'May Batting Average 0.145' League's Top Designated Hitter Overcomes Slump: "Thanks to the Trust of the Manager and Coaches, I Endured → If LG Finishes First, I'll Be Grateful for Anything"

*This content was translated by AI.

"Even with limited opportunities, if the team wins and finishes first, I will always play baseball with gratitude."

LG Twins' Cheon Seong-ho (29) made the most of a crucial designated hitter opportunity, playing a key role in the team's victory. It was a single swing that broke the tight balance that had persisted until the late innings. This was the moment when LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) made a bold and perfectly timed substitution. The win was invaluable for LG, which had been struggling recently with one win and four losses in its last five games. The team also escaped a two-game losing streak.

Cheon Seong-ho was inserted as a designated hitter in the road game against Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 1st as part of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League'. With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 8th inning and runners on first and second with one out, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop removed Koo Bon-hyuk and sent in Cheon Seong-ho, who had been waiting on deck.

Cheon Seong-ho faced Kiwoom's ace pitcher Won Jong-hyun and connected with a 138 km/h slider after a 1-ball count. The hit became a two-run double down the left-center field gap. Park Hae-min, the runner on second, scored, while Moon Bo-kyung, the runner on first, advanced to third. LG did not stop there. Follow-up hitter Park Dong-won also delivered a two-run double. Starting from Cheon Seong-ho's game-winning hit, LG secured a decisive 10-4 victory.

Cheon Seong-ho, who joined LG via trade last season, was a player who struggled to secure a regular spot, shuttling between the first and second divisions during his time with KT. However, at LG, he effectively filled gaps caused by injuries to key starters and played a valuable role. He was included in LG's roster for the Korean Series last season, contributing to the team's championship.

Cheon Seong-ho started the season strongly. In early March and April, his batting average was an impressive 0.369 (31 hits in 84 at-bats). However, he fell into a severe slump in May. Along with frequent defensive errors, his batting average plummeted. His May performance dropped sharply to a 0.145 batting average in 25 games (10 hits in 69 at-bats).

Despite this, Cheon Seong-ho was not sent down to the second division. After the game on the 1st, Cheon Seong-ho met with reporters and candidly reflected on his May slump, saying, "I realized that I am always this kind of player. I was upset thinking that fans would perceive me this way."

What lifted him up during his struggles was encouragement from those around him. Cheon Seong-ho expressed gratitude, saying, "Coach Mo Chang-min and Coach Kim Jae-yul came to me and said many times, 'You are doing well enough right now. If you prepare well again, opportunities will come, and you can hit as well as you did last April. That performance was not luck, but skill.'"

Commander-in-chief manager Yeom Kyung-yeop also continuously instilled confidence in him as his playing time decreased, saying, "I'm sorry, but opportunities will come again, so please keep preparing well." Cheon Seong-ho shared, "The manager and everyone else always said good things to me. That trust became the catalyst for me to rise again and was a great help."

Although he has been excluded from the starting lineup more frequently recently, Cheon Seong-ho prioritized the "team" over his personal statistics. He stated, "Since the team is doing well, I think that's why I'm not getting many opportunities. If I perform well but the team loses, it's useless. Even though that situation is difficult, I wanted to build the strength to overcome it." This season, Cheon Seong-ho's batting average as a designated hitter stands at 0.417, a performance worthy of being called the league's top specialist.

As he often steps in as a designated hitter in critical moments, he frequently faces opposing ace pitchers. The LG bench, including manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, is fully aware of this. In fact, there were even remarks suggesting that Cheon Seong-ho might be at a disadvantage in terms of recent records. Cheon Seong-ho also smiled and said, "I feel that I am trusted a lot, so I can only feel grateful. Even with limited opportunities, I am preparing to do my best. If the team can win and lead the standings during these opportunities, I will always play baseball with a grateful heart."

Cheon Seong-ho, who endured silently by leaning on the trust of the manager and coaching staff during the darkest tunnel, finally shone with a decisive hit that saved the team from a losing streak. His firm sincerity that he would gladly accept any role for the sake of the team's first-place defense has now paid off.

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*This content was translated by AI.