What is the fate of KIA Park Chan-ho between Oh Ji-hwan and Hwang Jae-gyun?[SS 포커스]

Infielder Park Chan-ho of the KIA Tigers is catching a ground ball. Reporter Dohoon Kim [email protected]

[스포츠서울 장강훈기자] It’s 3 years full-time. It’s time to get a seat. A distinct weakness can be an opportunity. It is about Park Chan-ho (26), who has to solidify his position as the KIA’s leading shortstop.

Park Chan-ho is the best defensive infielder on the team. Due to its high center of gravity, he often makes mistakes at catch or throw, but his start, glove handling, and range of defense are outstanding. When it comes to defense, it is inferior to the main shortstop. However, KIA coach Matt Williams said at this spring camp “we are considering a variety of options for shortstop and third baseman.” It means that it is not Muju Gongsan. Last year, he collected infielders through active trades, and before that, he selected quite attractive rookies. It is a condition where anyone can get an opportunity if they pop out. It is a competition between backup and newcomer, so the only way to stand out is by hitting. This is why Park Chan-ho’s blow from inactivity to the start of the spring camp is one of the biggest concerns.

KIA Tigers Park Chan-ho is striking. Reporter Dohoon Kim [email protected]

Last year, he ended up hitting 107 hits in 141 games. The batting average of 0.223 is too low, even considering that the defensive burden is high and it is the first season of full-time shortstop. The bigger problem is the on-base rate. If you can’t bother your opponent with an exciting blow, you have to make an effort to walk into a persistent pioneer. Park Chan-ho, who is highly motivated, entered the plate 531 times and managed to get only 36 walks. Since he’s a low-powered batter, there’s bound to be a lot of head-to-head matches, but if you hold on to cut two or three, you can get a walk. If the hitting last is below 30% of the on-base ratio (0.276), the manager will have no choice but to worry.

Desire for an exciting blow is greed. Park Chan-ho, who was selected as the 50th place in the fifth round in the 2014 rookie 2nd draft, served as a backup for three seasons with one defense. He served in the military as an active duty, and in 2019 when he returned, he was defeated as the main third baseman. After six years of joining, he played a season with’Post Lee Bum-ho’, and then played a season as the main shortstop last year. The increase in the amount of activity in the defense had an effect on his weak physical strength, and he himself had to reduce his physical decline and get the worst grades. It is an unreasonable demand for players who have not established their own, and have even experienced a career break due to military service, to have a three-time airlifter in a short period of time. You have to give it time and wait for it to grow, but the method depends on what kind of sketch the club draws.

LG Oh Ji-hwan is relaxing by playing catch ball during the spring camp held in Icheon LG Champions Park on the 2nd. Icheon | Reporter Park Jin-up [email protected]

Park Chan-ho should be positioned as the KIA’s key infielder. If the model is one of LG Oh Ji-hwan and KT Hwang Jae-gyun, it is a gold prize. Oh Ji-hwan, who joined LG as the first nomination in 2009, has steadily gained experience as a shortstop since 2010, when he was in his second year. Although there was no alternative, the club’s plan to develop a franchise shortstop after Ryu Ji-Hyun was a background in which he pushed hard despite frequent mistakes and poor batting average. Even when the batting average stayed in the Mendoza line, the OBP was around 30%, which was a kind of oxygen respirator. In fact, Oh Ji-hwan began to establish himself as a stable 0.270 shortstop in 2015, when he was 7 years old.

Hwang Jae-gyun is training at the 2021 KT Wiz Spring Camp held at the Gijang Hyundai Cha Dream Ball Park in Busan on the 3rd. Millet | Reporter Choi Seung-seop [email protected]

As part of Hyundai’s infielder collection policy, KT Hwang Jae-gyun wore a professional uniform in the second round of 2006, ranking 24th overall. Hyundai, who was looking for’Post Park Jinman’, collected the best high school infielders such as Ji Seok-hoon, Hwang Jae-gyun, and Kang Jeong-ho at each rookie draft. When he was a rookie, he was chosen as the’next-generation shortstop’ with his extraordinary striking ability, but he gave a place to Kang Jung-ho with his tough defense and weak stamina. Hwang Jae-gyun, who turned to third baseman after Jung Seong-hoon (now KIA coach) transferred to LG, became a golden glover who experienced a major league game with less defensive burden and an active blow.
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