"Noh Si-hwan is a friend with such bright 'infinite positivity'..." Son Ah-seop expresses concern and support for his junior who was left behind in Seosan

*This content was translated by AI.

"He seems a bit down these days."

Son Ah-seop (38), who has moved to the Doosan Bears, conveyed sincere concern and heartfelt support for his former junior teammate Noh Si-hwan (26) from their Hanwha Eagles days.

On the first day of the trade, the 14th, Son Ah-seop met with reporters ahead of the game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field to share his thoughts and determination in his new uniform.

The mention of Noh Si-hwan came up when Son Ah-seop discussed wearing the number 8 for Doosan. Son Ah-seop explained, "I have always worn number 31. At first, the Doosan organization suggested number 36, but I wanted to start with a completely fresh mindset and chose a number far from 30. So, I picked number 8 from the remaining options."

He continued, "Also, Noh Si-hwan wears number 8." He added, "During my time at Hanwha, he was the most grateful younger brother to me. He called me earlier and said he chose number 8 at Doosan with the thought of being with me, which made me happy. He also mentioned that number 8 symbolizes 'perseverance,' so I told him, 'Let's wear number 8 together and stand up again.'"

Son Ah-seop was excluded from the first-division roster on the 30th of last month, and Noh Si-hwan was also removed from the first-division roster on the 13th. If not for the trade, the two could have met in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, where the Hanwha Futures team is located.

Son Ah-seop said, "Actually, I had a dinner date with Si-hwan today (the 14th) and even made a reservation at a restaurant. I had also planned to do things together when I come to Seosan. As a senior, I feel heartbroken that I couldn't help him, but we decided to be together through our jersey numbers," revealing his poignant feelings toward his junior left behind in Seosan.

Noh Si-hwan has been experiencing severe batting slumps at the beginning of this season. Son Ah-seop said, "Si-hwan is a very bright friend, an incredibly positive person. But when we talk these days, he seems a bit down." While expressing sympathy, he added, "So I told him, 'That's not like you.' When playing baseball, tough times inevitably come to everyone. I am going through such a time myself, but I am not worried about Si-hwan because he is Korea's best third baseman," offering his support.

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*This content was translated by AI.