A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 275

69. The Boss Is Watching (1)

Brian Spon.

General Manager of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Jisub had known that name as long as he had been in the industry.

‘Well, he’s kind of a big deal in the industry…….’

He was known as the first person Jeffrey Taylor brought in after acquiring the Tampa Bay Rays.

He took over as general manager before he was thirty and has been in charge of the team’s management for over 20 years without a single demotion.

He was a truly amazing person, but the problem was that there were so many ‘geniuses’ in Major League Baseball.

A genius who shattered a century-long curse. A genius who rose to general manager in just four years after joining as an intern. A genius whose outstanding performance was even made into a movie.

Compared to those flamboyant people, Brian Spon’s impression was a bit faint, so Jisub hadn’t paid much attention to him.

-You went into the Future Strategy Planning Department? Good job. You thought very well.

When he called Professor Kevin Pryor of Port Myers University, the professor said this.

-I heard it’s almost a call center now, but it used to be the department that led the innovation of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Concentrated training of utility players, or the ‘opener’ tactic of assigning starting roles to bullpen pitchers.

The stories of how the Tampa Bay Rays once surprised Major League Baseball all came from the Future Strategy Planning Department.

Of course, the name that came to Jisub’s mind at this time was this.

‘Benjamin Oznovich.’

John Llama’s longtime friend, and now the new general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.

‘John Llama keeps praising that friend whenever he gets a chance, so he must be no ordinary person.’

At this time, Jisub had high expectations for Benjamin Oznovich.

A man who successfully led the Future Strategy Planning Department and rose to the top of the team based on his merits.

Since John Llama said he would arrange a meeting with him, wouldn’t everything become clear if he met him and listened to his advice?

Yes, that was definitely the plan.

-Benjamin Oznovich……. It would have been a great help to you if that friend had stayed, but there’s not much to worry about. Brian is still in Tampa Bay, now and always.

-Brian?

-Yes, Brian Spon. The general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The professor’s next words grabbed Jisub’s attention.

-I don’t know if you’ve heard the rumors, but the most famous person in the Tampa Bay front office is Benjamin Oznovich. Young, smart, and efficient……. Especially when he was in the Future Strategy Planning Department, his reputation was great. He successfully completed several major projects.

So far, Jisub knew the story.

-But the ideas for those great projects came from Brian Spon. Brian mainly came up with the ideas, and Benjamin was in charge of executing them.

-Is that…… really?

Jisub tilted his head.

-I’ve heard a lot about Benjamin, but I’ve hardly heard anything about the president…….

-Well, that’s probably true. He’s not the type to enjoy self-promotion. Well, he’s been the general manager since his first day in the industry, so he doesn’t need to worry about self-promotion.

He was like a shadow.

He would quietly appear, say a word, and then quietly disappear again.

Thanks to this, he had never received much attention in the industry, but Professor Kevin Pryor seemed to think highly of him.

-He’s been full of brilliant ideas since he was young.

Professor Pryor said.

-Although he’s been a little quiet since Benjamin left Tampa Bay……. If he finds the right person to put his ideas into action, he’ll never be silent like he is now.

Do you know what I mean?

It was the moment when the direction Jisub, and the Future Strategy Planning Department, would take became clear.

* * *

In order for the Future Strategy Planning Department to regain its former glory, the general manager’s excellent ideas are needed.

In order to get those amazing ideas, it is necessary to improve the reputation of the Future Strategy Planning Department first.

From the very moment this ‘roadmap’ was created, Jisub began to move diligently with John Llama.

“Okay, the season opening commemorative uniforms are out! From Robert Perry to Anthony Contreras! And Victor Johnson! Meet the newly refined design at a discounted price!”

After successfully completing the parking lot management task, the first task he was assigned through the introduction of Gregory Campbell was selling new T-shirts at the fan shop.

“That’s right. I fully agree with what you said. The team is in a losing streak, and the starting pitcher who should be playing the role of ace is nowhere to be seen……. Oh, how worried you must be?”

After selling all the new T-shirts, he was seconded to the ticket sales and service department, where he played the role of answering angry calls from fans who were angry at the losing streak.

“Okay, let’s review! If you grab the ball like this…… what kind of pitch is it?”

“Four-seam fastball!!”

“And if you grab it like this?”

“Little League curve!”

“Wow, the kids who support Tampa Bay are so smart!”

After successfully handling the angry calls from the fans, he moved to the community contribution department.

He also lectured children who visited Tropicana Field on how to throw a baseball.

“Oh, thank you for your hard work! The kids really liked it!!”

Around the third week of starting the so-called ‘reputation building’, the way people looked at Jisub and John Llama had changed quite a bit.

“I’m glad I contacted the Future Strategy Planning Department. I’ve been hearing a lot of praise for you two from people in the team these days……. There’s a reason for that!”

“Haha, you’re welcome. We were also happy to see the kids after a long time.”

“But…… could you come out next week too? Originally, Victor Johnson’s autograph event was scheduled, but I heard that it’s going to be a little difficult…….”

“Ah, could you contact us again later? We’re getting so many requests for support these days.”

“That’s right, that’s right! I forgot about the popularity of our Future Strategy Planning Department……. Hahaha!”

People who had initially tried not to get involved in work were now competing to request support.

Customers began to visit the Future Strategy Planning Department’s office, ‘Storage D’, which was always full of dampness.

In fact, there was no need to mention anything else.

People who had been bright but somehow distant were now shouting greetings from afar.

“Oh, Mr. Taylor! Are you leaving work now?”

“Kim, you’re leaving work too! Thank you for your hard work today!”

As the two approached the Tropicana Field’s employee entrance, greetings were heard from all directions.

In some ways, it wasn’t a big deal, but John Llama seemed to like the greeting very much.

“Ah, it was a rewarding day today.”

He waved to his colleagues one by one and smiled at Jisub.

“Honestly, I was a little worried today? They suddenly asked me to come out and support the baseball class. But…….”

Keu [sound of clearing throat].

John Llama was giving Jisub a thumbs up.

“Kim is almost an expert? The coaches who were dispatched were surprised to see Kim teaching the kids.”

“Llama, I think you forgot again……. I’m a former player? I’ve been throwing balls since elementary school.”

Jisub shrugged his shoulders.

“Today, I only taught the four-seam and curve to the kids……. If they were high school students, I would have taught them everything? Slider, changeup, sweeper?”

“Oh, Kim was all prepared? You can teach any pitch?”

“Of course, is that even a question.”

As they spent more time together, Jisub and John Llama had become quite the jokers.

He could throw sliders of all kinds, and even if he didn’t know the speed, he was confident in his breaking balls.

As they exchanged such trivial stories and moved towards the parking lot, that was when.

“I’m having a rewarding and good day every day these days……. But I’m also regretting it a little.”

It was John Llama’s words.

“Regret? What regret?”

“The reason we’re going out to support is to get the attention of the general manager, right?”

Brian Spon.

John Llama mentioned the name of the Tampa Bay Rays president.

“If I had done some work normally, so that I wouldn’t have been disliked by my father……. To be honest, I could have easily met the president.”

That was true.

John Llama was the only son of the team owner.

If his relationship with his father was like everyone else’s, meeting the president would have been a piece of cake.

However, Jeffrey Taylor, the team owner, was still cold to his son. Jisub comforted him with kind words.

“You’re doing well. It’s going to take time anyway. Changing the team owner’s mood, and getting recognition from the president.”

Tuk tuk [sound of tapping].

Jisub lightly tapped John Llama on the shoulder and began to rummage through his pockets for his car keys, but the main director of the Future Strategy Planning Department seemed to have a different idea.

“Kim, um, over there.”

“Yes.”

“How about we do an interim check today?”

“Interim check?”

Jisub raised his head.

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

“Aren’t you curious, Kim? Whether President Spon knows what we’re doing, and if he does, whether his view of our Future Strategy Planning Department has changed even a little.”

Because I’m curious,

Let’s check it out.

John Llama’s eyes sparkled.

* * *

About 10 minutes later.

Jisub was approaching the second parking lot of Tropicana Field with John Llama.

The second parking lot was the only underground parking lot in the area. It was the Tampa Bay Rays’ VIP parking lot.

“Three hours after the end of the game……. It’s about time for the president to leave work.”

John Llama said, checking his watch.

“We’re going to hang around this area……. When the president comes out, we’re going to greet him happily. Like we met by chance, like we just ran into him while passing by!”

He continued.

“What kind of reaction will the president show when we greet him like that……. Honestly, can’t we get a sense of it just by looking at that? How the president thinks of us!”

Okay? Is it a good idea?

When John Llama asked with his eyes shining, Jisub scratched his cheek with his finger.

“Hmm.”

Until now, Jisub had always firmly shook his head at whatever John Llama did.

It was also because Jisub didn’t trust what John Llama was doing, and it was safer to cast a dissenting vote in many ways.

But at this time, perhaps for the first time since he met him, Jisub nodded lightly.

“Not…… bad.”

“Right? I knew Kim would say that this time too!”

Watching John Llama rejoice as if he were about to jump, Jisub was diligently calculating in his head.

‘Well…… it’s about time to end the stage of just working hard.’

The so-called ‘reputation building’ was ending faster than expected.

Then it was time to pursue a plausible case, a case that would really help the team.

If he was lucky enough to meet the president at this time and look him in the eye, it would be a great help in developing future work.

So he said a word.

“Okay. Everything’s good, but…….”

Jisub said.

“Llama, shouldn’t we check if the president’s car is there first? There’s a possibility that he’s already left work, so I think it’s better than just waiting.”

“Ah, that’s true? The president doesn’t always come to Tropicana Field for work.”

Saving every drop of water is the fate of the ‘small market’ Tampa Bay Rays [a team with limited financial resources].

Perhaps that’s why, even though it’s a VIP parking lot, the lights only come on when you press a separate switch.

In a situation where they didn’t know when the general manager would appear, they couldn’t confidently turn on the lights and check the vehicles.

John Llama turned on his cell phone light and began to look for the president’s car.

“Ah, it’s there.”

Not long after, John Llama turned to Jisub and whispered.

“Kim, it’s there. It looks like the president hasn’t left work yet.”

“…….”

Jisub gestured silently.

It meant to go outside if he had confirmed it. It meant to wait for President Brian Spon outside.

John Llama also quietly nodded and was about to follow Jisub when.

Yes, it was right then.

Rustle.

A presence felt from the corner of the parking lot, a dark place.

Just as he was about to move again, thinking he had misheard, a black shadow came towards him with a ‘dadadadak’ sound.

“President, are you leaving work now!!!”

A voice echoing loudly in the underground parking lot.

Jisub was startled and felt the hairs on his body stand on end, but he soon realized what was going on.

“I know it’s rude, but…… I really wanted to meet the president today, so I was waiting like this!”

In addition to Jisub and John Llama, it seemed that there was someone else who had come to meet the general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays that day.

He seemed to have mistaken John Llama, who had approached the president’s car, for President Brian Spon himself.

Who is this person who sneaked into the parking lot with the single thought of meeting the general manager late at night?

It didn’t take long for Jisub to know the answer.

“Hello, President! This is the first time I’m greeting you since spring training! I’m the Tampa Bay Rays’ rising star, the man who plays the coolest baseball in Major League Baseball!”

And the following words.

“It’s Victor Johnson Junior!!!”