A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 34

## Baseball Team Rookie Is Too Good – Episode 34

Chapter 11: Can I Trust You? (1)

After securing cooperation from Amuro Sports Marketing, the KH Cannons’ International Operations Team sprang into action.

They attended meetings with Japanese clubs alongside Amuro’s representatives. After the meetings, they huddled with their own operations team to map out the away game logistics. Once that was finalized, they met with the PR and marketing teams to strategize the club’s broadcasts and fan tours.

About five days later, the practice match schedule for this spring training was finalized after that hectic process.

“The manager and general manager have approved it. Everyone worked so hard!”

“Thank you for your hard work, Team Leader!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

Three days later, the day of the KH Cannons’ first practice game arrived.

The team selected as the KH Cannons’ first opponent in this spring training was the Tokyo Swallows, the reigning champions of the Japanese professional baseball league.

This practice match was secured as a result of the meeting between Amuro Sports Marketing and KH’s Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin.

“As you all know, today will be quite hectic as well.”

That was the word from Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom of the International Operations Team, three hours before the practice game.

“As we discussed yesterday, the team will move directly to the location of tomorrow’s game after today’s game. Deputy Manager Kim Dong-hui, please coordinate this with the operations team and ensure everything is handled smoothly.”

It seemed the International Operations Team wouldn’t catch a break even after the practice game schedule was released.

They had to contact the opposing club to prepare for the next game and confirm that there were no issues with the accommodations or restaurants that had been booked in advance.

The employees of the International Operations Team nodded in agreement each time Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom gave instructions.

As the division of work for the day was roughly completed, Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom’s gaze turned to Ji-seop.

“Lastly, our Mr. Kim Ji-seop…….”

And the next moment, Ji-seop was assigned a task he hadn’t anticipated.

“You will be in charge of interpreting today.”

“Yes?”

Ji-seop tilted his head.

“Did you say… interpreting?”

“Yes.”

Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom nodded.

“Because it’s the first practice game of the season, the president of Amuro Sports Marketing is scheduled to attend. Mr. Ji-seop will be responsible for interpreting for that person.”

Frankly, this alone was a sufficiently daunting task, but Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom smiled and added another layer of responsibility.

“The general manager is planning to watch the game with the president of Amuro… and depending on how things go, there may be a brief interview with Manager Freeman.”

So, stay sharp.

Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom concluded the meeting with those words.

* * *

‘Ah, no, what is this…….’

The employees of the International Operations Team began to move according to their assigned roles, but Ji-seop remained seated, blinking in disbelief.

The task that Deputy Director Jo Sung-beom had assigned him far exceeded his expectations.

He, who hadn’t even shed the title of training assistant, was to be in charge of interpreting between the KH Cannons’ general manager and the president of Amuro Sports Marketing.

“Excuse me, Deputy Manager.”

Ji-seop, who had been looking dazed for a moment, decided to seek advice from ‘Black Curtain Cha Cha’ Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin [a nickname implying she knows what’s going on behind the scenes].

Since they had navigated the chaos together at Amuro Sports Marketing, she had been showing a fairly favorable attitude toward Ji-seop.

“Is it really okay for me to be in charge of something like interpreting?”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin reacted nonchalantly.

“Your resume stated that you can speak Japanese and English to some extent, right?”

Roughly 3 years in the Japanese independent league.

Approximately 3 years in the American independent league.

It was true that he didn’t have any particular difficulty with languages, but that wasn’t what Ji-seop was worried about.

“If it’s interpreting between our general manager and the president of Amuro… shouldn’t someone with a bit more ‘prestige’ be doing it?”

“For example… someone like me?”

Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin continued.

“First of all, I have a meeting scheduled with Amuro’s staff during the practice game. It’s about the practice game arrangements for the minor league team starting next year.”

“Ah.”

Ji-seop was also aware of this.

“Below me, there’s Deputy Manager Kim and Deputy Manager Han, but… the problem is that they aren’t aware that we’re moving the spring training to Arizona starting next year.”

“…….”

“If the general manager and the president of Amuro meet, that matter will be brought up at least once… so wouldn’t it be appropriate to send someone who knows at least something about the Arizona situation?”

“Is that why you’re assigning it to me?”

“Hmm, of course, that’s a secondary reason….”

It was at this moment that Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin looked at Ji-seop with a curious expression.

“That’s just how our director is.”

“Yes?”

“If the director thinks, ‘That guy is useful,’ or ‘That guy is trustworthy’… he pushes them so hard that they’re caught off guard.”

Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin continued.

“It’s important for friends who came in as training assistants, like Ji-seop, to make an impression on the higher-ups, right? That way, your contract can be extended, and if you perform well, you might even be converted to a full-time employee.”

“…….”

“The director probably assigned you to the interpretation because of that. To impress the general manager this time.”

Flick, tap.

Deputy Manager Cha Yoon-jin looked at Ji-seop while twirling a pen.

“Looking at how Ji-seop works… I don’t think that kind of consideration is necessary.”

* * *

A decent guy.

A useful guy.

Once he makes that judgment, Director Jo Sung-beom gives his complete trust.

Ji-seop wasn’t aware of it, but it seemed that Director Jo’s work style was well-known within KH Cannons.

“Ah, Mr. Kim Ji-seop?”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi of KH Cannons, meeting Ji-seop for the first time in the stands an hour before the practice game started.

As soon as Ji-seop bowed and said that he would be in charge of the interpretation today, an intriguing smile appeared on General Manager Seo Chang-gi’s face.

“Mr. Kim Ji-seop is in charge of the interpretation for today’s game… it seems that Director Jo Sung-beom’s ‘pick’ for this season has been decided.”

Congratulations, Mr. Kim Ji-seop.

General Manager Seo Chang-gi patted him on the shoulder and continued.

“There’s no need to look so bewildered. It’s a tradition of our Cannons, or maybe a jinx.”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi smiled.

“No one is pulling strings behind the scenes… but the people who receive Director Jo Sung-beom’s ‘pick’ always do well.”

There were many who were converted from training assistants to full-time employees, and there were also people who couldn’t find their niche in other departments but thrived after receiving Director Jo Sung-beom’s recognition.

“Director Jo, that guy, seems a bit laid-back on the surface, but… even if he’s lacking in other areas, his eye for talent is still as sharp as ever.”

“A scout… is he?”

When Ji-seop blinked, General Manager Seo Chang-gi reacted as if surprised.

“No, didn’t Mr. Kim Ji-seop know? Director Jo Sung-beom was quite a famous scout in our industry at one time.”

“Ah, yes…….”

He’s a relaxed man who goes to buy donuts during work hours now, but it seemed he also had a glorious past.

“He played a significant role in selecting domestic players in the scouting department, but he was also skilled at attracting foreign players in the international operations team.”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi seemed eager to praise his subordinate, whom he had worked with for a long time.

Even though Ji-seop didn’t ask, he began listing the names of the foreign players that Director Jo Sung-beom had discovered.

“Peterson, who was our cleanup hitter [the batter who bats fourth in the lineup, typically a power hitter] in the early days of our founding, was also Director Jo’s find, and Duncan, who was with us for a long time as a closer [a relief pitcher who specializes in pitching the final inning of a close game], was also someone Director Jo brought in…….”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi observed Ji-seop’s expression while mentioning the names of the foreign players.

However, when Ji-seop showed a blank reaction, General Manager Seo opened his mouth with an expression that implied he couldn’t possibly be unaware.

“Of course, the player who could be called his greatest success… would be Jonathan Stewart, without a doubt.”

“Jonathan Stewart, you mean?”

When Ji-seop’s eyes widened and he showed a reaction, General Manager Seo Chang-gi nodded as if finally satisfied.

“Yes, Jonathan Stewart, who was the only one who performed well when our Cannons were struggling! He was also a player that Director Jo brought in.”

“Ah ah…….”

“That guy looked frail and his ball speed was slow, so the entire Cannons front office, including me, opposed signing him… but Director Jo Sung-beom insisted that he had to bring him in.”

General Manager Seo Chang-gi had a happy expression, as if the memory was still vivid.

“Director Jo Sung-beom of ours may seem a bit 허술 [heosul – Korean for 허술하다, meaning 허점이 많다, 대충하다, or 어설프다. It means sloppy, careless, or 허술하다] on the outside… but if you watch him closely, Mr. Kim Ji-seop will have a lot to learn.”

General Manager Seo continued.

“Learn a lot from Director Jo Sung-beom while you’re in the international team. His style may involve assigning you some overwhelming tasks… but those will all be experiences that will become invaluable for Mr. Kim Ji-seop.”

The advice given to a training assistant felt excessively specific.

The next moment, Ji-seop could vaguely guess why General Manager Seo Chang-gi had shared so many stories.

“Of course, you’re doing well enough now, but Ji-seop needs to show a more prominent performance…….”

A slightly chilly voice.

“Wouldn’t the person who is watching Ji-seop from Yeongsan [Likely refers to someone important watching Ji-seop’s progress] over there… be able to feel a sense of accomplishment?”

* * *

That day’s practice game, held at Okinawa Nishikawa Stadium, ended in a crushing defeat for the home team, KH Cannons.

Final score 14-6.

If you were to pinpoint the cause, it could be the foreign starting pitcher who issued walks from the beginning of the game, or the poor ground conditions due to the rain the night before, resulting in numerous errors, but-

“……Hoo.”

Ji-seop was unable to focus on the game results that day.

Simply interpreting between the general manager of KH Cannons and the president of Amuro Sports Marketing, two VIP-level figures, was incredibly demanding.

“Mr. Kim Ji-seop, thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you, General Manager.”

Still, whether it was because of his three years of experience in the Japanese independent league, Ji-seop completed the day’s interpretation work smoothly.

The work itself was difficult, and he also received subtle ‘pressure’ from General Manager Seo Chang-gi, so now he desperately wanted to return to the accommodation and rest comfortably, but-

“Ah, Mr. Kim Ji-seop! You’re here?”

After sending General Manager Seo to the accommodation and returning to the international operations team office, Ji-seop was met with another new task.

“You’ve had a lot of trouble today… what should I do? I think I’ll have to assign another task to Ji-seop.”

One word from Director Jo Sung-beom, once a renowned foreign scout at KH Cannons.

“First, let’s introduce you to the colleague you’ll be working with… ah, no, you two know each other?”

“Yes?”

The expression on Ji-seop’s face, as he turned his gaze to where Director Jo Sung-beom was looking, softened into a faint smile for the first time that day.

“Ah ha.”

It was Go Chang-deok.

The training assistant who had been promoted to the first team alongside Ji-seop.

The roommate he hadn’t seen in a while because he was helping foreign players adapt.

He was sending a subtle wink from his ready position in the international operations team office.

‘So, that means I’ll be working with Chang-deok hyung [hyung – Korean term used by males to address older male friends or brothers]…….’

Was the adaptation work for foreign players not going well?

Ji-seop tilted his head and turned his gaze back to Director Jo Sung-beom.