Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 297

Another Dream (3)

Seo Sung-min stepped up to the plate, positioning himself in the right-handed batter’s box.

“Oh! Seo Sung-min is facing Go Ji-hoon from the right-handed batter’s box. This is a rare sight, something you wouldn’t typically see in a regular season game.”

“Seo Sung-min became a switch-hitter to overcome his vulnerability to breaking balls from same-handed pitchers. I’m really eager to see what he’ll demonstrate in this at-bat.”

Go Ji-hoon, noticing Seo Sung-min in the right-handed batter’s box, offered a subtle smile.

Then, Go Ji-hoon began his windup.

The ball, released from Go Ji-hoon’s hand, sharply broke towards the inside corner.

-Thwack!

-Strike!

It was a precisely placed pitch, causing Seo Sung-min to flinch to avoid being hit.

“He wasn’t hitting the corners of the strike zone with such precision when facing Kim Min-hwan. Now he’s back to his sharpest form.”

“Seo Sung-min used to swing and miss consistently when a breaking ball followed an inside pitch. If Seo Sung-min can get a solid hit in this situation, it could significantly boost his confidence.”

Go Ji-hoon took a deep breath and delivered another pitch.

This time, it was a slider that broke sharply away to the outside.

Seo Sung-min, anticipating the pitch, lightly guided the ball with his bat.

-Clang!

-Wowwww-

The batted ball sailed towards the second baseman.

It was too high for the second baseman to reach, even with a full extension.

“Seo Sung-min gets a hit!”

“Go Ji-hoon definitely threw a sharp slider. But Seo Sung-min handled it cleanly.”

Seo Sung-min clenched his fist and took his place on first base.

Then, he pointed towards his family in the stands and smiled brightly.

-Seo Sung-min! Seo Sung-min! Seo Sung-min!

Go Ji-hoon, making eye contact with Seo Sung-min from the mound, gave a thumbs-up and applauded.

“Director Kang, it seems Seo Sung-min can explore different strategies in actual games now.”

“If he consistently demonstrates this level of hitting, we need to have a serious discussion about his role.”

“It’ll be interesting to see if Seo Sung-min can further evolve this season.”

And then, the exhibition game continued with the hitters training at the agency for their professional debut.

Go Ji-hoon pitched with everything he had, as he promised before the game.

Even though the hitters battled fiercely until the end, it was still too challenging for them to get a hit.

The players preparing for their professional debut couldn’t hide their excitement at having the opportunity to face one of the best professional players.

The inning changed again, and Scott returned to the mound.

Meanwhile, Park Sung-joo was approaching the plate.

“It’s time to see the player who signed the biggest free agent contract in Korean professional baseball history. It’s Park Sung-joo, who will likely remain a Buffaloes player for life.”

“He’s also a player who is likely to become a Buffaloes legend in the next few years.”

“Director Kang, there were many rumors that Park Sung-joo would go to the major leagues. What ultimately led him to stay with the Buffaloes?”

“There were several factors. It seems that playing baseball in front of Korean fans is just as important to Park Sung-joo as playing in the major leagues. So, he chose to stay.”

“Even so, giving up the chance to play in the major leagues must come with some regrets, right?”

“It would be a lie to say there weren’t any. But what’s clear is that Park Sung-joo will be able to play baseball more happily than anyone else in the future. He was genuinely happy to be able to spend the rest of his career with the Buffaloes.”

“I see. If he focuses solely on baseball without the pressure of a long-term contract, he might be able to achieve even greater results.”

“Of course. Park Sung-joo will deliver outstanding performances not only for the Buffaloes but also as a national team player. Please give him your support and encouragement.”

Turning my head back to the field, Scott and Park Sung-joo were ready to face off.

“Now, the showdown between last season’s best pitcher and home run king will begin. Park Sung-joo has historically struggled against Scott. Well, there aren’t many players who fare well against Scott.”

“That’s precisely why Park Sung-joo was eager to face Scott.”

“What will be the outcome of this match between these two players, which may be their last?”

Scott and Park Sung-joo had serious expressions, as if it were a regular season game.

And Scott’s first pitch left his hand.

Park Sung-joo boldly swung at a high fastball.

-Tick!

The ball was slightly mis-hit and flew backward.

“It must be incredibly difficult to confidently throw a high pitch to Park Sung-joo.”

“Of course. It’s only possible because it’s Scott.”

-Thwack!

-Ball!

This time, the pitch dropped sharply, almost touching the ground.

“He even threw a big curveball.”

“Even though it’s just an exhibition game, he doesn’t want to lose this matchup.”

One ball, one strike.

Scott, confirming Han Gyo-jin’s sign, took a deep breath as if it were a crucial moment.

Then, he threw the ball with all his might.

-Tick!

The batted ball flew high into the outfield.

Park Sung-joo, anticipating the result, couldn’t hide his disappointment and slowly walked towards first base.

Na Jun-ho, who had already positioned himself at the landing point, caught the ball without difficulty.

“Scott wins the match between the two players once again.”

“I don’t know when it will happen, but I hope to see Park Sung-joo hit a towering home run when these two face off again.”

As Park Sung-joo’s at-bat concluded, Han Gyo-jin approached the mound with the coach who had emerged from the dugout.

“It looks like they’re making a pitching change. Michael Scott’s pitching appearance ends here. It’s truly a shame that we won’t be able to see Scott on the mound for a while.”

“Let’s all support Scott so that he can have a successful career in the United States, just as he did in Korea.”

Scott hugged Han Gyo-jin, who had come to the mound.

Then, he took off his hat and waved it to the crowd, offering his final farewell.

-Wowww-

-Scott! Scott! Scott!

The crowd responded with enthusiastic cheers for Scott.

And now, a new pitcher emerged from the bullpen.

Seeing this, the crowd once again filled the stadium with enthusiastic cheers.

“Finally, this player is coming out!”

-Wowwwwww-

-Choi Woo-jin! Choi Woo-jin! Choi Woo-jin!

The cheers were so loud that Choi Woo-jin, who was running to the mound, seemed startled.

“Jaguars fans must be eager to see this player in action. It’s Choi Woo-jin, the Jaguars’ first pick in this year’s draft!”

“I didn’t expect the fans to cheer this much. Thank you all so much.”

Scott, who was waiting on the mound, handed the ball directly to Choi Woo-jin’s glove.

“It’s a symbolic moment, the passing of the torch from the past to the future of the Jaguars.”

“Jaguars fans will undoubtedly be disappointed that Scott is leaving the team. But now that they have Choi Woo-jin, they’ll have plenty to look forward to.”

Scott said his final goodbyes to the Korean fans and returned to the dugout.

And on the mound, Choi Woo-jin and Han Gyo-jin began their practice pitching.

-Thwack!

-Wowww-

-Thwack!

-Wowww-

The fans cheered enthusiastically for each of Choi Woo-jin’s pitches.

“Jaguars fans will now see Choi Woo-jin and Han Gyo-jin working together on the field frequently, right?”

“That’s right. Choi Woo-jin is scheduled to work closely with Han Gyo-jin. And they’re already practicing together.”

“It’s a truly exciting combination.”

After a while, Choi Woo-jin’s practice pitching concluded, and the game resumed.

The fans once again heated up the stadium as they saw the batter walking out of the dugout.

-Wowww-

-Watson! Watson! Watson!

Watson, holding a bat, waved his hand and walked to the plate.

“Choi Woo-jin’s first opponent today is Donald Watson, a player who has returned from the major leagues.”

“He had a great season last year and hit a painful home run against our country in an international competition. He’s a player who possesses all the qualities a hitter needs, from offense and defense to base running.”

“Director Kang, there were many controversies surrounding Watson’s arrival in Korea. What made you decide to bring Watson to Korea?”

“To be honest, I was a fan of Donald Watson when I was a player myself. And I happened to meet him during a business trip to the United States and we talked. It turned out that he was in an unfair situation. Everyone knows it now, but back then, it wasn’t widely known.”

At that time, Watson’s eyes came to my mind again.

“You felt sympathy because a player you admired was unable to play due to an unfair situation?”

“That wasn’t the only reason. More importantly, when I saw him play, I believed he would be highly competitive. So, I extended a proposal to Watson first.”

“It’s no exaggeration to say that Watson’s return to the major leagues was facilitated by your proposal, Director Kang.”

Before I knew it, Donald Watson and Choi Woo-jin were ready.

The commentator, confirming this, spoke again.

“It’s a matchup between the Jaguars’ super rookie Choi Woo-jin and the Jaguars’ best foreign hitter, Donald Watson. Choi Woo-jin is undoubtedly a talented player, but facing a major league hitter will still be a significant challenge for him, right?”

“Well, baseball isn’t solely determined by reputation.”

I could only respond with a faint smile.

Choi Woo-jin, confirming Han Gyo-jin’s sign, carefully began his windup.

-Thwack!

-Strike!

As the ball perfectly hit the corner, Watson opened his mouth wide in surprise.

“His control is truly remarkable, just as I’ve heard.”

“His control alone is already among the best in the country.”

Soon after, the second ball left Choi Woo-jin’s hand.

Watson, judging it to be a strike, swung his bat, but

-Tick!

“It’s incredibly difficult to get a solid hit when the ball hits the corner with such exquisite precision.”

“Choi Woo-jin may lack in raw power, but baseball is about more than just strength.”

“He’s created a very advantageous situation with no balls and two strikes. How will this match conclude?”

This time, Choi Woo-jin threw the ball with meticulous care.

The changeup that left Choi Woo-jin’s hand slowed down rapidly and moved away from Watson.

There was a clear difference from the trajectory of Watson’s bat.

-Whoosh-

-Strike out!

-Wowwwwww-

The crowd erupted in cheers the moment Watson’s bat swung in vain.

“In the end, Jaguars’ super rookie Choi Woo-jin strikes out major leaguer Donald Watson! That’s incredible!”

“It clearly demonstrates that being drafted in the first round by a professional team is no accident.”

“Could the teams that passed on drafting Choi Woo-jin first be regretting their decision?”

“They’ll have no choice but to do so when they watch the season games in the future.”

The corners of my mouth naturally turned up.

As Choi Woo-jin, who was returning to the dugout, raised both hands, the fans’ cheers grew even louder.

-Wowww-

-Choi Woo-jin! Choi Woo-jin! Choi Woo-jin!

Watson had to turn away, swallowing his disappointment with a deep smile.

While the inning changed briefly, the crowd’s cheers subsided for a moment.

Then, seeing the pitcher approaching the mound with a glove, the stadium heated up once again.