A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 117

32. A New Beginning (1)

Several days later.

The Korean Series winning team was decided.

SH Knights, who had won the 통합 [pronounced Tonghap, meaning integrated] championship last season, won again for the second year in a row.

The series record was 4-0. From the challenger UB Guardians’ perspective, the series ended without them even having a chance to try anything.

Wow!!!

There were many stories about SH Knights’ second consecutive championship.

Some analyzed that the ace who returned from the Major League played his part, and others said that the manager’s tactics shone at important moments.

There was also an explanation that the challenger UB Guardians’ complete exhaustion of their stamina in the playoff against the KH Cannons was decisive.

However, there was another figure who was most often mentioned among general fans.

-Let’s be honest, isn’t it because of Ma Kang-sik?

UB Guardians’ left-handed setup man [a relief pitcher who typically enters the game in the seventh or eighth inning].

That very person, Ma Kang-sik, who tormented Ryu Jang-ho so terribly in the playoffs.

-If Ma Kang-sik hadn’t been hit with home runs every time he came out, we wouldn’t have been crushed like this.

-I’m telling you! How can someone with a human face give up three home runs in three games?

-The Guardians should check Ma Kang-sik’s bank account first! Didn’t he get his salary from the Knights this year? How else could this happen!!!

Release Ma Kang-sik.

Trade Ma Kang-sik.

Send Ma Kang-sik to the minor leagues and make him run drills until he comes to his senses.

At that very moment, the UB Guardians fans’ anger was overflowing on internet communities.

“Hahahaha, that left-handed pitcher from the Guardians… he must be having a really hard time right now, right?”

KH Cannons’ ace, Jimmy Morris, sat across from Ji-seop and burst into laughter.

“Doesn’t this mean Ryu Jang-ho really did something big? He completely broke the momentum of a Guardians pitcher who was doing so well.”

“Well, you could see it that way, but…”

Ji-seop gave a bitter smile.

“Jimmy, aren’t you enjoying this too much? You shouldn’t be like that as someone in the same industry.”

“What does it matter? It’s not like that guy is in front of me right now!”

Jimmy Morris crossed his arms and snorted.

“I didn’t like that guy from the start. The way he strutted out of the bullpen, his strangely unique pitching form… Well, it would be a little different if he were on our side.”

Anyway.

Jimmy Morris clapped his hands.

“I’m glad I postponed my departure for a few days. I was able to watch that obnoxious UB Guardians get crushed live.”

“What time does boarding start?”

At Ji-seop’s question, Jimmy Morris took out his ticket and checked the time.

“7:45 PM… Hmm, it’s about time to go in.”

He smiled at Ji-seop.

“Hey, Ji-seop! You’ll at least come with me to the departure gate, right?”

“That’s why I came along.”

Ji-seop put his empty coffee cup on the tray and continued.

“Lead the way. Let’s move.”

* * *

That day, Ji-seop was at Incheon International Airport.

It was to see Jimmy Morris off as he returned to the United States.

In fact, it wasn’t necessary for Ji-seop, who was in charge of Manager Arthur Freeman, to take care of Jimmy Morris’s return home.

However, he felt a little sad to send off a foreign pitcher whom he had lived with through various events during the season at the baseball field.

Of course, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the intention of subtly asking this question as a Cannons club employee.

“What are you thinking of doing next year?”

On the way from the cafe to the departure hall.

Ji-seop asked Jimmy Morris.

“Are you going to… come back to the Cannons?”

He was asking in a light tone, but the meaning behind it was quite heavy.

Would Jimmy Morris protect the Cannons’ mound next year as well?

That was taking up a very large part of the KH Cannons’ power plan for the next season.

‘He was a self-proclaimed ace, after all.’

If he was just a pitcher who moderately rotated, he wouldn’t have these concerns.

However, Jimmy Morris had the most wins, the most strikeouts, and, above all, the most innings pitched in the team this season.

Rumors were already circulating that not only Japanese professional teams but also American Major League teams were keeping an eye on him.

Since the Cannons couldn’t compete head-on with foreign teams in terms of financial power, they had no choice but to rely on Jimmy Morris’s intentions.

“Well…”

Jimmy Morris seemed to be contemplating Ji-seop’s question for a moment.

He opened his mouth with a much more serious expression than Ji-seop had expected.

“You know, Ji-seop.”

“Hmm?”

“If other employees had asked me that question… I would have just smiled and said, ‘Of course, I’ll be back.'”

Honestly, that’s easier.

No matter what happens to the job later.

Jimmy Morris gave a faint smile.

“But since I consider you a good friend I made in Korea… I don’t want to give you such lip service.”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course. If it weren’t for you, I would have been kicked out at the beginning of this season.”

The memory of the spring camp seemed to remain vividly in Jimmy Morris’s mind.

The days when he couldn’t get his act together after a close colleague left his side and was just wasting time with internet broadcasts.

Jimmy Morris, who seemed to be briefly recalling those memories, continued with a firm expression.

“Ji-seop, you know what? I’m thinking of exactly 500,000 dollars.”

“500,000 dollars? What do you mean?”

“Next year, I’ll be thirty-four… That’s not a young age, right? It’s an age to think about retirement, and it’s an age to earn as much as possible before retiring.”

So, it’s 500,000 dollars.

Jimmy Morris looked at Ji-seop.

“If the salary difference between a Major League team and the KH Cannons is less than 500,000 dollars, I will choose the Cannons without hesitation. I promise you.”

“What if the difference exceeds 500,000 dollars?”

“Hey, then I have to go back to the Major League! Wouldn’t you do the same?”

“That’s too much. The value of my friendship with you is only 500,000 dollars…”

“Ah, okay, okay… I’ll give you a little more! 550,000 dollars! Is 550,000 dollars enough?”

“Hehe, that’s good enough.”

He was grumbling as if he was upset, saying, ‘That’s too much,’ but in fact, Ji-seop was grateful to Jimmy Morris.

500,000 dollars was a huge sum of money, well over 600 million Korean won [approximately $450,000 USD].

He was saying that he would ‘discount’ that much money for the Cannons, so how could he not be grateful?

‘Hehe, I guess you should always treat foreign players well…’

While Ji-seop was thinking that, Jimmy Morris opened his mouth, saying, ‘Hey, Ji-seop.’

“Changing the subject a little… Do you have any thoughts of coming to the United States?”

“The United States?”

Ji-seop tilted his head.

“Why… to the United States?”

“Why else? I don’t think it’s impossible for someone like you to work for a Major League team.”

Jimmy Morris’s expression was serious.

“You speak English, and you have experience playing as a player, although it was in an independent league… I think you would be recognized enough.”

“Is that so?”

“Why don’t you come to the United States this winter? The Major League Winter Meetings are scheduled to be held not far from my house.”

The Major League Winter Meetings.

The largest baseball event in the United States, where team officials, agents, trainers, and baseball equipment company officials gather in one place.

Jimmy Morris confidently said that ‘coming there will broaden your horizons.’

“Really. It’ll cost a bit for round-trip airfare… but once you come to the United States, I’ll cover the accommodation and transportation.”

Think about it, my friend.

With those words, Jimmy Morris walked towards the departure hall.

* * *

Participate in the Winter Meetings.

Your perspective on baseball will change.

The KH Cannons’ ace left this advice, but in fact, Ji-seop couldn’t have much interest in the Winter Meetings.

No, he did have curiosity for a brief moment.

He couldn’t help but be interested in the fact that all the big shots in the American baseball scene would be gathering.

However, after searching for the approximate expenses online, he sighed and gave up the idea.

Moreover, Ji-seop had a very tight schedule even after the season ended.

One of them was this.

The ‘end-of-season party’ hosted by Cannons’ veteran second baseman Ahn Young-chan.

“Oh, Ji-seop! This way, this way!”

In fact, if one or two players gathered and went somewhere to hang out, the club wouldn’t really interfere.

However, the ‘end-of-season party’ hosted by Ahn Young-chan was quite large in scale.

Since it was an event where about 10 Cannons players gathered in one place, the club had no choice but to send one employee along.

“Ji-seop, you don’t have to be so nervous! It’s called an end-of-season party, but… it’s just about booking a place and having fun for one night and two days.”

“That’s right, it’s essentially no different from a college MT [Membership Training, a common Korean term for a group retreat], right?”

“Well, we’re the kind of people who have never been to an MT, though…”

Saying that, the players pulled their carts ‘clunk clunk’ into the large mart [Korean term for supermarket].

Until then, Ji-seop was walking without much thought, but it didn’t take long for cold sweat to run down his cheeks.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], shouldn’t we get the meat first?”

“That’s right! Meat is the most important!”

“Sir, please mix the pork belly and pork shoulder appropriately… Let’s start with 80 servings?”

“80 servings?”

Ji-seop was surprised and asked back, but Ahn Young-chan seemed to have interpreted that line a little differently.

“Ah, right. I forgot. Ji-seop, you were a player too, right? Then… it should be about 100 servings?”

“…”

Of course, Ji-seop wasn’t the type to eat little during his active days, but the amount of food that professional players ate far exceeded Ji-seop’s common sense.

He wondered if people who ate this much could succeed in the pros, and he wondered if they were ‘restraining’ themselves to some extent during the season.

Just the meat to grill filled one cart, and another cart was filled with vegetables, alcohol, and snacks to eat with it.

The players, who were about to finish clearing out one corner of the large mart’s food section, slowly walked towards the checkout counter.

Ji-seop couldn’t help but ask.

“Everything’s fine, but… how are we going to pay for this?”

At Ji-seop’s question, the players gave a sinister smile.

“Hyung, you should be prepared.”

“…Prepared?”

“You know it too, right? Our players… are dead serious about competitiveness.”

They said that they wouldn’t just raise the money for the food expenses to be used for one night and two days.

“We’re going to gamble. We’re going to gamble and… the loser pays.”

“All of this?”

Ji-seop blinked.

“Am I included in that gamble?”

“Of course! We might make an exception if you weren’t a player… but anyway, you were a player, right?”

‘They only talk about being a player at times like this,’ Ji-seop thought to himself, grumbling inwardly and asked again.

“So… what’s the game?”

“We used to do it with League of Legends or StarCraft… but the place we’re going to this time doesn’t have computers? So we decided on a slightly different game.”

“A different game?”

“Poker.”

Ahn Young-chan answered.

“I heard that Major League players play poker every time they travel? So we’re going to try it too.”

He patted Ji-seop on the shoulder and continued.

“Ji-seop, do you know how to play poker? If you don’t know how, I’ll teach you.”

“Ah, poker?”

Ji-seop smirked.

Strangely,

I’m not worried at all.