After grandson Joo-in (40, retired) left for Samsung Lions in 2018, LG’s second base was like the last unsolved puzzle for a while. They recruited foreign players (Robel Garcia) and second baseman (Seo Gun-chang) from MVP, but there was no income. However, after Yeom Gyeong-yeop (55) took over as manager, Kim Min-seong (35) and Shin Min-jae (27) showed their skills belatedly, and even reserve prospects are showing signs of being resolved with internal resources as they still show a sense of blow.
The strength of LG, which finished first in the first half of the 2023 season, is considered to be the batting line with no place to rest, with the team batting average (0.285) and on-base percentage (0.373). If you line up by OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage), there are as many as three LG players (Hong Chang-ki, Park Dong-won, Austin Dean) in the league’s top 10. There are 7 members including Oh Ji-hwan (28th). Thanks to that, LG finished the first half with an overwhelming win-loss margin of +19 even in a situation where the starting lineup was somewhat ups and downs.온라인카지노
However, bad news arose ahead of the All-Star break. It is an injury to Kim Min-sung, who has leaped to become the main second baseman this season. After joining LG in 2019, Kim Min-seong, who suffered from injuries and sluggishness, settled at second base this year and performed like salt with a batting average of 0.288, 4 homers and 31 RBIs in 70 games, an on-base percentage of 0.364 and a slugging percentage of 0.408. However, on the 5th, he was injured while defending against KT Wiz in Jamsil, and on the next day, the 6th, due to damage to the left femoral muscle, the first team entry was canceled and a absence of more than a month was expected. Right now, Shin Min-jae fills in well with a batting average of 0.344 and an OPS of 0.754, but as a player who has not experienced a full-time season since joining the pro in 2015, a countermeasure is absolutely necessary.
Even in the midst of these adversities, there is hope. That is the existence of Lee Joo-hyung (22), who was selected as a Futures League All-Star this season. Song Soo-cho (Haeundae Little) – Centum Middle School – After graduating from Gyeongnam High School, he joined LG with the 13th overall in the 2nd round of the 2nd round of the 2020 rookie draft. Lee Joo-hyung, who has been active as a starting second baseman since his days at Gyeongnam High School, showed off his exceptional talent in batting and drew attention as a promising player to end the second base drought, which was consistently pointed out as a weakness in the LG club franchise. However, he was constantly criticized for defending second base, and eventually solved the military problem.
Lee Joo-hyung of LG is defending the infield before enlisting in the military.
The expected attack had no problems even after completing military service as an active duty soldier. This year, his first season after being discharged, he is showing off his explosive skills with the Futures with a batting average of 0.323 (30 hits in 93 at-bats), 3 homers and 18 RBIs, an on-base percentage of 0.441 and a slugging percentage of 0.559. Including before enlisting in the military, he recorded a batting average of 30% and a slugging percentage of 50% for three consecutive seasons in the Futures League, with a career batting average of 0.335, 11 homers, 63 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.454 and a slugging percentage of 0.561. An official from a KBO League team even evaluated that “the batting has been verified in the 2nd team.”
Currently, he is getting a rare opportunity in the first team and is gradually adapting to his batting average of 0.308 (4 hits in 13 at-bats), 2 RBIs, on-base percentage of 0.357 and slugging percentage of 0.462 in 15 games. Prior to the 2023 KBO Futures League All-Star Game held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 14th, Lee Joo-hyung explained the reason for the steady sense of hitting despite a hiatus of 1 year and 6 months, saying, “As I realized the direction I should be in the first team, my grades naturally improved.” Explained.
Seniors such as Kim Hyeon-soo (35) and Kim Min-seong were also very helpful in the smooth adaptation. Lee Joo-hyung said, “Pitchers in the first team have a lot of pitches and good control, so they actively try to hit the bat before the ball count becomes disadvantageous. When the ball enters the strike zone, they practice in the direction of making it in play.” He continued, “My seniors said that the moment I miss the first pitch strike, it is unconditionally disadvantageous. Hearing that it is a priority to keep throwing out the bat from the first pitch and find your own timing, I try to make a foul with my first pitch and adjust the timing. )Minseong sunbae-nim taught me really well in detail on the batting side. I really learned a lot from Minseong-sunbaenim,” he added.
The second base defense, which did not receive many opportunities despite good hits, also found a clue to the solution. According to Lee Joo-hyung, his future position was an outfielder until he was discharged from active military service in February this year. However, when the defensive burden was much better than in the past and improvements were seen in the defense, coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop and coaches pushed for Lee Joo-hyung to become an infielder again. As a result, he played only as an outfielder in the Futures League until May of this season (22 games), but from June, he played 4 out of 7 defensive games as a starting second baseman.
Lee Joo-hyung said, “After being discharged from the military, I and the club thought of becoming an outfielder, but as I entered the game, the defense, which had been burdened, became mentally comfortable and my skills improved more than before. He is not at the level of playing in the first team, so I think it is right to play both the outfield and the infield in preparation for a situation where he will be a major runner or outfield defense. I think I will focus on the infield when I enter the finishing camp.”