Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 160

160. Winter League (2)

“Play ball!”

The umpire’s call signaled the start of the game.

The two teams facing off today were the top contenders in the same division.

As befitting teams with good records, their performance was formidable.

*Thwack!*

*Thwack!*

“Strike out!”

The game management of both teams’ starting pitchers was top-notch, and

*Clack!*

*Clack!*

“Home run!”

There were several standout players among the hitters as well.

Many of them were players I had already identified in videos.

The players who looked promising in the videos were indeed impressive in the actual game.

Excluding those who were on the verge of being called up to the Major League, and thus had no reason to challenge the Korean league, I meticulously organized the list, focusing on players with potential for growth.

After about three hours of intense competition, the game concluded.

Now it was time to properly talk with the players we had scheduled meetings with in advance.

* * *

After the game, Lee Joo-hyuk, Alex Thomas, and I moved to a quiet cafe to meet with the players we had arranged to see.

Before long, we were able to meet the first player.

He was a powerful first baseman who had hit a home run in today’s game, a player whose abilities would make many teams drool.

After a brief greeting, we got down to business.

Of course, I could see his information window as well.

-He believes he will be a Major Leaguer soon.

He’s confident, at least.

I asked him with anticipation.

However,

“Overseas league……?”

The moment he heard the word ‘overseas,’ he frowned and showed displeasure.

“There are many good players in the Korean league these days. It will be a stage where I can grow while getting enough opportunities.”

“Hmm…….”

His frown didn’t seem to ease easily.

“The level of Korean baseball is definitely not to be ignored. There are many cases where players with Major League experience were released due to poor performance.”

I wanted to emphasize that it’s easy to get burned if you look down on the league just because it’s not the Major League…….

Looking at his expression, it didn’t seem like a very effective method.

Then there’s only one last method left.

“Do you happen to know Michael Scott?”

“Oh, Scott? I think I’ve heard of him.”

Seeing that he seemed to know Scott, I gave Lee Joo-hyuk a look.

It was the video of Michael Scott being cheered on by Jaguars fans that I had shown to Thomas as well.

“Michael Scott recently advanced to the Korean league, and he’s been performing incredibly well this season. He’s now recognized by fans to this extent.”

While watching the screen, he seemed briefly interested in the huge cheers of the crowd, but soon his expression hardened and he asked.

“As I recall, Michael Scott wasn’t a particularly outstanding player here, was he?”

“He had weaknesses as a starting pitcher, but with the help of our agency and the Korean coaching staff, we are supplementing his weaknesses one by one. Of course, he is also guaranteed starting opportunities.”

“Hmm……. The fact that a player of that level can show good performance in such a short period of time means that the league level there is that low, doesn’t it?”

Now, I could even feel contempt for Korean baseball in his eyes.

I struggled to suppress my unpleasant feelings and introduced other cases where players who had advanced to Korea had developed and returned to the United States.

But his reaction didn’t change.

No matter how skilled he is, this kind of player would not be helpful to Korean baseball or our agency.

I had no choice but to meet the next player.

The second player was a center fielder classified as a medium-to-long-range hitter.

-I want to improve my baseball skills more than I do now.

His determination could be felt even through the information window.

I had a happy feeling that this time would be different.

“Are you thinking of advancing to an overseas league?”

“Of course, if it can help me grow in baseball, I can definitely consider it.”

I was so glad to get a positive response.

“I’ve watched your game videos and today’s game, and I think you have enough potential if you come to our country. Can you give it a try?”

“But which country are you from? Japan?”

What?

Do I look Japanese?

“No. South Korea. South. Ko. Re. A.”

I suppressed my unpleasant feelings and emphasized the word Korea.

“What? South Korea? Oh my god! Isn’t that a country at war?”

Suddenly, he widened his eyes and made a fuss.

I didn’t expect the war to come up here…….

Ha……. How should I explain this?

“It’s not that there’s no possibility of war at all, but we’ve been living peacefully for decades without war. You don’t have to worry.”

“Isn’t that a country that shoots nukes?”

He made a flamboyant commotion, making gestures as if exploding with both hands.

“We don’t shoot nukes. That’s North Korea. We are South Korea. South!”

“North or South, isn’t it still a country at war? A truce means that war can break out at any time.”

“Well…… I can’t say there’s absolutely no possibility, but Koreans are living peacefully.”

“Oh my god! War is too scary, I can never go. No matter how much money you give me, I don’t want to play in a country where my life is in danger. Never.”

He waved his hands vehemently, expressing his aversion.

Okay, let’s just give up.

We made a place with the last player we had scheduled.

-He feels extremely uncomfortable traveling to away games by bus.

In the minor leagues, they traveled to away stadiums by bus.

Unlike Korea, where you can arrive in 4 or 5 hours at most, traveling by bus in the United States, which has a large land area, was a different level of difficulty.

It was likely that he wanted to play baseball in a pleasant environment.

Then the Korean league is perfect.

As always, I explained the introduction to the Korean league and success stories.

“Hmm……. I don’t know much about Korea, but I don’t know if I can live there.”

“What are you worried about?”

“From what I saw in the movies, there aren’t many cars because the roads aren’t well paved? And it doesn’t seem like there’s much electricity.”

What movie did he watch?

Where else is there a country with as much electricity as Korea?

Doesn’t he watch TV these days?

“That’s an old story. It was like that before I was even born, but now it’s incomparable to then.”

Do I have to explain the economic power of South Korea in order to recruit foreign players?

“I don’t like living in the countryside. I live in a big city.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Once you experience Korean urban culture, you won’t want to come back to the United States. It’s scary to walk around at night in the United States. It’s not dangerous to walk alone late at night in Korea.”

“Hmm…….”

He didn’t seem to understand right away just by hearing it.

Well, if you’ve never had a similar experience, it’s hard to even imagine.

“And the food doesn’t suit my taste at all?”

Now even the food is coming up.

I decided to listen to his story quietly, wondering what he would say.

“There are a lot of Korean foods that foreigners like.”

“I went to a Korean restaurant and everything they sold there was spicy. I couldn’t eat any of it.”

He made a gesture of suffering from eating spicy food, as if the memory of that day had come back to him.

“There’s not only spicy food in Korea. And there are so many places that sell foreign food.”

“Hmm……. I don’t know.”

Looking at his still lukewarm expression, I wanted to call Michael Scott right away.

It felt like Scott could solve it in one shot if he explained it.

I had no choice but to pass on this player as well.

* * *

“Hoo-”

A sigh escaped on its own.

I expected it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t think it would be this difficult.

I was starting to respect the club’s overseas scouts who recruit new players every year.

So they’ve been bringing in players while going through this process every year.

At the same time, I could now properly feel that Michael Scott was really favorable to us [meaning he was predisposed to join our team].

Well, it’s hard to simply compare since we already had a relationship with him since spring camp.

“Kang, don’t be too disappointed. If you can’t sign with the players you want here, there’s a way to move to California. The Winter League will be held there soon too.”

Thomas tried to reassure me, who was disappointed.

The Jaguars’ general manager, Jo Gwang-hoon, had high expectations for me, but what could I do? I couldn’t propose just any player.

“And there are games tomorrow too, so you can meet good players there too.”

“I hope so. It’s just the beginning.”

I sat up straight again and talked with Lee Joo-hyuk and Thomas while watching videos of other players.

There were players who were lacking in terms of performance compared to the players I met today, but there were still several who looked promising.

Our meeting lasted for over an hour.

I stretched my arms up and turned my head to stretch for a moment due to the fatigue that was coming over me,

“Uh……? That player?”

I was momentarily stunned by one player.

I’ve definitely seen him a lot on TV, but suddenly I couldn’t remember his name.

“Isn’t that Donald Watson?”

Lee Joo-hyuk recognized him right away.

“Right? Donald Watson!”

Donald Watson was a famous Major Leaguer that any baseball fan would have heard of.

He was also famous for causing several violent bench-clearings due to his aggressive play and inability to control his hot-tempered personality.

He was in the same position as me, center fielder, and I wanted to try playing that aggressively, so I watched him with interest.

He was a familiar player to domestic fans as well, but to see a Major Leaguer I had only seen on TV in person…

True to his reputation, he was so huge that he was scary when I saw him up close.

I was watching him pass by with my mouth wide open.

Then Thomas raised the corners of his mouth and asked me.

“Do you want to say hello to Watson?”

“Huh? Can I really do that?”

“Of course, I’ve known him for a long time, so we’re very close. Just wait a moment.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Thomas jumped up and approached Donald Watson.

After a while, the two greeted each other happily.

Thomas pointed to me and Lee Joo-hyuk and said something, and Watson made a gesture as if he liked it.

Then the two of them walked together to where I was.

“Oh, he’s really coming.”

It was difficult to easily hide my excited heart at the thought of meeting a Major Leaguer.

The closer Donald Watson got, the bigger his size seemed to be getting.

Finally, Watson came right in front of me.

Thomas looked back and forth between Watson and me and introduced us.

“Say hello. This is Korean professional baseball agent Kang, and this is baseball player Donald Watson.”

As soon as Thomas’s introduction was over, Watson reached out his hand to me.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Donald Watson.”

“I’m Kang Hyun-woo.”

I shook hands with Watson.

His strength was so strong that my hand was numb even with a light handshake.

I barely pulled my hand away and looked up, and I could see the information window from him as well.
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