Prior to the opening of this season’s pro baseball season, NC was evaluated as being in the lower ranks by experts. Dong-A Ilbo asked 8 professional baseball commentators from each broadcasting company ahead of the opening, and only one commentator included NC within the 5th place in the regular league, which is the last line of ‘fall baseball’.
Considering the situation in NC, it was understandable. Yang Eui-ji, who is considered the best catcher in domestic professional baseball, returned to Doosan, her former team, after receiving the qualification as a free agent (FA) after the end of last season. Noh Jin-hyeok, who held the position of shortstop until last year, also moved to Lotte after becoming a free agent. For NC, the two main players on the center line disappeared at once.
However, as the lid opened with the opening of the season, NC is doing well contrary to experts’ expectations. In the game on the 18th, they defeated LG 6-4. LG is the team that 7 out of 8 commentators expected to win. With this game victory, NC became 10-5 and rose to the sole lead on the 18th. NC has become a team that fights for the lead with LG and SSG.
Yang Eui-ji’s vacancy, which was the biggest concern for NC, was well filled by Park Se-hyuk, who wore an NC uniform as a free agent after playing as Doosan’s main catcher until last year. Park Se-hyeok, while wearing a mask as the starting pitcher, started mainly as the second hitter, the key batting order, in the attack. Park Se-hyeok, who hits the ball well and has quick feet for a catcher, was active with a batting average of 0.263 (10 hits in 38 at-bats), 2 homers, and 6 RBIs as of the 18th. However, during the match against SSG on the 14th, Park Se-hyeok was hit in the head by a bat during the swing of Heredia, a foreign batter, and was dropped from the entry. 토스카지노
At this time, the player who came out as the team’s savior was backup catcher Ahn Joong-yeol. Ahn Joong-yeol was nominated as Noh Jin-hyeok’s compensation player and wore an NC uniform. NC coach Kang In-kwon, who nominated Ahn Joong-yeol, said, “I think I didn’t get a chance at Lotte. He’s definitely a player who has good things going for him. He will be able to create a synergistic effect with Park Se-hyuk.”
It was as Director Kang said. NC won all three games on the 15th to 18th with Ahn Joong-yeol wearing the starting mask. On the 15th, NC won 1-0 with one hit after 10 overtime matches with then-leading SSG.
In the match against LG on the 18th, his strong shoulder shone. In the bottom of the 6th inning, which was chased by a point of 3-2, Ahn Joong-yeol put runner Moon Bo-gyeong out with a bullet-like second base check. At the end of the 8th inning, when the score was tied at 4-4, he prevented the stealing of second base by Shin Min-jae, a fast-footed runner. Both times, it was a decisive play that cut off the flow of the opponent. After the game, coach Kang praised Ahn Jung-yeol’s defense as the basis for the team’s victory.
Until the 18th, Ahn Joong-yeol’s batting average was 0. However, against LG on the 18th, he picked a walk that helped him score, and also raised an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning of extra time. Then, on the 19th, against LG, he reported his first hit.
Coach Kang, who was a defensive catcher as a player, has trained many good catchers since becoming a coach after retiring in 2006. Yang Eui-ji and Park Se-hyeok grew up under his guidance, and Choi Jae-hoon, the current Hanwha main catcher, was also his student. If experience and effort are accumulated, wouldn’t it be Ahn Joong-yeol next?