A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 189

Chapter 49: Just Ticking All the Boxes (3)

A few days later.

Seo Chang-gi, general manager of the KH Cannons, was having tea with Lee Ja-young, the marketing team leader.

While General Manager Seo often invited team leaders for tea, today’s meeting had a specific purpose.

About an hour earlier, Ji-seop had contacted General Manager Seo to inform him that he had ‘completed the assigned task.’

“I thought it would take a few more days… Haha, this is unexpected.”

Seo Chang-gi said.

Lee Ja-young, sitting across from him, tilted her head slightly.

“Really? I find *your* words surprising, General Manager.”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

“Yes, it’s your catchphrase.”

‘Just leave it to Special Assistant Kim.’

‘You can trust Special Assistant Kim.’

Lee Ja-young smiled, imitating General Manager Seo’s tone.

“You always say you can rest assured with anything Special Assistant Kim handles… Why are you acting surprised today?”

“Ah, well, you see…”

General Manager Seo smacked his lips.

“I met Jang Dae-woo a few days ago, and he told me that Special Assistant Kim Ji-seop was sleeping at his desk.”

“Sleeping?”

“Yes, it seems the marketing book I lent him was quite boring. Judging by how he fell asleep without reading many pages.”

General Manager Seo continued.

“After hearing that, I thought, ‘Ah, it’s going to take quite a while.’ But he finished the job so quickly… I can’t help but think it’s unexpected.”

“Ah, that’s what happened?”

Team Leader Lee nodded slowly.

A strange expression appeared on her face.

“Listening to you, General Manager, I have a rough idea of what kind of idea Special Assistant Kim will bring today.”

“You have an idea?”

“He hasn’t even mastered the basic marketing manual, but he solved the problem quickly? That means he approached it with case studies…”

Lee Ja-young looked up at the ceiling as if trying to recall something.

“LA Angels’ ‘Trout Farm’? Or Nippon Ham Fighters’ ‘Shinjo Seat’? No, if we’re talking about the most famous case in this area…”

New York Yankees’ Judge’s Chambers.

Team Leader Lee snapped her fingers.

“There’s a high probability he’ll suggest benchmarking this.”

“Judge’s Chambers?”

General Manager Seo picked up his teacup.

“What was that again? I think I’ve heard of it before?”

“It’s a special outfield seating area named after New York Yankees’ superstar Aaron Judge.”

Team Leader Lee continued her explanation.

“It’s not a seat you can buy. It’s provided to volunteers, firefighters, or veterans… Aaron Judge sends out invitations.”

“Hmm.”

“When those people enter ‘Judge’s Chambers,’ Aaron Judge goes to them. He signs autographs, gives gifts, and chats with them…”

“It’s a kind of social contribution activity?”

General Manager Seo crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow.

He didn’t say it explicitly, but he meant, ‘It’s not exactly a money-making venture, is it?’

Of course, Lee Ja-young easily caught his meaning.

“Yes, but I’ve heard it’s also quite effective in attracting spectators to the outfield. The seats around ‘Judge’s Chambers’ are almost always sold out.”

There was the appeal of seeing the New York Yankees’ biggest star up close.

In addition, there were the unique cheering performances put on by the people invited by Aaron Judge.

To see this, spectators willingly headed to the outfield seats.

After hearing this, Seo Chang-gi stroked his chin and asked.

“It sounds like a pretty good idea. Why haven’t our Cannons adopted it?”

“Well, as you know, General Manager…”

Lee Ja-young was about to explain why they couldn’t benchmark ‘Judge’s Chambers’ when-

Knock, knock-

Someone knocked on the door from outside the general manager’s office.

“General Manager, it’s Kim Ji-seop.”

It seemed the special advisor to the general manager of the KH Cannons had arrived.

* * *

To get straight to the point,

Team Leader Lee Ja-young’s prediction was correct.

Ji-seop, who visited the general manager’s office that day, had come up with the idea of benchmarking ‘Judge’s Chambers.’

“I’ve heard it’s a marketing strategy that has been quite successful since 2017. I thought it would be worth considering introducing it to our Cannons…”

It was something she had expected from the beginning.

It was content that now seemed a little obvious.

However, a faint smile bloomed on the lips of Lee Ja-young as she listened to Ji-seop’s presentation.

“So, that part is…”

It was because she felt that Ji-seop was doing his best at this moment.

It must have been almost the first time he had dealt with this field, and there must have been many unfamiliar conceptual terms.

The effort he was making to understand and explain it somehow…

That effort was clearly visible to the experienced Lee Ja-young.

‘He fell asleep as soon as he opened the marketing book… But it seems he managed to read it all somehow?’

If Ji-seop had been a new recruit in the marketing team, Team Leader Lee would have praised him.

Considering that Ji-seop was a former player, she would have even applauded him.

However, Ji-seop was someone who carried the full expectations of General Manager Seo Chang-gi.

Remembering this fact, Lee Ja-young put on a stern expression and looked at Ji-seop.

“Okay, that’s enough.”

Team Leader Lee raised her hand.

“So, Ji-seop, your point is this? Referring to the New York Yankees’ case, let’s create something like a ‘Ryu Jang-ho Zone’ in our KH Cannons Field?”

“Yes.”

Team Leader Lee listened to Ji-seop’s answer and turned a page of the report.

“If the New York Yankees invited people who contributed to the local community, we’ll invite youth baseball players from the Gyeonggi Province area?”

“Yes, but I thought we should differentiate ourselves from the existing case to some extent…”

“Okay, that’s all good, but…”

Lee Ja-young sent a sharp look towards Ji-seop.

“Ji-seop, you said earlier that ‘Judge’s Chambers’ has been in operation since 2017.”

“Yes.”

“Then, didn’t you think about this while preparing? Why haven’t our Cannons introduced something that’s been done in the United States for years?”

“Ah.”

Ji-seop blinked.

“I was so focused on finding a good case that I didn’t think about that part.”

“Right?”

‘Yes, as expected. I should point out this part,’ she thought.

Thinking that to herself, Team Leader Lee began to speak in a rather firm voice.

“From now on, make sure to check that kind of thing at least once. Then, the realistic constraints will naturally become visible.”

Team Leader Lee continued.

“To give you the answer in advance, in the case of ‘Judge’s Chambers,’ there have been several attempts, but… they have repeatedly failed because they couldn’t get the cooperation of the players.”

“Ah.”

“It’s surprisingly burdensome for the players – the fact that a seat is created in their name, and inviting spectators to it.”

It’s okay when they’re in good condition, but the problem is when their recent performance isn’t good.

It’s burdensome to stand in front of fans in a depressed mood, and it’s also embarrassing to call people and show them poor performance.

There’s no guarantee that they’ll always be in good condition, so why create trouble for themselves?

The explanation continued that the Cannons version of ‘Judge’s Chambers’ was never realized because they couldn’t ignore the players’ opinions.

“I think it’s understandable that you didn’t know since it’s your first time, but I wish you had asked me or someone from the marketing team. Then, a slightly different conclusion would have come out.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, Team Leader.”

Just as Ji-seop slightly lowered his head, Seo Chang-gi, who was sitting next to him, winked at Team Leader Lee.

It meant that the criticism was enough, and now it was time to give some praise.

Team Leader Lee was also thinking of doing so, so she was about to soften her expression and look at Ji-seop when-

“Um, but Team Leader.”

Ji-seop carefully raised his hand.

“Then, are you saying that it’s difficult to install the ‘Ryu Jang-ho Zone’?”

“Right? There are quite a few realistic difficulties. Why?”

“No, that’s…”

Ji-seop was scratching the back of his head.

And the next moment, Lee Ja-young heard an unbelievable story.

“If it’s the players’ consent… I’ve already obtained it.”

“Yes?”

Team Leader Lee’s eyes widened.

* * *

A time to teach a front office employee who had only done baseball a new field called marketing.

A time to give meaningful advice to an employee who will play an important role in the Cannons in the future.

It was from that moment that the nature of this meeting, which had been planned as such, was completely reversed.

“No, how?”

Team Leader Lee’s voice rose.

“How did you persuade Ryu Jang-ho? Something that our marketing team hasn’t been able to do for years?”

“Even if you ask how…”

Unlike the flustered Team Leader Lee, Ji-seop was just making an embarrassed expression.

“He wasn’t that negative from the first time I brought it up. He just said he was a little embarrassed in front of others.”

“The problem was that we couldn’t get past that ’embarrassment’?”

“Ah, that’s…”

It was already amazing that he had persuaded that stubborn Ryu Jang-ho, but an even more unbelievable story followed.

“When I asked him if he would do it with other players… he said that would be okay.”

“Other players?”

“Yes, Chun Jin-woo, Jang Dae-woo, and Jimmy Morris.”

Ji-seop continued.

“First, we’ll create the ‘Ryu Jang-ho Zone,’ and then gradually install special seats for other players…”

It’s burdensome to do it alone, but the burden is greatly reduced when several people do it together.

The burden of the day’s performance, the burden of having to stand in front of fans.

Ryu Jang-ho, who had been embarrassed at first, nodded, saying that he would be okay with these conditions.

“So, you’ve gotten the consent of not only Ryu Jang-ho but also the other players?”

Seo Chang-gi asked.

Ji-seop nodded lightly.

“Yes, I’ve gotten all the consent… and with the help of Chun Jin-woo, I’m even looking for a youth baseball team to be the first guest of the ‘Ryu Jang-ho Zone.'”

“No, how can you do things so quickly…”

General Manager Seo had a dumbfounded expression.

Ji-seop scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, General Manager. As I was working, the speed suddenly picked up…”

Ji-seop asked, watching their reactions.

“What should I do? If you want to put it on hold, I can do it now…”

“N-No, you can’t put it on hold!”

It was Team Leader Lee Ja-young who cut off Ji-seop’s words.

“What if the players change their minds if you put it on hold? You have to push it forward. If you’re prepared to that extent, you should push it forward. Don’t you think so, General Manager?”

“Yes, the marketing team has been planning this for a long time… There’s no reason to postpone it.”

As soon as General Manager Seo’s permission was given, Ji-seop slowly nodded.

“I understand.”

Ji-seop took out his cell phone from inside his jacket.

“Then, I’ll summarize the progress so far and report it to the marketing team by tomorrow morning. From now on, the working-level staff needs to know about it.”

“Um, do that.”

“I understand. Then, I’ll go down to the dugout for a while. I need to inform the players of the decision…”

“Okay, go ahead.”

“Yes, General Manager.”

Ji-seop bowed to the two superiors, opened the door, and left.

Seo Chang-gi and Team Leader Lee, who were left alone in the general manager’s office, had expressions as if they had gone through a storm.

“Hehe, this is really…”

General Manager Seo seemed to be at a loss for words.

It was amazing that he could break the players’ stubbornness with just a few words.

It was surprising that he was showing a level of drive that was hard to believe for a new employee.

Just a few months ago, he seemed a bit clueless, but now he was doing everything perfectly, which was admirable.

It was Lee Ja-young who summed up Seo Chang-gi’s complicated feelings in one word.

“You’re blessed, General Manager.”

Team Leader Lee said.

“I’ve been with the Cannons for a long time, but I think it’s the first time I’ve seen an employee like that?”

“You’re telling me.”

A silly laugh flowed from the corners of Seo Chang-gi’s mouth.

“I’m blessed. I’m definitely blessed.”