A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 377

Baseball Team New Recruit Is Too Good-377

Baseball Team New Recruit Is Too Good 377

85 Dog Fight (5)

World Series Game 1, D-4.

In the conference room at Tropicana Field, President Brian Spon was giving specific instructions.

“The tickets we’ve secured this time will all be distributed offline.”

R. J. Higgins, the VP of Marketing, took the lead, speaking for the president.

“We are currently in negotiations with companies like [Ticket Box] and [Tampa Tickets]. Once the negotiations are complete, we plan to place tickets primarily in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa.”

“[Ticket Box]… Oh, you mean that old ticket shop beyond Parking Lot 4?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Near Major League ballparks, there are quite a few shops specializing in secondary ticket sales.

It’s a sight unseen near baseball stadiums in Korea or Japan, where secondary ticket sales are, in principle, prohibited.

But in the United States, it’s said to be an industry with its own history and tradition. They had established themselves since the days when you had to visit the ballpark to buy tickets.

Of course, now they’ve lost their former glory, overshadowed by the internet. President Brian Spon seemed determined to utilize these people.

“Baseball fans would have used them at least once or twice, so I think everyone knows them well. You know how quick those owners are.”

Higgins winked.

“They have been with our team for a long time. If we entrust them with the sales, we expect that more than 80% of the tickets we’ve secured this time will be supplied to Tampa Bay fans.”

Distributing the hard-earned tickets online would only make them easy prey for Philadelphia fans again.

To ensure as many Tampa Bay fans as possible can come to the home stadium, distributing them offline is the best option.

Moreover, this method could greatly help elderly baseball fans who are not familiar with using the internet and have been unable to secure tickets.

“I see. It seems like a good idea in many ways, but…”

Indeed, it was definitely a good plan.

A good way to supply tickets to Tampa Bay fans, avoiding the prying eyes of piranha-like Philadelphia fans.

A way to ensure that we don’t fall behind in cheering, at least, during the World Series games held at Tropicana Field.

However, the Tampa Bay front office staff, especially those in the finance department, wore rather worried expressions.

“President, are you sure about this?”

Eventually, the concern came from the financial accounting department.

“We won’t argue with you offering better contract terms to our partners. But buying tickets even from the auction market seems like an overreach, no matter how we think about it.”

It was Robert Woldra, the director of the financial accounting department.

“You’ve been managing the team while saving every penny. Until just a few years ago, we even charged the players for the sports drinks they drank during games. The current financial state of our team has been maintained by trying so hard…”

Buying a large number of tickets from the auction market was not an easy task.

Even considering reselling them later, it would cost a considerable amount. From the team’s perspective, which needs to attract as many spectators as possible, they wouldn’t be able to set an exorbitant price.

If so, it’s a project that could cost at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more than a million dollars.

Is it really reasonable for a small-market team like the Tampa Bay Rays to pour that much money in just three days?

This question, which Robert Woldra, the director of the financial accounting department, and perhaps many of the front office staff attending the meeting that day, may have had in their minds.

The man who had led the Tampa Bay Rays for the past 20 years gave the following answer.

“Yes, you are right.”

Brian Spon.

The president of Tampa Bay said.

“Operating the small-market Tampa Bay Rays stably for a long time… That was certainly my reward. It was also my pride.”

He said that his pride hadn’t changed much even now.

However, there was one thing.

“I recently received a letter from the league office. I opened it wondering what it was… It was a kind of advance notice.”

“Advance notice?”

“Yes. The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee has placed my name on the preliminary candidate list in the baseball executive category.”

Of course, the final selection would be decided after quite a long time.

Only after Brian Spon relinquishes all titles will the full discussion begin.

However, just having his name on the preliminary candidate list was a tremendous honor. It was a situation where congratulatory messages should have poured in, but.

“…”

“…”

At this time, the Tampa Bay front office people kept their mouths shut and only looked at each other.

The man who held the tremendous honor of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame did not look so bright.

“Yes, I wasn’t very happy.”

Brian Spon said.

“Even though it’s definitely a situation to be happy about, I somehow felt like there was an empty space in one corner of my heart.”

The years that had flowed by like a dream felt futile.

Only the fact that the remaining years were not so long became clear.

A strange feeling felt in a situation where the best honor as a team front office was right in front of him.

The president continued.

“That’s when I finally realized. How greedy I, Brian Spon, was.”

His voice had a determination that had never been felt before.

“It wasn’t enough to maintain the title of president for over 20 years. It wasn’t enough to consistently go to the postseason. I realized that fact only after becoming a preliminary candidate for the Hall of Fame.”

And the next moment, the most decisive declaration of the day popped out.

“Everyone, I want to win.”

It was the president’s confession.

“I thought a lot about how to convey this to you. I was a political person in my own way, so I thought I would need a plausible justification if I thought about things later.”

Should I put the fans’ desire for a World Series victory at the forefront?

Or should I use the team’s sluggish growth over the years as a justification?

He said he had a lot of concerns in his own way.

“But ultimately, I decided to just lay it all out. If I leave room, I won’t be able to reach it in the end.”

It was at this moment that a more determined expression than ever before appeared on Brian Spon’s face.

“Everyone! This World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays will pour in all available resources.”

Could the president have made such a loud voice?

Jisub was inwardly surprised.

“There are no other justifications! It’s not for the fans, and it’s not for the future of the team. It’s just that President Brian Spon, that human being, wants to do it.”

In some ways, it’s a story that’s so straightforward that it makes you laugh.

But there was a reason why he said it so bluntly.

“…So I will take all the responsibility.”

The president looked at everyone in the conference room one by one.

“I will take responsibility for everything I have built up so far, so please give full play to your capabilities. Any idea, any strategy or tactic, if it’s for winning, please suggest it without hesitation. If you do that…”

This season’s championship ring,

Will be ours.

That was the last word of President Brian Spon that day.

* * *

We pour everything in.

I will take all the responsibility.

After President Brian Spon’s public declaration, Jisub could feel that the atmosphere within the team had changed quite a bit.

Looking back, there was always such an atmosphere in the Tampa Bay Rays. Because it’s a small market, the players’ salaries are not that high. Isn’t this level of performance actually enough?

However, after the president himself stepped up and pointed out ‘the goal is to win’ and ‘I will take responsibility,’ the employees’ determination also changed quite a bit.

“There’s no room for excuses anymore.”

David Wilson, who had always been closer to the ‘cautious’ side, said that with a bitter smile.

“We can’t do it because the team doesn’t have money, we can’t do it because we have to think about next year… We can’t get out of it that way anymore.”

He said that the people in the baseball operations department were almost becoming zombies.

The people in the marketing department were also preparing events with a fierce momentum.

Other departments were also waiting for the series in a different way than usual.

“If other departments are coming out like this… Shouldn’t we be on high alert too?”

In fact, since then, Jisub has spent the busiest three days since joining the Tampa Bay Rays.

The main task was still the production of the Yellow Book [a detailed scouting report]. The work of analyzing the strengths of Tampa Bay and Philadelphia and predicting the overall aspects of the series.

The future strategy planning department, which couldn’t get enough sleep for three days and nights, had no choice but to carry the work on the plane to Philadelphia.

“Okay, thanks for your hard work. I’ll deliver it to the president.”

Thanks to this, Jisub and his party were able to catch their breath only after their plane landed at Philadelphia International Airport.

“Thank you for your hard work, Kim.”

“Yes, David, you really worked hard too.”

On this day, the Tampa Bay Rays’ front office staff had arrived in Philadelphia a day earlier than the players.

The purpose was to finish preparing the general matters before the team moved to Philadelphia.

As they got off the plane, picked up their luggage, and trudged towards the airport exit.

“Come this way! This way!”

The Tampa Bay staff, who had arrived earlier with the starting lineup, were seen waving their hands greatly towards Jisub and his party.

They were all employees of the baseball operations department. Melanie, the road schedule manager, and her assistant, Tyler.

Up to this point, they were familiar faces to Jisub, but two more unfamiliar men caught his eye next to them.

“Assistant General Manager, please say hello. This is Mr. Smith from the Philadelphia Phillies security team.”

“Hello, Assistant General Manager.”

“And this is Nate Langill from the Philadelphia City Police.”

“Welcome to Philadelphia.”

Watching the two men greet Deputy General Manager Rebecca Carney, Jisub was inwardly tilting his head.

Even the Philadelphia Phillies’ security team staff is understandable, but is it necessary for the Philadelphia police to come out and greet us?

In fact, it wasn’t just those two. There were three or four more men wearing thick leather jackets waiting in front.

‘What’s going on?’

Since it was his first visit to Philadelphia, Jisub was tilting his head at this point.

However, exactly one hour later, the moment they approached the hotel near where the Tampa Bay Rays team would be staying during this road trip.

Jisub realized why the Philadelphia Phillies had to be so considerate.

We- Want-

Bloody Devil Rays!

We- Want-

Bloody Devil Rays!!

There were about twenty Philadelphia Phillies fans.

Even though there was still more than a day left before the World Series started, they were gathered near the Tampa Bay Rays’ away accommodation, shouting slogans loudly.

We- Want-

Bloody Devil Rays!!!

We want a bleeding Rays.

We want the Rays to be completely smashed.

The Phillies fans were shouting truly chilling slogans.

Jisub, who had goosebumps, shook his head while exhaling ‘Hoo,’ and the Philadelphia police officer sitting across from him smiled faintly and spoke.

“I recommend that you do not reveal that you are a Tampa Bay employee while you are in Philadelphia.”

And the following words.

“In fact, the war has already begun.”

That’s right.

The ‘dog fight’ between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies had already begun.