A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 60

The Newcomer in the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 60

Chapter 17: Let’s Do Business and Make a Living (4)

Cheon Jin-woo, undeniably the best offensive player among active catchers.

However, there was an analysis suggesting that his offensive power might decline faster than expected.

Ji-seop presented the following grounds for this:

“There is information that Cheon Jin-woo is ordering bats with lighter weights than in previous years.”

Ji-seop continued,

“It’s not just the weight of the bat that has been reduced. I’ve also heard that the center of gravity of the bat has been lowered by more than 5 inches towards the handle.”

“A lighter bat than in previous years, with the center of gravity lowered close to the handle….”

Director Arthur Freeman’s eyes gleamed.

“That’s quite a radical change.”

Of course, there are exceptions, but generally, power hitters prefer long and heavy bats.

The center of gravity of the bat is also usually placed at the end of the bat rather than the handle.

Such bats have the disadvantage of slowing down the swing speed and being difficult to handle, but they can transmit the user’s power directly to the bat, which helps in producing long hits.

However, Cheon Jin-woo, known as ‘Korea’s best offensive catcher,’ is ordering bats with completely opposite characteristics.

“A light and easy-to-handle bat… If what you say is true, then Cheon Jin-woo has already begun to age as a player. It means he’s finding it hard to use heavy bats.”

Team Leader Seo Chang-gi narrowed his brows.

He hadn’t been aware of this fact.

“But isn’t there a possibility that it’s a temporary phenomenon? It’s almost summer, so he might be preparing in advance for when his stamina drops….”

“Yes, the person who gave me the information said they initially thought so too.”

Ji-seop was recalling the words of Gong Hyeon-baek, the sales manager of ‘Perfect Swing.’

“Cheon Jin-woo, who has always ordered bats under his own name… This time, he placed the order using his agent’s name, as if he wanted to hide the fact that it was his bat.”

“But it was difficult to deceive the bat artisans… Is that the gist of it?”

“That’s right. They were artisans who had been making Cheon Jin-woo’s bats for over 10 years.”

Ji-seop nodded.

“Even if the overall specifications of the bat have changed, the detailed points that each player meticulously looks at cannot change, can they?”

“Yes, that’s right….”

Team Leader Seo Chang-gi couldn’t hide his embarrassment.

He ran his hands over his face and let out a long ‘Hoo’ sigh.

Arthur Freeman was the one who spoke while looking at Team Leader Seo Chang-gi.

“Team Leader, shouldn’t we reconsider this trade from the beginning?”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Team Leader Seo Chang-gi nodded.

If there is a high possibility that his long-hitting power will decline, it seemed necessary to re-evaluate Cheon Jin-woo’s value.

Depending on the results of the review, the trade itself could be called off, or the exchange cards with the Warriors could be discussed again.

However, at this moment, a slightly different question arose in Team Leader Seo Chang-gi’s mind.

“By the way… Mr. Kim Ji-seop.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Where on earth did you get the information about Cheon Jin-woo?”

Team Leader Seo Chang-gi was curious about this.

“I was also keeping a close watch on Cheon Jin-woo… I never dreamed that he would have such circumstances.”

Team Leader Seo Chang-gi clicked his tongue.

Ji-seop gave a faint smile.

“I have been building my own information network at the direction of Director Freeman since recently.”

“Information network? At the director’s direction?”

“Yes, there are still many shortcomings to call it an information network….”

Ji-seop scratched his chin with his finger.

“A funny story just happened to get caught in that clumsy information network. To be honest, you should just see it as luck.”

“This level of information got caught in a clumsily made information network?”

Heo, heo, heo, heohuhuh.

Team Leader Seo Chang-gi, who was quietly laughing in a low tone, turned his gaze to Director Freeman, who was sitting across from him.

“Director, perhaps in the near future… I may have to find you a new translator.”

Perhaps because it was ambiguous to have Ji-seop translate this, Team Leader Seo continued in English.

“I think it’s a bit of a waste to keep Kim Ji-seop as your translator.”

“What do you mean?”

It was the next moment that Director Freeman placed his hand ‘thud’ on Ji-seop’s shoulder.

“I scouted this friend. It would be difficult if you set your sights on him like this.”

The tone was firm, but the director’s face was full of pleasant smiles.

“Oh, don’t look. You’ll wear him out, you’ll wear him out.”

* * *

An unusual phenomenon appeared in national representative catcher Cheon Jin-woo.

It was late in the afternoon that day when Seo Chang-gi, the team leader of the Cannons, contacted the Yuseong Warriors.

“Hmm, is that so? Yes, yes, yes.”

It was Hong Yu-il, the team leader of the Yuseong Warriors, who received Team Leader Seo’s call.

He took off his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at them under the fluorescent light as he continued to speak.

“I understand. After reviewing your proposal, I will contact you again later. Yes, do so. Then.”

Click.

As Team Leader Hong Yu-il put down his cell phone, the employees around him took a step forward as if they had made a promise.

“Team Leader, how did it go?”

“Did KH accept the proposal?”

The Warriors employees looked anxious to hear the answer, but Team Leader Hong silently took out a handkerchief and wiped the eyeglass lenses.

“…….”

After wiping it once, he looked at it again under the fluorescent light.

After wiping it again, he looked at it again under the fluorescent light.

Only after repeating the same action three or four times did Team Leader Hong finally open his mouth.

“They say they want to readjust the cards.”

Team Leader Hong, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, smacked his lips.

“Team Leader Seo himself likes it, but no matter how much he thinks about it, he says it will be difficult to get approval from the acting owner with the conditions we proposed.”

“The acting owner’s approval… Isn’t that an excuse?”

One of the employees said.

“There are rumors that the acting owner of the Cannons is quite strong… But I heard that he unexpectedly entrusts Team Leader Seo entirely with the operation of the baseball team.”

“My thoughts are not different.”

Team Leader Hong raised his glasses.

“He made the excuse of the acting owner, but it seemed to me that Team Leader Seo himself had changed his mind.”

“But this is a bit… unexpected, isn’t it?”

Another employee tilted his head and said.

“Even though it’s still early in the season, the Cannons are currently ranked 4th.”

The gap with 5th place Dongjin Generals is only half a game.

However, it was certainly true that the Cannons were doing better than expected.

“Usually, even if they just smell the autumn baseball [playoffs], they make a fuss saying ‘This is the opportunity’ and wiggle their butts… I thought they would naturally accept this trade.”

“No, it’s right to see the Cannons’ unique fussiness as the style of former CEO Park.”

Team Leader Hong mentioned the former CEO of the Cannons.

“Team Leader Seo Chang-gi was known in the industry for his serious work processing since he was the operations team leader.”

“Still… I can’t easily understand that Team Leader Seo rejected the Cheon Jin-woo card.”

It was another employee’s remark.

“Team Leader Seo has always been interested in Cheon Jin-woo, hasn’t he? He often asks how he’s doing these days, how his condition is….”

“Hmm.”

Team Leader Hong Yu-il nodded without answering.

“Could it be because of the new foreign director? The only person who seems to be able to influence Team Leader Seo is the director….”

“Well, he was a person who devoted himself to the development part even in the United States, so I don’t think he could have any influence on the trade….”

You never know.

Team Leader Hong gave a bitter smile.

“Around Team Leader Seo Chang-gi, who was always running around alone… At some point, there may have been smart helpers like you attached.”

“Oh, what are you talking about.”

“What do we do….”

The employees scratched the back of their heads as if they were embarrassed, but Team Leader Hong had a calm expression as if he wasn’t just saying empty words.

“Anyway, since the Cannons have sent this answer, we can’t just sit still now.”

Team Leader Hong began to give instructions.

“Pick out the cards to propose to the Cannons again and report them by tomorrow morning. Also, check if there are any other teams approaching the Cannons.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“I will report as soon as possible.”

Just before the employees scattered to their respective positions, Team Leader Hong Yu-il gave one additional instruction.

“And also, let’s investigate who influenced Team Leader Seo’s decision this time.”

The expression was ‘once for now,’ but the weight shown in the expression felt stronger.

“I need to know the name of the guy who messed up the board I made, don’t I?”

It was Team Leader Hong Yu-il who began to bite his lower lip tightly.

* * *

At the very moment when the Cannons’ Team Leader Seo Chang-gi put the brakes on the trade discussion, and accordingly, the Warriors’ front office was busy matching new cards.

“Ah, so that’s what happened?”

In an underground parking lot on the outskirts of Seoul, a man wearing a baseball cap deeply pressed down was talking on the phone.

“Thank you for telling me the news. I would like to visit you soon and treat you to a warm meal… Ah, yes, that’s right, that’s right.”

Beep beep.

The man unlocking the car while holding the phone to his ear.

“Then I will contact you again around that time. If there is any new news even within that time, please tell me again. Yes, thank you. Goodbye.”

Hmm.

The man sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, staring blankly at the phone with the ‘call ended’ message.

“These guys rejected the recruitment of Cheon Jin-woo… Is that what’s happening now?”

They’re like fools.

Muttering like that, the man soon opened the mobile internet browser with familiar hand movements.

When he accessed the site [Cannons Fan Page], he licked his dry lips with his tongue and began to move his fingers diligently.

“…….”

A short post of 200 characters starting with [Here’s a simple news].

Not long after he pressed the ‘complete’ button, users’ comments began to be posted at the bottom of the post.

-Are you saying that the Cannons rejected the recruitment of Cheon Jin-woo?

At first, a lukewarm reaction.

-Don’t be ridiculous, mister. Would the Warriors be crazy to sell Cheon Jin-woo?

-Mister, write some novels.

-This is our fault. It’s because we only write nonsense that these misters come.

But after a little time, people’s reactions began to change.

-Wait a minute, this mister has a pretty good batting average?

-Looking at the past posts, he was the first person to tell us about the recruitment of Director Freeman?

-I heard that this person also released the Jimmy Morris recruitment story!

-Wow, what? Then is all of this real too?

-Did the Cannons front office take drugs as a group? Why aren’t they going to recruit Cheon Jin-woo?

Are they in their right mind or not.

What are the Cannons front office thinking.

If they don’t recruit Cheon Jin-woo, what are they going to do to play autumn baseball?

The comments went from 10 to over 20, and then from over 20 to over 30.

“Hehehe.”

Looking at the increasingly heated atmosphere of the bulletin board, the man was letting out a low laugh.