"I thought my place would be eternal."

Bae Jung-dae started as the No. 1 center fielder in the 7th game of the season against the Lotte Giants in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 10th, going 5 at-bats with 3 hits (1 home run), 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, leading the team to a 12-3 victory.

The hitting was remarkable right from the first at-bat. In the bottom of the first, with the score tied at 0-0, he faced Lotte starter Park Se-woong and hit a double to left-center. After moving to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Kim Sang-su, he scored the first run by stepping on home plate during an infield hit by Ahn Hyun-min.

The highlight came in his second at-bat. Trailing 1-3 in the bottom of the third inning with no outs and a runner on first base, he hit a game-tying two-run homer. After watching the first pitch from Park Se-woong go for a strike, he swung at the second pitch, a high fastball (146 km), and connected for a 124.8-meter opposite-field home run. It was his second home run of the season, coming 75 days after his last one against the Doosan Bears on March 27.

Bae Jung-dae was not finished there, adding a right-field hit in the bottom of the seventh inning, achieving 3 hits in a game for the first time in 77 days since the Doosan game on March 25. It was a day that significantly raised his season batting average from .229 to .222.

Bae Jung-dae, the steadfast starting center fielder for KT, hit a home run after 75 days and recorded 3 hits in a game after 77 days. Nevertheless, his season batting average remains in the low .200s. This indicates that he has faced numerous ups and downs this year. He experienced a mysterious batting slump at the beginning of the season, falling behind Ahn Hyun-min and Kim Min-hyeok, leading to a period of uncertainty; at one point, his season average dipped to .185, with averages of .201 in April and .150 in May.

Bae Jung-dae reflected, "During my slump, my mother was really worried that her son might get hurt. Each time, I told her, ‘I wasn’t a superstar since I was young; I’ve climbed the ladder step by step. I might feel like I’ve hit a wall and gone down now, but I know how to rise again.’ My mother was a great support during tough times."

He further noted, "Over the past 4 to 5 years, I realized I had put in a considerable amount of energy to maintain my starting position. Ahn Hyun-min will be a representative player in the league, and Kim Min-hyeok also hits well. I fully accepted the reality of being pushed out of the starting lineup. I had no complaints; it motivated me to try to do well at things I can excel in again."

The key to Bae Jung-dae's escape from the slump was surprisingly simple: practice, and more practice. He explained, "These days, I’ve been running a lot and practicing my hitting. While continuing my weight training, I decided to return to the basics, and it felt good. The advice from coaches Yoo Han-jun and Kim Kang was also helpful in opening my left foot."

After bouncing back with a monthly batting average of .360 in June, Bae Jung-dae regained his form. He said, "Until last year, I somewhat thought my place would be eternal. That’s why it seems like the heavens have given me this trial." He reflected, "Now that my condition is good again, creating my own place is up to me, so I will try to do well this time."

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