Chapter 30. National Team?
‘Korean baseball’s skill level is far lower than its popularity would suggest.’
‘Japanese baseball has produced the greatest two-way player, but Korea still doesn’t have anyone like that.’
‘Among the players who went to America over the past five years, is there even one who could make the Hall of Fame?’
South Korea’s competitiveness on the international stage had completely fallen behind.
There was one man reading through all the reports and articles about it.
He let out a quiet sigh and continued drinking his coffee.
His hand reached toward his electronic cigarette, but he soon gave up.
He couldn’t exactly sit indoors puffing away at it.
Times had changed.
And as the times changed, people had begun comparing Korean baseball with baseball around the world more and more often.
Even if he wanted to ignore it, he simply couldn’t.
“What place did we finish in at the last Baseball World Cup?”
“Fifth.”
“And before that?”
“Fourth.”
Even though he already knew every previous result, he still asked the official standing beside him.
“Why do you think we could only finish around that level?”
“The reason is simple. Right now, Korean baseball has very little depth in its player pool, and…”
“And?”
“I think it’s also because military exemption wasn’t on the line. These days, there are hardly any professionals willing to throw themselves into an international tournament just for national prestige.”
“In other words, they’re not desperate enough. Will this time be different?”
“Y-Yes. If they win an Olympic medal, they can receive military exemption, so the players will definitely be desperate. Baseball has finally returned as an official Olympic event after more than ten years, hasn’t it, Coach? That’s why, regarding the roster this time…”
They would probably have to discuss it further with the higher-ups.
In the end, there were two problems holding them back.
The shallow depth of the player pool.
And the lack of desperation.
“Were there any players who performed well in the opening games?”
“There were a few who looked good.”
“Anyone who made a real impact?”
“There were several, but the best among them was…”
“Who?”
“Choi Seong.”
“Don’t judge him by rookie standards. I’m asking objectively.”
Coach Heo Jun had only just begun practical discussions regarding the Olympics after returning from America, so irritation could be heard in his voice.
“Coach Heo. That’s what I mean. Objectively speaking, Choi Seong was the best.”
“Really? Is he good enough to surpass Japan’s two-way player? How was his pitching?”
“Against last season’s champions, the Gwangju Jaguars, he pitched seven innings, allowed only two hits, and gave up zero runs.”
“Oh?”
That was an unexpected harvest.
If he kept showing performances like that, he could easily secure the second or third spot in the national team’s starting rotation.
“And…”
“There’s more?”
“He stepped up to the plate three times and recorded two home runs and one walk.”
“What?”
“It’s the fourth such record among rookies in Korean baseball history, and the first since two-way play became actively used.”
Coach Heo Jun shot to his feet after hearing the official’s report.
“Hey. Put him on the second preliminary roster immediately. If anyone asks who ordered it, tell them the manager did. And I’m going to see that kid right now.”
“W-Why? Do you really need to go personally right now…?”
“I need to see what kind of kid he is. If our player depth has improved even a little, then what’s the next problem?”
“The players’ motivation…”
“Even if military exemption is on the line, the guys who already received it have gotten too comfortable. I’m going to ask that kid personally how much weight the Taegeukgi carries for him.”
“Understood…”
[Sub Mission Complete! : Do not give up even a single run to the Jaguars!]
Defeat last season’s champions, the Jaguars, in the opening game!
Reward: Speed Stat +1 / Failure means death.
I had safely protected my life yesterday.
And I received the stat reward as well.
At first, my stats had risen rapidly.
But at some point, all of them started slowing down.
Maybe the closer my body became to perfection, the harder it became to push past its limits.
That was why every single stat point had become precious.
“What? Why is Coach Heo Jun coming here?”
“Exactly… He barely even put any Oceans players on the roster…”
Without any detailed explanation, word quickly spread throughout the Busan Oceans that the national team manager was coming to visit.
The fact that someone who was currently in Seoul was taking the KTX all the way down to Busan was a huge deal for the players.
Those who hadn’t made the first roster started getting their hopes up.
After all, even if someone wasn’t included in the first list, surprise selections happened fairly often.
“Looks like he found someone worth picking up yesterday?”
“Probably.”
“Well, Seong, you’re obviously one of them. Is there someone else he wants to look at too?”
Right then, the second preliminary roster was announced.
Among all the professional-level players, only one newly drafted rookie had been added.
That rookie was me.
“If that’s the case…”
I had no idea why Coach Heo Jun was coming.
If he wanted to look at another player, maybe it was Yoon Jaejun, who had at least managed to play like a proper baseball player yesterday.
Kim Hakseong and Park Geonwoo had already been included from the beginning.
So, including me, three players from the Busan Oceans were on the second preliminary roster.
There were around one hundred players on the preliminary list.
In other words, our team accounted for about three percent of it.
“Anyway, let’s just focus on playing baseball.”
Yoon Jaejun and I continued practicing inside the indoor batting facility.
[Choi Seong Joins Second National Team Roster… Will He Show Another Miracle?]
[Record-Breaking Choi Seong Added to Roster… Will Korea Finally Produce a Two-Way Player?]
Choi Seong showed one good game and immediately made the roster?
ㄴHonestly, he deserved it. I’ve never seen a game like that in my life.
ㄴFor real, every time Choi Seong did something, it felt like heaven and earth were being turned upside down.
ㄴStop talking nonsense. It wasn’t that crazy.
ㄴYeah~ we’re number one~
ㄴTied for first with four other teams? LOL.
Are the crappy Oceans finally championship contenders?
In my opinion, they’ll only win on the days Choi Seong plays and get destroyed every other day.
ㄴYeah~ sorry, but we’re beating the Jaguars again today~
While all kinds of reactions poured in, Coach Heo Jun entered the indoor training facility together with Manager Rodriguez.
Everyone was either batting or pitching, but their attention naturally shifted toward him.
As for me, after hearing what the female announcer had told me yesterday, I was simply calmly preparing for today’s game.
The rule named after me, the Choi Seong Rule, had been revised so every team could freely use either a pitcher or designated hitter.
Today, I was scheduled to play as the designated hitter.
“The players look better than they did last year. Very good.”
They definitely had changed.
The problem was that almost none of them had managed to properly show those changes yesterday.
There was still far too much that needed improvement.
Manager Rodriguez decided to keep today’s lineup unchanged.
Of course, there were probably parts of it he wasn’t satisfied with.
But since we had won, it seemed he was willing to overlook them for now.
While thinking about various things and continuing my batting practice, Yoon Jaejun suddenly gestured toward me with his eyes.
“What?”
I looked to the side.
