A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 14

5. Let’s Work Together (2)

The person who called Ji-seop was none other than ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.

As always, Vice Chairman Park’s message was short and concise.

-Let’s have a meal. This Sunday.

It was as if he didn’t care about Ji-seop’s schedule.

-I’ll send a car to your place. Be ready and come out by 7 AM.

Ji-seop considered declining with, ‘I have a prior engagement,’ but the impatient Sakhalin Park didn’t even give him a chance, hanging up with a ‘click.’

“……Damn it.”

He didn’t have any other plans, so on Sunday morning, Ji-seop went down to the apartment entrance and waited for the car sent by Vice Chairman Park.

‘Where does he plan to have lunch that he’s making me come out at 7 AM?’

He grumbled inwardly, checking his phone several times.

In the distance, a familiar car pulled into the apartment complex.

“Coach Kim, how have you been?”

“Ah, Secretary Yang?”

He expected only a driver, but it was Secretary Yang who came to pick up Ji-seop.

It was the first time he had seen Secretary Yang since the KH Group’s company baseball tournament.

Ji-seop got into the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and greeted Secretary Yang.

“How have you been?”

“Haha, well, you know…….”

Secretary Yang wore his usual gentle smile.

As he skillfully drove out of the apartment complex, Ji-seop asked what he was curious about.

“So…… where are we going today?”

Secretary Yang usually kept his mouth shut like a clam, but Ji-seop thought he might answer this question.

“Judging by the direction, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to downtown Seoul…….”

“Yes.”

Secretary Yang nodded.

The answer that followed was a bit unexpected.

“We’re going to Yeongsan.”

“Yeongsan? Yeongsan in Gyeonggi Province?”

“Yes, to be exact, we’re heading to the KH Cannons Field.”

Secretary Yang continued.

“The Vice Chairman has been appointed as the CEO and acting owner of the KH Cannons [a professional baseball team owned by KH Group].”

* * *

That was the first time Ji-seop had heard it.

The story that Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju would be in charge of the baseball team.

“Then, will he be stepping down from his position as CEO of KH Global?”

“Yes, that’s right. Although the official announcement hasn’t been made yet…….”

Secretary Yang glanced at Ji-seop.

It was as if he was asking, ‘Don’t you remember what happened at the company baseball tournament?’

Ji-seop quietly nodded.

‘Sakhalin Park to the baseball team…….’

Ji-seop was slightly troubled.

Should I congratulate Sakhalin Park today, or should I offer him condolences?

‘Considering the atmosphere at the company baseball tournament, I should probably congratulate him…….’

The problem was that the destination was the baseball team.

Ji-seop didn’t know much about the inner workings of large corporations, but he had heard stories from his seniors and juniors who had gone pro [become professional athletes].

According to them, the baseball team was one of the least important positions within a large corporation.

It was like a ‘waiting room for exile’ where executives with no more connections visited before leaving the company.

‘If I think about it that way, should I offer words of comfort?’

While heading down to Yeongsan in Gyeonggi Province, Ji-seop was pondering with a rather serious expression-

“…….”

To put it bluntly, Ji-seop’s worries were unnecessary.

“Are you guys out of your minds?!”

After driving for a full two hours, they arrived at the KH Cannons Field.

As soon as he stood in front of the door marked [CEO’s Office] with Secretary Yang, he heard a roar as if someone had swallowed a train’s firebox [a very loud and intense roar].

“What is the baseball team’s manager, a revolving door?! The guy who did it once is doing it again, and the guy who was kicked out is sitting there as a candidate again!”

Comfort seemed completely unnecessary, and congratulations didn’t seem like they would be heard in such a situation.

“Go and pick someone new right now! If you bring me a list like this next time, then you and I will both be going into the West Sea together, got it?!!”

Thump, thump.

People who appeared to be high-ranking officials of the baseball team ran out of the CEO’s office as if fleeing,

“These guys, daring to play tricks in front of someone like me…… um?”

Through the crack in the open door, Sakhalin Park’s face, puffing like an angry bull, could be seen.

“Hey, Tsingtao [Ji-seop’s nickname]! You’re here?”

He had been wearing a face that looked like he would end someone’s life just a moment ago, but as soon as he saw Ji-seop, Sakhalin Park grinned.

“What are you doing there? Come in, come in!”

Looking at Sakhalin Park waving his hand at him, Ji-seop couldn’t help but smile wryly inside.

‘During the company baseball tournament, he was saying things like he was old, finished, and just making whining noises…….’

It seemed Ji-seop had been worrying about the most unnecessary thing in the world.

* * *

“Everything happened just as you said.”

Inside the KH Cannons’ CEO office.

After gulping down a cup of iced Americano brought by the secretary, Sakhalin Park’s first words were.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember? You said it during the company baseball tournament. That you didn’t hit a hit, but there were some achievements.”

Thump.

Sakhalin put down the plastic cup and crunched on the ice.

“And Chairman Joo Young-eun was impressed by my performance and said he might give me something new to do.”

“Ah.”

Ji-seop looked like he remembered.

“It really turned out that way.”

“Words have power. Words have power.”

Sakhalin Park wore a dissatisfied expression.

“Damn it, if I had just stayed still, I could have gone to Yeongsan High School as the chairman and lived a leisurely life fishing…….”

Sakhalin Park grumbled.

“Because you said unnecessary things, huh? What is this I’m doing now? I can’t even rest on Sundays and have to come to the company…… Oh, my fate.”

Why is he acting like this, so out of character?

Ji-seop chuckled.

“You seem to be enjoying it quite a bit for someone who’s complaining so much.”

“Enjoying it? Me?”

“If it’s so hard, you could just entrust the team management to the general manager or the coach, couldn’t you? I’ve heard that some people do that.”

“Hmph, could I ever do that.”

Sakhalin Park got up from his seat.

“Soon, my name will be on here.”

He pointed to the team’s history chart on one wall of the CEO’s office.

“It’s my name that’s going to be on here, not something else…… how can I do it half-heartedly? Even if I get cursed out by every bastard, I have to grit my teeth and do it right.”

Even as he said that, his eyes were on the ‘KH Cannons Inauguration Ceremony’ photo next to it.

Ji-seop didn’t miss that his gaze was directed at Chairman Joo Tae-san, who was smiling brightly in the center of the photo.

And then, he heard a word.

“I’m planning to make them win the championship within three years.”

“Yes?!”

A sudden declaration.

Ji-seop tilted his head.

“Win the championship? You mean the KH Cannons?”

“Would it be another team?”

Sakhalin Park’s eyes were sharp.

“I’m getting old, and I can’t drag this out any longer. I’m planning to put KH at the top of the Korean Series [the championship series in Korean professional baseball] within exactly three years, and then retire without any regrets.”

“Three years…….”

What was KH’s ranking this year?

I don’t think they even made it to the playoffs?

While Ji-seop was thinking that, Sakhalin Park’s vision declaration was reaching its climax.

“I’ve already made all the plans. What to do this season, what to do next season, and how to do it the season after that…… the problem is people.”

People.

Sakhalin Park emphasized again.

“This damn team is short on people. It’s short on smart guys, it’s short on guys who work hard…… but most of all, it’s short on guys who can share my vision.”

“…….”

“So, what I’m saying is,”

Sakhalin Park looked at Ji-seop.

“Hey, Tsingtao.”

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

“You need to come to the baseball team.”

* * *

Sakhalin Park’s love call.

Ji-seop blinked.

“To the baseball team?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“What do you mean?”

Ji-seop scratched his chin with his finger.

“It’s true that I worked as Vice Chairman’s personal coach…… but I can’t take on the role of general manager or coach with just that much experience, can I?”

“What?!”

Sakhalin Park had a dumbfounded expression.

“You airhead, when did I ever say I was going to put you in the position of general manager or coach? How can I put someone who’s never been drafted professionally and who’s been playing in the Chinese league until recently in such a position? Do I want to ruin a perfectly good team?!”

“No, then why…….”

Ji-seop stared intently at Sakhalin Park’s eyes.

But soon, he scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.

“I’m sorry, Vice Chairman. I guess I must have misheard.”

“You’re so bland…….”

Well, anyway.

Sakhalin Park cleared his throat and continued.

“The roles of the general manager and coach are important, but the role of the front office, who take care of the players right next to them, is also important…… that’s what I think.”

Ji-seop quietly nodded.

Because it was the right thing to say.

“The announcement will probably go up next week. We’re going to be selecting people to help the players at next year’s spring camp.”

“You mean training assistants?”

“You know it well.”

Sakhalin Park smiled.

“These days, the hurdles are so high that even players who have been drafted professionally and graduates from prestigious universities are getting rejected……. I’ll give you a hint so that you can pass.”

If you just submit the application, you’re guaranteed to pass.

A parachute entry that I’ve only heard about.

“You weren’t planning to stay in social baseball lessons forever, were you? If you’ve been playing baseball for that long, you must have the desire to come to the pros and fulfill your unfulfilled dreams.”

“…….”

“Take this opportunity to come to the pros and fully unleash your abilities.”

Sakhalin Park’s voice grew louder.

“Don’t worry about what others think. If necessary, talk back to your superiors! If there are players who can’t come to their senses, scold them!”

You’re good at that.

Sakhalin Park laughed heartily.

“As long as it doesn’t turn into a fistfight, I’ll take care of most things…… or rather, Secretary Yang will take care of it.”

“Secretary Yang?”

Ji-seop looked at Secretary Yang, who was sitting across from him.

“Is Secretary Yang also joining the baseball team?”

“This friend is getting old, where else would he go now? He’s going to be with me until the end.”

Sakhalin Park patted Secretary Yang on the shoulder.

His gaze turned to Ji-seop.

“You’re going to fulfill your unfulfilled dreams on the baseball team, and I’m going to achieve my last goal on the baseball team.”

“…….”

“I think this is a pretty good deal for each other, what do you think?”

“…….”

Ji-seop was silent for a while.

He stared intently at Sakhalin Park’s eyes with his mouth firmly closed.

Sakhalin Park, who had become awkward for no reason because of that gaze, was about to say, ‘Hey, why are you looking at people like that?’

“I understand, Vice Chairman.”

Ji-seop opened his mouth.

“I will…… join the baseball team.”