“When the offer came, my wife was more excited than I was.”

Support has arrived for the Hanwha Eagles in professional baseball. On the 8th, during a game against KIA in Gwangju, Luis Libertao, 30, joined the Hanwha team on the 20th as a temporary replacement for Estevan Florial, who was placed on the foreign rehabilitation list due to a fracture in his right pinky finger.

Libertao, who signed a contract with Hanwha worth 50,000 dollars for 6 weeks on the 17th, arrived in Korea on the 19th and met the players for the first time that day in Daejeon. He was named in the starting lineup as the second batter and center fielder for that day's game, but it was postponed due to rain, pushing back his KBO league debut to the 21st.

Receiving a uniform with the number '0', Libertao said, “All the players welcomed me warmly. Manager Kim Kyung-moon also had a lot of kind words, and even the younger players came over first and treated me kindly. I want to do well,” and he also mentioned about the new stadium, Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park, saying, “It’s a really beautiful baseball park. It’s much better to see it in person than in photos. I feel like I need to work harder.”

Having played in the Mexican League, Libertao made a significant decision to come to Korea. He said, “I thought coming to Korea was a great opportunity. My family also said they would be happy to go to Korea. It’s an honor to experience a new culture,” and added, “In fact, I thought a lot about the 6-week contract period, but it was a good offer, and the timing was right, so I was able to sign. I wanted to come more because Hanwha is a top-tier team.”

Although he is in an insecure position as a temporary hire for 6 weeks, Libertao boarded the flight to Korea with his wife and 14-month-old daughter in a stroller. Libertao laughed, saying, “My wife is incredibly interested in Asian culture. When the offer from Hanwha came, my wife was more excited than I was.” With his wife liking Korea, Libertao is highly motivated to succeed in Korea.

Having received information about the KBO league from Lewin Diaz (Samsung) and Socrates Brito (former KIA), who are either currently playing in Korea or have played in the past as fellow Dominican Republic natives, Libertao said, “I heard from Diaz and Socrates that this is a good league and a fierce league, so you have to give 100% effort to achieve good results.”

Libertao has a connection to Korea from his time in Major League Baseball in 2022, when he played 7 games for the San Diego Padres, which constituted his entire big league career, while Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong (Tampa Bay) was the starting shortstop for the team. Libertao recalled, “Kim Ha-seong is a player who works really hard. He has a good personality, and I thought he was a fun person to play with. Kim Ha-seong also learned Spanish to communicate, which was really funny.”

Though Libertao's Major League experience is brief, he has played 11 seasons in the minor leagues and has a career batting average of .267 with 299 hits in 1,118 at-bats, 41 home runs, and 170 RBIs over 328 games in 5 seasons in Triple-A. Since he has played most of his career as a center fielder, he can be expected to provide the defensive skills that Hanwha needs. This year in the Mexican League, he recorded a batting average of .373 with 47 hits in 126 at-bats, 8 home runs, and 29 RBIs, showcasing impressive results even considering Mexico's extreme hitter-friendly environment. Coming to Korea while in good form is something to look forward to.

Libertao expressed, “One of my strengths is that I always play with the mindset of enjoying baseball. My energy can uplift the team's atmosphere. I can cover all positions in the outfield,” and regarding his batting, he emphasized that “the hard work I've put in since before the season is showing in good results.”

It’s not easy for a foreign player filling in for an injured player to survive. They must show everything in a short period of 6 weeks. For batters, it is even more challenging to adapt to pitchers’ throws. However, with Libertao’s determination to succeed, having brought his family to Korea, it’s uncertain what situation might arise in 6 weeks. Libertao affirmed, “The most important thing is health. If I am healthy, I can play baseball continuously. I want to be a player who contributes to the team while staying healthy.”

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