The next couple of days went by like lightning. Ken felt like he had hardly spent any time with Ai or his parents before he was sent off to Detroit to start the next part of the process.
He soon arrived at Comerica Park and was instantly enamored by the statue of a Liger outside the entry. The detail was magnificent and the pose dynamic, as if it was going to claw at something.
The ballpark itself was even more impressive. In fact, it reminded him of Rodgers stadium where he had played the U18 World Cup all those years ago.
Ken was ushered in and taken directly to a room to begin a physical exam with one of the team's doctors. They went through a range of mobility tests and gave the all clear rather quickly.
He was then taken into the offices to meet with some of the executives.
"There he is!" A fit man who looked to be in his forties dressed neatly in a suit exclaimed. He had a wide smile and a receding hairline, but it suited him well. He was flanked by two others, a shorter man and someone that he easily recognized.
Ken smiled. He wanted to go and greet his grandfather, but that would be rude in front of the General Manager, his boss.
"Mr. Greenberg, thank you for having me." Ken said, bowing slightly.
"Haha, nonsense. We're glad to have you aboard. In all honesty, I was surprised when you were still available by the time we picked you." Geoff said, he extended his hand and they shook.
"This here is Cheryl, she's the head of public relations for the organization. She handles anything related to the media, good and bad." He said, gesturing to his left.
Ken bowed slightly, saying a few words of greeting.
"And this is our coach, Mark Williams. This might be his first year with us, but I can assure you that he has much experience." Geoff stated, pointing to the tall man beside him.
Ken grinned and walked over to his grandfather, wrapping his arms around him for a hug.
"Congratulations my boy, I'm so proud of you." Mark said, patting him on the back. He was a tad emotional, but one could hear the pride in his tone.
Both Geoff and Cheryl were taken aback and shared a look. They stood awkwardly while the two men hugged each other, only speaking up once they stood back.
"It seems that you two are acquainted?" Geoff said, looking unsure.
"Haha, Ken is my grandson." Mark said with a grin.
"Oh?" Geoff was silent for a while, as if contemplating something. "Well that's good." He nodded. "Welcome to the organization Ken, shall we move to the meeting room? I believe your agent is already inside waiting."
"Thank you sir, please lead the way." Ken replied respectfully.
The four walked through the halls and eventually arrived in the meeting room. There was a man with a camera, likely to record the moment that he signed the contract.
Barry was seated on the couch and stood up when everyone arrived.
"Good to see you again Barry." Ken said with a smile.
"What?" Barry replied, obviously having not heard him.
Ken stifled a laugh and pointed to his ears.
"Ah, damn it."
Soon enough, the details were agreed upon by everyone in the room and Ken took the moment to sign on the dotted line. With his signature he would officially become a Detroit Liger for the next 3 years.
After some back and forth, the organization decided that it would be best to place Ken in the Double-A affiliate team the Erie SeaWolves in Pennsylvania. However, he would not leave until the day after tomorrow.
"Excellent! Welcome to the Ligers, Ken." Geoff said with a wide smile. The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
"We have a home game tomorrow against the Raiders, would you mind throwing the ceremonial first pitch?" he asked.
"Sure, I don't see why not." Ken agreed. He didn't see any issues in giving the crowd a taste of what he would be bringing in the future, even if it was just a ceremonial pitch.
"Wonderful."
"We shouldn't keep the media waiting." Cheryl said, standing up from her chair.
"Media?" Ken asked in confusion.
"Oh right, we've just got a small press conference organized, it's nothing big." Geoff said, waving it off as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
Ken gulped. Thankfully he had made sure to dress nicely, otherwise he would have been mortified. Still, he was feeling a little nervous.
Interviews on the field after a game were one thing, but a press conference was another thing entirely. Up until now, he had not participated in one.
His grandfather pat his shoulder on the way past and flashed him a smile, "Good luck out there."
Ken nodded and followed Cheryl to the designated room. The moment he entered he saw over 20 people and various cameras set up, all pointing towards the front of the room. There was a backdrop with the Ligers logo and other various sponsors.
When he arrived, the chatter died down quickly and the flashes of photos began to snap, almost blinding him. Cheryl led him to the front and directed him to one of the chairs where he would sit.
Geoff sat down on one side and his grandfather the other.
What happened next felt like a bit of a blur. He was peppered with loaded questions basically asking how excited he was to become a Liger, what his plans were and the like.
Ken basically answered on autopilot. There were no questions with substance, making him confused as to why he was required to attend the press conference in the first place.
Towards the end, Ken was prompted to stand up alongside the coach and GM. He was given a white Detroit jersey with his name on it and held it up.
"Welcome, number 13, Ken Takagi."