“I was really watching comfortably.”
NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-jun described the moment he was thrilled by the home run the day before (12th) before the game against the KIA Tigers at Changwon NC Park on the 13th.
NC won 8-6 against Kiwoom the day before, thanks to Kim Hwi-jip's decisive two-run homer in the 10th inning. This allowed NC to finish the three-game series against Kiwoom with 2 wins and 1 tie and return home to Changwon.
At the moment Kim Hwi-jip hit the home run, manager Lee Ho-jun and hitting coach Seo Jae-eung celebrated joyfully, as if they had won. Smiles were widespread on their faces. Lee Ho-jun explained, “When (Kim) Hwi-jip came in after hitting the home run, I really didn’t expect it. I was really watching comfortably.” He added, “I thought if he could just get a short hit, then (Han) Seok-hyun could get a point. I was wondering if Kim Hyung-jun would be able to make it home and did not even think about one big hit.”
He then said, “It suddenly went boom, and I couldn’t believe it. When he hit the home run, I was surprised and celebrated joyfully with Seo Jae-eung. I was expecting it to go well, so I was watching comfortably. I think that made it even better.”
At the same time, he became properly aware of the mental struggles Kim Hwi-jip had been facing. The manager noted, “I felt sorry after seeing the article yesterday. I even thought I should have sent him down to the second team earlier. I thought it would simply be hard, but I didn’t know he was thinking that way inside.” Kim Hwi-jip also said after the game the day before, “I feel like if I finish a game without a hit, I want to quit.”
NC's lineup for the day is somewhat groundbreaking. They arranged a starting lineup of Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Davidson (first baseman), Park Gun-woo (right fielder), Son Ah-seop (designated hitter), Chun Jae-hwan (center fielder), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), and Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman).
It is peculiar that Kim Joo-won has been promoted to the number one hitter. Lee Ho-jun remarked, “If it goes well, I plan to stick with this lineup for a while. This has been a picture I have been thinking about for a long time. If Kwon Hee-dong bats first, he sees a lot of pitches but is hesitant to swing at the first one. His on-base percentage is good, but he is slow, so forming plays is not easy. On the other hand, if Kim Joo-won bats first, he can bunt and execute strategies after a steal.”
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