With a batting average of 0.417 over the last 10 games and only eight runs scored... 'The leadoff hitter who won't return.' Doosan misses Park Chan-ho, who stomps on home plate and roars.

*This content was translated by AI.

He reaches base again and steals bases, yet rarely makes it all the way home. Park Chan-ho (31), Doosan Bears' leadoff hitter, sees his dirt-stained uniform go unrewarded once more.

Ahead of this season, Park Chan-ho joined Doosan on a four-year, 8 billion won free agent contract. Arriving at Jamsil with high expectations, he has played in 118 regular-season games, posting a .293 batting average (440 at-bats, 129 hits), five home runs, 47 RBIs, 72 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases, along with a .362 on-base percentage and .389 slugging percentage, fulfilling his role as leadoff hitter. His recent hitting form is at its peak: over the last 10 games, he has hit .417 (36 at-bats, 15 hits), drawn six walks, and successfully stolen six bases.

The problem is that despite reaching base and running so diligently, he has only crossed home plate eight times. The game against LG Twins on the 2nd at Jamsil perfectly encapsulated the frustrating situation facing Park Chan-ho and Doosan's lineup. In the bottom of the first inning, as the leadoff batter, Park hit a ground ball single to left field off LG starter Kim Yun-sik. He immediately stole second base, putting himself in scoring position. However, no follow-up hits came through, and the inning ended without him scoring.

In his second opportunity, he even managed to score himself. Down 0-4 in the bottom of the third, as the leadoff batter, he drew a walk and stole second base again. When Jo Su-hyeung hit a fly ball to right field, Park advanced to third base. Then, when Park Jun-soon delivered a sacrifice fly to left field, Park sprinted home. It was Doosan's only run of the day.

In the seventh inning, Park reached base again with a single up the middle. When Kang Seung-ho hit a ground ball single to left field, there were two outs with runners on first and second, sparking hope for a comeback. However, Park Jun-soon grounded into a double play to shortstop, and Park once again failed to score, trudging back to the dugout.

Park Jun-soon left a bitter taste with two double plays that day. However, it would be unfair to blame him for the loss, given he is only in his second professional season. The real issue was the silence from the heart of the lineup. The 4th through 6th batters—Yang Eui-ji, Ahn Jae-seok, and Yuneo Severino—went hitless in 12 at-bats with three strikeouts. Despite Park reaching base three times and Doosan generating seven hits as a team, they managed only one run and lost 1-5.

This aligns precisely with the recent concerns of Doosan manager Kim Won-hyeong. Ahead of the game on the 2nd, reflecting on the previous day's 1-3 loss, Manager Kim said, "It was a bit disappointing that some batters failed to capitalize on their opportunities." In fact, in the game on the 1st, Doosan recorded not a single hit from the fifth through ninth innings. In the final rivalry match at Jamsil Baseball Stadium over two days, Doosan managed only two runs against LG.

The situation ahead is even more frustrating. Following the loss on the 2nd, Doosan sits in fifth place with a record of 61 wins, four draws, and 54 losses. They trail third-place LG Twins by four games and fourth-place KIA Tigers by two games. Although they still hold a six-game lead over sixth-place NC Dinos, NC is on a five-game winning streak and closing the gap, so there is no room for complacency.

Moreover, after the game concludes on the 14th, top-tier pitchers Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok, along with .300 hitter Park Jun-soon, will join the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national team. They will be absent from the lineup for approximately two weeks. For Doosan, which has managed only four wins in six losses over their last 10 games, this decline in offensive production is particularly painful.

There is little more to expect from Park Chan-ho. He reaches base via hits and walks, then uses his speed to quickly reach scoring position. As a result, his uniform, always spotless before the game, becomes covered in dirt by the end. What Doosan truly wants is for Park to sprint all the way home after someone else's hit, roar as he crosses the plate, and return to the dugout triumphantly. Fans no longer wish to see Park Chan-ho returning to the dugout with a look of helplessness on his face.

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*This content was translated by AI.