Thinking about it, I have been a stubborn person since I was a child.
When I went hunting with my father and younger brother, I was never satisfied with small catches so I persisted, making everyone around me fed up.
When I read poetry with my mother and elder sister, I was not satisfied with the quality of work and kept revising the same poem until the season changed.
The same goes for my current job.
The first reason was that I liked to sing out loud.
That is why I joined a theater troupe as an actor.
However, I didn’t like everything I was doing, I wasn’t satisfied with everything I was doing, and before I knew it, I had started writing my own plays.
People started calling me “Guardian Deity of the National Theater” or “Spinner the Rock”……
In my opinion, other people’s focus is so low.
If you do something, do it perfectly.
Once you do something, do it in a way it will end with a standing ovation.
That’s the most natural thing to do.
And I have been doing that natural thing for a long time.
Perhaps that’s why after coming all the way to the countryside like this……I suddenly noticed those who couldn’t do so.
They have what it takes to not lose, the power to pick up wins, and the stamina to keep winning.
Even so, that baseball team keeps losing.
This was a big problem that I could not overlook.
「So, this is Kutagon-san and he’ll be our manager from now on.」
The players of the Schenker Great Scorpions, who had gathered at the playground on the outskirts of the city owned by the Slayra family, looked at me quizzically as I suddenly showed up before them.
「Sawadi-sama says he’ll be the one who’ll make our team win so let’s do what he says.」
Roast, a red haired, right handed slugger, introduces me under an alias but it seems that everyone’s looking at me with suspicion.
「Who is that guy?」
「Manager*? What’s a manager?」
TN: Can be manager, overseer, boss, or coach. Well, he’s basically the coach but there’s already someone who’s called a “coach” in this story.
「Is that different from a captain?」
I cleared my throat and the whispering stopped.
「Just as introduced, I am Kutagon. I believe with all of my heart that you can win the commoner’s league. For this reason, I have received permission from your aster to assume the position of manager.」
I’m using an alias due at the suggestion of Sawadi Slayra.
Commoners, including slaves, have an extraordinary sense of awe toward nobles.
Therefore, it was decided that it would be better for me to be introduced as a wealthy commoner for the sake of the player’s peace of mind.
「Ano……」
The left handed sheepkin, who was at the front, raised her hand and asked in a small voice.
I nodded as I looked in her direction and she opened her mouth again.
「Kutagon-sama, what is your relationship with Sawadi-sama?」
「I’m a commoner myself so you don’t need to add sama. I’m a humble playwright and……met with your master because of his theater. I have been entrusted with you as it is a subject for a play.」
The players instantly began to look at each other with a sense of relief when I answered what we had discussed in advance.
I see. It’s true that introducing yourself as a noble would have caused some unnecessary problems.
「So, what is a manager?」
As soon as they realized I’m not a noble, the right handed pitcher girl asked a question without raising her hand.
「A manager’s role is to gather people, train them, decide where they will go, public relations, and take responsibility for the players.」
I was surprised when Sawadi Slayra told me about the role of a baseball manager.
Coincidentally, this was exactly the same role I had taken on at the national theater in the royal capital.
「……in other words, the one who will give you glory.」
「G-glory…..?」
「Like the League Championship?」
「That’s right. We will continuously win and in the end……take the league championship in our hands!」
「Take the league championship……」
「Last year, we are last place……」
The players looked at me with suspicion as I said that powerfully.
Of course, they would, I’m still an outsider with no track record.
From this point forward, I will be able to gain their trust through action.
From that day onward, the days of my vicious struggle with the great scorpions began.
-0-
On the baseball field, under the scorching sun on a game day, the players and I gathered around the benches for a meeting.
「Deciding the batting order? What’s the point of that?」
Shida, the regular catcher of the great scorpions, scratched her chin as she said that.
She works in a sewing factory and seems to be able to get around her job easily……that is rare for this team where players constantly change from time to time but she’s a player who has been wearing the catcher’s mask for the past six months or so.
She was appointed as the assistant manager by the captain, Roast, because she was more knowledgeable about the team’s affairs than any other person.
「Of course, it matters. How do you usually decide the batting order?」
「That’s the order in which they came. Whoever wants to play first comes first. That’s the old rule.」
「Such a waste. The batting order completely changes the outcome of the game.」
「Really?」
「Yeah, you’ll see.」
I replied to Shida, who was staring at me with an anxious look on her face and with a perfect batting order in my hand, I went to the umpire with my heart pounding.
Once you produce results, people will follow you.
If you can get the people who follow you to do the right job, things will start to turn out well.
I am trying to realize the same methodology in the field of baseball that I have realized so many times in the past.
As if to push my back, the hot wind blew stronger and stronger like my heart.
Leave a Reply