"Woo~" How long will Doosan fans continue to jeer at Kim Jae-hwan? "He says he's fine, but is he really?"

*This content was translated by AI.

It seemed he would remain a franchise star for the Doosan Bears. Yet his move, and his first visit to his former team, was met not with applause but with jeers beyond imagination. This is the story of SSG Landers' power hitter Kim Jae-hwan (38).

Kim Jae-hwan has completed his first three-game away series against Doosan since joining SSG.

On the 8th, in the first game of the three-game series against Doosan, Kim started as the designated hitter batting fourth. He went 2-for-5 with one run scored. Before his first at-bat, he bowed 90 degrees to the Doosan fans. However, jeers poured out from the Doosan fans gathered near first base. Even during the game, every time he finished an at-bat, jeers erupted from the first-base side.

But he did not yield. In the Jamsil SSG-Doosan game on the 9th, before the match, SSG manager Lee Seung-yong praised Kim's batting, saying, "He is actively taking swings," and added, "And he is playing the game. He seems to be doing well without worrying about it," showing his trust.

And he, who started as the designated hitter batting fourth in two consecutive games against Doosan, proudly unleashed his home run power. In the bottom of the 7th inning, with SSG trailing 2-7, Jung Jun-jae reached base with a hit to left-center field after one out, then advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Subsequent batter Choi Jeong-eun flew out to center field.

Then, Kim Jae-hwan connected on a 147km fastball right down the middle on the third pitch of a favorable 0-2 count against Doosan pitcher Yang Jae-hoon, sending it over the right-field fence for a two-run home run. This was Kim's third home run of the season. As he drove a dagger into his former team, Jamsil Stadium was filled with the loud cheers of SSG fans and the cold jeers of Doosan fans.

The 10th was the final game of the weekend three-game series between SSG and Doosan at Jamsil. The winner of the winning series was about to be decided. Yet, Kim Jae-hwan's name could not be found in the starting lineup for this game.

Why was Kim Jae-hwan, who was on an upward trend with multi-hit games and even a home run, excluded? Before the 10th game, Manager Lee said, "Before (Kim Jae-hwan) was sent down to the minor league, he had few strikeouts and many walks. Now he is swinging actively. His lower body has found a rhythm, and he is making solid contact at the moment of batting. I view this positively. He should be able to proceed steadily now."

He continued, "However, for now, he will rest and wait on standby. We considered various factors. We also considered the opposing starting pitcher (left-handed Jack Logue), and he has been running non-stop for a long time. There is also a mental aspect. Anyway, he says he is fine, he says he is fine, but is he really? From the manager's perspective, protecting our players is the first thought. In the past, we would have just pushed through, but these days, the players are different."

Kim Jae-hwan thus started the game from the bench. In the bottom of the 8th inning, with SSG trailing 1-3, with two outs and runners on first and second, SSG made its move when the sixth batter, Chae Hyun-woo, came to the plate. Kim Jae-hwan was brought in as a pinch hitter. At that moment, the jeers from the Doosan fans in the stands near first base were louder than ever. The Doosan pitcher on the mound was closer Lee Young-ha. Lee Young-ha threw a slider on the first pitch, but it missed high and far outside. The fastballs thrown from the second to the fourth pitch also all went to the same location, resulting in a straight walk. Again, jeers erupted.

After the game, Lee Young-ha reflected on that moment, saying, "Actually, I tried to attack (Kim) Jae-hwan from the first pitch while competing against him, but I think I ended up putting in more effort than I intended. I also remembered striking him out on the 9th (two outs in the 9th inning), and when I relaxed my effort, the results were good recently, but this time I put in more effort." He added, "With the count at 2-0, if he made contact, a big hit could come out, so I was thinking about the next batter and the competition."

Lee Young-ha continued, "When we were on the same team, he was a senior I followed so much. He also took good care of me a lot, so I had a desire not to lose. I think I unconsciously let that affect me. Even though it seems like I'm not thinking about it, that feeling is deep inside, so I think I put in more effort."

Kim Jae-hwan, drafted by Doosan as the fourth pick in the second round of the 2008 draft, played on the Jamsil grounds as Doosan's one-club man for a remarkable 18 years until last season. After the 2021 season ended, he chose to stay with Doosan under a four-year contract worth a total of 11.5 billion won, including a signing bonus of 5.5 billion won, an annual salary of 5.5 billion won, and incentives of 500 million won. However, after last season's contract expired, he left the team without reaching an agreement with Doosan. The team that welcomed him was SSG. He signed a two-year deal worth up to 2.2 billion won and moved. And in his first away game against his former team after the move, Doosan fans' jeers surrounded him for three days straight. How long will the jeers aimed at him continue? The next three-game series between the two teams will also be held at Jamsil Stadium from July 7 to 9.

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*This content was translated by AI.