A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 215

55. The Legendary Ace (2)

Several days later.

A team leader meeting, presided over by General Manager Seo Chang-gi, was being held at the KH Cannons field.

“Fortunately, public sentiment is stabilizing relatively quickly. I think Shim Sung-joon’s recent performance has had a positive effect.”

“Oh, Sung-joon really did a great job this time? We almost got struck by lightning if it weren’t for him.”

As befitting a meeting where all the core personnel of the Cannons front office were gathered, quite significant issues were being discussed that day.

How to manage the aftermath of the unconventional rookie draft.

How to proceed with the entry contracts of the players who were drafted this time.

How to transport the players to avoid traffic congestion during the upcoming Chuseok holiday [Korean Thanksgiving].

With the regular season championship gradually becoming a reality, what kind of event should be held to boost the atmosphere, and so on.

As the meeting, which lasted about two hours, was nearing its end, General Manager Seo Chang-gi took off his reading glasses and said,

“Team Leader Jung?”

The person General Manager Seo called was Jung Min-sik, the head of the Cannons’ development team.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything else to discuss… How about announcing it soon? Your announcement for today.”

“Ah, yes, General Manager!”

The development team leader, who stood up from his seat, cleared his throat, ‘Ahem, ahem.’

“As the General Manager mentioned just now, there is one matter I would like to convey to you all today.”

The face of Team Leader Jung, as he looked around at his colleagues, was filled with more pride than ever before.

“As has been announced through the company network, my son was drafted by the Jinyang Bucks in this year’s rookie draft.”

As soon as Team Leader Jung finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the conference room.

From here and there, shouts of ‘Congratulations again, Team Leader!’ could be heard loudly.

Team Leader Jung Min-sik, who repeatedly bowed and returned the greetings to his colleagues’ generous congratulations,

continued with a smiling face.

“I believe that my son’s first step into the professional world is all thanks to everyone’s support and concern. So, I would like to treat you all to a simple dinner this Sunday…”

As soon as the words ‘a simple dinner’ came out, another round of applause erupted in the conference room.

“Wow, we have to go to such a gathering! We have to put aside all other work and go!”

“Of course! It’s a pro draft celebration, there’s no way we can miss such an event, right?”

“Hyung [older brother/male colleague], do you know that 1++ grade Korean beef must be served at a pro draft celebration! That’s how you get promoted to the first team in one go?!”

“Aigoo [expression of exasperation or delight], yes! I thought that story would come up, so I’ve already prepared plenty of Korean beef!”

“As expected, our Hyung knows what’s up? Hahaha!”

Usually, the team leaders showed a serious demeanor due to their responsibilities.

However, on this day, they were as boisterous as if they had returned to their rookie days.

That was probably because people working in baseball teams knew best.

How difficult it is to have your child play baseball, and how amazing it is for that child to be drafted into the pros.

“Okay, I’m in a good mood! I’ll prepare champagne as a celebratory drink that day!”

“As expected, our Yoon-jin noona [older sister/female colleague] knows what’s up? Everyone, please give Cha-cha noona a round of applause!”

“Cha-cha! Cha-cha! Cha-cha!”

Someone offered to bring a celebratory drink.

Someone else offered to prepare the second round of drinks.

As the atmosphere among the Cannons team leaders was reaching its peak, the development team leader slyly approached Ji-seop.

“Kim Special Assistant, are you free that day?”

the development team leader asked.

“I’ve always felt bad that I haven’t been able to buy our Kim Special Assistant a drink since you’ve been in Yeosu… I’ll treat you properly this time, okay?”

The development team leader poked Ji-seop in the ribs and even winked, but Ji-seop had a rather troubled expression at this time.

“I’m sorry, Team Leader.”

Ji-seop bowed his head.

“I have a prior engagement that day… I don’t think I’ll be able to attend.”

“You have a prior engagement?”

The development team leader’s eyes widened.

“What kind of appointment is it? Can’t you postpone it or anything?”

“Yes, I received an invitation from the baseball team at my alma mater. They asked if I could meet with the graduating students…”

“G, graduating students?”

Aigoo, this is…

The development team leader ended up with a troubled expression.

“Then you have to go there. Of course, that takes precedence.”

* * *

On this day, Ji-seop had lunch at [Jeonju House] for the first time in a while.

Because Ji-seop’s visit to his alma mater made it difficult for him to attend the company dinner, the development team leader decided to treat him in advance.

“I’ve received a lot of help from Kim Special Assistant, right? Like when Yong-gi was caught by the police last time, and when Jae-yoon went to Japan for treatment…”

The development team leader pushed the plate of boiled beef slices, which had just come out, towards Ji-seop.

As Ji-seop nodded his head, saying ‘Thank you,’ and picked up a warm slice of boiled beef, Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin from the operations team spoke up.

“Still, our Kim Special Assistant has become a true baseball team person, hasn’t he?”

“Hehe, that’s what I’m saying.”

The development team leader also nodded his head.

“I think I received my first contact after being promoted to Deputy Manager… Schools are definitely quick to catch on to these things, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As they said this, the Cannons team leaders looked at Ji-seop with pleased expressions.

Not knowing what they meant, Ji-seop couldn’t help but tilt his head.

“What do you mean by that?”

Ji-seop asked the team leaders.

“Is there… any special meaning to receiving contact from the baseball team at my alma mater?”

“Hmm?”

At Ji-seop’s question, the team leaders exchanged glances with each other.

And not long after, laughter burst out, ‘Puhut.’

“Aigoo, this guy! Of course, there’s meaning! How could there be no meaning?”

“Haha, our Kim Special Assistant… Sometimes he’s so smart it’s scary, but sometimes he can be so naive like this?”

“…Yes?”

It was ‘Black Curtain Cha-cha’ Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin who spoke to Ji-seop with a calm expression, who was blinking his eyes.

“The fact that you received contact from the baseball team at your alma mater means that your name is quite well-known in the amateur baseball world.”

Deputy Manager Cha continued.

“Someone who has considerable influence in our Cannons, someone who can help junior players… The baseball team at your alma mater has judged you to be such a person.”

People in the amateur baseball world, especially those in college baseball, were said to be very thorough in this judgment.

They had to contact a senior who could really be of help, so that they could open up paths for juniors who had not been drafted into the pros.

So, in the professional baseball team front office, contact from the baseball team at one’s alma mater was regarded as a kind of ‘certification mark’.

“That’s why I said ‘you’ve become a true baseball team person’. Kim Special Assistant, you’ve now been certified by your alma mater.”

“Kim Special Assistant! This is a huge deal? There are so many people who have worked in the baseball team for over 10 years and haven’t even received a single text message!”

“I, is that so?”

During his time working at the Cannons, Ji-seop had become quite accustomed to praise.

Now, he was able to nonchalantly retort to most compliments with ‘Of course, who do you think I am!’

But at this moment, he was thinking that it was a bit of an excessive compliment.

‘Well, the team leaders… probably don’t know much about our Kongmoon University.’

It was far from being a ‘baseball powerhouse’.

Even though it had been almost 20 years since its founding, it was a school that had not produced a single player who had been drafted into the pros.

There were some players who had signed development player contracts, but even those players were all released after 1-2 years.

If it weren’t for the chairman of the foundation’s unstoppable love for baseball, the baseball team probably wouldn’t have been operating until now.

‘Of course, there probably aren’t any notable seniors in baseball… Isn’t that why I was contacted?’

As Ji-seop was thinking that and taking a spoonful of hangover soup, he suddenly heard a voice from across the table saying ‘Wait a minute’.

“Wait a minute, Kim Special Assistant.”

It was the head of the scouting team who had spoken.

“If you didn’t know the meaning of receiving contact from your alma mater… you obviously didn’t ‘prepare’ either, did you?”

“Prepare?”

Ji-seop thought he knew everything about the baseball team, but on this day, he kept asking questions.

“Prepare, what do I need to prepare separately? I was just going to pay for the company dinner and come back…”

“Ehei! What are you talking about right now?!”

The head of the scouting team tapped the table with his spoon, ‘Tak’.

“Of course, you have to prepare something to take with you! Right now, Kim Special Assistant, your juniors are eagerly waiting for you to come!”

“That’s right, most of them will be juniors who haven’t been drafted into the pros… You have to make some kind of plan and go.”

Applications for the tryouts of the development players of the 10 teams.

The positions of elementary and middle school baseball team coaches that are vacant.

Job applications from companies that give preference to people with baseball experience.

At the very least, he had to find a few part-time jobs at social baseball lesson centers and take them with him, they explained.

“It’s not just about taking care of your juniors. This is a matter of our team’s reputation, okay?”

The development team leader said.

“Kim Special Assistant, think about it, okay? A senior who works for a professional team has come! And he’s a senior who works right next to the general manager! But if that senior doesn’t bring any gifts… what will the juniors say later?”

“They’ll curse him for being stingy.”

The head of the scouting team chimed in.

“They’ll curse Kim Special Assistant for being stingy, our general manager who has such a Kim Special Assistant by his side for being stingy, and furthermore, the entire KH Cannons for being stingy.”

“Hmm, this won’t do.”

It was at this moment that Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin spoke with a determined expression.

“Senior Jung, shouldn’t we prepare the ‘gifts’ for him instead? I’ll look into the selection schedules for the development players of other teams…”

“Hmm, then I’ll look into the middle school baseball team side. I have some connections there.”

“Ah, then I’ll contact the analysis equipment company! I think they were recruiting interns there!”

It was at this moment that the Cannons team leaders who were at the meal all took out their cell phones.

“Aigoo! Kim Special Assistant, Kim Special Assistant… how can you not know any of this?”

“That’s what I’m saying! How can you be so indifferent as a senior!”

“I told you, no matter how smart he is, he’s still only in his second year! He’s at an age where he needs the help of our team leaders.”

Eigu [another expression of exasperation or delight], tsk tsk.

So much work, so much work.

Be grateful. That you have seniors like us.