A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 305

Chapter 73: How to Feed a Carrot (8)

“Please be my advisor.”

“You’re the right person for the job.”

Ji-seop was taken aback by Mike Klemblass’s words.

“Manager, what do you mean…?”

Ji-seop furrowed his brow.

“Shouldn’t you select advisors from among the coaches? That way, they can assist you during the game.”

Looking back, the ‘advisor’ idea came up because of the postseason games.

The idea was that it’s easy to lose composure during postseason games, so someone needs to be by the manager’s side to give clear-cut advice.

But to assign that role to Ji-seop, who can’t even enter the dugout during games, let alone normally.

Ji-seop found it hard to understand, but Mike Klemblass remained calm.

“You’re not flatly refusing. Can I interpret that as you’re confident in the advisor role?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

As Ji-seop waved his hand, looking embarrassed, a faint smile appeared on the manager’s face.

“Okay, Kim. You’re right. I think the best option is to ask one of the coaches. But I…”

The manager’s gaze turned to the billboard installed in the parking lot across the street.

The billboard announced that the Tampa Bay Rays’ next game was an away series against Baltimore.

Perhaps it was because Baltimore’s unique orange logo caught his eye. He turned to Ji-seop and said:

“I’m not Vincent.”

“Excuse me?”

“Vincent, I mean Vincent Hiyama. A two-way player for the Baltimore Orioles. He pitches and hits.”

He continued.

“When I first took over as manager, owner Jeffrey Taylor emphasized ‘the carrot and the stick.’ He said that to be a good leader, you need to know how to use both appropriately.”

The carrot and the stick.

Ji-seop had heard the analogy before.

It meant that praise and reprimand must coexist.

That even when you’re pushing hard, you should also give plenty of praise when it’s due.

“The problem is, I’m good at wielding the stick, but I have no talent for feeding the carrot. I realized that for sure with this incident.”

Remember Coach Sam Harrison?

Klemblass mentioned the hitting coach who shaved his head after hearing his praise.

“If I can’t handle both the stick and the carrot well, and therefore can’t make one of the coaches completely my own… I decided it would be better to entrust someone with the carrot bundle.”

A sly expression began to appear on Klemblass’s face.

“From now on, I plan to push the coaches even harder. Until they coach the players more diligently and come up with more solid game strategies.”

Oh, dear.

Ji-seop sighed inwardly.

He felt sympathy for the fate that awaited the coaching staff, including Thomas Culkin.

“Instead, Kim, I want you to take charge of the carrot. Everyone trusts you, so I think you’re the right person to comfort them for their hard work and listen to their complaints.”

“…”

“I’ll take the stick, and you take the carrot. If we each focus on what we do well…”

I think it’s possible.

Klemblass said.

“For our Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series for the first time in franchise history.”

The hot passion that was slowly filling the eyes of the manager, who always maintained his composure.

Ji-seop’s heart was also slowly pounding as he met those eyes.

‘Heh, a carrot, huh?’

He didn’t have to try to read the manager’s mind to know.

Klemblass was acknowledging Ji-seop.

The fact that the Tampa Bay Rays absolutely needed Kim Ji-seop.

The fact that Kim Ji-seop’s role was essential for the Tampa Bay Rays to win.

It wasn’t the first time he had been recognized by someone, but hearing these words directly from a Major League manager was another kind of rewarding.

However, simply nodding with an emotional expression at this timing was not Ji-seop’s style.

“Thank you, Manager.”

First, lay the groundwork like this.

“I really appreciate your words, but…”

Swoosh.

Ji-seop continued with a playful expression.

“You’re not saying that without offering any merit, are you?”

“Me, merit?”

Even the youngest manager in Major League history hadn’t anticipated Ji-seop coming out like this.

“No, Kim! I’m… the manager? The manager of the Tampa Bay Rays?”

He looked slightly flustered.

“Isn’t carrying out the manager’s special instructions a great help to a baseball team employee’s career? When I was in the minor leagues, I would gratefully bring the manager a drink…”

“Hey, how much age difference is there between you and me that you’re pulling a ‘back in my day’?”

“Latte… what?”

Klemblass tilted his head at the sudden Korean joke. [The joke refers to older generations reminiscing about ‘the good old days’.]

Ji-seop chuckled inwardly, ‘Ah, the manager is American,’ and opened his mouth again.

“Our people in the Future Strategy and Planning Division are already carrying out special missions from General Manager Brian Sphan. Thanks to that, the employees are working without even taking proper holidays.”

“Hmm, that means their burden will increase if Kim is given a new task.”

“Yes, you’ll have to give me some definite merit so I can even bring it up to my colleagues.”

It was at this moment that Ji-seop’s expression turned slightly serious.

“Also, I think that would be helpful to you, Manager.”

“To me?”

“Yes, don’t you need to let people in the organization know? Who gives the carrot? Who’s holding the basket with the carrot in it.”

The story was that you have to give visible merit so that people in the organization will definitely recognize ‘the person who gives the carrot’.

A wry smile was already appearing on Mike Klemblass’s face as he listened to Ji-seop’s words.

“Kim, you’re more formidable than I thought. I feel like I’ve been hit a little bit right now.”

However, that wry smile soon turned into a satisfied one.

“Good. Okay. I can rest assured that you’re doing the job if you can calculate that much.”

How about this?

Once he opened his heart, Mike Klemblass became a very cool person.

“I’ll ask the general manager to give extra points to the Future Strategy and Planning Division employees in their performance evaluations.”

He said he would add a plus.

Employees with a B in their performance evaluation would get a B+, and those with an A would get an A+.

In the United States, where the concept of permanent employment is not as common as in Korea, this level of merit was said to be considerable.

“I also promise to write a letter of recommendation directly to the employee if Kim makes a special request.”

A handwritten letter of recommendation from a Major League manager.

Ji-seop knew without even seeing it how happy the people in the Future Strategy and Planning Division would be.

Whether they go to another team or to another department within Tampa Bay, the manager’s letter of recommendation would have a tremendous impact.

“And Kim, to you…”

The manager continued.

“I’ll give you the authority to board the team’s private plane with the Future Strategy and Planning Division employees.”

“The team’s private plane?”

“Yes, it’s not just a concept of getting a ride for business reasons. I’ll give the order. I’ll have you and your party treated as members of the Tampa Bay Rays team.”

Front office staff boarding the private plane.

Considering the conservative Major League culture, this alone was a sufficiently groundbreaking decision.

However, Mike Klemblass seemed to be drawing an even more groundbreaking picture than that.

“The team’s private plane is surprisingly a place where there are many eyes watching. If I call you several times and have conversations with you while traveling away…”

Wouldn’t that be a message?

Klemblass said.

“The manager trusts Kim. He often asks for his opinion. Then maybe…”

The carrot is,

With Kim.

That was the last thing the Tampa Bay Rays manager said to Ji-seop that day.

* * *

And the next morning.

Ji-seop was at Tampa International Airport with the ‘first-string members’ of the Future Strategy and Planning Division.

Due to Mike Klemblass’s official request, they were able to accompany the team on their road trip.

“…”

As befits a Major League that is strict on protocol, there were various regulations for boarding the team’s private plane.

You must enter the airport in a suit. You can’t buy cheap food like ice cream or hamburgers. You have to hand over your luggage to the staff and never touch it again.

Ji-seop had heard that the players hated these regulations, but on this day, Ji-seop was feeling a strange sense of fulfillment in following those regulations.

‘It really feels like I’ve become a Major Leaguer?’

Something that was considered a luxury even to dream about during his playing days.

Something he hadn’t even thought about when he joined Tampa Bay.

That was now a reality unfolding before Ji-seop’s eyes.

Of course, not everyone in the Future Strategy and Planning Division was feeling the same way as Ji-seop.

“Ah, seriously… Kim, aren’t you being too much?”

It was John Llama.

The owner’s son, who had appeared in a suit after a long time.

“Excuse me? What is it?”

“No, I heard the manager said he would listen to anything? I heard he said to just say anything?”

That wasn’t exactly the wording, but it was a similar flow, so Ji-seop kept his mouth shut.

“Then you should have brought up the office story first? How long are you going to work in that dark place on the 2nd basement floor?”

Getting out of the 2nd basement floor and heading to a sunny office was John Llama’s lifelong wish.

John Llama was pouting, as if he thought that opportunity was completely gone.

But at this point, Ji-seop knew exactly how to train this hopeless human being.

Well, what’s the method?

“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”

Ji-seop lowered his head.

“Main Director, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about the Main Director’s thoughts…”

“No, Kim?!”

John Llama, surprised, approached as Ji-seop lowered his head.

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Everyone’s looking!”

John Llama hurriedly tried to lift Ji-seop up, but Ji-seop lowered his back even further, not caring.

“No! In order to express my apologies to the Main Director, I need to do more than this…”

“Ah, stop! I told you to stop!”

John Llama was flustered and sweating profusely.

Ji-seop chuckled and bowed deeper, saying, ‘I’m sorry!’

Just as they were making a fuss like that.

“Kim! I was wrong! I said nonsense. I’ll never grumble about the 2nd basement floor again…”

Next to John Llama, who was scratching the back of his head and bowing repeatedly, another man came into view.

A man who was silently looking at his boarding pass even as his colleagues were making a fuss.

It was David Wilson.

“Hey, David.”

“Ah, Kim.”

When Ji-seop tapped him on the shoulder and spoke, David turned his head with a dazed expression.

“What are you doing not providing support from the side? I was in the middle of giving Llama some tough love.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about this and that…”

Ji-seop also knew what that ‘this and that’ was.

Unlike John Llama, David Wilson had dreamed of becoming a Major Leaguer as a player.

Even though he wasn’t a player or coach, it was natural that he felt new when he was able to board the team’s private plane.

“Um, Kim.”

“Yes?”

“That… thank you so much.”

David continued.

“I never thought the day would come when I could board the team’s private plane. Especially like this… being treated like the players.”

“Our Main Director doesn’t seem to like it very much?”

When Ji-seop sent a subtle glare once again, John Llama grumbled, ‘Ah, I said I’m sorry!’

Ji-seop smiled at John Llama and turned his gaze to David Wilson.

“I’ll work hard.”

It was a firm voice.

“As much as Kim has opened up the opportunity, I will work really hard. So that when other teams say ‘Tampa Bay Rays’, they can mention our Future Strategy and Planning Division…”

The conditions that Ji-seop had obtained from Mike Klemblass seemed to be taking effect.

The analyst in the Future Strategy and Planning Division was burning with determination, even clenching his fist.

Ji-seop nodded slowly, looking at him with satisfaction.

“Yes, please work hard.”

Ji-seop said.

“In my opinion, you’re already working hard enough, but Mike Klemblass might think it’s a little lacking.”

“…Ah.”

“I didn’t know, but our manager is very ambitious. He said he’s aiming to win the World Series right away this year, without going far.”

“Ah, win. You mean win.”

As if he couldn’t help being a former player, David Wilson’s eyes changed at the single word ‘win’.

“Then this weekend will be especially important.”

A formidable competitor in the American League East.