A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 469

The New Recruit is Too Good at Baseball 469

100 Questions for You (1)

The final game of the weekend three-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees.

The game at Tropicana Field ended with a New York Yankees victory after a grueling 11-inning battle.

The final score was 10-9.

Woo-hoo!!!

According to what Ji-seop later heard, the reporters who came to cover the game that day had quite a hard time.

The reason wasn’t anything special. It was said that there were just too many stories to cover in their articles.

They would have had to point out that it was the longest game of the season so far, and they would have had to mention the performance of ‘Flamingo’ Richard Stelmetzek, who hit a whopping 7 hits in one game.

And that’s not all. They couldn’t have left out the fierce battle between the players of both teams that went all the way to the 11th inning, and the passionate reactions of the fans who watched it.

However, ‘The Greatest Showman’ Charles Flex, who was listening quietly to Ji-seop’s story, clicked his tongue.

-Tsk, tsk, these days reporters don’t have the basics down, do they? They don’t know how to write an article.

I wonder what he’s going to say this time.

Ji-seop raised one eyebrow.

-Hey, Kim! Why do you have that look on your face? Am I wrong? An article should just highlight the key points of what happened that day! The key!

Then what is the key!

The Greatest Showman snapped his fingers.

-Bret Evans versus Vincent Hiyama! The sparks flying from these two men’s starting match-up!! Ah, isn’t that all you need to cover properly to wrap up today’s game?

In fact, that was exactly the case.

The next morning, people seemed to have lost interest in who won the day before or how many hits there were.

In newspapers, on broadcasts, and even in the conversations of passersby.

The only thing mentioned about the previous day’s game was the starting match-up between Bret Evans and Vincent Hiyama.

-How should I put it, it was a heart-warming game.

That’s what they said on [Good Morning Baseball], a morning radio program that Ji-seop often listens to.

-Legend Bret Evans, who once dominated an era, and Vincent Hiyama, who is opening up a new era… It was a happy day just to be able to watch these two players pitch so well.

-Haha, our commentator’s expression is unusual, isn’t it? Does he look like he just came back from watching some impressive movie?

-It was a movie, truly a movie! Those who watched it on TV could have felt the emotion enough, but it will be an unforgettable memory for those who visited Tropicana Field in person.

The commentator said very decisively.

-Especially in the top of the 6th inning? The way Vincent Hiyama showed respect after hitting a home run… Ugh, wouldn’t that be remembered as the best scene of this season?

He was referring to the way Vincent Hiyama paid his respects to Bret Evans.

Respect for a senior who had fought alongside him, a colleague who had once created moments of glory together. And above all, respect for a legend of an era who had been the object of admiration since he was very young.

The image of Vincent Hiyama taking off his helmet and bowing his head, and Bret Evans pressing down on the brim of his cap and facing him, spread widely as a single photograph.

It was published on the front page of sports newspapers, decorated the top page of the Major League official website, and was posted on many people’s social media.

“Mr. Evans, you’ve become a complete SNS star, haven’t you? Every time I go on Instagram, there’s a picture of Mr. Evans!”

“Hey, people are really something! Why are they replaying the scene of me getting hit with a home run so much?!”

And it was exactly three days after the game ended.

This one photo became a big topic in a direction that Ji-seop had never expected.

-No, well, everything else is fine…

That’s what a comment on a bulletin board frequently used by New York Yankees fans said.

-Am I remembering it wrong? The game that Vincent pitched in was sold out, right? I went all the way to St. Petersburg, but I couldn’t get a ticket, so I just watched it on TV.

The next moment, a photo with a large circle around the two players’ shoulders was posted on the bulletin board.

-Here, here! Why are there so many empty seats on this side? It’s completely empty?!

Oh, for crying out loud.

It was at this moment that voices of anger erupted among the Yankees fans.

-What, what is it?

-Don’t tell me these damn Tampa Bay bastards… They didn’t accept guests even though there were empty seats?!

The 3rd floor upper deck, the closed seating area of Tropicana Field.

It was the first time that this dark and quiet space had attracted the attention of baseball fans.

* * *

In Korea, the term ‘Major League’s Big 3 Fandoms’ is commonly used.

The Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The story is that the fans of these three teams have the largest power and the strongest influence.

However, the stories of people actually working in Major League Baseball were a little different.

Certainly, the fans of these three teams seem to have something special about them. They also tend to do things that make the news.

But if you really look at their power and influence, the overwhelming number one is actually separate.

-It’s the New York Yankees.

Ten out of ten people answered that way.

-The New York Yankees’ fandom cannot be ignored by anyone.

Ji-seop had been working with Yankees’ assistant general manager Nicholas since last winter, so he was vaguely aware of the power of the Yankees’ fandom.

There were many cases where problems that the Tampa Bay Rays couldn’t solve even with a lot of noise were easily resolved through the Yankees’ fandom.

Conversely, there were also cases where projects that were almost finalized were canceled due to the opposition of the Yankees’ fandom.

‘…This is no joke?’

As a result, at some point, Ji-seop started carrying a few signed balls of Yankees players in his bag.

It was like a magic potion. It was like the all-purpose lubricant ‘WD-40’ that the facility team brothers at Canon’s used to use.

Whenever things didn’t go well, whenever the situation got a little tight, if you slipped them this signed ball, everything would proceed smoothly.

‘Well, it’s a little prickling as a Tampa Bay employee….’

Because of this, Ji-seop prided himself on knowing the Yankees’ fandom very well.

How much power they have, what they can do when they set their minds to it.

Ji-seop thought that he was almost a semi-professional in this area, and that he was actually using it enough, but-

But what do you know,

For exactly three days after that, Ji-seop was able to experience the ‘real power’ of the New York Yankees fandom firsthand.

Tring, tring, triring-

As befits the subtly analog American people, the beginning was, of course, the phone.

Complaint calls from Yankees fans poured into the Tampa Bay Rays’ public cooperation department.

Why didn’t they open the 3rd floor upper deck, why weren’t they expanding the seating.

The public cooperation department employees were turning pale from the endless stream of calls.

“Kim, shouldn’t we go and… answer the phones?”

“W, well, maybe we should.”

The atmosphere became even hotter the next evening.

There was a popular rapper who usually claimed to be a die-hard Yankees fan, and this friend brought someone unexpected to his YouTube channel.

-Yo, Yankees brothers! Today, I’ve brought in someone who knows the situation best!

-……Ahem.

-Okay, everyone, let’s give a warm welcome! It’s St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Driscoll!

-Ah, hello. Yankees fans!!

That’s right. It was the mayor.

The chubby man who visited Tropicana Field with Ji-seop’s guidance on the day of the game in question.

Was the rumor that he was aiming to advance into the central political world by becoming a senator true?

Even though it was quite a burdensome position, he continued to explain the situation with a very cheerful expression.

-Hmm, I see? So, if there are requests from citizens, you can open the 3rd floor upper deck?

-That’s right! Our St. Petersburg City Government is always listening to the stories of our citizens!

-Did everyone hear that? Friends in St. Petersburg, hurry up and file a petition!

The popular rapper poked his finger at the camera.

-Richard Stelmetzek, Bret Evans… This season, our Yankees’ biggest rivals are the Tampa Bay stingrays! In the next game, let’s have our Yankees completely occupy Tropicana Field!!

For Ji-seop,

It was a more than welcome word.

* * *

Bret Evans and Vincent Hiyama’s heated starting match-up.

And the fierce reaction of the Yankees fans sparked by this match-up.

It was a few days later, in the Future Strategy Planning Division office, that Ji-seop faced the reaction in a precise number.

“There have been a total of 572 complaint calls to the Public Cooperation Division so far.”

That was David Wilson’s report.

“There are a total of 12,610 opinions posted in the St. Petersburg City Government’s resident petition column.”

“Wow, St. Petersburg has a population of 250,000, so… isn’t this amazing?!”

While John Lama was delighted, raising both arms, David Wilson smiled with satisfaction and opened the last page.

“And there are a total of 68,982 supporting comments on the YouTube video posted by DJ Bronx.”

“60,000? No, that’s almost 70,000?!”

When John Lama widened his eyes, David Wilson nodded with a calm expression.

“Yes, at first, the atmosphere was led by Yankees fans, but later, our Tampa Bay fans also actively participated. The result… is this much data.”

“572 calls, 12,610 petitions, and 68,982 comments….”

Charles Flex, who was chewing on the numbers, looked back at Ji-seop with a satisfied expression.

“Kim, remember it well. You have to remember it down to the last digit.”

“Yes?”

When Ji-seop turned his head, Charles Flex continued with a serious look.

“This will be a huge weapon for our Future Strategy Planning Division, and above all, for you, Kim. Baseball teams basically make a living from people’s reactions.”

That they had moved so many people.

That they had elicited such a response from so many people.

He said that this would have a big impact on Ji-seop’s front office life in the future.

“Yeah, to give you an analogy, it’s like a medal for a front office employee.”

“A medal….”

Ji-seop, who had received the report from David Wilson, was quietly examining the contents for a while.

He was a little dazed. Even when he first started this project, he never thought he would see this kind of reaction.

But now it had become a reality and was approaching Ji-seop’s eyes.

“That’s good. The timing is perfect too.”

Ji-seop nodded.

“Then how about getting up now? You should see how much power this number we created has… You should check it out yourself.”

“Ah, that’s right! Isn’t it almost time for the club’s strategy meeting to begin?”