Facing the cold winds of free agency and feeling frustrated, he did not simply sit down. Professional baseball player Ha Ju-suk (31) of the Hanwha Eagles rose like a seesaw after overcoming the hardships of free agency.

On the 23rd, Ha Ju-suk started as the 9th batter and shortstop in the game against Lotte in Daejeon, leading Hanwha to a 4-2 victory with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including a double and 1 RBI. Breaking a two-game losing streak, Hanwha pushed Lotte down to 3rd place, reclaiming sole possession of 2nd place after two days.

This was especially an important match for Hanwha. After a 12-game winning streak, they had dropped to 2 wins and 7 losses, losing momentum. As Lotte, riding a steep upswing, took the 2nd place spot, the sense of urgency grew. In this situation, Ha Ju-suk broke through the blocked lineup.

Against Lotte's starting pitcher Park Se-woong, who shines with 8 wins, Ha Ju-suk pushed a fastball on the outside for a left-field double starting from his first at-bat in the 3rd inning. Although the subsequent batters were unable to capitalize, Ha Ju-suk later drove in a run during a 1-out, 1st and 2nd base opportunity in the 5th inning. With a 1-2 count, he hit a forkball that was low and outside the zone on the 4th pitch, dropping it in front of the left fielder for a timely hit that tied the game at 1-1. Following this, Hanwha took the lead with a bases-loaded walk by Choi In-ho, after an RBI single from Estevan Florial.

Ha Ju-suk, who became the stepping stone for this valuable victory, said after the game, "I thought this series was really important. The coach mentioned that before the game, and the players were able to focus a bit more. I have a strong desire to hit well and to improve, which has led to my swings getting bigger. I had many hard swings, but I tried to swing lightly from practice today, and it produced good results."

Facing 'natural enemy' Park Se-woong was also a good element for Ha Ju-suk's rebound. Until that day, he had a career batting average of .375 (12 hits in 32 at-bats) with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts against Park Se-woong. He said, "There are pitchers whose timing matches well, and it allowed me to step into the plate confidently. Se-woong is a good pitcher, but I cannot ignore those aspects. I felt the same way, and looking at that, I think mental strength is very important in baseball."

Mentally, Ha Ju-suk has definitely become stronger. Last winter, he entered the free agency market for the first time in his life but faced the cold winds. As a free agent with B grade, where compensation players occur outside the 25-man protected players, his options were limited. Hanwha acquired shortstop Shim Woo-joon from outside free agency, delivering a direct hit to Ha Ju-suk. Without a sign-and-trade, he signed a one-year deal to remain with Hanwha at a bargain price of up to 110 million won.

It was not the coveted free agency contract, and he had lost the shortstop position. He began spring camp with the Futures team rather than the first team. While an ordinary player might have simply given up, Ha Ju-suk was different. While quietly sweating alongside younger teammates, he waited for his opportunity. When An Chi-hong was injured due to gastrointestinal issues in early April, he received a call-up to the first team. Although he hit well with a batting average of .278 (5 hits in 18 at-bats) and 1 RBI in 7 games, he had to return to the 2nd team when An Chi-hong came back and the temporary three-catcher system was activated.

Still, Ha Ju-suk focused on his game, continuing his hot batting in the Futures League. On the 10th against Kiwoom in Gocheok, when Shim Woo-joon was sidelined for at least a month due to a fracture from being hit by a pitch, Ha Ju-suk was called up to the first team again. Since returning to the first team, he has shown his presence with a batting average of .334 (7 hits in 23 at-bats) and 3 RBIs over 9 games. His overall season stats show a batting average of .293 (12 hits in 41 at-bats) with 4 RBIs and an OPS of .746. He has also excelled with a .455 batting average (5 hits in 11 at-bats) in clutch situations.

Hanwha re-signed Ha Ju-suk for depth enhancement, and they are currently seeing the benefits. Without Ha Ju-suk, navigating through the current crisis would not have been easy. It was possible because Ha Ju-suk seized the opportunity and prepared while firmly holding onto his wavering mental strength.

During the Futures spring camp held in Kochi, Japan, he regained his lost confidence with the encouragement of batting instructor Takahiro Saeki, who visited Hanwha. Ha Ju-suk recalled, "He didn't give me any special technical orders. He often said I was a 'good player,' and he helped me have good thoughts."

He continued, "Starting from the 2nd team camp, I wanted to focus only on what I could do, whether in the 1st team or 2nd team. It was difficult at first going to the 2nd team, but that was something I had thought about before the season. Even if I go to the 2nd team, I wanted to quickly refresh and concentrate on what I need to do and the baseball I need to play," adding, "Depending on the team's situation, I may have to play a different position rather than shortstop. Although playing different positions is not easy, I am trying to acknowledge the situation and set aside my ambitions."

Not discouraged by the hardships of free agency, Ha Ju-suk has matured further and has highlighted his presence by helping Hanwha in crisis. Like Yogi Berra's famous quote, "It ain't over till it's over," Ha Ju-suk's baseball career is not yet finished.

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