A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 551

The Super Rookie of the Baseball Team is Too Good. Episode 551

116 The Last Step (4)

What is New York Yankees General Manager Nicholas Weiner II planning?

How does he intend to turn things around when they’ve already suffered two losses?

Ji-seop’s answer to this was as follows:

“I think it’s about the authority to manage the game.”

The next day, in a conversation during lunch with Manager Brett Evans.

“It means the front office is taking over the authority to manage the game, which the manager used to have, and they’re going to try a different kind of baseball than before.”

Ji-seop continued.

“Saying things like they might lose two games in a row, or even be prepared for three straight losses… Looking back now, I think leaking those stories to the media was in the same vein.”

Thanks to the owner’s influence throughout Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees had considerable intelligence.

They probably had some idea of Vincent Hiyama’s successful return, and they could have anticipated that the early flow would be difficult because of it.

“At first, he probably got some flak for disrupting the team atmosphere, but now that they’ve lost two games in a row, he’s practically being treated like a prophet, right? Then it wouldn’t be too difficult to get the authority to manage the game from the manager.”

“Authority to manage the game, huh…”

Manager Brett Evans put down his fork and tilted his head.

“If that’s true, what’s the purpose? Why is the Yankees’ general manager so obsessed with the authority to manage the game?”

“Hehe, to be honest… it’s actually been a long-held dream of all the front office leaders.”

Ji-seop shrugged.

“Manager, have you ever heard of the ‘plastic model analogy’?”

“Plastic model? You mean like a toy? Like assembling parts to make something?”

“That’s right. It’s not exactly a desirable analogy, but there’s a story that often comes up among front office staff.”

Ji-seop picked up a bottle of water.

“The front office is, so to speak… like the older brother or uncle who makes that plastic model toy.”

Deciding which plastic model to buy, paying for it, and taking the time to carefully assemble it.

This meant that it was in line with the front office’s role in establishing player acquisition plans, negotiating directly, and developing players.

“And the field staff is like the younger sibling or nephew who plays with the finished toy.”

“Ah.”

A meaningful smile spread across Manager Brett Evans’ face.

He seemed to roughly grasp what Ji-seop was trying to say.

“From the perspective of the older brother or uncle, the younger sibling or nephew playing with the toy doesn’t look very good… Is that what you mean?”

“That’s right. They’re always nervous that the younger sibling will break the toy. They’re also frustrated when they see them not using the hidden features properly. Then, naturally… wouldn’t they have this thought?

I could do better.

I can play with it better.”

Ji-seop opened the water bottle and gave a gentle smile.

“It’s the same with the front office. Everyone is confident that they understand the players best. So they’re always frustrated and nervous.”

“So they’re always trying to increase their influence whenever they get the chance?”

“Yes, Nicholas, that guy, must have had an even stronger desire. The New York Yankees are a team where the owner’s influence is strong, and that owner has always pushed people with high name value.”

“Ah, name value?”

Manager Brett Evans gave a bitter smile.

“Then the owner’s love must be focused on Manager Doug Benji right now? He was a star player for the New York Yankees.”

“That’s right. On the other hand, Nicholas Weiner is only in his first year as general manager… He probably wasn’t in a position to carry out his own ideas.”

How much more of Nicholas Weiner’s thin hair would have fallen out?

It was pitiful and unfortunate. As Ji-seop shook his head and drank water, Manager Brett Evans asked again.

“Then… what should we do?”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t we need a countermeasure?”

The manager narrowed his brow slightly.

“Doesn’t it mean that the person managing the game has changed from the manager to the general manager? Then we should prepare to some extent.”

Following Ji-seop’s analogy, it was as if the person ‘playing with the toy’ had changed.

There would be considerable changes in the starting lineup, and there would likely be differences in the frequency and type of tactics.

How to respond? How to stop it? Manager Brett Evans suddenly felt like he had lost his appetite.

“No, it’s okay.”

The Tampa Bay Rays’ general manager was showing a relaxed expression.

“I’d like the manager to lead the team as usual. It’s not the time for any special changes.”

“Is, is that so?”

“Look back. How many conflicts have there been in the baseball world so far? Front offices trying to gain the manager’s authority, managers trying to interfere with the front office’s authority… But have those conflicts ever led to good results?”

We just need to go our way.

There was strength in Ji-seop’s voice.

“Changing the subject of game management won’t create meaningful changes in this series. As far as I know, our Tampa Bay Rays…”

Ji-seop slowly raised his eyes.

“…are already a team that the New York Yankees can’t do anything about.”

* * *

There’s no need to worry.

We just need to go our way.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ general manager showed stronger confidence than ever before.

However, that afternoon, a slight shadow hung over the face of Manager Brett Evans, who was directing training.

“…….”

To be honest, Ji-seop’s confident attitude made him feel uneasy.

The Ji-seop the manager remembered was always cautious. He never looked down on the opposing team.

To think that those words, ‘The current Yankees can never beat us,’ would come out of such a person’s mouth.

‘Is this really… okay?’

However, he couldn’t ask the players or coaches for their opinions.

If he did, it could easily turn into a public criticism of the front office. This was a situation that Brett Evans absolutely did not want.

So what could he do? He had no choice but to suppress his uneasy feelings and watch the players train.

“Manager, are you okay?”

Of course, whenever the coaches came to ask him from time to time, the desire to bring up the story of ‘Actually, you know’ would suddenly surge up.

He wondered if it would be okay since it was for the team, and he wondered if vaguely hinting at it would be within the acceptable range.

Such temptations constantly tormented him, but Manager Brett Evans ultimately kept his mouth shut.

‘Yeah, it’s not good to say unnecessary things. How many teams have had their atmosphere disrupted because of that?’

Looking back, Brett Evans was the one who trusted Ji-seop from the beginning and accepted the position of manager of Tampa Bay.

He should have had a lot of trouble as a rookie manager, but with Ji-seop’s help, he brought the team this far without any problems.

Then shouldn’t he trust the general manager until the end? As he comforted himself in that way and finished the day’s training, at that very moment.

“Manager, do you have a moment?”

Around the stairs leading from the dugout to the clubhouse, someone quietly called out to Manager Brett Evans.

“Who… Ah, Pablo?”

The person who came to see the manager was Pablo Rodriguez, the deputy head of the Future Strategy Planning Department.

As always, with a face completely exhausted, he bowed politely to the manager.

“What’s going on? I don’t think I asked the Future Strategy Planning Department for anything in particular?”

Seeing his face with dark circles hanging down, the manager couldn’t just pass him by.

As Manager Brett Evans took out a vitamin drink from the refrigerator and asked, Pablo Rodriguez suddenly gritted his teeth.

“Kim suddenly assigned me a task.”

“A task? What task?”

“Yes, it’s nothing much… Manager, are you able to access [Uncle Charlie] right now?”

Uncle Charlie. It meant the Tampa Bay Rays’ team database.

A system that allows you to view all the data secured by the team from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.

As Manager Brett Evans took out his phone and accessed the database in question, Pablo continued.

“I just put a report in under your account a little while ago. He said to refer to it when preparing for the game.”

“A report?”

At first, Brett Evans tilted his head, but soon his eyes widened.

“Pablo, what is this?”

The manager had an unbelievable expression.

“A prediction of General Manager Nicholas Weiner’s strategies and tactics? Where did you make something like this?”

“Hey, Manager! Which department is the best at predicting games in the Tampa Bay Rays? The experience honed by years of producing the [a detailed scouting report]! Isn’t it just our Future Strategy Planning Department?”

Pablo was making such a brazen expression, but soon he added with a ‘ahem’ cough.

“Well, of course, this time it’s a report based on the data Kim sent me.”

“Kim?”

“Yes, Kim went to the same graduate school as General Manager Nicholas Weiner, right? It seems like he’s been collecting Weiner’s reports and presentation materials since then.”

Wow, so creepy.

Pablo shuddered.

“Isn’t it really sinister? How can you do that to a friend? People say Kim has a good personality, but actually, they’re all being deceived!”

Pablo Rodriguez was always talking behind Ji-seop’s back, but Manager Brett Evans just smiled without answering.

He vaguely guessed the reason why he was gritting his teeth so much.

“So, based on the data Kim gave you… the Future Strategy Planning Department made this report?”

“That’s right? Damn it, would it hurt to tell me in advance? He just threw the work at me on the plane last night, you know? Thanks to that, our team stayed up all night again.”

Pablo Rodriguez, the deputy head of the Future Strategy Planning Department, was recalling the general manager who ruthlessly exploited them, and was exhaling hot air with a ‘hoo’.

The deputy head of the Future Strategy Planning Department, who was complaining in that way, turned to the manager and asked.

“Anyway… Manager, will this report be of any help?”

“Hehe, of course!”

The manager quickly nodded his head.

“I was quite worried. It felt like competing against an opponent shrouded in mystery… At times like this, even if I’m given just one report like this, it’s a really big help from the perspective of preparing for the game.”

Thank you. You’ve worked hard.

Manager Brett Evans patted Pablo on the shoulder, but somehow the returning reaction was subtle.

“Well, it’s a relief if it was helpful…”

He was also smacking his lips, and he was also scratching his greasy hair as if he didn’t like something.

The manager couldn’t help but ask.

“Pablo, what’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I feel like I’ve lost another match against Kim.”

Pablo sighed deeply.

“When Kim assigned me the task, I protested a lot. It’s a useless thing. It’s data that the manager doesn’t need.”

No, isn’t that right?

Pablo was making excuses.

“What’s going to change so much just because the general manager is in charge of game management? What kind of changes can you make in just one day? Besides, our Tampa Bay Rays aren’t a team that can be shaken by such petty tricks.”

Certainly, he was a front office employee who had been trained by Ji-seop for many years.

Up to this point, it was almost identical to what Ji-seop had said.

“But Kim said it was necessary data, so I wondered what nonsense he was talking about… Oh, I see, it was necessary? You were worried too, Manager?”

Pablo Rodriguez was crossing his arms and making a frustrated expression.

Why is he being like that? What is he thinking? Just as Manager Brett Evans was staring at his face, for a moment.

“Manager.”

He opened his mouth.

“Kim isn’t suddenly leaving the team… There’s no chance of something like that happening, right? There’s still a lot of time left on his contract, right?”

“Excuse me?”

Manager Brett Evans smiled.

“Why are you suddenly saying that? Pablo, haven’t you always wanted Kim to step down? Saying that you would take over as general manager after him.”

“I did. I used to think 2-3 years would be enough… Damn it, I don’t know these days.”

Pablo scratched his chin.

“It’s a little frustrating, but… I think I still have a lot to learn from Kim. 2-3 years isn’t nearly enough, and I think I’ll need about 7-8 years in the future.”

“Then just learn. What’s bothering you?”

“Well, maybe you’ve vaguely felt it too, Manager…”

Pablo Rodriguez said.

“After coming into this postseason… what should I say, I feel like Kim’s baseball is almost complete.”

“Kim’s baseball?”

“Yes, the baseball that Kim wanted to try in the major leagues, the baseball that he wanted to realize in the Tampa Bay Rays… I wonder if it’s almost at the completion stage. If this is finally completed, will Kim try to leave the Tampa Bay Rays?”

Manager, I must be mistaken, right?

It’s just my feeling, right?

Pablo Rodriguez was asking with a very earnest look in his eyes, unlike usual.

In fact, at this time, Manager Brett Evans was going to say firmly, ‘It’s a mistake.’

Of course, it’s a mistake. It’s nonsense. Why would Kim leave the Tampa Bay Rays? Would Acting Owner John Llama just stand by and watch?

Originally, that’s what Manager Brett Evans was going to say, but-

“…….”

For some reason, on this day, a slightly different story than what he had initially thought was coming out of Manager Brett Evans’ mouth.

“Well, I don’t know either. What kind of decisions Kim will make in the future.”

Perhaps Manager Brett Evans also had something in mind.

“But what’s important in times like this is to win the upcoming game.”

The manager continued.