The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 198

198. Crisis (4)

The major leagues’ interest in Choi Su-won was now undeniable.

The structure of Major League Baseball (MLB) differs somewhat from that of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that the United States is more passionate about sports than almost any other country, and deeply rooted in capitalist principles.

For example, at Yankee Stadium, the cheapest seat in the 50,000-seat stadium costs around 20,000 won [approximately $15 USD]. Premium seats can cost millions of won [thousands of USD]. Even the price fluctuates depending on the opposing team. The average ticket price is around 120,000 won [approximately $90 USD], a significant difference even when considering the income disparity between Korea and the United States.

Consequently, MLB teams generate about a quarter of their revenue through ticket sales, with the total ticket revenue for all 30 teams nearing $4 billion. Of course, there’s a considerable gap between the wealthiest and poorest teams; some have payrolls exceeding $300 million, while others don’t even reach $40 million. Therefore, if Choi Su-won had entered the major leagues through the posting system or free agency, only a select few teams would have been able to afford him.

However, his status as an ‘international prospect’ capped his signing bonus at around $5 million. This meant he could be acquired at a bargain price: an annual salary of $600,000 and bonuses totaling less than $4.5 million for the next three years. Some might balk at calling nearly 15 billion won [approximately $11 million USD] a bargain. But considering the performance expected of Choi Su-won, and if he truly lived up to those expectations, spending 15 billion won a year, not just for three years, would be a steal.

In short, Choi Su-won was the best prospect available, offering team control for three years with an average annual salary of just over $3.3 million, and potentially for another three years after that.

Now, even casual MLB fans across the United States were frequently discussing Choi Su-won, not just team officials.

“Our team has enough potential. We need a starting spot and a designated hitter, and we can guarantee him plenty of playing time.”

“That’s right, the Yankees are full of veterans who have to rotate at DH [designated hitter].”

Fans of small-market teams believed they also had a shot. And of course, fans of big-market teams were equally interested in Choi Su-won’s potential.

“If he’s confident in his abilities, he shouldn’t be desperate for playing time. Wouldn’t he prefer a team like ours that can contend for a championship?”

“Su-won would be the perfect piece for a championship run. If he can perform at an All-Star level while only costing around $2 million in payroll, it’s a guaranteed title.”

Of course, not everyone was so optimistic.

“That’s ridiculous. Do you really think it’s possible? Unless the Marlins’ front office is completely incompetent, they wouldn’t let him go under those conditions, would they? At most, $1 million. Even with bonuses, it’s only about $1.5 million? Would you make that deal? If they keep him for six more seasons and then trade him, they could get at least $20 million. And even during that time, they’d be getting a great player at a bargain price.”

End of July.

With the MLB June draft concluded, major league scouts were now heavily focused on Korea.

***

“Data acquisition?”

“Failed.”

About two months prior.

Joshua Pagno Man had personally scouted Choi Su-won. He couldn’t justify spending $10 million on data to persuade him, especially when it wasn’t a guarantee of securing the player.

But after seeing Choi Su-won with his own eyes, Joshua was convinced he was worth the risk. And owner Steve Cohen readily agreed to open his wallet.

However, Joshua should have remembered that in the long decision-making process, someone else could snatch up a valuable asset first.

“Oh, that? I already sold it.”

“What? But you clearly agreed to trade with us! We even offered to increase our offer from 8 million to 10 million. If you had contacted us, we could have offered more!”

“The thing is, I didn’t even need to worry about that because they offered 11 million right away, no questions asked.”

The Yankees.

Their rivals in New York.

Of course, Mike Prostad didn’t explicitly say the Yankees had hijacked the deal. But all signs pointed to them.

Since then, Joshua Pagno Man had tried his best to acquire the data. But the results were poor. Meanwhile, Choi Su-won, already a sensation, continued to deliver monstrous performances, capturing the attention of the entire United States.

As a result, Joshua Pagno Man’s only remaining option was to trade directly with the source of the original data, not the reconstructed data from Mike Prostad’s memory.

“Contact Tori. Tell him to set up a dinner meeting.”

The LA Angels.

A team plagued by misfortune, consistently featuring generational talents but failing to reach the postseason since 2014.

Mets general manager Joshua Pagno Man initiated talks with the struggling team.

***

-Clang!!!

Lim Dong-hoon made contact with Choi Su-won’s pitch.

“Ah…”

Kang Ji-woo, the Griffins’ general manager, watching the game, groaned in disappointment without realizing it.

[Shortstop fields it cleanly! A low ground ball! Kang Ra-on throws to second! And the relay to first!]

“Out!!”

[Double play! Bottom of the 4th inning! Choi Su-won is effectively shutting down the Griffins’ offense.]

The Griffins had scouted Kang Ji-woo and Charlie Kim, who had experience in the major leagues, to overhaul the team’s system. Changing the culture of an organization that had been around for over 30 years was never easy.

However, Kang Ji-woo and Charlie Kim were gradually succeeding in this difficult task. This was due to their impressive track records, but also because they were delivering results.

“There’s no need to be disappointed. He’s an unavoidable force.”

“No, that’s true when he’s batting. Pitching is different.”

“It’s different, yes, but that was true at the beginning of the season when Choi Su-won didn’t know he could just throw with all his might. There are fewer than twenty hitters in the KBO who can consistently handle a ball over 160 km/h [~99 mph]. Less than two per team. On our team, it’s only Chae Chang-sik and Carlos at best? Let’s just accept that we’ve encountered a natural disaster this year, and focus on getting him to the United States next year.”

“No, but that’s not confirmed…”

“It is confirmed.”

Even though they had been in Korea for several years, their connections in the United States, built over 13 years, hadn’t disappeared.

It was already known among MLB clubs that Choi Su-won’s KBO contract contained a hidden clause, one that fully supported his move to the major leagues.

“Maybe the information leaked from Choi Su-won’s agency.”

“No, if that were the case, he would have gone straight to MLB…”

“Ultimately, this is the best scenario for Choi Su-won in terms of revenue, and it gives him the power to choose his preferred team from all 30 major league teams. It’s a sweet MLB showcase in the KBO. Look at it now. There are scouts everywhere.”

As Charlie Kim pointed out, there were more than twenty major league scouts visibly present. It was a perfect example of a money-making showcase.

“Besides, you can see that his pitching is becoming more and more refined. Ji-woo, you know this well. What do we prioritize when evaluating prospects?”

“Of course, it’s a player who adapts quickly to the higher level…”

-Boom!!!

Top of the 5th inning.

Walk.

Choi Su-won walked to first base.

The sun had already set, but the heat of Daegu hadn’t dissipated. His hair stuck to his forehead.

“Anyway, let’s be patient for now. Even if we struggle a bit now, we can gather a lot of data and make it worthwhile later.”

Choi Su-won stole second base.

***

I took three sips of lukewarm sports drink.

It’s not good to drink something cold when you’re hot and bothered.

It’s hot and humid.

I really wanted to stand next to the cool air conditioner, but I resisted. I quickly changed my undershirt, making sure the cold air didn’t hit me directly. And despite the heat, I covered my right shoulder with a pitcher’s jacket.

‘Was stealing necessary?’

Perhaps because of the heat, the adrenaline from running didn’t cool down easily.

I took a few more sips of lukewarm sports drink.

If I had only been playing as a batter today, I might have gulped down cold sports drinks without a second thought, like Jo Yu-jin, who was standing with her mouth open next to the air conditioner, or Lee Jeong-hoon, who was sitting with an ice pack on his head.

No, if I’m going to be this stressed out by the heat, it might be better for my body to relieve the stress that way.

My eyes flicked to the scoreboard.

5:1

I usually want to pitch a lot of innings when I’m on the mound, but wow… There are a lot of scouts watching me, so today is an exception. I just want to pitch efficiently and rest.

-Boom!!

“Strike! Out!!!”

Unfortunately, the break wasn’t that long.

It was time to return to the mound, even though I hadn’t cooled down yet.

“Suwon, are you okay? Why don’t you come here and cool off for a bit?”

“It’s okay. If my body gets cold, my rhythm will be off.”

Even though it was past 7:40 PM, the heat hadn’t subsided.

Preparing the ball on the mound, I glanced at the stands.

They say we’re in the era of 10 million professional baseball fans, and whether that’s true or not, the stands were packed despite the heat.

The most dangerous hitter from the Griffins today, Chae Chang-sik, stepped up to the plate. A left-handed first baseman. Perhaps because he had hit an RBI double earlier, he looked confident, laughing and chatting with Jo Yu-jin like a social butterfly.

First pitch.

High fastball, inside.

-Boom!!

“Strike!”

158.1 km/h [~98.2 mph].

The speed has dropped significantly.

I took a light breath and prepared the second pitch.

Fastball, low and outside.

Thinking it’s okay to miss a little.

I threw the ball with force.

-Boom!!!

“Strike!!!”

158.7 km/h [~98.6 mph].

I could see the coach and pitching coach in the dugout talking.

Did the heat really get to me? The ball isn’t moving well.

I was a little annoyed.

Third pitch.

A ball that’s outside the strike zone.

-Clang!!

Foul.

And the fourth.

Another ball outside the zone.

-Clang!!

Another foul.

Ball count 0-2.

Jjo Yu called for another ball outside the zone for the fifth time.

I shook my head slightly, feeling uneasy. Perhaps it was because the discomfort index had risen considerably due to the intense heat and humidity.

Fifth pitch.

I threw the ball with force, fueled by annoyance.

Chae Chang-sik’s bat followed the ball this time as well.

Okay.

A slow curveball that drops sharply from a high release point.

-Boom!!!

“Strike! Out!!!”

Leading hitter strikeout.

The changed undershirt stuck to my body.

The annoyance didn’t disappear.