LG Electronics 4 at-bats, 3 hits, 1 walk, very active... 30% batting average challenge in 6 years RBI
solo leader-home run co-leader "I don't have personal greed"
Choi Jeong (36), the leading hitter of the professional baseball SSG Landers, was a hitter who had both batting ability and slugging power in the past.
He ranked 3rd in overall batting average in the KBO League with a batting average of 0.328 in 2008, and from 2010 to 2014, he continued to bat 300 for five consecutive seasons.
However, starting from the 2018 season, Choi Jeong-eun showed a different path.
His slugging power was still the same, and his RBI ability also maintained the highest level in the league, but he was disappointed with his accurate hitting.
From 2018 to last season, he only batted in the 20% range for 5 consecutive seasons.
But this year, it feels like it's back to its heyday.
He posted a batting average of 0.311 in 73 games in the first half, with 19 homers and 58 RBIs.
Choi Jeong-ui’s true value continued in his first game of the second half, an away game against the LG Twins on the 21st.
Choi Jeong-eun started as the designated hitter in the match against LG at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul and led the team to a 6-4 victory with 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 RBIs and 1 run in 4 at-bats.
In fact, Choi Jeong’s condition was not that good.
He injured his left thigh muscle against the KIA Tigers on the 5th and has not been able to play for over 15 days.
It is expected that the feeling of hitting has greatly decreased as he has not been able to digest the actual game for more than two weeks.
However, Choi Jeong-eun showed off his extraordinary batting ability.
In his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, he attacked LG starter Casey Kelly's first pitch and scored a hit to left-center.
It was hard to believe that he was a player who had been out of power for over a fortnight.
At the beginning of the 5th inning, when the score was 2-2, Kelly threw a first pitch and a falling curveball, and exploded a double at the right time in the middle left.
In the 7th inning, he hit a double at the right time against the changed pitcher Deok-ju Ham, with 1 out and 1 base, and got a walk in the last at-bat in the 9th inning.
Choi Jeong-eun, who we met after the game, said, "Actually, I was very nervous because I hadn't seen the pitcher's ball."
He continued, "I thought it would be disadvantageous if I fought numbers in my first match with Kelly, so I swung boldly from the first pitch, but luckily I got a hit."
With this game, he raised his season batting average to 0.317 and rose to 6th place in the KBO League.
The home run is tied for first place, and the RBI (60) is the sole lead.
He said, "My goal for this season was a double-digit home run, and I have already achieved it.