A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 363

Baseball Team’s Newbie is Too Good 363

83 The Ghost of the Field (6)

What can a single dog do?

Can it chase away ghosts like in legends? Impossible to know.

Can it bring luck to its owner? Also unknown.

But on this day, Jisub knew one thing for sure.

A single dog can,

change the team’s atmosphere.

Woof! Woof! Woof woof!

Of course, it was a bit ambiguous at first.

When Jisub brought the Sapsal dog [a Korean breed known for warding off evil spirits] into the clubhouse, the players were lukewarm.

“……A dog?”

“Kim, what’s that thing?”

The players tilted their heads at the sudden appearance of a dog.

But when Jisub, with a straight face, recited the legend of the Sapsal dog, the players showed interest.

“Oh, really? This guy can chase away ghosts?”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard something like that before. Dogs can see ghosts, right?”

“But will *this* guy do? He looks a bit… weak.”

Until this point, only a few animal lovers were interested.

Our Sapsal dog friend became a clubhouse star when Jisub told them its name.

“What, what did you say?!”

“No, Kim! Do Koreans usually name their dogs like that?”

“Oh my god! Go-F*ck-Kill…….”

“It’s like a pro wrestler’s ring name…….”

Laughter erupted among the players.

The clubhouse atmosphere changed, probably from this point.

“Haha, I like the name!”

“Hey, F*ckkill! Want a snack? Should I get you some sausage?”

“Hey, dogs shouldn’t eat sausage! Hey, Lama! Doesn’t he have his own snacks?”

Go, f*ck, kill.

The players beamed at the dog with a truly brutal name.

Just then, Bokgil showed off his only personal skill: ‘lying down on his back,’ and the atmosphere became even more heated.

Clapping, giving snacks, and stroking the dog’s smooth fur, they laughed happily-

“Ah, Mr. Go!”

By the time Jisub received a call from Bokgil’s owner, Go Hong-gyu, he was already smiling.

“I was just about to call you. Did you finish your work?”

-No, I’m still working… I was wondering if Bokgil is doing his job.

Mr. Go Hong-gyu continued.

-How is it? Is Bokgil doing well? Has he been helpful to Jisub?

“Of course, he’s been a great help. I think he’s almost become the clubhouse mascot now.”

Jisub smiled as he looked at the players gathered around Bokgil.

The players were having so much fun, overjoyed even when Bokgil slightly wagged his tail.

-That’s a relief. Well, Bokgil has a good sense. He knows exactly what his role is.

It’s not for nothing that he’s a spiritual being, right?

It’s not for nothing that he’s a purebred Sapsal dog.

Mr. Go Hong-gyu laughed heartily.

-Well, everything is good… Jisub! Just be careful about one thing.

“Yes? What is it?”

-Bokgil really likes people. He likes getting attention too. But when he gets too excited and his mood goes up….

Before Mr. Go Hong-gyu could finish, a scream erupted from the players.

“Oh, sh*t! This guy is peeing?!”

“Hey, hey, Vincent! Put F*ckkill down! Put him down! He’s still peeing… Aaaagh!”

“Oh, what should we do? Tony! F*ckkill peed on your uniform!!!”

The clubhouse was in an uproar due to Bokgil’s sudden behavior.

As Jisub blankly watched, Mr. Go Hong-gyu’s advice came to his ears.

-That guy pees.

Mr. Go Hong-gyu said.

-So, if you think he’s getting excited, it’s better to lay a towel on the floor in advance….

“Ah, is that so?”

A bitter smile was on Jisub’s face.

“Hehe, it would have been better if you had told me that a little… sooner.”

* * *

At the very moment when the Tampa Bay clubhouse was busy cleaning up Bokgil’s mess,

The seven gates of Tropicana Field opened simultaneously, and the audience began to enter.

A game with the division championship on the line. A game where they could become the American League East powerhouse with just one more win.

Perhaps that’s why the cowbell sound, more boisterous than usual, filled the stadium-

“Hmm…….”

Near the press box, right behind home plate, a middle-aged woman looked down at a tablet PC.

“This… will this be okay?”

She said, looking at the young man standing across from her.

The man had an access pass that read [Florida Herald] on his chest.

“Didn’t the club request that you refrain from talking about the ghost of the field or anything like that?”

“To be exact, it was a request not to mention ‘rumors’ related to ghosts.”

The young man’s eyes gleamed.

“But this isn’t a rumor. It’s a fact we’ve identified through coverage. It’s also the hidden history of the Tampa Bay Rays.”

“Hidden history?”

“Yes, didn’t the team leader also say she didn’t know? The fact that Tropicana Field was built on the site of a coal gasification plant, and that there were frequent casualties in the past because it was such a dangerous place.”

“Well, the story itself is interesting enough…….”

The team leader said, taking off her glasses.

“This is clearly an article with an intention. The rumor about the ghost might be true, there might be a ghost in Tropicana Field… Isn’t that the message you want to convey?”

“…….”

“You’re adding a spoonful of fact to the rumors and trying to create something plausible, aren’t you? I see that intention.”

“Yes, I won’t deny it.”

The young reporter smiled.

“What? Hey, Bob! What are you doing…….”

“It’s true that there is an intention, but I think it’s a pretty good article from the perspective of our [Florida Herald].”

The young reporter, called ‘Bob,’ continued with ambitious eyes.

“How many Tampa Bay fans are there in Florida? Especially in Tampa, where our headquarters are, there are more Yankees fans, right? Because the Yankees’ single A team is in Tampa [referring to a minor league affiliate].”

“So what?”

“Think from a Yankees fan’s perspective. Which article would be more interesting? An article about the Tampa Bay Rays doing well? Or an article about the possibility of them falling in the future?”

At the young reporter’s point, the team leader narrowed her eyes.

It wasn’t a bad story for her to hear either.

The Tampa Bay Rays, who were like the nemesis of the New York Yankees this season.

If a negative outlook came out for them, the Yankees fans would definitely like it.

“Bob, is this definitely something you’ve covered?”

After some time, the team leader asked, returning the tablet PC.

“Yes, of course. I confirmed it by going to the St. Petersburg City Hall.”

“Okay, then let’s do this. We’ll upload the article if Tampa Bay loses today.”

That was the condition she set.

“Tampa Bay is about to win the division today. No matter how many Yankees fans there are among our readers, we can’t publish such an article on the day of the championship… Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Bob nodded.

“I’ll do as the team leader says.”

* * *

Clatter clatter clatter clatter!

Clatter clatter clatter clatter!

The boisterous sound of cowbells echoed through Tropicana Field as the game began.

Bob, a reporter for the [Florida Herald], returned to the press box and looked down at the field.

‘Okay, I got permission. Now my carefully prepared article will see the light of day.’

The team leader said that the publication of the article would be determined by the outcome of the game, but Bob’s face was full of confidence.

He had called the Tampa Bay players before the game and grasped a fact.

‘The team atmosphere is chaotic.’

That was his conclusion.

‘The starting pitcher, Brett Evans, was relatively better, but the infielders, including Tony Banister, seemed distracted. Maybe the errors from the last Yankees game are lingering in their minds.’

Although currently a rookie reporter, Bob once interned with a Major League Baseball team for a long time.

So he prided himself on knowing how a Major League Baseball team’s atmosphere flows.

‘It’s better to have a big accident than to have strange rumors about ghosts, because there’s no solution. There’s no substance, so there’s no countermeasure, and since there’s no countermeasure, the atmosphere will sink endlessly.’

Therefore, the Tampa Bay Rays would be on a downward curve for the time being, that was his conclusion.

In the end, they might win the division, but the process wouldn’t be easy.

Wouldn’t his ‘ghost’ article, which he had prepared, be recognized as an article that predicted the future of Tampa Bay?

While Bob was lost in thought, he heard a sharp crack from the field.

A hit that dropped right in front of the right fielder. Brett Evans, the starting pitcher, had allowed his first hit.

‘Good, runners on first and second with two outs!’

Bob clenched his fist.

‘Brett Evans must be worried about the state of the infielders. He’s not as sharp as usual?’

It felt like his predictions were coming true.

It felt like his thoughts were being proven right.

It was only the top of the first inning, but he wondered if he should just upload the article now.

Thwack!

Another sharp crack from the field.

Bob held his breath, checking the batted ball’s direction.

‘That’s it, that’s a hit!’

A hit that would go through between the third baseman and the shortstop, that was his prediction.

The ball’s speed was so fast, and the shortstop’s position was biased towards second base to check the runner.

So Brett Evans would concede his first run, that’s what he thought, but right then-

“?!!”

Bob’s eyes widened.

It was Tony Banister, the Tampa Bay Rays’ shortstop.

The player who had provided the excuse for the ghost rumors with his absurd mistake in the last game against the Yankees.

The very player who, just hours ago, had looked uneasy and dejected.

That Tony Banister threw his body forcefully towards the batted ball without hesitation.

Whap!

The batted ball, which seemed like it would break through the infield, went into Tony Banister’s glove.

The shortstop, who caught the ball, quickly threw it to the second baseman who was backing up.

Whoosh!

The second baseman, receiving the ball, spun and threw it forcefully towards first base-out! Out! Out!

The Tampa Bay Rays got a valuable out.

Three outs, switch of offense and defense.

-Wow, amazing defense!!

Not far from the press box, in the broadcast booth, the commentators exclaimed.

-Tony Banister! He makes an amazing save in a crisis with two outs and runners on first and second!

-That’s right. It was a bold defense!

The commentator was excited.

-The ball’s speed was tremendous, wasn’t it? You can’t catch that if you hesitate… Tony Banister was great.

-Has he shaken off the mistake from the Yankees game? Tony Banister is smiling brightly and returning to the dugout!

Wow!!!

Wow!!!

Tony Banister, returning to the dugout, received the fans’ enthusiastic cheers.

Watching that scene, Bob looked possessed.

‘How… how?’

He stared blankly at the screen in the press box.

‘He was completely dejected just hours ago… What happened?’

A rookie baseball reporter couldn’t hide his embarrassment at the completely different appearance from his expectations.

Because of that, he didn’t hear the story coming from the broadcast.

-Ah, what gesture are the Tampa Bay players making to Tony Banister? What does that mean?

-That’s right. They keep chuckling while pointing at his uniform….

The commentator continued.

-There’s something on his uniform… That’s what it seems like.