“Don’t try to be too good. You can lose if you worry more or try to do better when things are going well.”
Park Byeong-ho (KT Wiz), the ‘National Geopo’, gave sincere advice to his teammate Moon Sang-cheol.
Park Byeong-ho started as the designated hitter 4 times in the 2023 professional baseball KBO League away game against the LG Twins held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 16th, and scored 3 hits, 2 RBIs and 2 runs in 4 at-bats, leading KT to a 12-7 victory.
Park Byeong-ho led KT’s victory by wielding a fire bat in the match against LG in Jamsil on the 16th. Photo
Park Byung-ho’s 4th sortie was the first since the match against Suwon Samsung Lions (2-3 KT loss) on the 29th of last month. At that time, he suffered a left hamstring injury while playing base, and was eliminated from the first team entry. Park Byeong-ho, who returned to the first team on the 12th, only played as a pinch hitter in three consecutive matches against the Lotte Giants, which were played in the home from that day to the 14th.
During the absence of Park Byung-ho안전놀이터, KT had to go through a difficult period, suffering from 9 consecutive losses. Perhaps because of that, Park Byeong-ho’s expression after the match did not look very bright.
First, “In fact, the condition of the legs is not 100%. That’s why he plays the designated hitter and adjusts the base play as well. Fortunately, there is no (pain) when hitting,” Park Byung-ho, who explained his physical condition, said, “(Last weekend in Lotte’s 3 consecutive games) I played a pinch hit, but I feel very sorry for the team for the part that fell out due to an injury void. heard. It was like that even during the losing streak, and even before I got hurt, there was no such thing as the main hitter changing the atmosphere with one big blow. I missed those parts. The center hitter should do well and the other hitters should also perform evenly in order to score points. Today’s game is positive in that respect.”
All three hits he hit that day came at the moment the team desperately needed them. It started in the beginning of the 3rd inning with KT trailing 1-4. Park Byung-ho, who received a 4-pitch 143km fastball from opponent starting pitcher Kim Yun-shik from 1 out, 1st and 3rd base, hit the ball with 2 RBIs and a timely double that hit the middle fence. It was a big enough hit to confirm whether it was a home run or not by video reading immediately after. Then, he scored a goal by stepping home to Moon Sang-cheol’s left-handed two-run four.
Afterwards, Park Byeong-ho, who produced a hit with one out and first base in the top of the 5th inning and scored the second run on Park Kyung-soo’s 3 RBIs and a timely left-handed hit, sortie as the lead hitter in the top of the 7th inning, scored a double from left, and ended the game by being replaced by runner Jung Joon-young. This is the first three-hit game this season.
Park Byeong-ho said about the home run hit in the top of the 3rd inning, “People were sorry and teased at the dugout because it didn’t hit a home run,” and “I wasn’t sorry. What we needed was points, and apart from points, I also needed extra hits. that part came out. It was nice to have a score that I could follow,” he said.
At the same time, he gave a thumbs up to Moon Sang-cheol, who swung a fire bat with 2 hits, 1 home run and 2 RBIs in 3 at-bats that day. Park Byeong-ho said, “It was true that (team atmosphere) was depressed because we couldn’t score in the first inning chance (safe 1st and 2nd base), and (at the end of the 1st inning) gave 4 points right away.” hit a home run. I think that home run was a lot. When a home run hits at an important moment, you can catch the mood. That one shot raised the atmosphere of dugout once again and brought energy to the players. Moon Sang-cheol played a really big role,” he praised.
Born in 1991, right-handed outfielder Moon Sang-cheol was nominated by KT and made his professional debut in 2015, but failed to secure a firm place. Although he has natural power to hit, he only posted a batting average of 0.218, 17 homers and 65 RBIs in 287 games until last year.
Moon Sang-cheol, who did that, has been wielding a fire bat every day this year. Including this LG game, the season’s performance is a batting average of 0.353, 4 homers, 14 RBIs, OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.990.
Park Byeong-ho said, “Recently, Moon Sang-cheol did well. (Anthony) Alford did well before that, but there were no hitters in front or behind him to support him. So I think Alford has recently dropped (grades),” he said. “Moon Sang-cheol is doing well now, but I think a lot of focus will go. I think Moon Sang-cheol’s (good) hitting feeling will last a long time if he plays more evenly in front and behind him. That way, if you score a lot, it will help the team win.”
He also gave sincere advice to Moon Sang-cheol. Park Byung-ho said, “As everyone knows, Moon Sang-cheol is a promising young player. Being active (recently) is a big opportunity for Moon Sang-cheol. He personally wants to do better,” he said. He said, ‘When you meet good pitchers, 1 hit in 3 at-bats is the best. Do it with that thought. It is difficult to produce hits in all at-bats, so you only have to succeed in one of them,” he said.
Park Byeong-ho continued, “When things are going well, if you worry more or try to do better, you can lose. He added, “I’m talking a lot (to Moon Sang-cheol) so that he doesn’t think like that.”
Moon Sang-cheol, who led KT’s victory with a hard hit in the game against LG in Jamsil on the 16th. Photo = Reporter Kim Young-gu
With the victory on this day, KT escaped from two consecutive losses and recorded 10 wins, 2 draws and 22 losses. However, it is still ranked at the bottom. However, Joo Kwon, Jeon Yong Joo (above pitcher), and Jang Joon Won (infielder), who had been suffering from injuries, returned to the first team on this day, and injured players are expected to return gradually in the future.
Park Byeong-ho said, “Right now, our only excuse is that we have a lot of injured players. However, it is also important who takes the opportunity to fill the empty seats of injured players and succeeds,” he said. It will help. I also have to prepare well.”