'How could this be?' 38-year-old, 35-year-old, and 32-year-old all told to go to the 2nd division... What does this truly mean?

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears veterans Son A-seop (38) and Yang Seok-hwan (35) have once again been sent down to the 2nd division. Earlier, on the 18th, infielder Kang Seung-ho (32) also received notice to join the 2nd division. This sends a clear message that if players cannot produce results in the 1st division, they can no longer survive there.

Doosan removed Yang Seok-hwan from the 1st division roster the previous day (the 22nd).

Yang Seok-hwan had been called up to the 1st division on the 18th and immediately received playing opportunities. Having been registered on the 1st division roster for the first time in 47 days, he raised expectations by recording his 200th career double and delivering a multi-hit performance.

When he stepped up to the plate, the crowd's cheers were unusually loud. After the game, he said, "I am grateful to the fans who cheered for me with such loud voices when I came to bat," showing his appreciation for their support.

However, unfortunately, that was as far as it went. From the 19th to the 21st, Yang Seok-hwan started in all three games against the LG Twins. Yet, he remained silent with 0-for-3, 0-for-4, and 0-for-2 in each game, respectively, bowing his head in disappointment. The team also lost all three games in the Jamsil rivalry series, falling into a three-game losing streak.

Doosan manager Kim Won-hyeong, the team's commander, stated before the game on the 20th regarding Yang Seok-hwan, "While it is important for a veteran to fulfill his role, it is more important that he first does what he must do." This ultimately meant that producing results on the field is the top priority.

Manager Kim continued, "You have spent a long time in the 2nd division, and when you return after a long absence, you must show your performance for the team. That is what is best for the team," he emphasized. The roster spot vacated by Yang Seok-hwan will be filled by Park Jun-soon, who has recently returned from injury.

Before Yang Seok-hwan, Doosan removed another veteran from the roster ahead of the game on the 21st. That player was Son A-seop. Son has appeared in 35 games this season, recording a batting average of 0.254, one home run, 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.602. Although he had a three-hit game against the KIA Tigers on the 12th, he managed only 2 hits in 11 at-bats over the following four games.

Ultimately, the commander's decision was to send him to the 2nd division. At the time of his removal, Manager Kim explained the background: "(Yang) Ui-ji injured his hand, making defense difficult, so we had to bring up another catcher, (Ryu) Hyun-jun. Consequently, with many outfielders on the roster, (Son) A-seop had to be sent down." Doosan is also seeing good performance from another outfielder, Ryu Seung-min, who has appeared in seven games with a batting average of 0.444.

Last season, under a rebuilding strategy, young players gained valuable experience. This season, Doosan is not only continuing its existing rebuilding efforts but also aiming for better results, including the acquisition of external free agent Park Chan-ho.

Eventually, young players must become the core of Doosan. Doosan has consistently avoided falling into the lower standings since the early part of this season, hovering around a .500 winning percentage. Two foreign pitchers (Jack Logg and Benjamin), two national team pitchers (Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok), and what can be described as the KBO League's strongest bullpen (Park Chi-guk, Lee Yong-chan, Kim Taek-yeon, and Lee Young-ha) are holding strong. With veterans in the field receiving instructions to go to the 2nd division one after another, the need for young batters to step up has become even more urgent. Who will be the player to truly earn the approval of Doosan fans?

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*This content was translated by AI.