A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 16

New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 16

#New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good Episode 16

Chapter 6: Going to Work at the Baseball Team (1)

KH Cannons Field was quiet.

As baseball fields always are in the dead of winter.

“Ah, it’s cold.”

Jisub blew into his hands and dragged his carrier, ‘clunk, clunk.’

Just as he was about to press the outdoor elevator button as indicated on his acceptance letter, a familiar voice came from behind.

“Coach Kim.”

The voice behind him quickly corrected the title.

“No, wouldn’t it be more natural to call you Mr. Kim Jisub now?”

“Ah, Secretary Yang.”

KH Cannons Field was so quiet it felt eerie that day.

The first person Jisub encountered was Secretary Yang.

“Secretary Yang, you’ve become a baseball team employee while I haven’t seen you.”

Secretary Yang was always dressed in a sharply pressed suit.

But today, he was wearing a thick team jumper.

Secretary Yang shrugged and asked, “Does it suit me?”

Secretary Yang rarely spoke unnecessarily, but now he seemed a little more comfortable with Jisub.

“How is the Vice Chairman doing?”

Jisub first asked about the well-being of Vice Chairman Park Hongju, ‘Sakhalin Park’ [a nickname referring to his business ventures in Sakhalin, Russia].

“He’s doing well.”

Secretary Yang nodded.

“He’s very busy. He seems even more hectic than when he was at KH Global.”

He added that he was currently in the baseball stadium’s CEO office but would be leaving for the airport in the afternoon.

“KH’s first team spring camp is scheduled to be set up in Okinawa, Japan… He’s going to finalize the preparations there. Of course, I’ll be going with him.”

“You’re busy.”

Jisub tilted his head.

“Then you should be preparing to leave… What brings you here?”

“Isn’t it Mr. Kim Jisub’s first day at work?”

Without Jisub realizing it, Secretary Yang’s voice had turned slightly businesslike.

“The Vice Chairman told me not to say anything, but I can’t help but worry.”

“…Ah.”

Jisub got a sense of what Secretary Yang was trying to say.

“You’re trying to give me a warning.”

“Rather than a warning… it’s advice.”

Secretary Yang continued.

“Only the baseball team’s management support team knows that you were hired on the Vice Chairman’s orders.”

It was a bit funny, but Jisub could feel that he had started his company life from the term ‘management support team.’

“I’ve told them to keep it a secret… but it probably won’t last long. Such rumors spread quickly in any group.”

“I suppose so.”

“If anyone asks about the relationship between the Vice Chairman and Mr. Kim Jisub, just say you’ve met a few times.”

“Is there no need to deny it?”

Jisub blinked, and Secretary Yang replied briefly, “Yes.”

“These rumors only get more embellished the more you deny them. If you just say you’ve met a few times, the other person won’t dare to pry further.”

“I see.”

“And one more thing…”

Secretary Yang spoke again.

“When you first enter the company, there will be situations where you have to talk about your past career.”

Jisub had expected that much.

“In my opinion, it would be better to only mention your experiences in the American and Japanese independent leagues.”

“Ah.”

This time, Jisub accurately caught what Secretary Yang was trying to say.

“You’re saying there’s no reason to bring up China and be underestimated.”

“That’s right. The Vice Chairman wants you to get used to the baseball team’s work as smoothly as possible.”

Secretary Yang added.

“That’s… the same for me.”

* * *

After parting ways with Secretary Yang, Jisub took the outdoor elevator to the 3rd floor of the baseball stadium.

It was a little after 10 a.m. when Jisub arrived at ‘Conference Room 1’ as indicated on his acceptance letter.

As Jisub dragged his carrier into the conference room, he felt the eyes of the new recruits who were already waiting focused on him.

‘About ten people, I guess?’

Not long after Jisub found an empty seat and sat down, two people wearing team jumpers like Secretary Yang entered the conference room.

A male employee with a round face and a good build, and a female employee with long dark circles under her eyes, looking tired.

“…”

“…”

While the new recruit trainees watched the two with nervous expressions, the male employee with the good build spoke first.

“Welcome, everyone. I’m Jang Kyungwoo, the section chief of the KH Cannons operations team.”

Following him, the female employee spoke.

“I’m Jo Woohee, the assistant manager of the same operations team.”

Jisub was not familiar with how Korean professional baseball teams worked.

However, he had seen an interesting drama a few years ago, so he roughly knew what the ‘operations team’ did.

‘Player recruitment, contracts, training… I think it’s the department responsible for the overall operation of the baseball team.’

A section chief and an assistant manager from such an operations team.

It felt like the two busiest people in KH Cannons had entered the conference room.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate you on making it to this position through fierce competition.”

Looking at his build, it seemed like he should be out on the field swinging a bat right now, but section chief Jang Kyungwoo was surprisingly eloquent.

“As you all know, there is no large-scale open recruitment in baseball teams. The scale is so small, and there are only three or four positions available in a year…”

Section chief Jang rubbed his hands together as if feeling a little cold and continued.

“In that respect, I think you have seized a good opportunity to enter the baseball team’s front office.”

At the words ‘baseball team front office,’ the eyes of the training assistants became serious.

“Your official contract period is exactly three months. It’s roughly from now until the season opens, right? But that’s not all.”

Section chief Jang smiled.

“For the next three months, you will be working as second-team training assistants. However, depending on your abilities, some of you will be promoted to the first team, and some of you will take on other roles. Most of all…”

Section chief Jang looked around the conference room once.

“A few of you who receive the best evaluations will be selected as KH Cannons’ front office staff at the opening of this season. Ah, right?”

At this timing, section chief Jang turned his gaze to assistant manager Jo Woohee, who was standing next to him.

“Wasn’t assistant manager Jo also a case where you came in as a training assistant during spring camp and then joined the company?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was obvious to anyone that this was a pre-arranged conversation.

However, the eyes of the new recruits, who saw a real-life example of a training assistant becoming a full-time employee, could not help but sparkle with anticipation.

“Well, there’s still some time until lunchtime, so let’s start with a simple self-introduction…”

It was right then that section chief Jang turned his gaze to the list of training assistants on the table.

“Hmm?”

Assistant manager Jo, who was standing next to him, checked her phone and opened her mouth in a hurried voice.

“Section, section chief, this…”

Assistant manager Jo showing her phone screen.

Section chief Jang’s eyes widened.

“Wouldn’t it be better to go now? I’ll take care of things here…”

Assistant manager Jo’s words.

However, section chief Jang shook his head.

“No, Jangho sent a message to assistant manager Jo, right? Then it seems right for assistant manager Jo to go together. Here… it can’t be helped.”

Section chief Jang clicked his tongue.

He looked around the conference room and opened his mouth.

“I was going to spend some time with you all before lunch, but something urgent suddenly came up, so I can’t help it.”

Assistant manager Jo was already starting to pack her bag.

“Please wait here for a while. As soon as the work is done, I will guide you to the lunch venue… Well, then!”

The sight of section chief Jang and assistant manager Jo hurriedly leaving the conference room.

The rumor that the baseball team’s operations team doesn’t even have time to eat seemed to be true.

* * *

“…”

“…”

A situation where the employees in charge of the guidance suddenly left their seats.

The new recruit training assistants who were left alone in the conference room clearly showed signs of embarrassment.

Blinking their eyes, muttering ‘what,’ or taking out their phones with an expression of ‘I knew it.’

Just as an ambiguous and awkward atmosphere was about to settle in the conference room.

A man sitting diagonally in one corner of the conference room suddenly stood up from his seat.

“Maybe… they went because of Jangho’s salary renegotiation.”

When one of the new recruits asked, “Are you talking about player Ryu Jangho?” the man nodded.

“Yes, although it hasn’t been reported in the media… Jangho seems to be having a tug-of-war with the team over his salary renegotiation.”

The new recruits nodded.

But only for a moment, expressions like “Who are you and how do you know that?” appeared among the people.

The man opened his mouth with an expression that seemed to subtly enjoy such reactions.

“I know Jangho a little bit…”

Then he continues.

“Rather than just spacing out like this… shouldn’t we introduce ourselves to each other? We’ll be seeing each other’s faces for at least three months.”

The man didn’t seem to have any intention of waiting for other people’s opinions.

Because he just immediately said, “I’ll start,” and stretched his shoulders.

“Fellow trainees, nice to meet you. My name is Oh Youngjin, and I’m from Namyoung High School.”

From the way he insisted on revealing his high school, Jisub intuitively sensed that this friend ‘Oh Youngjin’ was a former baseball player.

Because baseball players have a habit of mentioning their high school before any other experience.

Sure enough.

“I graduated from Namyoung High School and played as a pitcher at Jinbuk University. Four years ago, I was also drafted in the 8th round, 76th overall, in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] rookie draft.”

Strong confidence was felt on Oh Youngjin’s face as he revealed his draft number.

In the 8th round, it’s hard to say that he received such a high evaluation among players aiming for the pros.

However, among people aiming to join the baseball team’s front office, it is no exaggeration to say that it is an overwhelming spec.

Perhaps Oh Youngjin came forward for a kind of ‘preemptive strike,’ Jisub thought.

“I had to retire early due to injuries I sustained during my school days, but I’m planning to work hard with the baseball team’s front office as my second goal. Please take care of me!”

Oh Youngjin finishes his self-introduction with a booming voice befitting a former player.

His ‘preemptive strike’ seemed to have had some effect.

The training assistants who followed him in the self-introduction definitely looked deflated.

“Hello, my name is Song Joohyun, and my major in college was…”

“Hello, I’m Maeng Seonkyu. I’ve been a long-time fan of the Cannons…”

One by one, people stood up from their seats and introduced themselves.

After most of the new recruits finished their greetings, people’s attention naturally focused on Jisub.