Chapter 9


    <strong>- Live Pitching (3)</strong>


    “Gun’s pitch reached 151km?”


    “He also passed the live pitching session . I think his talent is good enough for the Korean national league”


    Chief leader let out a smile after hearing the scout manager’s report .


    “then try to scout him in . if we are lucky, his story may be ‘the next big news’”


    Nam Hyun, the scout manager, was a bit hesitant in taking the chief leader’s order .


    “hm… well…”


    “why, is there a problem?”


    “yer Gun, he himself has let others know that he strives to y in the major league… it’ll cost a fortune to get him in”


    “well isn’t it your job to negotiate and makepromises on both ends to make it work? We don’t pay you a high sry for no reason . Gun’s not even from the major league, he’s from the minor league . Shouldn’t this be a breeze to work out?”


    Nam Hyun let out a sigh and simply nodded .


    ‘yeah… got to do as I’m told… that’s why I get paid’


    The sry cap given to him for Gun was $350,000 .


    It was a rate that a rookie straight out of high school would be willing to ept .


    But Gun was no rookie, he was a 25-year old star dark horse pitcher dreaming of the major league entrance .


    There was no way that Gun would ept this offer .


    “this is going to be very tough…”


    Nam Hyun let out another deep sigh as he left the office .


    Nam Hyun stood at Gun’s doorsteps .


    Gun lived in an old apartment located in a newly developed area in Seoul .


    It was an apartment that Gun bought from the money he received from entering the contract with his agent 7 years ago .


    The nned venue for the meeting was a café located not far away .


    The reason Nam Hyun travelled all this way was to get a brief insight of the yer’s personal life .


    ‘seems as though he’s not doing too well financially… I might have a chance if I talk this out well’


    Nam Hyun was nning to offer an unusual deal, such as an upfront, one lump sum payment, in order to make the offer more desirable .


    Half an hourter, Nam Hyun met up with Gun at the café .


    “yer Gun! You look fabulous . ”


    “Thank you! It’s all because AT tel has taken good care of me!”


    Gun had a general idea of why Nam Hyun had approached him .


    But he tried to hide this knowledge as much as possible .


    Judging from Gun’s rather positive responses, Nam Hyun decided to be advance hastily with the offer .


    “yer Gun, I’ll be very straight forward here . Would you be interested in continuing your career with us, AT tel, at all?”


    Gun lowered his tone and replied .


    “I will surely never forget the grace and care you’ve shared with me in a number of different asions . I will never forget it . But, my heart still belongs in the major league”


    Nam Hyun was almost expecting to hear this instant rejection . But as the scout leader, he could not back down here .


    “yer Gun, please do not take any offence in what I am about to say . I mean no disrespect . But let’s get real . Next year, you are turning 26 . How long are you going to stay in the minor league, getting paid petty sum? You need to think about your family too . ”


    Instead of frowning, Gun let out a small smirk .


    “It’s because of that age that I cannot give up the major league”


    “because of the age? What do you mean? If you let your 20s pass like this, you won’t get another opportunity in your 30s . Take this as yourst chance . ”


    Gun returned a question back at Nam Hyun,


    “What would happen if I join the national professional major league? Will I even get a chance of bing an FA (free agent)?”


    In the professional baseball league, the requirement of an FA was 9 seasons of career .


    Even if Gun started right away next year, he could only get his FA qualification when he is 35 .


    Nam Hyun could not say anything else .


    ‘he’s absolutely right… there’s nothing else I can do about this’


    After re-organising his thoughts, Nam Hyun continued the conversation .


    “yer Gun, this isn’t all about bing a FA . You need to think of your career . If youe back to the national league in your 30s, no team will ept you . But right now as of this moment, the story is entirely different . You can easily get six-digit sries and contract deals . It helps the family RIGHT NOW . Do you understand?”


    How would Gun not know that?


    However, the fear of failure was not going to stop his dream journey towards the major league .


    As if testing the waters, Gun asked Nam Hyun,


    “if I was to stay in Korea, how much would the down payment be?”


    It was a question out of pure curiosity .


    Gulp .


    Nam Hyun let down a dry gulp .


    This was the difficult part . Money .


    “I can give you $300,000 in cash”


    $300,000 was not a small sum . It was what an average businessman with the average sry of $30,000 could make in 10 years .


    But it wasn’t a sum big enough to weigh down Gun’s dream of the major league .


    “… . ”


    “yer Gun, $300,000 is not a small amount . It’s an amount offered to only 1st round draft picks”


    Gun dropped his head .


    “that’d be tough”


    Nam Hyun offered his maximum amount .


    “I will give you $350,000 . I will also think of clearing away the tax . ”


    It was true that Gun’s been facing a financial downfall in the recent days, but it wasn’t so critical that he needed urgent cash .


    Gun proposed a higher agreement as a means to reject Nam Hyun’s offer .


    “I’m not saying this because I y for money . I’m sure you are already aware, but professional yers have a high sense of pride . I would have to get at least as much as yer Woo Chul Park who returned to Korea from the major league 5 years ago”


    Woo Chul Park had 7 wins as a left handed pitcher in the major league and when he returned to the national league, he was offered a down payment of $800,000”


    ‘a yer who hasn’t even entered the major league is offering such an amount… this negotiation is over”


    However, Nam Hyun already knew before that $350,000 would not be enough .


    “yer Gun, I will go back and have a talk with the chief leader”


    “Can I add onest thing?”


    Nam Hyun raised his eyebrows .


    “yes?”


    “In December, Arizona, there will be a show case . If I still haven’t found a decent team by then…”


    “then you’de back?”


    “I’d presume so”


    Nam Hyun’s face brightened .


    “okay . If you do ever return to the national league, then I may be able to give you an offer at around half, if not higher, of Woo Chul Park’s contract”


    Park’s down payment was $800,000, so half of that is $400,000 . This meant that Nam Hyun is promising a contract worth around $450,000 – $500,000 .


    However, it still didn’t change the fact that a contract with AT tel was towards the more undesirable options in Gun’s mind .


    His goal was the major league, and in order to achieve that, he was willing to ept AAA or AA contracts .


    However, if he failed to acquire a AA contract, then he would be left with no other option but to return to the national league .


    Gun’s age didn’t allow him to participate in the rookie or A league .


    He let out a deep sigh as he exited the café .


    ‘hmph… am I getting old? Back in the days, I would’ve rejected meetings like this upfront . I was so determined to avenge Thompson, filled with passion . But here I am now, considering a national league debut… . ’


    Unlike the old days, Gun was thinking to himself that he was makingpromises with the world, and his dream .


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