The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 13
The morning at the Dodgers Minor League Test Facility in Thousand Oaks was far more solemn and overwhelming than I had anticipated.
From the grand entrance emblazoned with the team’s massive logo to the meticulously maintained state-of-the-art training facilities, and buildings brimming with cutting-edge analytical equipment.
This place was far more than a simple practice ground.
It was a sacred space where the dreams of Major Leaguers began.
Dozens of young prospects had gathered at the Training Ground alongside Soo-ho and Mark.
Their eyes gleamed with exceptional talent and unwavering determination.
It was a world apart from the Independent League Tryout.
They were all overwhelmingly talented individuals with top-tier athletic abilities.
Even in casual catch and simple stretching movements, an unmistakable aura emanated from them.
The Dodgers likely already possessed test data on all of them.
Yet scouting reports were never the complete picture.
When actual competition emerged, no one could predict who would fully demonstrate their capabilities.
I could spot Frank Lambert, who had selected Soo-ho and Mark.
Alongside him were the Dodgers Farm Director, Minor League Coach, and analysis team members.
Key personnel from the organization had gathered, evaluating the prospects with cold, professional scrutiny.
The Dodgers Farm Director standing beside Frank asked with a faint smile.
“Frank, the players you’ve discovered this time have exceeded expectations. Especially that Korean player, Oh Soo-ho. I reviewed the report—quite intriguing. Such an extreme evaluation is certainly promising.”
Frank nodded in acknowledgment.
His gaze was already fixed on one of the prospects in the Training Ground.
On Soo-ho.
“That young man has demonstrated potential. If other players are towers they’ve built brick by brick, he is raw ore just discovered. If he performs well today and is selected, how we refine that ore will become a measure of our organization’s capability.”
A Minor League Coach nearby interjected with evident curiosity.
“To be honest, when I saw only the report, I was skeptical. A hitting score of 20? There are virtually no cases in Major League history of a player with such a rating succeeding, are there?”
Frank’s expression remained unshaken.
“That’s precisely why we’re here, and it demonstrates our organization’s discernment. Seeing what numbers cannot convey. Finding hidden value within them. Let’s observe. What kind of surprise this young man will show us.”
The Farm Director nodded in agreement.
“Good. I hope that young man performs well today without succumbing to nerves.”
He left those words and lined the prospects in a row.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Kevin, the Dodgers Farm Director. Before we begin testing, let’s start with brief introductions. We’ll begin from the left. Yes, you.”
Kevin pointed to the prospect on the far left.
The first prospect to introduce himself was a Latin American prospect with overwhelming physical presence.
“Alejandro Perez. From the Dominican Republic, 19 years old, right-handed batter and thrower, hoping for Third Base position.”
The introductions continued.
Finally, it was Soo-ho’s turn.
I felt the other prospects’ gazes shift momentarily to bewilderment at my diminutive frame, but I stepped forward with confidence.
“Oh Soo-ho, 24 years old. South Korea. Right-handed batter, left-handed thrower. I can play all infield and outfield positions except Catcher.”
At my introduction, concern flickered in the prospects’ eyes.
Conversely, a subtle intrigue crossed the officials’ expressions.
It was partly due to my age appearing greater than my appearance suggested, but more precisely because of my versatility across multiple positions.
Being able to see a player excel at multiple positions is an advantage.
But this is the United States.
Versatility itself isn’t what matters.
What truly matters is excelling at multiple positions.
If that wasn’t possible, scouts pursued mastery of at least one position.
Of course, the test format presented its own disadvantages.
Since I’d be tested at both infield and outfield positions, I might exhaust myself more than any other prospect during the subsequent games.
But that didn’t mean there were only drawbacks.
There were definite advantages as well.
First, if Soo-ho performed well at both infield and outfield positions?
He could make an impression stronger than any other player here.
Moreover, if he made mistakes in the infield, he could compensate with strong outfield play—and vice versa.
So despite the physical burden of testing at both infield and outfield positions,
‘I have to seize this opportunity however I can.’
And I had confidence.
Soo-ho swallowed a bitter smile.
‘I’m confident in my defense.’
When I was released from the Minor League, the Manager said this to me.
-But frankly, what’s your strength? Exceptional base-running ability earned through blood and sweat? Speed? Are you going to live your whole career as a backup with just that? Fine, your defense is decent. So are you going to live as a defensive substitute?
That’s what he said.
The Manager certainly criticized my hitting, but he praised my speed and defense.
The officials began whispering among themselves.
This indicated they were viewing Soo-ho positively.
It had to be that way.
It was because of the multi-position versatility mentioned earlier, and the rarity of being a right-handed thrower and left-handed batter.
While left-handed batters are scarce even in the Major League, right-handed throwers are even rarer on defense.
Especially at Second Base, Shortstop, and Catcher positions—the throwing mechanics of these positions require exclusively right-handed throwers.
It was a matter of throwing efficiency.
For this reason, the United States also tries to develop right-handed thrower, left-handed batter players, but converting a talented player into one isn’t easy.
Most people develop their athletic abilities using their dominant hand from childhood.
Soo-ho understood this when he started playing baseball.
Originally a left-handed thrower and left-handed batter, he became a right-handed thrower and left-handed batter through grueling effort.
After the introduction, the gazes of the other prospects toward Soo-ho grew sharper.
Mark, standing beside Soo-ho, stepped forward and began his introduction.
“Mark Williams. United States. First Base, right-handed thrower and batter. And.”
Mark’s voice carried more weight.
“Three years ago, I won MVP at the High School Invitational.”
Gasps escaped from the prospects’ mouths.
It was no small feat to compete in America’s premier high school tournament, let alone win MVP.
So why was such a player here?
If that profile were true, he should have been a first-rounder, not here.
The Farm Director Kevin nodded after reviewing the profile.
“I remember you too. The Dodgers were interested in you back then as well. Your injury is fully healed now?”
“Completely, sir!”
“Excellent. Show us what you’ve got today!”
Mark’s confident demeanor and sturdy build seemed to leave a strong impression on the officials.
“Let’s do a final warm-up and then we’ll begin the testing.”
Once the introductions concluded, the officials jotted down notes and exchanged brief comments among themselves.
During this time, Mark and I began our final warm-up routine.
I spoke up.
“Mark. That introduction was solid.”
Mark chuckled.
“Solid? You made me nervous with the way you introduced yourself!”
The introduction mattered.
How one presented themselves inevitably shaped the officials’ perception in a more favorable direction.
From Mark’s perspective, I had always been a quiet person.
Yet there I was, confidently announcing multiple positions.
‘That’s actually more impressive than what I did.’
Because the MVP of the High School Invitational—widely regarded as the premier amateur tournament.
That honor was genuinely remarkable.
Every amateur baseball player dreamed of holding that title.
It meant being the most outstanding player among all amateurs at that time.
But unfortunately for Mark, it was all in the past.
‘It helped my appeal somewhat, but not like Soo-ho’s.’
Soo-ho would be tested on two positions in today’s examination.
That was the present, not the past.
Therefore, Soo-ho’s introduction would undoubtedly have left the deepest impression on the officials.
* * *
Once warm-ups concluded, Farm Director Kevin called the prospects back together.
“Alright, now we begin the actual testing. First is the defensive evaluation. We’ll start with the infield. We’ll proceed by position, so follow instructions carefully.”
Dozens of prospects scattered according to their primary positions.
They divided into groups—First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, and Outfield—and took positions throughout the Training Ground.
Dodgers coaches took charge of each position and began hitting fungoes.
The intensity of the test exceeded all expectations.
The coaches relentlessly fired hard, fast ground balls, while the prospects threw themselves tirelessly to field each ball and make their throws.
Dust clouds swirled across the Training Ground, and the sound of heavy breathing and baseballs smacking into gloves never ceased.
Though the prospects were impressive individually, before this grueling test, all were equal.
Some players demonstrated flawless defense and drew admiration from the officials, but most made repeated errors.
Hard-hit balls bounced off gloves and skipped away, or easy grounders were mishandled.
Throws sailing to unexpected locations became commonplace.
“Damn it!”
A Shortstop Prospect exhaled a sharp curse.
He’d managed to field a difficult grounder, but his throw to First Base sailed wildly off target.
Disappointment was written plainly across his face.
The officials observing from the sidelines continued their notes with expressionless faces.
Their gazes were cold and unforgiving.
This was a place that tolerated no mistakes.
The testing continued relentlessly.
The Coaches’ voices grew progressively sharper, while the prospects’ stamina drained away rapidly.
Even the players who’d demonstrated flawless defense began showing visible signs of exhaustion.
At last, the final turn of the infield test approached.
“Next, Oh Soo-ho!”
When my name was called, I took a deep breath and headed toward the Shortstop position.
Kevin, the Farm Director, asked a question.
“Shortstop? You’re planning to test there?”
Kevin’s question implied: why would I, capable of playing multiple positions, choose to showcase the most difficult defensive position—Shortstop?
But instead of answering, I drove my fist into my glove.
Thump! Thump!
“I’m confident.”
My brief, decisive response gave Kevin a moment of pause.
A flicker of doubt still lingered in his eyes.
But Kevin said nothing more and nodded to the Coach holding the bat.
The Coach swung the bat with force.
A tricky hop.
Everyone watched my first defensive play intently.
In an instant, my feet moved with explosive speed.
With a low, stable stride—as if gripping the earth itself—I reached the anticipated point of contact.
I never lost sight of the ball’s trajectory until the final moment, smoothly positioning my glove to field it cleanly.
The moment I caught it, my wrist had already pivoted swiftly toward First Base.
A low, precise throw.
The ball embedded itself perfectly into the First Base mitt, as if drawn by a magnet.
Concise, flawless, impeccable defense.
The Scouts’ attention suddenly converged on me.
The Coach immediately delivered the next grounder.
This time, a swift ground ball that appeared to escape toward left field.
The kind of play most Shortstops would have abandoned.
But I charged forward at an incredible speed, extending my glove.
The ball, barely caught at the glove’s edge, was sucked cleanly inside, and my follow-up throw came even faster.
As if I’d anticipated it, as if I’d been waiting—my throw arrived with perfect timing, producing another out at First Base.
The atmosphere of the Training Facility began to shift subtly.
Successive flawless defensive plays from Soo-ho drew gasps of admiration from all around.
A faint smile spread across Kevin’s lips.
Frank Lambert stood with his arms crossed, analyzing every movement Soo-ho made with sharp precision.
The Coach’s fungo practice grew even more intense. Grounders flew relentlessly from both sides without pause.
Difficult bounces, deep ground balls, short rolling hits—everything came at him.
Yet Soo-ho handled every batted ball with the natural fluidity of water flowing downstream.
His movements were clean and economical, and his throws were accurate without a single error.
What stood out most was the double play situation.
After fielding a quick ground ball, Soo-ho brushed past Second Base and continued seamlessly into his throw to First Base.
Everyone watching held their breath at the perfect double play created by his blazing speed, precise judgment, and powerful arm.
As Soo-ho’s shortstop defense came to an end, an odd silence fell over the Training Ground.
No one dared speak easily after witnessing such consecutive flawless plays.
The agility and instincts radiating from his compact frame, combined with his stable defensive ability, exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Kevin finally let out an exclamation of wonder.
“Wow? He caught everything?”
Soo-ho was the only player who made no mistakes.
And that was as a shortstop, no less.
After that, Kevin approached Frank.
“Frank. Just looking at his defense as you wrote in the report, we could move him up to the Major League without issue. His shortstop defense today was the best among all the players we’ve seen, so there’s no point wasting time watching his outfield defense.”
In baseball, shortstop defense is the most difficult and demanding position.
That meant outfield defense would naturally be far easier, so there was no need to evaluate it.
Besides, Soo-ho had frequently played outfield in Korea, and records of his performance there existed.
“I think it would be better to conserve his energy and see him in actual game situations. What do you think?”
The corners of Frank’s mouth lifted slightly.
“I agree.”
As Frank’s instruction came down, Kevin raised both hands high toward the sky and waved them left and right.
“Infield defense ends here! Now we’re moving to the outfield. However, Soo-ho? You don’t need to participate in outfield defense.”
Soo-ho rushed toward Kevin with an urgent expression, as if to say, “What is he talking about?”
“I want to show my outfield defense too! I can do well!”
“That’s not it. I’m saying don’t show it because you’ll do too well. There’s no need to evaluate it. Instead, conserve your energy and show us what you can do in actual game situations.”
Soo-ho’s face brightened with color.
“Yes! I’ll do that!”
It wasn’t a bad proposal for Soo-ho.
In fact, it was an excellent proposal.
The more energy he conserved, the better he could perform at the Batter’s Box.
After that, Soo-ho approached Mark’s side and clenched his fists tightly.
‘I have a good feeling about today.’
And it seemed this feeling would continue until the test ended.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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