Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 282

Team Korea (3)

Finally, the semi-final against the United States.

It was a game that garnered more attention from fans than any other.

Meeting the United States, a strong contender for the championship, in the semi-finals, and Michael Scott’s appearance on the mound only heightened the excitement.

There wasn’t a single aspect to dismiss.

“Today’s game is a highly anticipated match in many ways. I think it will feel even more meaningful to CEO Kang Hyun-woo.”

The announcer turned his head towards me and asked.

“Of course. I had been thinking that we might face each other in this tournament, but now that we’re actually meeting like this, it feels really strange.”

“I have to ask a difficult question. Which team do you think will win today’s match?”

“As you already know, Michael Scott performed exceptionally well in the Korean league. It won’t be easy to seize the momentum. We’ll need to capitalize on every opportunity if we want to have a chance of winning.”

As soon as my comment ended, the Korean national team’s batting order was displayed on the broadcast screen.

“The most noticeable aspect of today’s game is the change in the batting order. So Young-joon and Han Kyo-jin have been moved forward to the 2nd and 3rd spots. This is the first change in the batting order in this tournament.”

After acknowledging the announcer’s gaze, I immediately took over the conversation.

“It can be seen as a strategy to thoroughly target Michael Scott. It’s true that Scott had a good season in the league last year, but he wasn’t overwhelming against all players.”

“We know that So Young-joon is strong against Scott. What about Han Kyo-jin?”

“They showed really great teamwork as battery mates [pitcher and catcher] in the Jaguars. To exaggerate a bit, he probably knows what Scott is thinking at this very moment.”

“Oh, you’ve given me something to look forward to! Manager Kim Sang-moon’s tactical skills are shining in this tournament as well. We’ll have to see if he can play a necessary role in today’s game too.”

-Play ball!

The game finally started with the umpire’s call.

-Thwack!

-Tick!

-Tick!

The leadoff hitter for South Korea persistently fouled off pitches, extending the at-bat.

“Michael Scott’s pitches still feel incredibly powerful.”

“Just looking at the fastball’s quality, it probably wouldn’t be significantly inferior even compared to Major League pitchers.”

He succeeded in dragging out the at-bat by struggling to make contact with fastballs exceeding 150 km/h [approximately 93 mph], but

-Whoosh-

-Strike out!

When a splitter [a type of fastball that breaks sharply downward] suddenly dropped, he had no choice but to swing and miss.

Even though it bounced on the ground, the opposing catcher caught it comfortably, so the out count immediately went up.

Now it was So Young-joon’s turn to bat.

“Perhaps the hitter who is strongest against Scott on Earth right now is this player. It’s Pelicans’ So Young-joon!”

The announcer shouted with an expectant voice.

“Last season, he had a batting average of over .500 against him and recorded 3 home runs. He deserves to be called a ‘Scott Killer.’ If it weren’t for So Young-joon, Scott might have recorded an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] in the 1-point range.”

“The stats themselves are overwhelming, but they’re so much better compared to other players. CEO Kang, what do you think is the reason why So Young-joon is so strong against him?”

“I’ve been asked that question a lot. Actually, I don’t know exactly either.”

I finished my answer with a smile.

“Actually, the reason isn’t important. As long as he puts on a good performance in today’s game.”

Scott, who had calmly taken a breath, carefully threw the ball.

So Young-joon swung his bat accurately, as if he had been expecting it.

-Clang!

“Oh, well hit!”

The batted ball from So Young-joon flew out sharply.

Everyone was expecting a solid hit,

But the glove of the shortstop, who had stretched out his arm in the direction the ball was going, was waiting.

The shortstop caught the ball comfortably, as if nothing had happened.

“Wow! Did he catch that?”

And the subsequent throw was also accurate.

Even though So Young-joon sprinted towards first base, he couldn’t arrive before the ball.

“The throw is accurate too. I can only say it was a really great play.”

The first base umpire raised his fist without much hesitation.

-Out!

“Looking at the trajectory and the batted ball speed, I thought it would definitely be a hit. But it was blocked by a fielder and resulted in an out.”

“I can only say it’s really amazing.”

Just looking at So Young-joon’s frustrated expression, it was easy to understand that he felt similarly.

Immediately, the at-bat continued with the 3rd batter, Han Kyo-jin.

“Another interesting matchup is coming up right away. Today is the first time the two players are facing each other in an official game. CEO Kang, what are the key points of this match in your opinion?”

The announcer looked at me and asked.

“Han Kyo-jin has been trying to understand everything about Scott since he became battery mates with Scott this season. This will probably play a decisive role in today’s game as well.”

“Let’s watch the match between the pitcher and catcher who boasted fantastic teamwork together.”

When I turned my gaze to the stadium, Han Kyo-jin was already at the plate.

Scott and Han Kyo-jin, facing each other as opponents, prepared for the match without even having time to exchange greetings out of pleasure.

After checking the signs and nodding, Scott took a breath and started his windup.

The ball that left Scott’s hand headed towards the high part of the strike zone.

Han Kyo-jin’s bat swung with all its might, as if he had been aiming for it from the first pitch.

-Whoosh-

-Strike!

Unexpectedly, Han Kyo-jin couldn’t hide his embarrassment when his bat missed.

“Wow, the speed is 159 km/h [approximately 99 mph] right now.”

“Even if it’s a high fastball, the fact that it reached that speed means he must have thrown it with all his might, right?”

“Scott must be very conscious of Han Kyo-jin.”

Han Kyo-jin’s swing was aggressive in the following pitches as well.

-Tick!

-Foul!

However, it wasn’t easy to overcome Scott’s powerful fastball with brute strength in the early innings.

-Thwack!

-Ball!

He barely managed to endure the sharply cutting slider,

-Whoosh-

-Strike!

In the end, his bat missed the fastball that was so powerful that it seemed like it would go right through the catcher’s mitt.

He finished the inning cleanly with three batters without allowing a single runner to get on base.

Scott, returning to the dugout, clenched his fist and celebrated.

Some Korean fans clapped and cheered for Scott.

Now it was the bottom of the 1st inning, America’s offensive inning.

As the American leadoff hitter stood at the plate, the pitching of Yang Hyun-jae, South Korea’s starting pitcher, began.

-Thwack!

-Thwack!

Perhaps to scout the unfamiliar pitcher, the batter only watched the passing balls without making any movements.

And he swung his bat for the first time on the third ball.

-Tick!

The ball, mis-hit by the batter’s bat, soared high into the sky.

I thought it was an ordinary fly ball, but the batted ball traveled farther than I thought.

Fortunately, it was a ball that left fielder Na Jun-ho could catch without much trouble by quickly moving to where the ball would fall.

“Na Jun-ho catches it, and the first out count goes up.”

“It definitely seemed like a mis-hit ball. But it flew almost to the fence. Even though he’s not a very big batter, his power is considerable.”

Seeing it in person, I could feel even more clearly that he was amazing.

Now, as the American 2nd batter approached the plate, cheers erupted from the Korean stands.

“He’s a player who is more familiar to us than anyone else. Donald Watson is approaching the plate.”

“It’s really nice to see him like this.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that naturally formed on my face.

“The United States has also changed its batting order for today’s game. Watson has been the 6th batter until now. But he’s moved up to 2nd for today’s game.”

“The American coaching staff must be well aware of Watson’s performance in the Korean league.”

“Both South Korea and the United States are really pulling out all the stops.”

Because they knew Watson better than anyone else, the Korean battery exchanged signs more carefully than ever.

And pitcher Yang Hyun-jae threw the first ball against Watson.

-Clang!

-Ooh!

The batted ball from Watson flew to the left.

It flew quickly and narrowly missed the foul line.

The Korean spectators exclaimed as they confirmed it was a foul.

“Watson is being quite aggressive from the first pitch. It narrowly missed. If the timing hadn’t been a little too early, it would have been a perfect hit.”

“It’s really scary to face him as an opponent. Our players must have been very nervous.”

I was so nervous that I almost dropped the pen I was holding in my hand.

Soon after, the second ball left the pitcher’s hand.

-Thwack!

-Ball!

Even though it was a ball that narrowly missed the strike zone, Watson didn’t flinch at all.

“It looks like Watson was already expecting it? He didn’t show the slightest movement.”

“It’s 1 ball and 1 strike. In this situation, it’s necessary to throw a ball that catches the strike zone rather than a head-on match. He can definitely do it.”

I swallowed hard without realizing it as I spoke.

Yang Hyun-jae, standing on the mound, carefully took a deep breath and then started his windup.

The moment the ball left the pitcher’s hand, Watson’s bat moved as well.

And he hit the ball with perfect timing.

-Crack!

“Oh! It looks like he hit it properly? The batted ball is carrying deep!”

The batted ball flew quickly in the left direction.

Watson carefully put down his bat and started running towards first base.

Left fielder Na Jun-ho followed until the end, waiting for the ball to fall,

But the ball, which continued to carry without losing its power, eventually went over the fence.

-Home run!

-Waaaaah-

A heated shout erupted from the American stands.

“Watson’s home run exploded here. The control wasn’t bad, but it resulted in a home run.”

“I expected it, but he’s a really scary hitter. I can only say that Watson did well.”

Watson stepped on 2nd and 3rd base without any special ceremony.

When he stepped on home base for the last time, the score changed to 0:1.

You could see the heavy expressions on the faces of the players on the field, as well as the South Korean dugout.

I tried hard to encourage the players.

“Our players are okay. It’s only the 1st inning. We have many opportunities to attack. We can definitely do it.”

-South Korea! South Korea! South Korea!

The passionate cheering of the South Korean fans began, as if they had heard my words.

The subsequent 3rd and 4th American batters also showed threatening swings.

But fortunately, they didn’t allow any runners to get on base and recorded the outs.

That’s how the 1st inning ended.