A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 445

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 445

96 Take Me to the Ballpark (1)

The Tampa Bay Rays’ first exhibition game became a major topic of conversation in Major League Baseball.

Part of it was because the game itself was exciting. Richard Stellমেজec’s substitution even became a short video circulating on social media.

However, for those in the industry, the most eye-catching aspect was the ‘visiting team merchandise shop’.

Selling merchandise for the visiting team.

Providing services to visiting fans.

This was a common concept in Korean professional baseball, but it seemed to be a very fresh idea for people in Major League Baseball.

As a result, during the exhibition games, the Future Strategy Planning Department was swamped with calls from other teams’ front offices.

“Kim, we just got a call from the Boston Red Sox. They were complaining about why they were left out!”

“Kim! We also received emails from the LA Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. They’re asking if we can schedule a meeting next week…….”

The interest poured in from teams in the East and West, and from both the American and National Leagues.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ executives, watching this, were all smiles. Soon, they decided to operate a visiting team merchandise shop during the regular season as well.

The plan was to remodel two merchandise shops on the third base side of Tropicana Field and use them as a space for visiting fans.

This happened less than two weeks after the exhibition games began.

-Oh, really? I’m glad to hear that the idea you got from the Cannons helped you…… That’s good news.

On the day the expansion of the visiting team merchandise shop was decided, Jiseop called ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju [a nickname referencing his tough, far-reaching influence, like the island of Sakhalin].

He seemed to want to brag to Sakhalin Park. The Korean professional baseball system being introduced to Major League Baseball? That’s not something you see every day.

-Don’t just tell me about this, spread the word to people in the industry. I told you, if you’re a deputy general manager, from now on…….

“You mean self-promotion is important? Yes, I remember.”

Jiseop smiled as he held his phone.

“Fortunately, the people here are meticulously taking care of my achievements, so I don’t think I need to step forward myself…….”

-Oh, really? Well, your president seems to cherish you very much.

“Yes, I even got a bonus from the team recently. Cash bonuses are not common in Tampa Bay.”

-Haha, a bonus? Hey, Qingdao! You’ve made it, haven’t you? Huh? Getting bonuses from a Major League Baseball team!

Sakhalin Park laughed heartily, pleased to hear that Jiseop was making great strides in the United States as well.

Jiseop felt a sense of pride in his heart at the sound of his hearty laughter.

But the very next moment, Sakhalin Park hit on something Jiseop hadn’t even thought of.

-So, what did you do with that bonus? Did you share it equally? Or did you give it all to one person?

“Excuse me?”

Jiseop tilted his head.

He understood the question ‘What did you do with the bonus?’ easily enough.

But what was all this talk about sharing it equally or giving it all to one person?

When Jiseop hesitated, unable to answer clearly, the tone of the voice coming from the phone’s speaker changed.

-What’s with that reaction?

Sakhalin Park demanded.

-Don’t tell me you pocketed that whole bonus? You spent it all by yourself?

“Oh, no. That’s not it. I didn’t even have time to spend it, so I just put it in my account…….”

-Huh, look at this guy.

Sakhalin sighed deeply.

-What are you going to do with it all by yourself? You’re a deputy general manager now! An executive in Korean terms! You should take care of your subordinates first!

“……Ah.”

Only then did Jiseop understand why Sakhalin Park was so worked up.

He was talking about taking care of the people in the Future Strategy Planning Department. The people who helped Jiseop make this project a success.

-Don’t ever misunderstand. It’s not just because you’re good that things worked out. You received praise and bonuses because you had colleagues who quietly supported you.

“I guess…… you’re right.”

-When you’re just an ordinary employee, a simple thank you is enough. But the situation is different now, isn’t it? You’re the deputy general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, and everyone sees you as being one step ahead of others. You can’t just gloss over it without saying anything.

This was quite unfamiliar to Jiseop.

He was somewhat accustomed to the title of deputy general manager, but he had never thought of himself as being above his colleagues.

But regardless of how he perceived himself, Jiseop seemed to be recognized as being in a considerable position by those around him.

-If you’re planning to stay in that position, you don’t need to worry about it so much. But if you’re not satisfied with your current position and want to keep moving forward…….

You need to take care of your people.

You need to cherish your people.

This was the advice that the vice chairman of KH Cannons gave Jiseop that day.

* * *

In fact, at this time, Jiseop felt like a long-standing question was being answered.

When was it? It must have been around the time when KH Cannons set a record for the most consecutive wins since its founding.

At the time, KH Group Chairman Joo Young-eun, who visited the baseball team, gave a bonus to General Manager Seo Chang-gi.

It seemed like a lot of money, and Jiseop was secretly envious.

But General Manager Seo Chang-gi’s true feelings were as follows:

[Oh, Chairman…….]

[He should have given this when no one was watching.]

Why did General Manager Seo’s feelings sound so bitter back then?

Why couldn’t he look the team leaders, who were shining their eyes, straight in the face?

Now he felt like he knew.

‘Hehe, General Manager was stingy? He was about to have all the bonus he received taken away…….’

To be honest, Jiseop wasn’t entirely without a sense of regret.

He was regretful. Who doesn’t like money? Looking at the dwindling numbers in his bank account made him feel somewhat sad.

But when he distributed the bonus he had withdrawn to the employees of the Future Strategy Planning Department, he felt a little proud.

“Are you serious?”

That was David Wilson’s reaction when he received the largest bonus that day.

“Oh, I really didn’t expect this…… Kim, thank you! Thank you so much!”

He wasn’t usually the type to be so openly materialistic, but David Wilson was truly overjoyed.

“I’m not just saying this because of the bonus…… I’ll continue to work really hard in the future. Both in marketing and in the Yellow Book project.”

“Oh, you don’t have to work too hard. You’re already doing the work of two people.”

When he said this and smiled at David Wilson, he felt a bit like Brian Spann, the president.

‘Well, it’s surprisingly…… not a bad feeling?’

Following David Wilson, he distributed bonuses to the rest of the Future Strategy Planning Department according to their respective roles.

To the person in charge of training the visiting team merchandise shop staff, to the employee in charge of selecting products, and to the staff in charge of negotiations with other teams.

Of course, there was one person who was constantly complaining next to him.

“Kim! What about me? Don’t I get anything?”

“Rama…… aren’t you my superior?”

“Superior! Kim is my superior! I’m just a director, and Kim is a deputy general manager, right?”

“……I don’t know, I don’t have any money.”

“Oh, you’re really too much?!”

After roughly agreeing to buy coffee for the owner’s son for three days.

Finally, Jiseop was left with only one person, the most difficult one.

He was the one who had virtually directed the entire project. He was a reliable advisor to Jiseop in marketing.

But he had so much money that it was rotting, his tastes were unnecessarily luxurious, and he was fickle, making him difficult to approach.

That’s right.

It was the Great Showman, Charles Flex.

* * *

“Ah, a bonus?”

When it’s difficult to figure things out on your own, it’s best to just ask.

Jiseop brought up the bonus story to Charles Flex the next day when they were returning from lunch.

“That’s right. Charles’s help was the biggest in this visiting team merchandise shop. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing…….”

“That’s enough. If you have a bonus to give me, it’s better to give it to other friends.”

As Jiseop expected, Charles Flex was waving his hands.

“Have you already forgotten? I’m not in the Future Strategy Planning Department for the money. It’s because of love, the last love in my life.”

Ah, that’s right.

Jiseop glanced at this hopeless old man.

“Then is there anything I can do to help you with that? Like preparing an event or something…….”

In any case, Jiseop was able to read other people’s minds.

Could he read the mind of the woman who had stolen Charles Flex’s heart, Ms. Natalie Harpin, and help him?

Jiseop thought it was a pretty good suggestion, but what came back was Charles Flex’s subtle smile.

“Kim, you…… aren’t you underestimating this Charles Flex too much?”

“Excuse me?”

“Haven’t you heard? I was once called the Richard Gere of St. Petersburg?”

It was completely new to him, but let’s nod for now.

“Well, it’s taking a little longer than expected…… but it won’t be long. Ms. Natalie Harpin will soon be completely captivated by my charm!”

“Ah, is that so?”

‘What amazing confidence.’

As Jiseop was smiling inwardly, Charles Flex swept back his hair and changed the subject.

“Forget about the bonus…….”

His expression became quite serious.

“It’s about time to start preparing for the opening game event.”

“The opening game?”

Jiseop turned his gaze.

“Isn’t that being prepared by the marketing department and the stadium operations department? Do we need to prepare something separately?”

“Of course! Those guys will just do what they always do, right? We need to come up with something more eye-catching…… That’s right, we need to come up with a groundbreaking card like the visiting team merchandise shop you prepared this time.”

He spread his arms.

“I’m worried that the opening game is against Miami. They’re just as unpopular as we are. If we play against a team like that, we might not even sell out the opening game.”

“I see. It’s true that the opposing team’s ticket power is a bit lacking…….”

Then it seemed like another new idea was needed.

What kind of card should he take out this time? Was there anything special about the opening games he had experienced so far?

As Jiseop was thinking hard and walking towards Tropicana Field.

Charles Flex narrowed his eyes and looked towards the gate.

“Who is that person?”

He raised his finger.

“Over there. In front of Gate 3. What is that person doing over there?”

“Gate 3? That’s a gate we don’t even use…… Huh?”

What he said was true.

In front of the firmly closed Gate 3, an elderly man was peering inside.

It looked like he was looking for someone, or trying to find a way to get inside.

As a habit, Jiseop took out his phone from his pocket.

“I’ll contact the security team just in case. This could be a problem…….”

In the United States, where firearms are allowed, such suspicious people must be reported.

That’s why Jiseop brought it up, but Charles Flex quickly raised his hand to stop him.

“No, wait a minute! I don’t think we need to report him!”

Then Charles Flex ran towards the man.

“Hey, Huck!”

Charles Flex shouted to the old man.

“You’re Huck, right? The friend who used to be an organist here!!!”

……An organist?

A person who plays the organ?