Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 247

Hot Potato (2)

In the conference room, six technical committee members, including myself, were seated around the chairman. He was at the head of the table.

There were two members to my right and three across from me.

I’d thought it would be a comfortable setting, seeing some familiar faces among the committee members, but the atmosphere was different than expected.

The meeting felt both relaxed and serious.

This underscored the importance of today’s meeting.

Before it started, a staff member distributed files containing documents to each member. These were the lists of recommended players that each of us had submitted.

My own submission was among them.

The members, myself included, reviewed the documents, checking each other’s lists.

The meeting commenced with the chairman’s opening remarks.

“Now, let’s begin the National Team Technical Committee meeting.”

The chairman looked around the table. “In this committee, we will prioritize fairness and objectivity to avoid any controversy regarding player selection. We will exclude all external factors and evaluate solely on skill to select the best possible Korean national team. I trust that the members here will keep these two principles in mind.”

It was no exaggeration to say that the selection of national team players had always been fraught with controversy.

This was almost inevitable, given the stakes: military service exemptions and favorable FA [Free Agency] acquisition terms.

Moreover, recent poor performances in international competitions had only intensified the negative scrutiny.

Now, as a technical committee member directly involved in player selection, this issue was directly relevant to me.

“Then, let’s start with the pitchers.”

The meeting began with the pitching roster.

It didn’t require much explanation to emphasize the importance of a strong *투수진* [pitching lineup] in a short-term international competition.

Past performance on the professional stage was the baseline, and recent records, especially against foreign hitters, were comprehensively reviewed.

Furthermore, players who could handle the pressure of short-term matches and the burden of international competition were given priority.

Discussions ranged from each club’s key starting pitchers to prominent relief pitchers.

Given the limited roster size, the focus was on pitchers who could cover multiple innings rather than specialists who reliably pitched only one.

That didn’t mean excluding closers entirely.

With so few spots available, only the closer with the best performance would be selected.

In this manner, they fiercely debated and selected pitchers to be placed on the preliminary entry list.

Naturally, Go Ji-hoon, Jang Su-young, and Choi Jeong-hwan were among them.

Barring a sudden slump or injury in the remaining season, our agency’s three players had a very high chance of making the national team.

Next, the discussion moved to hitters.

The conversation began with players who were clearly performing exceptionally well in their respective positions.

Even though this was a preliminary entry selection, discussions about potential starters were also taking place.

As expected, shortstop So Young-joon, third baseman Park Seong-joo, and outfielders Oh Seok-hoon and Na Joon-ho were nominated without much debate.

Additionally, the selection of league-leading players like the Doubles’ Yang Hee-chan as catcher was completed without complications.

And now, discussions about utility players began.

A heated debate ensued, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each player to find the optimal combination.

As expected, a question was directed at me.

The question came from a technical committee member sitting across from me, whom I was meeting for the first time.

“Dream Agency CEO Kang Hyun-woo, you recommended player Seo Seong-min. Can you explain your reasoning?”

At first, it seemed like he genuinely wanted to hear my thoughts, but his tone suggested he was questioning the appropriateness of recommending Seo Seong-min.

“I didn’t suggest Seo Seong-min as a starter. But I believe there isn’t a better utility player available.”

“You understand that fielders must possess basic defensive skills in international competitions, correct?”

“Of course. Especially for utility players, defensive ability is crucial because they are more likely to be substituted in and play in the later innings. The same holds true for professional teams.”

I answered without hesitation.

“Then, are you asserting that Seo Seong-min’s defense is that good? In my opinion, he’s not a player I would consider to have strong defensive skills.”

“It’s hard to say he’s the best at any one position, but he can handle second base, first base, and even left field without any issues. You’ve likely seen him starting at second base in recent Jaguars games and then shifting to first base as needed.”

“I’m aware he’s been playing frequently lately. But my point is whether Seo Seong-min is competitive enough compared to other players. Shouldn’t the national team select the best players in Korea?”

“I believe Seo Seong-min *is* one of the best. The data already supports this. If you review the data submitted in advance, you’ll see that his performance is comparable to other players.”

I had anticipated this line of questioning, so I put in extra effort to demonstrate Seo Seong-min’s competitiveness.

“Even so, isn’t Seo Seong-min the same player who was released from the Doubles last season? It seems illogical for a player with that kind of recent history to even be considered for the national team.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

I tilted my head, feigning ignorance.

“Doesn’t his recent release from a professional club clearly indicate a lack of competitiveness? If he were competitive, he wouldn’t have been released by the Doubles.”

“Isn’t the present more relevant than the past? He’s currently the starting second baseman and the fixed sixth hitter for the league’s second-place team. If that’s not competitive, how do you explain the Jaguars being in second place? His batting and defensive metrics are strong, so I’m not sure what else he needs to prove.”

What better way to demonstrate a player’s competitiveness?

“Well, he’s also quite old. He’s in his late 30s. For the sake of generational change, wouldn’t it be better to give opportunities to younger players than to select someone like him?”

Sigh…….

I put down my pen, looked the member across from me in the eye, and asked, “Is age a significant factor in player selection?”

“It’s preferable to give opportunities to younger players.”

After hearing his answer, I turned to the other members and the chairman and asked, “What were the criteria for selecting players for this tournament? If I recall correctly, the chairman clearly stated that we would select based solely on skill. I don’t remember any mention of excluding older players.”

“…….”

I turned back to the member who had questioned me and continued, “And how should the generational change of the national team be implemented?”

“It’s about giving young and promising players experience in international competitions.”

“What if a promising player isn’t currently performing at their best? Should we select the best player or a player who is just one year younger?”

“That is…….”

The member trailed off, avoiding my gaze.

“Isn’t it the role of professional clubs to develop players? I believe the national team isn’t a place for nurturing talent, but a place to select the players who are currently performing at their peak in the league and achieve the best possible results. Am I wrong?”

“…….”

Still, the member didn’t make eye contact or offer a response.

Eventually, the chairman intervened.

“We’re not finalizing the selection list today, so let’s move on. There doesn’t seem to be any objection to including Seo Seong-min in the preliminary entry.”

The discussion about Seo Seong-min concluded with the chairman’s intervention.

Soon after, there was a wide-ranging discussion about other infielders, outfielders, and pitchers.

Then, the conversation shifted to catchers.

Again, a question was directed at me, this time from the same member who had been so sharp earlier.

“CEO Kang, you recommended player Han Gyo-jin for catcher?”

“Yes, I included him because I believe he’s a qualified player.”

“You’re aware that there are only two catcher slots in this kind of tournament, right?”

“Of course, I’m well aware.”

I nodded in agreement.

“You must know that the catcher position is particularly crucial in a short-term tournament. Can you explain why you recommended Han Gyo-jin?”

“You know that Han Gyo-jin is currently working with Michael Scott and Jung Min-woo. And you must be aware that both players are performing well. If Han Gyo-jin’s ability as a catcher was lacking, that wouldn’t be possible.”

It goes without saying that Michael Scott’s performance, with an ERA [Earned Run Average] that has dropped to 2.30, is excellent, and Jung Min-woo, who broke his losing streak, has shown a markedly improved performance since working with Han Gyo-jin.

“Michael Scott was already a good player. Isn’t his performance primarily due to his own ability rather than the catcher’s influence?”

“His record is significantly better than last season. His ERA has continued to decrease as the season progresses.”

The member who heard my answer suddenly smiled unpleasantly and continued, “Looking at it this way, I can’t help but wonder…”

“What is it?”

“Could it be that you recommended Seo Seong-min and Han Gyo-jin simply because they belong to Dream Agency?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

My voice rose involuntarily.

“CEO Kang, it’s natural to favor your own clients. But this is a place to select national team players. You should minimize personal biases.”

“I’m quite offended by that accusation. I provided accurate data as evidence to support my recommendations.”

I tried hard to maintain my composure and replied.

“But I can’t shake the feeling that you’re pushing this connection too far.”

“In what way do you think so?”

I stared intently at the member across from me and asked.