A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 523

The Newcomer to the Baseball Team is Too Good 523

111 Received as is (3)

At the very moment Dr. Goldberg was capturing Vincent Hiyama’s attention.

On the 11th floor of the same building, Cody Embler, 46, was taking off his hat, glancing around cautiously.

“Hmm.”

Until two years ago, he had been the manager of the LA Dodgers’ Triple-A team.

Having served as a manager for nearly 10 years, he had nurtured countless promising players and helped injured players recover.

Recognizing his experience and achievements, Vincent Hiyama signed a contract with him before last season, and since then, he had been working as his personal instructor.

His duties included setting up the player’s personal training program, checking his health condition, and procuring necessary equipment.

Among the important tasks was analyzing Vincent Hiyama’s game performance with other trainers.

“Alright, let’s cheer up a bit more! If we’re so down, we’ll miss what’s right in front of our eyes, you know?”

This day’s game analysis meeting was held at Vincent Hiyama’s personal studio on the 11th floor of the residence.

Cody Embler clapped his hands, encouraging his colleagues.

“Yes, I admit that Vincent’s performance yesterday was somewhat disappointing. Seven hits and five runs in four innings, which is a disappointing result compared to your efforts.”

He placed his hand on the shoulder of another trainer sitting next to him.

“But shouldn’t we be more energetic at times like this? So that we can get good results in the next appearance… Vincent Hiyama is also relying on us a lot.”

Cody Embler was a veteran in the industry and received considerable respect.

People smacked their lips while unfolding the score sheets, spurred by his kind words.

Just as the situation seemed to be settling down, there was one person who did not follow Cody Embler’s lead.

“Damn it, I’m so sick of this…”

A young man ran his fingers through his short hair, letting out a deep sigh.

He flicked the game record with his finger, glaring at Cody Embler.

“Skip, can you stop it? What’s the point of all this?”

Skip.

Originally meaning ‘captain,’ it was one of the titles used to call a manager or someone from management.

“Vincent always talks a good game! Saying he respects us, relies on us… But everyone here knows that’s not true!”

The young man slammed the table.

“How many ideas have we come up with so far! Change the pitching form, lower the arm angle, learn a new breaking ball… We’ve come up with dozens of ideas!”

“…”

“And where did those ideas come from? Veterans with over 10 years of experience put their heads together! Vincent himself spent millions of dollars to buy equipment, and that’s what we used to come up with them!”

But,

How was Vincent?

The young man’s voice grew louder.

“Has he ever followed our advice even once? Has he even pretended to lower his arm angle! No matter what idea we bring, Vincent’s answer is…”

“Did I do that before?”

It was at this moment that the young man paused and smiled bitterly.

The other trainers sitting on either side of him recited the same line as if they were singing in chorus.

Half of them looked as if they had given up on everything, and the other half looked as if they couldn’t understand at all.

[Did I do that before?] It was a phrase that Vincent’s personal trainers heard so often that they were sick of it.

“Skip, look. Everyone knows how stubborn Vincent is.”

The young man, supported by his colleagues, began to raise his voice even more.

“All that’s left in Vincent’s head is the glory of the past. His pitching form and batting form have to be the same as they were back then. All training is focused on reviving the past form, and he can’t even accept slight changes!”

There’s no answer this way!

The young man said firmly.

“To be honest, I feel like I want to reveal all of this to the media! That Vincent has come to this. That the Tampa Bay Rays have signed a complete idiot!”

“Hey, Patrick! Stop it and sit down! It’s not like Embler doesn’t know the situation!”

When one of the trainers shouted, the young man pouted and stepped back.

As he quietly sat down, some of his colleagues gestured for him to focus on work again.

However, Cody Embler couldn’t focus on the game record at all.

‘He’s not wrong.’

That was Mr. Embler’s thought.

‘It’s true that our advice isn’t working at all. And it’s not just us. The Yankees’ coaching staff has had similar difficulties…’

It wasn’t uncommon.

It was a common case.

Any player who has recovered from an injury tries to regain their ‘good old self.’

They try to regain their pitching form at that time, and they try to regain their batting form at that time.

Many players who have been in a slump for a long time often give interviews like this to the media.

-Yes, so these days, I keep watching videos of when I was good…

But if that doesn’t work out, they usually move on to Plan B.

They try to change their posture little by little, modify their training program, and check if they haven’t fully recovered.

However, in the case of Vincent Hiyama, the transition to ‘Plan B’ had not been made for several years.

Of course, a veteran like Cody Embler could easily guess the reason.

‘Well, it’s not that strange? Vincent Hiyama’s ‘good old self’ was on a different level from other players.’

It was a pitching form that was praised as fantastic. It was a batting form that was praised as beautiful.

With that pitching form and batting form, Vincent Hiyama reigned as the best player in Major League Baseball.

Three-time League MVP [Most Valuable Player], two-time Cy Young Award [Award for best pitcher], two-time home run king and batting king, and one-time World Series MVP.

And that’s not all. Until he suffered a major injury three years ago, he had never suffered even a minor injury.

It was truly a perfect pitching form.

It was truly the best batting form.

He had to return to that posture somehow. He had to revive that image somehow.

Vincent’s desire for his ‘good old self’ had become almost an obsession.

Cody Embler had gone through all sorts of hardships, but he didn’t know how to approach this problem.

‘It would be easier if he completely screwed up for a season, then we would have a reason, but he keeps getting average or above average results every season…’

It was difficult. And frustrating.

As that young friend said a little while ago, Cody Embler and his colleagues had already created many ideas.

There were ways to increase speed and ways to refine control. Mentioning new breaking balls felt like a waste of time.

As they had joined with the best treatment, it was an idea that they had prepared with all their best efforts. Everyone poured all their know-how into creating the idea.

The fact that they couldn’t even try the ideas they had prepared. The fact that they had to give up with just one word [Did I do that before?].

All that came out was a sigh of frustration, and just when he thought it was time to give up.

“Skip! Skip! Are you here? Is everyone here?!”

The meeting room door burst open, and an Asian man rushed in.

It was Vincent Hiyama’s personal manager. Usually, he was in charge of managing Vincent’s daily life on the 12th floor.

But at this time, he was approaching Cody Embler with a pale face.

“Skip, it’s a big deal! I think you need to come up to the 12th floor right away!”

“A big deal?”

The trainers in the meeting room all tilted their heads.

“What’s the big deal? Wasn’t Mr. Hiyama meeting a guest right now?”

“Right? I heard a doctor came? Sent by the general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays.”

What big deal could happen just because a doctor came?

Even if something happened, there were guards on the 12th floor. So there was no need to worry.

While this kind of atmosphere was being created, the Asian man opened his mouth with an urgent voice.

“That, that is, the doctor sent by the Tampa Bay general manager and Mr. Hiyama…”

The next moment, Cody Embler and the trainers had no choice but to jump up from their seats.

“They’re, they’re fighting!”

And the following words.

“Punching and grabbing each other by the collar… It’s a complete mess?!”

* * *

It was not a situation where they could leisurely wait for the elevator.

Cody Embler and his colleagues had to run down the emergency stairs.

Of course, even while rushing down the stairs, people were making expressions that they couldn’t understand at all.

“No, a doctor came, right?!”

One of the trainers shouted.

“How can you fight with a doctor? And didn’t they say it was the first time they met today?”

“What’s even stranger is that Vincent punched the doctor!”

Another trainer grabbed the railing and turned around with a whoosh.

“He’s been playing in the Major League for almost 10 years, and he’s never caused any trouble? How can such a guy be fighting!”

“Ah, so that doctor said something very nasty? Is that how we should see it?”

“No, are you guys really saying such leisurely things in this situation?!”

Mr. Cody Embler, who was at the very front, shouted while looking at the people following him.

“Hurry up! Whatever the situation, we need to check on the player’s condition first!”

“Ah, I understand!”

“We’re going, Skip!”

The former minor league manager, who had poured out such nagging, hurriedly opened the door and went to the 12th floor.

“Mr. Hiyama? Mr. Hiyama? Vincent!”

His face, calling out Vincent’s name, was also filled with embarrassment.

A fistfight, and a fight with someone sent by the front office. What was this mess?

How should he clean up the mess? Should he bribe the doctor?

He felt like his future was getting darker. Mr. Cody Embler’s steps, turning around the hallway, were getting faster-

“Hmm?”

As he passed the reception room and turned towards Vincent’s personal study, what came into his view was the sight of the guards standing blankly.

“Oh, Skip! You’re here?”

The guards standing in front of the study door discovered Cody Embler and lightly raised their hands.

“Ah, yes. Um…”

Cody Embler looked around while receiving the greetings.

“I was rushing up here after receiving a request from the manager… But it’s so quiet? I heard that Mr. Hiyama and his guest were having a fistfight.”

“Ah, you mean that?”

The guards looked at each other and then shook their heads, opening their mouths.

“The situation has already ended.”

“Ended?”

“Yes, it’s true that the two of them had a little scuffle. There were some punches exchanged. But while the manager was surprised and went down to the 11th floor, the atmosphere quickly improved again, you know?”

“Wait a minute, what are you talking about?”

It was another trainer who had arrived in front of the study after Cody Embler who asked the question as if he was pressing him.

“They fought? Punches were exchanged? But the atmosphere got better again in the short time it took for the manager to come to the 11th floor? Do you think that makes sense?”

“Yes, well, it’s not unreasonable for you to say that, but that’s definitely the truth.”

As if to prove the guards’ words, laughter could be heard from inside the tightly closed door.

Cody Embler and the trainers who heard the sound felt as if they were possessed by a ghost.

“Actually, that doctor… He’s been a little strange since a while ago.”

One of the guards approached Cody Embler and said.

“Strange? How specifically?”

“No, I don’t know what they’re talking about… But he was completely controlling Mr. Hiyama. He made his eyes well up with tears, and then he made him burst out laughing like now.”

The guard looked at his colleague and asked, ‘Right?’ and the colleague who received the question hurriedly nodded.

“That’s right. That doctor and his colleagues, they seemed to be in perfect sync, like a theater troupe. About six or seven of them made him laugh and cry, so Mr. Hiyama seemed to be completely absorbed in it.”

“People like a theater troupe…”

Cody Embler frowned slightly and began to look at the tightly closed door.

What are they talking about inside? What’s so funny, and what’s so angry?

Before that, what was the intention of the general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays in sending them?

“Skip, wouldn’t it be better to check inside once?”

One of the trainers said.

“It’s time to start training. Why don’t you go in and check the situation under the pretext of picking him up?”

“Hmm, that would be better. We can’t just stand here and do nothing… Hmm?!”

It was the next moment that Cody Evans and everyone else gathered in front of the study turned their heads.

As if hearing a creaking sound, the tightly closed door opened and a group of people appeared.

“Hmm?”

“No, what kind of people are these…”

The first thing that caught his eye was a man who resembled an American black bear.

Following him, several people who looked like the man’s colleagues came out in a hurry.

The last person to appear was the person in question, Vincent Hiyama.

“Doctor, what’s wrong? People, what people are there…? Ah?”

Vincent Hiyama, who was following the big man, discovered Cody Embler and widened his eyes.

“Skip? What brings you here?”

Was it Cody Embler’s misunderstanding?

At this time, Vincent Hiyama had a very comfortable expression on his face.

“Ah, right? It was training time? I’m sorry. I was so engrossed in the story that I didn’t even realize it was this late.”

“It’s okay. But Mr. Hiyama, what were you talking about so…”

As Cody Embler asked very carefully, Vincent scratched his head and answered.

“Just this and that. About Dr. Goldberg, about the Tampa Bay Rays and Kim?”

Up to this point, the words were literally this and that, with no great nutritional value.

Just as a slight disappointment was rising on Cody Embler’s face, Vincent continued.

“And… there was also a story about my ‘good old self.'”

“Good old self?”

Cody Embler widened his eyes because it was the part he had been worrying about all along.

But the decisive word that surprised him the most that day came after this.

“It’s a good thing. I was just about to go see Skip right away anyway. Because there’s something I need to ask you urgently.”

“Wh, what is it?”

Vincent Hiyama glanced at the man who resembled a black bear, Dr. Goldberg, and then opened his mouth with a faint smile.

“You said you had an idea?”

“Yes?”

“An idea to throw a better ball. There was a way to increase speed, and it seems like there was also a way to improve control?”

“Yes! There is! Of course, there is!!!”

It was the young trainer standing in the back row, Patrick, who had passionately spoken in the meeting room, who answered.

“The preparation is perfect! You can start whenever you tell us!”

“Thank you, Patrick! That’s good news to hear.”

Vincent gave Patrick a thumbs up from afar, then turned his gaze to Cody Embler.

“Skip, I’d like to discuss that idea during today’s training session.”

“Th, that’s not difficult, but…”

Cody Embler tilted his head.

“May I ask why? You’re showing a very different reaction than usual.”

“Haha, there’s no other reason. I just realized that I can’t just stick to my stubbornness like this. The Tampa Bay Rays are facing a huge challenge of winning three consecutive championships, aren’t they?”

The trainers reacted all at once to Vincent’s determined words.

Of course. Of course. Mr. Hiyama should be the main player in the championship again this time.

People clenched their fists and rejoiced. Vincent stared at such trainers and continued.

“Skip, shall we head to the training ground right away then? Maybe it’s because I’ve made up my mind, but I feel impatient.”

“Ah, yes! Let’s go. We can talk about the details while we go…”

Following Vincent, who was striding forward, Mr. Cody Embler also began to walk busily.

For the first time since coming here, his heart was pounding, and he was feeling excited.

He can try the ideas he had prepared. He can lead Vincent Hiyama to a better path.

The moment that Cody Embler had been waiting for for a long time was becoming a reality-

“…”

Just before entering the hallway with the elevator, Cody Embler couldn’t help but turn his head.

‘Did he say Dr. Goldberg?’