A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 218

55. The Legendary Ace (5)

The KH Cannons’ magic number scoreboard.

It was the next morning when Jisub reported on this strange object.

“The president said he didn’t know exactly how he acquired it.”

In the team manager’s office at KH Cannons Field.

Jisub was relaying the story he heard from his Gongmundae [a university in Seoul] senior to Team Manager Seo Chang-ki.

“He said he found it by chance while cleaning the warehouse last month… The company doesn’t have any contracts from before 2000, so they couldn’t figure out what happened.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Team Manager Seo Chang-ki stroked his chin as he looked at the photo Jisub handed him.

He asked Jisub.

“Does it even work?”

“Well, I didn’t check that part… He said the storage condition wasn’t bad for something that had been stuck in a warehouse for so long.”

Jisub continued.

“He said the structure itself isn’t that complicated, so I think it might be possible to use it with a little work.”

“Really? Is that so?”

Team Manager Seo Chang-ki nodded slowly and stood up.

A satisfied smile was already spreading across his face.

“Special Assistant Kim.”

“Yes.”

“Were you a swallow in your past life? You know… like the swallow that brought the gourd seed to Heungbu’s house [a Korean folktale about a kind brother who is rewarded with riches by a swallow]?”

Team Manager Seo tilted his head to one side, saying, “No, that’s not it.”

“I never healed your leg… Hmm, then should I call you something like Santa Claus?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”

“This thing.”

Team Manager Seo tapped the tablet PC screen on his desk.

“This… I think it’s the scoreboard we commissioned back in 1996, when our Cannons were doing really well.”

1996 was the year KH Cannons advanced to the postseason for the first time since its founding.

They were in first place until the end of the regular season but slipped at the last minute and finished third.

It seemed that the ‘magic number scoreboard’ that was made at that time had been rediscovered today.

“I was quite worried. It definitely exists on paper, but no matter how much I searched the warehouse, I couldn’t find the real thing.”

Team Manager Seo made a strange expression.

“To find something that was giving people such a hard time like this. Haha, Special Assistant Kim is saving me again this time! Huh? Special Assistant Kim saved me!”

“No, Team Manager. Why are you going so far…”

Jisub tilted his head, wondering why he was so happy.

But the next moment, Jisub could guess why Team Manager Seo was so happy.

Team Manager Seo took out his cell phone and started making a call, and the following words came out of his mouth.

“Vice President, this is Seo Chang-ki!”

Even though the person he was talking to wasn’t in front of him, Team Manager Seo bowed deeply.

“The magic number scoreboard that you mentioned… I found it! Yes, it’s currently stored in a warehouse of an advertising company in Gwangmyeong City.”

And after a few words were exchanged, Team Manager Seo took out a pen and started taking notes.

“Yes, I’ll take care of that by the end of today. Yes, yes… Ah, you’re asking about the person who found the scoreboard?”

Scribble.

It was at this moment that Team Manager Seo’s gaze shifted to Jisub.

“He’s the ace employee of our Cannons front office, Vice President.”

Yes, that’s right!

He nodded his head coolly.

“Special Assistant Kim, this friend of mine, now he’s even doing things he wasn’t told to do, hahaha!”

* * *

The next day, in the morning.

Two 5-ton crane trucks had entered near the central entrance of KH Cannons Field.

“Slowly! Lift it slowly!”

“Hey, the balance is off! Right! Lift the right side a little more!!!”

BEEP- BEEP- BEEP-

Along with the signal sound coming from the crane truck, a large scoreboard was slowly rising.

It was the ‘magic number scoreboard’ that Cannons had produced during the 1996 season.

“Ah, honestly, I’m a little nervous.”

Ko Chang-deok of the power analysis team said, watching the scoreboard slowly find its place.

“Don’t they not make things like that these days? If we get all excited with the magic number talk and then fail to win the championship… Ugh, it won’t be easy to handle the aftermath then, will it?”

Ko Chang-deok didn’t like the magic number scoreboard very much.

Deputy Manager Kwon Dae-woong of the public relations team seemed to have similar thoughts.

“The reporters were saying the same thing. They asked if it was okay. They asked if they could write an article about it.”

Kwon Dae-woong took a sip of his iced coffee and continued.

“I heard the story behind that scoreboard isn’t very beautiful either? What was it? They said that Cannons started losing streak as soon as it was completed?”

Because of that losing streak, they said goodbye to their first regular season championship and Korean Series championship.

It was added that the reason why the magic number scoreboard was stuck in the manufacturer’s warehouse might be because of that.

“Wait a minute, then that’s… almost like a cursed object, isn’t it?”

Ko Chang-deok turned his gaze to Jisub.

“Jisub, shouldn’t you step up and say something? Tell the team manager. Let’s not install that scoreboard… even now.”

In Ko Chang-deok’s mind, that scoreboard had already become a ‘cursed object’.

Jisub raised one eyebrow and slowly opened his mouth.

“It’s the late Chairman Joo Tae-san.”

“Huh?”

“He’s the one who ordered the installation of that magic number scoreboard during the 1996 season.”

Jisub continued.

“There were a lot of opposing opinions back then, just like now… The deceased chairman was quite stubborn.”

The atmosphere in Yeongsan City is gloomy these days. There are many accidents and incidents, and the economic situation is not good.

At times like this, I hope KH Cannons can create a festive atmosphere in Yeongsan City.

Let’s make a magic number scoreboard so that all the citizens passing by the baseball stadium can see it.

This way, every time Cannons wins a game, all the citizens of Yeongsan can enjoy talking about it.

“You two know, don’t you? Our acting club owner… is a close friend of the deceased Chairman Joo.”

Jisub continued with a calm expression.

“He wants to do what he couldn’t do back then this time… I can’t say anything from the side.”

“Wh-what… that’s what it was?!”

Difficult expressions appeared on the faces of Ko Chang-deok and Deputy Manager Kwon Dae-woong.

They were talking about ‘cursed objects’ and stuff, but they heard an unexpected story.

“…”

The two, who had been hesitating for a while and looking at each other, soon raised their thumbs.

“Th-that’s right! The important thing is the will to win, isn’t it? If you worry about the eyes of other teams, things won’t work out!”

That was Ko Chang-deok’s words.

“Y-yes, that’s right! The magic number scoreboard seems to be a good example of showing our Cannons’ determination to win!”

That was Deputy Manager Kwon Dae-woong’s words.

“Hehe, both of you…”

Jisub’s answer to this was as follows.

“Both of you are changing your attitude really quickly, aren’t you?”

“…Hey, what am I supposed to say here?”

“If I make a mistake, I’ll become a completely bad person, right now.”

Jisub was quietly smiling as he watched the two people pouting and complaining.

* * *

One of the things Jisub learned while working for the baseball team.

That was that the fans’ information power far exceeded the range expected by the front office.

Such things had happened often in the past, but this was even more so when the magic number scoreboard was installed.

-At this point, can’t we just say that being excited is the team color of the Pojangs [slang for KH Cannons]?ㅋㅋㅋ
Just before the game started that day, the following post was uploaded to an online baseball community.

-That scoreboard that was installed today, I heard it’s the one that they couldn’t install because they got hit with a losing streak?

-헐ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is that real?

-Originally, they made it all happy thinking they would win the championship, but they got hit with a losing streak and just left it in the baseball stadium warehouse-Anyway, you have to know the Pojang bastards’ excitementㅋㅋㅋ-It’s one thing for the fans to be excited, but how can the Pojangs have the club be excited?

-Someone go tell the Cannons team manager. Excitement is a sinㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Although there were some subtly different facts, Jisub couldn’t help but be surprised.

It’s a story that hasn’t even been reported in the news, but how do they know and post like this.

Anyway, as the fans of other teams were screaming, the Cannons fans also showed some signs of wavering.

-Can’t we just be quiet? Why are they installing something like a magic number scoreboard?

-If we lose today, won’t we get ripped apart again? Who’s our starting pitcher today?

-Ma Kang-sik.

-Ah, Kang-sik’s condition doesn’t seem very good these days… Is he okay today?!

Thus, the Cannons fans couldn’t hide their anxious hearts
-To put it bluntly, Cannons was ‘okay’ that day.

Whoosh- Pow!

Whoosh- Paaang!

Player Ma Kang-sik, who had caused concern among fans due to the increased number of runs allowed in recent games.

He started for Cannons that day and made up for his previous slump by recording 4 hits, 2 runs, and 8 strikeouts in 6 innings.

Clang!

Claaang!

Supporting the starting pitcher Ma Kang-sik were the Cannons’ fielders.

They had a slight tendency to falter when they met Future Kings, but they did their part in the game that day.

Batter Ryu Jang-ho, batting third, had 3 hits and 1 home run, batter Lee Soo-bin, batting fourth, had 2 hits and 3 RBIs, and batter Cheon Jin-woo, batting fifth, had 4 on-base appearances.

The one who dealt a decisive blow to the Future Kings pitchers, who were barely holding on, was this person.

Claaaang!

It was KH Cannons’ veteran, player Ahn Young-chan.

He came on as a pinch hitter in the top of the 8th inning with the score at 6-3 and hit the opponent’s first pitch over the fence for a three-run home run.

-Three-run!!!!

-ㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅ!!!

-Young-chan hyung [older brother/male friend]!!!

-Wow, Young-chan hyung’s cost-effectiveness is crazy! He only swung once and took 3 RBIs with him?!

-How many pinch-hit home runs does Ahn Young-chan have already? Is he really setting a record this year?!

-What’s wrong with Young-chan hyung? Why is he doing so well these days?!!

The fans, who were anxious before the game, were jumping for joy, wondering where their anxiety had gone.

It was around the time when the bottom of the 9th inning was in full swing that Jisub, who was quietly looking through the comments in the team manager’s office, received a message.

“Team Manager.”

After checking the message, Jisub stood up and approached Team Manager Seo Chang-ki.

“The Incheon game just ended. The score is 11-4, SH Knights’ victory.”

“Ah, really? I heard the Guardians were going all-out today… It seems it didn’t help much?”

And after a moment of silence in the team manager’s office of KH Cannons.

With a slightly trembling voice, and a slightly excited voice.

It was at this moment that Team Manager Seo turned to Jisub and gave an order.

“Okay, contact the facilities team.”

“I understand, Team Manager.”

Jisub, who received the team manager’s instructions, immediately picked up his cell phone and called the head of the facilities team.

“Ah, Head Ryu? Yes, yes, this is Kim Jisub.”

And the following words.