"First Fall Ball Batting Average of 0.182" — Was Park Jae-hyun Nervous? The Dignity of the "Captain" Who Reassured Him Instead

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Even if the bat falls silent for a moment, faith did not waver. Knowing better than anyone the weight and tension of a big stage, the words of the "Veteran" and captain were exceptionally warm and substantial. KIA Tigers outfielder Na Seong-beom (37) sent a message of solid trust and encouragement to his junior Park Jae-hyun, who is stepping onto the postseason stage for the first time in his career.

Park Jae-hyun (20), who is experiencing the postseason stage for the first time this season, has appeared in five games across the Junior Playoffs and Playoffs, recording four hits in 22 at-bats for a batting average of 0.182. While these figures may be somewhat disappointing compared to his outstanding performance in the regular season, the team's leader Na Seong-beom first pointed out the value of his junior that is hidden behind the numbers.

Ahead of the third playoff game scheduled to be held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on the 29th, Na Seong-beom offered sincere advice when the topic of Park Jae-hyun came up during a meeting with reporters on site.

In response to related questions, Na Seong-beom said, "I think (Park) Jae-hyun is doing well enough right now," adding, "Baseball isn't just about offense, right? Jae-hyun has shown many good things in the defensive aspect as well. I believe he will do well enough today too," lending him strength.

Of course, the senior had already seen through the frustration of not getting a hit under the immense pressure of fall baseball. Na Seong-beom said, "He is going up as a table setter, and it seems that when his hitting isn't going well in the middle of the game, he gets tense once in a while and overthinks things," empathizing with his junior's complex inner thoughts.

However, deep empathy followed instead of criticism. Na Seong-beom stated, "I went through all of this myself when I was young. It is a growth process that everyone goes through," expressing strong belief by adding, "If young players like (Kim) Ho-ryeong and Jae-hyun actively get on base from the front of the lineup today and rattle the bases, there will definitely be good chances for our middle of the order, including me, (Kim) Do-young, and Castro."

On this day, KIA set its starting LINEUP in the following order: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Harold Castro (first baseman), Na Seong-beom (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (designated hitter), Kim Gyu-seong (second baseman), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Ha Ju-seok (shortstop). Park Jae-hyun leads off as the number one hitter.

It is quite intriguing to see whether Park Jae-hyun, backed by his senior's solid support, can shake off the pressure of fall under the Veteran's encouragement and swing a bat that turns things around.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original