Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 56

The locker room is a space reserved for the players.

It’s a place to relax and foster teamwork by spending time with teammates.

Strangers appeared in this sanctuary.

But the players weren’t shaken.

They’d already been briefed by the manager.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Charles from KTVU [a local television station]. I’ll be filming you for the next three days, so please bear with me.”

“Oh! Charles, it’s been a while.”

Giambi, currently the veteran of the locker room, shook hands with Charles.

“Giambi! How does it feel to be back with your home team after so long?”

“It feels great. It’s like coming home, I guess.”

The interview initially focused on Giambi, the Athletics’ franchise star.

The other players watched with nervous expressions.

“We’ll get interviewed too, right?”

“Of course, we will.”

“We must be doing well these days. They’re even doing a feature on us.”

“We’re in first place in the division. It’s only natural!”

The Athletics were a young team.

Most of the players were young and relatively inexperienced.

So, this attention was amazing to them.

But there was always someone to spoil the mood.

“You guys are really showing your inexperience with interviews.”

The one who dampened their enthusiasm was Matt Holliday.

The players’ excitement cooled at his words.

“It’s just a local broadcasting station anyway. No need to be nervous. Back when I was interviewed by ESPN [a major sports network], they had multiple cameras like this.”

Matt Holliday shared his experiences.

Watching him, Ha-sung frowned.

In fact, this type of person was common.

Those who try to be the center of attention in every situation.

To achieve that, they didn’t hesitate to put down those around them.

‘Tsk, I don’t like him.’

Matt Holliday’s attitude wasn’t new.

The Athletics’ locker room currently lacked a true clubhouse leader.

It might seem strange that there’s no leader when there’s a veteran like Giambi.

This is because Major League Baseball is organized based on skill rather than seniority.

Giambi definitely had a distinguished career.

But his current performance wasn’t strong enough to command the clubhouse.

‘Thanks to that, Holliday can run wild even more.’

Ha-sung quickly tuned him out.

It wasn’t anything new, and he wasn’t personally affected.

“Matt, can we get an interview?”

“Haha! Of course.”

Ha-sung turned his head, watching him being interviewed.

* * *

Each team’s analysis of Ha-sung was progressing rapidly.

It was only natural since he was a top-level closer in Major League Baseball.

But when Ha-sung added a changeup to his repertoire, all that analysis became less useful.

Thwack-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung perfectly disrupts the batter’s timing by throwing a fastball after the changeup!]

[Jung Ha-sung’s pitching has become much more effective since he added the changeup.]

The addition of the changeup forces hitters to consider more possibilities.

It’s just one pitch, but the number of potential scenarios increases exponentially.

As their minds became more complicated, their timing inevitably slowed down.

Clang!!

[He hit it! But it’s a high fly ball! The center fielder catches it, and the game ends! Jung Ha-sung earns his 14th save of the season!!]

Adding the changeup was like giving Ha-sung wings.

With his 14th save, he firmly maintained his position as the league leader in Major League Baseball.

Broadcasting stations couldn’t ignore Ha-sung.

“Jung Ha-sung, congratulations on your 14th save. What are your thoughts?”

At Charles’ question, Ha-sung looked at the camera and said matter-of-factly.

“I don’t feel much difference between the 13th and 14th.”

“So, it was just routine?”

“Yes. Because finishing the game is the most important thing.”

Charles smiled, amused by Ha-sung’s nonchalant answer.

‘If it were other guys, they would brag or be humble. This guy is unique.’

He was an interesting character from the broadcasting station’s point of view.

And they liked this type.

Because there was a lot of material to broadcast.

The interview naturally became longer.

“Your popularity is growing day by day in Oakland. Do you have anything to say to the fans?”

“My pitches look even better at the stadium, so please come to the stadium. If you come early, you can get my autograph.”

“Puhaha! Is that what you want to say?”

“The team’s finances are tough these days.”

His answer was funny.

He didn’t even seem like a rookie.

Charles fired off questions and captured Ha-sung’s reactions on camera.

* * *

As Ha-sung’s performance continued, Isabel of J&J Agency became impatient.

“Ugh! I should have gotten him to sign last time!”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Who else could it be? It’s obviously Jung Ha-sung.”

“Ah! That super rookie? His performance is amazing these days, isn’t it?”

“That’s why I’m so annoyed!”

“I know, why didn’t you get him to sign earlier? Is there anyone who can resist your charm?”

Isabel’s face contorted at her colleague Tom’s words.

“What’s the intention of your words? Are you implying that I use my looks to get players to sign contracts?”

“Hey, don’t misunderstand. I’m just saying that if a contract is difficult, there are… other methods.”

“If you say one more word like that, I’ll report you to HR [Human Resources].”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Isabel sighed, watching Tom scurry away.

“Haa… damn bastard!”

Just then, her smartphone rang, and a call came in.

Isabel quickly answered the phone after checking the number.

“Yes, Ha-sung!”

[I’m going to LA for an away game tomorrow. Can we meet up for a bit?]

“Of… of course!”

[There’s a restaurant in the sky lounge of the hotel I’m staying at. Let’s meet there.]

“Okay! Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Isabel clenched her fist after hanging up the phone.

‘I won’t miss him this time!’

* * *

LA was a region with a large Korean immigrant population.

Because of this, when Korean major leaguers played in LA in the past, they received support as if they were playing in Korea.

The large Korean population also meant a variety of Korean food, making it a comfortable place to live.

‘Should I transfer to the LA Dodgers later?’

Ha-sung thought while looking down at LA from the hotel.

‘No, California is not the place to be, considering the taxes. It’s better to go somewhere else. Anyway, the Korean wave [Hallyu] will be the trend after some time.’

In the future, the Korean wave would become a global phenomenon.

Thanks to this, it would be easy to find Korean food anywhere in North America, such as the United States or Canada.

‘Anyway, let’s take care of one thing.’

Ha-sung left his room and got on the elevator.

‘I need to meet Isabel and finalize the contract. I also need to take care of the tax issues now.’

Ha-sung had decided to sign with J&J.

He had considered signing with Boras Corporation [a powerful sports agency], but Ha-sung’s choice was J&J.

‘If I want to promote myself not only in the United States but also in other areas, it’s right to work with the global J&J.’

Boras Corporation definitely had its advantages.

But he judged that J&J could do what they did just as well.

When he arrived at the sky lounge, an employee approached and guided him.

The location was a private room, suitable for discussing contracts.

Isabel, dressed in a white suit, was sitting inside.

“It’s been a while.”

Ha-sung also greeted her politely, shaking the hand she offered with a bright smile.

“Thank you for coming.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you for contacting me first. I was waiting for you to contact me.”

After exchanging simple greetings, they sat down.

“Would you like to have a simple meal?”

“Let’s go with the course menu.”

“Are you sure? You have a game to play tonight.”

“Eating this much won’t affect my game.”

“Okay.”

As the waiter who received the order closed the door and left, Isabel began.

“I’ve been watching your recent performances. You’re very impressive.”

“You’ll be able to see even more impressive performances in the future.”

“If you maintain your current performance, you’ll definitely be remembered in Major League Baseball history.”

“That’s the plan. Enough with the flattery. Even though I’m performing like this, are there no changes to the contract terms?”

Ha-sung had decided to sign with J&J.

But he had no intention of signing willingly.

He was going to get as much as he could.

It was an action that could only come from knowing exactly that he was in a position of power.

“Is there anything you want?”

“Let’s adjust the commission rate and exclude the commission for tax processing.”

“That’s…”

Adjusting the commission rate is not an easy task.

The agency’s main source of income was the commission on the money the player received when signing a contract.

Adjusting that rate was a significant concession.

As Isabel hesitated, Ha-sung pressed her.

“Why? Is it a difficult decision?”

“Well, it’s hard for me to decide alone…”

“Then I’ll give you time.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Of course, no one knows what will happen in the meantime.”

With that, Ha-sung’s gaze turned to the window.

Something flashed through Isabel’s mind at that moment.

‘If we’re aiming for him, Boras will be aiming for him too.’

Boras Corporation is based in LA.

Why did he insist on meeting here?

There are plenty of other places.

But Ha-sung specifically contacted her when he came to LA for an away game.

‘I’ve felt it before, but this man… is not ordinary.’

If things go wrong with her, Ha-sung will go to Boras Corporation.

As that thought dominated her mind, she couldn’t ask for time.

Isabel immediately picked up her smartphone and said.

“Give me 10 minutes.”

“Well, I can wait that long while eating.”

“Thank you.”

Isabel left the room and made a phone call.

Ha-sung smiled, watching her actions.

“I’m glad she’s a quick-witted woman.”

His demands would be accepted.

His value was higher now than ever before.

‘You’ll bitterly regret this, but that’s none of my business.’

Then the door opened, and the waiter came in with the food.

“Where’s your partner…?”

“She went to make a phone call. Please set it up.”

“Understood.”

Delicious-looking dishes were set before him.

Ha-sung ate them while waiting for Isabel to return.

* * *

In the three-game series against the Angels, Ha-sung appeared in the last game and added one save.

[Super Rookie Jung Ha-sung Achieves 15th Save of the Season!]

[Achieves Save Record in 15 Consecutive Games! Only 6 Games Away from the Major League Record!]

[If He Continues at the Current Pace, He Could Record More Than 60 Saves by the End of the Season!]

[Jung Ha-sung Challenges the All-Time Major League Save Record!]

Articles about Ha-sung were consistently full of praise.

And most of the articles focused on the game results.

But today was a little different.

[Oakland Athletics’ Jung Ha-sung Signs Contract with Global Agency J&J Agency!]

[Jung Ha-sung Prepares for Next Step by Signing with Global Agency!]

The news of the contract signing with J&J Agency was reported in Korea.