A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 541

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 541

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good 541

114. Please Pick a Number (2)

It was three years ago that ‘Sakhalin Park’ Park Hong-ju stepped down from his position as CEO and acting owner of the KH Cannons.

At the time, KH Cannons was successfully completing a new stadium construction project and continuing a good atmosphere by advancing to the Korean Series [the championship series of Korean professional baseball].

Although their second championship since the founding was unfortunately thwarted, it seemed to be a satisfactory achievement for Sakhalin Park.

‘Now, that’s enough.’

‘My role is over.’

‘I will leave the future to the next generation of young people.’

After Sakhalin Park stepped down from management, the one who took over his position was the current CEO, Joo Sung-min.

Some people may have already guessed from his name, but he was a member of the KH Group’s ‘Royal Family’ [referring to family members of the company’s founder or chairman holding significant positions].

The youngest nephew of the late Chairman Joo Tae-san, the founder of the group, and a cousin of the current Chairman Joo Young-eun.

He received unwavering love from Chairman Joo Tae-san when he was young, and received strong trust from Chairman Joo Young-eun as he grew up.

That was how the beloved young master, who monopolized the affection of both chairmen, became the CEO at the young age of 36.

-I will make KH Cannons the best prestigious club in Korea. America has the New York Yankees, and Korea has KH Cannons! This is my goal!!

Although he was a CEO who came down with a parachute [meaning he was appointed without earning the position through merit], it seems that there were considerable expectations inside and outside the club.

He was a well-known sportsman who had been a member of the national ice hockey team, and he had a good reputation within the group for his handsome face and cool personality.

Above all, he had been an avid baseball fan since childhood. Especially, he was a passionate fan of KH Cannons.

How many executives live their whole lives without knowing baseball and are pushed into the baseball team just before retirement?

In that sense, Joo Sung-min was a pretty good card. He was someone the baseball team had no reason to refuse.

He’ll do average. No, he’ll definitely do better than average. With such expectations, CEO Joo Sung-min stepped into the baseball world, but-

Three years later, on this afternoon.

CEO Joo was bowing his head like a sinner, under the piercing gaze of Sakhalin Park.

“So, what’s the conclusion now?”

Sakhalin roughly took off his magnifying glasses.

“The manager, the general manager, and even the staff who assisted them… They all went back to the United States? Without even writing a resignation letter?”

“…….”

Unable to answer, CEO Joo Sung-min only bowed his head even deeper.

Sakhalin Park glared at CEO Joo as if frustrated, then shifted his gaze to the man sitting next to him.

“Hey, Secretary Yang… No, Team Leader Yang! You tell me. What on earth is going on?”

“Well, that is.”

Secretary Yang, who had once been Sakhalin Park’s right-hand man for a long time.

Now the head of the management support team of KH Cannons, he wiped away the sweat and opened his mouth.

“There was a meeting of the club’s top management yesterday afternoon. At that meeting, you, CEO, asked Manager Jefferson and General Manager Hamilton to stay in Korea this winter… to prepare for the next season.”

Sakhalin Park made a displeased expression and made a ‘hmm’ sound.

Team Leader Yang pretended not to hear it and continued speaking.

“It was an unavoidable choice for you, CEO. Even if we ignore the fact that we failed to reach the postseason for three consecutive years, our ranking this season has fallen to 9th place… Shouldn’t we show the fans and the media at least some movement?”

It was common for the staff brought in from the United States to return home at the end of the season.

If they were kept here, if they showed that they were staying in Korea throughout the winter, wouldn’t it be possible to change the current bad atmosphere?

CEO Joo Sung-min persuaded them very earnestly, but a few hours later, the news that they had all boarded a plane to the United States came back.

“For now, we have announced to the media that the manager has a health problem. We have made excuses that the general manager and other staff members have left on a business trip to discover foreign players. Fortunately, there are not many remaining games left, so it won’t be a big problem…”

“It’s not a problem? What’s not a problem!!!”

It was at this moment that Sakhalin Park, who couldn’t stand it any longer, shouted.

“Hey, Team Leader Yang! Do you think the reporters are three-year-old children? How long will such a sloppy lie last! If an article with ‘Exclusive’ is released, isn’t it a foregone conclusion that the club’s atmosphere will be devastated!”

“Th, that’s…….”

As Team Leader Yang also lowered his head, Sakhalin Park’s voice grew even louder.

“Besides, what? They left the team just because they were asked to stay in Korea? Are you telling me to believe that? Even if those Yankees are all duds, they should know the horror of a contract, right?”

“O, of course, yesterday’s incident was just a trigger, and there were other practical reasons…….”

Team Leader Yang tried to explain somehow, but Sakhalin Park seemed to have already closed his ears.

“That’s enough. There’s no need to say more.”

He raised his hand to stop Team Leader Yang’s words.

“I was going to help you somehow, thinking about my long relationship with Team Leader Yang. As soon as I received your call, I contacted General Manager Kim in the United States. But to think that the team would be in such a mess… Haha, now I see that I did something unnecessary.”

Sakhalin’s voice had already calmed down.

“CEO Joo, the person you should have met today wasn’t me, but our chairman.”

“…….”

Even at this time, CEO Joo Sung-min couldn’t raise his head.

“Go and meet the chairman now and confess your mistakes in detail. And receive the appropriate punishment. That will be the last favor you can do for KH Cannons.”

Well, be careful going back.

With those words, Sakhalin Park shook off his seat without any regrets and got up.

“V, Vice Chairman!”

Team Leader Yang’s desperate voice was heard, but Sakhalin Park did not respond this time.

In fact, if it were in the past, if CEO Joo was young, Sakhalin would have taught him a lesson, even if it meant hitting him.

But CEO Joo Sung-min was already in his late 30s. The age to teach him something had passed long ago.

Moreover, his current position is CEO of KH Cannons. Now was the time to take responsibility, not to learn something.

‘Haha, this is so futile. To think that a team that I have cherished so much would collapse like a sandcastle in just a few years…….’

Sakhalin also felt some responsibility.

Was cutting off the contract with Ji-seop a bad choice in the end?

Would it have been a better choice to close my eyes and bring him to the Cannons?

Just as he was about to leave the reception room, licking his bitter lips.

Yes, it must have been at that moment.

“Wa, wait a minute! CEO? CEO?!”

Team Leader Yang’s urgent voice was heard, followed by the sound of angry footsteps ‘thump thump thump thump’ hitting Sakhalin’s ears.

And one word that followed.

“Vice Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

Sakhalin Park, who was turning his head, inadvertently let out a sigh, ‘Heo.’

The CEO of the Cannons, who had been keeping his mouth shut until just now, was suddenly holding his head up straight.

“Hey, CEO! Didn’t you promise me? You agreed to just listen quietly today, no matter what you heard…….”

Team Leader Yang came over and grabbed CEO Joo Sung-min’s arm, but CEO Joo didn’t budge.

Rather, he stood firm like a rock and glared at Sakhalin Park, saying this.

“Vice Chairman, everything else is fine.”

Was it Sakhalin Park who taught him the habit of hitting the main point from the beginning without context?

“You can scold me as much as you want. I ruined the team that you have cherished for three years, so I have no excuse no matter what kind of scolding I receive. I have been prepared to step down from the position of CEO for a long time.”

“But?”

When Sakhalin Park raised one eyebrow, CEO Joo said very firmly.

“However, I would like you to retract the point you made a little while ago, calling my colleagues from the United States ‘duds’… I would like you to retract that expression.”

“Duds?”

Sakhalin Park tilted his head.

“Yes, you scolded Team Leader Yang a while ago, didn’t you? Manager Jefferson, General Manager Hamilton, and the staff they brought… You said that those friends were all duds.”

“Ah, now that I hear it, I think I said something like that…….”

Sakhalin Park snorted.

“Is there any problem with that expression? They failed to reach the fall baseball season for three consecutive years, and they ran away to the United States before the season was even over. I think the expression ‘dud’ is rather excessive, don’t you think?”

“People who only know the results can say that so easily. But I am the one who has watched them from the beginning.”

CEO Joo Sung-min was confident.

“They were all talented people. They were promising talents in the major leagues, and they were people who could go to higher places at any time. Those great friends accepted my request and came all the way to Korea.”

“…….”

Sakhalin Park narrowed his eyes.

“They were sincere. They were people who sincerely worked for the Cannons. Although the results were disappointing, I don’t think there is any reason for them to be criticized as duds.”

“So you’re asking me to retract it? Are you asking me to apologize?”

“I don’t expect an apology. However, I must hear you say that the expression ‘dud’ was a slip of the tongue.”

CEO Joo took a step forward.

And one word that followed.

“Shouldn’t we at least show that much respect to the friends who crossed the Pacific Ocean believing only in me?”

CEO Joo Sung-min, who was looking at him with his fists clenched.

When he faced that upright gaze, the thought that Sakhalin Park had was as follows.

‘Haa, this idiot…….’

Yes, this foolish guy-

‘What should I do?’

* * *

A few hours later.

Sakhalin Park, who had sent CEO Joo back, was on a phone call with Ji-seop in the United States.

-Hmm, talented people…….

That was the first reaction Ji-seop showed when he heard the story of CEO Joo from Sakhalin.

-Well, I think I mentioned it last time, but… The manager and general manager that CEO Joo recruited were not that famous.

Ji-seop continued.

-As I recall, the manager spent most of his career in the college league, and the general manager worked for the LA Dodgers, but I heard he was a number cruncher [a person who analyzes data].

Number cruncher.

It was a term for an employee in a baseball team who was in charge of complex formula calculations or data processing.

-Of course, there are many major league general managers who come from number crunchers, but I don’t know if he was qualified to be a general manager right away…….

“There’s no need to say more. I knew from the start that those Yankees were substandard.”

Sakhalin Park retorted bluntly, but there was a slight smile in Ji-seop’s voice coming from the receiver.

-But I was honestly a little touched. A president who protects the people he trusts to the end… That’s cool, isn’t it? As expected of the KH Group’s Royal Family.

Loyalty! Loyalty!

When Ji-seop shouted the slogan, Sakhalin Park got angry and said, ‘Shut up.’

“How is that loyalty? He’s an idiot and a fool. Loyalty only has meaning when it is kept for someone who is worth keeping.”

-Well, I agree with that…….

Ji-seop’s voice became subtle.

-But it seems like you are trying to give CEO Joo another chance……. Am I right?

“Hmm? On what basis?”

-Normally, this would have been resolved with a single text message, but you even called like this.

Haaaaaam.

Ji-seop yawned.

-It’s 4 a.m. here now.

“4 o’clock? Wasn’t it 7 o’clock? It says it’s 7 a.m. in St. Petersburg right now?”

-Haha, it’s 7 o’clock in St. Petersburg. But I came to San Francisco on a business trip a few hours ago.

San Francisco is three hours earlier than St. Petersburg.

Sakhalin Park, who heard Ji-seop’s words, looked unusually embarrassed.

“Oh my, this! I made a big mistake. Calling you with unnecessary calls at a time when you should be resting.”

-Oh, no! Any call from you is very welcome, no matter what the content is. Actually, more than that…….

Ji-seop asked in a serious voice.

-Vice Chairman, what can I do to help you?

It had been almost 7 years since Ji-seop and Sakhalin Park had formed a relationship.

That meant that there was no need for such explanations.

-From my feeling, it seems like you should introduce a good general manager to CEO Joo……. Am I right?

“Haha, look at this ghostly friend. You just know it when you see it, right?”

Sakhalin Park was smiling broadly for the first time since sending CEO Joo away.

“Yes, a friend who you think is really good, a friend who CEO Joo is worth keeping loyalty to… I hope you can introduce such a person.”

Sakhalin Park continued.

“He’s a kid that Joo Tae-san used to like, and he’s one of the few people that Chairman Joo Young-eun can meet comfortably… I hate what he does, but I’m wondering if I should push him one more time, what do you think… is it possible?”

-It’s not a difficult task. I’ve been rolling around in the major leagues for years. However…….

“However, what?”

The next moment, a bitter smile was plastered on Sakhalin Park’s face.

-Vice Chairman, after a long time……. Would you call me ‘Qingtao’ [a nickname] one more time?

“Hmm?”

-These days, I’m treated like a president wherever I go… There’s no one who treats me as comfortably as before, so I miss it sometimes. I miss the sound of Qingtao.”

“Oh my god, crazy…….”

Sakhalin Park was dumbfounded.

“Stop talking nonsense and go back to sleep! Anyway, this guy, he’s always talking nonsense whenever he gets a chance.”

-Hey, aren’t you going to do it? Are you really not going to do it? If you do this, there may be problems in finding the next general manager of the Cannons?

“Haha, that guy…….”

Sakhalin Park, who was unknowingly laughing, couldn’t ignore Ji-seop’s request in the end.

“Okay, Qingtao! Please take good care of me! Are you satisfied now?”

-Yes! I understand! Please trust me and leave it to me!

Ji-seop answered loudly.

-Haha, it’s nice and friendly to hear it after a long time? It feels like we’re back in the old days.”

“……Shut up, you.”