“I had all the talents (from the past).”
KIA has been running the race for over two months without a leading hitter Na Seong-beom. Replacing them are left-handed hitter Ko Jong-wook (34) and right-handed hitter Lee Woo-seong (29) and Lee Chang-jin (32). At some point, Ko Jong-wook and Lee Woo-sung naturally split the starters into left and right fielders, and Lee Chang-jin alternated with Ko Jong-wook depending on the situation.
Recently, as Ko Jong-wook’s sense of hitting has declined a little, Lee Chang-jin’s left field play has naturally increased. For left-handed pitchers, it was Lee Chang-jin, and for right-handed pitchers, it was Ko Jong-wook.토토사이트
On the other hand, because Lee Woo-sung has a sense of stability in both defense and running, he is appointed as the right fielder. Lee Woo-sung has recently joined the cleanup trio. The 95-year-old trio has a surprisingly large influence on KIA’s air defense this season.
Lee Woo-sung had a batting average of 0.333, 5 homers, 18 RBIs in 48 games, OPS of 0.886, and Jong-wook Ko had a batting average of 0.293, 1 home run, 10 RBIs in 50 games, an OPS of 0.712, and Chang-jin Lee had a batting average of 0.250, 1 home run, 14 RBIs in 44 games, an OPS of 0.689. Coincidentally, these are not players who were nominated by the KIA and joined. Released from another team, wore a KIA uniform through trade.
This is a case that Lee Chang-jin sent Oh Jun-hyeok (SSG) to KT on June 7, 2018. Lee Woo-sung brought Lee Myung-gi to NC on July 6, 2019, and is also the main character in a one-on-one trade. Ko Jong-wook was recruited after testing when he was released from SSG after the 2021 season.
Coach Kim Jong-guk said ahead of the Gwangju NC game on the 16th, “I had all my talents. Wooseong had long hitting power in NC, so he was brought in as a trade. He has improved his accuracy now, as well as his defense and running. Changjin was an infielder at first. As he switched to the outfield, he also gained confidence. He changed his stroke to the toe tap last year and his accuracy improved. Jong-wook has been slowing down lately, but compared to his annual salary (70 million won), he is doing very well.”
In fact, Lee Chang-jin showed off his skills last year, four years after the trade, and Lee Woo-seong also this year, four years after the trade. Trade profit and loss calculation is now caught as a ‘plus’. On the other hand, Lee Chang-jin’s trading partner Oh Jun-hyeok has no significant influence after moving from KT to SSG. Lee Woo-sung’s trade partner Lee Myung-gi experienced a combined championship in NC in 2020, but productivity fell significantly after the Corona 19 drinking wave. He signed a contract with Hanwha in the 2022-2023 free agent market, but is playing in only three games this season.
It is the orthodoxy of professional sports that trade profit and loss calculation should be done with a long breath. Even so, KIA’s four-year patience was by no means simple. The team did not make it to the postseason until last year, but it eventually bore fruit this year by not easily throwing away transfer students acquired through trade.
It is a rebellion of the so-called 95-year-old trio. Although KIA runs a tough race without Na Seong-beom, it is also significant to see the 95-year-old trio recruited from outside leading the team by maximizing their use. Director Kim Jong-guk smiled and said, “The trade was successful.”
However, Na Seong-beom steps on the return timetable in earnest. Manager Kim said, “In the Futures League, you have to defend and come to the first team. If Seong-beom comes back, shouldn’t he be the designated hitter? Choi Hyung-woo can also play left field. First of all, I think Seong-beom should try playing in the Futures League. He said, “(The point of return) may be delayed if he feels uncomfortable.”
The 95-year-old trio will coexist with Na Seong-beom or enter a new form of competition next month. At this point, it seems likely that Lee Woo-seong, who has the best hitting feel among the 95-year-old trio, will move to left field. If Choi Hyung-woo plays left field and Na Seong-beom takes on the designated hitter, Lee Woo-seong can play right field.