Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 79

Mound Villain – Episode 79

8th inning, bottom.

The Athletics’ offense, which scored a run with Zack’s sacrifice fly, ended there.

With no further runs scored, the Athletics’ choice was obvious.

[Major League’s all-time saves leader, Jung Ha-sung, is coming to the mound!]

With Ha-sung’s appearance, the Oakland Coliseum, the Athletics’ home stadium, began to shake.

“End! End! End!!”

The fans started chanting “End” as if on cue.

[The sight of the Athletics fans enthusiastically chanting “The End,” Jung Ha-sung’s nickname, is truly amazing!]

The local camera seemed impressed by the fans’ reaction, capturing the scene and broadcasting it live.

Soon, the screen changed, showing Ha-sung on the mound.

[Jung Ha-sung is on the mound to make a new record in history!]

Along with Ha-sung’s practice pitches, his stats were displayed at the bottom.

[Jung Ha-sung, in his first full season in the Major League, has appeared in 63 games so far, recording 1 win, 0 losses, and 62 saves. He has not blown a single save in 64.2 innings pitched!]

[He has allowed only 5 runs in 64.2 innings pitched. His ERA is an incredible 0.7!]

[Isn’t Jung Ha-sung likely to become only the second player in history to win both the ROY (Rookie of the Year award), like the KBO’s [Korean Baseball Organization] Rookie of the Year, and the Cy Young Award at the end of the regular season?]

[That’s right. Zack Greinke’s stats, who is his competitor, are definitely amazing, but Jung Ha-sung’s stats will go down in history!]

The Korean commentators were showering Ha-sung with praise, practically spitting as they spoke.

However, this wasn’t just praise because they were of the same nationality.

In fact, the possibility of Ha-sung winning the Cy Young Award was being viewed very highly in the United States as well.

Also, the praise for Ha-sung’s record was being covered more intensively in the United States, and that was being relayed to Korea.

In short, it wasn’t just nationalistic hype.

[Jung Ha-sung! We earnestly hope you pitch as usual in today’s game as well!]

Ha-sung has no blown saves to date.

Pitching as usual was no different from asking him to get a save, not a blown save.

And Ha-sung thought the same.

‘Just do what I always do.’

Manager Tony left the mound, and Ha-sung, left alone, slowly went through his routine.

‘If I get a save in this game, I’ll leave my name in history.’

This is my second life.

I was walking in a completely different direction from my first life.

He had left his mark in the KBO, and now he was trying to leave his mark in the Major League.

‘Don’t be nervous, Jung Ha-sung. Don’t repeat the same mistakes as in the last life.’

Ha-sung seemed to be casting a spell on himself to shake off the rising tension.

As he did, he recalled the most regrettable moment he had in his previous life.

‘My efforts are only recognized when I get results. To do that, I can’t make mistakes at the last moment.’

In his previous life, Ha-sung had done his best until the last moment.

The process should have been praised, and his sacrifice was noble.

But because the result was a mess, it didn’t remain in the minds of most people.

Retiring due to injury, he was left with nothing.

He didn’t want that to happen this time.

‘The result is everything.’

Ha-sung took a deep breath and stood on the mound.

* * *

[Jung Ha-sung is carefully exchanging signs with catcher Trevor.]

[The first pitch is very important. Aggressive pitching is good, but the hitters will know that too. It wouldn’t be bad to mix it up here.]

[A breaking ball wouldn’t be a bad choice either, right?]

[Of course.]

The first batter for the Texas Rangers was Julio Vobon.

He debuted this season and was maintaining a .300 batting average in 43 games.

Although enough data hadn’t been accumulated, he was a talented player who was picked in the first round, 35th overall.

‘Let’s show this rookie from the minors what a Major League pitch is like.’

Ha-sung nodded after receiving Trevor’s sign.

[Jung Ha-sung, after exchanging signs, goes into a windup and accumulates power.]

[Jung Ha-sung’s greatest strength is that the command of this pitching motion is very stable. Despite throwing many pitches, he gathers power with accurate movements every time, releases it, and throws the ball.]

The commentator was showering praise on Ha-sung’s pitching as if he were a rapper.

[He throws the first pitch!!]

Ha-sung threw the ball.

“Hup!!”

Whoosh-!!

The first pitch, thrown with a shout, flew in with fierce speed.

Julio swung his bat with all his might at the fast-approaching ball.

But Ha-sung’s fastball passed over Julio’s bat and nestled right into the mitt.

Thwack-!

Whoosh!

“Swing! Strike one!!”

[It’s a swing and a miss! He swung his bat confidently, but the ball went right over it!]

[Ah-! Jung Ha-sung’s most powerful strength has now been revealed! Because the ball has so much spin, the vertical movement is high, so he threw a so-called rising fastball!]

[The ball doesn’t drop as much as other pitchers, so it’s hard for first-time hitters to adapt, right?]

[That’s right! Above all, Jung Ha-sung’s condition is very good, to the point where the speed is reaching 100 mph!]

Ha-sung, who threw the first pitch, was reapplying rosin to his hand.

‘My condition is very good. It couldn’t be better.’

It’s the end of the season.

Nevertheless, his condition wasn’t thinking of dropping.

‘Concentrate… concentrate… concentrate…’

As he pulled up his concentration, the surrounding scenery was dyed with darkness. The only thing visible was:

Trevor’s mitt.

‘Concentrate… concentrate…’

Ha-sung, after checking Trevor’s sign, went into a windup.

[Jung Ha-sung throws the second pitch!]

Thwack-!!

“Ball!!”

[Ah-! Was it a little low? A ball is called!]

[It looks like it went in. It’s a ball.]

The ball, displayed in 3D graphics, passed through the strike zone.

Missing by about 1/3 of a ball.

[Ah-! It’s a ball.]

[In fact, it’s a very slight difference to the point where it wouldn’t be strange to call a strike, but the umpire’s call was a ball.]

It was a really slight difference.

It was so slight that it wouldn’t be strange to call either a ball or a strike.

[I hope Jung Ha-sung doesn’t worry about this ball call.]

Pitchers are often sensitive.

Especially when a big record is at stake, they become even more sensitive.

That’s why they were often affected by each and every one of these ball calls. But Ha-sung didn’t look like that at all.

[I don’t think we need to worry. Jung Ha-sung doesn’t seem to care at all.]

[Ah~ that’s right. He’s slowly preparing for his next pitch according to his routine!]

[He’s really not like a rookie. How can you believe that such a player is 20 years old in Korean age?]

Ha-sung, back on the pitcher’s mound, exchanged signs with Trevor.

[Jung Ha-sung exchanges signs and throws his third pitch!]

Whoosh-!!

The ball, released from Ha-sung’s hand, darted in towards the batter’s body.

‘Deep!’

Julio, seeing the ball coming in close, pulled his hips back to avoid getting hit.

At that moment.

Whoop!!

The ball spun sharply and cut back into the strike zone.

Julio realized he’d been fooled, but the ball was already passing over home plate and into the catcher’s mitt.

Thwack-!

“Strike!! Two!!”

[Julio is completely fooled by the 92-mile high-speed slider!]

[Wow-! It really broke in at an incredible angle!! That was a great pitch!!]

[Jung Ha-sung with a favorable count! Will he throw the decisive pitch here! He exchanges signs and throws his fourth pitch!!]

The ball, released from Ha-sung’s hand, flew towards the outside corner, low in the zone.

Julio, determined not to be fooled again, swung the bat with all his might.

‘I’ll hit it!!’

At that moment, the ball seemed to stop in mid-air.

But Julio’s bat couldn’t stop its momentum and swept across home plate.

Only after the bat had completely passed did the ball nestle into the mitt, and the umpire’s hand went up without hesitation.

“Swing! Strike out!!”

[A swing and a miss!! Jung Ha-sung perfectly steals Julio’s timing with a changeup!!]

[That was a great pitch!! A changeup that perfectly disrupted his timing!]

Ha-sung, having recorded the first out, began to pick up the pace.

[Now, only two outs away from the new record!]

[My heart feels like it’s going to explode with every pitch! I can’t imagine how Jung Ha-sung himself must feel!]

[For now, Jung Ha-sung looks calm on the outside! Windup for the second out!!]

Ha-sung threw consecutive pitches to the second batter.

Thwack-!

“Strike!!”

[The first pitch, a 100-mile fastball, slams into the mitt! Strike one!!]

Thud!!

“Ball!!”

[He checks his swing on the slow, falling changeup! Trevor asks the first base umpire for a swing check, but the ruling is no swing!]

[He saw it correctly. The batter’s head didn’t move.]

[One ball and one strike, he throws the third pitch!]

Clang!!

“Foul!!”

[A foul ball that lands in the stands near first base! It looked like a cutter, right?]

[That’s right. He induced a foul with a cutter that jammed the batter!]

[Two strikes and one ball! Jung Ha-sung throws his fourth pitch from an advantageous count!]

Following the windup, the thrown ball broke towards the outside corner.

The batter, thinking the ball was going to miss the plate, gave up on the swing.

Whoop!!

The ball cut sharply from outside the plate back into the strike zone.

Thud!

“Strike!! Batter out!!”

[Ah-! The ball that looked like it was going outside comes back into the zone!]

[It came in at a location that makes it impossible for a left-handed batter to hit! No batter could touch that pitch!!]

It was a pitch worthy of praise.

Ha-sung’s fourth pitch was that perfect.

[Jung Ha-sung gets two outs! Now, only one out left until the new record!!]

With only the last out remaining, Michael Young was coming to the plate.

[And at the plate is Michael Young, the only batter who took a home run from Jung Ha-sung this season!]

[What a strange twist of fate. To face the batter who hit his first home run against him at a moment like this.]

The audience also knew this story and began to buzz with anticipation.

Trevor felt the pressure too.

‘I can’t help but be concerned. He might be rattled…….’

So he started to walk towards the mound to talk to Ha-sung. But Ha-sung raised his hand to signal Trevor to stay back.

It was a gesture that said he didn’t need a visit.

Trevor, receiving the signal, hesitated and then returned to his seat.

[Ah-! Jung Ha-sung stops Trevor from visiting the mound!]

[His confidence is amazing! That’s great!]

[Now! Let’s see what result this confidence leads to! The showdown between Jung Ha-sung and Michael Young unfolds!!]

* * *

Ha-sung focused even more intently.

‘It doesn’t matter who the batter is.’

In Ha-sung’s vision, as he slowly began his windup, only Trevor’s mitt was visible.

‘Trust my stuff [Trust the quality and movement of my pitches].’

Following the leg kick, he took a stride and smoothly continued the pitching motion.

‘The only thing I can trust is that!’

“Hup!!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball, released from his hand, flew quickly towards the mitt and nestled there.

Thwack-!

“Strike!!”

[The first pitch, a 100-mile fastball, hits the mitt!]

[Michael Young didn’t even flinch!]

Ha-sung didn’t give Michael Young a chance to settle in and threw consecutive pitches.

Whoosh-!

Clang!!

“Foul!!”

[The second pitch is a foul! The speed was 101 miles!!]

Michael Young was clearly flustered by the increasingly fast pitches.

‘Is it this much……?’

It was completely different compared to when they first met.

He might have been able to hit it back then, but now it was hard to even make contact.

Ha-sung threw the third pitch against a rattled Michael Young.

[Jung Ha-sung! Throws the third pitch!!]

Whoosh-!!

Michael Young swung at the ball passing through the front of the strike zone.

But the ball passed through the zone and lodged in the mitt before his bat could even complete its swing.

Thwack-!!

“Swing!! Strike out!!”

[Strikeout with three pitches!! 102 miles!! Jung Ha-sung finishes the game with his fastest fastball!! At the same time, he sets a new major league record for most saves!!]

It was the moment when the record for the most saves in a season, 63 saves, was achieved.