Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 277

Villain on the Mound – Episode 277

[Jung Ha-sung is stepping up to the plate for his first at-bat wearing the Taegeuk mark! (The Taegeuk mark is the symbol on the South Korean flag, representing Korean national identity.)]

[It’s a dream come true! A player who has hit over 60 home runs in Major League Baseball is wearing the Taegeuk mark!]

[I think there are many baseball fans who wanted to see this scene. You really can’t miss this moment!]

The reaction on the field was even more intense than the excited commentators.

“Jung Ha-sung! Jung Ha-sung!!”

“Let’s go-!!”

“Knock one out of the park!!”

The fans were clamoring for a home run.

The Cuban national team was feeling the pressure of the electric atmosphere.

‘Damn… this feels like a road game, doesn’t it?’

‘Even though Jung Ha-sung is popular, I didn’t expect such overwhelming support….’

Although the Cuban national team also included several major leaguers, the support was overwhelmingly in Ha-sung’s favor.

However, the Cuban national team had no intention of backing down from the challenge, even in this situation.

‘He’s only human, after all. There’s no guarantee he’ll hit a home run!’

They were once considered the strongest team in the world.

Although that was in the past, they still held onto their pride.

They had no intention of avoiding a showdown with Ha-sung to protect that pride.

[Sanchez Martinez, the ace of the Cuban national team, is exchanging signs on the mound. Will he face Jung Ha-sung?]

[I don’t know. Jung Ha-sung has been intentionally walked [Intentionally walking a batter means giving them a free pass to first base.] often in Major League Baseball, so they might avoid pitching to him.]

The commentators’ predictions were wrong.

“Hiss!!”

[He threw it!]

The ball left Sanchez’s hand with force, cutting inside towards Ha-sung’s body.

Thwack!!

“Strike!!”

[First pitch strike!! Jung Ha-sung just watches the ball cross the plate inside!]

[It seems the Cuban national team has decided to compete.]

[It seems Jung Ha-sung was also observing to see how the Cuban national team would approach him.]

Ha-sung, stepping away from the plate, adjusted his batting gloves and gathered his thoughts.

‘They don’t intend to avoid it.’

He liked that.

Competing meant he had the opportunity to showcase his abilities.

Ha-sung, settling back into his stance, focused his mind.

‘Okay… bring it on.’

As he set himself, Sanchez unleashed the ball with all his might.

The location was good, and the quality of the pitch was excellent.

Above all, his fastball, his signature pitch at 155 km/h [approximately 96 mph], came in low and outside.

It was a perfect pitch.

He had to admit it.

‘If the opponent wasn’t me….’

Whoosh-!!

Ha-sung swung his bat.

The trajectory of his compact swing turned into a sharp, biting force that connected with the ball.

Clack!!

Ha-sung tossed his bat aside, watching the batted ball soar away.

‘…I could have caught that.’

[He hit it!! And Jung Ha-sung throws his bat!!]

Ha-sung slowly began his run towards first base, watching the batted ball disappear over the fence.

* * *

Ha-sung’s performance was just as dominant, if not more so, on the national team as it was in the major leagues.

– 7 innings without giving up a run is just routine for him.

– He only pitched 7 innings, but you can see that the Cuban hitters were completely baffled.

– I really felt the difference in skill.

– But why did they take him out?

└ I guess there are more games to come.

└└ It seems like he’s preserving his stamina.

└└└ The score difference was also significant.

– The pitching is great, but his hitting is on another level.

– Seriously, I never thought he would hit two home runs in a row.

– Is it real that he accounted for 6 RBIs [Runs Batted In] by himself? lol

Thanks to Ha-sung’s stellar performance, the Korean national team defeated Cuba and secured a win.

* * *

Unlike the Beijing Olympics, this Olympics was structured as a 16-team tournament.

After Korea defeated Cuba and advanced to the quarterfinals, they waited to see who their next opponent would be.

In the other brackets, teams were battling for their own spots in the quarterfinals.

“Who do you think will come up?”

The Korean players, gathered in small groups of three or five in their accommodation, were discussing potential opponents.

“Wouldn’t Japan be the most likely? The difference in skill between them and Australia is pretty significant.”

“Yeah, Japan brought all their major leaguers and domestic aces this time, calling themselves Samurai Japan or something.”

“Especially that Murakami guy is scary. He had over 20 wins in Japan last year.”

“Well, we have Ha-sung. Can they even compare?”

The other players nodded in agreement with Tae-soo’s statement.

After the game against Cuba, the players’ trust in Ha-sung had skyrocketed.

It would have been surprising if their trust hadn’t increased after such a dominant performance.

Just then, the commentators’ voices could be heard on the television.

[Today, an interview that Murakami gave to the Japanese press corps as he entered the stadium is generating a lot of buzz.]

“Huh? What did he do now?”

“I wonder if it’s online?”

While one player searched the internet, the commentator continued.

[Did he provoke the Korean national team again?]

[That’s right. He specifically called out Jung Ha-sung, saying that he would easily defeat the Australian national team and then catch Jung Ha-sung, the so-called villain of the baseball world, in the quarterfinals.]

“Oh, here it is. Wow~ is this guy completely out of his mind?”

“Show me too.”

Ha-sung took the smartphone and read the article.

[Jung Ha-sung’s glory ends in the quarterfinals! Our Japanese national team is made up of Avengers to take him down! In the end, he will become Thanos who failed to achieve his dream!]

The wording played on the popularity of the recently released Avengers movies.

It was an absurd statement, but the reaction in Japan seemed to be quite positive.

[Japanese netizens are enthusiastic about Murakami’s remarks. Extreme reactions such as “Crush Jung Ha-sung!” and “The Korean national team is no match for Japan!” are flooding community sites.]

Ha-sung handed the smartphone back and relaxed.

Tae-soo asked Ha-sung.

“Did you have some kind of beef with that guy? Why is he provoking you like that?”

“He’s just trying to get attention. Since I’m famous, he can gain some notoriety by latching onto me.”

“Ah… so there’s no real connection?”

“I don’t even know what he looks like. That guy is using my name to try and get attention.”

“I see….”

“The real question is whether he’s trying to get attention with actual skill. If a guy with no talent is trying to get attention like that, it’s just a waste of my reputation.”

Now it was time to find out.

Murakami was starting today’s game.

He didn’t know how many pitches he would throw, but the fact that he was starting for the Japanese national team was proof of his abilities.

The Japanese national team’s player pool was vast.

Just making the national team was difficult, unlike in Korea.

There were so many players, and new talent emerged every year.

‘But if he’s going to mention my name, he must be at a decent level.’

Ha-sung watched the game between Japan and Australia with focused attention.

And after the second inning passed.

“He throws well.”

Ha-sung offered his assessment of Murakami.

As he said, Murakami’s pitching was better than expected.

“He definitely throws well. The Australian lineup isn’t generating any power.”

“Even if the Australian national team’s overall skill is lacking, that level of pitching would be effective in the major leagues.”

“Is he really that good?”

“Yeah. His velocity is good, and more importantly, the spin on the ball is excellent. I can see why the hitters are having trouble making solid contact.”

Ha-sung’s evaluation was surprisingly generous.

It was an assessment that could only come from him, someone who approached baseball with objective analysis rather than emotional bias.

“Would he be difficult for you to hit, too?”

Ha-sung’s lips curled into a smile at Tae-soo’s question.

“No way.”

Ha-sung stood up from his seat.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

“I’ve seen his level, so I need to get back to my training.”

“Don’t you want to watch the game until the end?”

“I don’t care whether Japan or Australia advances. I’m going to win anyway.”

Tae-soo nodded at Ha-sung’s confident words.

‘He’s definitely in a different league.’

* * *

Japan’s starting pitcher, Murakami, delivered a dominant performance against the Australian national team.

[Murakami was on a perfect streak until the 6th inning! But he failed to achieve a historic record by allowing a hit in the 7th inning!]

[A perfect game is not easy. Thanks to Jung Ha-sung, it might seem easy, but it’s incredibly difficult to accomplish.]

[That’s right. Murakami, who shut down the game without giving up a run until the 7th inning, is returning to the mound in the 8th inning.]

He could have been replaced after losing the perfect game.

However, Murakami came back to the mound in the 8th inning due to his persistence, and he recorded 8 scoreless innings by retiring three batters.

And in the 9th inning, Japan’s closer came in and finished the game.

[Japan defeats the Australian national team and advances to the quarterfinals!]

[The Korea-Japan match is set for the quarterfinals!]

The highly anticipated match between the two rivals, meeting earlier than expected, was set.

Murakami was named MVP of the game and stood in front of the commentators.

[You recorded 8 scoreless innings in today’s game. Please share your thoughts.]

[Through today’s game, I proved that I am a better pitcher than Jung Ha-sung in this tournament!]

[Excuse me?]

[He pitched 7 innings, but didn’t I pitch 8 innings? That alone proves that I am a better pitcher!]

[Well, that’s….]

The reporter was speechless.

It was such an absurd line of reasoning.

But he didn’t stop his provocation.

[Don’t you believe me? Then I’ll show you in the quarterfinals! I’ll beat him in this tournament!]

With those words, Murakami turned and left.

This interview quickly became a hot topic.

This was because no player had ever openly targeted Ha-sung like this before.

That’s why various speculations emerged.

The most common theory was that he was trying to move to the major leagues.

[Isn’t there a high possibility that Murakami will declare his intention to play in Major League Baseball after this season ends?]

[That’s right. He has already achieved 100 wins in Japanese professional baseball, and Major League Baseball scouts are watching him closely.]

[Perhaps he is targeting Jung Ha-sung to gain a more advantageous position in contract negotiations.]

[That’s a valid point, but isn’t it too risky a strategy?]

[Actually, there is almost no risk involved.]

[Why?]

[Jung Ha-sung is already considered the best player in Major League Baseball history. Even if he provokes such a player and doesn’t achieve any remarkable results, people will just dismiss it.]

[Ah~ you mean they don’t expect anything from him in the first place?]

[That’s right. On the other hand, if Murakami has good head-to-head results against Jung Ha-sung, it will become a major talking point.]

[I think that’s definitely the case.]

It was the most convincing analysis.

– If this is true, Murakami is playing it smart.

– Yeah, he used a similar tactic when he first debuted in Japan.

└ Really?

└└ Back then, he provoked Hiroshi, who was a legendary hitter in Japan, and actually struck him out three times in a row.

└└└ The reaction in Japan was huge at the time.

└└└└ I guess he hasn’t forgotten that.

– Now that Ha-sung has become the best in the world, a lot of flies are gathering around him.

– I think it will be like this more often in the future.