Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 28

Chris focused intently on the pitcher’s mound.

‘He’s only been up for two weeks, but Ha-seong has become our most reliable player.’

His skills and composure were remarkable for a rookie.

‘But today might be different. A nationwide debut brings a unique kind of pressure. Can he handle it like he has before?’

A nationwide debut is a significant moment for any player.

It’s a chance to make a name for themselves across the country and become a true star.

That’s why players often get tense.

When you’re tense, it’s hard to pitch or bat effectively.

That’s why players sometimes underperform in crucial games.

‘If he does well here…’

Just then, Ha-seong took a slide step.

And delivered his first pitch.

The ball flew across the plate and slammed into the catcher’s mitt.

Thwack-!!

The impact was loud, a testament to the ball’s incredible speed.

Chris immediately glanced at the electronic scoreboard.

‘100 miles…’

Chris rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be seeing things.

He looked again.

The board still read 100 miles.

‘He threw 100 miles…?’

Reaching 100 miles per hour isn’t unheard of.

Major League pitchers are throwing harder and harder these days.

This is thanks to advances in sports science and the use of sophisticated training equipment.

Improved nutrition has also led to significant gains in players’ physical development.

Many minor leaguers can throw 100 mph.

But they often struggle to control their pitches well enough to be effective in major league games.

But Ha-seong’s pitch was perfect.

And furthermore…

‘He threw 100 miles from the set position?’

Typically, pitchers lose some velocity when pitching from the set position [a pitching stance used when runners are on base].

But Ha-seong’s pitch was actually faster from the set.

‘He won’t be able to keep that up.’

Chris’s prediction proved accurate.

Clack-!!

“Foul!!”

The second pitch clocked in at 96 miles per hour.

Youkilis swung hard, but his timing was off, likely still thinking about the first pitch.

‘The speed’s down a bit, but one thing’s clear.’

Watching Ha-seong on the mound, Chris felt certain.

‘Ha-seong has the natural ability to throw over 100 miles.’

Reaching 100 mph isn’t just about mechanics.

You need the right physical gifts.

Ha-seong’s ability to throw 100 mph now means he has the fundamental requirements.

‘If he can harness that…’

At that moment, Ha-seong threw his third pitch.

Whoosh-!!

Whoosh-!!

Youkilis swung violently.

For a moment, it looked like the ball and bat would collide.

But then the ball suddenly changed direction, darting away from the left-handed hitter.

Swish-!

At the last instant, Youkilis opened his stance, creating space.

He tried to adjust his swing to meet the incoming ball, keeping his arm close to his body.

Then something incredible happened.

Whirr!!

The ball moved again, completely escaping the path of the bat.

The two trajectories diverged, and the ball landed squarely in the catcher’s mitt.

Thwack!

Whoosh!!

As Youkilis’s bat swung weakly, the umpire signaled.

“Swing! Strike! Out!!”

Chris pumped his fist.

Ha-seong had more than one trick up his sleeve.

The pitch he’d just thrown was a high-speed slider [a type of pitch that breaks sharply to the side].

It curved even more dramatically than a cutter [a fastball with a slight horizontal break].

‘He’s going to be a huge star.’

* * *

Kevin Youkilis walked away from the plate in frustration.

“Ah-! What was that?”

“Why are you swinging at pitches like that?”

“How can a guy like that bat .300 in the majors?”

The Korean reporters in the press box voiced their disappointment.

Kang Da-bin, overhearing them, said quietly.

“Ugh! It’s disgusting; how can fellow Koreans react like that?”

“To them, Ha-seong is the enemy right now.”

“Sigh… Old geezers should age gracefully… Ah, except for you, senior. You’ve aged gracefully! Yes, you have!”

“You’re so pretty, but you act like one of the guys.”

“Hey, you shouldn’t judge people by their faces. I’ve always been like this, what can I do?”

“That’s true.”

Both turned their attention back to the monitor.

“Senior, what if…”

“Yeah?”

“What if Jung Ha-seong strikes out the entire Red Sox lineup?”

“Hmm, that would be a pretty big deal.”

“Then those guys’ high noses will be crushed [a Korean expression meaning they’ll be humbled].”

Dabin’s point was valid.

Ha-seong had been performing well.

But since he was still new, the editors hadn’t been giving him much coverage.

‘The reason articles are pouring out every day is because there’s not enough supply.’

The scarcity of Korean major leaguers meant there was a high demand for news about them.

That’s why articles were flooding the media.

In other words, they had to keep writing articles, but it wasn’t something they were truly invested in.

‘But what if he dominates the Red Sox lineup here? Doubts about Ha-seong’s skills will vanish. To the point where the editors will start pressuring them.’

The public’s interest would surge, and the editors would push the reporters to deliver.

In short, it would become harder to publish the kind of malicious, tabloid-style articles they’d been writing.

‘It would be nice to crush the noses of those proud people.’

For that to happen, Ha-seong had to put on a show.

The best outcome would be a three-man strikeout.

If he could achieve that, the reporters wouldn’t act the way they were now.

Baek Jun-ki couldn’t take his eyes off the monitor, eager to see what would happen.

* * *

[Jung Ha-seong, who struck out the first hitter, Youkilis, with three pitches, showed an aggressive approach despite being a rookie.]

[The first and second pitches were fastballs, but he threw a breaking ball on the third pitch, catching Youkilis off guard.]

[The change in the breaking ball was significant, right?]

[Yes. Above all, the speed was so high that even Youkilis would have had difficulty handling it.]

[Jung Ha-seong, having gained the upper hand with that good start, now faces the second hitter.]

The second hitter was Dustin Pedroia.

He also had a batting average over .300 and a slugging percentage over .500.

It was a low .500 compared to Youkilis, but if he got a hit, it was likely to be a long one.

[Dustin Pedroia has a batting average of .327 with runners on base, which is higher than when there are no runners.]

[That means he’s a player who doesn’t miss opportunities.]

Pedroia stepped up to the plate.

Anyone who followed the major leagues knew he was a dangerous hitter.

But Ha-seong was unfazed.

[Jung Ha-seong throws the first pitch.]

Whoosh-!

Clack!!

“Foul!!”

[First pitch is a foul. 94-mile fastball, the trajectory curved at the end. Should we call it a cutter?]

[Yes. I think we should.]

[He’s throwing well right from the start.]

[Jung Ha-seong, who doesn’t have much data available, has often used cutters as a finishing pitch since being called up.]

[I see. He throws the second pitch.]

Whoosh-!

Thwack!

“Strike!!”

[The second pitch is perfectly placed on the low outside corner.]

[A very good pitch. Speed, power, and control. It was a perfect pitch with all three elements.]

[Jung Ha-seong has a favorable count. What kind of pitch will he throw on the third pitch? He throws the third pitch from the set position!]

Whoosh-!!

Whoosh!!

Thwack!!

“Strike!! Batter out!!”

[Three-pitch strikeout!! Pedroia swings and misses at the breaking ball!]

[Jung Ha-seong gets consecutive three-pitch strikeouts against two of the Red Sox’s key hitters! It’s truly amazing!]

The commentators and broadcasters erupted in admiration.

That’s how impressive and aggressive Ha-seong’s pitching was.

As Ha-seong’s performance soared, the faces of the reporters in the press box soured.

“Pfft, you’d think they’d been chewing on poop.”

Baek Jun-ki chuckled at Dabin’s comment.

The reporters’ expressions were truly a sight to behold.

‘Two consecutive three-pitch strikeouts. He’s really incredible.’

Striking out two of the major league’s core hitters was amazing enough, but three-pitch strikeouts?

It was simply extraordinary.

But the surprises didn’t stop there.

[Thwack!!]

[Strike!!]

He got a strike on the first pitch against the third hitter.

Followed by a strike on the second pitch as well.

[Whoosh!!]

[Swing! Strike two!!]

He induced a swing with a high-speed slider, earning the second strike.

Baek Jun-ki’s eyes widened.

‘Could it be…?’

If he got one more out here, it would be a three-pitch strikeout.

In that case, he would set a rare record of finishing an inning with just nine pitches.

On top of that, he would also have a record of three consecutive three-pitch strikeouts.

That thought crossed the minds of the other reporters as well.

But no one dared to say it out loud.

They knew all too well what would happen if that record was achieved.

“Th… There’s no way, right?”

A young reporter asked in a trembling voice.

“Tsk! Speak of the devil! Watch your mouth…”

Just as Kang Dong-soo glared at the young reporter and started to speak…

[Thwack-!!]

A ominous sound echoed through the speaker.

And then…

[Strike!! Batter out!!!]

A shadow fell over Kang Dong-soo’s face as the umpire made the call.

“N… No way…”

He was about to deny the unbelievable reality when…

“Kyaaak!! Senior, did you see that?! It’s three consecutive three-pitch strikeouts!!”

Kang Da-bin’s shout reverberated through the press box.

That shout forced Kang Dong-soo to confront the truth.

* * *

Three consecutive three-pitch strikeouts.

In Major League Baseball, it’s called an Immaculate Inning.

There have been 61 such innings in Major League history. Two of them occurred in the 2008 season.

So people thought it would end with 61 records.

But late in the season, the 62nd record was set.

“Jung Ha-seong! You set an immaculate inning record in your rookie season, please tell us your impressions!”

“It’s the 62nd record in Major League history. How do you feel right now?”

“Today, you threw a 100-mile fastball for the first time since being called up to the major leagues. Were you in good condition?”

As expected, he became the center of attention for reporters and broadcasters covering the major leagues.

After the game.

Despite being the Red Sox’s home stadium, the Athletics’ locker room was so packed with reporters that there was barely room to move.

“Whew~ Ha-seong made a good impression, didn’t he?”

“I know, right. I’ll be seeing that guy in the major leagues next year too.”

Ha-seong’s standing rose even among his teammates.

Just then, Ha-seong, who was in the middle of an interview, spotted the Korean reporters and smirked.

The reporters’ faces flushed at the smirk, but no one dared to complain.

In fact, a young reporter held out a recorder, hoping to get an interview with Ha-seong.

“Jung Ha-seong! You are the second Korean to achieve an immaculate inning. Please share your thoughts.”

He was trying to be professional.

He had to get an interview today to save face with his editor.

But Ha-seong ignored him.

At that moment, Baek Jun-ki held out a recorder and asked.

“You are the second Korean to hold this record, after Baek Young-ho of the Colorado Rockies. How do you feel?”

“I feel very good. I respect Baek Young-ho very much, and I’m happy to share this record with him!”

The response was completely different to the same question.

The young reporter’s face burned at being ignored.

But Ha-seong didn’t stop there.

He completely ignored Kang Dong-soo and his group’s questions and continued with the interview.

As a result, the reporters were left high and dry [a Korean idiom meaning left out or ignored].

Nevertheless, they couldn’t leave.

They had to write an article, even if it meant taking notes on other reporters’ interviews.

It was humiliating.

Baek Jun-ki shook his head as he watched them.

* * *

After all the interviews were over.

Just as the reporters were about to leave.

“Ah, those reporters, please come see me for a moment.”

Ha-seong called out Kang Dong-soo and his group.

Baek Jun-ki watched from a distance, puzzled.

“Um… Jung Ha-seong, we were too harsh before…”

A young reporter began, speaking for the group.

But Ha-seong raised his hand, cutting him off.

“You can take your apology and shove it.”

Then he raised his middle finger.

“Wh… What is this!”

“What are you doing?!”

“Isn’t this too much, no matter what?!”

“Is it too much? Are you saying it’s too much just because I raised my middle finger once?”

Ha-seong’s voice turned cold.

“The tabloids you guys spread in Korea. Do you know how much I was cursed because of that, and now you’re saying it’s too much just because I raised my middle finger once!”

The reporters were speechless.

Because it was the truth.

Ha-seong looked at them and smirked, then said.

“Ah, it’s just going to hurt my mouth if I say more. I’ll get straight to the point. I have no intention of giving you any interviews.”

“What did you say…?”

“I won’t interview with you while you’re here. So tell your editors to send other reporters if they want to interview me. Got it?”

“Th… That’s!”

“I’ve said all I have to say. Now, please go back and spread the word about my performance. Reporters. Teachers [a sarcastic term for superiors].”

With those words, Ha-seong turned and walked into the shower room.

Baek Jun-ki shook his head as he looked at the reporters, who were staring after him in shock.

‘He’s really cornered them.’

Ha-seong’s immaculate inning would be the biggest news in Korea for the foreseeable future.

From the editors’ perspective, they would do anything to get an article about him.

But what if he refused to be interviewed?

The editors would replace the reporters to achieve their goal.

‘If they write an article about him raising his middle finger, they’ll face even greater retaliation.’

There was nothing Kang Dong-soo and his group could do.

They would have no choice but to return to Korea.

‘He got his revenge.’

Baek Jun-ki smirked and turned to leave.

And on that day.

In Korea, Ha-seong’s name was on everyone’s lips.

[Oakland’s super rookie Jung Ha-seong! Achieves immaculate inning against the Boston Red Sox’s core lineup!!]