Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 57

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Spring Training (4)

We arrived at the accommodation shortly after.

With Lee Joo-hyuk’s help, I continued my conversation with Scott in a vacant lot near the accommodation.

“You’re really a baseball agent?”

Scott’s sudden interest in me started after he heard that I was an agent, a baseball agent at that.

“Wow! I never thought I’d meet someone like you!”

He made a fuss as if he had met an old friend, but soon he began to talk about the difficulties he was facing.

I could roughly guess his emotional state just from Scott’s intense gestures and expressions.

Although I had to go through Lee Joo-hyuk to have an in-depth conversation.

“Scott says he wants to play as a starting pitcher, but he’s not getting any chances.”

“Hmm… that’s the situation.”

I nodded as if I was hearing it for the first time.

-Wants to play as a starting pitcher, not a relief pitcher.

-Worried because his velocity isn’t increasing.

The information window I saw was accurate even for foreigners.

I suddenly wished I could see this player’s stats or current situation.

“What pitches does he throw?”

Scott, who received my question through interpretation, told me his pitches, folding his fingers one by one.

“Four-seam fastball, slider, curve, changeup, and he can also throw a two-seam.”

Being able to throw five different pitches meant he had enough weapons needed as a starting pitcher.

“Which one is he most confident in?”

“Four-seam and slider.”

Scott raised both hands and expressed his confidence to the fullest.

“He says he’s really confident.”

“I think I can only talk after seeing him throw in person…”

There was a limit to giving advice based only on the information window I was seeing now.

“Shall I bring my equipment and ball?”

“Do you have them with you now?”

“Yes, I carry them around to practice whenever I have time.”

“Then that’s good. If Scott is okay with it.”

Lee Joo-hyuk asked Scott if he could throw now.

This time, I could understand his answer without going through interpretation.

“Oh my God! There’s no reason to refuse, this is a great opportunity for me!”

This time, I could fully understand what he wanted to say just by his non-stop exclamations and fist-pumping reaction.

After a while, Lee Joo-hyuk brought his glove and ball.

Scott warmed up lightly by playing catch with Lee Joo-hyuk.

It was just a catch ball to warm up, but the two people’s expressions were serious.

Before long, Lee Joo-hyuk, wearing catcher’s gear, lowered his stance with a heavy catcher’s mitt.

Scott signaled that he was going to pitch properly, as he had warmed up to some extent.

I went behind Lee Joo-hyuk to see Scott’s ball properly.

I was still a little afraid of seeing fastballs, but there was no other way to evaluate it properly.

Scott, who was holding the ball and organizing his thoughts, took a deep breath and lifted his left leg.

Thwack!

“Wow.”

The power of the four-seam fastball was tremendous.

The sound echoed loudly even though it wasn’t an indoor practice field.

“Wow, that’s no joke.”

Lee Joo-hyuk took his hand out and shook it a few times, as if his hand was numb even with the thick catcher’s mitt on.

“At this rate, he’s probably the best in the country.”

Considering that it could get faster here when the weather gets warmer, it was an amazing ball.

Why isn’t a pitcher of this caliber given a starting rotation?

Thwack!

“Ouch, that hurts.”

This time, Lee Joo-hyuk grabbed his palm and was in pain.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you Ok, Bro?” Scott, who was surprised and approached, also asked with a worried expression.

“I’m fine. It’s okay, it’s just because it’s the first time.”

Lee Joo-hyuk, who jumped up, pretended to be okay and put his hand back in the mitt.

But it seemed like he would get hurt if he did more.

“I think we should stop here.”

I stepped up to stop him first.

It was easy to get injured if you were receiving a professional player’s ball without any know-how [specialized knowledge].

“I’m really okay.”

“No. You’re really going to hurt your finger if you keep doing this.”

Looking at Lee Joo-hyuk, he didn’t seem like he would give up on his own.

Then I have no choice but to speak to Scott directly.

“Scott. Um… Tomorrow. Pitching….”

Scott was also trying hard to understand the meaning of my words.

Oh well.

I tried to do it myself, but I can’t.

I said to Lee Joo-hyuk again.

“You said he’s coming out for the Buffaloes game tomorrow. We can watch him pitch there, so let’s meet again after the game.”

“Ah… would that be okay? I’m sorry.”

Scott raised both hands as if wondering what was going on when he saw Lee Joo-hyuk looking sullen.

Scott nodded vigorously as Lee Joo-hyuk told him in English.

“Okay, I’ll show you tomorrow.”

* * *

The next day, I went to watch the practice game held at the Buffaloes training camp.

I was curious about Michael Scott’s actual game performance as much as Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo’s performance.

I was also curious about what the result would be if he competed against Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo.

He was scheduled to be put in as a relief pitcher, but Scott said he would be pitching for about 2 innings, so the possibility of a head-to-head match seemed high.

I took a seat in the stands with Lee Joo-hyuk.

Since it was a game against an American local college team, there were several foreigners.

Among them, there would be agents of the opposing team’s players, and although the possibility was slim, there might be Major League scouts.

As soon as I sat down, Lee Joo-hyuk gave me a brief explanation of the opposing team and American college baseball.

“The Sun Devils we’re facing now are from Arizona State University. It’s a pretty good team even though it’s a college team. They’re in the NCAA Division I league [National Collegiate Athletic Association, the top level of college sports in the US], and they consistently produce players who advance to the Major League every year.”

“Is their pitching staff solid? Seeing as how even a pitcher like Scott has a hard time playing as a starter.”

“Their pitching staff is said to be well-equipped, but I don’t think it’s perfect.”

“Then what’s the reason Scott can’t play as a starter?”

“Well… I’m not sure about that part either…”

Does that mean there are plenty of pitchers with that level of skill?

I’ll know when I see him play in person.

As I was waiting for the game to start, a person with a strange aura took a seat near where I was sitting.

As soon as he sat down, he took out a notebook and pen and started writing something.

He must be a team or agency official.

I’d like to talk to him, but how should I do it?

Should I just go for it?

I think I’m getting a little more unfounded confidence because I’m in a foreign country.

Yeah, let’s be confident.

So what if I fail? That person probably doesn’t speak Korean either.

I made up my mind and got up from my seat.

It was then.

“Oh? Paul!”

After hearing someone’s voice, the person I was about to talk to suddenly got up and approached me.

Did we have telepathy?

That can’t be.

The person passed me and greeted someone by bumping hands.

It was Lee Joo-hyuk.

I was momentarily stunned and looked at the two of them.

The two of them were talking in English for a long time, as if they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

“Hyun-woo, this is Steven Paul.”

“Hi. Nice to meet you.”

I confidently greeted him in English and held out my hand.

Paul looked at me, smiled, and shook my hand.

-Has a deep interest in Asian players.

-This is his first time watching a Korean professional team’s game in person.

“Paul is a scout for the Arizona team.”

Arizona?

Is that the Arizona I know?

“The Major League team, Arizona?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Really?

I’m finally meeting a Major League official.

“Paul, this is a Korean baseball agent.”

Paul showed interest in the word ‘agent’.

Then he asked Lee Joo-hyuk something.

“He’s asking who you manage on the Buffaloes.”

“right fielder, third base… 3rd, 4th hitter….”

It was an awkward list of words, but the information seemed to be conveyed sufficiently.

Paul’s eyes twinkled and nodded with interest when he heard the words 3rd and 4th hitter [cleanup hitters, the players batting third and fourth in the lineup are typically the team’s best hitters].

I wanted to explain in detail about Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo, but it was already time for the game to start.

I have no choice but to talk about it from time to time during the game.

Lee Joo-hyuk sat in the middle for smooth communication, and Paul and I sat next to him.

As it was spring training, the process was much more important than the result.

However, since a Major League scout was there to watch, I also hoped that they would show good results if possible.

What level are Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo in the eyes of a Major League scout?

“But who did Paul come to see?”

“The pitcher who’s starting today.”

“Buffaloes?”

“No. The opposing team. It looks like they might draft him this year.”

“Oh….”

Judging from the way he’s talking, it doesn’t seem like he’s a top pick, but he must be a good pitcher if he’s interested.

The Buffaloes’ offense proceeded first.

Since he’s a player that a Major League scout is interested in, I couldn’t help but focus more on watching him.

Thwack!

Thwack!

He wasn’t throwing very fast balls, but he was competing with stable control that pierced every corner.

Moreover, he was a rare left-handed pitcher.

“Strike out!”

In the end, he made the batter swing his bat with a changeup that flew like a strike and then subtly dropped.

How to mix the balls is largely the role of the catcher, but throwing it directly is entirely the pitcher’s ability.

The pitcher on the mound now was perfectly realizing the catcher’s clever brain fight.

Tick!

The batter’s swing, which completely lost its timing, could not produce good results.

He sprinted to first base, but the ball arrived first.

“Out!”

In an instant, there were two outs.

And the next batter to enter the plate was Oh Seok-hoon, who had been selected as the Buffaloes’ fixed 3rd batter since last season.