When I heard the sound of hitting, I looked and saw...
The professional baseball NC Dinos are currently using a temporary residence in Ulsan, but they are still living uncomfortably in an away accommodation. After a strenuous 32 game away series, they are playing home games, but there are no training conditions like at Changwon NC Park.
After finishing a three-game series in Ulsan from 16th to 18th, including a doubleheader against Kiwoom, the NC team returned to Changwon. They took a short break from the fatigue of a long away life in Changwon and moved to Ulsan again on the morning of the 20th. However, there was a player who did not put down his bat even on the day of travel. That player was infielder Kim Hwi-jip. He was practicing alone indoors both on the day he returned to Changwon from Ulsan and the day he went back to Ulsan from Changwon.
Manager Lee Ho-jun said, "On the day we returned to Changwon after the Ulsan game, I went back to the baseball field to get something I left there, and I heard the sound of hitting indoors. So, I was curious and went to check, and I found (Kim) Hwi-jip practicing batting alone. I quietly pretended not to see and slipped away," adding, "And this morning (the 20th), before we left for Ulsan, I went to the indoor training facility, and I heard the sound again. Hwi-jip was practicing alone again." Kim Hwi-jip was expected to be a core part of Lee Ho-jun's baseball this year. However, his performance has been limited to a batting average of .159 (20 hits in 126 at-bats), 4 home runs, and 11 RBIs in 42 games this year. He was brought in last year when NC gave Kiwoom their first-round and third-round rookie draft picks. In reality, he played a career-high 140 games last year, achieving a batting average of .258 (126 hits in 488 at-bats), 16 home runs, and 73 RBIs with an OPS of .747. There were expectations that he would establish himself as the starting third baseman under manager Lee Ho-jun this year, but he has struggled to find his rhythm.
Kim Hwi-jip is cheerful yet serious about baseball. However, despite his seriousness about baseball, the performance has not followed. Along with catcher Kim Hyung-jun and shortstop Kim Joo-won, he is the final piece of the "three Kims" that will bear the future of NC.
"I think (Kim) Hyung-jun will continue his current pace if he properly manages his stamina. He was a player with great talent. I only observe whether his expression is good or not. Recently, his expression has been good. I also think (Kim) Joo-won is still doing fine. He can undoubtedly improve further," said manager Lee Ho-jun. However, he expressed concerns that Kim Hwi-jip has still not found his pace. He knows what the problem is and trains harder than anyone else. But it is not resolving. The manager said, "Before I became manager, the front office and coaching staff unanimously said that he is a sincere and hardworking player who is serious about baseball. It's unfortunate that things are not working out right now. How frustrated must he be?" He added, "The coaches have nothing to tell him. He already does everything on his own. We both know what the problem is."
For now, manager Lee Ho-jun diagnoses that Kim Hwi-jip needs to regain his plate discipline. He stated, "He needs to have his own zone. Plate discipline is essential. When he hits a pitch that comes into the zone, whether it becomes a hit or not, all 10 balls must be in play. But if you swing at any pitch without having a zone, you won't produce good hits," adding, "Hwi-jip also seems to be a bit like that right now. However, this won't happen overnight. When a high pitch continues to look like a strike, it becomes a challenge. This has been lingering for a bit."
From the manager's perspective, there is nothing to do but wait. Knowing that he works harder than anyone else, the only belief left is in the lesson that sweat does not betray.
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