Hanwha’s Chae Eun-sung, 33, is rumored to have a good personality in the baseball world. Despite being in her 10th year in the first team, she has never been involved in controversy or controversial behavior. She rarely loses her temper and is very calm on the field. His trademark is that he doesn’t hesitate to run to first base when he is hit by a pitch.
However, Chae Eun-sung showed her dissatisfaction uncharacteristically. On the 21st, against KIA in Daejeon. In the sixth inning, Chae stepped up to bat with two outs, but stopped when Kim Seung-hyun’s two-pitch body slider was called a strike. She thought it was out of the zone and looked at umpire Park Geun-young in disappointment.
Six pitches later, Chae struck out swinging and threw her bat to the ground as she walked out of the batter’s box. It wasn’t a wild throw, but it drew attention because it wasn’t the usual Chae Eun-sung behavior.
There was a reason. “It’s almost the first time I’ve expressed my dissatisfaction,” she said. I don’t usually express myself like that, but today (Nov. 21), our batters kept complaining about the ball calls. I’m the oldest (in the batting order), so I did a little something to show the umpire to take a good look at me,” she said, adding, “It’s hard for juniors to do. It’s hard for juniors to do, so I had to represent them.”
Chae Eun-sung, who is currently the most senior member of Hanwha’s roster, is not only a center fielder but also a leader of the team. She doesn’t just care about herself; sometimes she has to represent the team and send a message. When Hanwha signed Chae as a free agent last winter for six years and $9 billion, it was not only for her offensive production, but also to serve as an example for younger players.
Noh Si-hwan, who is leading the league in home runs and RBIs this year, has also benefited from Chae’s weight training routine. He is enjoying a successful full-time season thanks to his steady fitness regimen. A Hanwha official said, “Chae Eun-sung’s effect is huge in that regard. Even when we go on away trips, you can see Noh Si-hwan waking up early, rubbing his eyes and lifting weights with Chae Eun-sung. She is helping the younger players develop good habits.”
In the second half, the batting pace slowed down and fielding errors became more common, but the difference between having Chae Eun-sung in the batting order and not having her is huge. Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho said, “It’s great that she hasn’t left the team,” adding, “She’s been a great example to the players. She tells them a lot of good things and buys them a lot of food,” he said. 카지노사이트777
Chae Eun-sung, who takes care of not only the players but also the support staff, such as the bullpen catcher and foreign translators who accompany them on the field, said, “It’s what other players do.” “As a senior, you have to set an example for the younger players so that they can say something. “As a senior, you have to set an example for the younger players so you can tell them something. When I have to tell them off, I have to tell them off hard. The younger guys are following along, and their attitude toward baseball has improved a lot.”
In 121 games this year, Chae is batting 20-for-66 (124-for-467) with 20 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .779 OPS, but her second half has been much less impressive than her first. He hasn’t been at full strength and is coming off hamstring and wrist injuries, but he’s hit four home runs in his last 10 games to reach the 20-homer plateau for the first time in five years since 2018 (25). With a league-wide home run rate of 1.64%, the sixth-lowest on record, 20 homers are more valuable than ever. Chae’s value as a leader – “I want to win one more game than 20” – goes beyond 20 home runs.