A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 538

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 538

Chapter 113. Scatterbrained and Bewildered (4)

Ryu Jang-ho said this:

-I made a promise with Leo.

He said it with a very serious expression.

-Whether it’s Boston or Tampa Bay… Leo has decided to support the team that wins today’s game. Yes, he’s going to be a fan of the winning team.

Ryu Jang-ho’s one statement completely changed the atmosphere of both teams that afternoon.

“What? He’s deciding which team to support based on today’s game?”

“So, what, our captain’s son might end up supporting Tampa Bay?”

“Hey, that can’t happen! If you live in Boston, you have to support the Red Sox! Why would you support those country bumpkins from Florida?!”

The Boston players, who had been lounging on the sofa, changed their expressions and stood up.

“Wait a minute, wasn’t Ryu’s son originally a Tampa Bay fan? Why is this suddenly coming up?”

“I think… Ryu must have been really pushing his son. Otherwise, there’s no reason to set these conditions, right?”

“Ha, damn it! Doesn’t every kid have the right to support the team they want? This guy’s out of line, isn’t he?”

The Tampa Bay players, who had been relaxing in the sauna, also changed their expressions and grabbed their towels.

“Alright, everyone understands? We absolutely have to win today! We’ll win and flatten those Boston guys’ noses!”

“Great, now that it’s come to this, let’s show them for sure! Show them why we’ve won the championship for two years in a row, and why you guys can’t even get near the postseason!”

Wow, wow.

Upon hearing the news that spirited shouts erupted from both team clubhouses, Ji-seop could only wear a bitter smile on his face.

‘Oh, geez, I don’t know who’s the kid here.’

Since Ji-seop now thoroughly understood the players’ behavior patterns, he could easily guess why they were reacting so fiercely.

‘Well, it’s about time.’

In Ji-seop’s experience, by mid-September, almost all players suffered from a chronic lack of motivation.

At this time, the regular season is almost at its end. The team’s performance and individual stats are roughly outlined.

Unless they were players challenging for individual titles or teams desperate for the postseason, it was a time when energy just drained away.

At times like these, players didn’t particularly want anything else.

A reason to win today’s game no matter what, a reason to work hard in today’s game.

In that context, Ryu Jang-ho’s declaration that day was like setting a hot fire to the tired minds of both teams’ players.

‘Well, it’s not bad. Thanks to that, our players will be able to enjoy the game with renewed energy for the first time in a while.’

However,

One thing that bothered him.

‘Why did Jang-ho suddenly set such a strange condition? Did things not go well with Leo?’

Just the night before, Ryu Jang-ho had answered in a very mature manner.

‘I’ll do as you say, hyung [older brother/respected friend]. I’ll be honest with Leo. I’ll tell him to support Boston now.’

But his attitude had completely changed in just one night. Ji-seop couldn’t help but tilt his head.

‘Seriously, he’s such an unpredictable guy?’

* * *

Why did Ryu Jang-ho change his attitude?

What happened last night?

Ji-seop got the answer to this question about two hours later, during the bottom of the 5th inning when Boston was on the attack.

“Leo, who are you drawing today? Alex Montero? Or Joe Holtzman?”

“Hehe, it’s a secret for now!”

While watching Ryu Jang-ho’s son diligently drawing something again, he heard the voices of the club staff from outside.

“Oh, welcome.”

“Your son is with Kim.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

The person entering while greeting the club staff was Ryu Jang-ho’s wife, Lee Ye-jin.

“Mom!!”

Leo, who found his mother, ran to her and hugged her. Lee Ye-jin gently stroked her son’s head.

“Son, were you having fun?”

“Yes! I drew with Uncle!”

Lee Ye-jin looked at her son, who was shining brightly, with a loving expression.

Then, suddenly realizing Ji-seop’s presence, she bowed her head with a slightly embarrassed smile.

“I’m sorry, President. I hurried as much as I could, but the traffic was so heavy today.”

“Oh, no, it’s alright. You’ve worked hard. It wouldn’t have been easy to come to the stadium right after work.”

It had been a long time since they last met, the last time being during spring training.

Of course, there were many stories to catch up on. Stories about living in Boston, stories from Korea, stories about Ryu Jang-ho’s contract extension, and so on.

While unraveling the piled-up stories one by one, Ji-seop was also able to hear about what had happened the day before.

“That was… I think it was my mistake.”

“Mistake?”

When Ji-seop tilted his head, Lee Ye-jin continued with an awkward expression.

“This morning, Leo’s dad was a bit worried. He said he didn’t know when to bring it up. He said it was hard to find the timing.”

‘He’s decisive when it comes to baseball, but endlessly indecisive in everything else.’

It was so like Ryu Jang-ho.

“So, feeling a bit frustrated, I just told him to talk about it now. I told him there’s no need to drag it out. If you’ve made up your mind, just do it right away.”

“Hehe, you did well.”

“Right? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I? But it just so happened that… Leo was watching a cartoon at the time.”

“Cartoon?”

Ryu Jang-ho had quietly approached his son, who was watching TV.

Given his personality, he must have hesitated for a long time again. About how to bring up the subject to his son.

After much deliberation, the question he finally asked was this.

-Leo.

-Yes.

-Does Leo like Tampa Bay?

-Yes.

-More than Boston?

-Yes.

Ryu Jang-ho seemed to be slightly upset by this firm answer.

His wife tried to quickly intervene in the conversation, but he lightly waved his hand.

Then, with a rather serious expression, he asked his son.

-Why? Why do you like Tampa Bay?

Perhaps at this time, ‘Ji-seop Uncle’ or ‘Tampa Bay uniform’ didn’t come to Ryu Jang-ho’s mind.

Leo becoming a Tampa Bay fan was greatly influenced by the gift Ji-seop had given him.

Just when Ryu Jang-ho was about to think about the next conversation based on that expected answer, the problematic statement popped out.

-Because they’re good at baseball.

-Huh?!

-Tampa Bay is good at baseball. They’re better than Boston. That’s why I like them.”

Continuing the story to this point, Lee Ye-jin looked at Ji-seop and said very firmly.

“Leo would never have said such a thing normally. He’s not that clueless.”

“What kind of kid is our Leo? On days when his dad doesn’t get a hit, he doesn’t even bring up baseball. He even hides his Tampa Bay sketchbook somewhere, you know?”

“But he said that yesterday… Is it because of the cartoon after all?”

“Of course! Is there any other reason? It’s because he was distracted by the cartoon. That’s why I said the timing was bad. That’s why I said it was my mistake.”

“I understand, I understand. So… what did Jang-ho say at that time?”

At Ji-seop’s question, Lee Ye-jin swept back her falling hair.

“You know Leo’s dad’s personality, President, right? He’s not the kind of person who would stay still after hearing such a thing from his son.”

‘Ah, our Leo likes teams that are good at baseball?’

‘Then Dad will have to show you how good Boston is, right?’

Watching Lee Ye-jin imitate her husband’s voice, Ji-seop burst into laughter inwardly.

‘…He got scratched, Ryu Jang-ho [He got his pride hurt].’

Ji-seop pressed down on his cheekbones.

‘He got completely scratched by a single word.’

At first, he laughed. Ryu Jang-ho, called the best star in Major League Baseball, gets upset and steps up because of a five-year-old’s words.

But on the other hand, he could feel how much the guy cherished his son, that feeling was palpable.

‘That’s right, Ryu Jang-ho… When I first met him, he was the type who didn’t care about other people’s stories?’

‘I’m going my way no matter what others say.’ A my-pace [doing things at one’s own speed] that was notorious throughout KH Cannons, as well as the entire Korean professional baseball league.

That Ryu Jang-ho was now gritting his teeth at his son’s words. He was determined to show a truly amazing game.

It seems like he’s really become a dad now. And that appearance seems admirable. And it seems like quite a lot of time has passed.

“Ah, so that’s how it happened.”

Just as Ji-seop was about to pick up his teacup with a faint smile, Ryu Jang-ho’s wife opened her mouth with a very cautious attitude.

“I don’t know if I should say this… President, would it be okay?”

She glanced at her son, who was engrossed in drawing, then lowered her voice as much as possible and continued.

“If the game continues like this, I’m worried that Leo’s dad might be quite shocked…”

“Ah, that, is that what you mean?”

Ji-seop was looking out the window with a rather embarrassed expression.

The score of 5-0 was displayed on the Fenway Park scoreboard visible through the window.

The Tampa Bay Rays had 5, the Boston Red Sox had 0. But what was even more difficult for Ji-seop was something else.

‘Boston Red Sox… No-hitter until the bottom of the 5th?’

Ji-seop clicked his tongue.

‘Geez, should I laugh or cry… I can’t get a grip.’

* * *

Should he laugh, or should he cry.

The person who gave Ji-seop a complex feeling he had never experienced before that day was Victor Johnson Jr.

The Tampa Bay ace pitcher who was running first in the Major League in wins, ERA [Earned Run Average], and strikeouts this season.

He was already recording a career high, but his pitching that day was more dazzling than ever.

Whoosh- Boom!

Whoosh- Boooom!

The four-seam fastball, reaching a maximum speed of 101 miles per hour, penetrated the deepest part of the strike zone.

The sweeper, boasting the highest pitch value in Major League Baseball, constantly tested the patience of opposing batters.

Here, the curveball, dropping from the 12 o’clock direction to the 6 o’clock direction, went in amazingly well today-

The Boston batters,

It must have been a truly terrible taste.

“Wow, this is driving me crazy? I can’t get a feel for it at all! What kind of ball should I be aiming for?”

At first, they must have been doubtful. Even when the batting order had made one rotation, the Boston players were concerned about the score that had widened to 5-0.

However, as the batting order made two rotations and the game entered the bottom of the 8th inning with the no-hit state continuing, the faces of the Boston players were almost pale.

“Damn it, why is this kind of flow coming out at a home game of all times?”

“If a no-hitter really comes out, it’ll be hard for us to go home safely today, right?”

They are Boston fans who are notorious in Major League Baseball. The Boston batters trembled as they listened to the gradually increasing jeers.

However, one of them seemed to be reminded of their captain’s story.

“Ryu, I’m really sorry.”

It was a player named Franklin Milton, who was in charge of the 2nd batter for Boston.

“Still, I have the highest batting average on our team… I’m really sorry. Your son must be very disappointed right now, right?”

“It’s okay. Why are you worrying about that?”

Ryu Jang-ho was patting his teammate on the shoulder.

“What we need to worry about right now is something else. The battle with the pitcher. The battle with Victor Johnson Jr.!”

At Ryu Jang-ho’s words, the players were gathering around one by one.

“Everyone, let’s focus on the battle with the pitcher. If we focus on each at-bat, another result may come out. There’s no need to be intimidated by the record of a no-hitter. Does everyone understand?”

At Ryu Jang-ho’s words, the players all shouted loudly, ‘Yes, Captain!’

A voice so loud that the dugout was echoing.

But at this moment, Ryu Jang-ho could sense it.

Even at the moment of saying to focus on each at-bat, his teammates were calculating Ryu Jang-ho’s at-bat.

‘If it goes on like this, is it after the 1st out in the 9th inning? Damn it, that’ll be the last chance.’

‘To be honest… the only person who can swing his own swing in this situation is the captain, right?’

Not only the fellow players, but also the coaching staff and the manager.

Feeling that everyone’s eyes were on him – the highest-paid player on the team, the oldest veteran on the team, and the captain of the team – Ryu Jang-ho was slowly gripping his bat.

‘Leo, honestly, Dad thinks it’ll be a little difficult to turn the game around today.’

Feeling the sticky sensation remaining on the bat handle, he turned his gaze towards the ground.

‘But I’ll show you. Baseball that doesn’t give up until the end. Baseball that doesn’t back down until the end.’

He’s going to hit.

He’s going to hit no matter what.

Ryu Jang-ho’s sharp eyes were watching Victor Johnson Jr.’s movements.