Not every athlete wants to stay in the ‘supporting cast’. Everyone wants to be the star and dreams of the spotlight. Lotte Giants all-weather infielder Park Seung-wook, 31, is again cautiously pursuing a starring role.
Lotte needs a starting second baseman now. Ahn Chi-hong (33), who had been the starting second baseman for four years until this year, left the team after becoming a free agent, signing a 4+2-year deal with Hanwha for up to 7.2 billion won. The starting second baseman was gone in an instant. Both Jeon Jun-woo and Ahn Chi-hong were internal free agents and Lotte hoped to retain them, but Hanwha participated in both bidding wars and retained Jeon for four years and up to 4.7 billion won, but not Ahn Chi-hong due to salary cap pressure.
After losing the house rabbit, Lotte entered an open competition at second base. Go Seung-min, who joined the team as a second baseman and has been practicing at first base and then second base, Kim Min-soo, a right-handed infield prospect, Jung Dae-sun, who showed promise as a rookie this year, plus Oh Sun-jin and Choi Hang, who were picked in the second round of the draft after Ahn Chi-hong’s transfer. There are plenty of options at second base. Of these, Park Seung-wook was the most competitive in the offense at second base. This year, 바카라사이트 he performed well.
Park’s performance was like an alto, and he was as useful as salt.
Park played second base, shortstop, and third base, and was an all-around player when the team needed him. He played 77 games (44 starts) and 447⅓ innings at second base, 39 games (22 starts) and 190⅔ innings at third base, and 22 games (15 starts) and 134 innings at shortstop. He also played two innings at first base.
His contributions were not limited to defense. In 123 games, he batted .290 (83-for-290) with 30 home runs, 37 RBIs, 15 doubles, and a .733 OPS. He was particularly effective in scoring position, going 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position. He played the most games and had the most plate appearances of his career. It was a career-high season for the 12th-year pro.
Perhaps a supporting role would be more appropriate. But Park Seung-wook still has dreams of starring. “This year, I was a player who had to play a backup role in several positions. I was satisfied this year and I think I did a good job in my position, so I think that’s why I could be called ‘salt of the earth,'” he said, adding, “Actually, I think it’s the same for all players, but I always aim for a starring role. If I get the chance, I’d like to do it,” he said, hiding his desire to be a starter.
He was an infield prospect who graduated from Daegu Sangwon High School and was drafted by SK (now SSG) in the third round, 31st overall, in 2012.
He was the next starting shortstop. However, he was unable to crack the egg due to injuries and was never more than a perennial prospect. In 2019, he was eventually traded to the KT Wiz and was released before the 2021 season ended.
Lotte reached out to him again, and he seized the opportunity he would never have again, and made the most of it. “Personally, I’m really happy with this year. I’m more confident in my baseball and I’m more organized. I gained a lot of confidence,” he said confidently.
“It was a lot of trial and error. Even though he prepared harder than anyone else, he couldn’t have anticipated this performance, which is why he is sweating harder than anyone else in the final camp despite being the second oldest player in the camp. “I don’t want to do the final camp because I want to do better,” he laughed, “but I’m trying to solidify the things I felt this year and work on the things that weren’t so good in practice to improve and develop them.”
Above all, he knows the value of opportunity.
He was given a chance at Lotte that he couldn’t make his own at SK or KT, 온라인카지노 and he doesn’t want to let it go. “Now this year, I’ve realized a lot about what I need to do to be good and stay good. Now that my baseball has been established, I think I can do well and not miss the opportunity,” he said encouragingly.
In 2024, he would like to play a leading role in the fall baseball stage instead of the completion camp. Park also has memories of dominating the fall baseball stage. He was a member of SK’s 2018 championship team. Park went 3-for-9 in the Korean Series, including starting at shortstop.
He recalls, “I had a good fall baseball record. I was nervous, but it was a lot of fun. I loved playing baseball in that atmosphere.”
“When I saw other teams playing fall baseball during the final camp, I was very jealous. I want to play baseball again in such a good atmosphere. If the team’s performance is good, my personal performance will follow,” he emphasized, vowing to make the leap to the main roster in 2024.