A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 238

60. Under the Protection of the Himalayas (4)

With the end of the playoffs, the KH Cannons entered ‘real battle mode’.

They had exactly four days to prepare as they aimed for their first-ever Korean Series championship.

Exactly four days, no more, no less.

And these four days became the busiest and most hectic time for Ji-seop since he joined the baseball team.

“Hmm, Kwon Jung-min had such a weakness? Heh, this is interesting.”

The first thing that happened after the playoffs was a strategy meeting between the scouting team and the coaching staff.

A time to reveal all the information that had been kept secret under the manager’s orders and to decide on a plan to attack the opponent based on this information.

The scouting team’s efforts were not in vain, and the coaching staff nodded repeatedly, offering their opinions.

“He catches horizontally breaking balls by putting his right knee on the ground… So, this habit appears when there’s a runner in scoring position?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Coach Jang! What’s your opinion, Coach Jang? If one knee is on the ground… how much longer would the pop time be?”

“Assuming the throw is made normally, it would take at least 0.3 seconds longer. If the body’s center of gravity is leaning to one side, it becomes difficult to throw the ball to second or third base.”

“0.3 seconds plus? Then we might be able to try stealing third base?”

From around lunchtime the next day, briefings were conducted for the players.

Of course, the briefing with the entire team gathered together lasted less than 10 minutes.

It was mostly Manager Arthur Freeman giving ‘words of encouragement’ with a microphone.

The remaining time was largely divided into pitcher and hitter groups, and more specifically, starting pitchers, relief pitchers, infielders, and outfielders for briefing sessions.

Ji-seop and Go Chang-deok were considered ‘aces’ in this area, so they were in charge of more players than other staff members.

“Alright, Seon-woo. Let’s try again. How do you read the base running coach’s signals?”

“Um, so… hand on the belt means the sign starts, hat brim is steal, chest is waiting, ear is cancel sign! Right?”

“No, no! Chest is steal, and ear is waiting! Hat brim is the hit-and-run sign.”

“C-Chest is steal, and ear, ear is…”

“…Chang-deok, shouldn’t we just give Seon-woo the green light [allow him to run without signals]? He can’t memorize the signs, but he reads breaking ball timing like a ghost, right?”

“Damn, would that be better? Coach, what’s your opinion, Coach?”

“Yeah, I think Kim Special Agent is right. This guy is going to mess up the signs during the game.”

“Really? Then I don’t have to memorize the signs?!”

“…Look at that guy, grinning because he’s happy.”

After the briefing, training continued on the field.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwaaaack!

It was now quite chilly at KH Cannons Field.

The sound of the hitters’ powerful swings echoed through the field, which felt deserted without the fans.

Whoosh- Pow!

Whoosh- Pow!

Whoosh- Powwww!

In the indoor bullpen, pitchers continued their practice pitching under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff.

Until this point, reporters were allowed to roam freely.

“Kim Special Agent, I think it’s about time?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Whenever the strategic training for the Korean Series was about to begin, Ji-seop and the PR team staff would start their ‘interference’ with the reporters.

“Ah, Kim Special Agent! About today’s and yesterday’s training… it feels like the focus is on base running plays?”

“Ah, is that so? Well, the hitters’ batting sense is so good that there’s no need to take batting practice for too long.”

“Hey, really? Aren’t you planning something special?”

“Oh, reporter! These are two teams that have faced each other 16 times during the regular season. We know everything about each other… What kind of strategy are you talking about now?”

Ji-seop subtly diverted the reporters’ attention to another direction.

“Rather… who was the reporter who requested an exclusive interview with Ryu Jang-ho last time? I think we should keep that promise before the posting [allowing a player to be signed by a foreign league] starts…”

“M-Me, Ji-seop!”

“An exclusive interview with Ryu Jang-ho? Hey, Ji-seop! What about us? What about us?!”

Besides that, there was preparing for Media Day, checking the away accommodations, distributing tickets for the players’ families, and so on.

Every day felt so hectic that Ji-seop was grateful that the league office decided on the ceremonial first pitch thrower for the Korean Series.

Thanks to the storm of work, it wasn’t until 7 p.m. three days later that Ji-seop could afford a moment to enjoy a cup of coffee from the vending machine.

“Ughhhhh.”

Ji-seop had the stamina of steel, but at this moment, he felt like his soul was draining out of his body.

He even looked at the PR team and marketing team staff, who were still glued to their phones, with respect.

Just as he was about to turn his attention to the checklist he had posted next to the monitor, feeling like this was the ‘real last final’ task.

Knock, knock. He heard a knock on the office door, and a familiar face popped in.

“Are you mostly done?”

It was General Manager Seo Chang-gi who entered Ji-seop’s office.

He had apparently just returned from KH Group headquarters with Sahalin Park.

“I heard there was a bit of a commotion at Media Day… How did that get resolved?”

“Ah, you mean Morris?”

Jimmy Morris, who had participated in Media Day as a player representative of the Cannons along with Ryu Jang-ho.

The PR team had repeatedly told him to ‘be humble’ and ‘not provoke the opponent,’ but his attention-seeking nature was apparently unavoidable.

When asked what he had been doing since the end of the regular season, he suddenly replied like this.

-There wasn’t anything special… Oh, right, I went to eat gizzard shad [a type of fish popular in the fall] ? Yeah, gizzard shad with my colleagues a few days ago.

I think PR Team Manager Kwon Dae-woong’s face must have turned cold from this point on.

-Raw fish? Sashimi? Anyway, I didn’t really want to eat it raw, so I ate it grilled… Ah, it was very tasty! Delicious!

-Did you know, reporters? Gizzard shad should be chewed from the head, crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch!

Jimmy Morris grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth.

-I want to crunch, crunch on gizzard shad if I see it at this Korean Series! Hahaha!

A comment that anyone could hear was provoking ‘Autumn Gizzard Shad’ Kwon Jung-min.

It might be okay in the United States, but this would be a problem in Korea.

Thanks to this, the Cannons’ PR team had to call the Knights and apologize profusely, saying, ‘We’re sorry,’ ‘There was no special meaning,’ for quite a while.

“Fortunately, thanks to the Knights’ PR team leader’s generosity… we were able to contain the situation before it got out of hand.”

“You’ve been through a lot while I was away.”

General Manager Seo smiled gently.

“But don’t nag Morris too much. Originally, the postseason is supposed to be fun with provocations like this.”

“Yes, I can’t do that anyway. He’s going to be the starting pitcher tomorrow, who would dare to nag him?”

“Ah, is that how it is again?”

General Manager Seo, who was grimacing as he looked at the ‘Tomorrow’s Starting Pitcher’ item written on the board, turned to Ji-seop and spoke again.

“Kim Special Agent, are you going home now?”

“Yes, I think I can handle the rest tomorrow morning.”

Up to this point, it was a question and answer that they usually had, but the flow changed subtly from the next moment.

“That hundred-year-old Himalayan Hovenia dulcis [a medicinal plant known for its liver-protecting properties] that the acting owner gave you last time… is there any left?”

“Hovenia dulcis? Yes, there’s still some left…”

“Really? Then, Kim Special Agent…”

And what followed was something Ji-seop had never heard since he was appointed as the general manager’s special agent.

“Shall we have just one drink and go home?”

“Just one drink…?”

Ji-seop couldn’t help but blink.

“General Manager, you can’t drink, can you?”

* * *

The two people who had worked together as the Cannons’ general manager and special agent this season.

The place where these two sat facing each other with a glass of alcohol for the first time was a makeshift table at a convenience store right in front of the baseball stadium.

“A- 아니, General Manager.”

When General Manager Seo came out with a bottle of soju [Korean distilled rice liquor], disposable soju cups, and grilled butter squid, Ji-seop really said with a cold sweat.

“Don’t do that, let’s go to Jeonju House over there. Shouldn’t we at least drink there?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. We’re just trying to get in the mood, what.”

General Manager Seo beckoned Ji-seop.

“You need to go and rest soon too… Let’s just have one drink here! Let’s just have one drink each and break up. 응? [a Korean expression seeking agreement or confirmation, similar to ‘right?’ or ‘okay?’]”

“No, well, I’m okay…”

General Manager Seo usually couldn’t even put a drink to his lips properly.

So this season, if there was a need to drink, Ji-seop had to follow almost 100%.

What wind had blown on the man who would even shudder at the thought of alcohol today.

It didn’t take long for Ji-seop to know the reason.

“It’s not for any other reason. I just suddenly wanted to have a drink with Kim Special Agent today.”

Gurgle, gurgle.

General Manager Seo said while filling the disposable soju glass.

“Looking back, it was something that was hard to even dream of until a few years ago. That our Cannons would have good results, that we would play fall baseball [participate in the postseason playoffs].”

“…….”

“But in just three years, we achieved first place in the regular season, and now we have the Korean Series in front of us… When I came back with the acting owner earlier, I even thought, ‘Is this a dream?'”

General Manager Seo had been working as a member of KH Cannons for almost 20 years.

Most of that time, the Cannons had been floundering at the bottom, so it seemed that General Manager Seo’s feelings were very new.

General Manager Seo, who seemed to want to capture the scenery of the day in his eyes, stared blankly at the KH Cannons Field across the crosswalk.

He said to Ji-seop.

“Kim Special Agent, thank you.”

“Yes?”

Ji-seop, who was filling General Manager Seo’s glass, had an embarrassed expression.

“Oh, why are you doing this again? Suddenly thanking me.”

“No, this is sincere.”

General Manager Seo said firmly.

“Kim Special Agent’s role was big in getting our Cannons this far. It’s okay to say it was decisive. Starting with pulling Jang-ho out of his slump, the trade of Cheon Jin-woo, and the business agreement with the Boston Red Sox.”

General Manager Seo mentioned one by one the things Ji-seop had done.

Honestly, I thought, ‘I’ve done quite a lot,’ but what surprised Ji-seop at this time was this.

“No, how do you remember all those details?”

Do you have to have that much memory to be a professional baseball team general manager?

When Ji-seop was inwardly admiring, General Manager Seo said, ‘Stop, stop,’ while raising his glass.

“Hey, it’s not that I have a good memory. The things you’ve done were that important.”

“…….”

“I’m already worried. After you leave for America next year, I wonder if I can handle all those things alone.”

“Oh, what are you talking about?”

Since the decision to go to the United States, Ji-seop had occasionally thought about it.

Of course, I didn’t have thoughts like, ‘What will happen to the Cannons without me.’

Because the Cannons had General Manager Seo, Manager Freeman, good staff, and players.

What Ji-seop was thinking in his heart was that he had to say goodbye to those good people for a while.

When the fact that he had forgotten for a while due to his busy work came to his mind, Ji-seop said with strength to erase the feeling of depression.

“General Manager, why are you saying that?”

“Hmm?”

“No, isn’t that right? The Korean Series is tomorrow! The game that can be said to be the highlight of this season is about to begin… Why are you already wearing a gloomy expression as if everything is over?”

Now is the time to expect.

Expectations for the upcoming victory.

When Ji-seop asked with a sly expression, ‘Isn’t that right?’, General Manager Seo Chang-gi also laughed heartily.

“When I hear it, is that so? It’s not the timing to talk about you leaving or anything yet?”

“Of course! We’ve just finished preparing. Let’s have a cheerful toast!”

When Ji-seop raised his glass, General Manager Seo Chang-gi also raised his glass high.

“How would you like to do the toast?”

“Ah, a toast! We have to do a toast.”

General Manager Seo raised his eyes to the sky and then turned back to Ji-seop.

“I have a few things in mind, but since it’s the day before the Korean Series, I wonder if this would be good.”

And the following words.

“The regular season! The postseason! Even the Korean Series! All of our Cannons…”

“Let’s eat it all!!!”

Clink.

After clinking glasses vigorously, the two people drank soju coolly.

With this, all the work of the Cannons front office was over, and all that remained was the performance of the players.

It was the time when the Cannons’ first-ever Korean Series game was exactly 22 hours away.