A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 137

The Newbie in the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 137

The Newbie in the Baseball Team is Too Good 137

36. Only Good at Baseball (1)

Spring Camp Opening D-10.

The KH Cannons players were gathered at the second-string stadium located in Yeosu City, South Jeolla Province.

“Wow, you’re totally ripped now! I couldn’t get ahold of you for a while… Were you just pumping iron all winter?”

“Hehe, of course! I’m planning to spend the whole season in Yeongsan this year. Yeosu stadium? I’m tired of it now.”

“You little punk, you’ve got some fire in your eyes? I can’t take you lightly, huh? Hahaha.”

The tail end of the long off-season.

The players, meeting their teammates after a long time, were gathered in groups, sharing stories they had missed.

Occasionally, laughter would erupt, and they would playfully throw hats or gloves at each other.

However, even while laughing and enjoying themselves, a hint of tension was visible on the players’ faces.

“……”

“……”

There was a good reason for that.

A physical fitness test for the KH Cannons players was scheduled for that day at the Yeosu second-string stadium.

“It’s a relief that the weather is warm, but… I wonder if I can pass today’s test?”

“We have to pass. If we don’t, we can forget about joining the first-string camp in Florida.”

A test to check how the players had been building their bodies during the winter.

In fact, this was being evaluated as a very unusual event both inside and outside the club.

In the past, it was an annual event for each club, but recently, it has become common to leave it to the players’ discretion.

Considering that the head of the KH Cannons is Arthur Freeman, who spent most of his career in the United States, it was even more unusual.

However, in reality, this physical fitness test was due to the strong request of that very Arthur Freeman.

-Please inform the players. We will conduct a physical fitness test ten days before the departure for spring training.

-I also value the autonomy of the players, but I am concerned that there were many dropouts during last season’s spring camp.

-In the upcoming season, our Cannons will challenge for the Korean Series championship. I will do my best to prepare, so I hope the players will come with the right mindset.

With the manager so determined, the front office couldn’t just move carelessly.

While the players were preparing for the test with tense expressions, the Cannons’ front office staff were also moving busily.

Some staff were handing out hot packs and neck warmers to the players, while others were flattening the running track.

Everyone was busy going back and forth, and Ji-seop was also carrying out his assigned role with a serious expression.

“You understand what I’m saying, right? Don’t just run recklessly. 4km [2.49 miles] is a surprisingly long distance, so pace management is really important.”

“Don’t speed up just because your friends are running fast next to you. Keep your pace until the end. And take care of your knees.”

The mission given to the KH Cannons’ special advisor to the general manager that day was to manage and advise players at high risk of failing.

And the player selected as Ji-seop’s ‘special management target’ that day was-

“Got it, Soo-bin?”

The slugging prospect,

Lee Soo-bin.

* * *

“Everyone, are you warmed up enough? As we announced in advance, we will run ten laps around the 400m [approximately 1/4 mile] track!”

“We’ll go in order of jersey number! We’ll start five people at a time, so please come out as soon as we call your name!”

As the physical fitness test began according to the front office staff’s instructions, Ji-seop finished his role and headed to the auxiliary stadium’s spectator seats.

As Ji-seop appeared on the second floor of the spectator seats, General Manager Seo Chang-gi, who had been waiting in advance, waved his hand, saying, ‘You’re here?’

“Special Advisor Kim, you’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Have this first, it’s cold. But the sun is good today, so it’s still warm.”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi handed Ji-seop a bottle of warm citron tea as he approached, huddling up.

As Ji-seop ‘glugged’ down the citron tea he received, General Manager Seo narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

“How does Lee Soo-bin look? If he doesn’t pass today’s test, it’ll be difficult in many ways.”

“Fortunately, there were no problems in the InBody measurement [body composition analysis]. His body fat came out below the standard.”

Ji-seop closed the lid of the citron tea he had finished drinking and continued.

“However, I can’t say for sure whether he can pass the 4km run. The manager has set the passing standard quite high…”

“Hey, but shouldn’t it be a standard that most players can pass? Seriously, I have to worry about these kids’ weight at my age…”

Lee Soo-bin. 20 years old. Third baseman.

Last season, he was the slugging prospect who gave ‘true education’ to Jimmy Morris, who was puffed up after achieving a no-hitter, no-run game [a baseball game in which a team does not allow the other team to score any runs or get any hits during the entire game].

Afterwards, he established himself as the Cannons’ starting third baseman, recording 12 home runs and enjoying the honor of finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting last season.

With the tremendous strength inherited from his father, a former wrestler, and the contact and fielding skills honed through constant effort.

He had enough qualities to become the Cannons’ superstar, following in the footsteps of Ryu Jang-ho, but there was one drawback.

‘That kid… eats too much.’

That’s right.

He ate way too much.

Originally, athletes tend to eat more than the average person, but even considering that, Lee Soo-bin’s appetite was above average.

He ate before the game, he ate during the game, and after the game… of course, he ate again.

As a result, he gained weight rapidly, to the point where people were worried about whether he could pass the physical fitness test.

“It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

Ji-seop bowed his head.

“I thought he was a diligent guy, so he would manage his weight well… I think my management was lacking.”

“Hey, what are you talking about? Even if three trainers stuck to him, they couldn’t control that guy’s appetite.”

Seo Chang-gi gave a bitter laugh.

“Don’t try to change the players too much at once. Not all players can be like Ryu Jang-ho in the first place. Lee Soo-bin can be managed little by little from now on…”

Seo Chang-gi was trying to appease Ji-seop with kind words.

While they were talking about how to manage that gluttonous monster in the future, Seo Chang-gi suddenly widened his eyes.

“Sp, Special Advisor Kim! Just now! The guy who just passed the finish line… is that Lee Soo-bin? Is that Lee Soo-bin?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Ji-seop’s expression, answering with a nod, was brightening slightly.

The KH Cannons’ slugging prospect, looking like a chubby baby pig, was raising both fists and cheering.

“Haha, that kid… he passed, didn’t he? Huh? It looks like he can safely go to Florida?”

‘Now I can face the manager.’

Seo Chang-gi, stroking his chest and laughing ‘Heo-heo’ [onomatopoeia for a relieved laugh].

Ji-seop was also inwardly sighing in relief, when suddenly, one of the staff members came running up from the ground.

“General Manager, the physical fitness test has just finished. Here are the results.”

“Oh, great, great! You’ve worked hard.”

Even while saying that, Seo Chang-gi didn’t bother to check the test results.

He seemed to think that there was nothing to worry about since the Cannons’ ‘baby pig’ had safely passed the finish line.

As Seo Chang-gi slumped down in his seat with a ‘Hoo’ [onomatopoeia for a sigh], Ji-seop took the test results from the operations team staff instead-

“……Hmm?”

His thick eyebrows twitched once immediately after that.

“Um… General Manager.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Special Advisor Kim?”

Seo Chang-gi asked, tilting his head, but Ji-seop couldn’t answer right away.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing with his own eyes, even while looking at the test results in his hand.

“There’s… one failure.”

“What?!”

Seo Chang-gi jumped up like a spring.

“Wh, a failure! Who is it? Who’s the idiot who couldn’t pass the test that even Lee Soo-bin passed?!”

“Th, that is…”

Ji-seop barely managed to open his mouth.

“It’s Ryu Jang-ho.”

“What?!”

“Jang-ho… didn’t meet the standard set by the manager.”

* * *

The KH Cannons’ best hitter.

The very player who is likely to advance to the Major League after this season.

National team outfielder Ryu Jang-ho was the only player who failed the physical fitness test that day.

“Heo, what a mess…”

It wasn’t a close call either.

It was a full minute.

He crossed the finish line a full minute later than the ‘passing standard’ set by Arthur Freeman.

Everyone else passed, but the team’s biggest star was the only one who didn’t.

After the test was over, it was perhaps natural that Seo Chang-gi called Ryu Jang-ho in.

“Ryu Jang-ho, let’s hear what you have to say first.”

What happened?

What on earth happened?

Seo Chang-gi was trying hard not to get angry in front of the player.

“Were you not in good condition today? Did you catch a cold or something?”

“No, it’s not that.”

The KH Cannons’ best hitter answered, lowering his gaze.

“I don’t know what happened either. I’m sure I was running at the pace I had set in advance…”

“You don’t know what happened?”

It was the Cannons’ head coach who reacted instead of Seo Chang-gi.

“Hey, you airhead! Is that what you’re going to say to the general manager right now? Huh?!”

“Heo-heo, Coach Choi!”

Seo Chang-gi hurriedly stopped him, but the head coach couldn’t calm down easily.

“You’re a national team player! Huh? You know how many players in this team are training, looking only at you… How could you do this? Are you in your right mind?!”

“Coach Choi, please restrain yourself!”

“Aish, General Manager! You have to scold them sternly at times like this! You can’t just blindly protect the kids!”

The head coach was literally jumping up and down, but Seo Chang-gi still maintained his usual composure.

“I’m not protecting the players, I’m trying to come up with a solution.”

“……”

“Didn’t you say that the manager was very angry? That he was angrier than ever before.”

“Yes, he was just… furious.”
The head coach’s momentum subsided slightly.

“He said that players who don’t take care of themselves properly don’t deserve to be in the Cannons… Heo, that was the first time I saw him so angry.”

“That’s right.”

Seo Chang-gi continued.

“The manager has already done the scolding, so I’m trying to think about what to do next. We can’t just leave Ryu Jang-ho in the second string, can we?”

“Well, th, that’s true, but…”

The head coach clicked his tongue.

“Jang-ho is keeping his mouth shut and not telling us the reason… I’m frustrated too.”

“Ryu Jang-ho.”

Seo Chang-gi, who had calmed down the head coach, turned his gaze to Ryu Jang-ho.

“Is that all you have to say to me? There’s no other special reason?”

“……”

Ryu Jang-ho remained silent, as if he had locked his mouth.

“Heo.”

“This is…”

The people gathered in the room could only sigh deeply with frustrated expressions.

However, only one person, Ji-seop, was looking at Ryu Jang-ho with a calm expression.

“……”

To be exact, the expression ‘calm’ might not be appropriate.

A hint of suspicion had already appeared on Ji-seop’s face as he looked into Ryu Jang-ho’s eyes.

‘…3 months ago?’

Ji-seop was quietly retracing Ryu Jang-ho’s inner thoughts that he had heard in his ear.

‘What happened to that guy… 3 months ago?’