LG's winning catcher meets with Korea University Legend ahead of FA and even erases "remaining weaknesses." "Learning with the heart of a new person."

*This content was translated by AI.

"I think I'll be really satisfied if I win again."

Park Dong-won (36), a lucky catcher of the LG Twins who led two integrated wins in the 21st century, expressed extraordinary determination.

Park Dong-won said at the 2026 LG Spring Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona on the 10th (Korea Standard Time), "The camp atmosphere feels a little calmer than last year. Everyone is quiet and working hard on what they do," he said.

LG, which won its fourth integrated championship last year, is sweating hard to win its second consecutive Korean Series title. The Doosan Bears in the 2015-2016 season and the Samsung Lions in the 2013-2014 season are the last to win the Korean Series in a row. Although Kim Hyun-soo (38) moved to KT Wiz as an FA, LG, who has accumulated experience through steady entry into autumn baseball, is considered a strong favorite this year as well.

Park Dong-won said, "The goal is clear to win this season as well. "Everyone is training with that heart," he said. "As the players who have been discharged from the military return, there are more resources to fill the gap. "It's big that there are players who can fill it right away no matter who's out," he said.

2026 is also important for individual Park Dong-won, who is about to become an FA after this season. Park Dong-won, who signed a four-year, 6.5 billion won contract with LG ahead of the 2023 season, is already called the best FA by fans with two wins. Last year, he also proved his offense with 22 home runs and 76 RBIs in 139 games with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.797. I want to be recognized a little more for my defense.

Park Dong-won said, "I prepared to use my strength better when I hit. I also paid particular attention to shoulder care. He looked back on the offseason, saying, "We are focusing on strengthening our shoulders in the camp while focusing on reinforcing exercises." "I didn't throw hard from the beginning during the Songgu training, but I prepared by gradually increasing the intensity by adjusting the distance. Overall, I do it as usual, but I'm paying more attention to throwing and strengthening my shoulders," he added.

In particular, he also worked hard on training to stop stealing to erase one remaining weakness. Park Dong-won, who had a career stolen base blocking rate of 30%, fell to 18.6% in 2023, 25% in 2024 and 21.2% in 2025 after moving to LG. Park Dong-won said, "There were a lot of bound throws because I threw the ball short. So I prepared it to throw longer. He also said, "I'm paying attention to making a throw that the fielders can catch comfortably," adding, "I've had a feeling of breaking the ball too hard and throwing it. That's why I'm trying to throw it long from the catch," he explained.

Fumihiro Suzuki, 51, who newly joined this season as the first-team battery coach, is a good teacher. Coach Suzuki is a legendary catcher who was also selected for the Japanese national team for his outstanding defense during his active days.

Coach Suzuki, Park Dong-won said, "I don't have a lot of ups and downs, and I take care of the players and help them. I think there will be a lot to learn as much as I met for the first time, so I try to learn with the heart of a rookie rather than my own stubbornness," he said. "We are renewing our handling training. If you throw a short bound ball vaguely, it is a training exercise that prevents it by hitting it with your hand. I think it makes your hands react faster than your body, but it's a training that I haven't done much before," he added.

The high understanding of Korean baseball culture through KT and SSG Landers is a strength. Park Dong-won said, "Coach Suzuki has nothing more to emphasize. Rather, they consider the amount of exercise. During team defense time, we all play together and adjust the extra exercise a little," he hinted.

As one of the best players, he is also good at entertaining the atmosphere of the team. It simulates throwing breaking balls after two strikes while giving pitchers confidence that they have good control. To the same catcher junior players, they made coffee bets, adding fun to training that could be boring.

Park Dong-won said, "The standard is to prevent it perfectly and catch the no-bound ball without kneeling down. However, while training, there are many cases where you kneel and hold it. Then you got caught again," he said with a smile.

He said, "Later on, I count the number of times and make a coffee bet, but at first, I got caught because I wasn't good at it. Even if my juniors get caught more, I'll play around again, so I end up buying the most coffee," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.