A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 390

Baseball Team Newbie Is Too Good – Episode 390

Baseball Team Newbie Is Too Good Episode 390

87 The Highest Place (3)

That day, Benjamin Oznovich, general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, wore a disgruntled expression all day.

There was a good reason. The Phillies owner had assigned him to the ‘isolation group’ for that day’s game.

-I think you’re the right person.

Said the Phillies owner.

-No, no, don’t misunderstand. This decision was made for the future of our team, regardless of today’s game result. Who else but you can objectively assess our Phillies in the future?

Regardless of today’s game result.

The owner emphasized this point several times, but General Manager Oznovich couldn’t take it at face value.

‘Damn it, who does he think I am, a three-year-old?’

This was a decision made based on predicting the outcome of today’s game, no matter who looked at it.

‘It’s going to be difficult to win today. The momentum has shifted to Tampa Bay. So, let’s prepare for next season early.’

If not for that judgment, why else would a current general manager be assigned to the isolation group? [A group separated from the team to prevent distractions or potential leaks of strategy.]

‘I can’t accept it.’

That’s right. He couldn’t accept it.

In General Manager Oznovich’s view, this series still had potential.

The ball is round, and the flow of the game is like a living thing, so you never know when or how it will fluctuate.

Above all, the current series record is 3 wins and 3 losses. Giving up here was something his pride wouldn’t allow.

‘I need to find a way.’

A way to check the game situation even after entering the isolation group.

A way to check the game situation and contact the front office.

Coming up with the idea itself was simple, but there was one thing that bothered him.

‘I need someone to help me…….’

It was too difficult to do alone.

‘Aaron is smart, but he’s too timid, and Walter is reliable, but his sense is a bit lacking…….’

Ah, isn’t there anyone?

A guy who is smart and brave, reliable and quick-witted.

If only I had someone like that by my side, I wouldn’t ask for anything more.

Benjamin Oznovich, the general manager, had been immersed in such thoughts all day, so-

“Benjamin! Are you still going to deny it after seeing this? Look! There’s a smartphone inside the Bible!”

Even when trainer Frank Olsen was caught with a Bible, he didn’t bat an eye.

“Oh, you’re laughing? No, how can you laugh in this situation? Even though you were clearly assigned to the isolation group?”

Yes, he even burst into laughter.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

In the middle of the training room, where he had been forcibly dragged, stood someone he really didn’t expect.

“Hey, Ben! How have you been? How does it feel to be crushed by our Tampa Bay?”

Aside from John LaMar.

The one standing next to him, silently watching him.

‘……Kim!’

At that moment, Benjamin Oznovich felt like he had gained a thousand troops and horses.

* * *

Things are working out.

Luck is on my side.

Benjamin thought.

‘Yeah, I can trust Kim.’

He was a figure who had risen to the core of the Tampa Bay front office in less than a season.

From Victor Johnson Jr. to Vincent Hiyama, he was always present at the important turning points of Tampa Bay this season.

And that’s not all. He was also the one who changed Brian Spon, the general manager, who everyone thought would never change.

‘Honestly, that’s…… still something I can’t understand.’

In any case, he was the best person for the current situation.

He’s smart. He has a good sense. As a former player, he’s probably braver than most people.

And above all, Ji-seop, like himself, was assigned to the ‘isolation group.’

‘Ah, Tampa Bay called it the Black Team, didn’t they?’

He must be getting restless by now.

The fact that he can’t watch the game must be suffocating him.

So, isn’t it even better? If he subtly suggests it, he’ll agree right away.

‘Okay, then…….’

From that moment on, Benjamin Oznovich began to watch Ji-seop’s movements out of the corner of his eye.

While half-heartedly following the movements the trainer was telling him to do, he took one step and then another towards Ji-seop.

“Ah, Kim! Can you tell the trainer about my story? I couldn’t sleep at all last night, you know?”

“Don’t lie. Your snoring was echoing in the room. What do you mean you couldn’t sleep…….”

As he said that, Ji-seop poked John LaMar in the side with his finger.

Just as John LaMar screamed and went to the trainer, Benjamin Oznovich took advantage of the gap and succeeded in standing next to his potential accomplice.

“Kim?”

At this time, Ji-seop was running on the treadmill, sweating profusely.

While pretending to keep pace with him, General Manager Oznovich said in a subtle voice.

“Actually, I have a subordinate in the lobby on the first floor of this hotel.”

He didn’t bother to add any nonsense about having an interesting proposal or a tempting story.

He knew that Ji-seop would understand everything if he told him the main point right away.

“Ah, under Mr. Oznovich’s instructions?”

As expected.

Ji-seop didn’t seem surprised at all.

“But the first floor lobby is a bit difficult, isn’t it? It seems difficult to deceive the trainer’s eyes and go all the way there.”

“That’s right. But this is a hotel, isn’t it? There are telephones connected to the front desk everywhere.”

Ugh!

Ugh!

General Manager Oznovich glanced at the trainer, who was busy pushing John LaMar.

“Kim, can you distract that bulky guy for just three minutes?”

“Three minutes.”

“Yes, then I’ll sneak out and contact the front desk.”

The plan was to bring the team employee waiting in the lobby on the first floor to the training room.

“That friend will come in pretending to be a hotel guest and leave his cell phone in the bathroom inside.”

“Oh ho.”

“Then we can pretend to go to the bathroom and check the game results. Well, we’ll have to make some kind of excuse, like having diarrhea.”

“Hehe, you still have a unique side.”

Up until this point, Ji-seop seemed to agree with General Manager Oznovich’s plan.

He nodded, gave a sly smile, and looked back at the trainer.

But, right at the next timing.

“Instead, Kim, let’s agree to use the phone just once each.”

The moment Benjamin said this, Ji-seop’s expression changed slightly.

“Phone? What phone?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? The phone to call the front office staff.”

General Manager Oznovich grinned.

“Wouldn’t you be too disappointed if the World Series ended like this? So, let’s each make one more move.”

“…….”

“It could be about player substitutions, or it could be about tactics. Anyway, after seeing the current game situation, each of us will have ideas in our heads…….”

The meaning was to convey that to their respective colleagues waiting at the stadium.

As a way to commemorate this World Series, which they had fought so fiercely.

“How is it?”

Ji-seop’s response to Benjamin Oznovich’s subtle suggestion was a moment of silence.

“…….”

There was no response.

He simply turned off the treadmill and began to walk towards the trainer, staring intently into General Manager Oznovich’s eyes.

“Kim, you have to give me an answer…….”

When General Manager Oznovich said this, unable to wait any longer, Ji-seop turned around and began to walk towards the trainer.

“Hey…… Frank?”

“Oh, Kim! What’s wrong?”

Watching Ji-seop say something to the trainer, General Manager Oznovich cheered inwardly.

‘Ah, he means he’s going to take action right away? Well, there’s no need to answer such a thing.’

Okay. It’s okay now.

While Kim was distracting the trainer, all he had to do was pick up the phone outside the glass door.

Swallowing hard, General Manager Oznovich was just about to push the glass door open when.

“Ah, is that so? You’re saying that a Phillies employee is in the lobby on the first floor right now?”

Frank Trainer’s gruff voice came from behind.

As General Manager Oznovich stopped as if rooted to the spot, Frank Trainer laughed and said.

“Benjamin! Just come in comfortably!”

He continued.

“I’m not going to eat you, am I?”

* * *

At first, General Manager Oznovich felt his heart sink.

He was caught trying to sneak out. And he was caught by that scary muscle man, Frank Trainer.

It was exactly the feeling he had when he was caught running away from school during class in his school days.

But soon, General Manager Oznovich was able to realize that the situation was different from then.

‘No, wait a minute? I haven’t committed any major crime, have I?’

General Manager Oznovich jumped up from his seat.

Then, he strode forward with a confident gait and glared at Ji-seop.

“No, Kim! What’s going on?”

He shouted loudly.

“Didn’t we agree on everything? Why are you suddenly stabbing me in the back? Why, are you worried that the game flow will change if I contact the team?”

“Hey, what are you worried about.”

General Manager Oznovich glared, but Ji-seop’s attitude in response was extremely relaxed.

“Why are you getting so angry? I don’t think I ever answered that I would participate in the general manager’s plan.”

“W, well, that’s true, but…….”

“And General Manager, the reason I reported to the trainer is not because I’m afraid of the general manager’s last move.”

It was at this moment that a sly expression appeared on Ji-seop’s face.

“Rather, it was because the Tampa Bay Rays’ first championship could be devalued because of the general manager’s clumsy move.”

“C, clumsy?!”

General Manager Oznovich’s brow furrowed.

“Kim, are you trying to provoke me now? Or are you getting arrogant because you won Game 6? I don’t think I have any reason to be called clumsy by you?”

“Yes, that’s right. The general manager has led the team really well. This is the first time my heart has shrunk so much while working in the front office.”

This was not an empty compliment.

Whether it was during his active career or after joining the front office, this was the first time Ji-seop was experiencing the final Game 7.

“But General Manager, don’t you feel something strange even while you’re talking now?”

“Yes?”

“The general manager is not someone who gets excited so easily, is he? When I met you before, I don’t think you even twitched an eyebrow no matter how much I provoked you.”

“Easily…… gets excited?”

General Manager Oznovich couldn’t help but take a step back for a moment.

He suddenly felt it. The fact that he was getting excessively angry right now.

Normally, he would have tried to get through the situation by throwing out a meaningless joke.

And in his mind, he would have been working hard to come up with the next move as soon as possible.

But why is he raising his voice so easily now?

“I guess my guess was right.”

A faint smile appeared on Ji-seop’s face.

“General Manager. No, Benjamin.”

At this time, Ji-seop’s tone was like calling a friend.

Anyway, Ji-seop is three or four years older. It wouldn’t be awkward to call him that.

“When was the last time you had a proper meal? When was the last time you lay in bed and slept comfortably?”

“Th, that is…….”

General Manager Oznovich couldn’t answer easily.

Something was hazy. He couldn’t remember eating meals on time, or sleeping comfortably with his feet stretched out.

It couldn’t be helped. It was the postseason period. It was a period with a lot at stake for him too.

“From the moment you first came in here, you looked like you were in bad condition. So, I made my own judgment.”

Ji-seop said in a calm tone to the person who couldn’t answer easily.

“I had no reason to stop you from checking the game situation, but I had to stop you from giving instructions on the field. It’s hard to see the instructions you give in the current situation as a particularly cool-headed judgment.”

“So…… is that why you said it was a clumsy instruction?”

To General Manager Oznovich’s question, Ji-seop smiled and answered.

“Of course, it’s an instruction that’s not good for either of us. The general manager will be criticized for giving clumsy instructions, and we’ll only be evaluated as having won easily thanks to the general manager.”

“…….”

Benjamin Oznovich felt a sense of ‘ah’.

He knew that condition management was important.

It was basic that your mind would be clear when your body was in good condition.

But he seemed a little embarrassed to be pointed out like this in front of Ji-seop, who he thought was a junior.

“Okay, that’s right. I’m definitely a little tired. It’s been almost a month since the postseason continued. But it’s not as bad as Kim is worried about.”

The Phillies general manager said very firmly.

He had his own reasons.

“Kim, you saw it too, didn’t you? It’s already been almost an hour…… I’ve been doing all the training that Frank Trainer has been telling me to do, haven’t I? Well, just looking at this…….”

I’m okay.

I’m not shaken.

As if he were not an American, General Manager Oznovich clenched his fist and tried to show a strong appearance.

But that last attempt was shattered by his close old friend.

“Bullshit, that’s ridiculous.”

It was John LaMar.

His old friend, John LaMar, snorted and said a word.

“Ben, what are you talking about? You were the only one loafing around among us. Just riding a bicycle slowly, or walking on the treadmill.”

“Hmm?”

Come to think of it, that seemed to be the case.

He remembered watching John LaMar groan as he lifted a large lump of metal.

The reason why he was able to watch John LaMar’s hard work so comfortably was-

“Kim gave the trainer a hint?”

John LaMar said.

“He said you didn’t look like you were in good condition, so don’t push him too hard. Just let him recover slowly.”

“Ki, Kim?”

“Yeah, you’ve been getting all the special treatment, so why are you saying something different now? Anyway, you…….”

John LaMar clicked his tongue with a mean look, but Oznovich couldn’t say a word to him.

‘Kim is doing that much for me……?’

He couldn’t quite understand.

Even though he was just an old friend of John LaMar, why was he taking care of him so much?

Looking back, he had only glanced at his face once, so how could he have understood him so well?

Besides that, there were more than one or two things he couldn’t understand about the person named Kim.

“…….”

At this moment, some of the questions that General Manager Oznovich had been holding for a long time seemed to be resolved.

How did Kim bring John LaMar into his team?

How did Kim change General Manager Brian Spon?

And so Kim-

‘How…… did he lead the Tampa Bay Rays to the path of victory?’