Reporter Seo Jang-won = For Byeong-ho Park (KT Wiz), 2022 remained the ‘year of honor restoration’.
In the first year of KT’s transfer, his performance exceeded expectations, clearing up concerns about the aging curve, and announcing the return of the giant by recapturing the title of the home run king for the first time in three years since 2019.
mourning clothes also followed. At the Golden Globe Awards, which marked the end of the year-end awards ceremony, Park Byung-ho won 279 votes, 89.1% of the total 313 valid votes, and took the overwhelming first place, beating the other three candidates. It is the 6th award in my personal career and I got the golden glove in 3 years since 2019.
Starting from the 2019 season, not many people expected Park’s success this year as his performance has been declining every year. But Park Byeong-ho stood up proudly.
He appeared in 124 games and had a batting average of 0.275, 35 home runs, 98 runs batted in, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.908. An ankle injury at the end of the season seemed likely to leave the season out, but he chose rehabilitation instead of surgery and succeeded in returning with a fighting spirit, digesting the postseason.
Thanks to Park Byeong-ho, KT was able to minimize the gap between Kang Baek-ho and his injury. KT coach Lee Kang-cheol said several times throughout the season, “I don’t want to imagine what he would have been like without Park Byung-ho.” To that extent, Park Byeong-ho was the pillar that supported KT in the air defense this year. He said, “The club comes to mind first. Despite my poor performance last year, they gave me another chance. I am really grateful to the club and I really want to repay them with grades.”
Like KT, who saw the effect of recruiting Park Byung-ho, Park Byung-ho is only grateful to KT for giving him a new opportunity.
He added, “The people around me helped me a lot to achieve this year’s goal. I really want to say thank you to the hitting coach and the front staff.”
The condition of his injured foot has also improved a lot. Park Byeong-ho confidently said, “I’ve improved a lot. I’m running well. I don’t think there will be any problems joining next year’s spring camp.” 스포츠토토
As Park Byung-ho’s injury is quickly improving, the possibility of participating in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), which will be held in March next year, is being raised.
Park Byeong-ho was not included in the 50-person interest list announced by the KBO last month, but the list can be replaced. If Park Byeong-ho builds a good off-season body, so if he can deliver this year’s performance, he can also be a great help to the Korean baseball team, which is trying to restore its honor.