A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 151

Baseball Team Newbie Is Too Good – Episode 151

40. Time-Limited Game (1)

It was around the second week of the Florida Spring Training camp.

That’s when Ji-seop suggested an exhibition game with the Boston Red Sox to Director Seo Chang-gi.

-An exhibition game? With Boston?

When Director Seo first heard Ji-seop’s proposal, he narrowed his brow slightly.

-No, is it really necessary to go that far? Isn’t the exhibition game schedule already set?

Director Seo turned his gaze to the whiteboard on one side of the office.

-There are quite a few games with domestic teams… Considering the games with American college baseball teams, wouldn’t it be a pretty tight schedule?

Of course, it wasn’t just about the schedule.

-More than anything, Major League teams are stingy with exhibition games. What’s so great about the Major League, they don’t even allow exhibition games with Minor League teams… Would they even listen to our proposal?

-Still, if they allow it, I’d like to pursue it.

Ji-seop had his own reasons.

-I know it’s not an easy task, but it’s hard to ignore the players’ requests.

-Players’ requests? No, are those guys pestering you? Asking you to arrange a game against the Boston players?

-No, there haven’t been any requests to actually set up a game yet, but…

There were plenty of other requests.

Some players wanted to observe the training of Major League players while they were in the United States.

If that was difficult, some asked if it would be okay to have a meal with them.

If even that was difficult, some said they would be happy just to meet them briefly and take a picture together.

-It seems that the players have developed some expectations since the business partnership with Boston was announced.

-Is that just ‘some’? Soon they’ll be asking us to arrange a fan meeting with the Boston players?

-Hehe, what can we do? It’s the Major League. Everyone probably started playing baseball dreaming of that stage…

The story continued that if they were going to interact with Major League players, the best thing would be an exhibition game.

Director Seo Chang-gi, who initially showed reluctance, soon began to nod slowly.

-We’ve already received so much support from Boston that it feels a bit embarrassing… But if the players want it that much, we can’t help it. We’ll just have to put on a thick face and push for it.

It was Director Seo’s decision.

-Okay, let’s do it. Whether it’s the Boston’s director or the manager… Let’s win over everyone we can.

* * *

It was exactly ten days later that Ji-seop secured the exhibition game with the Boston Red Sox.

-Thank you, thank you so much!

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

This time, even Ji-seop’s former colleague, Tommy Damon, couldn’t easily step in.

If it was administrative work, the front office could step in, but the decision to proceed with an exhibition game was entirely up to the field staff.

Ji-seop and Director Seo Chang-gi had to visit the Boston Red Sox’s manager and coaching staff one by one and get their permission.

They offered gifts, became drinking partners until the other party was satisfied, and even pretended to shed tears when nothing else worked.

Around the time rumors started circulating within the Boston organization that ‘those Cannon’s people are really persistent,’ they barely managed to get the result.

-Special Assistant Kim, you’ve worked hard. Is your stomach okay? I made you drink all that alcohol by yourself…

-I’m fine. I was more surprised by your acting skills, Director. How could you shed tears like that?

-Ah, that? Actually, before going to meet the Boston manager, I watched a lot of sad movies…

Anyway, that’s how they achieved the result.

An exhibition game with the prestigious Major League team, the Boston Red Sox.

Naturally, the Cannon’s players were as happy as children receiving Christmas presents, and other team front offices reacted with ‘unbelievable.’

Baseball fans, regardless of their cheering team, expressed anticipation, saying it was a ‘must-see game,’ and the [Cannon’s TV] people were excited about the opportunity to increase their subscriber count-

-Wait a minute, Mr. Baker!

One day, a few days before the exhibition game, Ji-seop received unexpected news from the Boston side.

-Did I hear you correctly? Mr. Baker, what happened to the exhibition game?

-I’m sorry. I really have nothing to say to KH Cannon’s. Our director and manager have also expressed their deep regret. But…

The voice coming from the phone was filled with considerable embarrassment.

-Due to unavoidable circumstances, we will have to put a time limit on the exhibition game with Cannon’s.

Exactly 2 hours.

A 2-hour time-limited game.

That was the notification from the Boston Red Sox.

* * *

-No, these people! Aren’t they going too far?!

About 30 minutes after receiving the call from Boston.

The Cannon’s coaching staff, gathered in the manager’s office, were all bursting with anger.

-How much did those guys harass the director and our Special Assistant Kim? Telling them to come here, go there, making their lives miserable for almost ten days… What? A time-limited game?!

-Coach, if we’re going to be precise, I was the one being harassed, but…

Ji-seop, who was among the coaches, said as if trying to appease them, but the pitching coach didn’t seem to hear a word.

-This is a disregard for our Cannon’s! A time-limited game, are we some kind of amateur baseball team? Are we renting a field to play baseball?!

-Coach Nam, please lower your voice a little…

Director Seo Chang-gi, who calmed down the pitching coach, turned his gaze to Ji-seop.

-Special Assistant Kim, please explain in detail. What happened? Why is Boston making such an absurd proposal?

-Well, the staff member who contacted us directly didn’t give any particular explanation, but…

Ji-seop took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

-According to what I found out separately from that team’s staff, it didn’t seem to be the decision of Boston’s director or manager.

-Not the director or manager? Then who made such an absurd decision?

-The Boston players.

Ji-seop continued.

-To be exact, it seems to be the veteran players of the Boston Red Sox. Some players, including the team’s captain, Eric McConnell, reportedly made a request to the team.

-E, Eric McConnell?!

Some of the coaches who were familiar with the Major League situation widened their eyes.

-Isn’t McConnell a veteran who has over 2,000 hits in his career? No, why would such a guy have any ill feelings towards our Cannon’s…

-It didn’t seem to be an action taken with any particular feelings. It seems they just judged it as an event that wouldn’t be very helpful in strengthening the team’s power.

Ji-seop didn’t mention it on purpose, considering the coaches’ feelings, but the expression he heard was much more extreme.

‘They said it was a waste of time? Having an exhibition game with a Korean team.’

Korea’s baseball league is a place where players who can’t even make a name for themselves in the Major League are treated as aces [top players].

They used to be quite good, but in recent years, they haven’t achieved any significant results in international competitions.

What can we gain by playing against players from such a country? We cannot follow Boss’s decision.

Recalling the story that Eric McConnell poured out to the Boston manager, Ji-seop opened his mouth again.

-Initially, they demanded that the game itself be canceled, but the Boston manager stopped them and barely reached a compromise.

-Ah, that compromise is a time-limited game? We’ll only play against our Cannon’s for exactly 2 hours?

-Yes, they reportedly agreed on the condition that they would resume training immediately afterward.

-Hmph, so that’s what happened…

With Director Seo Chang-gi muttering with a bitter smile as the last, silence fell in the manager’s office.

The situation briefing was over. What happened inside the Boston team was roughly understood.

Now, the Cannon’s coaching staff had to make a decision.

Whether to accept the Boston Red Sox’s proposal or not.

-…

The Cannon’s coaching staff seemed to be deep in thought for a while.

Ji-seop expected that opinions would be divided, but surprisingly, the coaches spoke with one voice.

-Manager, I don’t think we should accept Boston’s proposal.

It was the opinion of the oldest pitching coach.

-No matter how I think about it, this is not the case! What professional team in the world would accept a time-limited game?

-I think so too, Manager.

The defense coach stepped forward.

-First of all, two hours is too short. Even if our players try to learn something, there isn’t enough time. Besides…

The defense coach continued, looking around.

-Listening to the story, it seems unlikely that Boston will send out their starting players. Then, at best, it will be backup members, and in the worst case, spring training invitees or rookies from the minor leagues will face us… Then what meaning would this game have?

Other coaches began to express similar opinions to these two.

Some said there was no reason to have a game with Boston, and some said they should arrange a new game with an American college team right now.

Ji-seop, who didn’t have a little regret, was judging that it would be difficult to go against the trend, but at that very moment.

-Hmm, is that everyone’s position…

Manager Arthur Freeman, who had been silent with his mouth shut until now.

The final decision-maker in this matter slowly raised his head.

-I have heard your opinions well. I agree with most of them. But…

After giving Mr. Hong Dae-jong enough time to translate his words, Manager Arthur Freeman continued.

-If you ask me my opinion, my answer is ‘nevertheless.’

-N, nevertheless?

-Manager, are you saying…

As the coaching staff asked with wide eyes, Manager Arthur Freeman nodded lightly.