Professional baseball player Roh Si-hwan (25) of the Hanwha Eagles propelled his team to victory with a decisive solo home run.
On the 4th, Roh Si-hwan made his start as the 6th batter in the third baseman position during the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' match against the Kiwoom Heroes held at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, recording 1 hit out of 4 at-bats, 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 run.
After being silent with no hits in his previous three at-bats, Roh Si-hwan hit a solo home run over the left field fence on the 1st out of the 9th inning, where both teams were tied at 1-1, by hitting a fastball from Kiwoom's right-handed pitcher Jo Young-geon, which was clocked at 145 kilometers per hour. This was his 16th home run of the season.
After the game, Roh Si-hwan said in an interview, "Ponce pitched really well today, so I was trying to win the game no matter what. Even after the 8th inning defense ended, the seniors held a meeting to make sure we secured the win without going into extra innings. Winning a challenging game like this brings momentum. I'm very happy that I could end the game with a home run."
"Honestly, during the defense in the bottom of the 8th inning, I thought about laying down a bunt since (Chae) Eunsung senior was the lead-off batter in the 9th inning. I was ready to do it, but my senior got out, and the plan was ruined. Now, since there's only one big hit left, I thought I should swing confidently, whether it be a strikeout or a home run, and go for it," Roh Si-hwan reflected on the moment of the home run.
Hanwha's manager Kim Kyung-moon placed Roh Si-hwan in the 6th batting order, not the 4th, to accommodate him as he faced difficulties recovering his form recently. Roh Si-hwan said, "It felt a lot easier. I normally don't feel much pressure as a 4th batter, but having been in a slump, I began to feel the weight of the 4th spot a bit and started to feel some pressure."
This season, Roh Si-hwan is batting .228 with 71 hits in 312 at-bats, along with 16 home runs, 55 RBIs, 52 runs, and 10 stolen bases, with an OPS of .743. While his home runs put him in a tie for 4th in the league, his batting average remains low.
"I'm worried because my batting average is too low," Roh Si-hwan said. "It needs to come up to some extent, but I'm not doing well right now, and it's stressful. I’ve tried everything—used everyone’s bats and tried to change my own feel, but when it’s not working, nothing seems to help. In the end, I think the answer is to practice step by step."
"I have been looking at a lot of videos from 2023," Roh Si-hwan said. "I’m trying to go back to that time, but it’s not easy. I’ve asked many seniors. When I ask those who have had similar experiences, they tell me not to get lost in old memories. The current me and the past me are different. Therefore, if I try to replicate what worked in the past, it won’t work; I need to accept and change things. So, I am also making significant efforts to find something new for myself."
Roh Si-hwan said, "I'm not satisfied with my performance in the first half. It seems I haven't helped the team much. In the second half, I will try to make sure the team wins a lot thanks to me." He continued, "When the season started, my goal was to be the home run king, but I've given up on that because of Díaz (Samsung). I’m not originally a player who hits over .300, but my average is too low, stressing me out. The manager told me to hit .260 and hit 30 home runs, but I’m now around .228, so I'm feeling a lot of stress," yet he laughed, adding, "But honestly, my batting average isn’t coming up much anymore. I'm getting too many at-bats, so I guess I will have to give up on the average and aim for 30 home runs instead."
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