“Director Lee Seung-yeop hasn’t even seen that player yet.”스포츠토토
A high-ranking official of the Doosan Bears smiled heartily, remembering outfielder Kim Tae-geun (27). It was after he praised his growth by mentioning one by one the outfield prospects who competed more fiercely than ever. Currently, outfielders Kim In-tae (29), Yang Chan-yeol (27), Kim Dae-han (23), and Song Seung-hwan (23) participate in the Australian spring camp and are sweating.
Unlike the 4 above, Kim Tae-geun did not have a chance to see director Lee himself. On July 26, last year, when Kim Tae-geun returned from Sangmu, he started as a center fielder for the 9th hitter against the Lotte Giants in Jamsil, reporting his first hit and RBI in his debut, raising expectations. Until the game against Lotte on July 27, he was very active with 2 hits in 4 at-bats (1 double) and 2 RBIs in 2 games, and he managed to get a spot in the outfield, but his left ankle Achilles tendon ruptured in the defense process, so he went straight to the operating table.
Kim Tae-geun did not have a chance to show off his skills in the rehabilitation process even after manager Lee took over, but he has the presence to threaten the outfielders in Australia at any time. He upgraded his hitting in Sangmu, and he also has quick feet to run the 100m in 11.00 seconds. Returning from his injury, he looks like he could be included in the manager’s options this season.
Ahead of this season, Doosan recruited Jose Rojas (30), a new foreign hitter, for a total of $1 million. It is the aftermath that a replacement for Park Gun-woo (33), who signed a 6-year, 10 billion won free agent contract with the NC Dinos ahead of last season and transferred, has not appeared for a year. Jose Miguel Fernandez (35), who played an active role as a filial foreign hitter for the past four seasons, was also showing a clear decline. It was time to change the team in many ways.
With the $1 million investment, the outfield has become a battlefield for promising players. Fourth hitter Kim Jae-hwan (35) is holding out in left field, and Jung Su-bin (33), who boasts the best defense in the league, is holding out in center field. At the beginning of spring camp, the composition of left fielder Kim Jae-hwan, center fielder Sue-bin Su, and right fielder Rojas is drawn.
Coach Lee is having a headache every day thinking about how to appoint as many good players as possible. One of the methods is to use Kim Jae-hwan or Rojas as a designated hitter once. It would be icing on the cake if he could give even one more at-bat a chance to develop prospects who sweated all winter while maintaining the firepower of the other line, and further prepare for the future of Doosan.
From my experience so far, Kim In-tae is the most advanced in the competition. He played in 410 first-team career games, posting a batting average of .243, 19 home runs, and 108 RBIs. Last year, due to a hamstring injury, he missed an opportunity to be the starting right fielder and is preparing for the new season with great pride.
Kim Dae-han, Song Seung-hwan, and Yang Chan-yeol have returned from their military service last year and are making their mark. Dae-Han Kim and Seung-Hwan Song showed their batting talent with outstanding power from last year’s finish camp to spring camp, and are highly praised by Coach Lee, Head Coach Kim Han-Soo, and Coach Goto’s Hitting Coach.
Yang Chan-yeol is attracting attention as a hitter suitable for baseball with a higher base, as long as coach Lee prefers. Coach Lee praised Yang Chan-yeol for stealing three times in a practice game against SSG Landers last October, saying, “I’m a big hitter, but I like that kind of play.” Yang Chan-yeol is training fiercely with the goal of surviving until the opening entry.
As the $100 investment closed the gap, there was a risk that the morale of young players would be weakened. However, young players who have learned from watching Doosan’s Hwasubun baseball are trying to create gaps by using several times more strength.