Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 115

All-Star Break (2)

From the moment Michael Scott started his practice throws, Ju-hyeok Lee and I were busy watching and taking notes.

I even pulled out the speed gun again to measure his velocity.

He was throwing as casually as if he were just playing catch, but:

153km/h.

154km/h.

His speed was still impressive.

Ju-hyeok Lee pressed the button several times, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Wow, his fastball speed seems even better than before.”

“Didn’t he say it was around the low 150s km/h when we met last time?”

“Yes, he said his average was about 95 miles [approximately 153 kilometers per hour].”

We couldn’t help but be amazed by his slider practice throws as well.

142km/h!

“Was that a slider he just threw? Not a fastball?”

“Judging by the way it curved, I think so.”

“Wow. If he throws a slider at that speed, can batters even react in the box?”

I couldn’t believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes.

Now the practice throws were over, and the game was starting.

Thanks to an out already on the board and the previous pitcher being taken out after giving up a home run, there were no runners on base.

The score difference was also five points, so it wasn’t a particularly high-pressure situation.

“Play ball!”

The game started with the umpire’s call.

The first batter he would face was a left-hander.

His record against left-handed batters hadn’t been great so far, so I was curious to see what he would show us today.

Michael Scott confidently threw the ball as soon as he confirmed the catcher’s sign.

Pop!

156km/h.

Pop!

157km/h.

I was worried that the catcher’s mitt might tear every time he threw a fastball.

0 balls, 2 strikes.

It was time to throw a bait ball to induce a swing or a breaking ball to get the strikeout.

Unlike the previous two times, Michael Scott shook his head at the catcher’s sign.

He finally nodded on the third sign.

Then, he took a big step and threw the ball.

It seemed to fly quickly, then dropped slightly.

It looked like he threw a splitter, but it was a shame that the angle of the drop wasn’t very sharp.

However, since it was a ball that looked like a strike at two strikes and then dropped, it was enough to get the batter to swing.

Thwack!

The bat hit the top of the ball, and it bounced on the ground.

Perhaps because of the high speed, it bounced high off the ground.

In the meantime, the batter ran to first base with all his might.

The third baseman rushed to catch the ball.

As soon as he caught it, he threw it hard toward the first baseman, but:

“Safe!”

It was impossible to get him out because the ball was in the air for too long.

Michael Scott couldn’t hide his disappointment at the first base umpire’s safe call.

Before we knew it, the next batter was preparing in the batter’s box.

Coincidentally, this batter was also a left-hander.

Moreover, he was a big player who looked strong.

Michael Scott glanced at the runner on first base and threw the ball with all his might.

Tick!

Even with a fastball of 154km/h, the batter swung as if he had anticipated it.

It was fortunate that it was a foul ball; the bat came out at the perfect time.

The catcher must have sensed this as well, as he carefully exchanged signs with Michael Scott.

Scott threw the ball even harder than before.

We could tell just by the fastball speed reaching 158km/h.

“Ball!”

It seemed like he was aiming for a high inside pitch, but it went too high because he put too much force into it.

It was such a fast ball that the batter might have flinched, but he didn’t budge at all.

Michael Scott tilted his head once, as if he didn’t like the ball he had just thrown.

It was now the third pitch with 1 ball and 1 strike.

The ball that left Michael Scott’s hand seemed to fly outside, then curved and bent toward the strike zone.

Perhaps because he was uneasy after getting a hit with a splitter against the previous batter, he tried throwing a backdoor slider this time.

“Ball!”

But the umpire’s hand didn’t go up.

The catcher held the ball as it was for a moment, expressing his disappointment at the umpire’s call.

It was a ball that could have been called a strike if it had come in just a little more.

2 balls, 1 strike.

It was a count where it was burdensome to afford to throw another ball.

Pop!

“Ball!”

The ball he threw this time also went far out of the strike zone.

Moreover, he ended up walking the batter as the ball he threw immediately after was also called a ball.

He allowed both of the first two batters to reach base, with an annoying infield hit and a walk.

I could fully imagine what the manager, who was watching with his arms crossed in the dugout, was thinking.

The only fortunate thing was that right-handed batters would be appearing in a row from now on.

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

“Strike out!”

Pop!

Pop!

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

After gaining an advantageous count with a powerful fastball, he induced a swing with a sharp slider.

Strikeouts against both batters.

As expected, he showed a confident performance against right-handed batters.

Michael Scott took the mound in the following inning as well.

In this inning, he was effective against right-handed batters but struggled against left-handed batters.

The strategy of stealing timing with curves was effective, but the splitter was still not ready.

He was able to finish the inning only after throwing more than 40 pitches.

While he only allowed one runner against right-handed batters during the 1.2 innings he pitched, he allowed four runners against left-handed batters.

However, the positive aspect was that he managed the situation well and didn’t allow any runs.

* * *

After the game, Ju-hyeok Lee and I were waiting for Michael Scott to come out at the exit.

Several players were leaving with their luggage.

Before long, we were able to see a familiar face.

“Scott!”

I waved my hand as I looked at Michael Scott.

Michael Scott looked at us, seeming unsure, then his eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe it, and he approached us.

“Oh my god! Who is this? It’s been so long!”

He quickly approached, put down his luggage, and greeted Ju-hyeok Lee and me with a hug and a cheerful greeting.

Our conversation began with Ju-hyeok Lee’s interpretation.

“Scott, how have you been?”

“Of course, I’m always doing well.”

“If you have time, would you like to grab something to eat and chat?”

“Of course, I have to go when my welcome friends come.”

Michael Scott picked up his luggage again and smiled brightly.

Shortly after, we entered a pizza place not far from the stadium.

We ordered two large pizzas and spaghetti.

As the food was being served one by one, we started talking about what had happened over the past few months.

“Wow! So Kang is now the CEO of a company?”

Scott’s eyes widened once again at my words that I had founded an agency.

“It just happened that way.”

“I knew Kang had it in him from the beginning. Seeing how kindly he helped me, I thought he would become a perfect agent.”

Scott smiled brightly at me, then pondered as if trying to recall something, and opened his mouth again.

“What were the names of the players I faced during spring training…?”

“Seok-hoon and Seong-ju?”

“Ah! That’s right. So Oh and Park are also in Kang’s agency?”

“Of course.”

“You have two world-class players? Wow! That’s really amazing.”

Scott raised both arms and expressed his amazement to the fullest.

We had a good time talking about the episodes of Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju that had happened in the meantime.

And when we were about to finish eating, I asked the question I really wanted to ask.

“How about you, Scott? Are you having any difficulties playing baseball?”

“Honestly, it’s not easy. It’s not going as I thought.”

Concern settled on Scott’s face.

-He is practicing the splitter but hasn’t used it much in real games.

-He is stressed because he hasn’t been given the opportunity to pitch as a starting pitcher.

The information in the information window was as expected.

“Are you planning to continue playing baseball? In the professional league?”

I had heard that among American college students, there are quite a few cases where they pursue other careers by taking advantage of their major even while playing baseball.

“Of course. I definitely want to pitch in the Major League.”

“Do you have any plans for the future?”

“Well… I’ll have to apply for the draft first. If I get drafted and go to the minor league, I can play baseball while getting paid, even if it’s not much.”

It was a typical answer, like graduating from college and getting a job.

“But if you go as you are now, it will be difficult to receive good treatment even if you get drafted, right? You’re a player who played as a long reliever in college league, not a starting pitcher.”

“Hmm… That’s true, but there’s no other way for me, is there?”

The probability of a player playing in an American college considering entering the Korean professional league [KBO] on his own was close to zero.

“Then how about this method?”

“What method?”

Scott leaned forward, detaching his back as if he was curious.

“Come to Korea and play baseball.”

“Korea…?”

“Of course, you can’t compare it to the Major League, but there are quite a few Triple-A level players [the highest level of minor league baseball]. Of course, some of the ace players are active in the Major League.”

“That’s right, I know that.”

Scott nodded as if he was thinking of the Korean players who had advanced to the Major League.

“Besides, there are quite a few foreign players who have performed well in Korea and then returned to the Major League.”

“Oh ho.”

I could feel Scott’s eyes sparkling little by little.

“Above all, you can get enough opportunities as a starting pitcher in Korea. They won’t send you down to the second team after one or two bad performances, so unless you suddenly get injured, you can gain enough experience and develop your skills in the first team.”

The story would be different if his performance was poor, but I was sure that wouldn’t happen.

“Wow…”

Scott uttered a low exclamation.

“I think it would be a good opportunity and a challenge, what do you think?”

“But… can I really do well as a starting pitcher if I go?”

“Would I have come this far if I wasn’t sure you could do well?”

I answered without hesitation.

Scott pondered for a while, then opened his mouth.

“I know what you mean. But can you give me time to think? I’ve never thought about it before.”

“Of course. You can think about it or refuse. It’s your choice.”

It was a crucial choice that would greatly change a person’s future, so it was natural to give him enough time to think.