'Son Ah-seop's lonely May': Futures League 6 at-bats, no hits → Conceded comeback with most hits → Doosan first-division lineup explodes

*This content was translated by AI.

The queen of seasons, yet Doosan Bears' Son Ah-seop (38) is spending a lonely May.

Son Ah-seop is currently staying with the second division (Futures League). He was traded from Hanwha Eagles on April 14 and started with enthusiasm, but after a slump in batting, he was excluded from the first-division roster just 15 days later on the 29th.

During this period, his record for the most career hits in KBO League history was surpassed by Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions), dropping him to second place. Choi Hyung-woo hit four hits in a single game against Daegu Hanwha on the 3rd, reaching 2,623 career hits and overtaking Son Ah-seop (2,622) by one hit. Until last season, Son Ah-seop had 2,618 hits and Choi Hyung-woo had 2,586, a gap of 32 hits. However, while Son Ah-seop added four hits this season, Choi Hyung-woo hit 37 hits in 29 games, reversing their standings.

Son Ah-seop's Futures League performance has also not been impressive so far. In his first game on April 30 against Goyang, he went 0-for-3 in three at-bats. On the 1st against Goyang, he went 0-for-2 in two at-bats. On the 2nd against Hanwha, he recorded one hitless at-bat, two walks, one run scored, and one RBI. In total across three games, he is 0-for-6.

Even if he returns to the first division, Son Ah-seop's playing time is not guaranteed. Doosan, which suffered severe batting slumps early in the season, has recently seen its batters regain their form and has climbed to joint fifth place. In three games against Kiwoom Heroes last weekend, they exploded for 32 runs.

Young players such as Park Jun-soon, Ahn Jae-seok, and Kim Min-seok have injected energy into the lineup, and Yang Eui-ji and Cameron have also regained their batting form. Park Chan-ho and Jung Soobin have been performing steadily, and recently Kim Ki-yeon and Oh Myung-jin have also contributed. There are no easily noticeable vacancies for a corner outfielder or designated hitter to accommodate Son Ah-seop.

On the first day after joining Doosan, Son Ah-seop celebrated his first hit of the season with a home run in a game against SSG Landers, and he hit another hit on the 15th, the following day, appearing to signal his revival. However, since then, he has only added one hit each in games against KIA Tigers on the 18th and Lotte Giants on the 23rd. His season statistics, including one game with Hanwha, show 36 at-bats, 4 hits (batting average 0.111), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and 9 strikeouts in 12 games.

Kim Won-hyeong (52), Doosan's manager, said regarding Son Ah-seop's exclusion from the first-division roster, "He is a veteran who was traded, and since he hasn't performed well, he seems to be under great pressure and feels psychologically rushed because he wants to do well." He added, "It seems he needs time to continue playing in the second division (Futures League) to regain his form."

On the first day after joining Doosan, Son Ah-seop said, "Noh Si-hwan (26, Hanwha Eagles) called me and said, 'I wore the number 8 at Doosan with the thought of being with you,' and he seemed happy about that." He also added, "And since the number 8 symbolizes 'tumbler spirit,' I also said, 'Let's wear the number 8 together and stand up again.'" After hitting the home run that day, he said, "I felt relieved. I really wanted to play baseball and wanted to run on the first-division stage, and those emotions seemed to rise in a short time. So I felt very good."

Since his debut in 2007, Son Ah-seop has played for four teams (Lotte-NC-Hanwha-Doosan) over 20 years and is regarded as a player who has played baseball more diligently and earnestly than anyone else. It remains to be seen whether he, like the tumbler symbolized by his jersey number, can stand up again.

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*This content was translated by AI.