Spring Camp Bound for Arizona
Spring camp time flew by in the blink of an eye. The new additions, Kang Hyun-jun and Kim Kang-jun, were adapting well. Especially Lee Ji-seung and Kim Kang-jun—they were the players I'd handpicked to develop properly, and the coaches were giving them rave reviews. Kang Hyun-jun was solid too, but the coaches were baffled, wondering how I'd unearthed these gems. They hadn't seen my managerial skills in action yet, but the atmosphere was one of acknowledgment: my eye for talent was exceptional.
Our rookies included Kim Sung-ha, Kang Hyun-jun, Lim Byeong-yun, and Ha Min-young from the '95 class; Kim Kang-jun, Lee Ji-seung, and Park Jun-hyun from the '96 class; and Choi Tae-won, a '97 birth but classified as '96 due to his early birthday. There were others like Kim Myeong-yun and Kim Min-gyu, but I saw no real potential in them. I was surprised there were more promising rookies than I'd expected. Director Yeom Kyung-young must have built a solid foundation before he left, I thought. The Heroes' scouts were clearly top-notch. Sure, I had the status windows to know for certain, but it was still impressive how they spotted that talent without them. Anyway, our team had the chops to become a powerhouse. I felt determined to make my dreams come true right here.
Just imagining these rookies growing strong and forming a solid wall around me made my shoulders swell with pride. As long as MLB didn't snatch them away, that is...
The director tasked me with selecting the roster for spring camp. Ours was heading all the way to Arizona Spring Camp in the US. Sure, there were jokes about us being a broke, no-name team, but they couldn't snub a squad that finished second last year. I'd figured Okinawa would be the extent of it, but this was my first trip to America.
I told Han Seon-ah the news, and she asked if she could come along. Of course, cheerleaders couldn't travel with the front office, but flying separately to the US shouldn't be an issue, so I said go for it. Anyway, I had to agonize over picking 40 players for camp.
First, the foreign signings: pitchers Van Hekken and Pier Band, plus batter Snyder. He was originally with the Seoul Twins and we snatched him up the moment he hit free agency. That made three foreigners, plus eight of our top prospects—eleven spots filled right off the bat. From there, I chose carefully, one by one.
For pitchers: Song Young-shin, Kim Hyeong-taek, Lee Yang-hoon, Kim Woo-dae, Han Hyun-ho, Son Seung-hyuk, Kim Hyun-se, Jo Sang-hoon, Kim Min-young, Min Jeong-gil, and Kim Min-cheol—eleven in total.
For batters: Park Byeong-hyun, Yoo Jun-han, Yoon Min-seok, Seo Geon-cheol, Kim Sung-min, Lee Geun-taek, Go Jong-hoon, Park Won-dong, Park Do-heon, Seo Dong-hoon, Kim Su-ji, and Yoo Jae-sik—twelve players.
In the end, spring camp swelled to 41 players instead of 40. There were plenty more good ones, but I focused strictly on those we'd use next year. Looking at the list, the team's firepower was immense. Not a single weak link. If our prospects broke out during camp and the exhibitions, we could spark a real storm. Last year, Kang Ho-jeong's departure to MLB had left a huge hole, but surprisingly solid talent remained. I resolved to protect these players at all costs.
...
I boarded the flight for spring camp. No direct to Arizona, so we routed through LA. The manager and a few others got business class. My first time in business class, and I was blown away. Even on the national carrier to Vietnam, the seats felt cramped by comparison—this was another level. Eleven hours from Incheon to LA would've been brutal in economy, especially for my height. I loved it. The crew's service was impeccable, too. A few flight attendants glanced my way with flirty looks. They probably didn't know who I was, but they were clearly sizing up my looks and build, giggling. Made sense—we got those stares all the time walking with Seon-ah. But she drew them from guys too, so no jealousy there. What can you do? Excellence can't be hidden.
Speaking of Seon-ah, she was probably onboard somewhere, sunglasses on. We'd arrive in LA, grab a hotel, rest a day, then fly out—and I'd given the players that day off. Purely for my sake, but their morale skyrocketed.
Lounging comfortably, a flight attendant approached. "Is there... anything else you need?" She was elegantly beautiful, leaning close with a lovely scent. She slipped a tiny folded note into my hand, then retreated with a shy blush. Her colleagues squealed softly behind her—did they think we couldn't hear?
The note had a phone number and a plea to call. But with Seon-ah as my one and only, it wasn't even worth considering.
In LA, I told the players to be back at the hotel by midnight at the latest—12 hours of free time since we landed at noon. I told them to return to the hotel, but I'd booked separately. I'd cleared it with the director beforehand. He was putty in my hands now, thanks to coach reports on the new talents I'd unearthed. Especially Kang Hyun-jun and Kim Kang-jun—their skills were already surpassing Lee Woo-ram, and those updates came nonstop.
Once the players and coaches cleared out, I waited in the airport lobby. Someone sneaked up and covered my eyes. "Guess who~"
The fresh fruit scent and soft hands gave it away—Seon-ah. I turned and hugged her tight. Just then, the flight attendant who'd given me the note passed by. She spotted us—well, Seon-ah—and flushed crimson, hurrying off. She'd clocked I was taken.
"What? Why's she glaring?" Seon-ah, clueless, noticed and asked.
I silently handed her the note.
"What's this...? Oh my god..." She crumpled it and tossed it in the trash. "As if I'm not enough. Hmph."
"You're way more than enough."
"Hmph! I lined up too, you know!!" She spun away in mock anger. I hugged her from behind, feeling her tension melt. I knew she wasn't really mad. We had a dreamy time in LA.
...
Next, we flew from LA to Arizona. Short hop, so economy—but by chance, Seon-ah sat next to me. We flirted secretly the whole way. Finally, we arrived at Arizona Spring Camp for training. Seoul was chilly; here it was a balmy 20°C. No wonder teams train abroad.
As a player, I'd never even crossed the spring camp threshold. Manager life brought fresh thrills every time.
True to my motto, stamina training continued steadily. Then individualized sessions. My role: oversee progress. Coaches ran the drills; I directed the strategy. At first, some eyed my methods skeptically, but seeing them tailor to each player won them over. Now they followed my lead.
Players were the same—curious, they'd come to me. Simpler than you'd think. Feel your skills grow, and you'll beg anyone for help. In pro ball's cutthroat world, the hunger for growth was fierce. Seeing real gains from training turned even the ones who dismissed my youth into friendly "Manager" fans.
This camp boosted player skills, sure—but it solidified my standing as manager too.
Five KBO teams set up in Arizona: Seoul Bears, Seoul Twins, Changwon Dinosaurs, Busan Giants. Proximity meant practice games among us. Our first opponent: the Seoul Bears.