Advice From Major Leaguer [1]

As Lucas stood on the mound in front of the major leaguers, his heart started pounding.

'Whew. Let's focus. Let's focus.'

Since he had a lot of experience standing on the mound, he was quite confident in his ability to control his mind. But today, it was difficult to regain composure.

'I'd rather the situation in Musa Manru be less tense than it is now.'

Suddenly, an old memory came to mind. He remembered his Korean seniors sometimes bragging about how it was an honor just to shake hands with Korean professional players. He didn't understand it at all at the time, but now he could feel that sentiment anew.

'And he's a major leaguer!'

He was a self-made man who had reached the goal he wanted to achieve.

That kind of person came here for him. How could he not tremble? But Lucas quickly clenched his teeth.

'I must not hesitate.'

Because they said they didn't have time.

Lucas took a deep breath and quickly wound up. Joel and the manager stood side by side, watching Lucas's pitching closely.

The moment the ball left Lucas's hands, the corners of Joel's mouth rose. Although the release was not good, Joel knew why.

'He must be nervous. It won't be easy for a baseball prospect to pitch in front of a major leaguer.'

However, after the first pitch, the control slowly began to take hold. Joel watched Lucas continue pitching and whispered to the manager.

"Wow. That's really an incredible talent. It's a talent that the FS baseball team would be hard-pressed to recruit right now. I can see why the coach even called me. He can easily hit 92 miles per hour."

The coach also nodded while pointing the speed gun at Lucas's pitching.

"It's coming out to exactly 93 miles."

"That's the average speed in the major leagues? Of course, there are a lot of things to work on. I'm sure the manager will take care of that, right?"

As the director nodded, Joel continued speaking leisurely.

"If the season is over, then maybe. Today, we can just have a light conversation."

At first glance, Lucas's pitching balance was currently broken. If he had been exposed to various pitching coaches, he might be able to fix it. But that would take some time.

'So, I think it's better to leave that up to the director. I'm sure the director can help him with his posture.'

Joel looked over Lucas's windup once more and decided that some light advice would suffice for now. And as if reading Joel's thoughts, the director nodded.

"That's enough."

Joel nodded and clapped his hands, calling Lucas to stand up.

"Good pitch. Look at me for a second."

* * *

The director guided Joel and Lucas into the office. Joel, sitting on the sofa, patted the seat next to him.

"Come and sit down."

Lucas approached him tentatively and looked around for a moment. He wondered if he could dare sit next to the major leaguer he admired. But when Joel pretended to look at his watch as if he had no time, Lucas sat down right next to him.

"Let's get straight to the point," Joel continued speaking leisurely.

"Are you aiming for the High School Invitational Tournament?"

Lucas nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"Yes. Now that I've started, I want to reach the top."

"Okay. Very good. If you're a baseball player, you should have that level of determination. Of course, you know it's pretty messed up right now, right?"

Lucas now knew what it meant to be a mess.

It was only after throwing the ball a few more times that he started getting his old feel back.

Only the velocity had increased, but the command and other aspects were disappointing. Everything from the balance of the pitch to the posture was a mess.

"Do you know what the High School Invitational is?"

"I know. It's a tournament where the best schools in the country gather."

"Yes, I know that well. For baseball people, that tournament is a festival."

This is a place where you can meet prospective major leaguers.

That's why scouts from all major league teams flock to it. Not only that, but even the club owners are showing great interest.

"So just by participating in that competition, baseball players can get a little closer to their dreams. But you know."

Joel licked his lower lip and raised an eyebrow.

"It's not easy to compete in that competition. Do you know what kind of determination you've shown?"

"Yes. First of all, it has to be the best school in California."

"I see you know well."

"Of course, I still have a long way to go. Even if my dream comes true and I participate in that competition, I can't say I'll win. But I want to at least participate in that competition. That would be the first step."

Joel liked Lucas's confidence. These weren't just empty words.

They were clearly facing reality and heading toward their goals. But now, that mindset could be holding Lucas back. So now it was time to give him some advice and confidence.

"You said your pitching speed increased even after taking a break from baseball? By any chance, how old were you when you first started playing baseball?"

"Uh. What exactly does that mean?"

Lucas first started playing baseball formally in the 5th grade of elementary school. Instead, he first became interested in baseball when he was much younger.

"I'm talking about the first time you ever threw a ball."

"I was six years old."

"And you continued to throw until you were 15?"

Lucas nodded.

"I think it was a good idea to take a year and a half off."

"Why is that?"

Lucas's eyes sparkled brightly.

"It may not have been as hard as a professional athlete, but at some point, your shoulders must have felt tired."

Lucas thought back to his childhood.