A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 413

New Recruit of Baseball Team Is Too Good 413

91 Taking the First Step (1)

About ten minutes later.

A meeting was being held on the 3rd floor of Tropicana Field, in the office of the Future Strategy Planning Department.

It was a meeting arranged at the request of R. J. Higgins, Vice President of Marketing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

A session to explain the team’s marketing plan for the next season to ‘The Greatest Showman’ Charles Pleg and to hear his evaluation and advice.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s get started.”

Even when Charles Pleg showed up, there was a palpable tension in the conference room.

It was understandable. To Jisub, he was just a hopeless old man with a ‘love at first sight’ tendency, but Charles Pleg was still a legend in the industry.

The marketing staff, having met someone they had only seen in textbooks during their college years, couldn’t help but feel their mouths dry.

“So, this plan is… Oh, I’m sorry. I suddenly can’t remember the content of the script…”

“Haha, wipe off your sweat and take your time, young man! Are you here on a blind date? Why are you so nervous?”

At first, there were concerns about whether a proper discussion could take place, but as time passed, the atmosphere gradually softened.

Charles Pleg, who could be said to be the main character of the day’s meeting, was showing a very favorable reaction.

“Yes, so next year we plan to use the bobblehead event more actively.”

“Ah, you mean giving out those nodding dolls? That’s good, I’m a big fan of bobbleheads!”

Charles Pleg readily nodded at the idea of providing generous gifts to the spectators who visited the stadium.

“This season, we plan to hold Old Uniform Day more often. The fans’ response is good, and it helps with merchandise sales.”

“That’s right. Isn’t that an event that other teams are actively doing as well? We can’t fall behind.”

Charles Pleg also reacted positively to the idea of replicating the uniforms worn by past players.

“Next year, a BBQ restaurant is scheduled to open in the outfield of Tropicana Field. Even if the price is a bit high, there is a growing demand for high-quality meals.”

“Oh, a barbecue restaurant! That sounds great! Is there a discount for team employees? Huh?!”

He even applauded the news that a new restaurant would be opening in the stadium.

“Listen, Higgins! Tampa Bay’s marketing department is excellent! The home team fans will be really happy!”

As Charles Pleg poured out his generous praise, the marketing staff beamed with smiles.

Thanks to this, the atmosphere in the conference room became so warm that there was no need for a heater, but at this time, Jisub was twirling his pen and tilting his head slightly.

‘……What is it?’

There was no particular reason.

The person in question, Charles Pleg.

Whenever the marketing staff came up with an idea, Jisub could hear these thoughts in his ear.

[This is… Team.]

This was the thought Charles Pleg muttered when the bobblehead story first came up.

[Haha, was this… R.A.?]

He reacted like this to the Old Uniform Day story.

[And this is… Oh my, are we going back quite a ways? It was Mr. Olson, I think?]

Lastly, when the story of the new restaurant came out, he even slapped his forehead with his palm.

‘Team? RA? Mr. Olson?’

It seemed clear that they were people’s names.

Then who are they? Who were they that he kept thinking of their names throughout the meeting?

He could have just passed it over, but Jisub had decided to learn marketing properly from Charles Pleg.

So, as Charles Pleg was leaving the meeting, Jisub subtly approached him and asked.

“Team? RA? Mr. Olson?”

As expected, Charles Pleg, upon receiving Jisub’s question, was startled and widened his eyes.

“No, how do you know those people’s names? They’re not people you would know?”

“No, it’s not that I knew them…”

Jisub knew how to get around this kind of situation.

“When the marketing staff came up with ideas, you were muttering those names, Pleg. So I was curious who they were…”

“Me? Muttering?”

At Jisub’s words, Charles Pleg shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Damn, I must be getting old. Saying such useless things.”

Then, stroking his chin, the legend of the industry gave an answer with a short sigh.

“They’re people who used to be big in our industry. Well, I never worked on the same team as them.”

He continued.

“Dodgers’ Team was the first person to come up with the bobblehead event in 1999. White Sox’s R. A. was the friend who first held the Old Uniform Day event in 1990.”

“Then is Mr. Olson the one who brought the restaurant to the baseball field?”

“That’s right, you should see him as someone who was active a generation before me. It was in 1963 when he first opened a restaurant at Dodgers.”

After that, Charles Pleg talked about his memories with his old colleagues, but at this time, Jisub couldn’t pay attention to such stories.

Rather, he seemed to be focusing on the numbers. When did the bobblehead event start, and when did the Old Uniform Day start?

‘1999 to 1990… And the restaurant was in 1963? It was a much older marketing strategy than I thought?’

As Jisub quietly pondered Charles Pleg’s story, this thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Why did Charles Pleg think of his old colleagues’ names? Perhaps a story that even the great showman himself didn’t realize.

“So… were you looking at it negatively?”

Jisub asked Charles Pleg.

“Hmm? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I’m talking about what the marketing department announced earlier. Giving out bobbleheads, doing Old Uniform Day, and so on.”

Bang.

Jisub opened the door to his office and continued.

“What the Major League team staff in the 2020s brought was an idea that had already been created in the 1990s… I was wondering if you were a little disappointed here.”

At Jisub’s subtle remark, Charles Pleg seemed greatly embarrassed for a moment.

“No, no! Don’t push me like that! I just came back to the ballpark after a long time and thought of my old friends…”

He coughed, ‘ahem!’ and sat down on the chair Jisub pointed to.

“Of course, I may have had a little bit of that thought in one corner… But believe me! I felt reassured when I saw Vice President Higgins and his colleagues. At least I think I can leave the issue of home team fans to them.”

“Home team… fans, you said?”

At this moment, Jisub felt as if he had peeked at the back of the card that Charles Pleg was holding.

“You’re leaving the home team fans to Vice President Higgins? Then what, does that mean our Future Strategy Planning Department is in charge of away fans?”

“Hehe, you’re quick on the uptake, aren’t you?”

It was around this time that Charles Pleg’s eyes began to gleam.

“You’ve spent time for me, haven’t you? Then it’s only right that I give you something in return.”

He loosened the tightly fastened tie a little.

“Before I get into the specifics, let me ask you one thing.”

Charles Pleg looked at Jisub.

“The question I told you to think about before the meeting, have you got the answer?”

“Ah.”

Jisub nodded.

“Do you have the courage to be hated… Is that the question you’re talking about?”

* * *

Looking back, Jisub seemed to be feeling a bit of frustration around this time.

How can we fill Tropicana Field? How can we attract 45,000 spectators?

It was a completely different field from what he had been doing, so he had no idea where to start.

‘…….’

But it was something he had to do to go higher in the Major League. Something he had to overcome somehow in order to take on the role of general manager of KH Cannons someday.

So Jisub’s choice was to bring an advisor named Charles Pleg to his side.

After investing exactly a month and a half, Jisub was facing the results in front of his eyes.

“Kim, let’s get one thing straight.”

Charles Pleg said.

“It’s impossible to make the Tampa Bay Rays as popular as the Yankees. Unless owner Taylor sells the team to a rich man with a lot of money, that’s something that can’t be achieved right now.”

The reason was the same story he heard every day.

It is difficult for small market teams to have star players.

Florida has less baseball fever than other regions.

And most of the residents are people who have moved in after retirement, so everyone already has their favorite baseball team.

“But if the goal is simply to fill Tropicana Field, there is a possibility. That’s where I can help you.”

“Is there a difference between the two?”

Jisub tilted his head.

“Shouldn’t a team be popular to attract a lot of spectators? The team’s popularity remains the same, but the number of spectators simply increases…”

“Of course it’s possible. Didn’t you already say the answer a little while ago?”

Away fans.

People who support the visiting team.

Charles Pleg narrowed his eyes.

“You know, don’t you? Among the baseball fans living in Florida, less than 10% like Tampa Bay.”

He continued.

“About 30% of the total like the Yankees, and about 20% like the Dodgers and Red Sox, right? The remaining 40% are people who support their hometown teams.”

In the end, 90% of all baseball fans are supporting teams other than Tampa Bay.

Charles Pleg seemed to have a plan to attract these 90% of people.

“Leave it to Higgins to increase the number of home team fans. That’s what the marketing department should do. Let’s just focus on increasing away fans.”

“Attract 90% of away fans? Well, it doesn’t look bad if you just calculate it as a simple number…”

Jisub scratched his chin.

“Is there a way? If you could attract away fans, Tampa Bay would have been using that method for a long time, wouldn’t it?”

“No, it’s not easy to use.”

Charles Pleg said firmly.

“Even when I was with this team in the past, I told the team executives that they should pay attention to away fans. I even suggested specific methods. But in the end, the owner didn’t accept my plan.”

“No, what was that method…”

When Jisub tilted his head and looked up, he could see Charles Pleg’s playful smile.

“Trolling.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said let’s troll.”

Charles Pleg showed his white teeth.

“Tampa Bay Rays has always been a quiet team, both now and in the past. There are no conflicts with other teams, and the players rarely do anything noticeable. I can’t help it. That’s just the nature of the members.”

“…….”

“But that’s why you’ll only maintain the status quo forever. It has to change now. Shouldn’t we stop worrying about what other teams think?”

He said that Yankees fans should grind their teeth when they hear Tampa Bay.

He said that Boston fans should be eager to see Tampa Bay lose.

Jisub couldn’t help but laugh when he heard Charles Pleg’s story.

“The reason you asked me if I had the courage to be hated… must have been because of that.”

“That’s right. You’ve become my boss, haven’t you? I’ll come up with the ideas, but you’ll have to persuade the team executives and calm down the officials from other teams.”

Perhaps this is why Charles Pleg gave up the plausible title of ‘team advisor’.

He wants to spread the ideas he has in mind without holding back, as long as someone blocks the arrows flying in from the outside.

“If you agree with my idea, I’m ready to do my best. Yankees fans and Dodgers fans alike, to the point where they can’t stand not visiting Tropicana Field.”

“Make them unable to stand not visiting Tropicana Field… That’s the story I really wanted to hear.”

Jisub did not give an immediate answer.

At this point, he also needed to make a bit of a political judgment.

He thought it was enough to decide a little later whether to fully support Charles Pleg.

“Mr. Pleg, then… can I hear the first idea?”

“The first idea?”

“Yes, I have to check it too. Whether it’s good to support a ‘subordinate employee’ named Charles Pleg.”

“Oh, you’re going to do that?”

Charles Pleg seemed to like Jisub’s answer quite a bit.

Slightly raising one corner of his mouth, he leaned towards Jisub.

“First of all, shouldn’t we start by recruiting an ace pitcher?”

“Ace pitcher?”