Park Hae-min taught him defense; Choi Hyung-woo taught him attitude — Park Seung-gyu learned life from books... and in doing so, became someone else's role model [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I want to be like Senior Park Seung-gyu. He is my current role model."

The fearless sprint of Samsung Lions outfielder Park Seung-gyu (26) has become a goal for a promising high school baseball player.

On April 22, during the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs and bases loaded in the Daegu SSG Landers game, Park Seung-gyu ran all the way to third base despite being just one double away from achieving a "hit for the cycle." While some praised his record-breaking pursuit of the cycle, others questioned his decision: "Why did you run that far?" Yet, his determination to advance to third base for the team left an impression as the kind of attitude a baseball player should embody.

Among those inspired was Jo Hwi-won (18), an infielder at Gwangju Ilgo High School, whom StarNews met in Gwangju last month. Jo stated firmly: "When I join the KBO, I want to meet Senior Choi Jung and Senior Park Seung-gyu at least once. Especially from Park Seung-gyu’s play, I felt his intense desire. Even though he could have stopped at second base, seeing him run all the way to third taught me so much. Now, Senior Park Seung-gyu is my role model."

Typically, high school players’ role models are stars who represent that year’s league — such as Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) in 2022 and Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers) in 2024. That is why it was even more surprising that Park Seung-gyu, an eighth-year player who has never completed a full-time season, appeared on their lists.

Even after learning that someone had chosen him as a role model, Park Seung-gyu remained calm. When StarNews met him recently in Daegu, he said: "When I ran to third base, many people around me reacted with comments like, 'I knew you’d do that,' or 'Why did you run? You fool.' They expressed their concern quite a bit." He spoke only about the reactions at the time, holding back further details.

As he is still competing for a starting position, his answers were calm and cautious. Park Seung-gyu graduated from Ilsan Elementary School, Deoksu Middle School, and Gyeonggi High School before being selected by Samsung in the second round (82nd overall) of the 2019 KBO Rookie Draft. Until last year, he had never played more than 200 plate appearances in a single season.

This year, he demonstrated explosive power-hitting ability and officially rose as a full-fledged first-division member. Park Seung-gyu contributed to Samsung’s top-half ranking with a .286 batting average (62 hits in 217 at-bats), nine home runs, 34 RBIs, 46 runs scored, six stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.903 across 69 games.

Nevertheless, Park Seung-gyu humbly replied: "Honestly, I don’t even think I’m performing well right now. But it seems my recent results are improving because I’ve addressed the weaknesses I identified through last year’s experience. However, after playing another season, I can see areas that still need improvement."

Park Seung-gyu also grew by looking up to others. In his childhood, he admired Choo Shin-soo (44, retired), and during his rookie years, he followed Park Hae-min (36, LG Twins) closely, striving to learn even one more thing about defense.

He recalled: "To survive in the pros as a young player, I had to focus on defense, which was my relative strength. At that time, our team had Park Hae-min, the league’s best center fielder, and I wanted to emulate his attitude toward the game and his defensive skills, so I kept following him and asking questions."

Park Hae-min generously shared his expertise with a junior player at the same position. Park Seung-gyu said: "Thanks to Senior Park Hae-min guiding my direction, I was able to practice with clear understanding. Although I haven’t yet mastered everything I’ve learned, if my defense improves in the future, it will be thanks to him." He added with a smile: "I followed him so closely back then that he became quite annoying, and now I still feel like an older brother. We stay in touch often, and when we meet, we joke around freely."

While he learned defense from Park Hae-min in his early twenties, now in his mid-twenties, Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung) has become his new guiding figure. Park Seung-gyu stated: "I thought my role model from high school was gone forever and would never return. But watching Senior Choi Hyung-woo closely this year changed my mind. I want to emulate everything about him and learn every possible lesson."

Although they did not train together during spring camp, Park Seung-gyu began having serious conversations with Choi Hyung-woo starting from the exhibition games. He is learning not only batting techniques but also how to accept failure and maintain a professional mindset. Park Seung-gyu expressed gratitude: "They say a batter is considered successful if he gets a hit three times out of ten, but I used to worry when my results were poor in several at-bats. Whenever I felt confused, Senior Choi Hyung-woo taught me extensively how to compose himself and shared the know-how he gained through trial and error."

He continued: "I’ve also learned a lot about his attitude toward baseball. Even when not feeling well, he tries to play, and I always see him warming up first. This made me realize he is a player who knows exactly what he needs to do and acts on it. I ask him many questions during games too. Just like I used to bother Senior Park Hae-min back then, I now do the same with Senior Choi Hyung-woo. Yet, he treats me without hesitation, making it easy for me to approach him." He smiled as he spoke.

While learning from seniors on the field, Park Seung-gyu reads books every day off the field. He began reading during his time with the Army Baseball Team (SAMC), aiming to learn about lives he has not experienced and to find the right direction more quickly.

Park Seung-gyu shared: "I started reading books because I wanted to have a slightly more positive influence on those around me. Surprisingly, it has helped me greatly in baseball as well. Books also teach me about parts of life I haven’t experienced, so I observe and learn many aspects of how to approach life."

He added: "As I mentioned earlier, just as Senior Park Hae-min and Senior Choi Hyung-woo have guided my direction, I believe books also lead me in a positive direction. By doing so, I think I can reach my desired goals a bit faster, which is why I keep reading."

Through constant guidance from seniors and books, Park Seung-gyu has unexpectedly become a role model for younger players. When asked about it, he expressed more sense of responsibility than pride. He said honestly: "I’ve heard before that some people consider me their role model. At that time, I wasn’t mature enough, so it felt somewhat burdensome. But now, I hope those young players who look up to me can find a slightly better direction."

He concluded with a smile: "Now, I live by the belief that 'my words gain strength only when my actions match them.' If my conduct helps young players move in a positive direction, then it will be good for me as well."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.