Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 97

Mound Villain – Episode 97

Ha-sung’s shocking statement spread around the world in a single day.

[Major League’s Best Closer Gone Rogue?]

[Jung Ha-sung Announces Shocking News: “Closing is Boring, I’m Switching to Starting Pitcher!”]

[Oakland’s General Manager Chris States, “Never Heard of It!”]

[Can the Best Closer Become the Best Starting Pitcher?]

[Experts Express Skepticism One After Another!]

All major league media outlets reported on Ha-sung’s announcement.

Naturally, baseball fans were also in an uproar.

-Switching to a starter? What’s up with that?

-Wasn’t he on track to become a major league legend if he kept pitching as a closer?

-Why bother changing to a starter?

-The flower of baseball is the starting pitcher!

-Closing is cool too, but starting pitchers are more amazing.

-With this, we can watch Ha-sung’s games anytime in Korea.

-No, the mechanics of a closer and a starting pitcher are completely different. Isn’t this too reckless?

-Judging from Chris’s reaction, it doesn’t seem like he’s even discussed it with the team?

-Seriously, this guy is crazy.

The fans’ reactions were varied.

Some were in favor, and some were against it.

There were also those who were dumbfounded, adding to the confusion.

But the most confused of all was Chris, the general manager.

“Suddenly switching to a starter! What on earth is going on?!”

Chris wore a bewildered expression as he looked at the article on the monitor.

Last night.

When a call came in from a media outlet, he simply thought it was a misreport.

But he couldn’t help but be shocked to see almost all major league media outlets covering the story in just one day.

“Where is Ha-sung right now?”

“He’s in Hawaii for spring training.”

“Contact him and tell him I’m coming.”

“Right now?”

“Yes!”

This news set General Manager Chris in motion.

* * *

It was originally time for an afternoon weight training session followed by a massage.

But today, it was put on hold.

The reason was Chris, the general manager, who was standing right in front of him.

“The article came out this morning. The fact that you’re here now means you even mobilized a private jet.”

“What on earth is going on?”

Chris handed over a newspaper.

There, an article about Ha-sung’s switch to a starting pitcher was prominently featured.

“It’s as you see. I’m going to stop closing and switch to a starting pitcher.”

“That won’t do.”

Chris immediately objected.

“The team’s plan for next season is already finished. If Jung Ha-sung, a key member of the bullpen, is missing in the current situation, we’ll have to reorganize the roster.”

“Weren’t you planning on giving Bailey a starting pitcher test anyway?”

Chris’s face hardened.

The plan for next season’s pitching rotation had not yet been shared with the players.

The plan was to go through each test when spring camp started.

Bailey’s switch to a starter was also one of those considerations.

‘How did he know?’

A veteran with a lot of experience might notice.

It’s something you can figure out by checking Chris’s own tendencies and the current situation of the bullpen and starting pitchers.

But Ha-sung was a rookie who had only completed one year in the major leagues.

It wasn’t easy for such a Ha-sung to know about the team’s situation, not just his own.

“Am I wrong?”

“That’s the front office’s job. One thing is certain: Jung Ha-sung is the core of the team’s bullpen next season.”

“When I play as a closer and when I play as a starter, which WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a comprehensive baseball statistic] do you think will be higher?”

“That’s…….”

WAR is short for Wins Above Replacement.

It was an indicator of how many more wins could be added when a specific player was used instead of a hypothetical player with a WAR of 0.

For example, if a team scored 90 wins when a player with a WAR of 0 was put in, it could be interpreted that if a player with a WAR of 5 was put in, they would have scored 95 wins.

In modern sabermetrics [the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics, that seeks to measure the in-game activity], it was the most notable indicator.

“Bullpen pitchers can’t record an All-Star-level WAR, no matter how high their WAR is.”

Even Mariano Rivera, a closer who represents the major leagues, has only recorded a WAR of 4 or higher, which is classified as an All-Star, a handful of times.

This is because the WAR mainly looks at the innings pitched for pitchers, and bullpen pitchers have overwhelmingly fewer innings than starting pitchers.

‘Certainly, if Ha-sung moves to starting pitcher rather than Bailey, he can accumulate more wins. Above all, if it’s Ha-sung, I think he can succeed as a starter for some reason.’

Of course, this was just a feeling.

It is very difficult to switch from closing to starting.

If you think about it coldly, you have to stop it unconditionally.

But when I think about Ha-sung’s appearance so far, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of anticipation.

“Are you really confident?”

“Of course.”

He asserted, but this was not enough.

“If you don’t give up your stubbornness, the team may send you down to the minors [lower-level professional baseball teams].”

It’s a kind of threat.

Currently, Ha-sung is a rookie who does not have any player rights [control over their contract or team].

It meant that the club was in a position of power.

But this kind of threat didn’t work for Ha-sung.

“If you send me to the minor leagues, the Oakland residents will turn their backs again. I don’t think the Athletics’ finances will be able to withstand that.”

“Hmm…….”

“In the end, you’ll have to listen to my stubbornness.”

“Haa…….”

Ha-sung was still confident.

Chris was already worried about how to handle this Ha-sung.

‘But…….’

Then, he suddenly looked at Ha-sung in detail.

‘His body seems to be bigger than last year? The muscles are clearer, and the shoulders are wider. And his body has grown overall.’

Ha-sung wasn’t small.

But that was only when based on Asians.

Among major league players, Ha-sung’s size was not that big yet.

But not anymore.

His body had grown to the point where he was not inferior to any other hitter.

‘Doesn’t that mean growth isn’t over yet?’

Ha-sung is now just 20 years old.

He was 21 years old in Korean age, but anyway, he still had the potential to grow.

‘And those people who have been hanging around this resort since he came here, they are all unusual people. There is strange data written on the scattered papers.’

Chris was not aware of all the training methods, even though he was a major league general manager.

But he knew the terms written on the body composition table and papers.

That’s why he knew what those things scattered around the resort were used for.

‘Are you preparing systematically?’

A talented person was making an effort.

To go to a higher place.

If this preparation is done perfectly, Ha-sung will surprise the world once again next season.

‘I can’t just oppose it.’

In the end, Chris had no choice but to choose to retreat for now.

* * *

Chris postponed his confirmation and returned.

(I’ll test it at spring camp.)

Leaving Chris, who returned with those words, Ha-sung continued his training.

Isabel was lost in thought as she watched Ha-sung running like crazy on the treadmill for cardiovascular endurance training.

‘I’m curious. What on earth is in that young man’s head?’

Ha-sung had already reached the top.

But he was trying to come down from that position and climb a higher mountain.

‘Even if you don’t bother to come down the mountain, the mountain will naturally get higher. But why are you coming down on your own and trying to climb a higher mountain again?’

What each player wants is different.

Some want more money, and some value honor more.

Some players give up money because their home team is important.

But Ha-sung didn’t have to come down from his current position.

‘Of course, if he switches to a starter and achieves as good results as a closer, he will earn a huge income. He’ll make unimaginable money. But what if he fails?’

The aftermath will be enormous.

He may not be able to return to closing.

The mechanics of the two roles are that different.

In addition, Ha-sung was a player who had just reached the top. Above all, he is young.

It was impossible to know how small differences would appear.

‘There’s no way that man doesn’t know that. He must be confident that he can succeed. That’s why he announced it to the public with confidence.’

Having announced it to the public, Ha-sung was now cornered.

If he switches to a starter and shows a great performance, he will be told that he is still Jung Ha-sung.

Another sensation will occur, and people all over the world will know his name.

But what if he fails?

‘He’s just going to be a clown.’

Hearing the words, ‘I knew it,’ the rookie season’s tremendous performance will subside.

‘And Ha-sung doesn’t want to hear that.’

Ha-sung, who was cornered, was sweating profusely to get out of it.

The sweat dripping down his sculpted body, which had taken off his top, proved it.

“Hoo……!”

Isabel, who fanned herself at the suddenly hot body, turned around.

‘He’s going to succeed…….’

I don’t know why.

But that’s what I thought.

That man will not be a clown.

If it’s that man…….

‘You can stand in the history of the major leagues.’

* * *

Ha-sung’s shocking remarks turned the world upside down.

The interest of baseball fans was now focused not only on the major league opening game, but also on Jung Ha-sung.

-Will Jung Ha-sung succeed in switching to a starter?

-He’s a monster, so there’s a good chance.

-I’m curious to see what kind of accident he’s going to cause.

-He’ll be in major league history even if he plays as a closer.

-Honestly, I don’t think he’ll just catch up with Mariano Rivera.

-I’m very satisfied to see him playing as a starter.

His search terms went up not only on community sites but also on various SNS [Social Networking Services].

Interest in Ha-sung was so hot that his name was now being searched more in the United States than in Korea.

Of course, the media also jumped on the bandwagon of this public interest.

[Jung Ha-sung, who shouted for a switch from the best closer to a starter, will he be able to settle down as a starter?]

[It’s hard to say. If you simply look at it, the act of throwing a ball is the same, but the mechanics are completely different.]

[I agree. It’s like a sprinter winning a gold medal and saying he’s going to switch to a marathon.]

Experts poured out negative opinions.

It was difficult for anyone who knew about baseball to expect the best closer to make a successful switch to a starter.

The world’s media and baseball fans focused on the major league spring camp to see what the results would be.

The interest was so high that Korea was preparing to dispatch a relay team to film Ha-sung’s camp joining.

‘It’s amazing…….’

Baek Jun-ki, who was waiting in front of the hotel, couldn’t help but be shocked.

“Senior, is this real? It seems like there are three times more reporters than last year.”

“It’s not just the crowd, but national broadcasters like ESPN have also sent relay cars.”

“Wow…… that’s crazy.”

“He’s no longer just a Korean star.”

You could tell how hot the interest in Ha-sung was just by looking at the number of reporters.

It was then.

Vroom-!!

A sports car was entering the hotel with a roar.

As the car stopped at the main gate, an employee approached and opened the door.

And the person who came out of the door was Ha-sung with red hair.

“It’s Jung Ha-sung!!”

“Shoot! Shoot!!”

“Jung Ha-sung!!”

The reporters started flashing their cameras all at once at the appearance of Ha-sung.

Baek Jun-ki also pressed the shooting button while capturing Ha-sung on camera.

At the same time, I was able to know one thing.

‘Was Jung Ha-sung…… originally that big?’

His body had grown to the fullest.