Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 74

Mound Villain – Episode 74

2003.

Eric Gagne, then with the LA Dodgers, was racking up saves at an incredible pace.

His ability to strike out batters with fastballs approaching 100 mph was formidable.

His performance drew tremendous acclaim from the media and baseball fans alike.

It wasn’t just the high number of saves he was accumulating.

[Jung Ha-sung is just one out away from his 52nd save of the season!]

[It’s almost tiresome to say it every day, but it’s truly remarkable. Jung Ha-sung is currently the only player in both leagues with 50 or more saves, and he has zero blown saves.]

What the media and the public raved about regarding Eric Gagne was his lack of blown saves.

A blown save was a mark of dishonor for a closer.

It meant that the player responsible for ending the game had failed to do so and had given the game away.

Thwack-!

“Strike!!”

[That’s strike one! He gets the batter off balance with a changeup instead of a fastball!]

[That was a very clever pitch. The batter, expecting a fastball, couldn’t even swing.]

Eric Gagne recorded 55 saves without a single blown save.

His perfect record in closing out games earned him a place alongside Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera as one of the three greatest closers.

Moreover, Eric Gagne was only 27 years old at the time, which heightened fans’ expectations even further.

The media responded to these expectations by churning out articles, which in turn drew even more fans.

Clang!!

[It’s hit! But the ball goes high! The shortstop catches it almost on the spot!]

“Out!”

[That’s the third out, and Jung Ha-sung achieves his 52nd save of the season!!]

And that same performance was being mirrored by Ha-sung in 2009.

* * *

As media and public interest intensified, major broadcasting networks began to focus on Ha-sung.

[Let’s take a look at the American League Cy Young Award candidates who are generating a lot of buzz.]

ESPN even created a special program to provide in-depth analysis of Ha-sung and the other Cy Young contenders.

[The top candidate for the Cy Young Award right now is undoubtedly this player, right?]

Ha-sung’s profile appeared prominently on the screen.

[That’s Jung Ha-sung, “The End” of the Oakland Athletics. He’s having an incredible season, even though it’s his first full season in the major leagues.]

[He has only allowed 2 runs while recording 1 win and 52 saves.]

[He’s simply untouchable. When he takes the mound, it’s game over! The end!]

[His pitching is reminiscent of Eric Gagne back in the day.]

Eric Gagne was always mentioned alongside Ha-sung.

This was because Eric Gagne’s performance back then was a sensation in itself.

[Isn’t it highly likely that Jung Ha-sung will break Francisco Rodriguez’s record of 62 saves from the 2008 season this year?]

[If he gets enough save opportunities, it’s almost certain he’ll break the record.]

[Some are even saying that if he breaks this record, he’ll definitely be the first closer to win the Cy Young Award since 2003.]

[In fact, if the season ended right now, Jung Ha-sung would win the Cy Young Award. His performance is that overwhelming.]

In 53 games, Ha-sung’s ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of runs allowed per game] was in the 0.00s.

He was recording even better stats than Eric Gagne did during his sensational run.

[Zack Greinke is also performing incredibly well, but Jung Ha-sung’s current stats are simply unbelievable.]

The panelists showered Ha-sung with praise.

The discussion revolved around Ha-sung throughout the program.

That’s how much of a central figure Ha-sung was in the American sports scene.

And this phenomenon grew with each save that Ha-sung added.

* * *

[Jung Ha-sung of the Oakland Athletics records his 53rd save of the season.]

[Let’s take a look at the highlights.]

[Jung Ha-sung has achieved his 53rd save, setting a new record…]

Ha-sung continued to break records.

Each time, the media and various social media platforms were plastered with his name.

-The End is amazing.

-His pitching today was perfect too.

-And he’s a rookie.

-If he keeps racking up saves with these kinds of stats, he’s going to have a legendary season.

-He’s going to break all the major league records.

-Is Rivera currently number one?

-Isn’t it Hoffman?

-Who cares? If he gets 50 or more saves a year, he’ll catch up soon enough.

-Plus, he’s only 19 years old, lol [laughing out loud].

-Isn’t he 20 now?

-Anyway, the important thing is that he’s super young.

Ha-sung’s biggest advantage was his youth.

Being young meant that he could continue to build on his current performance in the future.

It seemed like only a matter of time before he broke major league records.

This reaction in the United States caused a stir in Korea as well.

[Jung Ha-sung surpasses Zack Greinke to take first place in ESPN’s Cy Young Award prediction poll!]

[Major League Baseball experts believe that Jung Ha-sung will win the Cy Young Award if the season ends now!]

[Will he be able to achieve an ERA in the 0.00s, a feat only accomplished by one other player in Major League history?]

[Will he be able to win both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards for the first time in 28 years?]

The Korean media churned out articles about Ha-sung.

Netizens [internet citizens] who read the articles couldn’t help but be amazed.

-How many records is he breaking?

-Lowest ERA of all time, most saves in a season, ROY [Rookie of the Year], CY [Cy Young] simultaneous awards?

-What exactly is Taeil High, which produced such a player… what is that place?!

-I heard rumors that the baseball team there is going to close down?

-Really?

-Yeah. Now that Jung Ha-sung is popular, parents aren’t sending their kids there, lol.

-lol, is a prestigious baseball high school going to disappear like this?

-It’s not confirmed, lol.

-Didn’t the national team’s technical director say last year that Jung Ha-sung wasn’t even on the candidate list?

-lololol, that’s hilarious.

-The greatness of the Korean national team, where even a major league player with a 0.00 ERA can’t play…

Along with these reactions, posts from Koreans living in the United States were also added.

-I live in New York, and the reaction to Jung Ha-sung is no joke.

-For real?

-Yeah. Everyone at my company talks to me about Jung Ha-sung.

-I live in LA, and it’s the same here.

-In Chicago, I’m hearing so much about Jung Ha-sung that my ears hurt.

-Should I just say, “Do you know Ha-sung Jung?”

His popularity soared so high that Ha-sung’s name frequently appeared in real-time search rankings on portal sites.

And this interest directly translated into the advertising industry.

“Jung Ha-sung? I’m sorry, but not yet… Yes? Who is this? Ohsung Electronics? Um… I’ll check and get back to you soon. Yes!”

CEO Kim Hye-ryung hung up the phone and sighed.

“Ugh… I’m going crazy, really!”

“Don’t tell me Ohsung Electronics called this time?”

“Yeah. G.D called before, and now it’s Ohsung. If we can get a contract with them, it’ll be a huge success.”

“At this point, shouldn’t we contact Jung Ha-sung? We’re getting hundreds of advertising inquiries a day. Not just small and medium-sized businesses, but also large corporations want Jung Ha-sung now.”

“Don’t you think I know that? The problem is that this is a crucial time, so we can’t contact him.”

“I guess so…”

Ha-sung is running towards breaking a major league record.

Kim Hye-ryung was worried that contact from her side might disrupt his focus.

As a result, she couldn’t contact Ha-sung even when advertising inquiries came in.

It might seem like an excessive worry, but Kim Hye-ryung knew how sensitive an athlete’s mentality could be.

“If this becomes an excuse, we could lose the big fish that is Jung Ha-sung. The only option is for us to do our best to secure the contract…”

Just then.

Buzzz!!

A phone call came in.

Kim Hye-ryung quickly answered the phone after checking the number.

“Yes! Ha-sung!!”

It was Ha-sung who had called.

* * *

Ha-sung was in his hotel, drinking a beverage and looking out the window as he talked on the phone.

“Yes, please compile a list of the major corporations that have proposed advertisements and send it to me for review.”

[Are you sure you’re okay with that? Maybe after the season ends…]

“Thank you for your concern, but I can handle that much.”

[Okay! Then I’ll organize the list and send it to you today!]

“Yes.”

After hanging up, Ha-sung knew that his prediction was correct.

“This person is good at their job. They didn’t contact me because they were thinking about my condition.”

He liked that they prioritized him over making money.

Of course, there might be other motives behind it, but there were many places that couldn’t even uphold that much.

That’s why he liked Kim Hye-ryung’s actions even more.

“I’m going to be quite busy when I go back to Korea after the season ends.”

It seemed like it would be a busier off-season than last year.

“But my bank account will be full, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

The fact that major corporations were jumping in meant that his value was increasing.

His salary itself couldn’t increase, but the side income alone would be enough.

“I need to keep doing well to maintain this value. Above all, breaking the saves record is the priority.”

He had 53 saves so far.

Only 9 saves remained to tie the single-season record of 62 saves.

* * *

As September arrived, another change began to occur in Major League Baseball.

[The Major League Baseball expanded roster is now in effect. This is a time for each team to bring up prospects and test them out.]

[That’s right. Our Jung Ha-sung also debuted in the big leagues through the expanded roster last year.]

The expanded roster began to be implemented.

The dugout was more crowded than ever with players.

The Athletics also called up a large number of players from the minor leagues, creating breathing room in the operation of the team.

‘This will give us some leeway in the rotation of players.’

As the end of the season approached, the starting players began to accumulate fatigue.

Chris’s worries deepened as the number of players playing with injuries increased.

In this situation, the expanded roster created a breather for the team’s operation.

‘All the players are exhausted…’

At that moment, a player ran across the field.

The stands erupted as that player appeared.

“Waaaaaah!!”

“It’s The End!!”

“Let’s end the game today too!!”

It was none other than Ha-sung.

He took the mound in the 9th inning with the team leading 3-1 by 2 points.

Chris shook his head as he watched him practice his pitches.

‘For a rookie, he doesn’t seem to be losing any stamina. He’s really amazing.’

He couldn’t help but be impressed.

Ha-sung’s performance was so overwhelming that it could only be described as such.

And that was the case again today.

Thwack-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout!! He strikes out the third batter with three pitches, securing the team’s victory once again! With that, Jung Ha-sung achieves his 54th save of the season!]

[He’s now only 8 saves away from the Major League Baseball single-season record!]

Ha-sung began to pick up speed towards the Major League record.

* * *

Clang!!

[The ball flies high!! The center fielder retreats and spots the location!! The center fielder stops running! Catches the ball safely! Game set!]

[Jung Ha-sung achieves his 55th save of the season, achieving saves for two consecutive days! Truly amazing!]

7 more to break the record.

Clang!!

[A well-hit ball!! The shortstop dives to catch the ball! A great catch! And immediately throws the ball to first base!]

Thud!!

“Out!!”

[The third out is recorded! Jung Ha-sung’s 56th save is recorded!!]

6 more to break the record.

Bang-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung strikes out the batter after a 7-pitch battle! Following his 57th save the previous day, he records his 58th save!]

With 20 games remaining, Ha-sung was only 4 saves away from tying the record.

[Ah-! Jung Ha-sung! If he keeps this up, it’s almost certain that he’ll break the record soon!]

Everyone was confident that Ha-sung would break the record.

However, from that day on, Ha-sung was unable to pitch for 6 consecutive games.

[Jung Ha-sung disappears from the mound! No save opportunities!!]

[On standby for 6 games. Ha-sung is not getting opportunities.]

[The Athletics have only 14 games left. Will breaking the record become a pipe dream?]

Breaking the record was put on hold.