His words seemed to be mirrored by the rest of the team. Whenever someone joined the team, it was either coming down from the major league, or a call up from Double-A. Either way, they were generally prioritized for playing time.
If this was the case, then someone on the regular squad would miss out.
"I have no choice in the matter." Coach Dean said, shaking his head. He turned to Thomas, the catcher and sent him an apologetic look, "Thomas, you'll be moving to back up catcher from now on."
At this, Ken frowned. He had worked with Thomas the past 2 months and got along well with the guy. Not only this, he was quite savvy with leads and had a good right arm. He was a solid catcher.
If Ken and the other pitchers had to adjust to a new catcher in the post season, who knew if they would be able to click. If anything, it could have a negative effect on their performance.
"Coach, are we really going to sacrifice our chances of winning to include a catcher none of us have played with before?" Ken spoke up, his expression showing some frustration.
"Look guys, this is not a negotiation. Our Mud Hens are the Triple-A affiliate for the Detroit Ligers. If they want me to put a player in the lineup, that's what I'll do. For now, go and celebrate your win. You will meet the new guy at practice tomorrow."
With that, Coach Dean left the locker room, leaving the team feeling rather downcast.
Many walked over to Thomas and consoled him. It was not fair that the guy who had worked hard all season was now being relegated to the bench for seemingly no reason.
However, this was a business. Most understood this, especially in the minor league where people came and went all the time. Those who were lucky to be called up to the big leagues would leave behind their teammates to pick up the pieces.
'This is brutal…' Ken thought, feeling a bit melancholic. He was not sure what he would do if he was ever put into the same position as Thomas.
Things had been a little different for him because he was made the Designated Hitter, which meant that he did not technically replace anyone on the field. Of course he was also a starting pitcher, but he only played that position 2 times a week.
"Let's go out and celebrate the win." Ken announced.
Even though he had only been subjected to a little over 50 games this season, he could still feel a bit of fatigue. It would be good to let off some steam, especially for the guys who had played the full 140+ games this season.
Only a few of the players had drinks that night, Thomas being one of them. Perhaps it was because he knew that his season was over, but he did not hold back at all. Some of the older guys left early to take him home and look after him.
"Do you know anything about this new catcher?" Ken asked Jeremy who was tapping on the table in thought.
"I have no idea. He can't be from the major league since we would have heard about it already. Either he's from Double-A or they've signed someone from overseas." Jeremy replied, taking a sip from his beer.
"Overseas?" Ken thought. He didn't know much about overseas leagues, besides Japan of course. His thoughts moved to Daichi, but quickly shook his head. There was no way that the guy would be coming here.
The last time they spoke about baseball was before Ken got drafted to the Ligers. Also, with Miho now finished University and Daichi's position within the Hanshin Tigers organization, Ken couldn't see the guy leaving.
"Let's just hope he speaks English." Ken replied, letting out a sigh.
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow." Jeremy said, finishing the rest of his beer and slamming it on the table. "Well, that's enough of being depressed. I'm gonna head home, we still have practice tomorrow." He announced, getting up slowly.
"You're right. There's nothing we can do about it…" Ken replied, following suit.
Soon, he left the bar and called for a taxi to collect him. He had been staying at a motel for the past 2 months. It left a bit to be desired, but Ken did not like spending money, and it was far cheaper than getting a hotel.
After arriving, he showered and got into bed, bringing up the mission window.
#NEW MISSION: Triple-A Season.
Note: Tasks have been adjusted due to shorter season.
*Task 1: Hit 20 home runs [30/20] [Complete]
*Task 2: Finish season with ERA below 2.5 [Complete]
*Task 3: Finish season with greater than 70 RBIs [88/70]
*Task 4: Achieve greater than 0.600 win rate when playing [Complete]
*Task 5: Win with best record in International-League [Complete]
*Task 6: Qualify for Playoffs [In Progress]
*Task 7: Win Triple-A National Championship [In Progress]
REWARDS:
>Task 1 rewards - 500,000 Major points
>Task 2 rewards - 500,000 Major points
>Task 3 rewards - 700,000 Major points
>Task 4 rewards - 1,000,000 Major points
>Task 5 rewards - 1,000,000 Major points
>Task 6 rewards - 1,500,000 Major points
>Task 7 rewards - 2,500,000 Major points
Ken looked at the mission with some satisfaction. They would play a best of 3 match against the Durham Bulls next week and as long as they won that, the Triple-A National Championship match would be next.
Having not fully completed the season missions for College, Ken was determined to win something this season before he made the leap to the Majors.
He closed the system window and asked Mika to use sleep protocol on him. Shortly after, his vision went dark and he entered a deep sleep.
The next morning, Ken woke up feeling refreshed. He quickly got changed and placed on his shoes, it was time for his morning run.
After doing a few dynamic stretches, he took to the road and quickly got into a rhythm. Having been here over two months now, he already had a route he frequented.
As he turned the corner, he saw a runner in front of him. The guy had a decent pace and looked to be quite fit. His competitive spirit stirred and he quickly increased his pace in order to overtake the guy.
However, it was easier said than done. The guy seemed to sense him, and increased his own pace, pulling away slightly.
Ken frowned. He rarely met people on his runs so early in the morning, let alone someone who could keep up with his pace. His stubbornness grew and he surged forward, breaking into a sprint.
Ken would not let this random runner beat him.
But the man reacted, also breaking out into a sprint. For a while, it was a battle of wills. Who could remain in their sprint long enough to eek out a victory?
However, Ken's legs were far longer than the mystery runner. After a minute, he was able to close the gap between them and finally caught up.
Ken turned his head and flashed the man a grin, yet as he saw the features of the runner, his face dropped.
"Daichi!?"