A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 368

The Overachieving Rookie – Chapter 368

Section 84: Watching a Tiger Across the River (4)

“I received a request from Ryu.”

It was Jessica Ross, the main director of the Boston Red Sox Baseball R&D team.

“He said he was curious about Kim’s impressions. How you viewed this Wild Card Series, and what you think of Ryu’s changes.”

“Ah, is that so?”

At that moment, Ji-seop unconsciously made a sound like air escaping.

He was reminded of his time working at KH Cannons.

‘That guy hasn’t changed a bit?’

Ryu Jang-ho was a taciturn guy.

He didn’t express his emotions much.

Ji-seop could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen him laugh out loud.

However, when he felt he had done something great, he would sneak up to Ji-seop and ask:

– Hyung [older brother or respected male figure in Korean].

– Hmm?

– Don’t you have anything to say to me?

– …….

He usually didn’t care about what others thought, but he was a genius hitter who always wanted to be praised for his accomplishments.

It seemed his style was still the same. Asking Jessica Ross to get Ji-seop’s impressions meant just that.

‘Seriously, what a weirdo? He’s now a star player recognized even in Major League Baseball.’

Even with such thoughts, Ji-seop’s heart was warm.

He was happy to see his old colleague unchanged over time and grateful that he sought him out even amidst the praise of the world.

However, he felt a bit embarrassed to have such feelings conveyed so openly through a third party.

So, he offered a word.

“Tell him not to get too excited. Tell him to approach the game calmly.”

“Not to get too excited?”

Jessica Ross tilted her head slightly at Ji-seop’s words.

“What does that mean? Do you think Ryu is excited?”

“No, it’s not that, but…….”

It was clearly a story he brought up to hide his embarrassment, but the meaning within was Ji-seop’s true feeling.

“You know it too, Ross. Many players lose their composure in the postseason.”

In the past, the front office of KH Cannons called this phenomenon ‘fall hype’ or ‘hype rush’.

Players become unconsciously excited when they play in a stadium decorated more splendidly than usual, with more enthusiastic fans cheering, and with more spotlights shining on them.

“That feeling is actually a double-edged sword. It can greatly enhance a player’s performance, but if it goes slightly wrong…….”

“It could lead to injury?”

Jessica Ross lightly clicked her tongue.

“Well, that’s a concern. Excited players often don’t even realize they’re injured.”

“Yes, especially since he recently changed his playing style, right? I thought it might be necessary to pay even more attention in this case…….”

“I see. I’ll pay special attention to that…… um?”

Jessica, who had been nodding slowly, seemed to realize something strange.

“Wait a minute, Kim! That’s a request for our Boston front office, isn’t it? I asked you to tell me what you wanted to say to Ryu.”

“Oh, that’s right. I didn’t even realize…… Haha, I’m sorry.”

Ji-seop gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his neck.

What should he say? After a moment of thought, he gave the following answer.

“Then just…… please tell him to call me whenever he has time.”

“A call?”

“Yes, that guy hasn’t been in touch lately. Not only me, but his colleagues in Korea are also making a fuss because they can’t reach him…….”

Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner?

Why go through Jessica? Jessica would have to relay the message through an interpreter.

It would be better to call him directly than to go through such a complicated process.

Then he could praise him, hear his voice after a long time, and reassure Go Chang-deok, who must be worried far away.

“Ah, about that…….”

Jessica’s reaction was strange.

She seemed hesitant and embarrassed.

Then, she brushed back her long hair and said calmly.

“Kim, I’m sorry to tell you this.”

“Yes?”

“Ryu won’t be able to contact you until the end of this postseason.”

“He can’t……? Not that he’s not doing it?”

“Yes, our Baseball R&D team has officially requested it. We asked him not to contact Kim or anyone who knows Kim for the time being.”

She looked at Ji-seop with a serious expression.

“To be honest…… it was my personal decision.”

* * *

For the past month, Ryu Jang-ho’s contact had been cut off due to a decision by the Boston Red Sox front office.

Specifically, Jessica Ross of the Baseball R&D team had officially requested it of Ryu Jang-ho.

Ji-seop informed Go Chang-deok in Korea of this fact the following morning.

Go Chang-deok had been eagerly waiting for news of Ryu Jang-ho, so he couldn’t just ignore it.

– Ah, really? It was a decision by the team’s front office?

Go Chang-deok let out a sigh of relief after receiving Ji-seop’s call.

– Whew, that’s what I thought! I thought something was strange. Jang-ho may be a bit taciturn, but he’s not rude, is he?

“I’m sorry about this.”

Ji-seop opened his laptop and continued.

“According to the Boston front office, it seems the decision was made because of me. Since I’m in the Future Strategy Planning department…….”

At this time, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Future Strategy Planning department was recognized as a core department of the team.

So, Jessica Ross seemed quite concerned.

Their main hitter was said to be close friends with an employee working in the core department of the Tampa Bay front office.

“There’s a possibility that team secrets could be leaked, and bad rumors could spread…… It seems the team made a special request to Jang-ho. Including you, hyung, and other KH Cannons players.”

– Well, it’s not unreasonable.

Go Chang-deok laughed heartily after hearing this.

– Hehe, Jessica, was it? That friend must have been quite anxious. Especially since you’re close to Jang-ho, Ji-seop.

Your sense is extraordinary.

I would have told him to cut off contact too.

After laughing for a while, Go Chang-deok suddenly changed his tone and continued.

– Of course…… that’s not all of it, though.

Yes, it’s not all of it.

Go Chang-deok’s voice was calm.

– I think this decision is also related to that Jessica person’s pride? Something like that.

“Pride? You mean self-esteem?”

– Yeah, self-esteem. Self-esteem as a front office member. A sense of pride in working for a Major League team.

A ‘creaking’ sound came from the phone speaker.

It seemed Go Chang-deok had gotten up from his swivel chair.

– I didn’t tell you this, but there were people here at KH Cannons who had their pride hurt because of you.

“Because of me? Why?”

Ji-seop blinked and asked, and a loud laugh came from the speaker.

– You’re such a funny guy! You seem to know people’s minds well, but sometimes you say things that are completely off.

Do you really not know why you’re asking?

Go Chang-deok said with a laugh.

– Hey, isn’t it obvious? Of course, they’d be upset! The players who wouldn’t listen to them at all believed and followed your words implicitly!

“Ah.”

– If they had given up completely, it might have been different, but if they were employees who were working hard, they would have been very upset. What is Kim Ji-seop? I’ve learned as much as I can and worked as hard as I can, but why can’t I beat Kim Ji-seop?

He added that everyone came to like Ji-seop later, but there was quite a bit of gossip when he first joined the Cannons.

– I think it’s probably similar this time too.

You know it too.

What kind of guy Ryu Jang-ho is.

Go Chang-deok sighed briefly.

– I don’t even need to see it. Ryu Jang-ho? That guy must have talked about you a lot to the Boston staff.

“Come on, no way. Jang-ho was never the type to chatter about other people.”

– Yeah, that’s right. I don’t think he would have idly chatted either. But if the advice from the Boston front office and the advice you gave him in the past clashed…… what would Jang-ho have said then?

……Oh, dear.

Ji-seop felt speechless.

Certainly, Ryu Jang-ho would have mentioned Ji-seop and upset the Boston front office.

He might have said that it was different from Ji-seop’s advice, that he needed to think about it, or that he needed to discuss it with Ji-seop.

‘So, their pride was hurt? The great Jessica Ross?’

Go Chang-deok’s words made sense, but honestly, Ji-seop was skeptical at this point.

The classmates he met in the MBA program at Fort Myers University were all people who lived for their own egos.

Could someone like Jessica Ross really feel competitive with Ji-seop? Was this decision made out of that feeling?

Various thoughts came to mind, but Ji-seop’s conclusion was rather simple.

“Anyway…… well, we don’t have to worry too much about Jang-ho for the time being.”

– Hmm?

“Whatever the reason, it means the Boston Red Sox front office is cherishing Jang-ho.”

Boston made a decision that took into account not only Ryu Jang-ho and Ji-seop but also Go Chang-deok in Korea.

Wouldn’t that be proof that the Boston front office was paying close attention to Ryu Jang-ho?

He had put on a great performance in the Wild Card Series, so they couldn’t stop paying attention even if they wanted to.

“Let’s leave the Jang-ho issue to Jessica and her smart colleagues, and we should focus on our work, shouldn’t we?”

Ji-seop moved the mouse and opened a document file.

“Neither you nor I are in a situation where we can spend unlimited time on Jang-ho, are we?”

– That’s…… damn it, that’s right.

Ji-seop had to focus on the Division Series against the Minnesota Twins, which would start tomorrow.

Go Chang-deok also had the first game of the playoffs against the Jinyang Bucks coming up.

“Hyung, you need to be on your toes? You have to advance to at least the Korean Series [championship series in Korean baseball] this year, or else people will say you were eliminated because I wasn’t there.”

– Hey, don’t even mention it. That’s what everyone is saying right now. That we shouldn’t have sent you away, Ji-seop…….

Go Chang-deok clicked his tongue.

He asked Ji-seop.

– What about you?

“Yes?”

– Are you guys okay? I heard that the Tampa Bay Rays invested all their future this season, just looking at winning the championship.

Go Chang-deok’s voice was worried.

– When you think about it, Jang-ho’s performance isn’t very welcome from your perspective, is it? You could meet Boston in the Championship Series right away.

“What do you mean? We’re comfortable. Jang-ho is like…… watching a tiger across the river [a Korean idiom meaning observing a situation from a safe distance], I guess?”

Ji-seop answered casually.

“We’re all prepared. Prepared to defeat the Minnesota Twins, prepared to advance to the Championship Series, and most of all…….”

Click, click, click.

Ji-seop checked the data sent by the baseball operations department, and his eyes lit up.

“We’re also prepared to thoroughly beat up the tiger who’s exhausted from crossing the river.”