Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 188

Attachment or Obsession (3)

Thud.

Thud.

The pitching machine spat out baseballs with relentless consistency.

Han Gyojin focused intently, blocking the non-stop barrage.

His fastball blocking was solid.

I adjusted the machine, gradually increasing the velocity of the pitches.

At the same time, I mixed in breaking balls that dipped sharply towards the ground.

Normally, the catcher receives signals from the pitcher, anticipating the type of pitch. However, the angle of these breaking balls varied each time.

There was no guarantee of perfect consistency, even from a skilled pitcher.

Thud.

Thud.

As the velocity increased and the breaking balls became more erratic, Han Gyojin struggled, failing to block an increasing number of them.

I paused the machine and walked over to him.

“Gyojin, if a catcher lets a ball get past him with a runner on base, that’s a free base. It’s essentially giving the other team a sacrifice bunt with no outs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“A catcher has to block the ball, no matter what. With a runner on third, a passed ball is basically handing them a run.”

I patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.

“You’re improving. Let’s go again.”

And the training resumed.

Thud.

Thud.

“When you’re blocking, you need to direct the ball away from the runner!”

“Yes!”

Han Gyojin responded with spirit, despite gasping for breath.

Thud.

Thud.

I stopped the machine again.

“Gyojin, let’s take a break. Get some water.”

“Yes.”

He wiped the sweat from his face and gulped down water.

“It’s been a while since you’ve trained like this, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. Lately, my solo training has been mostly weightlifting or simple batting practice. It’s been a while since I’ve actually caught balls like this.”

“The team will be surprised when you get back after this training.”

I patted him on the shoulder again.

After a short break, we gathered the scattered balls and resumed training.

“Gyojin, from now on, imagine a runner is stealing second base and try throwing them out.”

This was practical training.

“Yes.”

Once he seemed ready, I restarted the machine.

At first, I sent the balls directly to him.

Thud.

As soon as he caught the ball, he half stood and threw towards second base.

Whoosh-

I timed how long it took him to catch the ball and throw it to second base.

This time, known as “pop time,” is considered elite in Major League Baseball if it’s around 1.8 seconds. Anything over 2 seconds earns the unfortunate label of “automatic door,” meaning steals are easily allowed.

A seemingly small 0.2-second difference can determine the success or failure of a steal attempt.

Thud.

Whoosh-

Thud.

Whoosh-

Han Gyojin’s pop time averaged around 1.88 seconds.

Even the slowest throw didn’t exceed 1.93 seconds.

That was a pretty good time.

Being an outfielder, he had good arm strength, and his throwing accuracy was also high.

Stopping a steal depends on many factors, including the pitcher’s delivery and the game situation, but the catcher’s speed and accuracy are crucial.

Based on what Han Gyojin was showing, he was certainly performing his role effectively.

This time, I sent increasingly erratic, bouncing balls.

Thud.

“Huh?”

Whoosh-

Because he had to catch and throw balls bouncing off the ground, it was much more difficult.

Perhaps feeling pressured to throw quickly, his blocking, which had been improving, began to falter.

Thud.

Whoosh-

“Ah…….”

In his haste, his throws to second base often went off target.

Well, these things take time.

All we can do is train every day.

After two hours of intense training, we returned to the office.

Now it was time to review past games and study pitch combinations.

I had worn a catcher’s mask and played in games, though only briefly in the past.

As a catcher, I lacked certain physical skills, but I was confident in my ability to analyze pitch combinations.

That was something I could improve with study.

Since then, I had thought a lot about pitch combinations while watching games, so I was confident in my ability to provide theoretical help.

First, we replayed games featuring the Jaguars pitchers that Han Gyojin would be working with when he returned to the team.

We started with a game where Michael Scott pitched.

-Whack!

-Whack!

I paused the screen during an at-bat.

“In this situation, what’s the best way to approach the next pitch?”

“With the count at 1-ball, 1-strike, there’s still room to work. Wouldn’t it be right to call for a fastball on the corner?”

“Why a fastball?”

“Because it’s Michael Scott. I think it’s best to rely on his most reliable pitch.”

“Is there anything else to consider?”

Han Gyojin paused to think.

“Um… The batter has a low batting average against inside pitches. Should we call for a fastball low and inside?”

“That’s correct. But there’s one more thing.”

“……?”

“You need to approach it differently depending on whether the first pitch was a ball or a strike. The batter’s psychology will be different if a strike follows a ball, or a ball follows a strike.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

Han Gyojin nodded and took notes.

“So, a catcher needs to know not only the opposing batter’s data, but also our pitcher’s style and condition on that day. And depending on the situation, it’s also very important to understand the batter’s psychology.”

“I’ll work hard on the analysis, too.”

“Shall we move on to the next scene then?”

We continued to study by watching various game situations.

In addition to Michael Scott’s pitching, we also analyzed plays by other top catchers in the league.

* * *

We were in the middle of our analysis when…

Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

An unexpected guest arrived.

“Scott! Welcome.”

“My boss! I wanted to see you soon.”

Michael Scott smiled brightly and greeted me in his usual enthusiastic way.

“Scott, the other players are complaining about you.”

“Complaining? What’s wrong?”

Scott looked surprised and his eyes widened.

“They say your pitches are too hard to hit. They’re asking you to take it easy on them.”

“Hahaha. Wow. They’re all doing well, they’re just exaggerating.”

Scott couldn’t hide his delight, flashing a wide smile.

I pointed to Han Gyojin.

“Scott, this is Han Gyojin, a Jaguars player. Gyojin, this is Jaguars pitcher Michael Scott.”

I introduced them.

“I know him very well. He’s the most famous player in our country right now.”

Unlike Han Gyojin, who immediately recognized Scott,

“A Jaguars player?”

Scott tilted his head, trying to remember.

“He was away for two seasons serving in the military, so you’re probably meeting him for the first time today.”

“Ah, the military. All Korean men have to go, right?”

When I nodded, Scott turned and smiled brightly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Michael Scott.”

He extended his hand and shook hands with Han Gyojin.

“I’m a big fan. It’s an honor to be on the same team.”

Han Gyojin looked at Scott with admiration.

“Shall we go inside and talk?”

I led Scott and Han Gyojin to the table in the living room.

The three of us drank juice and continued our conversation.

“So, what position does Han play?”

“He’s a catcher.”

“Oh, a catcher! I think catchers are amazing. I don’t know how they keep so much information in their heads during a game. It’s like they’re computers!”

Scott exclaimed in admiration, raising both hands.

“Gyojin isn’t just any catcher, he’s a very promising prospect for the Jaguars. We’re developing him as a key player.”

“Wow. An unbelievable player.”

Scott gave Han Gyojin a thumbs up.

“Oh, I still have a long way to go. I need to keep training.”

“It would be fun if Han and I could work together.”

Scott said, looking at Han Gyojin.

“That would be great. It would be nice to have our agency’s players win games as pitcher and catcher.”

“I have to make it to the first team first…….”

“You’ll get there next year.”

I patted Han Gyojin on the shoulder, noticing his sudden gloom.

Then I turned back to Scott.

“Anyway, Scott, you’re scheduled to start soon. Why did you come all the way here instead of resting?”

“I feel like my pitches are a little different than they were at the beginning of the season. I wanted to check what’s changed.”

“Really? Your pitches looked good in the last game.”

“Um… They just feel a little different.”

“Then let’s throw some and check the data.”

“Okay.”

As Scott and I were about to get up,

“If it’s okay, can I catch your pitches?”

Han Gyojin asked cautiously.

“You’ve been training hard all day. Wouldn’t it be better to rest?”

“That’s true… But when else would I get a chance to catch Scott’s pitches?”

It was a great opportunity for him.

I looked at Scott, seeking his approval.

“Scott, would it be okay if Gyojin caught your pitches?”

“Wow, that would be great! It’s easier to concentrate when there’s a catcher.”

Scott gave Han Gyojin another thumbs up.

“Okay, then you two go down and get ready. I’ll go get Coach Ingyu.”

While I went to find Jung Ingyu, Scott and Han Gyojin went down to the training grounds.

After a while, they finished preparing and took their positions on the mound and home plate.

Jung Ingyu, who had joined them, was setting up his tablet to analyze Scott’s pitching.

“Han, I’ll start now!”

“Okay. I’m ready.”

Scott took a breath and started pitching.

Whack!

Whack!

The sound of the ball hitting the mitt echoed loudly through the indoor practice field.

It was a powerful ball that could injure the fingers of anyone who wasn’t a professional catcher.

“Wow, this is no joke.”

Han Gyojin shook his head, as if the ball felt unfamiliar even to him.

Whack!

Whack!

Scott’s pitching continued.

“Scott, hold on a second.”

Jung Ingyu took the tablet and showed Scott the data from his current pitching.

Scott listened intently.

Now it was time to practice breaking balls.

Scott threw a splitter that dropped sharply in front of the plate.

“Wow!”

Han Gyojin struggled to block the rapidly dropping ball and stared in amazement.

“Gyojin, how’s Scott’s splitter?”

“What’s the velocity right now?”

“That was 141 km/h [87.6 mph].”

“Can a batter hit that?”

Han Gyojin shook his head, throwing the ball back to Scott.

“That’s why everyone’s swinging and missing.”

“I’m so glad we’re on the same team.”

Whack!

Whack!

Han Gyojin had difficulty catching the ball at first, but he gradually adapted to its trajectory.

After that, Scott continued to throw splitters, sliders, and curveballs.

With his next start approaching, he only threw about 20 pitches to check his condition.

According to the pitch analysis, there were no major problems with Scott’s form.

It seemed like his next start would go smoothly.