A Rookie in the Baseball Team is Too Good

Chapter 19: A Thorn in the Pocket (1)

Around 10 a.m. the next day.

The new training assistants for the KH Cannons gathered in the hotel lobby designated as the accommodations for the second-team team.

“The second-team players and coaching staff are expected to arrive soon.”

Since the development team leader and other senior officials had gone to the airport to greet them, the person standing in front of the training assistants was Second-team Manager Kim Pan-soo.

He was responsible for the second-team players’ basic needs, including food, clothing, and shelter, and more importantly, he was in charge of training and directing the new assistants.

Although he had responded to the assistants’ questions with a bright expression last night, as soon as the news came that the players were arriving, a tense look appeared on his face.

“As I mentioned yesterday… The team atmosphere might be quite bad for a while.”

And there was a good reason for that.

“Regardless of their abilities, all the players were probably hoping to join the first-team spring camp.”

Professional baseball players lived in a world of constant fierce competition.

The fact that they had joined the second-team spring camp meant that they had been pushed out in the first competition of the season.

For the players who hoped to catch the manager’s eye at the first-team spring camp and make it to the opening day roster, the current situation must be far from satisfying.

“In my experience… It takes at least a week for the players to return to their normal mood.”

The second-team manager gave a bitter smile.

“Until then, even if the players are a bit sensitive, please just ‘let it go.’ You know what our development team leader always says, right?”

Some of the new training assistants opened their mouths in response to Kim Pan-soo’s question.

After hearing their answers, Kim Pan-soo nodded with a faint smile.

“That’s right. The baseball team’s front office is like the players’ family. You’re supposed to be like an older brother, an older sister, or even a mother or father to them. Please remember that.”

Just as Kim Pan-soo finished speaking, a message arrived on his phone with a “Kka-tok!”

“Oh, it says the bus with the players just passed the intersection up ahead. Everyone, please line up! Don’t forget to give them a big round of applause and a warm welcome when they come in!”

Following the second-team manager’s instructions, the training assistants lined up in a long row at the hotel entrance as if they were welcoming VIPs.

Not only the training assistants but also the KH Cannons’ front office staff, hotel employees, and even civil servants dispatched from Seogwipo City gathered in line.

Vrooooom—

The KH Cannons’ team bus soon appeared at the hotel entrance.

With a “psshhh” sound, the bus door opened, and as the players began to step out one by one, applause and cheers erupted from all directions.

“Welcome!”

“Thank you for coming!”

“Go KH Cannons!!!”

At first, Ji-seop had thought, ‘Why are they holding a welcome ceremony for the second-team players?’

He even clicked his tongue at the second-team manager who ran around like crazy to gather as many people as possible.

However, the moment he saw the players getting off the bus with their bags, Ji-seop couldn’t help but nod.

“…….”

“…….”

The players, who got off the bus with gloomy expressions, likely due to the fact that they were starting the season with the second-team team, had their faces brighten up instantly when faced with the applause and cheers from the training assistants, hotel employees, and even the civil servants.

“……Thank you.”

“We’ll do our best.”

Some looked a bit startled by the outpouring of applause and cheers, while others were a bit bashful.

However, the players definitely had brighter expressions as they entered the hotel in line.

Of course, their mindset might change once they started training again, but for a ‘small event’ like this, the change it brought was quite significant.

‘…Is this the role of the front office?’

Helping players train in a good mood, even if it didn’t show outwardly.

While Ji-seop was momentarily lost in thought, watching Second-team Manager Kim Pan-soo pat the players’ backs with a satisfied expression, suddenly—

“Wow!!!”

“Wow!!!”

From the direction of the second-team team bus that had just arrived, cheers of a completely different magnitude erupted.

The orderly line momentarily collapsed as people rushed toward the bus door.

“……What’s going on?”

When Ji-seop tilted his head in confusion, Go Chang-deok, who was standing next to him, spoke up.

“What do you mean, ‘What’s going on’? It’s today’s main star.”

“Today’s main star?”

There was no need to ask who it was.

Ji-seop soon saw the ‘main star’ with his own eyes.

Broad shoulders, a solid build.

Sharp eyes, a prominent nose.

On top of that, a man with impressively fair skin that didn’t seem fitting for a baseball player.

‘Ah, that guy is…’

The KH Cannons’ fourth batter.

‘Korea’s Trout,’ Ryu Jang-ho.

* * *

“Alright, louder! Louder!”

“Please take care of us!”

“Louder! How will you make it to the first-team like this?!”

“Please take care of us!!!”

“Okay!”

Thwak—

The KH Cannons’ second-team spring camp began with light defensive drills.

While the players were focused on training on the main ground of Kangchanghak Stadium, the new training assistants were busy preparing snacks for the players in the indoor gym.

Checking the condition of the salads sent by the catering company and packing supplements and drinks for each player.

Even though it was mainly just physically carrying boxes filled with food, the training assistants didn’t seem to mind.

It seemed they were excited to have seen Ryu Jang-ho, arguably the biggest star of the KH Cannons, up close.

“Wow, you can really feel the aura difference with him.”

One of the assistants carrying a box said in an awed voice.

“Did you see those ripped muscles on his arms? For a moment, I thought I was looking at a Major Leaguer.”

“Is it just the appearance? Honestly, there’s no outfielder in the KBO better than Ryu Jang-ho. In a few years, he’ll definitely move to the Major League…”

“Right, there’s still a few years left before he can apply for posting… But they say Major League scouts are already visiting.”

Ryu Jang-ho, who had joined the KH Cannons straight out of high school four years ago, was writing a legendary career.

He became Rookie of the Year with a 30-home run, 30-stolen base season in his first year, and the following year, he recorded 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, winning the season MVP.

Even after that, he continued to post overwhelming stats every year, solidifying his position as the only hope of the KH Cannons.

He was known for excellent contact, incredible power, top-notch defense, speed, and a strong arm—a player who truly embodied the “five-tool player” like Mike Trout, hence his nickname.

So it was no surprise that the new training assistants were talking about him.

“But… Why did Ryu Jang-ho come to the second-team camp?”

One of the assistants asked.

“I expected news to break today about Ryu Jang-ho joining the second-team camp. But there’s been nothing.”

“Yeah, I found that strange too. Even on the KH Gallery, everyone’s talking about Ryu Jang-ho, but not a single article mentions it…”

“Maybe the rumors about the new foreign manager and him having a conflict are true? Then the club would have a reason to keep it quiet…”

A superstar joining the second-team spring camp.

But the club didn’t mention it at all.

As the new training assistants each voiced their theories, a snort came from the corner.

“No, that’s not it.”

It was Oh Young-jin who spoke up.

The only one among the new training assistants who had been drafted by a professional team.

After getting properly put in his place by Ji-seop, he had stayed quiet, but now it seemed he wanted to use this opportunity to assert himself again.

“How long has it been since the new foreign manager arrived? There’s no way there’s already a conflict. It’s not like that.”

“Then… what is it?”

Though they had been gossiping, the assistants turned their attention to Oh Young-jin, knowing his background as a former professional player and his superior connections in the baseball world. Ji-seop also glanced at him.

“It seems to be more of a formality.”

“A formality?”

“It doesn’t mean much.”

Oh Young-jin continued while taking off his gloves.

“Do you remember? The first day we were called in, the operations team staff rushed out suddenly.”

“Ah, right. I think it was about finalizing Ryu Jang-ho’s contract…”

“Exactly, that.”

Oh Young-jin shrugged.

“I heard that Jang-ho was the last KH player to sign his contract. Because of that, he missed the physical test that’s done just before the spring camp.”

“Oh, so?”

Most of the people there had a general understanding of how the baseball world worked, so they quickly grasped what had happened with just that explanation.

“You have to pass the physical test to be eligible for the first-team spring camp, right?”

“Correct.”

Oh Young-jin nodded.

“For a player like Jang-ho, a physical test is no big deal. But because his contract negotiations were delayed, he couldn’t even take the test. There’s no other option but to send him to the second-team camp for now.”

Rules are rules.

No exceptions, even for a star.

The club likely wanted to send that message to the rest of the team.

“But if the club made this their official stance, it would stir up all kinds of trouble…”

The public could blame Ryu Jang-ho for not signing sooner.

Or they could criticize the club for not accommodating the player.

There might even be backlash against the club for still using “outdated” systems like the physical test.

‘Heh, they say you can get criticized just for breathing in a baseball club…’

As Ji-seop pondered this, Oh Young-jin reached his own conclusion.

“There’s nothing wrong with his health, so… he’ll probably be called up to the first-team in a few days.”

“Oh, I see…”

The new assistants showed a hint of disappointment on their faces.

“It’s a relief for the team, but… it’s a bit of a letdown.”

“A letdown?”

“Well, you know? If Ryu Jang-ho were in a slump… It could have been an opportunity for us.”

The training assistants smacked their lips.

“Like giving him a crucial tip to break out of the slump, or offering some encouraging words…”

“If we were lucky, we might have caught Ryu Jang-ho’s eye.”

“Yeah, I heard there was an assistant who joined the first-team two years ago thanks to Ryu Jang-ho’s recommendation…”

Where they heard such information was a mystery.

The training assistants continued to chatter, each adding their own comments.

“Actually, if that’s the case… Isn’t Oh Young-jin the most likely among us?”

One of the assistants poked Oh Young-jin in the side.

“Huh? Me?”

“You seem to know a lot about Ryu Jang-ho… There must be some connection, right?”

“Yeah, I knew it from the way you kept calling him ‘Jang-ho.'”

“Haha, what are you talking about?”

Though he feigned modesty, Oh Young-jin didn’t miss the chance to subtly show off his connections.

“I only met Jang-ho a couple of times in high school. We’ve said hello a few times since then, but…”

“See! I knew it!”

The new assistants made a fuss.

“Oh Young-jin, come on, arrange something with Ryu Jang-ho before he goes to the first-team.”

“Yeah, we should at least get a chance to meet him, right?”

“Haha, well, I don’t know if Jang-ho will have the time for that…”

Despite his words, Oh Young-jin’s gaze subtly shifted toward Ji-seop.

…What the heck is this guy up to?