A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 326

Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good – 326

Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good 326

77 Is a Full-Force Pitch Possible? (3)

At that moment,

Ji-seop felt it instinctively.

‘There was a conflict.’

The man credited with creating today’s Tampa Bay Rays, Brian Spahn.

And the man who was expected to lead the Tampa Bay Rays of tomorrow, Benjamin Oznovich.

Ji-seop could easily guess that there was some serious conflict between these two.

“The General Manager is definitely a wonderful person. Personally, he is the senior in the industry I respect the most.”

It was Director Oznovich’s statement.

“I am certain. If it weren’t for him, the Tampa Bay Rays would have closed down a long time ago. Creating a team that makes it to the postseason every year with less than half the budget of other teams? That alone is a tremendous achievement.”

There seemed to be no lie in his words.

“But I can also say this with certainty. As long as Brian Spahn holds the reins of power, the probability of the Tampa Bay Rays winning the World Series approaches zero.”

“Zero?”

Ji-seop gave a slight wry smile.

“Isn’t that too extreme of a claim? The people I’ve met so far don’t say things so definitively….”

“Haha, you look like you don’t believe me.”

Benjamin Oznovich took a sip of his now-cold tea.

“Kim, I heard you’re a former pitcher… Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then we can communicate well.”

He put down his teacup and looked at Ji-seop, spreading his hands towards the table.

“Now, let’s say there’s a pitcher who can throw a tremendous slider. For example… Vincent! Let’s say he can throw a slider like Vincent Hyama of Baltimore.”

Ji-seop silently listened to Benjamin Oznovich’s words.

“As a former pitcher, you should be able to answer this. What is the most important factor for this pitcher with an amazing slider to succeed in the major leagues?”

At that moment, various qualities that a good pitcher should have came to Ji-seop’s mind.

Knife-like control, a mentality that doesn’t waver in crisis situations, or the stamina to endure a long season, and so on.

However, assuming he could throw a slider like Vincent Hyama, the answer that could be given here was actually predetermined.

“Isn’t it the fastball?”

The straight ball. It was Ji-seop’s answer.

“If you have a really great slider, you don’t really need anything else. If you can just get an ordinary four-seam fastball into the strike zone….”

“Ah, is that so?”

Ji-seop thought he had given a very common-sense answer, but Benjamin Oznovich raised one eyebrow.

“Wouldn’t that be too dangerous? If you put the ball in the strike zone, the batter might hit a home run, right?”

“……Excuse me?”

“The slider is good, right? So, shouldn’t the answer be to somehow throw only sliders to the outside… until the batter is fooled?”

“Ah, no, Director.”

Ji-seop scratched his cheek with his finger.

“Are you teasing me? How can you get a batter out with just sliders? This isn’t neighborhood baseball, it’s the major leagues.”

If you keep throwing breaking balls that go outside, the batter will choose to watch without even touching them.

“To get a batter out, you have to throw a four-seam fastball too. Into the strike zone. Of course, there’s a possibility of getting hit with a home run, but if you’re afraid of that, you can’t do anything….”

Ah.

Here, Ji-seop stopped talking.

He had a sense of what Director Benjamin Oznovich’s intention was.

“Wait a minute, Director. Are you perhaps saying that the ‘pitcher’ you’re talking about is General Manager Brian Spahn?”

Ji-seop asked.

“Someone with great talent, but afraid of getting hit with a home run, so they can’t go head-to-head… Is that the type of person you mean?”

Benjamin Oznovich, hearing the question, made a playful expression.

Then, he spat out a word.

“I’ll have no comment on that.”

“No comment? You’ve been talking just fine until now, why….”

“First of all, it’s because it’s really time for me to go out to the hospital lobby now.”

He waved his hand at the team employees who were lingering in front of the reception room.

“The other reason is that I don’t need to explain it in words… Because eventually, Kim, you’ll find out before long anyway.”

He continued.

“Because next week is July.”

“July?”

“That’s right, July! The time when trades are most active, the time to complete the final puzzle piece towards winning! If I remember correctly… I also found out around this time a few years ago.”

Director Benjamin Oznovich raised one corner of his mouth.

“How much of a terrible coward the man I respected so much, Brian Spahn, was….”

* * *

About two hours later.

Ji-seop was returning to Tropicana Field, the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Oh, Kim! Are you just coming now?”

“Ah, yes, hello. You’re working hard today too.”

“Haha, hard work! Today is a slow day. It’s a weekday game, and the opponent is the Toronto Blue Jays.”

After exchanging light greetings with the team employees, Ji-seop moved towards the stairs leading to the 2nd basement floor.

He showed a bright expression to the people, but at this time, Ji-seop’s mind was filled with Director Benjamin Oznovich’s words.

-You’ll find out soon enough.

-Why the Tampa Bay Rays can’t win.

In fact, it was one of the things Ji-seop had been curious about for a long time.

Why the Tampa Bay Rays had not won the World Series.

If it were a team like the former KH Cannons, which had been lingering at the bottom for years, it would be somewhat understandable.

However, the Tampa Bay Rays have been a strong team that has made it to the postseason almost every year.

The system for developing players is also well-established, and the cooperation system between the field and the front office is close to perfect.

But why haven’t they been able to hold the World Series trophy for almost 30 years?

‘According to Director Oznovich, the responsibility lies with General Manager Brian Spahn….’

It was not easy to understand.

Brian Spahn is a well-known baseball administrator in the major leagues, a legend in the industry.

The top contributor to building the kingdom of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

What mistake did he make to be called a ‘terrible coward’?

‘A player who can’t throw a four-seam fastball because he’s afraid of getting hit with a home run? What kind of hint should I see in that….’

As he walked, tilting his head, he was already on the 2nd basement floor.

With a short sigh, he entered the Future Strategy Planning Division, right at that moment.

“Kiiiiim!!!”

A tremendously loud voice pricked Ji-seop’s eardrums.

There is only one person in this office who can make such a sound.

“……Rama?”

Ji-seop frowned slightly.

“Why are you suddenly yelling? I thought my eardrums were going to burst.”

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone, Kim? Do you know how many times I called?”

“Phone? To me?”

Ji-seop took out his cell phone without thinking, and unknowingly let out an ‘Oops’ sound.

There were more than 10 missed calls.

“Oh my, I’m sorry.”

Ji-seop bowed his head.

“I forgot that I had switched to silent mode because of the event.”

“Aren’t you being too much? When I look at it, Kim, it seems like you only ignore my calls? You answer other people’s calls without fail.”

“Hey, that can’t be.”

To be honest, he couldn’t deny that feeling, but he couldn’t say it outright.

“I’m sorry, I’ll answer in time from now on. I had a lot of complicated things to do today….”

As he raised his head.

“But what’s going on? What happened that you called so many times….”

“We did it, Kim!”

It was at this moment that a proud expression appeared on John Rama’s face.

“Do you remember? The first day we came to this 2nd basement floor office… That thing that Kim and I decided to do no matter what?”

“What?”

Ji-seop blinked.

“Ah, buying mold remover?”

“Hey, not that!”

Attending the meeting!

John Rama spread out his arms.

“Our Tampa Bay Rays’ regular strategy meeting attendance! We set this as our primary goal, didn’t we?”

“That’s true, but… um?!

Ji-seop’s expression also brightened.

“Th, then… perhaps?!

“That’s right, Kim! We did it!”

John Rama continued, with an expression filled with emotion.

“We just received a call from the General Manager’s office. Starting next week, our Future Strategy Planning Division will also attend the regular strategy meeting!”

The regular strategy meeting was a meeting directly presided over by General Manager Brian Spahn.

It was a meeting that only a few departments, which could be said to be the core of the front office in the Tampa Bay Rays, could attend.

It was said that it was the first time in several years that the Future Strategy Planning Division had entered this meeting.

“Thank you, Kim!!”

It’s all thanks to Kim.

John Rama even had tears in his eyes.

“When my father took away my car and card, I really didn’t know what to do, but when I first came here, I thought I was ruined….”

These were things that remained vividly in Ji-seop’s memory as well.

“Can I go home now? Can our office be moved to a sunny place? Is that right, Kim?!

“Oh, are you talking about the office again in the midst of all this? I thought it was quiet for a while….”

Ji-seop was unnecessarily saying something to John Rama again, but Ji-seop was just as proud.

He brought the department, which was on the verge of dissolution, to this point. Now, it has been recognized as a core department of the Tampa Bay Rays.

A result achieved in just a few months. Ji-seop also felt a strange tingling in his nose, but-

“Um?”

In the office, which was almost in a festive mood, there was one person who caught Ji-seop’s attention.

While the people of the Future Strategy Planning Division, including John Rama, were taking out cans of beer and rejoicing, there was one man sitting at his desk with a serious expression.

“David?”

It was David Wilson.

The (almost only) sensible person in the Future Strategy Planning Division.

Ji-seop took a can of beer from John Rama and approached his desk.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

Ji-seop asked, placing the beer on his desk.

“If it’s the game prediction report for the weekend series, you submitted it all yesterday, didn’t you? It seems like you can spend today a little more leisurely.”

“No, it’s not the Yellow Book.”

David Wilson pushed up his glasses.

“I was looking at the data sent from the General Manager’s office. I thought I should familiarize myself with the contents before attending the regular meeting….”

“Ah, is that so?”

Ji-seop smiled inwardly.

Everyone is happy that they will be attending the meeting, but he is already thinking about after attending the meeting.

I thought he was a really annoying friend, and I also thought I had picked a really good analyst.

“So… how is it? Is there anything interesting?”

Ji-seop asked with a light heart.

“Next week is the first week of July, right? Then it seems like discussions about trades will start soon?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, most of the content is related to trades.”

David continued.

“I have to give it to the General Manager for his preparedness. He has already picked out all the recruitment candidates. Almost 100 people.”

“100 people?”

“Yes, I think when we go into the meeting, we will start by narrowing down this list….”

Right then.

Exactly at this moment.

Ji-seop could see a shadow flitting across David Wilson’s face.

“Why is that? Is there anything strange?”

“Yes, a little….”

David Wilson scratched his chin.

“Actually, if there is a player who is attracting the most attention in this trade market… isn’t it Vincent Hyama?”

Vincent Hyama.

He was now that friend who no longer needed explanation.

Baltimore Orioles’ two-way ace.

“Baltimore’s chances of advancing to the postseason are virtually impossible, and Vincent will be a free agent next year. The media is already buzzing with stories that he has been put on the trade market….”

But, you see.

David Wilson looked at Ji-seop.

“He’s… not on the list.”

“Excuse me?”

“Vincent. Vincent Hyama is not on the General Manager’s recruitment candidate list.”

He continued.

“Of course, he is a difficult friend to recruit. The price we have to pay will be high. But the fact that only his name is missing from the list of nearly 100 people….”

Don’t you think,

It’s strange?