The following day, Tex arrived back at work, looking a bit more tired than usual. He had stayed an extra night after watching the Gladiators, or specifically Ken, compete in the PG Tournament.
By the final match, he and the 3 other scouts had congregated together to watch it. There were many sighs shared between them as they were forced to witness Ken get walked every inning.
But thanks to him also being a pitcher, they were able to see him shine upon the mound. From all 3 games, he'd only given up a single hit, even though he'd only pitched 3 kinds of balls.
This was something unprecedented at this age, causing a stir among the group.
The problem was, the kid was only in his junior year. Which meant that colleges were forbidden to make contact with him directly, at least until September 1st of this year.
Tex sighed deeply, lamenting the situation. By now, Ken's name would be spreading throughout their circle, meaning plenty of eyes would be focused on him in the next 6 months before the recruiting period began.
"Why the long face Tex? Didn't you say you found us a good prospect?" A stocky gentleman dressed in jeans and a polo shirt asked, his eyebrow raised in concern.
Hearing the voice, Tex once again let out a sigh. "Yeah, but it won't be long before all the other colleges will get wind of him." He replied in resignation.
Tommy was a little surprised, so he probed him further, "Really? I never even heard of a Ken Taka before. Is he that good?"
"Ah, no I got the name wrong. It's Ken Takagi." He corrected.
Tommy's face changed momentarily, as if he recognized the name. "It sounds familiar…"
However, he gave up a few moments later. "Don't worry, we'll have as good a chance as any when it comes time for recruitment."
Tex nodded, though he didn't add anything. "Did you want to see some footage?"
"You recorded the games?" Tommy asked in surprise.
"No, but there's some old clips of him in the National Team."
"National Team!?" This time, Tommy almost jumped in fright. "If he's from the National Team, he can't be an unknown prospect." He said with certainty.
"He's a Japan native who played for their U18 team." Tex replied with a wry smile.
With his interest piqued, Tommy quickly told Tex to take out his laptop so they could watch the videos together. It was clear that he was eager since the two were still out in the open at the sports facility.
After only a few minutes, Tommy understood what Tex was on about. He hadn't watched much of the U18 World Cup, otherwise he would have recognized Ken.
As they were deeply engrossed in the film, a tall figure appeared in the lobby and saw them huddled together staring at a laptop.
"Tommy, Tex, Good morning." He called out, only to receive no response.
With a quizzical expression on his face, the man walked over and looked over their shoulder, seeing the footage playing on the screen.
"Oh? You're watching the U18 World Cup? I was actually part of the coaching staff." Chris said, a hint of pride in his tone.
"What!?" Tommy quickly turned around, noticing the tall figure of Chris standing nearby.
"Coach T, are you serious?" Tex asked, his face filled with disbelief. Many of the staff and students called Chris this, since pronouncing his last name was too burdensome, and many got it wrong.
"Mmm, we were lucky enough to get first place." He said, nodding in satisfaction.
After a few moments, something clicked in Tommy's head. "Then do you know this player?" He said, pausing the video and pointing at Ken atop the mound.
Both guys wore an expectant expression, as if they were waiting for some good news. After all, making use of past connections to secure a top prospect was not out of the ordinary for colleges.
Chris frowned and looked at the two, making sure they were not mentally handicapped.
"You're asking me if I recognize my son?" He asked incredulously.
"WHAT!?"
Both Tommy and Tex leapt to their feet, causing the laptop to fall directly onto the ground, making a crunching noise. However, they ignored it, too focused on Chris's bombshell statement.
"Ken is your son?" Tex repeated, his mind blank.
"Yes… We moved here from Japan over a month ago. He plays for the Gladiators if I remember correctly." Chris stated simply.
"D—Dude, why didn't you say something!?" Tommy blurted out. Since he was the head of scouting, of course his prerogative was to find suitable players to bring into the organization.
Chris shrugged in response, "He's only in his Junior year. Plus, I wanted him to earn his scholarship himself. What's the point if he gets in through my recommendation?"
The words were reasonable, causing both Tex and Tommy to calm down somewhat. It was clear that Chris was a pragmatic parent, who handled his family in a firm manner.
In reality, it was a breath of fresh air. Many colleges were rife with nepotism, creating toxic environments with inflated ego's and even worse team chemistry.
Seeing that the two were silent, Chris asked, "Why were you looking at Ken's plays anyway?"
"Ah, I just saw him play down in San Antonio." Tex replied.
"Oh cool. He told me last night that his team won and he was given MVP." Chris said matter-of-factly.
"Y—Yeah, he played brilliantly."
A silence stretched out between the three for a few moments before Chris excused himself. "Well, I got some work to do, I'll see you guys around."
"Wait… Do you think you could have a word to your son about potentially coming here for college?" Tommy asked, knowing that it was a little shameless.
However, as he expected, Chris shook his head.
"I won't get in the way of my son's future. I don't want him to feel obligated to attend Texas University. Ken will make his own decisions."