A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 248

Chapter 63: Trrrr- Thwack! (1)

I was about to embark on a ‘mathematical dispatch’ [a humorous term implying a calculated and precise departure or explanation].

So, next year, I’m going to America.

When Ji-seop revealed the story he had been keeping secret for a while, Ryu Jang-ho reacted as follows:

“Is that really true, 형님 (hyung-nim) [older brother or respected male figure]?!”

Ryu Jang-ho was a man of few words.

Whether he was playing in a game, sitting in the dugout, or resting back at the dorm.

His default was to keep his mouth firmly shut in a straight line. Except for things related to baseball, he rarely asked Ji-seop any questions.

But this time was a little different; his eyes were shining, and he was pouring out all sorts of questions.

“Where in America are you going? When are you leaving? If our schedules line up, shouldn’t we travel together?”

I didn’t realize he would be this happy, but Ji-seop could have guessed it.

Ryu Jang-ho was about to advance to the American Major League.

He thought he would be ‘headbutting the ground’ [struggling and facing difficulties] in an unfamiliar place, but someone he knew well was coming to America around the same time.

The American land is vast, and depending on the case, they may live far apart, but still.

The fact that Ji-seop was coming to the same country as him seemed to reassure him a lot.

“No, 형님 (hyung-nim)! Just tell me when your schedule comes out. If I tell my agent, I can arrange to leave the country accordingly…”

“Come on! Do you think Major League teams are like our Cannons? You can’t control the negotiation schedule as you please.”

“Is that so?”

Yes, this was the flow of conversation that Ji-seop could have fully anticipated.

But right then, a reaction came out that was a little different from Ji-seop’s expectations.

“Ah, is that so…”

A voice coming from across the table.

“Ji-seop, you’re going to America too? Wow, that’s great. It’s a really good thing, but…”

After that, the chubby 아저씨 (ahjussi) [middle-aged man] couldn’t easily speak.

Ji-seop’s 입단 (ibdan) [joining the team] 동기 (donggi) [colleague who joined at the same time], Go Chang-deok.

* * *

Looking back, Go Chang-deok was always a boisterous person.

Even when there were hard things, even when there were difficult things, he was always noisy.

A person who enlivened the atmosphere of the Cannons front office with his unique fuss.

So, Ji-seop thought that Go Chang-deok, at least, would calmly accept his trip to America – but it seemed that it was a bit of an excessive wish.

“I’m sorry, 형님 (hyung-nim).”

Ji-seop apologized first.

“I should have given you a heads-up sooner, but it was too difficult to find the right timing.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay! I know best how busy you’ve been, Ji-seop.”

Go Chang-deok laughed ‘hehe’ and picked up the bottle of liquor next to him.

“And to be frank… I’ve been guessing for quite a while. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be with our Cannons for very long.”

He said that Go Chang-deok wasn’t the only one who thought that way.

Not only the people on the power analysis team, but also the people on the operations team, the people on the international affairs team.

There were many people among the Cannons employees who brought up that story.

“Everyone said the same thing. That you would be leaving the team soon, Ji-seop. That you would be going to a bigger stage.”

“…”

“Our team leader said you would be going to headquarters, the 육성 (yukseong) [development] team leader over there said you would be going into politics, and I said you would be going to the Major League…”

I was right this time, wasn’t I?

Go Chang-deok raised the corners of his mouth and held out his glass.

When Ji-seop smiled bitterly and clinked glasses, he continued with a rather serious look.

“Work hard, Ji-seop.”

It was Go Chang-deok’s encouragement.

“While you’re going to America, set your goals very high! How about a Major League general manager? The first Korean Major League general manager! Shouldn’t it be at least this much?”

“No, 형님 (hyung-nim). It’s not like you can win a general manager position by playing poker…”

“Oh, you’re killing the mood again.”

Go Chang-deok shook his head, and his eyes were already back to their usual liveliness.

“If aiming for general manager is too much… Well, at least I hope you learn properly how the Major League works.”

“How the Major League works?”

“Yeah, that’s the most important thing, actually.”

Go Chang-deok nodded.

“When I was talking about baseball with the American kids, I was surprised to learn that in the Major League, a managing director is in charge of parking lot management.”

“A managing director?”

It was known that Cannons’ Seo Chang-gi 단장 (danjang) [team manager] was treated as a managing director within KH Group.

If Go Chang-deok’s words were true, it meant that someone higher than Seo 단장 (danjang) was focusing solely on parking lot management in the Major League.

“Wow, then that managing director must be a great driver? Can he get out of double-parked or triple-parked cars?”

When Ryu Jang-ho threw a word, Go Chang-deok waved his hand, saying, “Hey.”

“No matter how much, would a managing director be taking out the president’s car? Anyway, what I thought when I heard that story…”

Major League teams are much larger organizations than we think.

And that organization is much more specialized and systematized than we expected.

“I hope you take a close look at those parts.”

“…”

“There were quite a few people around me who got jobs in Major League teams. But none of them had ever been in such core areas.”

Go Chang-deok smacked his lips.

“But if you learn for sure about the Major League’s team management, player development, or marketing strategy and come back, our Cannons can become a truly prestigious team.”

“Well, everything’s fine, but… I don’t know if you’ll be with the Cannons by then?”

Ji-seop threw a joke here.

“Hmm?”

“You always said that. That you’re going to quit this damn baseball team right away. That you should look for another job even now…”

“Hey, Kim Ji-seop! Are you saying such nonsense in this situation? This 형 (hyung) [older brother or respected male figure] is seriously advising you on the direction you should go in the future…”

Looking at Go Chang-deok, who was yelling with his face reddened, Ji-seop was smiling softly.

“I understand, 형님 (hyung-nim).”

Ji-seop nodded.

“I’ll really work hard and learn as you said. And someday, when I come back to the Cannons…”

“Yes!”

Go Chang-deok also nodded.

“Let’s make it together! The best prestigious club in Korean professional baseball!”

He was an 입단 (ibdan) 동기 (donggi) who showed his will by clenching his fists, but Ji-seop was slyly 받아치고 (badachigo) [countering] with a playful voice again.

“Wow, you’re amazing, 형님 (hyung-nim). How can you say such cheesy remarks so casually?”

“…Hey, Kim Ji-seop!!”

He lifted it up and put it down, lifted it up and put it down [teasing him relentlessly].

Go Chang-deok, who couldn’t escape Ji-seop’s pace until the end.

* * *

It was three people who gathered to drink all night.

It was three people who gathered to hang out until dawn.

But unlike the original plan, their meeting was coming to an end in just two hours.

“Ugh… Ji, Ji-seop! 형 (hyung) can drink more? Even if I say I can drink more?”

“That’s enough. Just sleep. Is today the only day? We can grab another day and drink together.”

On the way back, after forcibly laying Go Chang-deok, who was insisting that he could drink more, on the bed.

Ryu Jang-ho, who was cleaning up the snacks and empty bottles on the floor, handed Ji-seop a can of beer.

“형님 (hyung-nim), would you like to have just one more drink? I’m going to abstain from alcohol again from tomorrow…”

“Ah, that’s right. You said you weren’t going to drink even in the off-season this time, right?”

Okay, okay.

Ji-seop took the can of beer and headed to the dorm terrace.

Ji-seop, who was now feeling the rather chilly night breeze, opened the can of beer with a ‘psst’.

Just as he was taking a sip of the slightly lukewarm beer, Ryu Jang-ho approached Ji-seop and said.

“형님 (hyung-nim).”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know the people on the front office side very well, but at least you don’t have to worry too much about the players.”

The guy who suddenly 치고 들어오는 (chigo deureooneun) [coming in strong/being straightforward].

Ji-seop tilted his head.

“What are you talking about?”

“No, I just thought… you seemed to be worried a lot.”

Ryu Jang-ho continued.

“Aren’t you 고민 (gomin) [worried] a lot? Leaving the Cannons, going to America… How should I explain that to the people in our club?”

“Ah.”

Ryu Jang-ho’s words were true.

I was definitely a little worried.

Even Go Chang-deok, who is famous for being the most good-natured in the Cannons, is so 섭섭해하는데 (seopseophae haneunde) [feeling sad/disappointed], what should I say to the rest of the people?

It was true that I was worried about that, but at this time, Ji-seop was surprised at a slightly different point.

‘The Ryu Jang-ho of 천하 (cheonha) [all under heaven/the world] is… understanding other people’s thoughts?’

This was a bit amazing.

He was a guy who only cared about his baseball to the point where I thought he might have some sociopathic tendencies.

It took a lot of time to teach even this one trivial point: that breathing with colleagues is important, and that relationships with club employees are also important.

But now he was coming to Ji-seop’s situation with an indifferent expression.

‘There are all sorts of things in life?’

Ji-seop began to look at Ryu Jang-ho with an interesting gaze.

Ryu Jang-ho, whether he knew Ji-seop’s thoughts or not, began to express his opinion.

“I think you’ll know since you’ve been a 현역 (hyeonyeok) [active] player… but actually, players are very used to 헤어지고 만나는 (heeojigo mannaneun) [parting and meeting].”

“Ah, is that so?”

Ji-seop, whose 현역시절 (hyeonyeoksijeol) [days as an active player] had become hazy, seemed to be right when he heard it.

“Isn’t that so? There are cases where they are traded, cases where they transfer as FA [free agent], and cases where they are 방출 (bangchul) [released]… All of this happens dozens of times a year in a baseball team.”

Ryu Jang-ho continued 조곤조곤 (jogonjogon) [softly/gently].

“I used to be very sad when someone left the team… This is very funny, right? As I continued my career, I often met that person again.”

There are cases where they are traded back, and cases where they come as compensation players for FA contracts.

Also, there are many cases where people who were 방출 (bangchul) in the past return as coaching staff or return as club employees.

He said that there are many such cases in professional baseball teams.

“If you say you’re leaving, the players will be sad. But everyone is 이력이 난 (iyeogiry nan) [experienced/used to] on the side of meeting and 헤어지는 (heeojineun) [parting/separating]…”

“Aha, you don’t have to 고민 (gomin) that much?”

“Of course. Aren’t they all pros? Even if we 헤어지는 (heeojineun) now, we can meet again someday… We all know that empirically.”

Ryu Jang-ho had the eyes of a fairly skilled advisor.

“Didn’t you say that there will be a 축승회 (chukseunghoe) [victory celebration] hosted by Yeongsan City Hall the day after tomorrow? I think all the players will attend, so I wonder if you should say it around that time.”

“Hmm, that’s right. 축승회 (chukseunghoe), that event was still left?”

“Yes, everyone will be entering the 휴식기 (hyusikgi) [break/off-season] after that day.”

It was a 똑 부러지는 (ttok bureojineun) [clear-cut/sharp] advice.

It was really useful advice.

Of course, the answer ‘Thank you’, ‘I’ll do as you say’ should have come out first.

But because the person who gave that advice was none other than Ryu Jang-ho, Ji-seop was saying this with a strange smile.

“Jang-ho, when did you grow up like this?”

“Yes?”

Ryu Jang-ho had a dumbfounded expression.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? When was I not an adult?”

“Hehe, it’s not like that…”

Ji-seop, feeling 뿌듯해지는 (ppudeuthaejineun) [proud/heartwarmed] in one corner of his heart, looking at Ryu Jang-ho, who had become quite adult-like.