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| Park Ji-hwan for the interview. Reporter Kim Young-rok |
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| 영상=Tving, SBS스포츠 |
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He fascinated the All-Star Game stage. Even the 'Devil of Delivery' made me nervous for a moment.
SSG Landers Park Ji-hwan (19) has emerged as a treasure of his team with performances that are not like rookies this season. He has a batting average of 360 percent in the first half of the year and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.905.
He also had his first walk-off hit against the Munhak KIA Tigers on June 11. Since then, he has hit seven consecutive at-bats until the game on the 13th, setting a new record for consecutive hits, which is a high school graduate in KBO history. He showed off his batting average of 411 and OPS of 1.066 for the month of June, including two home runs.
Although the number of at-bats is still more than 100 at-bats, he has firmly gained the trust of SSG coach Lee Soo-yong. Coach Lee Sung-yong has declared Park Ji-hwan and Jung Joon-jae as the future of the SSG infield and will steadily give them opportunities.
Even star quality is perfect. Although he was a substitute, he played in the All-Star Game even though he was a rookie. Psy's 'New Face' produced a hot stage, attracting hot attention in an instant.
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| The 2024 KBO League All-Star Game was held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 6th. Dream All-Star Park Ji-hwan is performing. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.07.06/ |
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| The 2024 KBO League All-Star Game was held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 6th. Dream All-Star Park Ji-hwan is performing. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.07.06/ |
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Park Ji-hwan, who met at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 9th, said, `I didn't have time because I was selected as a substitute. I was thinking about the dance I knew, and I chose "New Face"." It's a song that came out when Park Ji-hwan was in 6th grade in elementary school, and he was really into it with his friends. As a rookie who will be responsible for SSG's future, it was an appropriate selection and a spirited performance.
Park Ji-hwan "My cell phone is on fire. When we had our first hit, we got so many calls when we had our walk-off hit, but more than then," he said with a chuckle.
Director Lee Sung-yong said, "I don't think it's my first time dancing," he exclaimed. It turns out that he was originally a cotyledon who could dance a little. If there was a talent show, I didn't go forward, but if I had to, I didn't take it back. He was embarrassed, saying, `I remember dancing Park's 'Drink a Drink' on a school trip when I was in middle school.'
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| The 2024 KBO League All-Star Game was held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 6th. Dream All-Star Park Ji-hwan is performing. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.07.06/ |
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Hwang Sung-bin, who competed for the performance award, was also seen encouraging and checking each other. Park Ji-hwan continued to say that he would receive each other. To be honest, I wanted to receive it, but my appearance was late and he performed so amazingly...", he said with regret.
As for the first half of last year "I think we've improved a lot faster than we thought. I also got injured, but I finished the first half well, and now I think I just need to take good care of my physical strength in the second half" he replied.
When asked about the poor performance in the Changwon series against the NC Dinos, he answered calmly, "'I was a little embarrassed by the Changwon ABS zone.'"
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| Park Ji-hwan for the interview. Reporter Kim Young-rok |
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At the end of April, he was unexpectedly hit by a ball that hit his body and left due to a microfracture of the mid-body bone. However, Park Ji-hwan laughed, saying, `It was rather an opportunity.'
"It's time to get on with yourself. I thought a lot about myself and got it back together. Thanks to you, I think I did a good job in June. First of all, it's the debut season, so I want to make 100 hits. Defensively, I want to show you a more relaxed side, not in a hurry."
lunarfly@sportschosun.com
