Stove League (2019) s01e07 Episode Script

1
THIS DRAMA IS FICTION
AND THE ELEMENTS OF THE STORY
HAVE NO RELATION TO REALITY.
Don't tell me you're flustered.
Is the topic a little too difficult?
-Yes, it is.
-To have their salaries cut
by 30 percent
The total of the salary budget
for players has been reduced,
and you want me to negotiate
and sign contracts with all the players.
Is that it?
Right.
I suggest you make it 10 percent.
Stop talking about money
as if you're bargaining at a market.
It's you who decided on the price
like it's some kind of bargaining.
Do you want me to tell you the reason?
We are
bad at baseball.
There's more.
We've been horrible at baseball for years.
And one more thing.
We're losing money on this team.
Right. We were bad at it last year
and the year before.
That's why our players have
the lowest salaries.
It's neither an opinion or a suggestion.
It's a decision.
And the resolution of our group.
Prepare for the salary negotiations
as fiercely as you always have.
Okay.
-That's what we always
-We have a drastic cut.
How much?
It'll be 30 percent.
We have to complete contracts
with all players with this amount.
There will be a lot of opposition.
They might argue that
baseball players need to buy equipment
and would need more pay.
Not realizing the harsh reality
and caught up in the glory
of the old days,
some might bring out their egos.
That's because their salaries
are revealed to the public.
But in reality,
there are many reasons for the salary cut.
They've been finishing in last place
for a while now.
Did you accept that?
Even the players that do not
have a good record
won't react well when they hear
about a 30 percent reduction.
It's natural for different parties
to fight during salary negotiations.
Of course, I'm aware of that.
Everyone has different interests,
and that's why we get angry.
Off-season training gets delayed
due to this. I've been through it all.
But with those reductions,
we can't do negotiations.
The Dreams have been last place
for four years in a row.
Do we have to accept the bad results
while they get the same pay
as everyone else?
Isn't this a professional league?
I think there's enough justification.
So you're agreeing
with these cuts?
It's a difference in values.
There's a much easier way too.
NUMBER, NAME, POSITION
Could this be
Yes, that's the list of players to be cut.
But we already had some players released.
This is the easiest way
to reduce labor costs.
Ten people. There are too many.
There will be a meeting
regarding salaries tomorrow morning.
Anyway, you guys discuss your opinions.
Does this even make sense?
How are we going to release
10 more players?
It was hard choosing the players
to release in November.
Has everything we've done so far
made sense?
But there hasn't been a time
with this much nonsense going on.
Let's be quiet.
Goodness.
Hey.
Organize this again.
Okay.
And you should stop watching videos
and focus on the numbers.
Okay.
And I'm not sure if you'll still be here,
but once the season begins,
there's a thing called an
away game scorekeeper. You can't do it.
-I can do it.
-No. You just look at the numbers.
A PERSON WHO TAKES RECORDS
AND INFORMATION REGARDING THE GAME
But all the names are whited out.
Just look at the numbers!
I said, just look at the numbers.
Statistics analysts
only need to look at numbers.
Okay.
Thank you.
No problem.
What brings you here?
My name is Baek Young-soo
of the strategy analysis team.
I see.
I gathered you all here
despite your busy schedules
because of the salary negotiations.
Funding from our parent company
has been immensely cut.
Compared to the total sum of last year,
we have to cut the sum by 30 percent.
-By 30 percent?
-By 30 percent?
With that sum, we have to proceed
with the salary negotiations.
It's not easy,
so I gathered you all here
to listen to your opinions.
This is the list of 10 players
to release from the team.
Ten?
Ten players?
If the manager, the team leaders,
and the assistant chief of the scout team
can give your opinions
regarding this list, that'd be great.
Well, if all these players are released,
the journalists would be inquiring
and there would be an uproar.
-How would we answer?
-I don't understand this list.
Why not?
Kim Chan-hee, Jung Bae-yong
They're not players
that I picked casually.
They're growing and getting better.
Why are they included in this list?
I picked them
looking 10 years into the future.
It's extremely difficult
to get into a professional team.
Who can we say does badly when
we give a good outlook in 10 years?
Who made this list?
Was it you?
It was not me.
If it were someone who knew
at least a little bit of the Dreams,
he wouldn't have done such a terrible job.
What is it?
If we release 10 players,
the team is reduced to 40 players.
-Can the team even function?
-I'm sure it would last
at least one season.
We can't do with this list.
Instead of Lee Kyung-seok,
how about we release Kim Jong-yoon?
But Kim Jong-yoon isn't a player
we should release either.
If we release Lee Chan-joong,
another team will take him right away.
We can't release Kang Han-bae.
He's handsome.
What?
He's not a main player,
but his uniforms sell!
If Kang Han-bae is out,
ticket sales will plummet!
Why are you all looking at me like that?
Do you think we can afford
to play baseball with mere dirt?
We're a professional baseball team.
But we already released players
in November.
We released 11 players then.
It wasn't any less than before.
It's unfortunate, but if we do
release another 10 players
In other words,
if all the 10 players are released,
our team will be reduced to 40 players.
If some players deal with injuries,
will the team be able to function?
No.
And so,
Kim Chan-hee, Jung Bae-yong,
Lee Kyung-seok, Lee Chan-joong,
Seo Ki-yeol, and Yoo Won-jae.
We need them, right?
The player we can remove is
Song Myung-jun.
Who thinks we need him?
Okay. Then how about Sung Min-jae?
These players run around the field
to catch the fungoes I hit,
and they bunt
in the games when I tell them to.
I can't
raise my hand in this meeting.
I feel quite uncomfortable.
May I leave the room?
Yes, thank you for your effort.
You may leave.
We'll continue.
Who thinks we need Jang Jin-woo?
No one? Can we remove him?
But Jang Jin-woo had 19 wins in the past,
which is the highest
within a decade of Dreams baseball.
If we were to remove him,
we should have notified him
and held him a retirement ceremony.
If you think we need Jang Jin-woo
for our postseason,
then please raise your hand.
Can I remove Jang Jin-woo?
-I'm home.
-Dad's home, Ha-yoon.
-Let's eat.
-Dad!
Ha-yoon.
What have you been up to?
Welcome home.
Go wash up so we can eat.
Sorry, I have to go to Ki-bum's house.
You should have told me earlier.
I made all this.
-He called me all of a sudden.
-Are you going to eat meat without us?
I want meat too!
I'll buy some meat
back on my way home. All right?
Enjoy your dinner.
-I'll be back.
-Okay.
When is it?
-When is what?
-Your salary negotiation.
It's still a long way off.
Will it be reduced?
I think it will.
Still,
you know that no one in our building
earns more than you, right?
-I'll be back.
-Yes, come home safe.
Can we remove Jang Jin-woo?
I have an opinion.
Although I haven't been an athlete,
I've started observing pitchers
since I learned how to catch balls.
I think he can still pitch.
Should I say his pitches are nasty?
It's tough to hit his pitches.
The record also says he hasn't
given up many extra-base hits.
EXTRA-BASE HIT,
A HIT BETTER THAN A SINGLE
Then we'll negotiate
with all of our players.
Mr. Baek won't release any players.
Do you know how cold-hearted he is?
You'll see.
What?
They're signing contracts
with all of them.
I've seen many like that.
People who want to look like
they have principles.
-Should I tell him to remove the players?
-For what?
It was his choice to turn his back
on the important players
to mind 10 mediocre athletes.
It's a good thing.
I know it won't happen,
but even if they all
sign the contract, it's a win for us
-since we get to save money.
-Right?
If things go wrong
The moment he started the meeting
with the team leaders,
it meant that he had accepted
our absurd proposal.
He started it by blowing the whistle.
If he fails, he'll break down.
He gives them false hope
by making them think
he could make it work.
Baek Seung-soo's fake leadership
will be revealed.
We'll re-sign with all of our players
rather than releasing them.
Are we getting an additional budget?
I don't think so.
So you plan to re-sign all of them
with that budget?
But the players are already saying
that our franchise is being cheap.
Are we equally cutting
all of their annual salaries?
We have a lot of players who receive
minimum salaries, don't we?
We're going to completely change
the method of calculating salaries.
What is this about?
Why haven't I even been notified?
-I have no clue.
-There will be a backlash.
Since I joined this team,
unless I'm changing the location
of the vase in my office,
I remember always being opposed anyway.
Please continue.
I deleted all the data on how much
they received last year,
and then did the calculation.
So they all start on a zero base,
and it'll be calculated according
to last year's records only.
This is too
We're in trouble.
I'll give you an example
so that you may understand.
Let's look at Park Jung-chan
in his third year this year.
He's ranked first in the number
of game-winners in our team.
His annual salary was
80 million won last year.
We can offer him
150 million won this year.
This year is Jang Jin-woo's
16th year on our team.
And he didn't play well last season
as you all know.
He received 130 million won,
and we can offer him 50 million won.
A player can play well
for one season, and he can get
a higher salary than a veteran
with 16 years of experience.
That's our new method
of calculating the salaries.
There will be some serious opposition.
It's professional baseball,
not sandlot baseball.
If they don't want to be treated according
to how they contribute, they should quit.
Why do we have a seniority
system in the professional league?
A SENIORITY SYSTEM GIVES PREFERENCE
ACCORDING TO LENGTH OF SERVICE
Okay, should I prepare
a briefing with the players?
Yes.
Kwak Han-young is
good at defending the infield
wherever he is,
so he plays in numerous games
as a key player free of positions.
His batting average is 0.262,
and he also has batting power.
He hit 15 home runs too.
The manager also likes him
since he doesn't have to worry
even if an infielder gets injured.
Next up, I think he'll be the person
of interest in this negotiation.
It's the starting catcher of our team,
Seo Yeong-ju.
The word "if" always follows him.
Some people say
if Seo Yeong-ju were healthy,
our team would have been ranked
in ninth place, not in last place.
Every time he plays full time,
he's one of the top defensive catchers
in our country
according to general opinion.
And he's the best at blocking
balls in our country.
He's ranked second
in stopping stolen bases.
And he's reliable in terms
of leading our pitchers.
Yeong-ju. I heard they'll be cutting
our salaries this year.
Aren't you on our team?
Everyone knows the Dreams are cheap.
But it's the new general manager.
He claimed that we should be paid
based on our records.
I don't care. I'll get paid based on
my skills, not my records.
NUMBER OF GAMES
He couldn't play in a lot of games
last season due to his injury.
So it's inevitable his salary will
be immensely reduced this year.
But
I'm not sure if he will accept it.
He's always been tough to negotiate with.
-Yes. Who's next?
-Yes.
It's Jang Jin-woo.
He used to be an ace player who had
19 wins when we went to the finals.
But his pitching speed plummeted
after his shoulder injury.
He's been allowing a lot
of home runs and extra-base hits.
It's difficult for him to become a coach,
as his stats
have been very poor after that.
He's not thinking of retiring
any time soon,
but I'm not sure if he'll accept
this new calculation method.
He has become a good example
to the younger players
since he's an earnest player.
A good example?
Is there a younger player
who wants to be like him?
There won't be any for now.
Whether he's earnest or not,
he can't be a good example.
We already have Kang Doo-ki
who's a successful model.
Doo-ki works hard and he has good results.
That's a good example.
You can't compare him to Kang Doo-ki.
I'm only telling you to state
the accurate value of a player,
because we all know that Jin-woo is
a player we need.
Pardon?
He produced 10 double plays
with a runner on first base,
and seven of those failed
due to errors by our defense.
If we exclude the mistakes
of our team, he's the best in the league.
He has the best IRA percentage
among our middle relief pitchers.
THE PERCENTAGE OF INHERITED RUNS ALLOWED
Then you can't be offering
him 50 million won, can you?
Why would we acknowledge his value
when he's not aware of it himself?
Mr. Jang.
What?
"What?"
I'm not from the Dreams,
-and the former team leader, Mr. Ko
-Hold on.
-The former team leader?
-Then is he the current team leader?
-You must be out of your mind.
-Anyway,
I wasn't as good as you two
when I was a player,
but if you insult me and look down on me
-like this
-Then, what?
-I'll have to swallow it.
-What's with you?
Whether people will criticize me
for my lack of leadership
or criticize you for being nasty
and arrogant,
I know the answer already.
I will respect you
since you made your debut before me.
And I need you to respect me
as the team leader.
Only then will the scout team work well--
Hey.
I picked up a bat
many years earlier than you, you brat.
What does the fact that you
picked up a bat earlier than me
have to do with the job we're doing now?
Violence,
unnecessarily strict hierarchy
It's disgusting.
Why don't we just get rid of such things?
What the Hey!
Darn it! The scum
Shoot.
Isn't he a psycho?
GOPCHANG STORY
I heard you eat ramyeon after training,
so I brought you here.
By the way, this place is quite crowded.
It wasn't easy in the beginning,
but it's gotten much better now.
I play in an amateur league
to promote this place,
and they often have dinner together here.
Is it good?
It's really tasty.
Looking at you,
I can tell you're feeling
very comfortable now.
Playing in the next season too?
-Of course. What else would I do?
-How much will they pay you?
I haven't had a meeting yet,
but it'd be less than the last season.
Didn't you get about 140 million won
last season?
You should also work harder
and get more than him in three years.
Actually, I'd be happy
if they raised my pay even a little.
Gosh. I'm already happy thinking of it.
Jeez.
But it'd be less
than 130 million won next season.
-It doesn't matter.
-If they cut 30, it'd be 100 million.
-Why don't you open a place like me?
-I still can throw balls, you know.
Come on. I can throw balls too.
Honey!
Even my wife can catch that well.
What's the point of just throwing balls?
The problem is that you no longer
can throw balls well.
Come on. I'm happy that I still receive
100 million won. I'm doing fine.
Are you joking?
Honey, come here.
I'm busy.
When we close the place,
let's drink together.
Tell him.
He still wants to play even
for only 100 million won.
That's not a small amount.
It's too early to retire.
-You saved some money, right?
-It wouldn't be that much.
Still,
I feel much better
after we opened this place.
If he just warmed the bench and
didn't get to play when he was a player,
the whole house was gloomy
like a funeral home.
And if he messed up a play in the field,
it was even worse.
Moreover, if the team lost
no matter how well he played,
it was still a bad day.
The whole family had to be sad
almost every day.
He'd rarely been at home
because of training and away games.
Money isn't everything.
-Excuse me. Can we have a bottle of soju?
-Okay. I'll be right there.
-Are your knees okay?
-Yes. They're fine now.
I walked to Cheongsan Park today.
Mom!
-Stay home on cold days.
-I'm okay.
You know Seung-mi's mom, right?
She's working as a cashier
in the supermarket in town.
And I heard she'll quit soon.
You know the supermarket owners
are really nice.
They always give leftovers for free.
You can't!
I can't live as a housewife forever
when I don't have a husband.
I'm healthier than you.
Say that after your knees recover.
I'm cleaning the same places at home
over and over again.
So only you can be a career woman?
Mom.
Is my pay too little?
What is it this time?
Did salary negotiations begin?
It must not be enough for both of us.
It's as little as a rat's tail, right?
You always say that
during salary negotiation season.
Do you know what functions
a rat's tail has?
It detects the temperature
and the environment.
-What are you saying out of the blue?
-Thanks to your small pay,
I'm sensitive to the price change.
I could also learn to save money
while spending less.
What are you saying?
Stop reading weird books.
Don't worry.
It's not because your pay is too little.
-Then?
-Well,
both Seung-mi's mom and the owner
want me to work there.
No way.
No matter what decision I make,
I just
feel good that they said
they want me to work there.
Although the job doesn't require
a certain certificate. Wait.
I feel even happier because the job
doesn't require any skills. Listen.
Everyone can do the job.
And someone said to me,
"I want you to do the job."
So I just
felt so great.
Hello.
Yes.
Good afternoon.
Hello.
Please read the terms
and sign on it if you agree.
Okay.
BASEBALL PLAYER CONTRAC
WAGE: 27 MILLION WON
Yoo Min-ho,
please work hard next season.
Then, you'll get much more next year.
Okay.
Do I sign here?
You didn't play for many games.
So we couldn't find any ground
to raise your pay.
Cheer up.
Thank you. I'm fine.
YOO MIN-HO
Here.
-See you later.
-Thank you.
-Hello.
-Hello.
Hello, Grandma.
Yes.
It's cold there, isn't it?
It's quite cold here too.
We'll mainly meet with pitchers today.
Pitchers tend to be
pretty individualistic.
They don't easily sign the contract.
-They also prepare their own documents.
-There's Kwak Han-young
-among hitters we'll see today.
-Yes, the nice guy.
Oh, you are close to him.
No.
It's his nickname.
He understands the team's situation
and signs his contract right away.
I'm sure he'll easily sign
the contract today as well.
Ko
Ko
Jeez.
-Goodness.
-What's going on?
Welcome. Long time no see.
How have you been?
I've worked my entire life,
so I was going to rest a bit.
But the players seem
to have a lot of difficulties
when they get to signing the new contract.
No matter how hard they collect
and prepare data,
it can never be enough
compared to the data you prepare.
Once they sit at this table,
their mind goes blank,
and their mouth gets frozen.
So when they come to their senses,
all they see is a contract
with their signature on it.
All they know is baseball,
so they can't deal with sly people.
My juniors were
looking for a trustworthy agent
who's good at negotiating
with a big circle of acquaintances.
So I'm here
with a sense of responsibility.
Since we're acquainted,
let's talk with reason,
so that we don't hurt
each other's feelings.
Sure.
What is the amount you offer?
As you're aware,
the team got the lowest results
-for four years in a row. So
-Wait.
We're negotiating
his personal salary here.
Why are you mentioning the team's results?
-This happened every time, didn't it?
-Yes.
This needs to be fixed.
I know your circumstances,
but don't tell me
you're offering 160 million won.
OFFER, 160 MILLION WON
What's with that specific amount?
I thought that'd be the amount,
considering the result scoring criteria.
You got it wrong.
Right? I thought so.
Kwak Han-young was always nice
when signing his contract.
As his senior, I felt so bad.
I'm here to help him sign
with the proper amount this time.
But 160 million won?
That's a no.
Then what is the amount you have in mind?
I was about to say
that 160 million won is
unacceptable for certain.
The team got the lowest results
for four years in a row,
so naturally,
the budget has been cut down.
To fix his salary
in a more reasonable way,
we've only evaluated him
with his results from last year.
As his legal agent,
I've searched all the data about
his plays, contracts, and everything.
Do you know what his nickname is?
Don't you know?
The nice guy.
You see,
it breaks my heart.
-We can't offer him 160 million won.
-He won't take 160 million won.
Every sports newspaper mentions his name
for being highly effective
compared to his salary.
He's been the top player on the team
three times for five years.
Among the players
with nine-digit salaries,
he signs his contract
after only two meetings.
He's the nice player.
You shouldn't treat him poorly like this.
Consider how deprived he must've felt.
I had no idea
the Dreams would offer
this shameless amount.
You must offer another amount.
Let me tell you a secret.
I'm not getting any commission from him.
Why?
Why? Because I feel bad for him.
Our discussion might take some time.
Have you all eaten?
We haven't eaten yet.
It's a chicken sandwich.
Let's see.
Jae-hee.
Will you go buy two cups of coffee?
-Make them iced Americanos.
-What?
What are you doing?
Sorry. What do you want to drink?
All right.
I told you about our new way
of calculating his salary.
And we're well aware of his circumstances.
We both don't think we can narrow
the gap through this meeting.
Let's talk later.
You may leave.
I just opened this though.
Oh, right. I'm telling you this
in case you get the wrong idea,
but I'm not here with immature grudges
against my wrongful charge.
I'm here with a sense of duty.
We won't get the wrong idea.
And it wasn't a wrongful charge at all.
I don't believe you're pathetic enough
to waste your life on revenge.
Now, please leave.
We have other players waiting.
Oh, right.
I forgot this.
"Jung Sun-gu, Yeo Jae-wook,
Kang Tae-min, Kwon Do-yul."
THE DREAMS, SALARY NEGOTIATION PLAN
Are these the players too?
JUNG SUN-GU, YEO JAE-WOOK,
KANG TAE-MIN, KWON DO-YUL
I'm a legal agent of these players too.
We can also discuss their salaries now
while we're at it.
I need to take it out again.
Eat.
Jae-hee. Why are you still here?
Eat.
Do you want some? It's delicious.
-Thank you.
-No problem.
Han-young.
Would you have signed it
if it hadn't been for me?
-Yes.
-They should've been better
to the nice guys
instead of using them.
Jerks.
Do you still drive that car?
-Yes.
-You need to get a new car.
I'll work harder.
-Trust me.
-It works just fine.
-Just trust me.
-Okay.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Bye.
Write one decent article for us.
I'll call you back.
What is it?
I think the worst kind
of human being in this world
is someone who reacts
to submission due to power
instead of reason.
If this continues,
I won't treat you like a human.
What is he saying?
You know.
Darn it. Bring a tissue.
Darn it.
Bring a tissue.
He talked as if he knew
our method of calculating the salary.
Is that why you did that?
-Yes.
-He couldn't say anything. It means
It's all in the past now. Ko Se-hyuk
Let's not be swayed by that one agent.
Here.
We need to get all these people
to sign their contracts.
Okay.
Tomorrow's negotiations
are with middle-ranking players.
Their past contracts
have some things slightly in common.
Most of the players with a family
got more than their original offers,
even if by a slight bit.
It's doesn't matter why
because it won't happen this year.
Even if you know those players have
a family to support, we'll evaluate
their weaknesses and values thoroughly.
Be strong. It'll be hard even if you're
prepared to get cursed out.
I hope there are no humanists
at this year's negotiating table.
We're meeting Seo Yeong-ju tomorrow.
The affordable amount for his salary
is 300 million won.
But we must settle it
with 200 million won.
You know who he is, right?
Yes, he's the key catcher
who's known to be
-most fastidious in terms of contracts.
-He could behave rudely.
It's his attitude that's rude,
not the results, so I don't care.
Just let him.
A RELATIONSHIP AT THE DREAMS,
NOW TOGETHER FOR THE SAME DREAM
LIM DONG-GYU HAS REUNITED
WITH KO SE-HYUK
Next is Seo Yeong-ju.
Come in.
Hello.
Hello.
Do you know this saying?
Pitchers are noblemen,
outfielders are merchants,
infielders are slaves,
and catchers are beggars.
Being a catcher is the toughest.
Please be generous.
You missed quite a lot of games
during the last season.
As we've told you last time,
your salary will be calculated based
on your records from last year.
You should prepare yourself for a cut.
Why?
During the last season
Shouldn't you be paying
for the expectations you have
of the player for this season?
Mr. Seo Yeong-ju.
Then why would people negotiate
based on the records of a season?
Because it's the most appropriate basis
on which to base your expectations,
on how good a player will play.
Although I haven't played in that
many games because of my injury,
you should see my records
of the second half of the year.
Look at the average.
Don't you see I'm ranked first
among the defensive catchers?
I wasn't planning on saying this,
but do you know what the fans
of the Dreams are saying?
"At least we have Seo Yeong-ju."
-That's what they all say, all right?
-Yes, you spoke well on the matter.
As you missed the first half
of the year due to your injury,
we expect that you won't be playing
full time in the coming season.
Mr. Baek.
It's the first time we're meeting.
I heard you weren't a player.
Why are you bringing that up?
I was worried you might not
be aware of it. I wanted to explain.
It's not like I have a chronic disease.
I was injured
due to an unexpected incident.
So, this year
That incident was caused
by your play style.
And we merely evaluate by
considering all those probabilities.
Your habit of blocking
home plate entirely
when you defend it,
your habit of tagging a runner
when he's running for home.
TAG OUT, A FIELDER TAGS
THE RUNNER WITH THE BALL
You should correct those.
I say 500 million won.
I don't want to agonize
over something like this.
I'm afraid we have
very different opinions.
I don't usually make
an unreasonable demand.
To have the best defensive catcher
of this nation play full time
after he's healed,
I think that's not expensive at all.
You'll be upset if we tell you
our calculation of your salary.
I'm leaving.
Mr. Jang Jin-woo.
Let's go in.
I'm aware that you're the player
with the most experience,
but in this year,
we've calculated your salary
based solely on your records
-of the last season.
-Yes.
My salary has been adjusted every year.
Our calculation of your salary
is 50 million won.
BASEBALL PLAYER CONTRAC
ROLE: PLAYER, PAYMENT: 50 MILLION WON
Is there an offer you'd like to suggest?
No. Just a minute.
I need some time to
So 50 million won?
If they're paying you 50 million won,
that means they want you out of the team.
I had the second location planned
in Jungang-dong.
You should take that spot.
You can get a loan to afford it.
You can manage the restaurant,
give private lessons as a part-time job,
and you'll make way more
than 50 million won.
Your body will wear out eventually.
It's time to quit.
Ha-yoon.
I brought fried chicken for you.
You smell like alcohol.
Honey.
-Yes.
-It must have been a tough day today.
You must have been scrutinized
for every single record
when you've worked hard all year.
We can open a barbecue restaurant,
or a dumpling restaurant.
Or you can keep pitching.
Thank you.
-Which one do you want to do?
-Mom.
I want to eat meat.
A barbecue restaurant.
We should open a barbecue restaurant.
Dad's going to open
a barbecue restaurant, Ha-yoon.
All right?
You smell like alcohol.
Let's go eat fried chicken.
I bought it for you. Let's go.
Doo-ki!
It's been a while, Doo-ki.
What's the occasion?
I heard you became an agent.
You're keeping up with the news,
aren't you?
Doo-ki, we should be in the same boat.
Is your current agent okay?
The salary negotiation
doesn't apply to me.
I get paid according
to the free agent contract.
Yes. I heard the younger pitchers
all look up to you already.
Are they?
Introduce me to some
of the younger pitchers.
Is there a single pitcher
that you don't know on our team?
I know.
I know them all,
but it's different
when you introduce me to them.
Right?
I was falsely accused
when I quit the team,
-a lot of people still misunderstand me.
-As you know, none of our pitchers can
afford to pay a commission
from their salary.
The commission would be too much for them.
You can tell them I'll get them
higher salaries by negotiating well.
Right?
-Are you close to Mr. Baek?
-I've met him just a few times.
It's a good thing
that he brought you here.
But
look at the way he handles things
right now.
Mr. Baek can evaluate my records,
but I'm in no position to evaluate him.
Are you a robot or something?
Why are you so tight?
Your name should be Tight Doo-ki!
I know
that you've partnered
with a few players on our team.
Is it out of pure intentions?
Are you sure you're not just trying
to hinder his work?
What are you saying?
I forgot that you were close
to Lim Dong-gyu.
Mr. Ko, didn't you often go
to the makgeolli restaurant
next to the beef rib restaurant
in Jungang-dong?
That's my father's restaurant.
When I was in middle school,
I remember you took
the players with poor records
to buy them beef ribs,
and then you came to our restaurant.
You barely drank alcohol,
and you only talked about baseball.
You sat down the young players
who didn't even understand,
and told them how to hit a ball
or how to defend on the field.
You were talking for hours.
What are you trying to say?
What happened to you, Mr. Ko?
You little
-Is this your way of showing leadership?
-Let go of my hand, you brat!
I'm going to pitch in the postseason
at any cost.
Do not shake up the Dreams.
Mr. Baek.
We just got a call from Seo Yeong-ju.
He wants to meet right now.
-Where is he now?
-He said he's in the hospital,
but I have players whose contracts
I need to get signed.
I'll go with you.
And, Mr. Baek, about Jang Jin-woo
Can I talk to him in person?
Yes, you can.
We'll get ready to leave then.
CLINICS
ORTHOPEDICS, PROCTOLOGY CLINIC
Why would you bring
a female employee in here?
What do you mean a female employee?
I'm the operations manager.
Get out right now!
-Why did you want us all the way in here?
-Every catcher suffers from hemorrhoids.
I wanted you to look.
Why do you keep looking?
Stop watching now.
I told you to stop.
Why do you keep looking?
Cover it now.
Table seven has become
a negotiating table.
It's hot even without fire.
BASEBALL PLAYER CONTRACT, 50 MILLION WON
It's just our circumstance that's bad.
It doesn't mean we don't need you.
You're in too good of a condition
to retire, to be honest.
Every player is sick.
We just don't show it
because we won't be used otherwise.
I only learned about baseball
and the Dreams recently,
but I study its history
to know more about the team.
Remember when the team won second place?
You were behind its heyday.
You see,
it'll be a shame if people remember you
as a nine days' wonder.
It would've been nice
if I had retired after then.
What?
It's true I'm not like how I used to be.
I think I've come to my end.
I'll retire.
Why don't we treat your thumb next time?
-Come after a week.
-Okay, thank you.
After one season ends, I get treated
and start training again
because I have to put up
with my pain next season.
This is why I'm demanding 500 million won.
Make a new contract.
Mr. Seo, let's go talk at a cafe
or something.
Sorry. I have a family meeting to attend.
We can have a drink later if you'd like.
You shouldn't drink
when you're under treatment.
You're frustrating.
I need my heart treated too.
See you later.
That jerk.
Hi.
Yes.
Okay, Jae-hee. You made an effort.
Go back safely to the office.
Mr. Jang Jin-woo wishes to retire.
I see. Let's go.
Let's have all your players
sign their contracts today.
-I guess you're in a rush.
-We can't put this off forever.
Then tell me how much you offer.
The gap was just too big last time.
Okay.
Well,
it's not easy to narrow the gap.
Is that right?
You must be confused,
having to negotiate
with other players too.
Finalize your negotiations
with them first.
Let's talk again then.
Mr. Ko
Se-hyuk.
If you decline this offer,
I won't ever offer the same amount.
Don't skip any meals.
If the players saw this amount,
they would've agreed to it.
Now I know what his intention is
and just how to deal with him.
Yes.
Oh, right.
I got a text from Seo Yeong-ju.
He wants to have a drink with us later.
Come in.
Have you been well?
-Yes, thanks to you.
-Have a seat.
Mr. Ko, you've always been
like clear water.
Me?
When you were the scout team leader,
people said that you deserved
to be a coach
or a general manager.
You hurt our feelings and left.
Now you've become an agent?
Come to think of it,
you're like water
because you suit any position.
And you're like clear water
because you're transparent.
About the salary negotiations,
Mr. Baek won't back down
that easily, right?
You just have to insist on not signing
your players' contracts.
I injured my finger when I was a player,
so I'm bad at signing.
People will start talking
if the negotiations don't go smoothly.
What will happen if the negotiations
aren't finalized until spring training?
People will lose faith in Mr. Baek.
He will try to take responsibility
and resign.
In that case,
we will need someone
to fill his place.
Someone
like clear water.
You must be going through a lot
in order to cleanse the Dreams.
Cheers.
They're here.
Come join us.
We can't talk in this atmosphere.
Let's talk later.
Be considerate of me.
I'm a busy man. Let's talk here.
Don't you think
it's going to be a bit uncomfortable?
-Wait outside.
-No.
I'm the operations manager.
It's my job to have him sign the contract.
-What about the contract?
-The 500 million won is not an option.
Why are you drinking hard liquor
when you have hemorrhoids?
Take a seat first.
Stay outside for a second, girls.
So 500 million won isn't an option.
Will this help you understand how it feels
to have water on your knees?
You might bring me a new contract
if you can emphasize with me.
You're insane.
-Hey, you. You just crossed the line.
-You are the one who crossed the line!
What are you trying to get
out of the negotiation?
His purpose is to give Mr. Baek
a hard time regardless of the price.
A deal that satisfies us more.
-We don't intend to make more offers.
-I guess negotiations aren't going well.
-Who are you eyeing from my team?
-He's desperate.
Why does everything you do
create a commotion?
-Is it about Gil Chang-ju's
-He's capable.
You're way too rude.
But we don't need someone like that.