A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 347

Baseball Team Newbie Is Too Good-347

Baseball Team Newbie Is Too Good 347

81 Need More Cowbell (5)

“Alright, everyone! This way, this way!”

“Be careful there! This is heavier than you think! You could throw out your back!”

A few days later.

At Tropicana Field, the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays, team staff were bustling around.

The cowbells and t-shirts to be given to fans visiting the stadium on the upcoming weekend had arrived.

Boxes with the Tampa Bay Rays logo emblazoned on them were diligently being moved.

As R. J. Higgins, the Vice President of Marketing, watched this scene, a vigorous voice came from behind him.

“Hey, Roger!”

“Ah, Mr. President. You’re here.”

It was the President of Operations, Brian Span.

He had already snagged one, holding a cowbell that had just arrived.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ President of Operations shook the cowbell and said,

“It turned out great. For something we got in a hurry, the color is nice, and the sound isn’t bad, eh?”

“Yes, it’s a popular cheering tool in college football. Fortunately, we were able to find a suitable product. And we have plenty of quantity.”

“As expected, we have to acknowledge Roger’s skills, right? Preparing an event of this scale in just a few weeks.”

“Haha, there’s a reason I’m called the Bulldozer. If there’s anything like this in the future, just leave it to me.”

Vice President Higgins shrugged his shoulders with a confident attitude.

But only for a moment, as he looked at the President of Operations and asked cautiously.

“Mr. President, by the way…….”

“Hmm?”

“Do you happen to know what Kim from the Future Strategy Planning Department is up to these days?”

“Kim? That guy is always busy. He has to write game prediction reports, attend meetings led by the manager, and sometimes check the players’ condition… Haha, now that I think about it, I’ve given him a lot of work.”

The President of Operations, wearing a wry smile, turned his gaze to Higgins.

“But why? Do you have something to say to Kim? If you want, I can give you his contact information.”

“No, I have his contact information…….”

After hesitating for a moment, Vice President Higgins brought up his conversation with Ji-seop a few days ago.

The story of how Ji-seop had interfered with the event he was planning. The story of how Brett Evans’ successful appearance required the cooperation of his friends.

And the story of how Ji-seop himself had decided to take the lead in bringing about the cooperation of those friends.

A strange smile appeared on the lips of President of Operations Brian Span as he listened to the story.

“Haha, Kim is quite something. To put the brakes on something being done by the Tropicana Bulldozer, of all people.”

“Hey, Bulldozer. How can you say that, Mr. President? Even if I look like this, I adapt to the situation…….”

“I know, I know. Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”

The President of Operations patted the young Vice President on the shoulder.

“So, what’s the problem? Kim said he needed a week, right? There’s still some time left in the week, isn’t there?”

“That’s right. There’s still time. But…….”

Vice President Higgins scratched his chin.

“That Korean friend doesn’t seem to be doing anything in particular.”

“Doing nothing?”

“Yes, I sent a secretary to take a peek at the trends in the Future Strategy Planning Department… And it was no different from usual. Working, meeting, eating, and going home like any other time.”

“Hmph, that guy.”

The President of Operations glared.

“Once you’ve entrusted someone with a task, you have to trust them to the end. How can you monitor them like that? How can they do their job properly if they’re suffocated?”

“I was just curious, curious. Kim only asked for a pair of sneakers and didn’t tell me the specific method.”

Vice President Higgins licked his lips.

“If I could just figure out what he’s trying to do, I was going to trust him from then on. But lo and behold, he’s not doing anything.”

“So, are you anxious?”

“Well, yes. The success or failure of this event depends on Brett Evans’ condition, so it’s no exaggeration to say…….”

As Higgins trailed off, President of Operations Brian Span smiled gently.

“Listen, Roger.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Didn’t you say something once? That there’s no one in the Tampa Bay Rays worth making friends with. That everyone is full of empty words, and no one knows how to act.”

“Yes? No, why are you bringing up the old days again…….”

Higgins looked embarrassed.

“How many times have I told you? I said that because I didn’t know the team’s situation well at the time…….”

“No, it was a correct point. Even I am far from being bold, aren’t I? In that respect, you see.”

Swoosh.

The President of Operations turned his gaze.

“I think Kim could be a good friend to you.”

“Yes?”

“People just think of Kim as a nice and smart employee… But I don’t think so. His true worth lies in his ability to act. An ability to act comparable to yours.”

The President of Operations continued.

“How can you judge such a person only by his appearance during work? That’s a complete misjudgment. You’ve underestimated Kim.”

“No, Mr. President…….”

Vice President Higgins blinked.

“Is he that great that you would say that?”

“Hmph, you have a look of disbelief.”

“Then would you like to go and check it out?”

President of Operations Brian Span said.

“Every day around 6:30 AM, the location is near Mirror Lake Park.”

* * *

Mirror Lake Park was not far from Tropicana Field.

A long running track was created along the lake, making it a popular exercise course for the citizens of St. Petersburg.

The next morning, the Vice President of Marketing for the Tampa Bay Rays was setting foot in this park.

‘Kim is here?’

He also felt like a puzzle was being put together.

Joggers were coming into Vice President Higgins’ view from early in the morning.

Considering that Ji-seop had received a pair of new sneakers, it was also possible to guess that he was in this neighborhood.

‘But what on earth is he doing here? It doesn’t seem like he needs to build up his stamina now.’

Ji-seop’s intentions were hard to guess.

Vice President Higgins tilted his head repeatedly and took out the coffee he had bought.

And the next moment, he almost spat out the coffee he was about to take a sip of.

‘Wait a minute, those people…….’

Three middle-aged men were running breathlessly along the running track in the distance.

If Vice President Higgins’ memory was correct, they were definitely Brett Evans’ old friends.

The very troublemakers who had been ignoring the team’s calls for days.

‘I heard they’ve lost interest in baseball these days and are doing a new exercise… Damn it, was that jogging?’

Up to this point, it felt like something that could happen.

If they were Brett Evans’ friends, they would be over forty years old.

If there was an exercise that middle-aged men could easily approach, it would be jogging.

However, the moment Vice President Higgins saw the two men running diligently behind the middle-aged men, he doubted his eyes.

‘That, that’s…….’

He knew them too.

The man running in full marathon gear was John LaMar Taylor, the owner’s son.

And the man running next to him with a large backpack was the one that President of Operations Brian Span had praised so much-

‘Kim?!’

Vice President Higgins was flustered.

What is that Asian employee doing now?

Even bringing the owner’s only son with him.

However, there was no way to call out to the people running in the distance, so Vice President Higgins was just tilting his head when.

“Oh?”

A lifeline came down.

“Aren’t you Vice President?”

“Hmm? Ah, you are…….”

A young man sitting on the bench in front recognized him.

“Hello! My name is David Wilson. Do you happen to remember me? From the Future Strategy Planning Department…….”

“Ah, the Future Strategy Planning Department! Yes, I know, I remember.”

To be honest, he didn’t remember the person, but Vice President Higgins didn’t want to dwell on that.

“What on earth were you guys doing here? From this early in the morning…….”

“No, didn’t you know? I thought you knew and came to encourage us.”

The employee who identified himself as ‘David Wilson’ continued.

“After hearing that Brett Evans’ old friends were jogging here… I’ve been coming to work here for several days. I’m trying to persuade those guys.”

“Persuade?”

“Yes, they don’t answer the phone, and we can’t go to their houses… So, what else can we do? We have to catch the timing when they’re exercising.”

The employee, who had said this far, quickly added as if there was something on his mind.

“Ah, but I haven’t done anything that would cause a problem. I’m just running at the same pace as those guys.”

“Just running?”

“Yes, when the guys run, we run too, and when the guys stop, we stop too… That’s what we’re doing. Until there’s some kind of reaction from the other side.”

Only then was Vice President Higgins able to understand Ji-seop’s intentions.

‘Damn it, there was nothing special.’

That’s right. It was nothing special.

Just sticking to it persistently.

If the other person has no intention of talking, then until that intention arises.

If the other person has closed their heart, then until they open that door a little.

It seemed that Ji-seop had asked Vice President Higgins for a pair of sneakers with the intention of sticking to it so persistently.

“So, have there been any results?”

Vice President Higgins asked.

“It seems like it’s been several days already, has there been any change? Has the attitude of those guys changed?”

“No, there hasn’t been anything like that.”

David Wilson said.

“It seems like they have really bad feelings about the Tampa Bay Rays. After exchanging greetings once at the beginning, they haven’t said a word. They treat us like we don’t even exist.”

“Ah, is that so?”

That’s what I thought.

Vice President Higgins shook his head.

‘They didn’t listen even when our negotiation team offered all sorts of conditions, so how could their minds change just by running together for a few days?’

Vice President Higgins was a little disappointed.

The Assistant Director of the Future Strategy Planning Department.

It’s commendable that he’s working so hard every morning, but work should be efficient.

Even tremendous action is useless if there are no results.

‘The President of Operations has misjudged this time too. He’s just someone who has a good ability to act without thinking…….’

It would be better to give up on Kim.

Just as he was about to turn around thinking that.

Yes, it was at that moment.

“Vice President!”

David Wilson called Higgins.

“Yes?”

“They stopped! The guys stopped!”

“Stopped?”

Vice President Higgins could see it too.

The guys who had been running breathlessly were stopping with a sigh.

And they were frowning and walking towards Ji-seop.

‘They must have reached their limit.’

Even if they don’t say anything, they get annoyed if someone with an obvious purpose keeps showing up.

They can’t concentrate on exercising, and unwanted things keep popping into their heads.

At some point, it becomes impossible to ignore.

“Will he be okay?”

Vice President Higgins said, looking at Ji-seop, who was facing the guys.

It was fortunate that they had started a conversation in some form, but it was clear from a distance that the conversation was not particularly friendly.

“Mr. Wilson, shouldn’t you go? The atmosphere is so bad that a fight could break out… Hmm?”

It was at this moment that Vice President Higgins blinked.

David Wilson, who had been typing something on his laptop, was starting to pack up his things without hesitation.

Putting away the materials he had spread out, and putting away the coffee he had been drinking from time to time.

He was completely ready to withdraw.

Vice President Higgins was dumbfounded.

“No, Mr. Wilson! What are you doing now? The atmosphere over there is not good…….”

“It’s okay, Vice President.”

David Wilson had a calm expression.

“The problem was starting the conversation, but once they start talking to us, the game is as good as over.”

“The game is over? How can you be so sure?”

“Yes? No, well…….”