Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 80

Villain on the Mound – Episode 80

Villain on the Mound Episode 80

[The Major League pennant race has concluded. South Korea’s Jung Ha-sung has added another save in his final game, achieving 65 saves for the season! He finishes the season by increasing the single-season save record, which he had raised to 64 the previous day, to 65.]

The pennant race has concluded.

Ha-sung finished his rookie season with a remarkable feat, breaking the single-season record with 65 saves.

[Jung Ha-sung’s final season stats are 1 win, no losses, 65 saves, and an ERA of 0.65, allowing only 5 runs in 68.2 innings pitched. This is the lowest ERA in Major League history, but it was not recognized as an official record due to the low number of innings pitched.]

Ha-sung’s ERA wasn’t recognized as an official record due to the limited innings pitched.

This was the same reason why Eric Gagne’s 1.20 ERA in the 2003 season wasn’t ranked [as a record].

Various opinions were exchanged among fans, but regardless, Ha-sung’s rookie season garnered tremendous attention.

[Jung Ha-sung’s pennant race has ended, but his team, the Oakland Athletics, has advanced to the postseason after finishing first in their division for the first time in three years, so his season is not over yet.]

The Athletics secured their spot in the postseason as the division winner and second in the American League.

The New York Yankees claimed first place in the American League pennant race.

[The Oakland Athletics will face the Minnesota Twins, who won the Central Division, in the Division Series. Expectations are high to see if Jung Ha-sung will perform well in the postseason as well!]

Ha-sung was set to debut in his first postseason.

The team Ha-sung had to face was the Minnesota Twins, led by Joe Mauer.

* * *

Ha-sung wore a strange expression as he checked the teams that made it to the Division Series.

“History has changed.”

Originally, Oakland was projected to finish fourth in the division this season.

Oakland, which had caused a sensation in the early 2000s, had entered a prolonged slump [often referred to as a ‘dark age’ in sports].

That slump was expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

In 2009, they not only failed to advance to the postseason but also finished in fourth place.

However, things changed when Ha-sung joined the team.

‘Is it okay to change things this much?’

He didn’t know how to process the altered timeline.

The concept of an alternate timeline, like the multiverse mentioned in science fiction movies, immediately came to mind.

“Well, it’ll work out somehow.”

Even if he overthought it, there was nothing he could definitively know right now.

The immediate priority was to get enough rest and prepare himself physically.

“Now that I’m going to the postseason, that nightmare comes to mind again.”

The memory of his past experience in the Korean Series made Ha-sung’s head ache.

“Since I’m playing as a closer anyway, I don’t need to overdo it.”

It’s different from when he was a starting pitcher.

As long as he only pitched as a closer, he wouldn’t be overworked like in the past.

“Hoo… I must never repeat that.”

Criticism and cheers are fleeting.

In the end, what truly mattered to him was money.

Recalling that once again, Ha-sung focused on getting ample rest.

* * *

The players went on vacation, but the front office didn’t.

The Oakland Coliseum remained lit late into the night, with meetings between the front office and field staff continuing.

“Then let’s include Jack in the starting lineup.”

“That would be good. His performance was excellent at the end of the season, so I expect he will perform well if he is sent out as a DH [designated hitter, a player who bats in place of the pitcher].”

“Next is about Ha-sung.”

At Chris’s words, manager Tony and bullpen coach Sanchez focused even more intently.

Ha-sung was the core of the bullpen and the linchpin of their pitching strategy.

Although his role as closer was defined, it was clear that no other pitcher on the team was performing at his level.

Above all, he had shown the ability to pitch multiple innings, throwing more than one inning twice during the pennant race.

That was the reason why they were carefully considering how to best utilize him.

“As you all know, momentum is crucial in a short-series competition like the Division Series. Therefore, we shouldn’t be too rigid about sticking to set roles.”

“So, are you saying that Ha-sung could be used as a reliever, not just a closer, depending on the game situation?”

“We can put him in situations where we believe it’s a critical moment, regardless of the inning.”

Since each game was important in the Division Series, the closer didn’t necessarily have to appear only in the final inning.

The Division Series was where various strategies were employed, sometimes even using starting pitchers as relievers.

Then Sanchez raised a question.

“But did Ha-sung agree to this?”

“I haven’t talked to him yet, but considering how dedicated he has been to the team, I don’t think he will refuse.”

In Chris’s view, Ha-sung was a dedicated player.

Although he occasionally stirred things up with the media, his fan service was good, and he had no conflicts with his teammates.

Above all, he had never shown any signs of insubordination towards the coaching staff this season.

That’s why he naturally assumed that Ha-sung would be receptive to his plan.

“I’ll meet with Ha-sung tomorrow and talk about it. Please keep that in mind for now.”

“Yes.”

“The next agenda is…”

Chris, who didn’t fully understand Ha-sung yet, thought that this matter would be easily resolved.

* * *

The next day.

Ha-sung, who visited the stadium for training, went to the manager’s office at Chris’s request.

Knock knock-!

“It’s Ha-sung.”

“Ah, come in.”

When he opened the door and entered, Catherine and Chris greeted him.

“Thank you for coming, even though you must be busy with training.”

“No problem. But what did you want to talk about?”

“Let’s sit down and talk.”

At Chris’s suggestion, he sat down.

Meanwhile, Chris, who was sitting across from him, started talking.

“How’s your condition? It’s your first season, and you played until the last game, so it must have been even harder.”

“If you’re worried about my physical condition, I’m fine. I warmed up lightly, and there were no major problems.”

“That’s good news!”

“Did you call me in just to check on my condition?”

“Of course. You’re the most important player on our team!”

“I’m fine, so I’ll get going now.”

“Ah… Ah, wait a minute.”

As Ha-sung gestured to get up, Chris hurriedly stopped him.

“The thing is, I wanted to discuss your role in this Division Series.”

“My role? Isn’t it just going out and pitching in save situations?”

“That’s right, but in short series like the Division Series, you might be called upon to pitch at any time. I wanted you to be aware of that in advance.”

Ha-sung stared at General Manager Chris with a poker face.

‘This is a notification, not a discussion.’

If Ha-sung was a veteran or had accumulated the same experience for another 2-3 years, he wouldn’t be treated this way.

In 2-3 years, Ha-sung would have more leverage.

‘Since there are no immediate benefits I can gain next year, there’s no need for a discussion from their perspective.’

He had limited bargaining chips at the moment.

But that didn’t mean he was going to passively accept the situation.

“Is that a notification?”

“It’s more of a request for your understanding.”

“It sounds like a notification to me.”

“If it came across that way, I apologize. I’m explaining this because you’re a rookie, so regarding the Division Series…”

“I’m well aware. I also understand how short series work. However, I don’t want to be brought in during unfavorable situations.”

“Unfavorable situations…?”

“Yes. Ultimately, I pitch to secure the win. I don’t want to deviate from that pattern just because it’s the Division Series.”

Ha-sung’s words were ambiguous.

He didn’t explicitly state whether he would follow the coaching staff’s orders or not.

But one thing was certain.

He didn’t like the current situation.

And that became even clearer.

“And I hope that we can have genuine discussions in the future, not just notifications. Even though I don’t have much leverage right now, I don’t think that will always be the case.”

Ha-sung got up from his seat.

“If things like this keep happening, you don’t know what might happen in two years. I’ll be on my way.”

He delivered his message like a rapid-fire machine gun, turned, and left the manager’s office.

Catherine, who was staring blankly at the scene, said to Chris.

“That person doesn’t seem like a rookie at all, no matter how you look at it. What rookie threatens the general manager?”

“Right? I’m not the only one who interpreted that as a threat, am I?”

“It’s a clear threat. It’s a threat that if you don’t treat him fairly, he will fight back when he has the right to negotiate his salary.”

The first significant right that a Major League player gains is the right to salary arbitration [negotiating their salary with the team].

It is granted to players who have completed 3 years of service time.

From this point on, players have the legal right to challenge the team’s decisions regarding their compensation.

The two years that Ha-sung mentioned is the time when he will become eligible for salary arbitration if he continues to perform at his current level.

“Huh… It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered a guy like that.”

It had been over 10 years since Chris had become a general manager.

He had dealt with various types of players during that time.

Among them, there were some players as assertive as Ha-sung.

Still, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Catherine looked at Chris and said.

“Are you already dreading two years from now?”

“Haa… My head is already throbbing.”

Chris’s face contorted as he rubbed his temple.

* * *

The Division Series is a major event.

In addition, the Athletics were advancing for the first time in three years, so the interest of the Oakland residents was higher than ever.

[You know that our Athletics’ postseason journey starts today, right?! Jung Ha-sung might make an appearance, so let’s all head to the stadium!]

[Hey, but I can’t get a ticket?]

[Ah! That’s right. I heard that all the games are already sold out. Wow! I didn’t realize it would be this difficult to see the Athletics play in person.]

Oakland area podcasts, as well as local broadcasting stations, newspapers, etc.

All the media outlets were producing content about the Athletics’ Division Series.

As they mentioned, the first and second games were already sold out.

At one point, the ticketing website crashed due to the overwhelming demand.

In addition, as the number of tourists coming from other regions increased, the entire city of Oakland took on a festive atmosphere.

“The steak is ready! Pick it up now!”

“Yes!”

“Where did Michael go?!”

“He’s off today!”

“What do you mean off! Call him right now and tell him to come in!”

Thanks to this, the restaurants were packed with customers, and the lodging facilities were completely booked.

The team’s success had a ripple effect that revitalized the local economy.

On the day of the first game of the Division Series, when everyone’s attention was focused.

Oakland was more crowded than ever.

And a large crowd gathered at the Oakland Coliseum, creating a commotion.

“It’s amazing how many reporters have gathered to cover the Athletics.”

“I agree.”

Da-bin nodded at reporter Baek Jun-gi’s words.

The two had been staying in Oakland for several days to cover today’s game.

The primary focus of today’s coverage was, of course, Ha-sung.

That wasn’t just the goal of the two of them.

“The broadcasting stations have also turned out in full force.”

“I agree. Seeing that they sent a full broadcast team, I can tell that Ha-sung’s profile has risen significantly.”

Sending a full broadcast team meant that the broadcasting station was making a substantial investment.

That indicated that the public’s interest in Ha-sung was extremely high.

It was then.

Vroom-!

As a red Ferrari pulled up, the reporters began to stir all at once.

“It’s Ha-sung!”

“Jung Ha-sung has arrived!”