed slider. Beyond that, you can call any of the pitches I have in my arsenal as my main offerings,” Ha-sung replied.

“Wow, you truly are a player who dominated Major League Baseball. It’ll be quite easy to work with you, right?” Kang Doo-ho said with a smile.

The catcher who would be working with him in the Olympics was Kang Doo-ho, the national team’s cleanup hitter.

He was more of a defensive catcher, but his offensive capabilities were also impressive, having hit 20 home runs for three consecutive years in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] League.

As expected of a catcher, he had a good-natured personality. He approached Ha-sung first and initiated a conversation.

It was during this time, as Ha-sung was settling into the national team, that Tae-soo approached him.

“Ha-sung, did you hear about that?” Tae-soo asked.

Ha-sung turned to him. “Hear about what?”

“I heard there’s some crazy guy in Japan stirring up trouble,” Tae-soo said.

“Crazy guy? You mean Murakami?” Ha-sung asked.

“Huh? How did you know?” Tae-soo seemed surprised.

“He was causing trouble even when I was in Major League Baseball. What did he say this time?” Ha-sung chuckled.

“Take a look at this.” Tae-soo handed over his smartphone.

An article featuring an interview with Murakami was displayed.

Ha-sung made an incredulous expression after reading the title.

“‘I won’t let Korea beat Japan for the next 10 years?’ Is he trying to be Ichiro?” Ha-sung asked rhetorically.

“Read the content too. It’s really ridiculous,” Tae-soo urged.

The infamous incident where Ichiro said he wouldn’t let Korea beat Japan for 10 years was actually a mistranslation.

Of course, it took a while for that fact to become widely known, and until then, Ichiro faced heavy criticism from Korean baseball fans.

But this time, Murakami was saying it explicitly.

There was no mistranslation involved.

[A reporter at the scene asked Murakami, “Is there a possibility that the meaning was conveyed incorrectly?” But Murakami reaffirmed, “Can’t Koreans even speak English? Did I speak in Japanese? Let me explain it kindly. Korea won’t even be able to touch Japan’s shadow for 10 years.”]

He was openly provoking them.

“Isn’t this guy insane?” Ha-sung asked.

“He is. He’s crazy, but he’s also smart,” Tae-soo replied.

“Smart?” Ha-sung questioned.

“Looking at his performance, he’ll be applying for posting [transfer to a foreign league] soon. He’s attracting global attention with this level of trash talk,” Tae-soo explained.

“Hey, even Major League teams would hesitate with this kind of attitude,” Ha-sung countered.

“If it was just empty talk, they would. But if his skills back it up, it becomes convincing bravado,” Tae-soo said.

It’s the era of self-promotion.

Skills are paramount, but making yourself known is also crucial.

It seemed like Murakami was trying to emulate his approach.

‘It seems like he’s misunderstanding my methods quite a bit, but it doesn’t matter,’ Ha-sung thought.

Ha-sung scrolled down the article to read the rest of the content.

“There’s one thing this guy did wrong,” Ha-sung said.

“Huh? What is it?” Tae-soo asked.

“He messed with me,” Ha-sung stated.

Tae-soo took the smartphone from Ha-sung and examined the content.

[I’m going to crush Jung Ha-sung!]

It was a declaration of war.

Tae-soo, who knew Ha-sung’s personality well, nodded.

“Yeah, he messed up,” Tae-soo said, mentally wishing Murakami good luck in the afterlife.

* * *

This Olympics garnered worldwide attention.

In particular, the Korean national team’s games were scheduled to be broadcast not only in Korea but also in the United States and Japan.

This was largely due to Jung Ha-sung’s popularity.

In Europe, with the Olympics being held in England, Ha-sung’s games were easily accessible.

As if responding to this heightened interest, the Korean national team announced Ha-sung as their starting pitcher for the first game.

[Korean national team announces ace Jung Ha-sung to start against Cuba in the Olympic opener!]

[Jung Ha-sung, who dominated Major League Baseball, will he conquer the Olympics as well?!]

The media focused on Ha-sung’s potential performance in the Olympics.

And the public shared this anticipation.

-Seeing what he accomplished in Major League Baseball, won’t he dominate the Olympics too?

-That’s likely, but it’s not a certainty.

-Yeah, everyone experiences nerves differently.

-I can’t imagine Ha-sung being nervous, lol.

-Still, it’s his first time on the national team, so anything can happen.

For Ha-sung, wearing the national team uniform was a new experience.

Naturally, some people believed he might feel the pressure that came with it.

However, most expected Ha-sung to pitch as well as he always did.

Amidst these varied opinions.

[Jung Ha-sung takes the mound!!]

Ha-sung stepped onto the pitcher’s mound for the showdown against the Cuban national team.

* * *

‘It’s been a while since I’ve worn the national team uniform,’ Ha-sung thought.

In his previous life, Ha-sung had been a national team player since his youth.

His first experience as a national team player was at the U18 Baseball World Cup.

At the time, he was 16 years old and served as the team’s closer.

Ha-sung had been recognized by baseball scouts since middle school, and he quickly became the ace pitcher upon entering high school.

‘I felt like my heart was going to explode back then,’ he recalled.

He remembered his first time standing on the mound as a national team player.

‘No, it wasn’t just back then.’

Every time he wore the Taegeuk mark [South Korean flag emblem] and stood on the mound, he felt his heart pounding.

The weight of the entire nation watching him created an immense burden, hindering him from performing at his best.

‘But…’

Ha-sung stood on the mound.

He smoothed the ground and applied rosin to his hands before stepping onto the pitcher’s plate.

‘It’s much easier now that I don’t have to worry about that anymore.’

In his previous life, Ha-sung was overly concerned with others’ opinions.

As a result, he unknowingly stressed himself out and pitched while concealing injuries.

After gaining a second chance at life, he decided to live for himself.

That held true even now, as a national team player.

“Hoo…”

Perhaps that’s why he felt so relaxed.

Even if he failed, it wouldn’t matter because he was pitching for himself, not for others.

“Play ball!!”

The game commenced with the umpire’s call.

* * *

The word ‘overwhelming’ was often used to describe Ha-sung’s performance.

His pitching consistently exceeded expectations.

That was evident at the London Olympics, his first time on the national team.

Bang-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

“Waaaaa-!!”

[It’s a strikeout! Jung Ha-sung exits the mound with his 12th strikeout of the game!]

[Despite it being his first time on the national team, Jung Ha-sung shows no signs of pressure. He’s delivering an untouchable performance.]

Over six innings, Ha-sung pitched without allowing a single run.

Moreover, if not for a hit resulting from an error-like play, he would have achieved a perfect game.

[Despite the Cuban national team being a formidable opponent, they are unable to touch Jung Ha-sung.]

[Although they lack a professional league, the Cuban national team was once the strongest in the world. They are by no means a weak team. That highlights the sheer dominance of Jung Ha-sung’s pitching.]

[And in the bottom of the 6th inning, Jung Ha-sung steps into the batter’s box during the Korean national team’s attack!]

[Jung Ha-sung, who reached base with a single and a walk in his previous two at-bats! They need a run to extend their lead!]

The current score was 3-0, in favor of the Korean national team.

However, a 3-point lead could be overturned at any moment.

To solidify their dominance, an additional run was crucial.

In this situation, the attack led by the upper batting order, culminating in Ha-sung’s at-bat, presented a golden opportunity.

[Lee Yong-soo, the leadoff hitter for the Korean national team, enters the batter’s box!]

[Lee Yong-soo, who has already recorded multiple hits alongside Jung Ha-sung in today’s game! He’s proving his worth as the national team’s leadoff hitter!]

Lee Yong-soo was relentlessly tormenting the Cuban national team’s pitchers.

‘As expected of Lee Yong-soo. Before and after the regression [reincarnation], he’s tormenting the pitchers with his Yong-soo play,’ Ha-sung thought.

Yong-soo play, named after Lee Yong-soo, referred to his strategy of continuously fouling off pitches to increase the pitcher’s pitch count, eventually leading to a hit or a walk.

He was considered a natural enemy of pitchers due to his exceptional eye for the ball and contact ability.

And that ability was on full display at the Olympics.

Clang!!

“Foul!!”

[It’s a foul! Lee Yong-soo fouls off four consecutive pitches!]

[The pitcher looks visibly frustrated!]

[He’s clearly ahead in the count, but he’s getting rattled on the mound!]

Despite quickly reaching a 0-2 count, he was unable to put Lee Yong-soo away.

It was the most irritating situation for a pitcher.

‘Try hitting this too!!’

That nervousness soon manifested in the pitcher’s delivery.

He put excessive force into the ball, losing control.

Swaaaeek!

Thud!!

The ball sailed inside and struck Lee Yong-soo’s arm.

Lee Yong-soo pointed to his arm, specifically his sleeve, prompting the umpire to remove his mask and signal him to first base.

[Ah~ Was he hit by the ball?! The umpire rules that he was hit! The Cuban players protest!]

[Here’s the slow-motion replay. It was a ball that was somewhat inside. Lee Yong-soo tried to avoid it?]

[Huh? Did the ball graze him?]

[Ah~ It grazed his sleeve very slightly!]

[This is incredibly fortunate! Leadoff hitter Lee Yong-soo reaches base via hit by pitch, but in reality, it only grazed his sleeve!]

It was a lucky break for the Korean national team.

After all, a hit by pitch could lead to an injury.

But to reach base by merely grazing his sleeve was incredibly fortunate.

‘He’s lucky,’ Ha-sung thought.

Ha-sung smiled and entered the on-deck circle.

[Kim Sung-soo, the hitting machine, steps into the batter’s box! And Jung Ha-sung, the two-way player and cleanup hitter for the national team, awaits his turn in the on-deck circle!]

As Ha-sung’s image appeared on the stadium’s screens, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Jung Ha-sung! Jung Ha-sung!”

The Korean national team was taken aback by the deafening cheers.

“I knew Ha-sung was popular, but I didn’t realize it was to this extent…” one player commented.

“Not only Korean fans but also foreigners are chanting Ha-sung’s name?” another added.

“Isn’t this practically a home game?” a third exclaimed.

As national team players, each of them was a star in their own right.

But even they had never experienced such fervent support.

To hear such cheers overseas, not in Korea, was hard to believe.

And this support fueled Kim Sung-soo’s determination.

‘Even though they’re cheering for Ha-sung…!’

Swaaaeek!!

‘I’m drawing strength from it too!!’

Clang!!

[He connects! A well-struck ball finds the gap between third base and shortstop!! Lee Yong-soo rounds second and heads to third! Kim Sung-soo reaches first!]

[He really hit that well! He drove the outside low pitch perfectly for a hit!]

[As expected of hitting machine Kim Sung-soo! He delivers precise hitting even in international competition!]

[Opportunity with runners on first and third and no outs! And Jung Ha-sung of Korea steps into the batter’s box!]

Ha-sung entered the batter’s box.