A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 52

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 52

#The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good Episode 52

15. Play Ball

The next day, evening.

Jisub was meeting with ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hongjoo, at a modest seafood restaurant in Yeongsan.

It had been almost half a year since they last saw each other in November.

“You said we had to meet today no matter what, so I thought you were going to treat me to something delicious… but it’s just a platter of assorted seafood?”

“What’s wrong with assorted seafood? This is 100% natural. Do you think it’s easy to find this quality of seafood in the metropolitan area, you rascal?”

It had been a while since they last met, but their conversational dynamic was no different from the time of the company baseball tournament.

He would be polite and respectful to anyone else without being told, but why did he always end up grumbling in front of this old man?

Jisub felt a strange sensation.

“You seem to be doing quite well.”

The strange sense of camaraderie that had developed during the company baseball tournament seemed to be mutual with ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hongjoo.

The man who had been glaring at Jisub as if he wanted to kill him just a moment ago was now offering Jisub a glass of soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] with a pleased smile.

“Our Secretary Yang was very worried that you would be kicked out in a few days…”

Sakhalin Park glanced at Secretary Yang, who was sitting next to him.

“But seeing you survive and even take on the interpretation duties for Director Freeman, you’re doing well.”

“I know that you’ve been looking out for me, Vice Chairman.”

Whatever else, Sakhalin Park’s influence played a big role in Jisub being able to become Director Freeman’s interpreter.

Taking the soju bottle and filling Sakhalin Park’s glass, Jisub continued in a calm tone.

“These days, I often feel that my experience is lacking.”

“Hmm.”

“If it’s limited to knowledge of baseball, I can still hold my own against others… but I’m still clueless about how the baseball team operates.”

“This guy, did you become an adult while I wasn’t looking? You used to be so arrogant, thinking you were so great…”

Hehehe.

Park Hongjoo chuckled and downed the glass of soju that Jisub had poured for him.

‘Kheu,’ he said, dipping three or four pieces of sashimi in 초고추장 (chogochujang, vinegared red pepper paste) and eating them before opening his mouth to Jisub.

“Actually… I called you here today because there’s one thing I want to ask you.”

“To me…?”

Without answering, Vice Chairman Park shifted his gaze to Secretary Yang, who was sitting next to him.

Receiving his gaze, Secretary Yang put down her chopsticks and looked at Jisub.

“Isn’t the Cannon’s season opener coming up the day after tomorrow?”

“That’s right.”

“The story came up at the board of directors meeting today. How about the Vice Chairman visiting Cannons Field that day…?”

“Ah.”

The acting owner’s visit to the stadium.

Jisub could roughly grasp the context of the story.

“Recently, some owners seem to be stepping forward and showing support for their baseball teams.”

Sakhalin Park said.

“If the owner shows up at the stadium, it becomes a news story in itself, and the fans seem to take it as a positive message.”

“That’s right.”

“The problem is that this can have conflicting results depending on the team’s tendencies.”

Vice Chairman Park scratched his chin.

“Depending on the team atmosphere, a visit from the team’s executives could be a good encouragement, or conversely, it could lead to excessive pressure.”

His gaze turned to Jisub.

“That’s why I called you to ask. If I ask the baseball team people, they’ll just be mindful of me and spout nonsense like, ‘The players will definitely welcome it.’”

“The Vice Chairman’s visit to the stadium…?”

Should it be called a kind of habit?

At this time, Jisub unconsciously tried to stare ‘intently’ into Vice Chairman Park’s eyes.

He might have been trying to read his mind and then respond accordingly.

But what do you know.

Vice Chairman Park, who was sitting across from him, grumbled, ‘Oh, this guy’s doing it again.’

“Hey, you, why do you live your life looking at people’s faces all the time?”

“Yes?”

Jisub blinked at the sudden outburst.

“What… do you mean?”

“If you look at it, you have a habit of glancing at people’s eyes and looking at their faces.”

Jisub thought he was staring ‘intently,’ but Vice Chairman Park seemed to think it was ‘looking at his face.’

“Did I ask you something difficult? You can just think about the team atmosphere and the players’ tendencies and answer. Why are you looking at my face here?”

“No, Vice Chairman. I’m not looking at your face, but…”

“You said you seem to lack experience, right?”

Sakhalin Park cut off Jisub’s words.

“Yes?”

“You said a little while ago that you seem to lack experience. That you need to make up for that part.”

“…I did.”

“In my opinion, what you need is not experience, but confidence, or the boldness to trust your momentary intuition and push forward.”

Sakhalin Park continued.

“Experience? It’s good. It’s good to have. But if you start accumulating experience now, when will you be able to help me? Are you going to earn your keep after I die?”

“……”

“I value your momentary judgment, insight, or intuition. Like the ones you showed at the company baseball tournament. You’re a natural at that kind of thing.”

Sakhalin Park’s eyes were serious.

“Don’t hesitate in the future. If you intuitively think ‘this is a problem,’ point it out, and if you instinctively think ‘this is it,’ push forward. That’s how I’m going to use you, that’s why I pushed you into this baseball team. That’s why I gave you the role of Director Freeman’s interpreter. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

When Jisub slowly nodded, Vice Chairman Park finally returned to his original grumpy old man face.

“Okay, then tell me now.”

Then he brought out one word.

“What do you think I should do about the upcoming opening game?”

* * *

Two days later.

Jisub was welcoming the KH Cannon’s season opener in the office next to the director’s office.

“……”

Director Arthur Freeman, who had come to work early in the morning, had been in the director’s office for an hour without saying a word.

The start of a long journey of 144 games. Even a veteran director with 30 years of experience seemed to need time to prepare himself.

Thanks to that, Jisub was able to have time to prepare for the upcoming first game in extreme silence.

“Let’s see, the player list and order sheet have been printed out…”

While checking what he needed to prepare as the director’s interpreter, the cell phone he had placed on his desk rang ‘brrr.’

It was a message from Secretary Yang.

-The Vice Chairman has arrived at the Cannons’ minor league stadium.

-The encouragement gifts for the minor league players that Jisub suggested have also arrived.

The photo message that followed showed Sakhalin Park giving a thumbs up in front of a 1-ton truck full of gifts.

‘Hehe, he really went to the minor league stadium.’

Two days ago, when he was ordered to ‘speak his mind without hesitation,’ Jisub had suggested it.

Rather than coming to the first team stadium like other owners, he wanted him to visit the second team stadium.

The morale of the first team players was already high enough at the start of the new season.

‘The people who need the most encouragement right now are the second team players.’

From the finishing camp, spring camp, practice games, to the demonstration game.

Players who had done their best but failed to make the opening day first team roster.

For the time being, the attention of the media and the coaching staff would be focused on the first team, so it was a time when the second team could not help but feel discouraged.

‘If the acting owner visits at this time, it will give the impression that the club is paying attention to the second team….’

At the same time, it could also have the effect of instilling a sense of tension in the second team coaching staff and front office, who may have become slightly lax with the start of the season.

It was right after that that he learned that his intuition was correct.

Brrr- Brrr- Brrr-

Another cell phone vibration and a message from Secretary Yang.

Jisub’s cell phone screen showed the second team players happily unloading the encouragement gifts from the truck, Sakhalin Park smiling happily as he watched them.

And the second team coaching staff and front office staff, who seemed to be sweating profusely at the sudden visit of the acting owner, were all revealed.

-The players’ response is very good. The Vice Chairman is also happy.

-The Vice Chairman plans to move to the second team training restaurant. He is thinking of watching the first team opening game with the second team players there.

A slightly bitter smile crossed Jisub’s face as he read Secretary Yang’s message.

‘Hey, he should have just given the gifts and left as originally planned. I don’t think the players will like watching the game together…’

Jisub wasn’t sure how the players would react to watching the first team opening game with the acting owner, but at least it could be an opportunity for Sakhalin Park to visit the second team baseball field more often in the future.

Because ‘Sakhalin Park’ in the photo sent by Secretary Yang seemed to be genuinely happy.

‘This season, the Cannons should focus on developing players rather than immediate results… It is necessary for the acting owner to pay attention to the second team.’

Jisub smiled slightly as he recalled the second team players he had met when he first joined KH Cannons.

It was at this time that the last message of the day came to Jisub.

-The Vice Chairman tells Kim Jisub to tell you, ‘You have a good intuition after all.’

-He also told me to tell you to trust your intuition and work hard in the future.

If the situation is like this, he can just call me directly and say it.

Jisub shook his head at Sakhalin Park’s appearance, who insisted on delivering the message through Secretary Yang.

However, praise and encouragement directly from the acting owner.

On Jisub’s face, as he put down his cell phone, there was a firm determination.

‘It’s okay to follow my intuition….’

As Sakhalin Park said, Jisub may have been moving too cautiously until now.

It may be because of his inferiority complex that he didn’t go pro even after all that fuss, or it may be because of his fastball speed that never exceeded 130 km/h.

But today, as he welcomes this new season, Jisub is determined to move more boldly than ever before.

‘Well, whatever the reason… I’m the guy who got promoted to director’s interpreter in half a year after joining the company.’

Let’s do it. Come what may.

While he was thinking that and straightening his clothes, he heard a ‘bang’ from behind.

“Isn’t it time to go out?”

It was Director Arthur Freeman.

He, too, seemed to have finished his time to prepare himself, and was looking at Jisub with more intense eyes than ever before.

“Yes, let’s go, Director. The players will be waiting.”

“Let’s do that.”

Director Arthur Freeman, who was wearing his hat low and starting to walk.

Jisub took a step ahead of him and opened the door to the ground wide open.

It was play ball.