Chapter 3

The天才投手 hid a 170km fastball - Chapter 2 (3/412)

#2. A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

<Seoul Warriors, on the brink of dissolution due to failed sale, acquired by Iconic Partners>

<From agency to team owner, who is Park Sung-hoon? A high school baseball prospect whose professional dreams were thwarted by injury>

<Reverting to a 9-team system is avoided, but baseball fans are skeptical>

“Shiba, what’s Iconic Partners? Sounds like some coin company.”

“It’s a sports agency, you know, the one with Han Su-hyuk and a few others.”

“But how can a place like that afford to buy a baseball team? The Warriors were already called the ‘poor team,’ how are they going to manage?”

“They seem to have some money, and anyway, there’s nowhere else for them to go. It’s just a matter of being poor or really poor.”

“Ha, I’m going to lose it. The bottom spot is guaranteed for next season.”

“Thinking about it, it’s really absurd. A team that was once talked about as a dynasty is now falling apart so quickly.”

“That’s all happened since the current owner took over. He sold all the expensive players and gave ridiculous FA contracts to his loyalists, damn it.”

“Indeed, who would have predicted that the Warriors would be stuck at the bottom and even face the possibility of dissolution after he took over?”

“From 2022 onwards, 9981010... In fact, dissolution would be more appropriate than a sale.”

A little-known investment company, with a sports agency as its front, acquired the Warriors.

When the news spread, people’s reactions were mixed.

The KBO and baseball officials, who had been in a semi-give-up state after several failed sale attempts, naturally welcomed the news.

Reverting to a 9-team system was the worst-case scenario they could imagine.

The problem was the Warriors’ fans.

Despite the team being financially strapped and losing star players to other teams, and then completely falling apart after the eldest son of the Ohgang Group became the owner, the memory of the team’s once glorious days remained.

Fans who had hoped for a more capable company to acquire the Warriors and stabilize the team were shocked by the appearance of a company they had never heard of.

Even if it meant being sold to a company they had never heard of in their lives. Is there really no hope for the Warriors now?

The fans’ concerns seemed to be gradually becoming a reality.

As soon as the news of the team’s acquisition was announced, additional news that made fans clutch their necks followed.

<Seoul Warriors put high-salary FAs Hwang Sung-min, Song Gi-tae, and Han Jin-woo up for trade>

<The three FAs, who have struggled over the past few seasons, but their departure leaves the Warriors without alternatives>

<Warriors fans enraged as the team prepares to part ways with their starting catcher, shortstop, and closer>

“I knew it. They’re selling off everything that makes money.”

“Haha, do they even make money? They’re all freeloaders.”

“Starting catcher Hwang Sung-min with a .191 batting average, starting shortstop Song Gi-tae with a .212, closer Han Jin-woo with a 7.05 ERA... It’s heart-wrenching...”

“Still, damn it, who’s going to fill their spots if they’re gone?”

“Yeah, anyone from the minors can do as well as them.”

“But it seems Jeong Gi-ho, Jo Sung-oh, and Lee Man-sik won’t be traded.”

“They don’t meddle in politics... they just can’t play baseball well.”

“Oh, no matter what, those three are the Warriors’ franchise players.”

“Talking about franchise players. Everyone knows they got their contracts by flattering the chairman at the year-end party.”

“Oh, so, what are they going to do if they all get kicked out?”

Sports-related internet forums began to burn with fury.

Even though the three were treated as the worst of the freeloaders, they were the only remaining players with any name value in a team that had sold off all its star players.

What if those three also leave the team?

Then the team would have to be filled with rookies in their first or second year, second-hand rookies from other teams, and veteran players who have nowhere else to go.

It was natural for Warriors fans to be enraged.

<Enraged Warriors fans stage a truck protest in front of Jamsil Baseball Stadium>

<Invalidation of acquisition negotiations, cancellation of trade attempts, will the voices of Warriors fans move the team?>

<Warriors, despite being confirmed as the lowest this year, face a difficult future even after avoiding dissolution>

The only ones who were delighted by the fans’ reactions were the three FA freeloaders.

With their skills, they might end up in the minors if they go to other teams, but to secure a spot in the majors and earn a proper salary, they had to stay with the Warriors.

Inside the team bus after the Warriors lost 10-0 to their Seoul rivals, the Magicians, the three FA freeloaders, sitting in the back, smiled at each other.

“Sung-min, you don’t have to worry too much, right?”

“Haha, Gi-tae. What did I say? The team can’t get rid of us. They’re ready to set the team bus on fire if the trades are announced now.”

“But you never know. You guys are catchers and shortstops, so they can’t easily get rid of you. But me...”

“You’re fine, Jin-woo. Hey, who’s going to be the closer if they kick you out? Even though you struggled this season, you had 13 saves last year. Right? You’re fine, they can’t get rid of you.”

Of course, the fact that he had nine blown saves, an ERA in the 5s, and a WHIP of 1.9 during the process of getting those 13 saves had long been forgotten.

To these three, who had secured FA contracts by impressing the chairman and higher-ups, the Warriors were a land flowing with milk and honey.

Even as the team was stuck at the bottom, the team’s ownership changed, and they lost 10-0 to their Seoul rivals, they only thought of their own prosperity.

But no one was angry at their voices.

The rookies who had just debuted and the powerless players who had been pushed out of the mainstream pretended not to hear, closing their eyes and ears.

The only one who felt the burn was the manager.

He wanted to shout.

If they were going to play with that kind of mindset, they should immediately go to the minors and give their spots to the juniors.

He wanted to shout at the three freeloaders who were tearing the team apart.

‘No, I can’t, I can’t.’

But he couldn’t.

Among them, Hwang Sung-min and Song Gi-tae were part of the golden line leading to the general manager and chief coach, and Han Jin-woo was the high school senior of the president and a distant cousin of the pitching coach.

Even though the team’s ownership had changed, their tight network was deeply rooted in the team.

The manager, who had no support within the team, decided to ignore reality, thinking of his daughter who was about to get married.

But the next day, the world they thought would never change, the world they thought was solid, was turned upside down.

* * *

On the morning of the 2027 KBO draft, Seoul Warriors’ Gong Seung-chan, who had written his resignation and was preparing for the handover, headed to the president’s office with a dazed look.

‘Why are they looking for me? Who? The president’s office should be empty.’

His decision to leave the team was more out of necessity than choice.

Player selection was controlled by the general manager and the scouting team leader, who were college seniors and juniors.

How many promising players had he seen slip away right before his eyes?

Until 2021, the Warriors had taken the playoffs for granted, but after the new owner took over in 2022, they were stuck in 9th place, and from 2023 to 2026, they never escaped the bottom.

Amidst this, there was only one glimmer of hope. The precious 1st-round draft pick they had earned by finishing at the bottom.

Gong Seung-chan, who had once been an outfielder for the team, had created the best possible draft list for the team.

A list made without any personal bias, based solely on ability and potential.

But that list was thoroughly ignored by the team leader and the general manager, and instead, players selected through school and regional connections were brought into the Warriors.

And now the team is paying the price for those choices.

After this happened a few times, Gong Seung-chan finally decided to write his resignation.

He didn’t have another job lined up, but he thought even delivering food would be better than this hell.

‘Knock knock’

Why are they looking for me? A scout with no real power who has decided to leave the company?

The parachute president who had come down from the Ohgang Group headquarters after the team’s ownership changed naturally stepped down.

Thanks to that, the president’s office, which had no owner, was occupied by a young man who looked familiar.

“Please come in, Mr. Gong Seung-chan.”

“Yes, but who... who called for me?”

“My name is Park Sung-hoon.”

“Park Sung-hoon? Park... Sung... Ah!”

Only then did Gong Seung-chan realize that the young man in front of him was Park Sung-hoon, the new owner of the team, Iconic Partners.

“Mr. Park Sung-hoon. I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you. But why...”

“What could a team owner need from a scout? It’s because of the rookie draft this afternoon.”

“Oh, I’ve already written my resignation... and our team leader and other scouts have already left for the venue.”

“I’ve asked them to return.”

“Return?”

“I’ve asked them to come back to the company. The draft venue will be a bit lonely, but I guess it’s just going to be you and me.”

“Me?”

Gong Seung-chan looked at him with a puzzled expression, not understanding what he meant.

But Park Sung-hoon couldn’t answer his questions. He was just as confused.

Yesterday afternoon, the actual owner, Han Su-hyuk, had given these instructions.

‘Did you check the 100 billion won deposited into the corporate account?’

‘Yes, Ohgang has handled all the taxes, and it was deposited cleanly. Man, my heart is pounding.’

‘A man getting his heart racing over 100 billion won... Anyway, make sure I’m not publicly known as the real owner.’

‘Of course. If it’s known that a current player owns a team, it would be a big problem. I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry... But I’m worried about the budget management.’

‘Just hold on with the 100 billion for now. I’ll think about the long-term budget separately.’

‘Long-term budget? What do you have in mind?’

‘Well, if it doesn’t work out, I could go to the majors for a few years and earn a good salary.’

‘Ha, ha, ha... This guy’s confidence. Okay, I’ll try to reduce the deficit and keep the team running. By the way, you said to bring only Mr. Gong Seung-chan from the scouts to the draft venue?’

‘Yeah, he probably wrote his resignation, but it hasn’t been processed yet. Reject it and give him all the scouting-related tasks.’

‘Got it. What about the others?’

‘Fire them. I don’t know about other departments, but the scouting team is a mess. We don’t have time today, so keep them tied up at the company, and go to the draft venue with Mr. Gong Seung-chan.’

‘Hmm... Where did you get such information as a high school student... Anyway, this is your team, not mine. Got it, I’ll do as you say.’

‘Good. See you at the draft venue tomorrow. And we have to make the first-round pick. To avoid any strange rumors or pre-draft simulations.’

‘Got it. Don’t worry about that. But will you really not regret it later? Are you really done with America?’

‘Bro’

‘What?’

‘That was my dream.’

‘Crazy.’

Park Sung-hoon, recalling yesterday’s conversation, said to Gong Seung-chan with a determined look.

“Let’s surprise the world today.”

* * *