A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 228

58. A Real Man Doesn’t Study (3)

The person chosen as Professor Kevin Fryer’s escort that day was Mr. Kim Young-shik from KH Group.

He started his career as a personal driver for the president of a KH Group partner company and had risen to the position of a department head within KH Group.

A veteran of 24 years, he was known as the ‘icon of trust’ within the group. However, on this day, he received some very specific instructions.

-Mr. Kim, you must pay special attention today.

It was a message from the secretary’s office.

-Professors are usually a bit sensitive, but the person coming today is particularly so.

During his last visit to Korea, he reportedly got out of the car in the middle of the road because he said, ‘The driving is too rough.’

Then, he got lost, and the secretary’s office staff had to search all over Seoul to find him.

-This time, the situation is even worse. The weather in the United States is not good… The professor was stuck at the airport for two full days.

-Oh dear, that’s adding insult to injury.

-Yes, that’s why we’ve assigned Mr. Kim to escort him. Please ensure that he arrives at headquarters without any issues… Please put in some effort, Mr. Kim.

Having received such instructions from the secretary’s office, Kim Young-shik’s tension that day was indescribable.

He drank two bottles of caffeinated beverages to prepare for any possible fatigue and repeatedly checked the route to headquarters two or three times.

“Hello, Professor. I am Kim Young-shik, who will be escorting you today.”

However, as soon as he picked up the professor and departed from Incheon International Airport, Kim Young-shik began to think that today’s mission might be easier than expected.

“Ahahaha!!!”

“Khahaha!!!”

Throughout the journey from Incheon Airport Expressway to Gangnam, laughter constantly erupted from the back seat of the car.

To be able to win over such a notoriously picky VIP to that extent.

‘Kim Ji-sub, was it?’

Kim Young-shik glanced at the baseball team employee reflected in the rearview mirror, tilting his head in confusion.

‘What… what trick did he use?’

* * *

The reason why the smile never left Professor Kevin Fryer’s face.

The KH Group’s secretary’s office might have found it a bit absurd if they knew, but it was because of American-style jokes.

More precisely, jokes that were only common among old fans of the New York Yankees – jokes that had long since expired.

“Hey, Kim! Do you know what the common point is between a rookie gangster and the Red Sox hitters?”

“Of course, I know. It’s that they don’t know how to use a bat, right?”

Bang.

It exploded once like that.

“Professor, one day, the Boston Red Sox won 10-0 against the New York Yankees. What did the Red Sox fan do the next moment?”

“Isn’t that too easy a question? The answer is, turned off the computer! The Red Sox winning against our Yankees to that extent is only possible in a game!”

Bingo!

It exploded once again like that.

“Listen, listen, Kim! I had a friend who came from Boston… Ah, that guy couldn’t access the internet website? You would know why, wouldn’t you?”

“Is it because he couldn’t type WWW? Those Red Sox idiots wouldn’t know ‘the W of victory’!”

Khahaha! Correct, correct!

Professor Kevin Fryer pounded the car seat with his palm and rolled around.

As a Yankees fan who considered the Boston Red Sox as his mortal enemy, it was a perfectly natural reaction.

But in fact, at this time, Ji-sub couldn’t help but think to himself.

‘…Tommy, I’m sorry.’

Ji-sub closed his eyes slightly, thinking of his old colleague who was still working hard for the victory of the Boston Red Sox.

But right then, Professor Fryer, who was clutching his stomach from laughing so much, spoke to him.

“Hey, Kim! That paper bag next to you… What’s all that?”

“Ah, you mean this?”

Ji-sub quickly picked up the paper bag and handed it to Professor Fryer.

“These are our team’s official merchandise. If you don’t mind, I’d like to give them to you as a gift…”

“Ah, team merchandise! That’s not bad. Let me have a look.”

Professor Fryer gladly accepted Ji-sub’s gift.

KH Cannons’ uniform, hat, T-shirt, and ball markers for golfing.

“Hmm, the workmanship isn’t too bad.”

Professor Fryer slowly nodded and examined the team merchandise.

“But… wait a minute, Cannons?”

It was a name he had heard somewhere.

He stroked his thick beard with his fingers and turned to Ji-sub, slapping his knee.

“Cannons… isn’t that the team? Ryu! The center fielder who is entering Major League Baseball through the posting system [a system where a player’s rights are offered to the highest bidding team] this time! That’s the team he belongs to, right?”

“That’s right, Professor.”

“Ah, is that so? I’m sorry. I usually don’t pay much attention to Korean professional baseball.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to.”

As Ji-sub gave a faint smile, Professor Fryer put the ball marker he was holding into the bag with an embarrassed expression.

Then, he brought up a question.

“So, you’re… here at KH Cannons? You work for this baseball team?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Are you in a position to be somewhat involved in Ryu’s Major League advancement?”

“Well, I don’t think it goes that far…”

“Ah, is that so?”

What was he thinking?

It was at this moment that Kevin Fryer suddenly shot a sharp look at Ji-sub.

“Since you’re working in the front office, let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

Ji-sub had a slightly nervous expression.

“If Ryu advances to Major League Baseball through posting, your team will earn about $15 million in revenue.”

“Probably… that’s right.”

According to reports from the United States, the expected contract size for Ryu Jang-ho is currently about $80 million.

There is a separate complex calculation formula, but about 20% of the total contract size is usually paid to the original team.

Therefore, the revenue that the Cannons can currently expect is exactly that amount.

“Then here’s the question.”

Professor Fryer asked.

“Kim, if you were the general manager of KH Cannons… where would you use that $15 million in revenue?”

* * *

About three hours later.

Professor Kevin Fryer, who had arrived at the KH Group headquarters, was face to face with an old friend.

A kind friend who had bought him plenty of meals and drinks since he was a hungry graduate student.

A friend who would fight like they were enemies, but then call a few days later saying, ‘Damn it, let’s get some food.’

The friend who made the incredibly busy Kevin Fryer cross the Pacific quite often was none other than ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.

“So?”

“What?”

“What did that guy say? Why are you stopping in the middle of the story?”

Vice Chairman Park frowned and grumbled, but Kevin Fryer was just being leisurely.

“Hey, let me rest a bit, huh? I crossed the Pacific because of you, you know?”

“You’re sprawled out on the sofa, what more do you need to rest?”

Clink.

Sakhalin Park put down his teacup and glared.

“Tell me. What did he say? FA [Free Agent] player acquisition? Or is it to expand the stadium facilities?”

“Damn it, you’re really pushing me hard.”

The answer that Kevin Fryer gave with a short sigh was this.

“He said he would invest… That was your subordinate’s answer.”

“Invest?”

“Yes, specifically, investing in baseball-related startup companies.”

Professor Fryer continued.

“He said he met a lot of those people while working in the front office. People who develop data analysis equipment, people who create youth baseball development programs, people who are researching sports medicine.”

“Hmm.”

“He said that even if you invest only half of the $15 million in those people, you can expect considerable results.”

Profits from the growth of startup companies.

The new equipment and programs they create.

The story that you can secure all of this with one investment.

Sakhalin Park clicked his tongue after hearing Professor Fryer’s words.

“Isn’t that too naive a prediction?”

It seemed that Sakhalin Park didn’t particularly like the answer.

“Investing in startup companies is like gambling. If it succeeds, you can earn a lot, but you have to see that the possibility of failure is much higher.”

“That’s right, I think so too. But, you know…”

Professor Fryer’s eyes lit up.

“This is the opinion of an employee working for a baseball team, not someone like us who plays with numbers. It’s right to give that part extra credit.”

“Extra credit?”

“Hey, Sakhalin. How many times have I asked similar questions?”

Professor Fryer grinned.

“I’ve asked Major League Baseball team employees, and I’ve asked friends who work in places like the NBA or NFL. But the number of times the word ‘investment’ has come out of their mouths is countable. Most of them end up saying that they will use it as a budget for player acquisition. Besides…”

“Besides what?”

“What your subordinate told me. Investing in baseball-related startup companies.”

Professor Fryer put his hands together.

“That’s actually… a project that some Major League Baseball teams are actually pursuing.”

“Huh.”

Sakhalin Park tapped the armrest of the sofa.

“Then how should we see this? Is that an idea that guy came up with? Or did he know the trends of Major League Baseball and bring it up?”

“Well, does it matter which one it is?”

“It doesn’t matter?”

“That’s right. If it’s an idea that friend came up with, then he has excellent insight, and if it’s a story he heard somewhere, then he has considerable information… Either way, it seems certain that he’s a useful friend.”

Kevin Fryer, who was defending Ji-sub like that.

It was at this moment that he slightly raised the corners of his lips and opened his mouth.

“Sakhalin, shouldn’t we slowly start talking about the main topic of today?”

“The main topic? What main topic?”

“Would you have sent that friend to me without any thought? Not a headquarters employee, but a baseball team employee.”

What do you want.

Professor Fryer asked.

“Is it enough to build a bridge so that your subordinate can work for a Major League Baseball team? Or have him get a degree under me? Ah, that’s right!”

Professor Fryer stroked his beard.

“That friend said he was a former player… We could send him to Major League Baseball as a coach trainee under KH Cannons?”

“Anyway, this friend, you have to acknowledge that he’s impatient? No, how can a person chatter like this before even opening his mouth…”

“Okay, just tell me quickly what you want. Which one is it? Employment, degree, or training?”

And in the next moment, a sly smile appeared on Sakhalin Park’s face.

“All of that.”

“What?”

“Employment, degree, training… I want to ask you for all of that.”

Sakhalin Park continued.

“That friend, Kim Ji-sub… I want to send him to the United States through our KH Group’s academic dispatch program.”