Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 253

253. The Rookie Draft (2)

The person rushing towards me was none other than Cho Gwang-hoon, the general manager of the Jaguars.

“Manager, it seems we keep running into each other.”

I greeted Cho Gwang-hoon with a smile.

Unlike my relaxed greeting, Cho Gwang-hoon seemed hurried.

“Representative Kang, let’s talk for a moment.”

Cho Gwang-hoon urgently led me away.

-We are positive about Choi Woo-jin, but we plan to consider until the end whether it is best to nominate him in the first round.

-We want to recruit a fireballer pitcher like Michael Scott.

The place Cho Gwang-hoon took me was quiet, with no one passing by.

Even so, Cho Gwang-hoon looked around anxiously, as if worried someone might be eavesdropping.

Only after confirming that no one was around did he open his mouth.

“Representative Kang, I just want to ask you one thing.”

“It’s about Woo-jin, right?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

Cho Gwang-hoon stammered in response when I immediately guessed.

“You must know that Woo-jin is a good player. So, which player are you considering against him right now?”

“Park Yu-cheol.”

As expected, he was a pitcher who could throw over 150 km/h [approximately 93 mph].

He wasn’t considered one of the Top 3 in this draft, but he was evaluated as being able to be nominated in the first round.

And he was also the player who would face Choi Woo-jin as a starting pitcher today.

“Hmm…”

“Seeing Michael Scott, I find fireballers appealing. It’s refreshing to watch them throw. Even if their control isn’t perfect, they can still be competitive.”

“Manager, Woo-jin is better in terms of control and game management. You would feel it right away if you watched the game. Plus, he’s a left-handed pitcher.”

Even looking at the stats, it was clear that Choi Woo-jin had better results.

“That’s true. But being able to throw 150 km/h since high school isn’t just ordinary talent.”

“I talked to Yoon-seok hyung [older brother or respected male figure] a while ago. Did you get the message?”

Hwang Yoon-seok, the Jaguars scout I met here last time, must have passed on what he discussed with me.

“We’ve checked the data thoroughly. But our scouting team is split right now. It’s so close that it’s not leaning to either side.”

“Which side are you on, Manager?”

“I’m tempted by Choi Woo-jin too. But I wonder if it’s right to skip over a pitcher who can throw over 150 km/h right in front of me. It would be devastating if another team improved his weaknesses and unlocked his potential. Nominating in the first round needs to be stable.”

“If the Jaguars skip him, the Buffaloes will nominate him no matter how late. There’s no chance it will come back to the Jaguars.”

Even if it wasn’t the Buffaloes, who were nominating sixth, the Vikings, who were fifth, were very likely to choose Choi Woo-jin.

But since our agency didn’t have any players belonging to the Vikings, it was the situation Choi Woo-jin wanted the least.

“Hoo…”

Cho Gwang-hoon took a deep breath as if revealing his complicated thoughts.

“Manager, Woo-jin is a player who has trained with our agency for two years. You know what happened in the last two years, right?”

“Of course, I know.”

“Then, shall I tell you a scary story?”

“S, scary… story?”

Cho Gwang-hoon swallowed hard and looked at me.

“Woo-jin has only been with our Dream Agency for two years.”

I said, holding up two fingers.

“Does that mean…?”

“What will happen to Woo-jin in a few more years here? I’ll leave that to your imagination, Manager.”

I just gave a faint smile to Cho Gwang-hoon, who couldn’t close his mouth.

* * *

-Now, the draft to select rookie players who will step onto the professional stage next year is really just around the corner. Coincidentally, Choi Woo-jin and Park Yu-cheol, two players who are likely to be nominated in the first round, will face off.

-It seems like it’s a foregone conclusion that both players will be nominated in the first round. It’s safe to say that the only thing left is which team will nominate them.

-So, which team will the two players wear the uniform of?

-As many people are expecting, it is likely that they will be nominated as number 4 and 5. The Jaguars nominate first, and then the Vikings. Both players are good players, but the charm of a fireballer is undeniable. With that in mind, it seems more likely that Park Yu-cheol will go to the Jaguars and Choi Woo-jin to the Vikings.

-In particular, the Jaguars scouting team will be watching today’s game closely. Could their thinking change depending on today’s results?

-It’s not impossible at all. Since it’s a match against a rival just before the nomination, you can immediately check what kind of performance the two pitchers show in an important game.

-Today’s game seems to be an important showcase stage for the two players.

Since Sucheon High School was the visiting team, Park Yu-cheol, the opposing team’s pitcher, took the mound first.

As Park Yu-cheol began his practice pitches, the scouts’ movements became busy.

Thwack!

148km/h [approximately 92 mph]!

Thwack!

150km/h [approximately 93 mph]!

Thwack!

151km/h [approximately 94 mph]!

Park Yu-cheol showed a speed that was not significantly inferior even when compared to professional pitchers.

Starting with his fastball, which was his strength, he tested his slider and curve in turn.

And the last ball was finished with a changeup.

As his practice pitching ended, the first batter of Sucheon High School approached the plate.

“Play ball!”

With the umpire’s call, Park Yu-cheol’s pitching began.

Thwack!

150km/h [approximately 93 mph]!

He started the game with a fastball, which he was confident in.

Whoosh-

151km/h [approximately 94 mph]!

-It’s refreshing just to watch. The pitching of a fireballer always makes our hearts beat, right?

-You can just throw it at the catcher’s mitt. And not everyone can throw a fastball in the 150km/h range. That alone is exciting.

The strength of being able to throw fastballs could not be denied.

However, there was one thing that had to be a prerequisite for a fastball to gain power.

Thwack!

“Ball!”

Thwack!

“Ball!”

That is the control to throw a strike at any time.

Even if it’s not at the level of precisely targeting the corners, you must have the ability to get a strike in important situations.

In situations where that is not possible, there is bound to be a limit to utilizing one’s strengths.

Thwack!

“Ball!”

Thwack!

“Walk!”

In the end, even after getting two strikes first, he allowed the first batter to get on base with a walk.

The fight with the following second batter.

Park Yu-cheol started his windup while checking the runner on first base behind him.

Thwack!

“Ball!”

The ball flew to a course that was far from where the catcher’s mitt was.

And the second ball that followed.

This time, it headed to a different course than the one he had exchanged signs with the catcher.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

Even though it was a bad pitch, he succeeded in getting a strike.

1 ball and 1 strike.

Park Yu-cheol couldn’t take his eyes off the runner on first base, who was constantly moving as if he was about to run.

As a result, it was difficult to throw the ball as he had exchanged signs with the catcher.

The ball thrown by Park Yu-cheol was heading towards the center of the strike zone.

The batter, judging that it was a good course to hit, began to swing his bat.

Tick!

He hit the ball at a good timing, but the ball rose and could not extend far because he could not overcome the power.

“Out!”

The second baseman, who turned around and ran, quickly judged the landing point and caught the ball.

1 out.

After getting the first batter out, he seemed to have calmed down a bit and finished the inning without allowing a run.

Now, it was the bottom of the 1st inning.

The pitcher heading to the mound was Choi Woo-jin.

This time, the scouts moved busily again.

Thwack!

Thwack!

It was true that Choi Woo-jin’s fastball felt slow after seeing a pitcher throwing fastballs.

But,

144km/h [approximately 89 mph]!

145km/h [approximately 90 mph]!

Choi Woo-jin’s speed was definitely faster than before.

In addition, a sharp slider, a curve with a large drop, and even a changeup that could completely steal the batter’s timing.

He finished his practice by testing them all evenly.

As the opposing first batter took his position at the plate, the umpire called out.

“Play ball!”

Choi Woo-jin started pitching without any hesitation as soon as he checked the catcher’s sign.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

As expected, he started with a strike, as he was the player with the highest first-pitch strike rate among high school pitchers.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

The speed of the fastballs that Choi Woo-jin threw just now was 143km/h [approximately 89 mph] and 144km/h [approximately 89 mph], respectively.

They pierced the far side and the batter’s body side of the strike zone, respectively.

0 balls and 2 strikes.

Tension was read on the batter’s face as the ball count became unfavorable.

Meanwhile, Choi Woo-jin, who had finished exchanging signs, began his windup.

The ball that left Choi Woo-jin’s hand floated slightly and then suddenly bent to the ground.

Choi Woo-jin and the catcher’s choice was a curve with a large drop.

It was a course that fell far below, almost touching the ground, so it was a ball that could not be hit even if you swung at a good timing.

The opposing batter, who was about to swing, struggled to stop his bat after judging that it was not the ball he had thought of.

He prevented the bat from turning completely, but the bat head had already passed halfway.

The Sucheon High School catcher, who caught the ball that touched the ground well, put the ball on the batter’s body, who could not hide his frustration, and the umpire’s call was heard.

“Strike out!”

-Choi Woo-jin is showing stable control in today’s game as well.

-For Choi Woo-jin, the first-pitch strike is just basic. It’s over 80%.

Choi Woo-jin’s confidence was felt in the fight against the next batter.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

Whoosh-

“Strike!”

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

He showed perfect pitching against the second batter as well.

And the following third batter was also unable to overcome Choi Woo-jin’s confident pitching.

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

-Choi Woo-jin strikes out all three batters he met in the first inning!

-The point to note here is that the process of getting three strikeouts is all different. He fought with different repertoires.

-The opposing batters must be really confused?

-That’s right. Because he is a player who can throw all kinds of pitches as he wants, it seems really difficult to predict what kind of ball he will fight with.

“Nice!”

Choi Woo-jin, who clapped his hands with his glove, raised his clenched fist and showed his excitement without reservation.

The match between Park Yu-cheol and Choi Woo-jin, who finished the first inning without giving up a run, continued into the second inning.