LG Twins center fielder Park Hae-min, 34, is an “iron man” who represents the KBO League. The former Samsung player has played in 393 consecutive games since October 13, 2021, against Gwangju Kia and on October 14, 2021, against Daejeon Hanwha. The most consecutive appearances by an active player. He has also played 380 games for LG, including all games for two consecutive years after signing as a free agent. It’s a record that requires a strong body, self-care and, above all, skill.
However, Park’s batting slump, which began in late June, began to raise doubts about his ability. He went 18-for-18 in a five-game stretch from June 3 against Gochuk Kiwoom to June 11 against Jamsil Kia, and he was seen in the dugout with his head down in self-pity.
When the bat doesn’t feel right, it’s one thing to take a break. LG manager Yoon Kyung-yup even gave Kim Hyun-soo a two-day break on Nov. 11-12. But he didn’t leave Park Hae-min out. His defense in the middle infield is irreplaceable. Instead, Yi traveled to Daejeon on the 12th and had a meeting with Park. The three of them, Yoon, Park, and hitting coach Mo Chang-min, talked for about an hour.
Coach Yeom urged Park not to get frustrated and said, “If you have negative thoughts, you will never be able to break up. You have to be positive and find the cause and solve it. You want to do well, too. We talked about the mental part along with the hitting. It takes time to find your own thing, but a player like Park Hae-min understands it quickly,” he said, predicting that he would quickly find his own thing through the interview.
Yeom was right.
After the one-hour meeting, Park came alive with three straight hits in the Dec. 12-14 series against Hanwha. He had a two-hit multi-hit game on day one, followed by a home run on day two. On the final day, he went 1-for-2 with two walks and three RBIs. In the seventh inning, trailing 1-2, he singled to left field and then stole second base with nobody out to change the game.
Shin Min-jae attempted to lay down an outfield bunt, setting the entire Hanwha infield in motion. As pitcher Ryan Weiss threw the ball back to the catcher, 카지노사이트 the Hanwha infielders, who had moved in a wheel play, returned to their respective positions. Shortstop Lee Do-yoon was facing second base, away from the base, when Park Hae-min ran to second. Surprised, Weiss tried to throw to second base, but the base was empty and he couldn’t make the throw. Park’s senses and concentration shone through in the split second. LG then scored four runs in a big inning, including a tying RBI single by Hong Chang-ki, to win the game 8-4.
After the game,
Park said, “I’ve done that once before. When a batter bunts, the infielders go into base coverage, but sometimes the shortstop doesn’t see the runner when he covers second base and then goes back to (his original defensive position). (Lee) was moving away from the base, so I thought it could be a game-winner at second base, so I took a chance and it paid off,” said Lee.
The bold move may have been influenced by the fact that his batting has been coming alive throughout the three-game series. “It’s encouraging to see the pushing hits,” Park said. I’m a hitter who needs to improve my accuracy, but I was swinging for the fences and fouling off the first base side a lot. When I wasn’t getting results, I became impatient and focused on the front. In this series, I put my center in the back and started hitting the ball to the left side, so that’s a positive change,” he explained.
A meeting with manager Yoon Kyung-yup was also a turning point. “I can’t say I listened to everything for an hour, but I listened to what he had to say about the foul balls on the first base side. I started thinking about what he said in practice, and I hit the ball to left field. “The coach told me that me, Ji-hwan Oh, and Hyun-soo Kim had to come back from the dead. With all three of us coming back, I think the team can go up.”
Even in the midst of a severe hitting slump, Park continued to play.
It’s not uncommon for players to ask for a break when things get too bad. “It’s not my choice,” Park said. If the coach puts me in the game, I have to play as long as I’m physically able. If I can’t play because I’m not good enough, I can’t help it. I think I wasn’t good enough in the first half, but the manager believed in me and kept putting me out there, so I think it gave me a chance to come back to life.”
His batting has its ups and downs, but his defense and baserunning have no slumps. That’s why Yoon can’t help but use Park Hae-min. “If you can’t play defense, it’s time to stop playing baseball. “If I can’t hit, I have to do the best I can in defense or on the bases,” he said. “The better the results at the plate, the easier it is for the manager to play me. I need to hit more anyway,” he said, vowing to make a definitive batting rebound.