From Kang Jeong-ho to Lee Dae-ho, there are plenty of people to help. ‘0.218 batting average’ Han Dong-hee can be revived?
“Han Dong-hee is too nice. She needs to be tougher.”
It was an unexpected slump. The fall was all the more shocking because she was on her way to the peak of her career.
This is the story of Han Dong-hee of the Lotte Giants. This year, he’s batting just 2-for-8 with five home runs, 31 RBIs, and an OPS of .571. It’s a frustrating setback for a player who had been on a roll for the past three years, hitting 48 home runs and averaging an OPS of over 0.8.
It’s not a lack of training or a lack of motivation. Earlier this year, he traveled to Guam ahead of spring training and started training early with senior Jung Hoon. He was one of only two players on the team to receive an incentive contract this year. It was also the year of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Perhaps his eagerness got the better of him, as he faced the worst season of his career. A little better than 2019, his second year, but not much.
After fighting for a top-five finish until the end of the season, Lotte failed to qualify for the postseason for the sixth consecutive year. 먹튀검증토토사이트 It was a season in which the club invested heavily, signing three free agents. “Even if Han Dong-hee had hit as well as last year, she would have gone to fall baseball,” a team official lamented.
It’s even more frustrating that Han’s fellow third baseman, Han’s junior at Gyeongnam High School, is having a career-high season, leading the league in home runs and RBIs and being considered for MVP. Ryu Jung-il’s Asian Games team won the gold medal and included three Lotte non-fielders. But Han Dong-hee’s name was not among them.
At the beginning of the season, a change in batting form was an issue. Sajik has the highest fence in the league at 6 meters high. On the other hand, Han Dong-hee, along with teammate Ko Seung-min, had the best batting speed in the league, but her low launch angle was considered a weakness.
The change in batting form returned within the first month of the season, but both players struggled throughout the season. Rookie Yoon Dong-hee filled Ko Seung-min’s spot in right field, but there was no replacement for Han Dong-hee’s faltering third base. The team even brought in a new outfielder, Gudrum, to fill in for Lee Hak-joo and Park Seung-wook, but even that failed and became the team’s weakness in the offense throughout the season.
The reason for Han Dong-hee’s decline is psychological. She blames herself because she’s too good, and her mistakes keep lingering in her head, so it’s a vicious cycle.
There are many people who want to help. Former major leaguer Kang Jeong-ho and presidential candidate Lee Dae-ho are two of them.
Lee Dae-ho is a senior at Gyeongnam Go-Lotte and watched Han Dong-hee from afar until last year. He said, “(Noh) Shi-hwan and Dong-hee will see my face every winter,” and at his retirement ceremony, he handed over his responsibilities to his successor, saying, “Uncle is leaving, but I want you to be a hero for Lotte fans.”
I feel very sorry that the ‘post-Lee Dae-ho’ collapsed this year. Lee Dae-ho recently said on his YouTube channel, “(Han) Dong-hee is a player with endless potential for development. I think her confidence dropped even more because she was in and out of the game. There can’t be no pressure. He also recalled being heartbroken by Han Dong-hee’s plea, “Senior, it’s too hard.” He said, “In the future, I’m looking forward to (Lotte’s) fourth season. He said, “You have to take care of (Lotte’s) No. 4 hitter in the future. There is no other hitter in Lotte with Dong-hee’s talent and skill.”
Lee added, “I have time in the winter. After the season, I will change Dong-hee. I will raise her. I will help her mentally,” he emphasized.
In addition to Lee, Kang Jung-ho, who runs a hitting class in the United States, also spoke highly of Han Dong-hee. Although he is no longer on the same team as Han, he is the one who revived Son Asub, who had been on the sidelines for a while. Son acknowledged the “Kang Jeong-ho effect” and said he would be back this winter with junior Kim Joo-won.
Kang Jeong-ho blamed Han Dong-hee’s batting form for his struggles. “Her center of gravity is too far back at the moment of impact, and her upper body is standing without moving forward, so there is too little space in her right hip area. Her torso rotation is fast, so her hips open quickly and her body shoots to the left. So the percentage of pulling is too high,” he pointed out, adding, “I want him to come to me after the season. Someone put him in touch with me.”
A resurgence of Han Dong-hee is essential if the team is to escape the dark ages of 8888577’s “password era”.