Could the KBO's first foreign captain emerge from LG... Even on the day he hit a bases-loaded home run and a multi-homer, he looked out for his teammates

*This content was translated by AI.

Could a foreign captain, never seen in the 45th-year history of the KBO, finally be born? If one were to emerge, LG Twins, which holds Austin Dean (33), would likely be one of the top contenders.

Austin is currently one of the most beloved players at LG. From his first year with the team, he posted a .300 batting average with 23 home runs and 95 RBIs, fulfilling the club's 29-year-old dream of winning the Korean Series. He then hit .300 with 30 home runs in each of the following two consecutive years, securing another Korean Series championship last year. As a result, he is regarded by LG fans as the greatest foreign hitter in the club's history.

This year, LG is challenging for the MVP award, a title the club has never won in its 45-year history. As of the conclusion of games on the 12th, he is delivering top-tier performance with a .349 batting average (88 hits in 252 at-bats) over 63 games, along with 19 home runs, 59 RBIs, 53 runs scored, a .420 on-base percentage, a .659 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.079.

LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) explained ahead of the Jamsil Lotte game on the 12th, "Austin is a player specialized for the KBO League. He faced difficulties in defense and other areas last year, but he prepared well from camp this year. While there are technical aspects, his mental maturity has improved significantly, making him much better."

Austin frequently expresses his affection for LG and Korea, earning him the nickname "Mr. Jamsil" from fans. During last year's spring camp, he confidently stated, "As many fans know, there is no player who cares for LG more than I do. It would be difficult for LG to find a foreign player who loves the team as much as I do." He also declared his ambition, "I want to stay with LG as long as possible. Since I have regained my passion and love for baseball in Korea, I want to play here for a long time. My goal is to become the longest-serving foreign player in the KBO."

Furthermore, with his unique approachability, he personally looks after younger players and newly arrived foreign teammates, earning praise for leading LG's unique team culture alongside Park Hae-min (36), Oh Ji-hwan (36), Park Dong-won (36), Lim Chan-kyu (34), and Hong Chang-ki (33).

A recent game on the 10th, where LG defeated SSG Landers 8-6 after a tight contest, was a good example. That day, Austin hit a walk-off bases-loaded home run in the bottom of the fifth inning while trailing 2-5, leading LG to a dramatic comeback victory with three hits in three at-bats (two home runs), five RBIs, three runs scored, and one walk.

After the game, Austin said, "I am really happy that the team won. Hitting the bases-loaded home run allowed me to energize the dugout, and I am glad I could contribute to the team's victory." He added, "In a bases-loaded situation, I intended to hit an outfield fly to allow the team to score. This season, I have focused intensely on generating hard-hit balls, and it seems that effort paid off with the home run."

But that was not the end. That day, LG's pitching staff struggled against SSG's fierce lineup, and young batters such as Song Chan-ui and Gu Bon-hyeok stepped up. Austin even paid attention to this aspect. At the time, LG's starting pitcher, Lachlan Wells, struggled, allowing five earned runs over 4⅓ innings. The new foreign pitcher, Yacel Rioseco, made his KBO debut just one day after arriving from Japan.

Austin expressed his sincerity, saying, "The pitchers worked very hard. Especially, Rioseco showed a professional attitude by taking the mound without properly adjusting to the time difference. Son Ju-young came in during the ninth inning and recorded a clean save. I want to thank the relief pitchers for their hard work."

He continued, "It is undeniable that Moon Bo-kyung and Moon Sung-ju's return has been a huge help to the team. However, when they were absent, Gu Bon-hyeok and Song Chan-ui filled the void well, allowing us to achieve good results," offering words of encouragement.

It sounded like comments from a captain or a winning coach. However, upon hearing manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's remarks the next day, it was not surprising. Manager Yeom smiled and said, "Actually, up until last year, Austin was scolded by (Park) Hae-min and even criticized by teammates. There were moments of hesitation during games, but that has completely disappeared this year. Last year, he still had some foreign-like behaviors, but this year he has fully adapted to Korean culture. I think he knows what the best behavior is in the KBO League."

There has never been a case in the 45th-year history of the KBO where a foreign player served as a full-time captain for a team. Jose Pirela (37) briefly served as captain of the Samsung Lions in 2022, but it was only a temporary role. The main reasons are language barriers and cultural differences, as well as the limitations of foreign player contracts, which become uncertain each year depending on performance. Austin, who aims to be the longest-serving foreign hitter and dreams of staying with LG for his entire career, will see how far he can go.

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*This content was translated by AI.