If it wasn't for the hard carry of the '41 year old No. 4 hitter', there would have been no first place in the first half of KIA...Flower director's tribute "I can't ask for more"
Jul 03, 2024
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He is old enough to retire from the professional world, but he still wears the title 'Solver' as a medal as the team's central hitter. This is the story of Choi Hyung-woo (41) of the KIA Tigers.
Kia Tigers ended the first half of the season with Choi Hyung-woo's performance.
Just before the opening of the season, captain and No. 4 hitter Na Sung-beom collapsed due to injury. While foreign hitter Socrates Brito rarely raised his batting sense, the role of the No. 4 hitter was entirely up to Choi Hyung-woo.
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Records followed naturally. He clearly engraved his name in the history of Korean professional baseball, including the largest number of hits in his career in the KBO league and the 1,600-run breakthrough by Jeon In-answer.
He also played the role of the eldest brother. He took the lead in encouraging younger hitters in the locker room and dugout. One of the reasons why KIA could not lose its atmosphere and concentration even in the midst of many crisis moments.
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You did a great job"My role is just before I go out to bat. Is that okay?He asks ' and then just taps his shoulder. He showed the best performance in all aspects, including hitting and living. I have nothing to say about the player."
He has a batting average of 283 (83 hits in 293 at-bats) in 75 games in the first half, 15 homers and 71 RBIs, and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.865. Still, his performance is impeccable. Some say that in order for Choi Hyung-woo to continue his performance in the second half of the year and play a role in achieving the V12 fruit, he needs to put down the burden and manage it properly.
In response, coach Lee said, `We played so many games throughout the first half of the year. It is natural that physical strength declines at this time of year, he said, but drew the line, saying, `I don't have to step up and adjust it.' "It will be important to give a break at the right time and arrange it for physical fitness," he said. "I'm going to take good care of it for the rest of the year to draw a good picture."
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ppark@sportschosun.com
