SSG Landers Choi Jeong (36), who missed the end of the regular season due to injury, returned in time for the semi-playoffs (quasi-PO). He desperately hoped, “Personally, I wish I could do something, really…”
SSG’s leading hitter Choi Jeong has a lot to worry about in baseball this fall. This is because his physical condition is not yet perfect. He was excluded from the first team lineup at the end of the regular season due to thigh pain and was unable to play the final four games. Choi Jeong said, “It seems that the accumulated fatigue over the years led to injury due to the chilly weather. The moment I got injured, the thought that ‘this season is over’ came to my mind. I actually relaxed my mind and recovered quickly.” “It doesn’t work,” he lamented. 메이저사이트
Choi Jeong-eun, who resumed training on the 16th, was able to gain time to recover as SSG confirmed 3rd place in the regular season the next day (17th) and advanced directly to semi-PO. He welcomed, “Thanks to my colleagues, I was fortunate to have time to prepare for the postseason (PS).” However, he smiled sheepishly, saying, “The return match is the most important PS.”
Choi Jeong-eun is one of the best hitters representing Incheon baseball. He joined SK in 2005 after receiving the first charge, and has a career batting average of 0.287, 458 home runs, and 1,454 RBIs. He has risen to first place in the KBO League’s highest individual score this season, and if he adds just 10 home runs next season, he will surpass Lee Seung-yeop (467) and become the KBO League’s all-time home run leader. A new record of double-digit home runs for 18 consecutive seasons, the most in Korean professional baseball, is currently in progress.
Choi Jeong recorded a batting average of 0.297, 29 home runs, and 87 RBIs in 128 games this season, ranking first in home runs and RBIs on the team. His slugging percentage of 0.548 won him the title.
Perhaps because her physical condition was not perfect, Choi Jeong showed a lack of confidence during the interview, saying, “I don’t know.” He continued, “In the regular season, it’s okay because there’s tomorrow even if I can’t do it today, but PS is a short-term game, so I’m worried. It feels different from last year.”
However, he showed off his fierce hitting skills in his first PS game of the year. On the 22nd, in the first game of the semi-PO against NC, tied 0-0, the leadoff hitter hit a single in the top of the 4th inning. He advanced to second base on Guillermo Heredia’s follow-up hit, but failed to score due to a missed follow-up hit.
Choi Jeong-eun then hit a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning, trailing 0-2, with one out and 2nd and 3rd bases on the 2nd and 3rd bases to make it 1-2. He confidently turned his bat to NC Ryu Jin-wook’s cut fastball and made a sharp hit in front of the left fielder. Although Choi Jeong himself is anxious, he showed why SSG coach Kim Won-hyung and fans still believe in him. In the second game held on the 23rd, he had no hits in 4 at-bats, and SSG lost 3-7.
Choi Jeong-eun played in 75 PS games and posted a batting average of 0.274 (68 hits in 248 at-bats) with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. In last year’s Korean Series (KS), he played with a batting average of 0.476 (10 hits in 21 at-bats), 2 home runs, and 9 RBIs, leading SSG to a comprehensive win. In the regular season against NC, he was very strong with a batting average of 0.341 (15 hits in 44 at-bats), 6 home runs, and 9 RBIs.
Choi Jeong is still cautious. He said, “Last year, I had a strong desire to do well in KS. I thought, ‘I have to do it,’ but now…” and added, “I hope Hanyu Island continues (its great performance at the end of the second half).” Hanyu Island, whose batting average was only 0.203 until August, recorded a batting average of 0.425, 3 home runs, and 27 RBIs since September. During this period, he was first in batting average. Choi Jeong said, “Yuseom played well in the second half, so I hope he does well until the end. I hope Park Seong-han and Choi Ji-hoon, who performed somewhat poorly compared to last year, also become crazy (in PS). I hope Ha Jae-hoon, who converted from a pitcher to a hitter, also becomes a crazy player.” I hoped.
While hoping for success from his juniors, Choi Jeong feels a great sense of responsibility. He said, “Big games are always stressful. I think the outcome will vary depending on how cool-headed I am,” and promised in a whisper, “I wish I could do something.”
SSG suffered two consecutive losses and was pushed to the brink. SSG’s leading hitter is aiming for a counterattack once again. Choi Jeong appeared in 6 games against NC held in Changwon this year and was the strongest in the team with a batting average of 0.375, 4 home runs, and 6 RBIs.