A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 395

야구단 신입이 너무 잘함 395화

88. Season of Harvest (3)

A few days later.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ front office, located inside Tropicana Field, was quite lively.

The atmosphere was different from when they won a game or even the World Series.

Some people were craning their necks like meerkats, looking outside, while others were staring at their phones, swallowing their saliva.

After about 30 minutes of waiting with excited expressions, the sound they had been eagerly anticipating finally echoed through the office.

“Delivery’s here!”

“Delivery’s here!”

“Pizza delivery!”

“Whoa!”

Almost simultaneously with the sound, Tampa Bay front office employees jumped up and rushed to the office entrance.

The people who received the freshly made, warm pizzas smiled brightly and greeted.

“Thank you, Boston!”

“Thank you, Red Sox!”

“Thank you for celebrating our victory. We’ll enjoy the pizza!”

Indeed. This was one of the few traditions among Major League front office employees.

Once the World Series winning team is decided, the previous year’s winning team’s front office sends warm pizzas as a gift.

Front office people work harder than the players in some ways. Yet, they receive little spotlight.

Thus, it was a tradition that started in 2019 with the feeling of ‘Let’s take care of our own people.’

So, this season, the Tampa Bay Rays received the pizza gift. And the Boston Red Sox, the previous year’s winning team, sent the pizza.

“Wow, this is really delicious! What is it, does Boston have many pizza-making experts because it’s a big city?”

“Haha, I’m sorry, but that’s not the case. How would they bring pizzas all the way from Boston? We ordered from a pizza place in Tampa.”

“What, is that so?! Oh, I pretended to know. Hahaha.”

To climb even higher, and to show even better performance.

The front office employees of both teams, who usually compete fiercely without looking back.

However, on this day, they put down all emotions and tensions, and shared pizza amicably.

“Hmm, I see.”

Inside a small conference room in the team’s front office.

There, David Wilson from the Future Strategy Planning Department was diligently taking notes.

“So, we need to prepare a separate uniform for the First Lady too? I didn’t know that. I thought we only needed to give one to the President.”

“Of course, you have to take care of both. Who knows what might come up later.”

Then, Jessica Ross of the Boston Red Sox picked up a slice of pizza.

She was the same employee who pushed for Ryu Jang-ho’s batting form change this season. She was also a classmate of Jiseop’s in the MBA program at Fort Myers University.

Since she had led Boston’s visit to the White House last season, David Wilson was meeting her to get various information.

“Next time they call you, subtly ask if there are any Tampa Bay Rays fans inside the White House.”

“Our team’s fans? Why is that?”

At David Wilson’s question, Jessica took a big bite of pizza and continued.

“White House employees are civil servants, so they are very cautious. They speak very carefully.”

Because of this, the team wasn’t getting the information they needed properly.

“Even if those White House people are cautious, if they are Tampa Bay fans, wouldn’t it be a little different? They would probably provide various conveniences for the team they support. That’s what I did.”

“Oh, I see! Wow, this is really helpful advice.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

David Wilson expressed his gratitude repeatedly while diligently moving his pencil.

Jessica Ross shrugged, saying, ‘You’re welcome,’ and picked up the cola in front of her.

“Hmm, but…”

*gulp*

She took a sip of cola and looked around.

“Is she very busy?”

“Yes? Who?”

“Who else but Kim.”

Jessica Ross crossed her arms and huffed out hot air.

“Isn’t this a bit too much? Even if a friend from the same school came all the way from Boston, and even brought pizza… she should at least show her face. Don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, but…”

David Wilson scratched his head with the end of his pencil and smiled.

“Please understand this time, Ross. Kim has a very difficult task today.”

“Difficult task? Don’t tell me she’s already started FA [Free Agent] recruitment negotiations?”

Jessica narrowed her eyes with a look of having caught something, but David Wilson quickly waved his hand.

“No, it’s not that… her parents are coming from Korea.”

“Ah, parents?”

Jessica Ross clicked her tongue.

“That’s… difficult. That’s a difficult task.”

For Jessica Ross too.

For David Wilson too.

For people who dedicate their lives to baseball, parents seemed to have become grateful yet difficult beings.

* * *

At the very same time that Jessica Ross and David Wilson were sharing information about the White House visit.

Jiseop was at Tampa International Airport with John Llama, waiting for his family to arrive.

“It seems like they should be coming out soon…”

Jiseop checked the time on his phone and turned to John Llama.

“Llama, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Haha! Don’t worry, Kim. I’m a complete expert at this kind of thing. It’s not like I haven’t heard similar requests before.”

The owner’s son clenched his fist with a confident expression.

What was he so confident about?

“It’s not uncommon for employees working in Major League Baseball to get nagged by parents or family.”

Why don’t you contact us often?

Why don’t you ever come home?

There were more employees than you think who heard such nagging from their parents.

“Before Kim’s parents start nagging, I’ll explain the situation well. So they can think, ‘Ah, my son has been really busy.'”

“It’s not a difficult task.”

John Llama shrugged.

“For other employees, I’d have to mix in some exaggeration… but Kim is different, right? It’s enough to tell them 100% of the truth.”

“Good. That’s the attitude. If you just tell them that… hmm?”

As Jiseop was patting John Llama on the shoulder, a familiar silhouette came into view in the distance.

Among the people of various nationalities pouring out, a group of Asians was coming out with large suitcases.

And the middle-aged woman standing in the very center called out Jiseop’s name loudly.

“Jiseop-ah! Oh, Kim Jiseop!”

“Second son!!”

It was Jiseop’s family.

His mother and father. And his older brother, Kim Ji-chang, who he wasn’t sure if he had invited or not, but had followed his parents anyway.

It was the first time he had seen them since coming to America, so he was extremely happy to see their faces.

Just a few seconds ago, Jiseop had been thinking about how to avoid his parents’ nagging, but he was already approaching his family with moist eyes.

“You’ve had a long trip. Was it difficult?”

As he took the suitcases his parents were carrying.

Even though it must have been tiring after a flight of over 20 hours, Jiseop’s father, Kim Bong-seop, replied with a calm expression.

“Tiring? It was comfortable.”

“Of course!”

It was his mother, Jin Young-hwa, who slapped Jiseop’s arm with a bright expression.

“I got to ride in first class for the first time in my life, thanks to you! Oh, it was so spacious and nice! And…”

The mother slightly bowed her head to the Asian employee standing one step behind.

“From New York, your team even sent a translator… so it was comfortable. There was nothing uncomfortable.”

“Oh, Mom! On the plane, you kept complaining about how the baseball team was so far away, didn’t you?”

“Oh my, look at this kid? When did I do that? Huh?!”

Watching his mother slapping his older brother Kim Ji-chang on the back, Jiseop smiled inwardly.

He realized that his family had come. All the way to this distant place, which takes nearly 20 hours by plane.

“Ah, right! Please say hello.”

Jiseop introduced John Llama, who was standing next to him with a pleased expression, to his family.

“This is John Llama Taylor. He’s my direct supervisor.”

“Llama? Oh, Llama, is that the… the Tampa Bay owner’s son?”

When Jiseop nodded at his brother’s question, exclamations of ‘Oh’ flowed from the family.

“Oh my, Mr. Llama! Nice to meet you! Thank you for taking care of our son!”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Taylor.”

“Oh, yes, nice to meet you!”

The family shook hands with the happiest expressions, and John Llama also greeted them with awkward Korean he had learned from Jiseop.

As the greetings were wrapping up in such a friendly atmosphere, Jiseop pulled out the handle of his suitcase and said.

“Well, let’s get going.”

The destination,

Was Jiseop’s house.

* * *

Looking back, Jiseop couldn’t say he was a very affectionate son to his parents.

It was strange, but he was like that with his parents. He would casually throw out blunt words and get annoyed.

So, even after meeting after a long time, the Kim family would start bickering after about 20 minutes, but-

This day,

Was a little different.

“Hahahahaha.”

“Hehehehehe.”

For about an hour from Tampa International Airport to St. Petersburg, laughter never stopped in the large SUV that Jiseop’s group was riding in.

There was one reason. Jiseop’s direct supervisor, John Llama Taylor.

His confidence was not a lie, as he kept Jiseop’s parents entertained throughout the ride.

“Oh my, of course! Kim’s performance was really amazing. Father! You know Vincent, right, Vincent?”

The father, who heard the story through the interpreter, nodded.

“Oh, I know! That pitcher who also plays as a hitter… that player?”

“Yes! Kim was the one who recruited Vincent Hiyama! Oh, I was so surprised at that time!”

When going through an interpreter, the conversation doesn’t flow naturally, but John Llama didn’t have that problem.

With his unique smiling face and natural affinity, even Jiseop’s father, Kim Bong-seop, who usually had a stiff expression, had a face full of smiles.

Jiseop, who was watching the situation from the side, clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Anyway, that guy… his affinity is really Vincent Hiyama level?’

Jiseop was just grateful.

He had stayed up all night drinking a few days ago, but he would have to buy him a drink again.

This time, should he treat him to John Llama’s favorite Hong Kong-style Chinese food?

As he was thinking that, he suddenly looked out the window and had no choice but to nudge his boss sitting next to him.

“Llama, Llama.”

“Yes?”

John Llama turned his head.

“Where are we going now? This isn’t the way to my house?”

Indeed. To go to Jiseop’s house, they should have turned left at the intersection a little while ago.

But now, the car provided by the team was turning right and going straight.

“Ah, that?”

John Llama had a nonchalant expression.

“I booked a separate accommodation. I couldn’t possibly have people who came all the way from Korea… stay in Kim’s small apartment, could I?”

He said he had booked a hotel.

A 5-star hotel with a beautiful view of the ocean.

“No, is it okay? What if the owner takes away your card again…?”

“Oh, don’t mention it.”

John Llama crossed his arms.

“Kim said it before, right? That I should focus on what I’m good at. That it would help the team.”

“I’m doing that now.”

John Llama smiled.

“Even if I don’t know anything else… I’m confident in treating employees who have worked hard.”

He continued.

“And Kim is… the employee who worked the hardest for the Tampa Bay Rays this season.”