How can it be this different? Big brother is here. Puig cried the most
Feb 20, 2025
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Yasiel Puig, a foreign hitter from Cuba who returned to Kiwoom Heroes after three years. As he was such a super-special prospect and star player when he was in the Major League, there were many concerns when he first came to Korea three years ago.
He was nicknamed 'wild horse' in the major leagues. In a good way, he meant a player full of power and energy, but on the contrary, he always followed the label 'bad boy'. In the Major League, the image of being late for training and doing what he wants was known several times through the media, solidifying the image of 'vicious'.
There were many such concerns when I first came to Korea. He was also a bad boy in the Major League, but he was worried that he would do it more freely in Korea. At first, some people found it difficult to adapt to an unfamiliar atmosphere.
However, as time went by, Puig melted into Kiwoom. He became closer to the players little by little and opened the door to his mind, which was also closed to the coaching staff. At the time, Kiwoom's hitting coach, Kang Byung-sik, felt so close to each other that Puig went to the airport himself on the day he returned to the U.S. after the season.
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Puig, who played in the Latin American league after many twists and turns, returned to Kiwoom after three years. He has become a completely different player from when we first met three years ago. He is showing the appearance of a 'leader' by hanging out with Kiwoom's young players, eating, and spending rest days together.
Many veterans, including Lee Jung-hoo, who played with Puig at the time, left the team. Coach Hong Won-ki's request was also taken seriously. On the first day of meeting Puig again, Hong said, `Most of the players we played with three years ago are no longer available. You have to play the role of an older brother. Please lead a lot of young players." Puig nodded seriously.
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For Puig, Kiwoom is also a grateful team. After the contract with Kiwoom in the 2022 season, the contract was canceled due to personal reasons, but the team that reached out again was also Kiwoom. Perhaps the intuition that his second half of his professional life may vary depending on his performance at Kiwoom is also a factor that made his mind different.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
