A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 72

21. You Can Tell at a Glance (1)

A few days later,

Rain fell on the KH Cannons field.

Swish, swish-

It seemed to start with a few drops before the game, but by the time the game reached the top of the 4th inning, it began to pour fiercely.

Eventually, the game was temporarily suspended with two outs in the top of the 4th inning.

The Cannons were leading with a score of 3-0, which might have been a bit of a shame, but the atmosphere in the dugout wasn’t particularly bad.

The team had been on a 3-game winning streak, and there had been unusually little rain this year, so they hadn’t had much time to rest like this.

“The spectators must think it’s a bolt from the blue… but it’s not bad to take a break like this.”

“I know, right? The weather has been so hot since the end of May this year…”

The players huddled together in the dugout, watching the falling raindrops.

It was then.

“Ji-seop.”

A voice called out to Ji-seop.

He turned his head and saw a familiar face smiling at him.

It was Go Chang-deok from the power analysis team.

“Ah, hyungnim [older brother or respected male figure].”

Ji-seop picked up a towel from the bench and handed it to him.

“Have you withdrawn?”

During the game, the power analysis team’s job is to sit in the stands behind the catcher and collect data.

Even they had no choice but to retreat with their equipment on days like this when it was pouring rain.

“Yeah, I’ll have to reinstall the camera when the rain stops…”

Go Chang-deok craned his neck and looked at the rainy sky.

“Doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon, does it?”

“Yes, the weather forecast said it would rain until tomorrow evening.”

“Really? Then I guess it’s an early *toegeun* [leaving work] for me today…”

Go Chang-deok’s expression relaxed.

Six games a week, the baseball team’s season schedule is hectic.

Only when it rains like this can the people working take a breather and think about other things.

“Ah, that’s right.”

Go Chang-deok was no exception that day.

While wiping his head ‘슥슥 [seuk seuk – wiping sound]’ with a dry towel, he brought up a story he wouldn’t normally tell.

“Ji-seop, do you know anything about cars?”

“Cars? Like, to eat?”

“No, to ride in.”

Go Chang-deok continued.

“Taking the bus to and from work is only good for a day or two… I’m really suffering these days. And there are more and more *jibang* [regional] business trips.”

So he was thinking of getting a used car.

Ji-seop scratched his cheek with his finger.

“Well, I’m completely clueless about that.”

He wasn’t very interested in cars, and he couldn’t even remember where he had put his driver’s license.

“Don’t people buy a lot through apps these days? I see a lot of ads.”

“Really? Is it better to do it through an app than to go and see it in person?”

Ji-seop and Go Chang-deok both started their social lives late.

Thanks to that, they were both confused and hesitant about buying a used car.

The lifeline that came down to them was right after that.

“Are you thinking of buying a car?”

However, the identity of the person who lowered that lifeline was a bit unexpected.

“What, Jang-ho, do you know something about cars?”

Go Chang-deok blinked.

“Ah, I guess… you have a good annual salary, so you must have a few cars, right?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Ryoo Jang-ho shook his head.

“I’m not very interested in cars either. But I know who’s the most knowledgeable about that in our team.”

“Really? Who is it?”

“It’s Deputy Cha Jong-min… Have you ever heard of him?”

Ryoo Jang-ho continued.

“From the scout team… I think he’s in charge of the Chungcheong area right now.”

“The Chungcheong area?”

Ji-seop’s ears perked up.

‘The Sim Seong-joon player I met at Mokdong Baseball Stadium… wasn’t that friend from the Chungcheong area?’

* * *

The Chungcheong area, where the bright and promising player Sim Seong-joon belongs.

It was perhaps natural that Ji-seop became interested in Deputy Cha Jong-min, who was in charge of that Chungcheong area.

‘Does that person… know Sim Seong-joon?’

If he knows, to what extent does he know?

Does he regard him as a player with a bad ‘*work ethic*’ like other clubs?

Or does he evaluate him as a player with a unique will, as Ji-seop has figured out?

If he met Deputy Cha Jong-min, Ji-seop wanted to ask about that first, but-

“Ah, *seonbaenim* [senior/mentor]! This way!”

“Oh, Ryoo Jang-ho!!!”

The situation did not go as Ji-seop had expected.

Eventually, after the game was canceled due to rain, Deputy Cha Jong-min, whom he met for the first time at a *gamjatang* [pork bone stew] restaurant near the baseball stadium.

Frankly speaking, he was not the type of character who could sit down calmly and talk about baseball.

“Wow, Jang-ho, you’re finally buying a car! Good thinking, good thinking! Yes, a superstar like you should drive a car that suits him!”

Deputy Cha Jong-min came into the restaurant cheerfully like this at first.

However, as soon as he heard that Ryoo Jang-ho was not the one buying the car, he became as sullen as a puppy who had his favorite toy taken away.

“Ah, really? You mean this person here is thinking of buying a car, not Jang-ho?”

His appearance was so pathetic that Go Chang-deok, who was sitting across from him, felt embarrassed.

“I, I’m sorry for nothing.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. Don’t be sorry.”

Deputy Cha Jong-min waved his hand.

“If Jang-ho bought a car, I thought I could see an expensive car for the first time in a while… If I was lucky, I might have been able to grab the wheel.”

Deputy Cha Jong-min laughed, pretending to grab the steering wheel.

“A good car has a different sense of weight when you grab the handle. When was it? I had a chance to drive Cheon Jin-woo *seonbae’s* [senior] car instead…”

Then, Deputy Cha Jong-min rattled off the list of cars owned by the Cannons players.

Go Chang-deok, who couldn’t stand it any longer, asked.

“You really like cars, don’t you?”

“I like them. I really like them.”

Without knowing what the questioner’s intention was, Deputy Cha Jong-min smiled innocently.

“The reason I started playing baseball in the first place was because of cars? I was going to hit a *daebak* [jackpot] in FA [Free Agency] and drive a B*gatti [Bugatti].”

It was not an uncommon goal among baseball players.

“Actually, the reason I couldn’t leave the baseball team even after retiring as an active player is similar. If I’m here, I can drive the cars that the players have. The kids are nice, and many players tell me that I can use their cars when they’re away on *wonjeong* [away games]…”

Then, as if he had thought of something, Deputy Cha Jong-min turned his head ‘홱 [hwik – suddenly]’ towards Ji-seop.

“Ah, Ji-seop!”

“Yes?”

I wonder what he’s going to say again.

Ji-seop was slightly curious.

“Ji-seop, aren’t you in charge of translating for Arthur Freeman?”

“That’s right.”

“Ah, then… doesn’t the club provide you with an official car or something?”

Deputy Cha Jong-min’s eyes twinkled.

“I heard that if the team does well, the parent group will replace the manager’s car… Have you heard anything about that?”

If they replace it, what are you going to do about it?

Ji-seop was about to say this, but he barely managed to pass it off with a faint smile.

“Well, I don’t know yet… I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

Then, Ji-seop pointed to Go Chang-deok with his chin.

“Rather than that… I think you should start by consulting with Chang-deok hyungnim about buying a used car.”

“Oh, that’s right! Hahaha.”

Deputy Cha Jong-min scratched the back of his head and approached Go Chang-deok.

* * *

They say ‘*deok-up-ilchi*’ [making a job out of something you really like].

A case where you make a job out of something you really like.

Perhaps Deputy Cha Jong-min was the one who achieved that *deok-up-ilchi*.

‘Yeah, it wouldn’t be bad to go to work with that kind of joy.’

However, Ji-seop was also slightly worried on the other hand.

It’s good to borrow cars from players. It’s also good to tell employees how to buy used cars.

‘But that friend… is he doing his job properly while doing that?’

He was going to gloss over it because it was a matter of privacy, but when he thought about it, there were a few things that bothered him.

‘That’s right, I heard that the scout team is very busy these days? I heard they’re groaning.’

Recently, the National High School Baseball Tournament was held at Seoul Mokdong Baseball Stadium.

To be exact, the first half of the High School Baseball Weekend League *Wangjungwangjeon* [Champion of Champions Tournament].

Right now, the scout team is probably busy organizing and analyzing the data collected from that tournament.

‘I heard that the *jeonryeok ganghwa hoeui* [team strengthening meeting] was postponed for a week because the list of nominated players was not coming out easily…’

Why is that friend so relaxed?

How could that friend rush over at Ryoo Jang-ho’s phone call?

The moment a slight suspicion was about to turn into a conviction, Ji-seop opened his mouth in a subtle voice.

“Excuse me… Deputy Cha.”

“Yes?”

Deputy Cha Jong-min, who was fiddling with a used car app on a tablet PC with Go Chang-deok.

He raised his head.

“Why is that?”

Here, he was wrong again.

“Ah! Did you hear anything about the manager’s new car?”

“No, no, it’s not that…”

Hey, that car again.

He’s a really terrible guy.

Ji-seop clicked his tongue inwardly.

“I was wondering if we could keep you here like this when you’re so busy these days…”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

Deputy Cha tilted his head to one side.

But soon he nodded as if he understood, ‘Ah’.

“*Wangjungwangjeon* [Champion of Champions Tournament]? High school baseball?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already finished the work I was in charge of a few days ago.”

A confident expression.

Ji-seop was even more anxious about that.

“You’ve already finished it all?”

“Yes, the *seonbaenim* [senior] in charge of the Seoul area must be in a situation where their feet are on fire right now… But as you know, I’m in charge of the Chungcheong area.”

In the first place, there are few schools affiliated with it.

Of course, there are also few affiliated players.

“Besides, even if a player originally belonged to the Chungcheong area, if he’s a little good… he often transfers to Seoul.”

The concentration of promising players in Seoul.

Ji-seop knew that story too.

“So, even if I organize the data, it ends in a few hours at worst in the Chungcheong area… But this year, there was a bit of work.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, a really good prospect has appeared in our Chungcheong area for the first time in a long time.”

A really good prospect.

Go Chang-deok, who was looking at the tablet PC, also reacted to that word.

“A good prospect? Who is it?”

“Well, I don’t know if you’ll know even if I tell you his name…”

Then he takes out a word.

“Sim Seong-joon, a third grader at Myeongju Cheonnam High School.”

“Sim Seong-joon?”

“Yes.”

Deputy Cha Jong-min nodded.

“I don’t know about the other guys, but I think this guy is going to be really big… That’s what I’m seeing. I’m going to push to nominate him if possible.”

Car *deokhu* [enthusiast] Cha Jong-min.

Ji-seop had no choice but to look at him with a new gaze.