Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 69

Mound Villain – Episode 69

The MVP of the All-Star Game went to Carl Crawford.

His play, catching what would have been a home run, more than justified his MVP title.

“Haa… it’s over.”

Ha-sung sighed, the All-Star Game, that big event, now finished.

‘Now, all that’s left is the second half of the season.’

The All-Star Game signaled the end of the first half.

With the second half, the real race begins.

‘What’s important to me is my save record.’

Ha-sung was more concerned with his personal record than the team’s overall performance.

Although the Athletics were his team, he didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging. He’d learned how cruel teams could be.

‘They’ll get rid of me as soon as they don’t need me. It’s best to prioritize my own performance.’

You could call it selfish.

But that was Ha-sung’s mindset, and he wasn’t about to change it.

Just then, a news report summarizing the upcoming second half of the Major League season was on TV.

[Let’s also take a look at individual records. We’ve narrowed down the candidates for the Cy Young Award race through online voting.]

Three players appeared on the screen.

[First, let’s look at the American League. Zack Greinke was voted number one.]

Greinke’s detailed stats were listed.

The panelists showered him with praise. Greinke was indeed having an incredible season.

But the competition was fierce.

[The second candidate is Jung Ha-sung. Ah-! This player is truly amazing.]

Ha-sung was mentioned second.

[There are many ways to describe him, but even if we used them all, it wouldn’t be enough to express how incredible he is.]

[He set a new Major League record by recording 40 saves in the first half alone.]

[His overall record is 1 win, 40 saves, and only 1 earned run allowed in 41.2 innings pitched. An ERA of 0.2 is just unbelievable.]

[If he maintains this performance in the second half, we might see a closer win the Cy Young Award for the first time in a long time.]

Ha-sung was posting dominant numbers across the board, including both traditional and sabermetric [statistical analysis of baseball] stats.

The main reason he was ranked second in the Cy Young Award race was this:

[If Jung Ha-sung were a starter, wouldn’t he be leading the Cy Young race?]

[That’s right. If he were a rookie starting pitcher, this discussion would be pointless.]

The closer position was holding him back.

Major League Baseball traditionally gives more weight to starting pitchers than relievers.

As a result, Greinke was receiving higher ratings than Ha-sung, despite Ha-sung’s overwhelming performance.

[What stats does Jung Ha-sung need to improve to win the Cy Young Award?]

[If he maintains his current stats and breaks the record for most saves, his chances will increase significantly.]

[Currently, the Major League record for most saves in a season is 62, set by Francisco Rodriguez in 2008.]

[Jung Ha-sung also broke Rodriguez’s record of 38 saves in the first half, which was set previously.]

Last year, Rodriguez broke the record for most saves in a season.

Until he reached 38 saves in the first half, there was speculation that he might exceed 70.

However, he only achieved 22 saves in the second half, reflecting the team’s performance, and finished with 62.

[A closer’s record fluctuates depending on the team’s situation, so it’s still uncertain what kind of record Jung Ha-sung will achieve.]

[But we should see him leading the Rookie of the Year race, right?]

[That’s right.]

As Ha-sung’s name was mentioned, the conversation naturally shifted to the Rookie of the Year race.

Ha-sung chuckled as he watched.

“Of course, I’m leading the race. How much will my value go up if I win both the Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award?”

His salary would be the minimum anyway.

But beyond that, his value in the advertising industry would skyrocket.

“Especially in Korea, my value will easily exceed my expectations.”

Signing only a one-year contract last year, rather than a long-term deal, was a stroke of genius.

Of course, there were risks.

But Ha-sung believed in himself and was being rewarded for it.

“Is there anything you need?”

As he was pondering his next move, a flight attendant approached him.

“A glass of champagne, please.”

“What kind…?”

“Something decent. Something sparkling.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The flight attendant walked away and returned with a glass of champagne.

Tucked behind the champagne glass was a small piece of paper.

Ha-sung chuckled when he unfolded the paper and saw a phone number written on it.

‘How long has it been since I last did that?’

Ha-sung was suddenly reminded of his difficult past.

He put the paper with the number in his pocket and took a sip of champagne.

* * *

Late at night.

Chris was still in his office.

“Hoo… I’m tired.”

On the monitor, he was looking at a window displaying player data.

He was using various sabermetric stats to assess the players’ contributions to the team.

“To maintain the same performance in the second half, we need to acquire more resources.”

He knew the second half would be more challenging than the first.

The heat and increased competition would take their toll, causing the players’ stamina and skills to decline.

The Athletics, with their many rookies, were likely to be more affected.

“The closer is perfect. No need to touch him. The problem is still Bailey.”

Andrew Bailey was having a good season.

He was a reliable presence in the bullpen, to the point where he would have been the closer if Ha-sung hadn’t been there.

Although overshadowed by Ha-sung, Bailey was also performing at a Rookie of the Year caliber.

‘Even if we go with this lineup this year, next year will be a problem.’

Chris had never been a general manager who placed much faith in the bullpen.

That’s why he didn’t like having two closer-level pitchers in the bullpen.

‘The best thing to do would be to convert one of them to a starter next year…’

Unlike the strong bullpen, there were still openings in the starting rotation.

If one of them could transition to a starter, it would be ideal.

Of course, there were risks.

They might not adapt due to the differences between starting and closing.

But if it succeeded, the benefits would be significant.

‘If Ha-sung can transition to a starter and maintain his current pitching… we’ll have a super-ace level starter.’

Even setting aside the immediate benefits to the team, his trade value would be immense.

“Hoo… I’ll have to think about this next year.” Chris shook his head and continued planning for the second half of the season.

* * *

Interleague play continued after the All-Star Game.

American League and National League teams faced off, leading to more frequent encounters with new players.

This was a great opportunity for Ha-sung.

Pow-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! National League hitters are helpless against Jung Ha-sung’s deceptive fastball!]

Few hitters can adjust to Ha-sung’s fastball, which has a unique vertical movement, on their first try.

Of course, not all of them.

Clang-!!

[He hit it!! And the ball is going, going, gone! Over the fence!!]

He gave up an unexpected home run to Pujols, whom he had met at the All-Star Game.

‘Damn it… that old man.’

Ha-sung sighed as he watched Pujols round second base.

‘He only saw it once at the All-Star Game and he’s already hitting it.’

It had been a while since he’d faced a hitter who could read his pitches so quickly.

As expected, the top hitters in the Major League were a challenge.

‘I can’t help it.’

He gave up a run, but the score was still in his favor.

Giving up runs is part of baseball.

It was a miracle he hadn’t given up any until now.

‘There’s no way I’m going to blow this save.’

Ha-sung refocused and faced the next batters.

* * *

[Jung Ha-sung earns his 41st save of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals!]

[He allowed a solo home run to Albert Pujols, the National League’s home run leader, but he secured the win!]

[Ha-sung gives up a home run in his seventh game of the second half! But he cleanly handles the remaining batters!]

Ha-sung giving up a home run was a significant event.

It was unusual for a pitcher who rarely allowed runs.

-Pujols is inevitable.

-Everyone has to face Pujols this season.

-Isn’t Pujols the MVP frontrunner this season?

-He’ll be MVP unless he completely falls apart in the second half.

The fans didn’t seem overly concerned about the home run against Pujols.

Ha-sung laughed wryly at the reaction, as if it were expected.

“No, I gave up a home run, and that’s the reaction?”

But when he thought about it, it made sense.

“Well, I guess it’s understandable, considering who hit it. Still, it stings.”

It was the second run he had allowed in 42.2 innings pitched.

Even this was an amazing record, but giving up a run via a home run still bothered him.

“The faster the ball, the farther it flies when hit.”

Hitters with high bat speeds surprisingly have a high home run rate.

The reason is, ironically, the ball’s velocity.

The strong impact means that well-hit balls often travel to the outfield.

“Well, I can’t avoid giving up runs entirely. The important thing is I got the save.”

He achieved his 41st save of the season.

He was getting closer to the new record with each step.

Woo-oong!

Then Ha-sung’s smartphone rang.

Ha-sung checked the number and answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Jung Ha-sung.”

[This is Isabel.]

“I know. What’s up?”

[You’re still so formal. Anyway, I have an advertising offer for you.]

By signing with J&J Agency, he had delegated his advertising affairs.

Of course, Korea was excluded to avoid conflicts.

“I thought we agreed to decline most ads during the season.”

[I was going to, but the other party is a major company.]

“Who is it?”

[Vigor, a sports brand, has requested a model contract.]

Ha-sung’s eyes lit up.

* * *

The global sports market is enormous.

Naturally, a lot of money changes hands, and many companies compete to dominate the market.

Vigor was the leading sports brand in this market.

From soccer to basketball, baseball, American football, and all kinds of sports, they promoted themselves through sponsorships and generated huge profits.

‘It’s said that players who haven’t signed a contract with Vigor can’t truly represent the sport.’

Vigor often sponsored groups as well as individual players.

They particularly focused on popular sports and engaged in various marketing activities.

The same was true for Major League Baseball.

Although they weren’t the main sponsor, they promoted themselves by paying substantial sums to players.

“It’s very rare for Vigor to contact us first.”

Ha-sung asked after Isabel’s explanation.

“Isn’t the contract process usually different?”

“Typically, we send a sponsorship proposal, Vigor reviews it, and then they contact us.”

“Are there many cases where they contact us without a proposal?”

“As far as I know, not many. Unless they’re players who are icons of Major League Baseball. It’s extremely rare for a rookie to receive such an offer directly.”

Vigor is a massive company.

And as such, they are very selective about the models they choose.

The fact that the proposal came first meant that Ha-sung met their criteria.

Ding-!

Soon the elevator stopped, and the two arrived at the sky lounge.