Draft Day: Hunting for Hidden Gems
As the manager of a baseball team born from the draft, you have to lead the team well. You need to post good results and develop great players. And that's not just for the current season. You have to scout and select promising talents who'll carry the team into the next season and the one after, then nurture them.
Right now, MLB teams were aggressively pursuing Park Byung-hyun, so we were grooming Kim Kang-jun as his replacement at first base. With Seo Geon-cheol back, we shifted Kang-jun to first after handing second base over to him. Byung-hyun moved to the DH spot. He'd already smashed 30 home runs this season, leading the charge in the home run king race. He'd won the title from 2012 to 2014, and this was a gesture to let him go out as king in what might be his last year in Korea. Byung-hyun appreciated it—he could swing for the fences without defensive worries—and he was teaching Kang-jun first base drills whenever he had time.
What our team lacked most was pitchers. The scouts knew it too, so they were digging deep. Every day after games, my desk piled up with info on this year's draft prospects, arriving non-stop. If I had the time, I'd love to visit their schools and watch practices firsthand. That's the only way my ability worked. But with the season in full swing, I couldn't run around everywhere. That's why managers usually stay out of drafts, leaving it to the GM and scouts. Getting involved might be overstepping. But I knew exactly where my strengths lay, so I pushed anyway.
Staring at the scraps of paper on my desk felt exhausting. My contract as manager was for two years. We were doing great this year, on track for a strong finish. But thinking ahead to next season left me uneasy. Lee Ji-seung was our only reliable starter. Han Hyun-ho's elbow was showing nagging issues, and Choi Tae-won and Ha Min-young hadn't unlocked their potential yet. That was why I was obsessing over this draft. There might not be a ton of elite talents, but I had to find what was there.
Trading for players from other teams would be ideal, but our situation made it tough. The Eagles, especially, had publicly sworn off deals with us after Kang Hyun-jun and Kim Kang-jun exploded here. Lee Woo-ram, whom we'd shipped their way, was still bombing out in the first team. They saw it as a massive loss—funny, considering they'd pitied us at the time.
Still, it wasn't all doom. Since August, Choi Tae-won and Im Byung-yoon had started heating up. They'd been grinding in the minors, but suddenly they were awakening, skills surging like they'd flipped a switch. The status windows suggested potential could bloom late with the right development path. I figured my Heroes tenure would end after next year. We had plenty to build on now, boosting my career, but once they're all cashed out? You can't fight with an empty shell. I wanted to manage a team with more parent company backing.
......
Monday, August 24, 2015. The draft day I'd been craving finally arrived. We'd played 112 of 144 games, sitting at 72 wins, 2 draws, 38 losses—a solid first place.
I'd told the GM early I wanted to attend, so I prepped at home. Seon-ah laid out the suit for me. It felt sharp after months in uniforms—put together, professional. Baseball managers should wear suits too, but weird rules forced uniforms. Soccer had head coaches in suits; baseball stuck with "manager." Maybe I'd suggest it sometime.
In Seon-ah's suit, I looked even sharper. "You look so handsome, babe," she beamed. I stroked her hair and headed out, heart racing the whole drive to the venue. Excitement bubbled—what gems would this class bring? I couldn't wait to scan their status windows and pick winners. A Ji-seung or Kang-jun level would be a dream, but those don't come every year. Solid prospects would do.
I arrived at the stadium early; the GM and scouts were gathered. In the meeting room, we finalized our targets. "We're going with these for pick one? Assuming no one snipes them?" Scout leader Go Hyeong-woong asked. I flipped through files to the names: Kim Jae-hyeok, Han Seung-hyun, Yoo Jae-woong, Jeong Su-bin, An Seok-hyeon. Since I stressed pitchers, these were his top high school and college arms. Detailed stats filled the pages: heights, weights, average velocity, pitch repertoires, spin rates, control profiles.
You learn quick as a manager how crucial these metrics are. But I didn't weigh them heavily. I had the status window—far more reliable. I used stats for lineups mid-season, but for drafts? Not so much.
"Hmm, not bad. Let's roll. We're pushed back from last year's second place, so fingers crossed they slide to us." As GM Park Seong-sik said, our slot was late—sniping was a risk. We'd targeted Lee Ha-young in the first round last year, only for the Bears to grab him.
Quick meeting, quick lunch, then to the hotel hosting the draft. A KBO guide ushered us in. We took our seats; other teams trickled in. No other managers showed—just me. Go Hyeong-woong had griped about role boundaries when I insisted, but the draft was where my ability shone brightest, so I overruled.
Once everyone settled, the emcee kicked off. "We'll now begin the 2016 KBO Second Draft. First, our stars of the day will enter."
Prospects filed in, taking seats—about 100 invitees, not the full 1,000. Not all would get picked, so tension hung thick, mixed with hope. These were the credible ones.
My eyes zipped across them, scanning one by one. Pen flew: names, pitcher or hitter, then current ability and potential ability. I skipped below 40 potential—couldn't note everyone without full data anyway. But those basics showed, so I jotted fast.
Shockingly few qualified. This class was weak. 'What the hell happened in '97?' Some didn't even have status windows—probably like me.
My notepad filled slowly. Scanning took focus; over 100 guys ate time.
"All prospects seated. Now, the commissioner's opening remarks."
I wasn't done—panic set in. I glared harder, faster. KBO Commissioner Kim Hak-seon shuffled to the podium. His slow gait was a godsend. Thirty left.
"Uh... uh... hello. I'm KBO Commissioner Kim Hak-seon. We're here for the 2016 KBO Second Draft..." Blah blah, eyes locked on players. Drag it out, man.
"...With that, I declare the draft open. Thank you."
Too short! Others seemed fine, but to me it flew. Only 50 scanned.
"Following the commissioner's remarks, nominations start with the Suwon Wiz, proceeding in order. Please keep picks within two minutes for smooth flow."
Wiz went first. I'd just hit 60.