Stove League is amazing and keeps treating me with goodies with every episode. I hope other people are enjoying it as much as we are! Also, Can these bad guys just stay gone, jeez.
I am happy to say that we are all caught up with Stove League! Though, we shall see how long that lasts as soon as the new episodes come out. I tell you, one show recapped a day is like spreading warm butter, but two shows a day is like pouring cold molasses with how long it takes for us to finish. Hopefully in 2020 we can find a bit more time because I want to watch more shows!
Caution: Be wary of typos
Shorthand Character Chart: coming up
How we do this: This live recap will be in two parts and we segment each post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, if there is a preview then we will try and translate it. Look for that on a separate post!
KOREAN DRAMA STOVE LEAGUE: EPISODE 7 (13&14) RECAP – PART 1
——-dramamilk.com——-
#1
We open on a shot of the stadium and then batting practice. But it cuts off to Seung-soo who is sitting in the stands and thinking about his meeting with Kyung-min and the 30% cut that he wants.
Seung-soo asked for 10%. But Kyung-min says that you cannot negotiate this like we are in a market. Seung-soo tells him that he is the first one to do that. Kyun-min asks if he wants him to tell him why?
It is because we are not good at baseball. And, we are not good at baseball for the last several years. And, we lose money in our baseball team. Seung-soo tells him that they were the very last team in ranking for two years and paid the least.
Kim reminds him that this is not advice or an opinion, it is our will of our company as the owners. We have to do it this way.
Seung-soo leaves the empty stadium and goes to his office. In his office he tells Se-young and Jae-hee to prepare the salary negotiation well. The cut it big. They ask how much it is. Seung-soo drops the news, it is 30%.
They are both speechless. Seung-soo says that a lot of people oppose this. They will say that you need to buy a lot of equipment for players…
While he is talking, we go through the batting and pitching practice.
…they do not know how they are now, they only think about their heydays and their glory days. They will not be able to lower themselves too much because baseball players salary is public information. But actually, we have a lot of reasons to lower the salary because we are used to being last.
Se-young asks if he accepted it? Jae-hee says that even though they do not have a good record, if we cut 30%, they won’t be happy. Se-young thinks that of course everyone has different interest and we can fight this and delay our overseas training. it will be difficult to do that.
Seung-soo says that Dream was the bottom of the league for 4 years. They want to be paid like other people even though their record is like that. it is professional right? We have a good reason.
Se-young asks if he agrees that they deserve to be cut? Seung-soo says that this is a difference in viewpoint. We have another way.
He gives them a list of people who have been released by their teams. Se-young says that they already released people. Seung-soo says that is the easiest way to save money.
Jae-hee thinks that ten people is too much. Seung-soo tells them that they will discuss it tomorrow, so be ready for it.
They leave and Jae-hee and Se-young talk about it in the hallway. Jae-hee thinks that they cannot get rid of 10 more people. They already got rid of people in November and that was hard. How can we do it again?
Se-young says that things they do don’t make sense often. Jae-hee thinks this is absolute nonsense though. Se-young just sighs and says that he can just be quiet.
ANALYTICS
Kyung-taek throws a lot of data to Yong-soo and tells him to reorganize it. Young-soo says okay. KT also tells him to stop watching the video and only look at the numbers. Young-soo says okay and KT turns off his desk TV. KT tells him that he will not be the record keeper who records the opposition teams performance.
Young-soo says that he can do it. But Kyung-taek says that he can’t, just look at the numbers. Young-soo looks at the paperwork and says that there are no names here. Kyu-tae tells him to just look at the numbers, you are a statistician, just do that, okay? Young-soo agrees.
Seung-soo walks out and sees his brother working hard. He looks at him for a moment and then looks at Kyung-taek and walks out. Kyung-taek looks at him.
Seung-soo goes home and makes himself a meal. He takes a photo of his dinner and eats alone, but it looks like he is thinking of his brother.
Young-soo finished up work very late and heads out. He catches the elevator with Kyung-min (the owner’s nephew) who holds it for him. In the elevator, Kyung-min asks him how he came to their team. Young-soo tells him that he works in analytics.
Yong-soo catches his taxi and heads out. Kyung-min watches him catch his taxi and then walks on.
At home, the brother takes off his shoes at the door and sees that Seung-soo made him fried rice inside rolled eggs (called omelette rice or omerice). he smiles.
MORNING MEETING
Se-young announces to everyone the bad news and apologizes before giving it. She says that they have a big pay cut from their mother company. A 30% cut. Everyone grumbles. Se-young tells them that they have it so that is why they are having this meeting.
Jae-hee shows them the list of the 10 people that they will remove. The scout, Won-seob, says that he does not understand this list. I picked them with a lot of effort and they are growing slowly. So why are they here? I picked them for a ten year vision.
Woo-seok tells him that a ten year guarantee is BS. The analytics guy asks who made the list? Did you make it? Seung-soo says no. The scout tells them that anyone who knows about Dream would not make this list.
Cut to the CEO sneezing in his office, though he is not sitting in his seat. That is reserved for Kyung-min who says that if they release 10 people, they will only have 40 left. Do you think we can make it through the season? The CEO thinks so.
But in the meeting, all the people are talking about who to cut or not. Mi-sun tells them that they cannot cut the handsome guy because his sales are #4 for his jersey. If we release him then our sales will drop significantly.
They all look at her like, um? She is all like, why are you looking at me like that? Do you think we play baseball for free?
Se-young says that they already release people, if we release more people then we will only have 40 people. If we have an injury, then will we be able to run the team?
Seung-soo asks who can release them? You think we need the first 4 players, how about this one? Some people oppose, so he moves on to the next and another person opposes so he moves on to the next.
The managing coach says that the players all listen to him so he feels uncomfortable sitting in on this meeting. Seung-soo excuses him.
The debate continues. They talk about Jin-woo who is a pitcher. Se-young tells them that he had 9 wins. he is actually the only person on the team who won a pitching award on Dreams in the last 10 years.
Seung-soo asks the team to raise their hands if they think they need him? It looks like people are hesitant to raise their hands for him.
#2
Cut to Jin-woo who just got home to his loving family. he gives his little daughter a hug and says hello to his wife. She pleasantly greets him back. But then she asks about the salary negotiation, do you think it will get cut again? He thinks so. Then he has to run off back to the stadium.
Back at the meeting, Seung-soo asks if they can release Jang Jin-woo. Jae-hee raises his hands and says that he did not play baseball but he is learning how to catch balls. He looks at pitchers and thinks that Jang Jin-woo is still good. He has a dirty ball that is difficult to hit.
His hits are not big (as in they are not more than 2nd base). Seung-soo considers this and tells them that they need to go through everyone.
In the CEO’s office, Kyung-min thinks that Seung-soo won’t release anyone. But the CEO thinks that Seung-soo is cold blooded. Kyung-min tells him that he will see. Then the CEO gets a text which states that Seung-soo will renegotiate with everyone.
Kyung-min says that he has seen a lot of those guys who want to be seen as a person with principle. the CEO asks if he should tell him to release those people? Kyung-min asks, why should we?
It is good for us that he cares about those unnecessary people. In order to care about them, he will have a bad relationship with good guys. If he renegotiates with everyone, then we save money. As soon as he had the meeting with team leaders, it means that he accepted our nonsense deal.
He started it so if he fails, it will crumple. This will reveal Baek Seung-soo’s fake leadership that makes them believe that he can do something.
In the meeting, Seung-soo says that he will renegotiate with everyone and not release them. Mi-sun asks if they are getting more money? Seung-soo tells her no. So she asks, with this money, you want to renegotiate?
Chi-hun mentions that people already say that their team is stingy. Se-young asks if they are giving everyone an equal cut? Seung-soo tells them that a lot of the players have a low salary so he is going to change how to evaluate their salary completely.
Chi-hun asks, what is going on? He didn’t tell me. Another person says, i don’t know. Kyung-taek the analytics guy thinks that they will have a lot of opposition.
Seung-soo tells then that as soon as he became the general manager, everyone opposed everything except when I moved my potted plant around. they all think about this. So Seung-soo hands them a sheet of paperwork and says that they will evaluate them only on last years performance.
Some of the team thinks this might be big trouble. Seung-soo gives them an example. A third year player scored the most game winning scores but his last year salary was $80,000. Now I can offer him $150,000.
Jang Jin-woo (the pitcher they were talking about) is a 16 year veteran. You know that his performance was not too good last year. So I can offer him $50,000 cut from $130,000. So, our new way is to do well in one season and you can get paid more than the most veteran player in the team.
The scout says that they will have a lot of opposition for that. Seung-soo tells him that this is professional baseball, not neighborhood baseball. if they do not want to be paid based on their performance, then they should quit. Why does a a professional baseball team have seniority?
Jae-hee asks if they want him to prepare the briefing to the players? They all nod so he gets to work.
Se-young voices over the pros and cons of a player as we see that player playing. (This player had a background deal at the bar in the end of the last episode.) Se-young then starts to explain the next player who is the catcher, Seo Yeong-ju.
People think that if he is healthy at 100% then they won’t be the last team in the league. They will be #9. he is one of the top defense style catchers and is the #1 blocking person and #2 stopping stolen bases. We also see him in he game and working out.
While he is working out, one of the players tells him that he heard that the salary negotiations will be tough this year. Seo yeong-ju says that Dreams is a stingy. The random guy explains that the new general manager says that people will get paid based on their performance. Seo Yeong-ju thinks he will be paid based on his ability, not his performance.
In the meeting, Se-young explains that Yeong-ju had an injury last season, so he could not be in a lot of games. Based on that, he would need to have a big cut. I am not sure if he will accept that, he is also a trouble maker for negotiations.
Next is Jang jin-woo. He as the ace of the team when Dreams made it to the finals. he won 19 games. But after he had shoulder surgery, he became bad and let a lot of home runs go. His record was so bad so it is difficult for him to become a coach at Dreams. He does not think about retiring, and I do not know if he will accept his new salary.
Se-young mentions that he works hard so he is a good example for hubaes. Seong-soo asks, good example? Do any of the young pitchers want to be like him? They are all like, um….no.
Seung-soo tells them that they already have a super successful role model in Kang Duki (the one they just traded to the Vikings for). Se-young does not think he should compare him to Kang Duki.
Seung-soo wants her to tell him objective reasons. We all know that we need Jang Jin-woo for he team. Everyone is all like, huh? So Seung-soo says all of Jang Jin-woo’s good traits at defense.
Jae-hee thinks that he should not offer him $50,000, then. Seung-soo says that they do not have to prove his value that he does not even know about. They all look at him like, wow.
#3
Later on, Scout Won-seob talks to Wu-seok in the hallway, though he talks to him as the team leader. Won-seok is all like, what? Won-seob asks, you said what? Then he mentions the old team leader so Wu-seok is all like, what? Former team leader? Won-seob asks him if he is the current team leader then?
Wu-seok is all like wtf? Are you crazy? Won-seob tells him that he was not as good as them when he was a baseball player. But you are saying banmal and are cursing at me. If you continue ~.
Wu-seok asks him what he is going to do? Won-seok smiles and says he should endure it. But then he says that he knows what people will say first, the team leader without charisma or the a-hole team member? I respect you as a sunbae, and you respect me as team leader, then our scout team will be, you know…~.
Wu-seok gets in his face and says I started baseball many years before you.
Won-seob asks him what that has to do with what they are doing now? he speaks in banmal to him now. He tells him that he hates violence and seniority so lets just quit that right now okay.
He whistles himself off.
Wu-seok throws his things agains the wall and thinks Won-seob is super crazy.
PLAYERS
two pitchers and another older guy are eating at a meat and intestines BBQ place. Jin-woo and Min-ho are the players. Jin-woo asks the other guy how his business is? the other guy says that he is getting settled there. He helps out with Citizens baseball to advertise his company and they eat out there.
Jin-woo tells him that he looks more relaxed now. The restaurant guy asks him if he plays next season. Jin-woo thinks that he should, but he thinks that he will get a pay cut.
The restaurant asks him if he gets $140,000 or $150,000? He says $130,000. The restaurant owner tells Min-ho to work hard so he will get paid more than Jang Jin-woo in 3 years. Min-ho says just a little increase is nice for him. Just thinking about it makes him happy.
The owner tells him that he will have a little cut again. if you have $30,000 cut, that means that you will make $100,000. Would you like to open a restaurant then?
Jin-woo calls the owner hyung and says that he still can pitch. The owner says, I can pitch too! Yobo! Then he throws the ball at his wife. She catches it like, what are you doing? Then the owner says that throwing the ball does not matter. You have to throw it properly.
Jin-woo tells hyung that $100,000 is still good. His hyung is all like, are you kidding? Yobo!
His wife comes over and punches him and then tells Jin-woo that after the customers leave then can drink. So the hyung tells his wife to tell him, he thinks he can still play for $100,000.
The wife asks if he has savings? The hyung whispers that he has no money. So the wife tells him that she likes running a business. When he was a player, if he did not play and just sat on the bench then the entire house is as if there was a funeral.
But when he goes out and does not play well, it is even more like a funeral. But if he is good, then we still have no smile at home because he is always training and goes to away games. Money is not everything.
Jang Jin-woo thinks about this a lot.
SE YOUNG’S HOME
Se-young’s mom is doing hip twists like she is in a disco as Se-young sits and relaxes. She asks her mom how her hip is doing. Her mom says that she went on a long walk today. Se-young is all like, come on now mom. Don’t walk long distances when it is cold.
But her mom just sits happily and asks her if she knows Seung-mi’s mom, the cashier at the grocery store? She is quitting. You know the owners are really nice over there.
Se-young tells her no! But her m other says that she does not even have a husband so how long should I stay at home? I am better than you and healthier than you. Se-young tells her to do it after her leg is cured.
Her mom is all upset and tells Se-young that she is not the only career woman! Se-young is about to storm off but then comes back and asks if her salary is too low? it is not enough for the two of us right?
Her mom thinks that this must be salary negotiation time since she always brings this up during salary negotiations. Then she tells her that because she gets a tiny salary I am sensitive about prices and stronger at surviving.
Se-young tells her to stop reading strange books. her mom says, don’t worry. I am not working because your salary is small. It is just because they want me to work there. if I do it or not, whatever, I was just happy that they offered me a job.
Even though it does not need a certification, no no no, because it does not need a certification, anyone can do it. But they told me that they wanted me to do it, so it made me happy.
MORNING
Min-ho goes into his meeting with Seung-soo, Se-young, and Jae-hee for his salary negotiations. He sees that he is only making $27,000. His face drops. Jae-hee tells him that he can do well in the coming season so he can get paid more.
Poor Min-ho’s smiles is completely gone. He asks if he should sign right here? Se-young tells him that he in the previous season he did not have a lot of away games and not that many chances to increase, so cheer up. Min-ho agrees and bows himself out.
He pulls out his phone to call his grandmother. He asks if it is cold over there and says that it is cold here also.
Back in the room, Se-young tells them that they have a lot of pitchers today. they are pretty individualistic. They do not sign well and prepare their own data.
They start to talk about a particular player. Jae-hee says that he is a nice hyung. Seung-soo asks if they are close? Jae-hee says no, his nickname is actually “nice hyung”. he thinks about the team on the managing said and signs the quickest. he will sign quickly.
But that is when Se-hyeok is shown walking back in and everyone loses their mind with the shock of it all. He walks in with this pitcher that they are talking about and sits at the desk with him.
Se-hyeok says that he wanted to rest a bit since he worked so hard for a long time, but hubaes had a lot of worried for the salary negotiations. Even though hey prepare a lot of data, it is not as much as the company. So, first of all they cannot think at this negotiation table and don’t know what to say and just sign.
They play their entire life so they will not be able to win over you guys. This hubae was looking for an agent that can negotiate well and knows a lot of people. So hopefully we can have rational discussions. What is your offer.
#4
Seung-soo says okay and mentions that they were the very last in the league for 4 years straight. Se-hyeok stops him and tells him that they are talking about the individual salary, so why are you taking about the team. Did this happen all the time before?
The player nods. So Se-hyeok tells Seung-soo to change this. I know about Dreams, you want to offer $160,000? Se-young looks at her paperwork and check that it is $160,000.
Seung-soo asks how he knows the exact number? Se-hyeok says it was just a little calculation. Seung-soo says that he is wrong. Se-hyeok says, yes, it is wrong. Our player just signs without argument because he is a nice person. i was sad about his situation as a sunbae. this time I want him to get the proper amount of money. $160,000 is not good.
Seung-soo asks how much he thinks he deserves? Se-hyeok tells him that, for sure, that amount is not acceptable. Seung-soo explains that because they were last for 4 years straight, they have less money for the salary. So to be more fair, I calculated everything based on last years performance.
Se-hyeok explains that he researched everything about the players performance. Do you know what his nickname is? Nice Hyung. I am sad about that nickname. Seung-soo tells him that he is not offering him $160,000. The bad guy says that he is not accepting $160,000.
Se-hyeok tells them that the sports tabloid says that he is the most cost effective player. You should not treat him like this. Think about how he felt. I never expected Dreams to offer him this ridiculous amount of money. Offer another amount. This is secret, I am not charging him. Only for him.
Se-young asks why not? Se-hyeok tells her it is because he pities him. The talk will be long, did you eat? He pulls out sandwiches and gives them to the player and then tells Jae-hee to bring two coffees. Iced Americano’s.
Se-young asks what he is doing right now? Se-hyeok apologizes and asks her what she would like to drink. Seung-soo tells him that he talked to him about the new salary calculations and heard what he had to say. We cannot decide with this meeting Let’s talk about it later. Excuse use please. He waves for them to leave.
Se-hyeok tells them, just in case you misunderstand, I am not taking my revenge on you. I am here with my sense of duty. Seung-soo tells him that he does not mistaken it. I do not think you are a stupid guy who wastes your life for revenge. Please excuse us, other players are waiting.
Se-hyeok pulls something else from his bag and says that he is the agent for 4 other players. Let’s talk to them as a group. Then he pulls his sandwich back out to eat.
Everyone sighs heavily.