Original subtitles

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.

We're suffering a loss from 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 did.

Yes.

-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 a bigger 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 getting the 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 the fourth year 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 off.

But we already had some players be 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.

Did everything we did so far make sense?

But there hasn't been a time with this much nonsense going on.

Let's be quiet.

Goodness.

Hey.

Organize this again.

Yes.

And you

should stop watching videos and focus on the numbers.

Okay.

And I'm not sure if you'll be here until then, 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 whitened 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 asking and there will 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 easily.

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,

so 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 get bunted

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 yourself so we can eat.

Sorry, I have to go to Ki-bum's house.

You should have told me earlier. I made all these.

-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. -Yes.

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 hadn't been an athlete, I've started observing

the pitchers' balls since I learned how to catch balls.

I think

he can still throw some balls.

Should I say his pitches are nasty?

It's tough to hit his pitches.

The record also says he hasn't let that many long hits pass.

LONG HIT, A SAFE HIT HIGHER 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 though 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 with 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 to 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

Yes, 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 the 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 is 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 long hits.

It's difficult for him to become a coach as his records

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 does 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 telling you to only state the accurate value of a player

because we all know that Jin-woo is a player we need.

Pardon?

He made 10 double plays with a runner in first base,

and seven of those failed due to mistakes by our defense team.

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 as 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 grabbed a bat

many years earlier than you, you brat.

What does the fact that you grabbed 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 got 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 much 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 also should 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 by thinking of it.

Geez.

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 nicely.

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 only for 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 the 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 wiping the same place at home over and over again.

So only you can be a career woman?

Mom.

Is my pay too small?

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 roles a rattail 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 need 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 CONTRACT

WAGE: 27 MILLION WON

Yoo Min-ho,

xplease 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…

Geez.

-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 sign 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 on this table,

their mind goes blank, and their mouth gets frozen.

So when they barely 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 circumstance,

but don't tell me

you're offering 160 million won.

OFFER, 160 MILLION WON

What's with that detailed 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 within

the team three times for five years. Among the players nine-digit salaries,

he's the one that signs his contract only after 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 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 circumstance.

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 believe you aren't pathetic enough to waste your life

for 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 savory.

-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 again.

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 repeats,

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 way 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's no humanist

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've 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 how much expectations you have

for 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

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 the 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've 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 the home plate entirely

when you defend the home base,

your habit of tagging a runner when he's running for home base.

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 CONTRACT

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 on one 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 in 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've 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 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 I only need to get their contracts 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 watching? 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 for you to retire, to be honest.

Every player is sick.

We just don't show it because we won't be used otherwise.

I learned about baseball and the Dreams belatedly,

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 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 became 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 mood. 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 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.