Excluding Choi Hyung-woo? It was Manager Park Jin-man’s consideration! "If not for that, why would he have gone through someone else? He usually speaks without any hidden agenda..."

*This content was translated by AI.

This season, 'the problem solver' Choi Hyung-woo (43), who had reliably served as the designated hitter in Samsung Lions’ core batting lineup, was suddenly excluded from the starting LINE-up for the match against Jamsil Doosan Bears on the 16th. It was neither a disciplinary measure nor part of a simple rotation plan. It reflected manager Park Jin-man (50)’s deep consideration, having first understood the complex inner thoughts of the veteran hitter.

On the 16th, Samsung announced its starting LINE-up ahead of the away game against Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium. The lineup was arranged as follows: Kim Sung-yoon (left fielder), Park Seung-gyu (center fielder), Koo Ja-wook (right fielder), Diaz (first baseman), Lee Chang-yong (designated hitter), Jeon Byeong-woo (third baseman), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), Kang Min-ho (catcher), and Shim Jae-hoon (shortstop). On the mound, foreign pitcher Chris Fedek will make his starting appearance.

The most eye-catching point was undoubtedly the exclusion of fourth hitter Choi Hyung-woo. Choi had started as the designated hitter in the previous day’s (the 15th) match against Daegu Lotte Giants, recording one hit and one RBI in five at-bats, stabilizing the lineup. However, his name did not appear in the LINE-up for that day’s away game at Jamsil. Lewin Diaz moved up one spot to the fourth hitter position, while rookie Lee Chang-yong, who had delivered two clutch RBIs the previous day, was boldly inserted as the fifth hitter.

Ahead of the the 16th match, manager Park Jin-man met with on-site reporters and openly explained the background behind Choi Hyung-woo’s exclusion. While physical factors were involved, he stated that the decision was primarily made by the commander to relieve the player’s psychological burden caused by striking out in his final at-bat of the previous day in the bottom of the 8th inning.

When asked about the matter, manager Park Jin-man began by saying, "(Choi) Hyung-woo seemed a bit strained. Every hitter goes through cycles, doesn’t he?" He then explained, "It seems he was carrying a heavy heart after striking out in yesterday’s crucial final at-bat. That must have made him mentally struggle."

Park manager then mentioned his usual communication style with Choi Hyung-woo, who is a close friend, and smiled faintly. He said, "(Choi) Hyung-woo usually comes directly to me without any hidden agenda to offer opinions or suggestions freely. But today, he couldn’t come directly to me and instead conveyed his message through someone else."

Manager Park immediately understood that Choi had suffered greatly from self-blame and emotional distress, to the point where he could not approach the commander directly. Park stated, "I wondered how much he must have been struggling if he couldn't come directly and had to go through someone else. Seeing that, I thought, 'Ah, he must be mentally and emotionally exhausted right now,' revealing his warm trust and consideration for the veteran hitter."

In Choi Hyung-woo’s vacant spot steps up Lee Chang-yong, who emerged as a hero the previous day. On the 15th during the Lotte match, in the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs and runners on first and second, Lee hit a two-run double down the right-field line against opposing pitcher Lee Jin-ha, driving in two runs to secure a 7-3 victory for his team. Manager Park praised Lee Chang-yong, saying, "He delivered valuable RBIs in a crucial situation yesterday and has been showing excellent form consistently in recent at-bats. It’s not easy to come off the bench and produce results, but he’s riding a good momentum. Since he also has strengths against left-handed pitchers, we placed him in the LINE-up. I hope he continues to make the most of the opportunities he gets."

Meanwhile, captain Koo Ja-wook, who had recovered from symptoms of a cold and returned the previous day, leads the lineup again as the third hitter in right field for two consecutive days. Regarding Koo’s physical condition, manager Park said, "He is not yet at 100% physically, but he is stepping up with the sense of responsibility as a senior player and captain of the team. Just like he hit an important hit in his final at-bat in the 8th inning yesterday, he is definitely a key player who must be in our LINE-up," offering high praise.

Under the commander’s meticulous consideration, Choi Hyung-woo takes a day to rest and recover. Meanwhile, rookie Lee Chang-yong steps up to fill the void. It remains quite intriguing whether Samsung, which has implemented a bold LINE-up restructuring, can continue its winning streak against Doosan on their away trip to Jamsil.

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*This content was translated by AI.