'Iron Man who played every game → stuck in a slump tunnel' Bae Jeong-dae: "My identity as a player did waver, but I realized that playing is what brings me happiness."

*This content was translated by AI.

"If I feel I am not helping my team as a player, my identity shakes greatly. But I realized that players are happiest and most satisfied when they play on the baseball field."

Bae Jeong-dae (31), an outfielder for KT Wiz who has finally begun to prove his value after a long tunnel of struggle, openly shared his inner thoughts about what he has been through.

On the 8th at Suwon KT Wiz Park, Bae Jeong-dae started as the seventh-order hitter and center fielder against Kiwoom Heroes, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored to lead his team to a 7-3 victory. This followed his game-winning, two-RBI double off Kiwoom's starting pitcher An Woo-jin the previous day (the 7th), marking back-to-back multi-hit games and RBIs as he signaled his comeback.

In fact, from the 2020 season through the 2022 season, Bae Jeong-dae played in all regular-season games for three consecutive years (144 games total), earning a reputation as KT's permanent starter and an "iron man." With his clutch ability, he was also known as the "walk-off man" and the "problem solver," but recent times have been filled with deep contemplation and emotional hardship. After posting his worst performance since debut last season (batting average of 0.204), he was even demoted to the minor league this season after losing his spot in the first-division roster.

After the game, Bae Jeong-dae said, "I am most satisfied and happy that I helped the team win for two consecutive days," while also confessing his honest feelings from the past.

He stated, "This season, I started as a backup due to many shortcomings. Until now, I didn't know how else I could help the team beyond defense, which caused me great mental strain. It is true that my identity as a player wavered significantly when I felt I was not contributing to the team."

He has now decided to humbly accept his weaknesses. Bae Jeong-dae explained, "In the past, I focused on hitting hard balls, but I have now set aside that ambition. Now, I am concentrating solely on making precise contact at the sweet spot (the center of the bat)."

To overcome this crisis, he devoted himself to an intense training regimen where he emptied his mind. Whenever his batting feel dipped during games, he would immediately rush to the indoor cage to correct his swing. Even during the game on the 8th, after hitting his first hit, he felt something was off and went into the indoor cage mid-game to review his swing further. He said that recalling the handfeel and instincts he valued most proved highly effective.

Furthermore, he remained composed even with the signing of Choi Won-jun, who is currently excelling as KT's starting center fielder and the league's batting leader. Bae Jeong-dae remarked, "When I first saw (Choi) Won-jun join our team, I thought we had acquired a truly necessary player because he is a type of player we didn't have before." He added, "I do not feel that my position was pushed aside just because a senior or junior player performed well. I am me, and Won-jun is Won-jun," demonstrating his strong inner resolve.

Having secured a meaningful turning point late in the first half, Bae Jeong-dae's remaining goals for this season are modest. He said, "I feel like I have been resting for nearly 80 games this season. I won't get carried away just because I played well in two games; I will focus on maintaining this form." He emphasized, "Most importantly, I felt that players are happiest when they play baseball and make plays. My goal for the second half is to participate in as many games as possible."

Finally, Bae Jeong-dae said, "Today is Manager Lee Kang-cheol's birthday, so I am most happy to have given him a joyful gift with this victory," before finally breaking into a wide smile and departing to prepare for the game on the 9th.

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*This content was translated by AI.