Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 8

Mound Villain – Episode 8

A commotion broke out.

[The Emergence of an Overpowered High School Pitcher!]

[The Tenth Perfect Game in High School Baseball History is Achieved!]

[Player Jung Ha-sung Achieves the First Record in a National Tournament!]

[The Appearance of a Fireballer Throwing a Maximum Speed of 160 km/h!]

Perfect games were rare occurrences in high school baseball.

However, this marked the first record in a national tournament, sending baseball fans into a frenzy.

– Perfect game, is this for real?

– Max speed 160 [kilometers per hour]? Is that a lie?

└ I heard it’s official.

└ Crazy.

– Why was this kid passed over in the first draft pick?

└ I heard he was injured.

└ LOL, even with an injury, they’d pass on a kid like this?

└ Scouts, time to hand in your resignations.

The emergence of Jung Ha-sung dominated online community sites.

News about Ha-sung was posted not only on baseball-related communities but also on general interest forums.

And then…

An article was uploaded.

[Jung Ha-sung, the Hero of the Perfect Game, Submits Withdrawal Form to Taeil High School Baseball Team!]

The reaction of baseball fans who saw the article was uniform.

– What?

– Withdrawal?

– Why is he leaving?

– He’s a senior, right?

Everyone expressed puzzled reactions.

* * *

Taeil High School was turned upside down.

The person who caused it was facing the owner of the room in the principal’s office.

“Haha, Ha-sung. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Park Seung-man, the principal of Taeil High School, offered a good-natured smile.

“I heard a strange rumor this time. A ridiculous rumor that you’re going to submit a withdrawal form.”

“Ah, that rumor. I heard it too. It’s definitely a false rumor.”

“Right?! It’s a false rumor, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s not that I’m planning to submit it; I already did.”

“Huh?”

“The coach will tell you.”

The principal’s gaze turned to Coach Lee Ki-sung, who was sitting across from Ha-sung.

He was sweating profusely before nodding.

“Y-yes… The withdrawal form has been submitted…”

“What are you talking about?! Submitting a withdrawal form!”

The good-natured face vanished.

The principal glared at Ha-sung like a demon.

“It’s as I said. There’s no reason to stay on a baseball team that doesn’t give me proper opportunities.”

“O-opportunities? What are you talking about?!”

“Excuse me? Didn’t you say last time…”

“What are you talking about?! We’ve never met except for the interview!”

Lee Ki-sung’s face contorted as he saw the principal distancing himself.

“Is that true or not?! Tell me properly!”

“…It’s true.”

“Goodness! Refrain from saying things that could be misunderstood! Anyway, Coach Lee, how could such an excellent player not receive proper opportunities? What’s going on?”

“…I’m sorry. I was being cautious because he was injured, and I think that made the player feel that way.”

“Haha! Is that so? You must take responsibility for this.”

“…Yes.”

Lee Ki-sung looked at Ha-sung.

Just as he was about to apologize, Ha-sung spoke first with a twisted smile.

“How long do I have to watch this comedy?”

A word that no one expected.

Ha-sung spoke again to the two people who were doubting their ears.

“Please process my withdrawal from the baseball team. Even if you don’t, I plan to withdraw from all drafts, so do as you please.”

There was nothing more to talk about with these people.

Just as Ha-sung was leaving the principal’s office, feeling that it was a waste of time.

“Hey! You little punk!!”

The principal’s sharp shout was heard.

But Ha-sung had already moved on.

* * *

[Chaotic 2nd Draft! Will Jung Ha-sung Participate in the Draft?]

[Unprecedented Situation! The Biggest High School Prospect Who Didn’t Apply for the Draft?]

[What is Jung Ha-sung Thinking?]

Ahead of the 2nd draft, all the media’s focus was on Ha-sung.

It wasn’t just the media.

– Isn’t Jung Ha-sung from the Seoul area?

└ Correct.

└ Damn, what happens to him if he withdraws?

└ Seoul teams are screwed.

– What is he thinking?

└ I heard the school pissed him off?

└ What could the school do to piss him off?

└ There’s a rumor that he wasn’t injured.

└ Is that true?

└ He pushed his coaches away in his second year, lol [laughing out loud].

└ What?

As Ha-sung became a hot topic, Taeil High School was also caught up in gossip.

The assault incident that occurred at the national tournament was brought up again.

In addition, the crimes committed by the coaches were talked about again, causing the principal of Taeil High School to have a headache.

“How are you handling things?!”

“T-that’s…”

“Why is our school being talked about in the media because of Jung Ha-sung?!”

And the arrow turned to Lee Ki-sung.

While being pressured by the principal.

Ha-sung had a meeting with his parents at home.

“Ha-sung, I got a call from school. You submitted a withdrawal form?”

“Yes. I don’t want to give any benefit to the school that made Father feel so humiliated. Whether it’s material or honorary.”

His father’s expression became complex.

He was grateful and sorry for his son’s thoughtfulness in leaving the baseball team for his sake.

“You don’t have to do that because of me.”

“It’s not just because of Father.”

“Huh?”

“When I go to the United States and sign a contract, I don’t want to pay the money that I have to pay to the amateur baseball fund or my alma mater.”

“You only have to pay that if you get a contract, right?”

“Yes.”

There was a donation that amateur players had to pay when they signed a professional contract.

This was specified in the bylaws of the Amateur Baseball Association and had to be paid like a tax.

The rate was about 2 percent.

The funds raised in this way are used to help the development of amateur players.

But Ha-sung knew.

‘It’s not 100 percent used that way.’

How much corruption there is in the way the funds are used.

Twenty years later, the corruption was exposed, and a huge scandal swept through the amateur baseball world.

Knowing that, Ha-sung had no intention of giving money to that place.

The same goes for his alma mater.

“What are you going to do if you leave the baseball team? You said you wanted to go to the United States; how are you going to sign a contract?”

Currently, Ha-sung’s status was a player belonging to the Amateur Baseball Association.

In order for a player with this status to sign a contract with a foreign club, they must sign a legitimate contract under the association.

This means that the contract must be made in accordance with the business agreement between Major League Baseball and the Amateur Baseball Association.

“If you leave the baseball team, you will be withdrawn from the association at that moment. In other words, you can’t sign a contract as an international FA [free agent].”

When Ha-sung signs a contract with a Major League Baseball club, it will be conducted as an international FA.

However, if he withdraws from the association, this will become impossible, making it difficult to sign a contract with a foreign club.

“Even if you sign a contract, the opposing club may be sanctioned by the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization]. And you could also be involved in an international lawsuit.”

The possibility that a Major League Baseball club would be afraid of KBO sanctions is low.

But Ha-sung is different.

Even a small lawsuit can be stressful.

His father knew very well what that stress was like.

He had experienced lawsuits while living his life.

“If you get caught up in a lawsuit, you may have difficulty adapting because you’re distracted by it. Your skills may be good enough to work in the United States right away, but other factors could make it negative.”

His father’s words were definitely correct.

And Ha-sung was thinking about that too.

“So, instead of receiving an offer from a Big League [Major League Baseball] and signing a contract, I’m thinking of participating in a tryout as a free agent.”

“Tryout?”

He knows what a tryout is.

It was a kind of test that Major League Baseball clubs opened to gather players after the season.

If you catch the eye of the Big League here, you can proceed with a minor league contract.

The problem is that passing the tryout is like threading a needle.

“I heard that only one or two people pass the tryout. Will you really be able to make it there…?”

His father stopped talking.

Ha-sung smiled at the sight.

“The tryout’s cut-off line being like threading a needle has nothing to do with me. I’m a player they’ll be drooling over. There will be plenty of clubs that want to sign me.”

It’s not arrogance.

In fact, several Major League Baseball clubs were already moving.

They were even contacting him.

Such a player participates in a tryout.

The club wouldn’t know.

“Also, if I withdraw and go to the United States, I’ll become a free agent. There are no regulations in the KBO yet.”

“There are no regulations?”

“Because there’s no precedent. If I try it, it may be created in the future, but they won’t be able to apply it retroactively.”

An amateur player quits the baseball team and tries to sign a contract with a Major League Baseball club.

It’s also an indirect contract through a tryout, not a direct contract.

This is a case that has never happened before.

Of course, there can’t be any regulations.

“So, the reason you went to the finals and pitched with all your might was…?”

“I needed to show my value.”

He took a year off.

Domestic club officials were also questioning Ha-sung.

You could tell just by the fact that he wasn’t picked in the first round.

In that situation, if he participated in a tryout, he might really have to thread a needle.

But it wasn’t anymore because he showed it in practice.

“There are Major League Baseball officials who have seen that my body is fine and my abilities, so it will be easier to sign a contract with them.”

His father couldn’t help but be shocked.

His son thought of everything and put it into action.

Above all, he was proceeding with the work by understanding even the adults’ circumstances.

‘He was preparing slowly over a long period of time, not just a short period of time.’

Is this something a high school student can really do?

His son felt unfamiliar.

* * *

In the end, his parents gave up.

The cards Ha-sung prepared were too perfect.

When his parents were completely on Ha-sung’s side, the school had no choice but to give up.

And that news was soon known to the world through the news.

[Jung Ha-sung, the Hero of the First Perfect Game in the National High School Baseball Tournament! Withdraws from Taeil High School Baseball Team!]

[The Fireballer Becomes a Free Agent! What Will Be His Next Move?]

At first, his withdrawal became a hot topic.

But soon the story of his status came out.

[Jung Ha-sung Can Freely Sign a Contract with a Foreign Club!]

[Major League Baseball Clubs Targeting Jung Ha-sung, Who Withdrew from the Amateur Baseball Association!]

[Is Korea a Training Ground for Big League Clubs’ Prospects?]

[Jung Ha-sung Using Loopholes in the Regulations! Is That Really What He Chose?]

Detailed information about Ha-sung’s current situation was revealed through the article.

People who checked the information couldn’t help but be shocked.

– Free agent? What?

└ If you belong to the Amateur Baseball Association, you have to sign a formal contract with a foreign club, but now you can participate in a tryout.

└ Tryout? Is that a test?

└ Yes. If you do that, you can sign a contract with any club. I heard you don’t have to pay development funds?

└ What is a development fund?

The development fund also became an issue.

When they learned that fact, people’s opinions were divided.

– Is he doing that because he doesn’t want to pay that money?

– He’s crazy about money.

– It’s not something a kid can think of?

– Isn’t there someone behind him?

The first reaction was negative.

But not everyone was negative.

– The association was taking money from the contract.

– Do you know where the funds will be used?

– The association is taking money from the kids again to fill their own pockets.

There were also those who turned the arrow to the association.

Fierce debates continued on the Internet every day, and articles poured out every day.

The KBO and the Amateur Baseball Association also held meetings every day to create new regulations.

Then an article came up.

[Fireballer Jung Ha-sung Secretly Leaves for the United States!]

Ha-sung left for the United States.