A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 48

The Newcomer in the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 48

Chapter 14: Generational Shift (1)

It was the third day of Ji-seop working as Arthur Freeman’s interpreter, in the afternoon.

Ji-seop was attending a coaching staff meeting.

“…Next, our fielders will give their report.”

The atmosphere of the meeting wasn’t bad.

With the exhibition game schedule almost over, the KH Cannons were ranked 2nd in the league with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses.

It was a well-known fact that exhibition game results had little to do with regular season performance. Rather, it was common knowledge among fans that teams that did well in exhibition games often faltered once the regular season started… But so what?

From the perspective of those working in the field, the daily reports of victories were simply appreciated.

“Personally, I feel very proud that the performances of the rookie players are standing out.”

It was the first-team batting coach speaking.

“Jeong-woo, who is playing as left fielder, is doing well, and Jun-ho, who is playing as third baseman, isn’t bad either, but above all, the most noticeable guy throughout this spring camp and exhibition games is…”

A gentle smile appeared on his lips.

“It’s shortstop Shin Min-seong, of course.”

At the batting coach’s words, the other coaches sitting around the conference room nodded.

A kind of ‘testimony’ about shortstop Shin Min-seong began immediately after that.

“His batting average is still in the late .200s, but the fact that he has the potential for a home run is very attractive.”

“His defense is very stable for his age, and I think it’s also worth noting that he doesn’t get nervous even in critical situations.”

Good at batting, good at defense, and even has the speed, and he’s good-looking too.

Moreover, there was one point that KH Cannons, as a local team, could never take lightly.

“And that friend… isn’t he from Yeongsan High School? Hahahaha.”

Until this point, Ji-seop had been too busy interpreting the coaching staff’s comments to pay much attention to Shin Min-seong himself.

However, the moment he heard the words ‘Yeongsan High School,’ Ji-seop could sense what Shin Min-seong meant to the KH Cannons.

‘If it’s Yeongsan High School… didn’t I hear that ‘Sakhalin Park’ is from that school?’

The alma mater of ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.

That also meant it was the alma mater of KH Group founder Chairman Joo Tae-san.

‘He’s from Yeongsan in Gyeonggi Province, the team’s hometown, and he graduated from the same school as Chairman Joo Tae-san?’

At this moment, only one phrase came to Ji-seop’s mind.

‘…A true hometown hero.’

This tendency was less pronounced in Seoul, where people came from all over.

However, even just going down to Yeongsan, located in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province, there was a strong preference among fans for ‘our local boys [players from the region].’

Moreover, he was from Yeongsan High School, the alma mater of KH Group founder Joo Tae-san and a school that had produced many KH Cannons players since long ago.

Like the ‘true blue bloods’ of the old Silla Dynasty [an ancient Korean kingdom], who could live without lifting a finger because both their parents were from the royal family, Shin Min-seong, the newly emerging player in the Cannons, would also be treated better than his teammates in many ways.

Sure enough.

The first-team batting coach, who had been continuing the story with a pleased expression, turned his gaze towards Freeman.

“Manager, so about that…”

A subtle expression.

A cautious attitude.

“The season opener is not far away… and these days, there are many people in the media trying to get an interview with you, right?”

“That’s right.”

Arthur Freeman, after listening to Ji-seop’s interpretation, slowly nodded.

“When you do media interviews, wouldn’t it be a good idea for you to say a word of praise for Shin Min-seong… I think.”

“That is…”

Arthur Freeman chuckled.

“Is it because our coach is from Yeongsan High School?”

“Yes?”

The first-team batting coach was startled.

“Oh, no, how could that be? I’m not the kind of person who doesn’t mix personal feelings with professional duties, Manager!”

The batting coach waved his hands frantically.

“Wasn’t your inaugural address that the Cannons would undergo a generational shift? I just thought Shin Min-seong could be a symbol of that…”

“I know, I know. I was just joking.”

Arthur Freeman was a man who knew how to play with people.

“If our coaches feel that way, it’s not difficult to say a word of praise in an interview.”

As Freeman responded favorably, expectations began to rise on the faces of the coaching staff.

“I will consider it positively.”

Freeman with a bright expression.

However, Ji-seop did not miss the wry smile on his lips.

* * *

Shin Min-seong, the Cannons’ rookie shortstop.

The coaching staff subtly promoting him.

And Arthur Freeman, smiling wryly as he watched the coaching staff.

“…”

At first, Ji-seop thought Arthur Freeman was a fair person.

He wondered if the wry smile on his lips was contempt for the coaching staff, who evaluated players based on school ties and regionalism…

But no.

For Freeman, who had over 30 years of experience in the industry, school ties and regionalism seemed to be very valuable.

“No, I completely agree with the opinions of the coaching staff.”

After the meeting, Ji-seop cautiously asked about the meaning of the ‘wry smile’ over a cup of coffee.

Arthur Freeman laughed heartily and replied like this.

“Isn’t it obvious? Professional baseball is, from the beginning, a business targeting the people of this region.”

Baseball is strictly business.

That seemed to be Freeman’s thought.

“It’s a business targeting people who were born and raised in this region. So, of course, we should favor players from this region. That way, fans can have a more special affection for our players.”

A player who was born and raised in the neighborhood I know.

A player who ate at the restaurant I know and watched movies at the movie theater I know.

Such a player goes out to the big stage and has a showdown with players from other regions.

A strange sense of unity and emotional investment that comes from this structure.

Arthur Freeman seemed to have no disagreement about the value of ‘hometown hero’ Shin Min-seong.

“However, from my point of view, that friend Shin Min-seong came up to the starting lineup too easily… That’s what I don’t like.”

Arthur Freeman made a ‘tsk’ sound and brought the coffee cup to his lips.

“The generational shift has to be noisy. The guys going up have to struggle like hell, and the guys at the top have to defend their positions until they shed tears. That’s what you can call a true change in the starting lineup.”

It was truly a war without gunfire.

Arthur Freeman seemed to be secretly hoping for such a situation.

“But this time, the KH Cannons… especially in the case of the shortstop position, the generational shift was too gentlemanly.”

“Gentlemanly… as in?”

“It was probably not long after I joined this team? A friend named Mr. Ahn, who was the starting shortstop until last season, came to see me.”

Arthur Freeman snorted as if he still couldn’t believe it.

“He came to me and said… he wanted to play second base from next year. He said he was getting old and it would be difficult to play shortstop.”

“…”

“If it were a player in another position, I would have understood to some extent. But aren’t the catcher and shortstop positions a bit special?”

Ji-seop also knew this.

The shortstop, who can be called the commander of the infield defense.

And the catcher, who is called the ‘home plate mistress’ of a team [the most important defensive player].

Not just anyone can take on those positions, and that’s why the players in those positions have a very high pride.

“In the team I used to manage, there was even a guy who demanded a trade because he was told to give up his shortstop position… Hehe, I wonder how this team is run.”

It seemed that there were things that even Arthur Freeman, who had 30 years of experience in the industry, couldn’t understand.

* * *

“Welcome!”

It was past 11 PM when Ji-seop left the KH Cannons field that day.

Freeman had left work around 9 PM, but Ji-seop had to separately organize the press articles that came out in the afternoon.

Organizing the Cannons-related articles from the press and translating them for the manager to see was part of the interpreter’s job.

These days, translation programs are well-developed, but for Ji-seop, who had no experience in this area, it took a long time.

It was already a time when all the restaurants had closed, so Ji-seop headed to a small izakaya [Japanese-style pub] near the baseball field.

“One udon and one rice ball… and a glass of draft beer, please.”

“Yes, thank you!”

Ji-seop ordered something that would be enough to fill his stomach and sat down at an empty seat.

“Hoo.”

Even though the season hadn’t started yet, he let out a long sigh as soon as he sat down.

He was physically tired, and sharing the manager’s concerns was mentally exhausting.

Thinking that he should quickly fill his stomach and return to the accommodation to rest, Ji-seop opened the drawer attached to the side of the table to get a spoon.

“…Hmm?”

Whether it was because not many people were looking for it, or conversely, because many people had already come and gone.

There was only one spoon in the drawer, and no chopsticks.

The owner seemed quite busy, so Ji-seop wondered, ‘Maybe there are chopsticks at the next table?’ and looked around, and that’s when it happened.

“Here are some chopsticks.”

A voice from the table across from him.

“Ah, thank you.”

Ji-seop accepted the chopsticks with a thank you, but soon couldn’t help but make an ‘Ah’ sound.

The man sitting across from him and offering the chopsticks looked quite familiar.

“Excuse me, by any chance…”

“Yes?”

The man turned his head towards Ji-seop.

Thanks to that, Ji-seop was able to know the man’s identity more accurately.

“Aren’t you player Ahn Young-chan?”

“Yes? No, how did you know me… Ah!”

A look of joy also bloomed on the face of the man sitting across from him.

“You’re the… right? The one who’s been the manager’s interpreter since recently!”

He didn’t seem to know Ji-seop’s name yet.

Ji-seop quickly introduced himself.

“Yes, I’m Kim Ji-seop.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim Ji-seop! Wow, how did we end up meeting in a place like this? Hahaha.”

The player called ‘Ahn Young-chan’ turned his gaze to the baseball field visible outside the window and then looked back at Ji-seop.

“Ah, of course… the restaurants that people working at the baseball field can go to at this time are all the same.”

Ahn Young-chan, who was wearing a wry smile, suddenly pointed to the seat in front of him as if he had remembered something.

“Would you like to join me if you don’t mind? We’re not strangers, so isn’t it a bit strange to eat so far apart?”

The sociability unique to athletes.

In fact, if he had to choose, he preferred to eat quietly alone, but at this moment, Ji-seop readily nodded.

“Ah, yes, shall we?”

There was a good reason to.

The player gesturing to Ji-seop right now was the KH Cannons’ starting shortstop until last season.

He was the very player who had gone to Arthur Freeman and suddenly declared, ‘I’m going to quit being a shortstop.’

For Ji-seop,

There were many things he wanted to ask.