A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 493

The Super Rookie of the Baseball Team is Too Good 493

The Super Rookie of the Baseball Team is Too Good 493

104 Everyone’s Wish (3)

The next day, morning.

At the mansion of Joseph Carter, the original owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, an unexpected deep cleaning was underway.

Workers had arrived early and were carrying large boxes, while others dusted the furniture.

Amidst the diligent activity, Joseph Carter, the house’s owner, leaned on his cane and issued instructions.

“Yes, take this piano down to the basement storage. Since I won’t be back for a while, put most things in storage.”

“Understood, Mr. Carter. Then…”

Heave-ho!

The workers, following instructions, lifted the piano with a shout.

As they moved, calling out, “Watch out there!” a young man peeked from the study doorway.

It was Joseph Carter’s grandson, Louis Carter.

“G-Grandpa!”

He carefully avoided the workers carrying the piano and hurried to his grandfather.

“Oh, geez! What are you still doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be at City Hall by 11 a.m. today?”

“Ah, the City Advisory Committee? Right, there’s a meeting today, but… as you can see, this old man has a very busy matter to attend to.”

Joseph Carter said, picking books from the bookshelf and neatly placing them into a cardboard box.

At his grandfather’s nonchalant attitude, Louis scratched the back of his head, looking dumbfounded.

“Grandpa, I understand your feelings, but… isn’t this a bit much?”

“Heavens, lad! You look like a rain cloud. Why are you pouting like that?”

“No, I heard you promised the people of Tampa Bay that if they got the team value certification, you’d immediately propose building a new stadium to the City Council.”

Louis frowned.

“But how can you miss the meeting as soon as the certification results are out? Especially just to oversee cleaning… Anyone can see you’re breaking your promise, right?”

Listening to his grandson’s protest, Joseph Carter lowered his reading glasses slightly.

“Tell me honestly, how much did that Kim guy pay you?”

“What? Money? Oh, Grandpa, what do you take me for…”

“Then what is it? Are you acting as their spokesperson for just one signed ball from Vincent Hyama?”

“No, Grandpa! Kim and I are friends, you know? We sometimes meet for a drink, and I get to eat Korean cup noodles… Anyway! You always taught me not to ignore a friend’s difficulties, right?”

“What, friends? Did you just say friends?”

Joseph Carter shook his head and let out a hollow laugh.

The thought of it was amusing. His grandson and the deputy general manager of Tampa Bay being friends.

Was his grandson’s social ability exceptionally good, or was that Kim guy’s skill remarkable?

In fact, neither mattered much to Joseph Carter now.

“Louis, there’s no need to get so worked up. This old man kept his promise to them.”

“Huh? What do you mean…”

“I’ve delegated all my authority to the City Advisory Committee. If the Tampa Bay Rays bring a proper certificate, the new stadium construction proposal will be submitted to the St. Petersburg City Council by the end of today.”

“T-Then… you’ve finished all the preparations?”

“Oh, geez.”

Louis smiled awkwardly.

“That’s more like it! Actually, I didn’t think you would go back on your word, Grandpa. It’s just that the situation seemed a bit strange…”

“Hehe, is that so?”

Joseph Carter chuckled and turned his gaze to the bookshelf.

His grandson tilted his head and asked, “But why are you suddenly doing a deep cleaning today? I heard the mayor is also coming to the City Advisory Committee today.”

“Goodness, you’ve become quite the expert. Is there anything you don’t know?”

Joseph Carter said, sticking out his lips and glancing at the bookshelf.

“Is there any other reason? I can’t insist anymore, but… that doesn’t mean I have to play the clown to liven up someone else’s party.”

“Cl-Clown?”

It seemed Louis had finally realized something.

Even though the 3rd floor upper deck was being opened due to the box office success, and even though the construction of the new stadium was confirmed thanks to that momentum.

The fact that his grandfather still harbored animosity towards the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Grandpa, can I ask you why? Why do you dislike the Tampa Bay Rays so much?”

Louis continued.

“You always told me, didn’t you? That you shouldn’t dwell on a failed business. That it’s best to quickly shake it off and find a new path.”

“…”

“You’ve actually lived that way, haven’t you? You’ve ruined several businesses, but you’ve always gotten back up with new methods. Thanks to that, I’ve lived without much difficulty, too.”

Louis looked at his grandfather.

“But why do you show such an emotional reaction only when it comes to the baseball team? I’ve never been able to understand it…”

“Wait, is someone here?”

Joseph Carter suddenly raised his head.

“I think I heard a car outside? Didn’t you hear it?”

“Oh, what car sound? Grandpa, don’t change the subject…”

“Oh dear, I should go out and see. Old man George must be busy organizing the luggage…”

His grandfather put down the book he was holding and hurried out of the study.

Watching his retreating figure, Louis could only smack his lips.

“Seriously, why is he being like this? Is he still upset about being kicked out of the Tampa Bay ownership…? Hmm?!”

It was probably at this moment that Louis’s eyes widened as he tilted his head.

Right next to the book his grandfather had put down, there was a rather luxurious envelope.

“A plane ticket?”

As Louis examined the small print on the ticket, he felt as if his heart had dropped.

“A flight to New York this Saturday… Oh, wait, why isn’t there a return ticket?”

Because they were based in Florida, his grandfather always booked return tickets together.

But this was a one-way ticket. Was it because the return schedule hadn’t been decided yet? Or-

‘Does this mean… he’s going to leave St. Petersburg for a while? Is that it?’

Louis couldn’t understand.

Wasn’t it a business that had left his hands more than 20 years ago?

Why was he so attached to such a business?

Was the construction of the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium that shocking?

Just as he was shaking his head and putting the ticket back in its original place-

“…What brings you here?”

A voice came from the front door.

“Weren’t you supposed to attend the City Advisory Committee today? You don’t seem to have time to be here?”

The person who was supposed to attend the City Advisory Committee today.

Louis seemed to vaguely sense who was at the front door now.

* * *

About ten minutes later.

Jiseop was facing Joseph Carter in a study with a truly chaotic atmosphere.

“Hmm, so… you heard the news that I wouldn’t be attending today’s meeting and came straight here, you say?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As Jiseop nodded, Joseph Carter scoffed and crossed his legs.

“You have a knack for making things complicated. I was trying to be considerate to make things easier for both of us.”

“Haha, what’s so complicated about it?”

Jiseop gave a faint smile.

“Mr. Charles Flex and other colleagues from our Future Strategy Planning Department are at City Hall. Even without me, the submission of the team value certification will proceed without any issues.”

“Hmph, is that so? Then this…”

Joseph Carter pointed to a document he had presented to Jiseop a little while ago.

A document with the Zeus Analytics Group logo prominently displayed, the final team value certification report.

“You should see this as a kind of insurance in case something goes wrong. In case I might change my mind later, you see. Isn’t that right?”

“Oh, Grandpa! Why do you keep saying things like that…”

Louis, who was sitting next to him, stepped in to dissuade his grandfather, but Jiseop still had a calm expression.

“Yes, that’s right.”

He didn’t bother to deny it.

“That’s not the only purpose. Isn’t this a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars? Of course, we have to be fully prepared.”

“Hmm.”

“But to be honest… I wanted to show this final report directly to Mr. Carter.”

“Ah, you wanted to show it directly?”

Joseph Carter asked.

“Why?”

“Because Mr. Carter is like a father to the Tampa Bay Rays.”

“A father? Ah, because I’m the inaugural owner?”

Joseph Carter chuckled.

“Isn’t that too cheesy of a title? To me, the baseball team is just a business that I foolishly touched in my younger days and suffered greatly from.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Jiseop raised his eyebrows.

“Well, it’s very different from what I’ve heard from people. They said that Joseph Carter worked really hard to create the Tampa Bay Rays.”

“Really? What about it?”

As Louis subtly interjected, Jiseop shrugged and continued.

“All the veterans who have been in the baseball scene for a long time remember it. They said that Mr. Carter wandered around the United States for nearly 10 years to bring the baseball team to St. Petersburg.”

From the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, the San Francisco Giants, and even the Minnesota Twins, which Jiseop had visited recently.

Everyone remembered. The image of a young businessman in his early 40s who didn’t hesitate to travel long distances to attract a baseball team to St. Petersburg.

“Even after all that effort went down the drain, Mr. Carter didn’t give up. The team that was created after that persistent effort… was the Tampa Bay Rays.”

“Haha, I wondered what kind of story you were going to tell.”

Joseph Carter laughed heartily.

“Look here, that much effort is something anyone in business does. Do you think there’s any business in this world that can be done without getting dust on your face or stepping into the mud?”

The inaugural owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, who had been relaxed until now.

But his relaxed attitude didn’t last long.

“I see. Well, I don’t know anything about business…”

Jiseop scratched the back of his head awkwardly and opened his mouth nonchalantly.

“Then, Mr. Carter, is it common to keep dwelling on a business that you’ve already ruined?”

“Hmm?!”

Joseph Carter’s eyebrows twitched, but Jiseop pretended not to notice and continued.

“I heard that Mr. Carter has been steadily trying to reacquire the team even after handing over the management rights to current owner Jeffrey Taylor?”

“Reacquire? So you were trying to buy Tampa Bay again?!”

As Louis widened his eyes, Joseph Carter started waving his hands.

“Wh-Where did you hear such nonsense? Reacquire? I’m the kind of person who wouldn’t even pee in the direction of something I’ve failed at!”

“Really? Then did all those people lie to me? Until the Tampa Bay Rays achieved the World Series title, Joseph Carter was diligently gathering investors.”

“Th-That’s… Ah, no! That’s not it…”

Joseph Carter, who was noticeably flustered.

Jiseop sensed that it was time to get to the point.

“As you just said, Mr. Carter, you’re the kind of person who doesn’t hold onto a business that you’ve failed at. But the fact that you’ve been steadily trying to reacquire it for 20 years… means that the Tampa Bay Rays were that special to you.”

“Cough, cough!”

“That’s why I used the expression ‘father.’ Not just because you’re the inaugural owner, but because you’ve had unchanging affection for them for so long.”

“…What do you want to say?”

Joseph Carter frowned.

“Why are you beating around the bush like this? What are you trying to get from me?”

He growled like an old lion, but Jiseop’s expression remained unchanged.

“Didn’t I tell you from the beginning? Please read the final report. It would be even better if you read it carefully.”

“But why?!”

“Because you… have the right to do so.”

Jiseop’s eyes became quite serious.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not like I like you. Thanks to Mr. Carter holding out in the City Advisory Committee, our front office has had a lot of trouble.”

“…”

“But even so, I judged that you have the right. The right to see the growth of the Tampa Bay Rays, your ‘child,’ with your own eyes.”

Jiseop continued calmly.

“You created this baseball team through so much hardship, and you’ve had unchanging affection for it for a long time, no matter how it was. So I thought I should at least go and show you the report in person.”

“So you came all the way here? For me? Forgoing that glorious moment of submitting the certification to the city government?”

“Yes, that’s about it.”

Jiseop smiled bitterly.

“A glorious moment… Hearing those words makes me regret it a little. Damn it, I should have had my picture taken on a day like today so I could get proper recognition later.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. It didn’t have to be today. A front office should take care of their own achievements… Haha, that friend of yours.”

It was at this moment that the frown on Joseph Carter’s face, which had been furrowed all along, relaxed ever so slightly.

The deputy general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, who had come all the way here for him. A front office employee who had come all the way here, forgoing a great moment, and was sitting here listening to harsh words.

And as he looked at his face, laughing and saying that he regretted it, Joseph Carter couldn’t frown any longer.

“Haa, what is going on…”

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed deeply, then unknowingly reached out to the report on the table.

“Okay, I understand. If you say so much, I’ll read it once.”

He said, picking up the report.

“But keep in mind that this could be a bad move. If I think Zeus Analytics’ evaluation is lacking, I’ll raise an objection right away.”

“Yes, I knew that from the beginning. Isn’t that a natural right as a member of the City Advisory Committee?”

“Hmph, you’re good with words.”

Ticking, ticking, ticking.

It was from this moment that the sound of the clock hanging on the study wall seemed particularly loud.

It was quiet. A time when only the sound of turning pages was occasionally heard, and no one spoke.

And that time was becoming an opportunity for inaugural owner Joseph Carter to face the team called the Tampa Bay Rays head-on for the first time in almost 20 years.

How has this team changed? What kind of team is it now? And how is that different from what he once imagined?

“Hmm, I see… They’ve established this kind of development system? This is something I didn’t even think of.”

“Oh, really? Are more people coming now? Haha, I wondered what would happen at one point.”

“The players have changed a lot now. There are hardly any names I know among the coaches…”

Joseph Carter was slowly, carefully reading each page.

The inaugural owner, who had been checking the current state of the Tampa Bay Rays with great care for a really long time.

“…”

When he finally put down the report, Joseph Carter’s face looked very relaxed.

“It’s become a good team…”

He said.

“There’s no need to argue about it. It’s become a great team. You’ve created a much more amazing team than I once imagined.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I have no choice but to admit it. It’s become ridiculous for me to hold onto it any longer.”

With a slightly bitter, yet incredibly happy smile.

At this moment, Joseph Carter was uttering the very words that Jiseop had hoped for.

“Kim, could you contact the City Advisory Committee?”

I’ll go myself.

The ‘father’ of the Tampa Bay Rays said.

“Submitting the new stadium construction proposal to the City Council myself would be good in many ways.”

He continued.

“That’s what I can do for the Tampa Bay Rays, what I can do for my ‘child’…”

The last,

It will be a gift.”