Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 61

Spring Camp (8)

After throwing about 40 pitches with near-perfect form, Go Ji-hoon stepped down from the mound.

He likely had that number in mind from the start.

Since it was still spring camp, there was no need to overexert himself.

The next pitcher to take the mound was Choi Jeong-hwan.

He seemed confident in his strengths after reviewing Kang Hyun-woo’s data.

I was curious to see what changes he’d made.

He just needed to trust the power of his pitches and throw them right down the middle.

Thwack!

Just watching him practice on the mound, I could tell my instincts were right.

Thwack!

The ball made a satisfying roar every time it slammed into the catcher’s thick mitt.

“Wow. He’s just as good as Scott.”

“Jeong-hwan’s fastball speed and power are definitely top-notch.”

“But was that player also with YJ Agency? I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”

Lee Joo-hyuk tilted his head, puzzled.

“He’s not officially with our company yet.”

“Then how do you know him?”

“Well, I just personally like him as a junior player.”

At the same time, he’s a junior I’ll never forget.

A faint smile touched my lips.

“Play ball!”

After Choi Jeong-hwan finished his practice pitches, the game resumed.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwack!

“Strike out!”

“Wow!”

Just three pitches were enough to strike out the batter.

The tempo of his pitches was also quick, so the inning ended swiftly.

Moreover, he chose to challenge the batter head-on with just his fastball, without throwing a single breaking ball [pitches that curve or change direction].

Seeing the ball gain even more power as he threw, I couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.

The same thing happened with the next batter.

Thwack!

Tick.

The opposing batter barely managed to get his bat on the blazing fastball.

However, the force was too much, and the bat was pushed back, causing the ball to dribble into the net behind the catcher.

And then came the final, decisive pitch.

A forkball [a type of pitch that drops sharply] that plummeted right in front of the batter’s eyes.

Whoosh.

The bat swung through the air, missing completely.

It was the perfect pitch to deceive a batter who was anticipating a fastball.

“Strike out!”

They say that having just one reliable fastball is enough to win about 10 games as a starting pitcher, and I was reminded again today that it wasn’t an empty boast.

Thwack!

Thwack!

In the following at-bat, the fastball zipped through the strike zone with a satisfying sound.

It felt like my chest was expanding just from watching.

But he wasn’t yet polished enough to be called a complete pitcher.

“Ugh.”

There were occasional instances where the forkball would bounce into the dirt or the slider [a type of breaking ball] would curve too sharply, flying to places that were difficult for the catcher to handle.

If I were at the plate as a batter?

Ugh.

I had unnecessary thoughts.

Clang!

The hit he allowed was also off a breaking ball.

I should tell him to practice his breaking balls more in the future.

But for now, there was nothing to criticize about his fastball.

That alone was a significant improvement.

It was enough to spark anticipation for what he would show this season.

After that, Choi Jeong-hwan showcased his strengths to the fullest.

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo were subbed out at the end of the 5th inning.

Choi Jeong-hwan also pitched 3 innings and came off the mound.

I could see with my own eyes that all the players in the company were preparing well for the season.

With this practice game, all official schedules in the United States were complete.

The clubs’ spring camps were also drawing to a close.

* * *

I found myself at the airport again just a week after setting foot on American soil for the first time.

Even though I told him several times that I could manage on my own, Lee Joo-hyuk insisted on taking me to the airport himself.

“You’ve worked really hard this past week. Thanks to you, I had a really comfortable time. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m the one who’s grateful.”

It’s only been a week, but I’ve grown quite fond of Lee Joo-hyuk.

“Has your decision not changed?”

“Pardon?”

“About taking the professional tryout.”

“Ah, of course. But…….”

Lee Joo-hyuk hesitated and then carefully continued.

“Is it really okay for me to visit you in Korea?”

“Of course.”

I said it sincerely, but judging by Lee Joo-hyuk’s eyes, he seemed to be wondering if it was just empty words.

“Even though things have improved a lot in the past few days, it would be beneficial to meet in person and get help to fully internalize everything. So please come, I’ll help you. I mean it.”

“Yes, I’ll contact you when I go to Korea.”

Lee Joo-hyuk bowed.

I wanted to encourage him, so I patted Lee Joo-hyuk’s shoulder.

Then the information window updated.

-I am sincerely excited about the opportunity to challenge the professional stage.

Lee Joo-hyuk couldn’t hide the excitement in his expression.

“Then let’s meet in Korea.”

“Have a safe trip.”

After saying goodbye to Lee Joo-hyuk, I pulled my carrier and entered the departure hall.

The flight back to Korea was also in business class.

Having flown business class once before, I felt much more at ease this time.

That’s how my business trip to the United States concluded.

* * *

In March, the clubs finished their overseas spring camps and returned to Korea.

They were busy with their final preparations through the subsequent exhibition games.

The players also trained tirelessly to get in shape for the season opener in April.

In teams where the starting pitcher rotation and starting fielders were not yet determined, a fierce competition for survival played out until the end of the exhibition games.

In particular, the Buffaloes had foreshadowed changes bordering on a team overhaul, so Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo couldn’t afford to rest easy.

They were still sweating profusely today, striving to earn a spot in the opening game at the first team stadium.

As soon as the official team training was over, Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo returned to the dorm and continued training at the indoor practice field in the evening.

Thanks to the new batting machine that had been brought in recently, they were able to do batting practice much more comfortably than before.

It was the latest model, specially made to order.

“Wow. It looks expensive just by looking at it.”

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo were so fascinated that they were busy examining it from every angle.

“It can also throw breaking balls.”

“Really? What kind of pitches?”

“So far, slider, changeup, curve, splitter, forkball, and sinker [various types of pitches]. They said they’ll update it later.”

“Wow!”

In other words, it could throw almost any kind of pitch.

It was no wonder that Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo couldn’t help but gape in amazement.

Because it was programmed based on the pitching data of actual pitchers, they could train almost as if they were in a real game.

Until now, I had been throwing the balls one by one, so the number of balls they could face was limited, and my ability to throw breaking balls was also lacking.

So I felt disappointed in many ways, but this machine solved all those problems at once.

I turned on the machine and then opened the app on the tablet next to it, which displayed the pitch type and speed.

Next to the point where the ball was released, a video of the pitcher’s pitching motion was also displayed on the screen.

The stance even changed depending on whether the pitcher setting was left-handed or right-handed.

In addition, it even simulated the pitcher’s windup [the motion a pitcher makes before throwing], so they could train almost as if they were in a real game.

The maximum speed could be set up to 160km/h [approximately 99 mph].

But there was no need to overdo it from the start.

“First, let’s set the fastball speed to about 145km/h [approximately 90 mph].”

Park Seong-joo nodded as he prepared to bat.

Whirr-

The machine whirred to life.

The moment the pitcher on the screen wound up and released the ball, the ball shot out.

Clang.

“Nice, good swing.”

Clang.

The practice field echoed with the sound of the bat hitting the ball.

There was no difficulty in timing the swing.

“Now, we’ll gradually add some breaking balls. In Yang Hyun-jae style.”

I selected the pitching style of Yang Hyun-jae, who is considered an ace pitcher in Korea.

The pitcher on the right side of the screen moved to the left.

And then the machine started again.

Whirr-

Whoosh.

Park Seong-joo’s bat swung through the air.

“What was that?”

Park Seong-joo looked at me and Oh Seok-hoon, alternating his gaze with an expression of disbelief that he had swung and missed.

Even I was surprised by the deceptive movement of the pitch.

I checked the pitch type and speed on the tablet.

“That last ball was a changeup [a slow pitch designed to deceive the batter], 132km/h [approximately 82 mph].”

“That’s amazing. That was a really embarrassing whiff.”

I burst out laughing at Oh Seok-hoon’s words.

It was funny to see him swing and miss with such a confident stance.

Park Seong-joo tilted his head and took a batting stance again.

“I was caught off guard, but I won’t be fooled twice.”

The pitcher on the screen wound up again and threw another ball.

Thwack!

Park Seong-joo, who had been waiting for the changeup, froze in place.

“Wow. 145km/h [approximately 90 mph] fastball!”

The speed was one thing, but it also came in with pinpoint accuracy, low on the outside corner.

It was a ball so fast that it was difficult to swing at, especially when the batter still had the afterimage of a 132km/h changeup in his mind.

“This is really incredible.”

Oh Seok-hoon clapped his hands and exclaimed.

“I’ll try it this time.”

Oh Seok-hoon stepped up with a bat, but

“Wait, let me get just one hit. I’m feeling really off right now.”

Park Seong-joo’s eyes burned with determination as he took a batting stance, as if his pride had been wounded.

The batting practice continued without a moment’s rest.

Thanks to the batting machine that could throw a variety of pitches, including fastballs, they were able to practice as if it were a real game.

Both Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo were serious and focused during their weight training and batting practice.

After a few hours,

“Let’s call it a day.”

“I think I can do a little more?”

Park Seong-joo wiped his sweat with a towel and said regretfully.

“You have to manage your stamina too. You might feel fine now because you’re in good shape, but you might get tired later in the summer.”

In order to endure the long season of 144 games, it was crucial to avoid overexertion.

Especially for Park Seong-joo, who was showing the best form of his career since spring camp.

“If hyung [older brother or senior] tells me to rest, I have to rest.”

Oh Seok-hoon, who was doing core training next to him, stopped exercising and jumped up.

As expected, his workout clothes were soaked with sweat.

I led the two of them, brimming with training enthusiasm, upstairs like comforting children.

As the opening day of the season approached, the media and fans’ interest in the two players was also growing.

As all the experts predicted, Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo secured their spots on the first team roster for the opening game.

The starting lineup was the same.

That’s how Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo came to be in charge of the Buffaloes’ 3rd and 4th batting positions.