The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 69

69. Flaws (6)

“Oh, what I consider most important?”

James Corporation assigned a young man named Benjamin Palmer as my manager. He claimed to be a talent from New York University, but judging by his driving, it was hard to believe he even graduated from a university in New York. He was quite clumsy.

“Yes, since Choi Su-won will be entering through an international amateur contract rather than the draft, he has a certain degree of choice unlike other drafted players. Of course, the financial aspect is the most basic, but given similar amounts, preferences will still vary. Whether it’s the region, the team’s policy direction, or even whether it’s the National League or the American League. Things like that.”

Today, the streets of New York were as congested as ever.

But Benjamin’s words to me were definitely not just idle chatter during the traffic. Basically, James Corporation is an American company. And baseball, unlike soccer, is a sport that is less globalized.

The regulations regarding agents also vary by country, and in the case of Korea, the market is so small and narrow that it’s not worth it for an American company to open a branch. Plus, the regulations are too unfavorable to agents. Only three players can be covered per agent license, and even if several people form a company, they can cover a maximum of fifteen people. Economies of scale are impossible.

In other words, James Corporation has to send me to the United States no matter what, and this clumsy manager couldn’t hide his true intentions during our conversation.

“If that’s the case, it’s pitching and hitting.”

“Ah, you mean being a two-way player.”

“Yes, I enjoy pitching as much as hitting. I think I have some talent for it. That’s why I’m spending money like this in New York.”

“Yes…”

Even if he didn’t say anything, I could tell what he was thinking.

Honestly, there is a significant gap between my hitting and pitching right now. My hitting is good enough to debut in the big leagues right away, but my pitching, well… maybe Single-A to Double-A level? My fastball seems to be upper-middle tier even in Double-A, but my breaking ball is too weak, and I haven’t developed an off-speed pitch, so it will take at least 2-3 years before I can debut in the big leagues.

“Then, would you consider practicing fielding as a position player a bit more? If you can play not only as a designated hitter [a batter who substitutes for the pitcher] but also as a fielder when you’re not pitching, the options will increase.”

“Well, I’m already practicing third base and outfield to some extent, but I don’t know if it’s physically possible to start as a pitcher, stand at the plate, and even field as a position player.”

“Ah, I see.”

Benjamin nodded with a slightly complicated expression.

It was exactly what I intended.

***

“Let’s make a list first. What’s the bonus pool situation for next year’s contract?”

Until 2017, international prospect contracts were soft caps, not much different from other luxury tax systems. Therefore, it was natural for wealthy clubs to sweep up good prospects even if they paid a slight penalty. Of course, if that was the only problem, it would not have been easy to revise in the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) [an agreement between a professional sports league and its players union].

At the time, the slot money for the first overall pick in the draft was about $8 million. However, high-profile international prospects were getting contracts worth $30-40 million over 4 or 5 years, which they felt was a very serious reverse discrimination. Because it was too generous compared to them, who had to receive $8 million to join and spend at least 1-2 years in the minors, and then receive the minimum salary for 3 years after that.

As a result, the bonus pool for international amateur prospect contracts has been determined as a hard cap since 2017.

And the most famous example of being subject to that rule was Shohei Ohtani’s case. The posting fee received by his club, Nippon Ham Fighters, was $20 million, but he himself had to advance to the major leagues with a contract of only $2.315 million and the minimum salary.

“There are already eight teams that are expected to exceed the international prospect bonus pool this year. In addition, there are still three teams that have to pay penalties for last year’s excess. Tampa Bay’s penalty from two years ago lasts until next year.”

“That’s a lot. No, how can they do that when the greatest international prospect of all time has appeared?”

“Teams that didn’t belong to CBB (Competitive Balance Round B) and CBA (Competitive Balance Round A) seem to have thought they would be pushed back in terms of amount anyway.”

The maximum penalty for exceeding the international prospect bonus pool was simple: a huge fine. And, depending on the amount exceeded, the contract amount per player for multi-year contracts is restricted to $300,000 or less.

“So, the candidates are eighteen teams?”

“Rangers and Mariners will probably have a hard time too. There is a very high probability that they will bid on Kyle Muller and Darren Wright this winter.”

“They are players that Tampa Bay has no reason not to give a QO [Qualifying Offer, a one-year contract offer] to. In that case, will the total amount be about $3.9 million for the Rangers and $4.4 million for the Mariners?”

“Yes, it’s not a small amount, but it should be said to be ‘only’ for a size like Swan.”

The highest amount received by a player in this year’s international amateur prospect contract was Narciso Gonzalez from the Dominican Republic, who signed for $4.975 million. James personally believes that Choi Su-won is a player who can definitely receive more than that amount.

James personally judged that Choi Su-won was worth breaking the highest amount since the introduction of the hard cap in the international amateur prospect contract.

“But the problem is being a two-way player.”

“Is his will to be a two-way player that strong?”

“Yes. Benjamin says that he is saying it is a situation that should be considered as a top priority.”

“That’s a headache…”

The bonus pool for international prospects is also blocked from being traded between clubs.

Just as the slot money for the draft should not be seen as simply that amount, the bonus pool for international prospects also means that $5 million is not simply $5 million.

A prospect who is presumed to be immediately ready for the majors as a hitter.

However, he himself is strongly expressing his will to be a two-way player, and considering his pitching ability, he is currently a player who can only be used as a designated hitter.

“At least 3 years in the minors. Maybe even more.”

“Well, the player himself must have been prepared for that. The conditions are a bit disappointing, but there are still plenty of teams that want him. Let’s find a team that can meet his conditions as much as possible.”

“Yes.”

***

“When I see Baek Ha-min, I am reminded of a player I really liked. In that sense, it would be great if he grew his hair a little longer.”

While Su-won was in the next room, wearing sensors all over his body and gradually modifying his pitching with William Washington, Baek Ha-min was doing dynamic stretching and strength training with Jack Washington.

That day.

Baek Ha-min didn’t understand William’s words right away and just smiled stupidly at him. But when he heard Su-won’s translation, he couldn’t maintain that smile.

“No, what are you talking about? Don’t throw the ball for the time being? I came here with expensive money to throw the ball well. But you’re just telling me not to throw it and rest?”

“Calm down and listen to the reason first.”

2007

There was a pitcher who appeared like a comet in the major leagues. He established himself as a fixed starter in his debut year and won the Cy Young Award [an award given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball] for two consecutive years in 2008 and 2009, winning the strikeout king.

And finally, in 2010, the San Francisco Giants won the championship.

The last time the San Francisco Giants won the championship was in 1954. It was 56 years ago.

Even Barry Bonds, who took drugs and challenged the god of baseball, failed to win the San Francisco Giants a championship.

But his fiery ball broke the 56-year drought and put the team at the top.

His name is Tim Lincecum.

He was a great pitcher who burned and disappeared like a huge flame in an instant.

“Tim Lincecum?”

Baek Ha-min just tilted his head.

He was too young to know the name Tim Lincecum.

When Tim Lincecum first threw the ball in the major leagues in 2007, he was just a newborn baby, and when Tim Lincecum’s career flamed out, Baek Ha-min was just a toddler walking on two feet.

“But Ha-min hyung is not an inverted-W.”

Inverted-W?

Baek Ha-min tilted his head at the word Tim Lincecum. But the term “inverted-W” suddenly reminded him of something.

“Inverted-W? Ah!! I get it. Tim Lincecum. Isn’t he the pitcher who quickly ended his career because of the inverted-W pitching form and dead arm?”

“Yes, William is saying that hyung resembles that Tim Lincecum.”

“Huh? Me? But I don’t raise my elbow that high. It’s not even a V or L, let alone an inverted-W.”

William, who was listening to the conversation between the two, shook his head.

Of course, he didn’t understand the contents exactly. But he could roughly guess what they were talking about just by the word “inverted-W.”

“I think you misunderstand Tim Lincecum’s problem a little bit. The inverted-W posture itself is not a problem in itself. Ah, of course, the arm movement derived from it is more likely to lead to incorrect posture, but if you look at it by itself, there is no big problem. Besides, the common point between Tim Lincecum and Baek Ha-min that I want to talk about is not the pitching form.”

“Then?”

“Extremely old-school training. And a small size that doesn’t fit it, a fast fastball coming out of that size, and too many pitches.”

Late 2000s.

It was only the past less than 20 years ago, but the baseball world changed at an amazing speed. Perhaps the changes in those 20 years were greater and more intense than the changes in the 70 years from the 1930s to the 2000s.

“I have often imagined what it would have been like if Tim Lincecum had been born 10 years later and trained in a slightly more modern way. Of course, if that had been the case, the miracle of even years would not have started, and perhaps it would have taken longer for the harm of the long toss program to be known. Anyway, in that sense, I am very interested in Baek Ha-min.”

“Isn’t this too blatant customer discrimination?”

“Haha, we are paying enough attention to Choi Su-won as well.”

He said.

If Choi Su-won is a solid and huge sword without an edge, Baek Ha-min is like a very sharp knife without a handle and sheath.

“It’s not a bad thing. It’s natural to squeeze your body to put a ball close to 100 miles per hour into that small zone. However, in the case of Baek Ha-min, the damage is not within the range that can be resolved by pitching every five days. Did you say weekend league? It was a very good system. One game a week. Less than 105 pitches. If you go to the pros as it is now and continue to pitch every 4 or 5 days, I guarantee that you will not be able to have a long run.”

And from that day on, Baek Ha-min did his best to create something that could protect that very sharp blade.

And at the same time.

A talent lump with only ‘tools’ was also engraving ‘technology’ suitable for that body.

“You know. In fact, baseball is a very strange sport. And Choi Su-won is trying to do the part where that strangeness is most maximized in that baseball.”

Choi Su-won nodded.