A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 425

The Overly Good Rookie of the Baseball Team. 425

Chapter 93: Boys Be Ambitious (2)

***

The next day, morning.

New York Yankees’ general manager’s assistants were heading to Tampa, Florida.

Originally, this was the time when the New York Yankees’ year-end vacation started, but unfortunately, it was not applicable to them.

They had to inspect the facilities and take care of the promising players remaining in the area to prepare for spring training, which was only a month and a half away.

“Ugh, it’s hot! It’s incredibly hot!”

Yankees employees, who left snowy New York and arrived in sunny Florida.

They got into the van provided by the club, took off their thick coats, and fanned themselves.

“Damn it, I can’t get used to the Florida weather no matter how many times I come. Ugh, does it feel hotter this year?”

“Haha, right? People from headquarters especially have a hard time.”

The local Florida employee who came to greet them laughed and replied.

“Then what would you like to do? The luggage has already left in another car… Should we have lunch first?”

“Yes, lunch is a must! It’s bad enough to work on a holiday, we should at least fill our stomachs… Hmm?”

The Yankees’ general manager’s assistant, who was making a fuss about the heat while continuing to speak with a pleasant expression.

It was at this moment that he looked at his junior employee sitting in the corner and sighed briefly.

“Hey, Nicholas!”

“Yes?”

The one who turned his head was Nicholas Weiner II.

One of the Yankees’ general manager’s special advisors, and Ji-seop’s graduate school classmate.

Visiting Florida after a long time, while his colleagues were chattering, he was staring out the window with a serious expression.

“Lunch.”

His senior said.

“You’re going to eat lunch, right?”

“Ah, yes. I should.”

Nicholas hurriedly took out his cell phone.

“I’ll make a reservation. Where should we go? Like last year, in front of Steinbrenner Field [the Yankees’ spring training stadium]…”

“No, no, no! Samuel can take care of the reservation…”

Now, cheer up.

The senior was giving a bitter smile.

“How long are you going to keep making that sour face? You need to shake off what you need to shake off.”

“Hey, Chief! Is that easy? Look how hard Nicholas worked this time.”

The employee sitting across the table, who was searching for a restaurant list, chimed in.

“He stayed up almost all night writing the proposal, but it became a piece of trash… He must be burning up inside.”

“No, that’s okay.”

Nicholas waved his hand.

“It’s not like proposals being rejected in our team is a new thing. That’s really okay. But…”

“But?”

“Richard’s introductory press conference… I really thought it was a good opportunity.”

Nicholas smacked his lips.

“Don’t you all know? Even though we’re the best prestigious club, our Yankees aren’t what they used to be.”

“…”

At Nicholas’s words, his colleagues quietly closed their mouths.

It seemed to be a topic they couldn’t easily express their opinions on.

“Of course, our popularity hasn’t declined. Our ticket revenue is also increasing. But if you look inside…”

“The departure of young fans continues? Are you going to bring up that story again?”

I’ll memorize it, I’ll memorize it.

The senior employee, called ‘Chief,’ shook his head and laughed, but Nicholas’s expression was serious.

“It’s not a problem to be taken lightly. Until now, it was just a prediction, but this year it’s clearly coming out in the data.”

“Data?”

“Yes, the average age of the Bleacher Creatures has surpassed 40 for the first time.”

Bleacher Creatures.

The Yankees’ traditional cheering squad.

Because they were so rich and influential, the Yankees employees had no choice but to pay attention to their trends.

“They are a group that has been cheering for the Yankees for three or four generations. What does it mean that their average age is increasing? It means that the tradition of cheering for the Yankees through generations is disappearing.”

“Well, doesn’t the general manager know about that?”

The senior employee clicked his tongue.

“I heard he’s planning to meet the representative of the Bleacher Creatures at this charity party…”

“No, that ambiguous method won’t work!”

Thump.

Nicholas unknowingly hit the car seat with his palm.

“Senior, think back! When was the Yankees fandom the hottest? Ironically, wasn’t it the 2004 season when Boston won?”

The 2004 season, which has now become a legend.

In that year, the Boston Red Sox broke the ‘Curse of the Bambino’ [a superstition that the Red Sox would never win the World Series after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees], which had lasted for 86 years, and won the World Series.

At the time, the New York Yankees were miserably defeated in the American League Championship Series, becoming a supporting role in Boston’s victory.

“Although we lost, the heat in New York at that time was tremendous. What was the reason?”

“…Rivals?”

“That’s right!!!”

At this point, Nicholas was completely on a roll.

“An atmosphere of imminent explosion where you can’t even say a word carelessly! That tremendous competitive spirit that we have to beat Boston no matter what! That became a powerful attraction and drew fans in, didn’t it?”

“Hmm.”

“Boston, who used to be at odds with us in every little thing, isn’t the same as before since they’ve won several championships. In this situation…”

“The answer is Tampa Bay?”

At the senior employee’s question, Nicholas quickly nodded his head.

“Yes! Although they also won the championship last year, the overall picture is more interesting now, isn’t it? Vincent Hiyama, who was Tampa Bay’s ace, came to us, and Richard, who was a promising player for the Yankees, went to Tampa Bay.”

Moreover, Richard Stelmezek started a wide-area provocation against the Yankees fandom as soon as he moved teams.

In Nicholas’s view, it was the best opportunity in recent years.

“I don’t know why Richard changed his attitude. But this is too good of an opportunity to just let it pass.”

Nicholas raised his voice.

“If only the team manager would… Yes, of course, it would be even better if it were the owner! Anyway, if either of them publicly targeted Tampa Bay…”

The media would take care of the rest. That’s what Nicholas thought.

A new rivalry is emerging. There’s a subtle tension between the Yankees and Tampa Bay.

If this is amplified, reproduced, and talked about again, wouldn’t the enthusiasm of 2004 be recreated?

Nicholas spoke passionately with sparkling eyes, but all he got in return were pitying looks from his senior colleagues.

“Nicholas, that’s a good idea. I’m honestly a bit surprised. But… I don’t think your idea is likely to become a reality.”

“Yes? No, what’s the reason?”

As Nicholas widened his eyes and asked back, the senior employee scratched the back of his neck and opened his mouth.

“The Tampa Bay front office has never once confronted the Yankees front office before.”

Because they are realists.

The senior employee continued.

“They moderately agree with what the Yankees front office does, and they get the merits we provide… That’s been Tampa Bay’s style so far. Would they participate in your plan?”

“…….”

“Nicholas, you know too, right?”

The senior employee was quietly advising.

“It takes two to clap [meaning it requires cooperation from both sides].”

* * *

For Nicholas, who had relatively little experience, it was a story he was hearing for the first time.

The story that the Tampa Bay front office had never confronted the Yankees.

Rather, the story that they had been doing their best not to displease the Yankees.

-There might be some bickering over player recruitment, but they never openly opposed the Yankees’ decisions.

-It’s also impossible for the Tampa Bay front office to openly criticize Yankees players or the front office.

-Maybe Richard Stelmezek is getting a lot of flak from the Tampa Bay front office right now? For spouting nonsense.

In the worst case, Richard Stelmezek could face internal disciplinary action from the club, he said.

Even if it didn’t go that far, he would have been instructed to have a period of self-reflection for at least a few days.

That way, they could avoid unnecessary conflicts with the Yankees front office.

‘That’s right, now that I think about it, on the day of the joining press conference… there were rumors that Richard had an argument with the club staff.’

When he got to this point, Nicholas couldn’t insist any longer.

As his senior said, it takes two to clap. If the other side is lying flat before the Yankees, there’s no way to force a rivalry.

‘……I can’t help it.’

Just as Nicholas was swallowing his disappointment, someone tapped him on the shoulder from the side.

“Are you feeling better now?”

It was the local employee who had come to pick up the Yankees’ general manager’s assistants that day.

Perhaps because he had been watching the heated debate while driving, he seemed to be checking on Nicholas’s mood.

“Your passion is good, but you should eat first! When your stomach is full, new ideas will come to mind.”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

Every time he came to Florida, he felt that the people here were basically very friendly.

Was it because of the warm weather all year round? Thinking that, Nicholas smiled.

“What was today’s lunch menu? I couldn’t hear what you were saying earlier.”

“Ah, we decided on Mexican food! Everyone said they wanted to eat it.”

The employee said.

“It’s the hottest restaurant in Tampa these days! Especially the meat in the tacos is so good that people come to eat it from Clearwater and St. Petersburg!”

“Oh, really?”

As Nicholas showed interest, the local support seemed a little excited.

“Look! The restaurant hasn’t been open for a few months, but there are pictures of famous people plastered all over the wall!”

“Oh, really?”

There were celebrities, politicians, and some familiar Major League or American football players’ photos.

Just as he was about to move to the table where his colleagues were waiting, looking at the photos plastered all over one wall.

“Hmm?”

There was a photo that caught Nicholas’s eye.

“This is…….”

It was definitely Richard.

Richard Stelmezek’s photo.

The ‘successor to Derek Jeter,’ who had recently moved teams, was smiling brightly with tacos in both hands.

“Haha, this is…….”

The situation was what it was.

The local employee who found Richard’s photo gave an embarrassed smile.

“It seems Richard has visited this restaurant before. Anyway, that guy secretly knows all the good restaurants in this area, you know?”

“…….”

The local employee urged him to go to the table, but Nicholas couldn’t move easily.

It wasn’t for any other reason. It was because of his signature written on Richard Stelmezek’s photo.

[Awesome tacos! A taste I want to eat again! Thank you for the meal!!!]

Up to this point, it was nothing special.

‘Tampa Bay Rays Richard Stelmezek? And this… the date is just yesterday?’

That’s right. It was the day before.

The day graffiti was carved into Tropicana Field due to the ‘Derek Hu incident’ [a derogatory term or incident involving Derek Jeter].

The day all the Yankees fans in the United States rose up and poured criticism at him.

‘The senior said that the Tampa Bay front office would discipline Richard…….’

Nicholas narrowed his eyes.

Richard’s face, smiling brightly with tacos in both hands, came into view more clearly.

‘No, is this the face of someone who has been disciplined? Even after receiving instructions to self-reflect, is his expression this good?’

Of course, he may have eaten before any action was taken by the club.

Maybe right after this photo was taken, the club’s decision was conveyed.

But the next moment, Nicholas began to think that something might have changed in the Tampa Bay Rays.

Right next to Richard Stelmezek’s bright face, someone was wearing a bitter smile.

Nicholas,

He knows a man who smiles exactly like that.

‘……Kim?’

Did they say it takes two to clap?

A slight sense of anticipation was rising on Nicholas’s face.