A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 362

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 362

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 362

83. The Ghost of the Field (5)

***

The next morning.

Brett Evans, the ‘Professor’ of the Tampa Bay Rays, was heading to Tropicana Field.

The veteran pitcher parked his car in the staff parking lot and answered a call from a reporter as he walked.

“Of course, it’s a great honor.”

He nodded.

“I’ve been playing professionally for quite a while, but this is the first time I’m starting in a game that could clinch the division title. You need a lot of luck for something like this to happen.”

It was about the game that day.

After sweeping the Minnesota Twins in a three-game road series, the Tampa Bay Rays were only one win away from clinching the division title.

And the starting pitcher for this crucial game was none other than Brett Evans.

It was only natural that a strong determination was evident on his face that day.

“Yes, please write a good article. Let’s grab a beer after the season. Okay, I’ll talk to you later…”

Click.

After ending the call with the reporter, he stopped walking and took out a piece of bubblegum, popping it into his mouth.

It was Brett Evans’ routine. On days he started, he always chewed strawberry bubblegum as he walked through the ballpark’s main entrance.

He was about to enter the stadium, sticking to his routine for over a decade, when—

Poof!

As he blew a big bubble and walked, a familiar face came into view.

“Hey, Tony!”

Tony Banister. 26 years old.

The shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays.

He started the season in Triple-A [Minor League Baseball, one level below the Major Leagues] but was quickly called up to the major leagues.

Since then, he had been recognized for his excellent fielding and had become a regular member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

“How’s your condition? Did you sleep well?”

“Ah, Mr. Evans.”

The moment Tony Banister greeted him with a light nod, Brett Evans thought, ‘Uh-oh.’

‘What’s wrong with this guy’s face?’

Tony’s complexion wasn’t good.

He usually had a ruddy, healthy complexion, but today he looked dull and dark.

His eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles stretched beneath them.

He looked like something was wrong, and Brett Evans couldn’t hide his concern as he spoke.

“Looks like you barely slept?”

The veteran pitcher placed a large hand on the younger player’s shoulder.

“What is it? Doesn’t smell like alcohol… Is it a game? That new one that came out?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Tony Banister rubbed his face with his palms.

“I was looking up some videos.”

“Videos? What videos?”

“The three-game series against the Yankees last time. The one at Tropicana Field.”

“Ah, that series?”

Brett Evans understood immediately.

The moment the home three-game series against the Yankees was mentioned, he knew what the young shortstop was worried about.

‘He’s worried about the errors.’

It was a home three-game series where errors were popping up everywhere, with no one to blame.

They barely managed to make it a winning series; otherwise, the impact would have been significant.

It’s best to shake off past games, but this young shortstop couldn’t seem to do that.

“So, any results?”

Brett Evans asked.

“Were you trying to find the cause of the errors? What was it, the first step? Or glove handling? I thought the ground condition was a bit bad.”

“Well, I couldn’t pinpoint anything.”

Tony Banister scratched his head.

“The first step towards the ball wasn’t bad, and the glove movement was clean. In some ways, it felt even better than usual.”

“Hmm, really?”

“Yes, and more than anything, I was really good in the away games that followed. My movements were very light, and I made a lot of great plays because of it.”

Errors in home games.

Great plays in away games.

After hearing Tony Banister’s story, Brett Evans couldn’t help but mention it.

“So, what’s the conclusion, the ghost?”

Brett Evans asked.

“Is it because of that? The ghost that appears whenever there’s a full crowd is messing around on the field?”

“Oh, come on. What ghost? I just need to concentrate a little more than usual.”

Tony Banister chuckled as he replied, but his next words were quite strange.

“…But, Mr. Evans.”

“Hmm?”

He said he was okay,

He said it was nothing,

But he looked at the veteran pitcher and cautiously asked,

“Will… will there be a full crowd today too?”

***

About two hours later.

Brett Evans was in the indoor training facility, doing his final check before his start.

Whoosh- Pow!

Each time he wound up, the ball landed accurately in the catcher’s mitt.

Pitching coach Thomas Culkin nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent! Absolutely excellent!”

Culkin handed Brett Evans a towel and joked.

“Should I just go and tell them now? To prepare the champagne party. No need to wait until the 5th inning.”

“Oh, you’re too kind.”

“No, your condition is really amazing today! Not to mention your curveball, your fastball speed is much better than usual.”

Brett Evans gave an awkward expression at the pitching coach’s praise.

Then, he faintly heard a clanging sound from afar.

“…Cowbell?”

He looked up at the ceiling.

“To hear cowbells already… It seems like a lot of fans will be coming today.”

“Oh, come on, my friend. A lot? It’s already sold out. It sold out early last night.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! It’s the game where we clinch the division title; it would be disappointing if it wasn’t sold out, right?”

Culkin laughed heartily, but Brett Evans had a rather serious expression.

Wiping his face with a towel, he seemed to be pondering something before finally speaking.

“Coach.”

“Hmm?”

“Then I think it would be good to change the pitching pattern a bit today.”

“Pitching pattern?”

“Yes, I’ll increase the proportion of curveballs. If possible, I’ll try to induce fly ball outs…”

The moment the word ‘fly ball’ came out of Brett’s mouth, Culkin made a sound like air escaping.

“Brett, don’t worry.”

“Yes?”

“You’re worried about the infielders’ errors, right? Like the last home game.”

Inducing fly balls meant reducing ground balls.

Moreover, it was a reaction after ‘full crowd’ was mentioned, so Culkin seemed to have caught on immediately.

“But it’s okay now. The front office has already finished the analysis, right? About why there were so many errors in the last home game.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes, it seems there was a slight problem in the process of maintaining the ground. Fortunately, they found a solution and I heard they’ve already taken care of it.”

He added that the information was probably being conveyed to the fielders as well.

He also added that the fielders would be able to play with peace of mind if they heard the front office’s explanation.

Culkin even showed the report from the front office, but Brett Evans tilted his head slightly.

“…Will it be okay?”

“Hmm? What?”

“This report, I mean.”

Brett continued, handing over the tablet PC.

“Isn’t it a bit… vague? There are a lot of explanations, but in the end, it means we don’t have to do anything, right?”

“Hey, that’s not it. Don’t water it. Then the ground will naturally be organized… Haa.”

Thomas Culkin, who was trying to represent the front office’s position, ended up giving a bitter smile.

“You’re right. It doesn’t feel like anything is being clearly resolved. It also reads as if it will naturally resolve itself if we just leave it alone.”

Culkin clicked his tongue.

“But what can we do? We can’t just tear up the perfectly good ground to give a refreshing feeling of resolution.”

“But shouldn’t we find another solution? This is ultimately a problem with the team atmosphere…”

Brett Evans knew.

It’s not like the players seriously believed in the existence of ghosts.

But they felt uneasy in their hearts. They were afraid that there was something they didn’t know, something they hadn’t prepared for.

And Brett also knew what people on the outside called this kind of feeling.

‘…They can’t concentrate on the game.’

A change in atmosphere seemed necessary.

To completely dispel the nonsense about ghosts.

To fill that void only with the obsession to win.

How could they achieve such a reversal? Just as the veteran pitcher was deep in thought,

“…Hmm?”

Brett Evans felt the indoor training facility becoming noisy.

He could hear people murmuring, and he could hear the sound of people gathering in groups.

Almost at the same time, he heard a shout of ‘Wow!’—Woof! Woof woof!

The sudden sound of a dog.

When Brett Evans and Thomas Culkin looked at each other, the indoor training facility door burst open with a commotion.

“Coach, hello!”

John Rahm was waving his hand at Culkin.

And following him was a dog with shaggy fur covering its eyes.

“Suddenly… a dog?”

Brett Evans blinked.

“Hey, Rahm! What are you doing? How can you bring a dog into the training facility! If you’re taking it for a walk, go outside the stadium…”

Thomas Culkin began to nag, but John Rahm confidently retorted.

“Please understand just for today, Coach! We’re not taking it for a walk right now.”

“Not a walk? Then what is it?”

At Culkin’s question, John Rahm smiled brightly and answered.

“We’re exorcising the ghost of Tropicana Field.”

Oriental Mystery!

John Rahm raised one hand high like a circus ringmaster.

“In the traditional Korean way!”

***

At this time, Thomas Culkin thought.

We need a conversation. We need a serious conversation. What on earth is going on?

“No, well…”

Thomas Culkin tried to say something to Ji-seop, who came in after, but he couldn’t start the conversation right away.

Because Tampa Bay staff members kept trying to enter the training facility, following the shaggy dog.

“Get out, get out! This place is off-limits to anyone other than the players! Why are people who know everything doing this?”

“Just a moment, Coach! I’ll just look at the dog and leave.”

“That’s enough! Get out quickly! Oh, what a mess is this?”

Let me see the dog.

Let me pet it just once.

After forcibly kicking out the people who were making a fuss, Culkin locked the transparent glass door tightly.

He turned to Ji-seop, who was calmly looking down at the dog, and asked.

“Kim, what’s going on?”

Culkin scratched his head.

“What is this dog anyway? And what’s with running around to exorcise ghosts?”

“It’s as you see it.”

Ji-seop pointed to the dog, who was getting treats from John Rahm.

“This guy is a Sapsal dog… In Korea, they are famous as a breed that chases away ghosts.”

“Chases away ghosts?”

“Yes, I’ve hardly ever seen one in person… I happened to see it when I went to meet the ground maintenance technician this time.”

To be exact, it was the dog in Stanley Ko, Mr. Ko Hong-gyu’s garden.

The very dog that was being treated with utmost care while getting beef.

Ji-seop had obtained permission from Mr. Ko Hong-gyu and brought this guy to Tropicana Field.

‘Of course, no matter how I look at it, it didn’t seem like a purebred Sapsal dog… But so what.’

Anyway, Americans don’t even know what a purebred Sapsal dog is.

The important thing is the atmosphere and the audacity. Thinking so, Ji-seop continued.

“In Korea, they are considered mystical animals, mysterious animals. They are treated almost like experts when it comes to chasing away ghosts.”

Of course, adding MSG [Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer] appropriately.

“I don’t know if there really are ghosts in Tropicana Field… but even if there are, this guy won’t be able to set foot here once he comes.”

“I, is he that great of a friend?”

Thomas Culkin seemed to be slightly 넘어가는듯하던 [swaying, being persuaded] with the brazen words.

But he soon shook his head and said with a stern expression.

“Hey, still, this isn’t right! How can you bring a dog to the stadium, especially at a time when the players need to be focused? Look over there, even the front office staff are gathering to see the dog…”

Wait a minute, isn’t that the bench coach?

Why is that guy acting like that again?

While Culkin was making a difficult expression, Brett Evans got up and said.

“That’s why, Coach.”

“Hmm?”

“Weren’t you looking for a way to change the atmosphere? A way to change the stuffy, damp atmosphere?”

He continued.

“If we take this guy for a spin around the stadium, I think the atmosphere will improve a lot? And the rumors about ghosts will disappear completely.”

“I, is that so? It seems like it…”

As Thomas Culkin took a step back, Brett Evans turned his gaze to Ji-seop.

“It’s you again, Kim. Haha, how did you come up with this idea?”

Brett Evans gave a faint smile.

“How about it? How about starting with the clubhouse with this guy? I think the players will like it very much.”

“Sure. I was planning to head that way anyway.”

Just as Ji-seop and John Rahm were trying to coax the dog, who was lying on the floor, to take him out,

Brett Evans asked, hanging a towel around his neck.

“Ah, but Kim.”

“Yes?”

“What’s his name? Sapsal… isn’t that the breed name?”

“Ah, the name?”