“In fall baseball in 2018, I was a supporting player. Next time, I’ll be the one leading the team in fall baseball.”‘
On the day he enlisted three years ago, he had a chance to fulfill a promise he made to his fans while listening to “Letter of a Second Class Soldier” played by his teammate Kim Min-woo.먹튀검증
The Hanwha Eagles are on a roll. They’re 9-1 in their last 10 games. They’re shaking up the KBO leaderboards. They are eighth in the standings after five days, but only three and a half games behind the third-place Doosan Bears.
Park Sang-won, 29, is at the center of the surge. He led Hanwha’s hot fall in 2018, going 4-2 with a 2.10 ERA in nine starts. Last year, he made a splash by showing off his exceptional stuff after being released from the military, and this year, he’s been the tailgate keeper for the faltering Hanwha. He’s 4-0 with six saves and a 2.37 ERA.
This year is even more special. He’s making his first appearance in the All-Star Game as a manager’s pick. “I’m just excited and curious,” he smiles. “I don’t know what to expect. I’m going to ask here and there if I should bring everything I’ve been working out with, or if I should just go bareback and throw the ball,” he says, adding that it’s complicated.
“I always take time off during the All-Star break. This year, I wanted to go. I was like, ‘How am I going to get there?’ This is my first and maybe my last chance. I’ll give it my all.”
Hanwha’s closing pitcher Park Sang-won. Daejeon=Choi Moon-young 기자[email protected] /2023.05.25/
For Park, it’s a thrilling honor. It was also a gesture from Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho, who asked him to do better this season.
Since his discharge from the military, he has been showing off a fastball that is at least four to five kilometers faster than before. His average fastball, which was around 145 kilometers before he enlisted as a social service worker, is now over 150 kilometers. “I changed my mindset,” he says.
“I was happy with my fastball. I was stagnating because I thought it was good enough. I saw other people raising their fastballs and getting better results, but my performance was the same as my fastball. I decided to change my mindset. I trained harder. I reflected a lot on myself, saying, ‘I’m playing in the first team. I’m going to try to do better in the future. I won’t compromise with myself anymore.”
Jung was introduced to baseball lessons by Yoon Hee-sang and Um Jung-wook. “Training with the SSG Landers players made me realize, ‘This is why they are the favorites.
Hanwha’s Park Sang-won. Daejeon=Song Jung-heon 기자[email protected]/2023.06.22/
29 years old. He’s now in a position to lead the team and mediate between veterans and rookies. “I have a role that the team wants me to play,” says Park. I’m at the age where I need to mature. I want to be a senior who is respected by the juniors,” he said.
“In 2018, I pitched 69 games and had an ERA around 2, but I wasn’t proud of myself. My brothers helped me get there, not me. I want to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. I don’t want to stop, and I think it’s showing in my performance now. Opportunities don’t come to everyone, but I think it’s up to you to take advantage of them. I think this is the season where I can really challenge myself.”