A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 85

People with a Lot of Greed (1)

It had already been three months since the season began.

The first half of the Korean professional baseball league was nearing its end.

With 78 out of 144 games completed, the KH Cannons held a record of 39 wins, 37 losses, and 2 draws, placing them 5th.

-It’s a bit disappointing.

That was the assessment of the experts.

-The Cannons were aiming for 3rd place, even surpassing 4th at one point. It’s a shame they couldn’t maintain the explosive momentum from the beginning of the season.

-Isn’t KH the team with both Jimmy Morris and Ryu Jang-ho, the two players who have been performing exceptionally well in pitching and batting this season? It’s a bit concerning that they’re currently in 5th place.

-Yes, it’s true that KH is in the middle of a rebuilding phase. However, I also wonder if Arthur Freeman is managing the team too conservatively.

-That’s right. When the team was on a roll, he would suddenly take out veterans and use rookies. We need to consider how to interpret these player choices.

A cold assessment of Arthur Freeman and the KH Cannons he led.

However, the reaction of the fans who had been watching this team for a long time was quite different from those so-called ‘experts’.

-Oh, come on, what nonsense are they spouting!

These were the opinions pouring out on baseball-related online communities whenever the experts’ interviews were released.

-Didn’t those guys say the Cannons would be in last place this season?

-Exactly! They said changing the manager wouldn’t magically make the team better, and now they’re making a fuss because we didn’t reach 3rd place?

-You should use rookies when you’re doing well, so are you saying we should use them during a losing streak? How many of our rookies are brave enough to do that?

-We’ll criticize them ourselves, you baseball ignoramuses! Who do you think you are, criticizing our God-Freeman manager!

Arthur Freeman had elevated a team that had been at the bottom for years into the top 5.

Most opinions about him were favorable, but there were a few who expressed slight disappointment.

-Our God-Freeman manager is doing a great job, but I think Lee Soo-bin should have been called up a little earlier.

Lee Soo-bin, the Cannons’ rookie infielder.

The very player who had been hitting home runs against Jimmy Morris.

-Yeah, he’s been amazing lately, right? He’s already hit five home runs?

-His power is the real deal. After seeing guys like Ryu Jang-ho who hit with technique, seeing someone blast it over with pure power… Wow, I almost crapped my pants.

-That’s what I’m saying! If he had been called up a little sooner, we could have made him an All-Star…

A new power hitter appeared just as the All-Star fan voting was almost over.

The Cannons’ fans couldn’t hide their disappointment at not being able to see him in the All-Star game.

So, Lee Soo-bin, who was emerging as a new star to follow in Ryu Jang-ho’s footsteps, was now…

“Senior?”

He was cautiously approaching Ji-sub, who was sitting in the dugout after finishing batting practice before the game.

“How was my batting form today…?”

* * *

The rookie batter carefully watched Ji-sub’s expression as he took off his batting gloves.

Ji-sub’s face was filled with a wry smile as he faced Lee Soo-bin.

“Lee Soo-bin, how many times have I told you?”

Ji-sub replied.

“Ask the coaches or the scouting team staff about your batting form. What player asks an interpreter about that kind of thing?”

Ji-sub was speaking in a fairly firm tone, but Lee Soo-bin also looked just as determined.

“I believe I’ve told you several times as well, Senior.”

Then, Lee Soo-bin simply sat down next to Ji-sub.

“You are already my benefactor, Senior.”

“Bene… what?”

“Benefactor, benefactor. I mean a precious person whom I must revere and serve for the rest of my life.”

Come to think of it, Lee Soo-bin was a player who couldn’t even say a word properly when he first came up to the first team.

However, whether he had somewhat adapted to the atmosphere of the first team, or whether it was thanks to the valuable home runs he had hit in the past few games.

Now, he was speaking fluently, as if he had oiled his tongue.

“Didn’t I tell you? My grandfather runs the biggest fortune-telling house in Mia-ri Hill in Seoul.”

“Ah, right. You said he was a very famous fortuneteller?”

A fortuneteller.

Ji-sub didn’t know, but Lee Soo-bin’s grandfather seemed to be quite well-known in the baseball world.

Some of the players who had their names changed after meeting him had hit the jackpot with huge FA [Free Agent] deals.

So, during breaks, quite a few Cannons players were seen sitting next to Lee Soo-bin, having ‘name change consultations’.

Well, anyway.

“The day I was called up, my grandfather said that I was born with good fortune in people. He said that when I go up to the first team, a benefactor would appear and pave the way for me.”

“That benefactor… is me?”

“Is there any other candidate?”

Lee Soo-bin’s eyes were serious.

“Don’t you remember? I’m getting some compliments now, but… Before my first home run, I was hitless for almost 20 at-bats. Any other player would have already been sent back to the second team, right?”

“…”

“But the manager believed in me and used me until the end… Anyone can see that it’s because I hit a home run against Jimmy Morris on the day I was first called up.”

The home run parade that had completely taken Jimmy Morris’s soul.

Lee Soo-bin seemed to still have vivid memories of it.

“I was able to hit a home run thanks to your advice at that time, and thanks to that home run, I got nearly 20 at-bats. So how can I not listen to your advice, Senior?”

“W-Well, I understand what you mean…”

Ji-sub felt a little embarrassed.

He hadn’t done it specifically to help Lee Soo-bin.

He just wanted to give Jimmy Morris, who had become arrogant with his great record, a ‘reality check’.

However, he couldn’t just brush off a rookie who was sparkling his eyes and calling him ‘Senior, Senior’, so Ji-sub decided to say this instead.

“If you put it that way, I’ll give you advice in the future. It’s not that difficult…”

“Really?”

Lee Soo-bin’s face lit up.

“But as you know, I’m a former pitcher, right? So rather than looking at your batting form, I’ll help you in a different way…”

He said this because he wanted to avoid the situation where Lee Soo-bin would bother him every time he finished training.

But was it because the guy who was getting attention in the pros was different?.

As if he had been waiting for Ji-sub to say this, Lee Soo-bin clapped his hands and opened his mouth.

“That’s perfect! I actually had something I wanted to ask you, Senior!”

“A favor? What is it?”

“Have you heard? This year, there will be a home run derby at the second team All-Star game.”

A home run derby.

It was an event where hitters representing each team competed to see who could hit the most home runs.

“I was in the second team until recently… so I’m going to represent the Cannons’ second team in the home run derby.”

“Ah, I see.”

As the story reached this point, Ji-sub could grasp what Lee Soo-bin’s ‘favor’ was.

“You mean… you want me to be the batting practice pitcher in that home run derby?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it!”

Lee Soo-bin nodded.

“I saw it when I was in the second team. You throwing batting practice, Senior.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Ji-sub also remembered it vividly.

It was when he had just joined the Cannons and was still working as a ‘second team training assistant’.

At that time, Ji-sub had received attention from the coaching staff for throwing batting practice well.

‘Hehe, even I think it was amazing batting practice.’

Lee Soo-bin, who was in the second team at the time, seemed to remember Ji-sub’s appearance back then.

“The speed is just right, and the control is amazing… I haven’t been playing baseball for long, but I’ve never seen anyone throw batting practice as well as you, Senior.”

“So you want me to help you?”

“Yes, I’m going out there representing the Cannons… so I want to win first place with your help.”

“Hmm.”

It wasn’t a difficult task.

He hadn’t thrown a ball much since becoming Freeman’s interpreter, so he also wanted to loosen up his shoulder on this occasion.

So, just as he was about to nod his head in agreement, saying ‘I’ll help you’-

“Well, that won’t do.”

A voice was heard from behind Ji-sub.

“You haven’t been up from the second team for very long, and you’re already eyeing someone? You cheeky bastard.”

“…Huh?”

When Ji-sub turned his head, he saw none other than Ryu Jang-ho.

“Hyung [older brother or respected male figure] will be incredibly busy that day. You should find someone else.”

Ryu Jang-ho said very firmly.

Ji-sub tilted his head.

“Busy? Me? Why?”

Did I have a schedule that I didn’t know about?

Ji-sub blinked.

Ryu Jang-ho’s answer was concise.

“Didn’t you know? The second team home run derby and the first team home run derby… are held on the same day. With a few hours in between.”

And then, one more word.

“So, of course, Hyung will be throwing batting practice for me, right?”

What is he so confident about?

Ji-sub was staring at Ryu Jang-ho with a blank expression.

* * *

The highlight of the All-Star game, the ‘Home Run Derby’.

The player representing the Cannons’ first team was Ryu Jang-ho.

The player representing the Cannons’ second team was Lee Soo-bin.

The news that both of these players had nominated Ji-sub as their batting practice pitcher spread throughout the entire club in an instant.

“Wow, Ji-sub, you’re popular?”

“I guess he was the most popular guy in our club? Hahaha.”

What was a little unexpected for Ji-sub was that everyone at the Cannons who heard this news reacted as if it was ‘understandable’ and natural.

“Hmm, if it’s Jang-ho, he should definitely nominate you. The batting practice pitcher for these events is usually someone who has been the most helpful.”

That was what Arthur Freeman said.

“Frankly, it’s not just Jang-ho, is it? Who hasn’t received help from Ji-sub this season?”

“That’s true. If I were still an active player and was going to the home run derby… I would have asked Ji-sub, too? Hahaha.”

That was what the operations team leader and the scout team leader said.

“Those kids, even so! When something like this happens, they should at least pretend to ask me! How long have I been practicing throwing batting practice in preparation for times like this…”

Only the pitching coach grumbled like this, but he soon gave Ji-sub’s shoulder a pat with a ‘grin’.

“Still, well… I have to acknowledge you, Tsingtao! Thanks to you, Jimmy Morris quickly came to his senses, didn’t he?”

Ji-sub felt a strange feeling.

He wondered how those people knew everything that had happened with the players.

If they knew all that, he wondered why they didn’t usually say ‘you’re doing well, thank you for your hard work’.

Ji-sub was preparing for the game with a truly heartwarming feeling for the first time in a long time.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you, Ji-sub!”

Just as the manager’s pre-game interview was over and he was taking a breather, the hitting coach approached Ji-sub and asked.

“Ji-sub.”

“Yes, Coach.”

The youngest member of the KH Cannons’ coaching staff was this hitting coach.

In terms of age, he was about three or four years older than Ji-sub.

So, unlike the other coaches, he always spoke formally to Ji-sub.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah, it’s nothing else…”

The hitting coach scratched his head ‘roughly’ with the back of the pen he was holding.

After hesitating for a while, he finally opened his mouth again.

“About the home run derby batting practice pitcher… I was wondering if you had decided who you were going to help.”

“Ah, that?”

At this moment, Ji-sub smiled faintly.

“They were making such a fuss next to me that I told them to settle it between themselves and just notify me of the result.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Then, the hitting coach spoke in a low voice, but with a rather earnest tone.

“Those guys’ proposals… is there no way you could accept both of them?”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, I was hoping you could be Lee Soo-bin’s batting practice pitcher and Ryu Jang-ho’s batting practice pitcher.”

“No, suddenly that’s…”

At this moment, several questions popped into Ji-sub’s head.

He wondered if he had the stamina to throw batting practice twice a day.

He had heard that the two events were held on the same day, and he wondered if he could get there in time.

Of course, the first question that came to his mind before that was this.

“Why… are you doing this?”

Ji-sub asked the hitting coach.

“Is there a special reason why I have to be both of those guys’ batting practice pitcher?”