Episode 4. Rookie Draft (3)
Min Dusang kept praising Gang Yeongcheol.
“Your father won the Cheonhajangsa ten times, did he not? Truly remarkable. I am also an avid fan of your father. Player Gang Jihun will become a truly excellent player, taking after his father. Our Smiles have very high expectations for Player Gang Jihun.”
“Thank you for holding my son in such high regard.”
“That is precisely why. Rather than an ordinary contract like everyone else, I would like to propose something a bit special.”
Jihun’s instincts kicked in.
‘Something smells fishy. I have a feeling this is somehow going to be an incredibly long day.’
“A base contract amount of 400 million won, a bonus of 100 million upon first-team call-up, and a further bonus of 100 million if your days registered on the first-team roster exceed one hundred, for a total proposed contract of 600 million won. A total of 600 million is the largest amount among rookie contracts this year. Of course, we intend to handle the bonus amounts ourselves in a way that does not violate KBO regulations, so you need not worry. We prepared a contract containing these options hoping that Player Gang Jihun will work hard with a ‘sense of ownership.’ Haha.”
Jihun quickly saw through Min Dusang’s true intentions.
‘Oh, I see! He showered me with praise, but in the end, it’s a shallow ploy born from the calculation that it’s impossible for a rookie to log one hundred days on the first-team roster in his debut year. And if he somehow does fill one hundred days, that would mean he’s performing beyond expectations, so the higher-ups would have little to say either.’
Jihun made eye contact with Gang Yeongcheol, who was sitting beside him.
Just as Gang Yeongcheol seemed to have expected as much, he shook his head once, straightened his collar, and the moment he tried to speak, Jihun hurriedly stepped in first.
“General Manager, it truly is an excellent proposal. I believe a ‘sense of ownership’ is a virtue that every Smiles player must possess. My father always told me to live my playing career with a sense of ownership.”
Gang Yeongcheol in the next seat looked at Jihun with an expression that asked, what in the world is this absurd situation?
‘Oh ho! This feeling—like the conversation is going to go well.’
Min Dusang’s face brightened considerably.
“However, while I am fully aware that this is nothing but my own greed, and this is something I say solely to maintain that ‘sense of ownership’—if, by chance, I hit thirty or more home runs, how much more of a bonus would I be able to receive?”
Min Dusang was quite flustered by Gang Jihun’s unexpected counterattack.
Thirty home runs for a rookie.
That is an impossible figure. Yet if, by some chance, he were to record thirty home runs, there would be nothing they could not do.
“If you record thirty or more home runs in the first team, an additional bonus of 100 million won can be paid.”
“Yes, I see. Thank you very much. But you see, not all home runs are the same, are they? A walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. How thrilling a home run that is. Can a single such swing not elevate the team’s atmosphere instantly? If I record thirty or more home runs, could I receive a bonus each time I add a walk-off home run?”
Jihun’s questions continued.
“General Manager, though I know this sounds impossible, I have always heard from my father that people must set their goals high. So I ask: Is there not a saying, ‘Pitchers take wins, hitters take titles’? If I happen to record one hundred twenty or more RBIs?”
“General Manager, but is ‘Pitchers take wins, hitters take titles’ not already treated as a relic of bygone days? What if I record an OPS of 1.000 or higher?”
“But what if I record not thirty home runs, but forty or more? Ah, of course, I fully understand it is excessive greed, but this is solely out of a determination to run hard with a ‘sense of ownership’ for the Smiles’ championship.”
Min Dusang felt his head spinning at Gang Jihun’s repeated demands. A feeling of having fallen into some deep quagmire.
However, if Gang Jihun truly recorded forty home runs, one hundred twenty RBIs, and an OPS of 1.000, wouldn’t the league MVP be a foregone conclusion?
There was no way Gang Jihun would set such monumental records in his debut year.
Min Dusang simply listened to Jihun endlessly adding options with a hollow smile.
“General Manager, I know this is a truly outrageous goal, but again, this is solely to possess a ‘sense of ownership’ and give my all. If I hit fifty or more home runs?”
Min Dusang thought he had to cut him off, feeling as though they might end up at one hundred home runs at this rate.
“If you hit fifty or more home runs, I will grant you one wish unconditionally, within my capabilities. Of course, it must not be a demand contrary to the team’s interests, nor something absurd like writing a large sum on a blank check. It must be something rational and within my authority.”
Only then did Jihun smile in satisfaction at Min Dusang’s words.
Gang Byeongcheol sat there dazedly without saying a word, with an expression that asked if this guy was really his son.
In the end, Min Dusang tacked on a long, long list of option clauses and signed a contract guaranteeing a base amount of 400 million won with a maximum bonus of 2 billion won if he achieved forty or more home runs, one hundred twenty or more RBIs, and an OPS of 1.000 or higher.
As a special provision, it was also explicitly stated that in the case of fifty or more home runs, he would be granted one wish ticket.
Jihun signed the contract and smiled in satisfaction. It was an unexpected success.
He had intended to simply sign if they had presented a contract for around 500 million won without a fuss. What kind of windfall was this?
Min Dusang discovered the smile hanging at the corner of Jihun’s mouth.
A chill suddenly ran down his spine.
‘What! Does this kid really believe he can do it?’
Jihun gave 100 million won of the 400 million won signing bonus to his parents and invested 100 million won in his older sister Gang Munbyeol’s chicken cafe.
He planned to dump the remaining 200 million won into stocks.
Gang Munbyeol was five years Jihun’s senior and had a natural talent for cooking. Together with her husband, a former pro baseball player, she opened a baseball cafe-style chicken specialty restaurant in the restaurant alley across from Daejeon Smiles Park and found great success.
For Jihun, who knew the future, there was no reason to hesitate about investing in his sister.
Gang Munbyeol took after her mother, Yeon Eunjeong, with a slender and delicate appearance, yet she possessed a tremendous appetite and an immense amount of strength.
She had trained in kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, and jiu-jitsu, and during high school, she was the leader of the legendary Jimaonyeo (The Five Witches from Hell), who had swept away the delinquent girls of Daejeon’s girls’ high schools.
She was even a woman of such tenacity that she had subdued male delinquents with her trademark preemptive strike.
The period during which the Jimaonyeo were active was called the era of great peace in Daejeon’s girls’ high schools.
So much so that rumor had it before graduation, the principal had sobbed profusely, lamenting that the good times were all gone, and begged them to stay one more year for the sake of their juniors.
After graduating high school, everyone had expected them to go into police work or security studies, but surprisingly, she applied to a culinary arts program and was hired by a hotel after graduation.
However, accidents continued to occur.
After kicking a chef who, entranced by her beauty, had tried to make her practice cooking in a hugging stance, she couldn’t last more than three months anywhere, and eventually decided to start her own business with the sauce chicken recipe she had developed herself.
Fortunately, the chicken cafe thrived. Her husband’s help was decisive in the cafe’s success.
After ending his pro baseball career early, her husband had jumped into the chicken business with her, succeeded thanks to his outstanding business acumen, and enjoyed a happy married life.
Jihun always felt grateful to his brother-in-law. Without a doubt, there would have been no man who could handle his sister if not for him.
The toughness to take his sister’s punch to the chest without flinching, the eloquence to calmly persuade his quick-tempered sister, a striking appearance, and an affectionate personality—his brother-in-law was the best man for his sister.
He freely passed on his chicken cafe startup know-how to retired players struggling to make ends meet, and was active as a manager of a social baseball team.
He was a brother-in-law who had lived a cooler life than when he was a player.
Jihun tossed a chic smile at his grateful sister, then carefully recalled memories of the future and began reviewing which stocks to purchase.
He must not rush. He had to choose stocks for which he could plausibly explain his reasons.
***
Mid-December 2024, General Manager Min Dusang’s conference room.
Min Dusang put on a grave expression before Hyeon Myeonghan.
“Manager Hyeon, I am sorry. We should have held onto Yong Ganghan. But would you believe it? Money aside, he said he wanted to play fall baseball. In the end, he transferred to the Incheon Flyings.”
Though Min Dusang was much older than Hyeon Myeonghan as a baseball senior, ever since Hyeon Myeonghan became manager, he had courteously used honorifics.
It was to give Hyeon Myeonghan strength.
Yong Ganghan. The Smiles organization’s No. 3 starter. A right-handed pitcher with a record of eight wins and nine losses and a 3.53 ERA last season. At thirty-one years old, he had become a free agent for the first time in his life.
Though his win total was low, given the Smiles’ terrible defense and batting, he was a solid pitcher who could easily notch ten or more wins on another team.
From the Smiles’ standpoint, he was a player they absolutely had to retain.
“Ah, this is a real problem. Junhae is also showing an aging curve, and isn’t Namyong unable to join spring camp due to an elbow injury?”
Hyeon Myeonghan poured out his worries to Min Dusang.
“Namyong was overworked by Manager Go Jidong. He was worked day after day, so there was no way he could endure. The front office will do everything it can for a quick recovery.”
Hyeon Myeonghan let out a deep sigh and muttered.
“No Ganghan and no Namyong…”
To cut off Hyeon Myeonghan’s lament, Min Dusang quickly presented a plan.
“It seems I have placed too great a burden on you, Manager. In exchange, we will be sure to bring in good foreign players.”
As soon as Min Dusang finished speaking, Hyeon Myeonghan stated his requests.
“General Manager, for one of the pitchers, please contact the player I requested. He is a player who can become a key man together with Gang Jihun next season. I checked a few things and will let you know his personal details immediately.”
Hyeon Myeonghan conveyed his requests regarding the foreign batters as well.
“The foreign batter must be capable of playing outfield defense. Only then can we raise the overall defensive level.”
Min Dusang quickly understood Hyeon Myeonghan’s intention. Because the Smiles’ outfield defense was truly at a catastrophic level.
“Understood. I have fully grasped the manager’s intentions. However, the urgent matters are the two compensation players to be received in exchange for Ganghan and the coaching staff selection. Do you have anything in mind?”
As if he had been waiting, Hyeon Myeonghan held out a sheet of paper.
***
Jihun carefully selected his investment stocks. His parents, knowing nothing, nagged him daily, asking what this stock business was about.
From his parents’ perspective, it was only natural, but for Jihun, who knew the future, this was not something he could sit idle on.
For now, he invested 50 million won in the stock of Smiles Food System, a subsidiary of Smile Group.
Smiles Food System was a franchise operating company that would grow into a very successful company in the future as well.
If the Smiles were to win the championship, it was obvious that the enterprise value would rise even further thanks to the increase in brand value.
Besides, Jihun had an extraordinary plan.
Investing in the company belonging to his own club, leading the team to the championship, and raising corporate value to obtain investment profits.
This was the true sense of ownership, and he thought it could become a heartwarming story line that reporters could write up as a good deed during the Golden Glove Awards ceremony down the line.
And the incidental benefits that would come with it—just thinking about them made him feel pleased.
He invested the remaining 150 million won evenly in future growth industries.
The world economy experienced ups and downs due to various adverse factors, but even so, the Korean economy continued to grow steadily.
Because he knew that if he simply left it and waited, good results would come, there was no need to worry much.