A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 389

Baseball Team New Recruit Is Too Good – Episode 389

Baseball Team New Recruit Is Too Good 389

87 The Highest Point (2)

And the next day.

The day of Game 7 of the World Series.

Tension was palpable at Citizens Bank Park, the home stadium of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Roar!!!

Roar!!!

At first glance, the atmosphere didn’t seem much different from the previous few games.

A fierce tension hung in the air hours before the game, and Phillies fans packed the stands, chanting their support at the top of their lungs.

But if you listened closely, you could sense a different atmosphere today.

Clatter clatter clatter clatter!

Clatter clatter clatter clatter!

It was the Tampa Bay Rays fans.

The vast majority of the audience was still Phillies fans in red striped uniforms.

However, a significant number of Tampa Bay fans in navy uniforms were noticeable here and there.

Whether they were being cursed at or glared at, they were desperately shaking their cowbells.

The Tampa Bay fans, who had been almost wiped out during the sixth game the day before, how could they have revived so much in just one day?

“Haha, don’t even mention it.”

It was Brett Evans, who was scheduled to start for the Tampa Bay Rays that day, who told Ji-seop about the story.

When Ji-seop went to check on the players’ condition, he happened to see him coming out after finishing his practice pitching, and he laughed and said this.

“I heard it was a complete mess last night. Among our Tampa Bay fans.”

Brett Evans used to be an avid supporter of the Tampa Bay Rays, active in the ‘Cowbell Boys’.

His close friends are still active in that group.

Perhaps that’s why he knew more about the fans’ movements than most front office staff.

“What did they say? The Cowbell Boys people naturally thought we would lose. You know, Kim, how Tampa Bay has lacked stamina all this time.”

“Haha, there was a tendency like that.”

“Yes, so they weren’t even thinking about Game 7… But lo and behold, we suddenly won! And with a 2-0 shutout! So how could our fans just sit still?”

A war broke out to get tickets for Game 7 belatedly.

Not to mention the secondary sales site, even the ticket auction site crashed for a moment.

Brett Evans’ college friends apparently had to pay a hefty price to get their hands on tickets.

“I just got a call a little while ago. They said they got seats way out in the outfield corner for over $1,000 a piece.”

“Wow, the person who sold that must have made some money.”

“That’s right. When they called me and whined about it, I told them very bluntly.”

It’s because you lacked faith.

Blame your lack of faith.

Brett Evans grinned.

“Isn’t that right? If your faith in Tampa Bay hadn’t wavered, if you had naturally thought we would win… you could have bought Game 7 tickets at a cheap price.”

Tsk tsk, what foolish guys!

Brett Evans crossed his arms and puffed out a hot breath, but Ji-seop could see right through his heart.

[Damn it, another reason why I have to pitch well in today’s game has arisen.]

[Everyone came all this way to see me pitch… I can’t show them a sloppy pitching, can I?]

[Okay, today I’ll last at least 6 innings… no, 7 innings! That way, I’ll save face!]

A veteran pitcher who was outwardly scoffing, but inwardly burning with more fighting spirit than ever before.

If he showed such a determined appearance, there would be no need to worry much about today’s game.

Just as Ji-seop was feeling reassured, Brett Evans snapped his fingers and turned his head.

“Ah, that’s right… Kim!”

“Yes?”

“I heard about it.”

He gave a pitiful look.

“The Future Strategy Planning Division… you can’t watch today’s game, right? Because you were selected for the Black Team.”

“Ah, yes, that’s how it turned out.”

Ji-seop nodded.

“I think I’ll be waiting at a hotel near here while the game is in progress. I’ll be back when the game ends.”

“Geez, our team is really too much.”

Brett Evans clicked his tongue.

“Why does it have to be Game 7 of the World Series? This season… no, it’s no exaggeration to say it’s the most crucial game since our team was created.”

Looking back, it was Brett Evans who was able to join Tampa Bay with Ji-seop’s help.

Perhaps that’s why. He put his pot-lid-like hand on Ji-seop’s shoulder and asked in a subtle voice.

“Kim, how about… can I pull some strings for you?”

“Yes?”

“I’m called a legend in the industry, you know? I have a lot of connections in broadcasting and media.”

He lowered his voice as much as possible.

“If Kim allows it, I’ll contact the broadcasting company today. I’ll ask them to suggest an interview with Kim to the team… Then at least Kim will be able to get out of the hotel.”

“Oh…”

It was quite a tempting offer.

To be able to move even the broadcasting company, it really felt like a legend pitcher with 250 career wins.

But even after receiving that welcome offer, Ji-seop quietly shook his head.

“It’s okay. Thank you very much for your words, but… I don’t think I can leave my colleagues in the Future Strategy Planning Division and get out of here alone.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes, and…”

Ji-seop gave a subtle look.

“Our Future Strategy Planning Division has also prepared its own countermeasures.”

“Its own… countermeasures?”

Brett Evans was looking at Ji-seop with an interesting gaze.

* * *

“Alright, this way.”

About an hour later.

Ji-seop and the people from the Future Strategy Planning Division were entering a luxury hotel lobby.

About a 10-minute drive from Citizens Bank Park. The ‘Black Team’ for the day would be waiting here.

“Would you wait here for a moment? I’ll bring an employee to guide you.”

“Yes, I understand. Go ahead.”

As the Tampa Bay Rays security team employees disappeared towards the hotel front desk, Ji-seop turned his gaze to John LaMar, who was sitting next to him.

“LaMar, did you bring the item?”

At Ji-seop’s question, John LaMar nodded with a meaningful smile.

“Of course, of course!”

Then, the owner’s son tapped the Bible he was holding ‘thump’.

It was a bit funny, but that thick Bible was the ‘reliable thing’ for the Future Strategy Planning Division that day.

It looked like an ordinary Bible on the outside, but inside it actually contained a small smartphone.

The plan was to turn on the smartphone and watch Game 7 of the World Series once they were guided to the hotel room, which was a restricted area.

“Kim, don’t worry too much.”

John LaMar gave a thumbs up.

“It’s a pretty proven method! Benjamin Oznovich devised it when he was in Tampa Bay.”

“Benjamin? Are you talking about the Philadelphia general manager?”

“Yes, that friend brought it when he was in the Future Strategy Planning Division.”

There was a time when the Future Strategy Planning Division was selected as the Black Team before.

When everyone was just sighing because they couldn’t watch the important game in person.

Benjamin Oznovich, who was the main director at the time, got this Bible from somewhere.

“General Manager Oznovich… he’s definitely an unusual person.”

Ji-seop gave a bitter smile.

“A Bible that can store things inside, where did he get something that would come out in a spy movie…”

“He’s always been like that.”

John LaMar shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyway, this method will work this time too. No matter how strict the security team employees are, they won’t be able to stop us from praying for the team’s victory.”

“I guess so.”

Yeah, there was no need to be picky in this situation.

What if it’s something that would come out in a spy movie, or something that would come out in a romance movie?

If they could just watch the highly competitive World Series, the highly anticipated Game 7, live, they would have to endure anything.

If that’s the case, I wish we could get into the hotel room quickly. Ji-seop stretched his neck and looked around, and that’s when it happened.

“Excuse me… are you from the Tampa Bay Rays? Are you affiliated with the Future Strategy Planning Division?”

“Yes? Yes, we are…”

Ji-seop, who was turning his head without much thought, couldn’t help but flinch for a moment.

A huge, muscular bald man was giving the Ji-seop party the kindest smile in the world.

“Excuse me, who are you…”

“Oh, I’m late to introduce myself! I’m sorry. My name is Frank, a former bodybuilder and now a personal trainer.”

He took out a crumpled business card from his pocket and handed it to Ji-seop.

“Have you ever heard of my name? I used to be the exclusive trainer for General Manager Billy Bean and President Theo Epstein.”

“Ah, is, is that so?”

Billy Bean and Theo Epstein were once called the best general managers in Major League Baseball.

But there was no way to know the name of the trainer who guided them.

“But… what’s going on?”

Ji-seop asked.

“Personal training… well, it’s good, but our homes are all in Florida.”

“No, no, I didn’t talk to you to do business with you.”

And the next moment, Ji-seop sensed that something was going wrong.

“Don’t worry. Brian Sponn, your boss, the general manager, has already paid all the expenses.”

“Yes? What does that…”

“Haha! What are you trying to deny when you’ve already noticed everything?”

Bulge, bulge.

Frank smiled, twitching his thick biceps.

“It means that I will be guiding you from now until the end of Game 7 of the World Series.”

He pointed to the item in John LaMar’s hand with his chin.

“Unfortunately, it also means that you can’t use the smartphone in that Bible.”

“…What?!”

* * *

Exactly 10 minutes later.

Ji-seop, John LaMar, and David Wilson were in the weight training room in the basement of this hotel.

Everyone was changed into workout clothes. And everyone was half out of their minds.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Who would have known that General Manager Brian Sponn would have prepared such a program for the Future Strategy Planning Division?

The Ji-seop party, who naturally thought they would be spending time in the hotel room, felt like they had been hit in the back of the head.

Whether he knew how they felt or not, Frank, the trainer in charge of them that day, came over laughing.

“Hehe, don’t make such a gloomy expression. It’s an unavoidable choice for the team.”

Perhaps it was because he had experience guiding Major League general managers. Frank seemed to know roughly about the Black Team system.

“Isn’t it an era where you can watch games anywhere if you have a smartphone these days? There may be people watching the game in various places. So the most sure way to isolate you from the game… that’s why General Manager Brian Sponn chose me.”

The trainer turned off the power to the televisions that were turned on throughout the training room.

Watching him quietly, Ji-seop had no choice but to give up to some extent.

‘Okay, if the situation has come to this… well, there’s no other way.’

It was a shame that he couldn’t watch the game, but he felt that he couldn’t help it if it was the team’s decision.

And it wouldn’t be bad to receive the teachings of the trainer who guided Billy Bean on this occasion.

Major League’s famous general managers deliberately watch the game while weight training to prevent their emotions from getting heated during the game.

‘Okay, let’s empty my mind.’

Ji-seop was determined to do so, but the trainer in question was not trying to start training easily.

Looking at his watch, checking his cell phone, he seemed to be waiting for someone.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

He raised his hand slightly.

“There are people who will be training with you today. Let’s start together when they come.”

“Training together?”

“That’s right.”

Frank rubbed his oily, smooth head.

“It’s not just Tampa Bay that’s isolating employees, is it? There’s another team that has to isolate some employees today.”

“Ah, then…”

Just as John LaMar was about to open his mouth as if he had thought of something, the outside of the training room became noisy.

“No, so!”

It was quite an angry voice.

“Why do I have to come here! I’m the head of the front office! What team in the world isolates the head of the front office?”

“There’s nothing we can do, General Manager! It’s the owner’s order!”

…General Manager?

Did he just say general manager?

“No, so! Why did you make such a fuss after the game? You should have responded calmly as usual.”

“Calm? Hey, was that a situation where I could be calm? You ruined the chance of a runner on first base with no outs in the bottom of the 9th… um?!”

A young man being dragged into the training room while making a fuss.

The moment his eyes met Ji-seop’s, Ji-seop couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

‘Benjamin… Oznovich?’

That’s right. It was Benjamin Oznovich himself, the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.

He seemed to have become a member of the ‘isolation group’ like Ji-seop and came to this hotel training room.

Looking at General Manager Oznovich, who was staring at him with a dazed expression, Ji-seop had all sorts of thoughts for a moment.

‘Ah, no…’

I didn’t know I would be facing Game 7 of the World Series like this.

To be spending time exercising with the opposing team’s general manager.

I thought it was a strange relationship, but one thing seemed certain.

‘That’s… going to be taken away soon.’

General Manager Benjamin Oznovich was holding a Bible in his right hand.

Ji-seop and John LaMar knew what the purpose of that book was.

And above all, Frank the trainer knows it well too.