A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 90

The New Recruit of the Baseball Team is Too Good – Episode 90

Chapter 25: Bartering (2)

The next day, afternoon.

Ji-seop was in Gangnam, Seoul.

He was visiting [Superstar Baseball], the social baseball training center where he used to work.

‘Has it been almost half a year?’

The street he used to frequent every day.

It hadn’t been that long, but the scenery of the street had changed a lot.

The Baekban [Korean set meal] restaurant where he often went with CEO Oh of the training center was replaced by a clean salad shop, and the cafe where he and the training center coaches played rock-paper-scissors for coffee was replaced by an ice cream shop.

As many people come and go, the scenery of the street must have changed frequently.

‘I wonder if everyone is doing well…….’

In fact, Ji-seop was carrying a large bag in his hand.

The bag was full of wooden mallets, scrap leather, and strong thread.

He was planning to provide ‘after-sales service’ to the people who had purchased his gloves in the past when he visited the training center-

“W, who is this?!”

“Coach Kim? Is that really Coach Kim?”

“Wow!!! It’s been so long! Everyone, come out! Coach Kim! Our Coach Kim Ji-seop is here!!!”

To put it bluntly, Ji-seop didn’t even get a chance to show off his thorough ‘service spirit’ that day.

When Ji-seop appeared at [Superstar Baseball], the training center members ‘swarmed’ around him.

“Oh, Coach Kim!!!”

“How have you been?!”

Grasping Ji-seop’s hands, patting Ji-seop’s back, and putting their arms around Ji-seop’s shoulders.

Everyone was a big guy, and they were making a fuss surrounding him, so Ji-seop felt like his soul was leaving his body.

“H, have you all been well?”

Amidst the enthusiastic welcome, Ji-seop barely managed to say a word.

“I have some free time because it’s the All-Star break. I wanted to see the members’ faces after a long time and fix the custom gloves a little…….”

As he said that, Ji-seop looked around to find the equipment bag he had lost at some point, but the training center members waved their hands as if they had made a promise.

“Hehe, you really have to acknowledge our Coach Kim’s diligence!”

“Hey, gloves are gloves! Did you think we would ask someone working for a professional team to fix our gloves?”

“That’s right, that’s right! Our Coach Kim is not at that level anymore!”

They were all smiles.

They were all so happy.

The training center members were constantly beaming.

“Rather than that, tell us some stories from the baseball team!”

“That’s right, you went out as a batting ball pitcher in the home run race the other day, right? How was it then?”

“What is Ryu Jang-ho like in person? Is he really the type who only knows about baseball?”

People were asking questions one after another with sparkling eyes.

The question that always comes up when you say, ‘I work for a baseball team’ could be heard this time as well.

“Why is the Geosan Mariners so bad at baseball? Is there any special reason?”

“Geosan is a little better this year. I’m more curious about the Yuseong Warriors. I wonder why they’ve been in last place for so many years…….”

Why is the team I support so bad at baseball?

Other teams win the championship well after a few years.

Right at that moment, when he was receiving a question that was difficult to answer as a Cannons front office member.

“Oh, Coach Kim!!!”

“Coach Kim is here?”

Familiar faces appeared from the consulting room inside.

First, CEO Oh Su-man of [Superstar Baseball] came into view.

And following him, the top VIP of this training center, CEO Choi Kyung-min, appeared.

* * *

“Thank you, Coach Kim.”

It was about three or four hours later that Ji-seop had a quiet conversation with CEO Choi Kyung-min.

It was because there were so many training center members who wanted to hear Ji-seop’s story.

They had the first round at a sliced pork belly restaurant near the training center, and the second round at a nearby pub.

It was only after having the third round at a Hangover Stew [spicy Korean soup often eaten to cure hangovers] restaurant across the street that the training center members around Ji-seop decreased a bit.

The place where Ji-seop was able to talk to CEO Choi was the smoking area outside the Hangover Stew restaurant.

“I’m really grateful, but……. I don’t know if I should be doing this?”

CEO Choi asked, lighting a cigarette.

“I’m talking about that car.”

It was the story of the car that was given as a prize in the All-Star Home Run Race.

Ji-seop, who had heard the story from CEO Oh of the training center, decided to hand over the car in question to CEO Choi.

“I think there would have been a line of people wanting to buy it besides me……. Is it okay?”

“It’s okay, really.”

Ji-seop said in a calm tone.

“Anyway, it’s a car that Ryu Jang-ho gave me for free……. CEO Choi, you helped me a lot in the past, didn’t you?”

“Me? Helped?”

“Don’t you remember? The custom gloves I sold here……. CEO Choi was the first customer.”

He was a grateful customer who bought a glove that cost 800,000 won [about $600 USD] for 2 million won [about $1500 USD].

However, Ji-seop’s gratitude to CEO Choi was not just because of the money.

“It was not long after I retired from active duty, that time.”

“…….”

“I didn’t leave a great achievement as a player, but……. Still, I was a little anxious inside.”

Would I be able to do well in social life?

I was an unremarkable player even when I was active, but would I be able to play my role in society?

It was a time when I was secretly harboring such anxiety, even though I had never told anyone.

“But after selling the custom gloves to the CEO, I felt a little confident.”

“……Confidence, you say.”

“Yes, I can do it. I can do it this way……. That kind of confidence.”

Ji-seop gave a faint smile.

“I think that I was able to join a professional team and that I was able to visit the training center today……. When I think about it, it’s all thanks to the confidence I gained at that time.”

So, what’s a car compared to that?

Choi Kyung-min, who heard Ji-seop’s words, scratched the back of his head, laughing ‘Heo-heo’ as if he was slightly embarrassed.

“I just thought it was a good glove and bought it……. I’m grateful that you said that.”

However, perhaps he judged that he couldn’t just let it go like this.

CEO Choi turned his gaze to Ji-seop and continued.

“Then let’s do this. In addition to the car price I mentioned earlier……. I’ll give you some extra stuff.”

“Extra stuff?”

“Yeah, Coach Kim, do you remember?”

CEO Choi smiled.

“You know I have a lot of items that Major League players used, right?”

I’ll give you that as a bonus.

Let’s go pick it out now.

CEO Choi took out his cell phone and started dialing his driver’s number.

* * *

Around lunchtime the next day.

Ji-seop, who went to work at KH Cannons Field, headed straight to the indoor training facility.

Tak!

Tak!

Taaaaak!

The players were focusing on training in preparation for the upcoming second half of the season.

Ji-seop, who was watching the scene from behind, spotted Ryu Jang-ho and Lee Soo-bin, who were finishing their training, and quickly waved his hand.

“Oh, hyung [older brother/male friend], you’re here?”

“Hello, senior.”

The two players who won the All-Star Home Run Race this season.

As soon as they saw Ji-seop, they bowed 90 degrees.

Ji-seop handed them a large shopping bag.

“Take it.”

“What is this……?”

“Take a look and then we can talk.”

Ryu Jang-ho and Lee Soo-bin tilted their heads and looked inside the shopping bag Ji-seop handed them.

And the next moment, exclamations of ‘Wow’ burst out from their mouths.

“H, hyung! What is this? It’s the bat that Andrew McCutchen used in the season he achieved MVP [Most Valuable Player award]?!”

“Senior, this is no ordinary item either! I heard that Nolan Arenado used it the year he won the Gold Glove?”

Andrew McCutchen.

Nolan Arenado.

Both of them are players who were or are called ‘superstars’ in Major League Baseball.

In fact, that wasn’t all.

The shopping bag Ji-seop handed them was full of items actually used by well-known players in Major League Baseball.

“Oh, no…… Are all of these genuine? They’re not fakes, are they?”

“Senior, look! There are certificates attached here?”

“Then what, everything in here is real?!”

The young Cannons players, with their eyes wide open, didn’t know what to do.

Ji-seop opened his mouth with a satisfied expression.

“Yes, I heard they’re all genuine. I got them from someone I know.”

“No, why would you…….”

“Isn’t it give and take? Since I received something from you guys, it’s only right that I give something back.”

Ji-seop had received gifts from the two of them for being the batting ball pitcher in the Home Run Race.

Lee Soo-bin gave him a large bouquet of flowers, and Ryu Jang-ho gave him a new car.

It wasn’t his style to wipe his mouth clean after receiving such things, so Ji-seop decided to give the items he got from CEO Choi to them.

“If you put it that way, shouldn’t I receive much more? Soo-bin gave you a bouquet of flowers, and I gave you a car…….”

Ryu Jang-ho grumbled.

Since it was an expected reaction, Ji-seop snorted and replied.

“Knowing you would say that, I brought more than enough outfield equipment.”

Ji-seop glanced inside the shopping bag and continued.

“Anyway, I brought a lot of things……. Discuss how to divide them between the two of you. Then you can use them, or you can keep them for collection.”

“All of these things…… Are you really giving them all to us?”

“Oh, come on, I am, okay?”

At Ji-seop’s words, Ryu Jang-ho and Lee Soo-bin’s lips went up to their ears.

“Thank you, hyung!”

“Thank you, senior!”

After saying hello in a loud voice, Ryu Jang-ho and Lee Soo-bin went to the corner of the training ground and started dividing the Major League players’ collections.

“What’s going on?”

“What’s all the commotion?”

Even the players passing by gathered around, and in an instant, an atmosphere like a ‘legendary collection auction’ was being created inside the indoor training facility-

“Um…… Hyung!”

How much time had passed?

Ryu Jang-ho, who was looking at the items in the shopping bag, called out to Ji-seop.

“What?”

“I think this should be…… Hyung’s share?”

“My share?”

What Ryu Jang-ho handed over was a small wooden box.

When he opened it with force, there was an old fountain pen inside.

‘That’s strange? I don’t think there was anything like this among the things I chose…….’

He wondered if he had accidentally brought it.

It could have been swept in while putting in other items.

Whatever the reason, it was an item that had to be returned to its owner.

Ji-seop took out his cell phone and called CEO Choi.

-Ah, Coach Kim?

“Yes, CEO. It’s not that, but…….”

Ji-seop explained the reason for the call, fixing his gaze on the old fountain pen.

And what came back was CEO Choi’s laughter.

-Haha, I’m giving that to Coach Kim as a gift.

“A gift?”

-Yeah, just looking at it, Coach Kim……. It seems like you’re only taking things to give to the players. So I secretly put one aside.

CEO Choi changed the subject.

-Coach Kim, have you ever heard of Billy Beane?

“Billy Beane? Are you talking about that Billy Beane who appeared in [Moneyball]?”

The legendary general manager who led the golden age of the Oakland Athletics in the early 2000s in the American Major League.

It was a name that Ji-seop couldn’t possibly not know.

-The fountain pen that Coach Kim is looking at now……. It’s the one that General Manager Billy Beane used. I had a hard time getting it at an auction.

“W, why would you give me such a precious item…….”

-Isn’t the reason obvious?

CEO Choi continued.

-I heard that General Manager Billy Beane is also a former player. Although he was an unremarkable player during his active career……. His life changed drastically after he joined the team’s front office after retirement.

“…….”

-With the hope that our Coach Kim will become like that too.

Although he didn’t shine during his active career, like Billy Beane, who dominated Major League Baseball after retirement.

-There will be hard things and difficult things, but I put it in with the meaning of gaining strength while looking at that fountain pen……. How is it, do you like it?

“CEO Choi…….”

Billy Beane’s fountain pen.

Ji-seop, who had been staring at the old fountain pen for a while, finally opened his mouth slowly.

“Thank you, CEO Choi.”

And the following words.

“I will do my best……. To become a person who is not ashamed of this fountain pen.”