Choi Hyung-woo (40, KIA Tigers) celebrated his 22nd year as a professional player this year. Although he is a seasoned veteran, the ground is still new to him.
Hyungwoo Choi started the match against SSG Landers on the 2nd from the bench. KIA coach Kim Jong-guk put Hwang Dae-in, the team’s anticipation player for Geopo, in the designated hitter (DH) position, which is usually played by Hyung-woo Choi.
Choi Hyung-woo went 0-for-4 in the opening game the day before (the 1st). He was also silent in the second at-bat in scoring position. Even considering this point, it was unusual for him, the representative hitter of the KBO League, to be excluded from the starting lineup from the second game of the season. He wasn’t weak against opposing pitchers either. The SSG mound was guarded by Kirk McCarty, who entered the KBO League this season. 먹튀검증
Coach Kim Jong-guk provided Choi Hyung-woo as a pinch hitter for Kim Gyu-seong in the first game, with no bases loaded in the top of the 4th inning when the score was tied 2-2 in this game (against SSG on the 2nd). Choi Hyung-woo pulled McCarty’s curve and hit a neat right-handed hit, bringing in two runners. It was the final blow in this game, which KIA won 9-5.
40-year-old Choi Hyeong-woo calmly accepted the bench waiting for SSG on the 2nd. “In the past, you would have asked, ‘Why did you take me (from the starting lineup)?’ But now, whether it’s because of the type of pitcher I’m playing against, or because I’m not in good shape, or to give younger players a chance, I accept it all,” he laughs. seemed
Choi Hyeong-woo said, “Of course, I’m unfamiliar with not being able to start. But now, I think this situation can happen often.
Choi Hyung-woo had a sluggish batting average of 0.227 in the first half of last year. The sense of crisis was so great that the word retirement was drawn in his mind. In this process, he developed a mindset to focus on and give meaning to one at-bat rather than the desire to keep good personal grades or the starting position.
The same was true of the 4th at-bat before SSG on the 2nd, when he came on as a pinch hitter. Choi Hyung-woo looked back, saying, “The juniors who faced the pitcher (McCarty) earlier hinted that ‘it’s not as picky as I thought.’ Although he is the representative hitter who opened the era of 10 billion won free agent (FA) contracts for the first time in the KBO League, he is currently standing at bat with a mindset like a rookie.
In the KIA, Byun Woo-hyeok, who is expected to be a transfer student, and Park Chan-ho, the main shortstop whose batting ability improved significantly last season, showed a good hitting feeling in the opening two games. Choi Hyung-woo, who has grown juniors, said, “Everyone seems to have started well. I hope he continues his confident image like he is now.” Then he laughed, saying, “If we do well in the end, we (KIA) will do well.”
Choi Hyung-woo recorded 1463 RBIs in his personal career as of the 5th. Lee Seung-yeop, head coach of the Doosan Bears, has approached the record for first place in this category (1,498). The only thing Choi Hyeong-woo was greedy for among his personal records was the record for the most RBIs.
My thoughts have changed a little this year. Choi Hyung-woo said, “Even if I break the previous record, Choi Jeong (SSG hitter currently recording 1369 RBIs) will surpass it in a few years.”