A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 233

59. The Season When Gizzard Shad Flounder (3)

WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup.

Commonly known as the ‘U-23 Tournament.’

Held roughly every two years, this tournament is one of the age-specific international competitions organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

The name ‘World Cup’ sounds grand, but in reality, it was a tournament that didn’t garner much attention, even from most baseball fans.

For one, it mainly featured amateur or professional minor league players, and the tournament period often overlapped with the postseason schedules of various leagues.

“Ah, there he is.”

However, for professional clubs that had sent players to the national team, it was difficult to completely ignore the tournament itself.

Front office staff from each club would typically send relatively well-known employees to encourage the players and greet the association officials.

On this day, Ji-seop’s visit to Mokdong Baseball Stadium on behalf of General Manager Seo Chang-gi was in a similar vein.

Of course, Ji-seop had a slightly more important purpose than meeting with association officials.

“Hello, Director.”

“Oh, who is this? Isn’t this Ji-seop?!”

A middle-aged man stared at Ji-seop with wide eyes.

He was Minoru Iwata, the second director of [Iwata Bone Setting Clinic – a traditional Japanese medical practice focused on musculoskeletal adjustments].

The very person who had been able to protect the reputation of the historic bone setting clinic with Ji-seop’s help in the middle of this season.

“Nice to see you! Oh, I’m so glad to see you like this!”

Director Iwata grabbed Ji-seop’s hand and shook it vigorously.

“I was just wavering and worrying alone! I wanted to have a meal with Ji-seop, but… Ah, I heard the Cannons are about to start the Korean Series.”

“Haha, it’s all thanks to you, Director.”

Ji-seop bowed slightly.

“I believe the Cannons were able to achieve good results this season thanks to the Director’s sincere care for our players.”

“Haha, I saw it on the internet too. Player Kang Jae-yun, who received treatment at our clinic… I heard he had a great season?”

Director Iwata nodded with a proud expression.

“But if we’re being precise, the favor Ji-seop did for our clinic is even greater, isn’t it? If it weren’t for Ji-seop back then, I would be now…”

Ugh.

As if the thought alone was terrible, Director Iwata shuddered.

“Ah, that’s right! I can’t just say thank you with words alone. How about lunch together? Our Japanese national team has a game in the afternoon, so there’s still some time.”

This was what Ji-seop had been hoping for.

A quiet restaurant would be a better place to have a conversation than the crowded stands with so many eyes watching.

“Would that be alright? I happen to have a favor to ask of you, Director…”

“Haha, then we should definitely have a meal together! Could you wait here for a moment? I’ll go talk to the national team officials.”

“Ah, yes, please do.”

While Director Iwata approached his group, Ji-seop was looking around the stands of Mokdong Baseball Stadium.

‘Is it because it’s a Korean national team game? There are more spectators than I thought.’

Mokdong Baseball Stadium, which he thought would only have a few tournament officials scattered around.

But today, nearly a thousand spectators had come.

For industry insiders, this level of interest, even for a non-professional baseball game, was something to be very grateful for.

Just as he was thinking about whether they should have prepared a simple event for the spectators who had come, as if waiting for that thought, cheerful music began to play inside the stadium.

-We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the spectators who have come to the Baseball World Cup!

It was the timing when the ground was being prepared after the bottom of the 5th inning.

-To wish all the players who participated today the best of luck, an event prepared by our secretariat! Find the Dancing King!

-Starting now, exactly 30 seconds! We will give a generous prize to the audience member who shows the most amazing dance during these 30 seconds!

As soon as the announcer finished his remarks, the faces of the audience members appeared on the baseball stadium’s electronic display board.

Some people waved their hands as if they were embarrassed, some people hesitantly got up, and some people were just happy to be on the electronic display board rather than dancing.

‘Unless I had a drink or two, I don’t think I could dance sober either….’

Just as Ji-seop was smiling and turning his gaze toward the ground, a shout of ‘Oooooh!’ erupted from the stands.

-Wow, it looks like we have someone really amazing here? That’s an amazing dance! Wow, wow, wow, wow!!

Doesn’t it happen sometimes?

A person who can raise the atmosphere without the help of alcohol.

It seemed that there was such a wonderful person in the stands of Mokdong Baseball Stadium today.

A young man in his 20s was shaking his body vigorously, as if he was genuinely aiming for the ‘Dancing King’ title.

‘Hmm?’

At first, Ji-seop was just staring at the man’s dance with his mouth open.

But as time went on, the man’s face somehow felt familiar.

‘Wait, where have I seen him before?’

Was he someone he had seen on TV?

Or was it on a YouTube channel?

Or was it someone he had passed by while walking around the baseball stadium?

Just as Ji-seop was scratching his chin and trying to remember, an unexpected answer popped out.

“Oh, isn’t that… Kwon?”

It was Director Iwata.

He was muttering this while looking at the man on the electronic display board as he was returning from his group.

“Did you say… Kwon?”

Ji-seop turned his head.

“Do you know him, Director?”

“Yes, he received treatment at our clinic for a few months last year… No, doesn’t Ji-seop know him too?”

“Me?”

“Yes. That person is a professional baseball player.”

Director Iwata continued.

“His name is Kwon Jeong-min, a player from the SH Knights… Don’t you know him?”

“Kwon Jeong-min?”

Now that he heard it, it seemed like there was a player with that name, but in fact, Ji-seop was thinking about General Manager Seo Chang-gi’s joke from the day before.

-Take a good look at the stands!

-Who knows, maybe a second Ham Jeon-eo is wasting time in the stands?

To think that there would actually be an active professional baseball player in the stands.

Ji-seop felt a bit like he was possessed by a ghost.

* * *

“Yes, General Manager!”

About two hours later.

Ji-seop was entering the parking lot of Mokdong Baseball Stadium while talking on his cell phone.

“I’m on my way back after seeing Director Iwata off a little while ago. Yes, I’m still at Mokdong Baseball Stadium.”

Beep beep.

Ji-seop got into his car, which was parked in the parking lot.

While taking off his bag and placing it on the passenger seat, he continued.

“Yes, he said he would be happy to help. The Japanese national team is leaving the day after tomorrow, so he said he would come to Yeongsan the day after that. Yes, yes, yes.”

With this, the task of requesting help from Director Iwata was successfully completed.

To General Manager Seo Chang-gi, who said ‘Good job,’ Ji-seop replied while fastening his seat belt.

“No, it wasn’t particularly difficult… Oh, really? Can I really leave work right now?”

Ji-seop often heard the word ‘workaholic’ from his colleagues, but he couldn’t help but feel good when he heard the order to leave work early.

As Ji-seop was listening to General Manager Seo’s story with a heart that wanted to sing a song, he carefully opened his mouth as if he had thought of something.

“General Manager, but about that…”

Here, Ji-seop hesitated slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he shook his head, saying, ‘Ah, never mind.’

“No, I was briefly mistaken about the date. The 준-playoff [Korean semi-playoff series] starts the day after tomorrow, but I mistook it for tomorrow. Haha, yes, I’m sorry.”

Then I’ll see you tomorrow, General Manager!

Ji-seop hung up the phone with a voice full of energy, but his face had a lingering uncomfortable expression as he put down his cell phone.

“Hmm.”

The work related to Director Iwata was handled well, and thanks to that, he even received an order to leave work early.

In many ways, things were going well, but there was one thorn in Ji-seop’s heart.

“Player Kwon Jeong-min…”

The player from the SH Knights that he had seen in the stands of Mokdong Baseball Stadium two hours ago.

Ji-seop picked up his cell phone again and looked at his general profile.

‘Position is catcher. 26 years old this year. He was a first-round pick, but he hasn’t been able to get into the first team for a long time due to military service and injuries?’

It seemed that things had improved this year.

Although he went back and forth between the second team several times, he spent one season as the backup catcher for the SH Knights.

But his batting average this year was only .159 with 2 home runs and 11 RBIs.

It seemed that this was why Ji-seop didn’t recognize his face right away.

‘…What is this guy doing?’

The day after tomorrow, player Kwon Jeong-min’s team, the SH Knights, was scheduled to play a 준-playoff [Korean semi-playoff series] game against the Jin Yang Bucks.

It is common to have a day off before an important game, but how many players would go to see another game on that day off?

‘And it would be even rarer for a guy to come to that baseball stadium and participate in a spectator event.’

In fact, it was something that could be easily overlooked.

He may have had a junior on the national team who he was close to.

The intense dance moves could just be attributed to his energetic style.

In the first place, there were many guys in the baseball team who acted outside of common sense.

‘That’s true, but….’

What bothered him was the story of ‘autumn gizzard shad’ player Ham Jun-ik [a player who performs exceptionally well in the autumn postseason, like the delicious autumn gizzard shad fish].

The story that he had been thoroughly prepared throughout the regular season, so he was more relaxed during the postseason.

So, the story that he couldn’t rest for a single day during the regular season, but he went out and played everywhere during the postseason.

The story that this created a strange synergy effect, making possible the tremendous performance that is now legendary.

“Damn it.”

While starting the car and slowly leaving the parking lot, Ji-seop could only smack his lips.

“If I had known it would bother me this much, I would have gone to the stands earlier and said something.”

At the moment when he was blaming himself for not being more proactive and putting a coupon into the parking fee adjustment machine.

“Oh?!”

Ji-seop’s eyebrows twitched.

“That, that person is….”

It was player Kwon Jeong-min of the SH Knights.

The very player that Ji-seop had been thinking he would like to see just one more time was grumbling and leaving the entrance of Mokdong Baseball Stadium.

“Kwo, player Kwon Jeong-min!”

What a windfall.

At the same time as the parking barrier was raised, Ji-seop drove the car toward player Kwon Jeong-min.

“You’re player Kwon Jeong-min, right? The catcher for the SH Knights!”

“Yes? Well, that’s right, but….”

A man in a suit suddenly approached and acted friendly.

Player Kwon Jeong-min tilted his head and asked.

“Who… are you?”

“Ah, hello! My name is Kim Ji-seop. I work at KH Cannons.”

“Oh, the Cannons? So you must be working on the front office side?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Click.

Before player Kwon Jeong-min could say anything else, Ji-seop quickly unlocked the car’s door lock.

“Get in!”

Ji-seop gestured.

“You’re going to take the 1400 bus, right? Then get in, I’ll take you to the bus stop.”

“You’ll give me a ride?”

Ji-seop thought that if he had the mentality to dance in the stands two days before the 준-playoff [Korean semi-playoff series], he would readily accept his offer.

However, it seemed that player Kwon Jeong-min had at least a minimum of common sense. Instead, he took a step back and gave him a wary look.

“No, why? You’re not a member of our Knights club staff…”

“Hey, what are you saying so disappointedly? When you think about it, aren’t all 10 professional baseball teams in the same business?”

Ji-seop continued smoothly.

“I’m just trying to give you a ride because you remind me of my younger brother back home, so don’t feel pressured.”

To be honest, it was a story that was obviously made up on the spot, but Ji-seop wasn’t too worried.

He knew it.

He knew that even if he didn’t come up with a sophisticated lie, the young catcher for the SH Knights would have no choice but to accept his offer.

“Well, then I’ll ask for a favor.”

The reason was only one.

“I would just go if possible… but I have too much luggage right now.”

“Yes, that’s why I spoke to you.”