“I am a player who has to hit 20 home runs to be of any merit.”
Doosan Bears Yang Seok-hwan started as the 5th hitter and first baseman in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League game against the Samsung Lions held at Jamsil Stadium on the 10th, and recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, and 1 stolen base. An 8-2 victory over Doosan.안전놀이터
Seok-Hwan Yang’s home run hit in the 5th inning. Doosan had a chance with Kim Jae-hwan’s double to left and Jose Rojas’ walk with two outs and runners on first and second base. At this time, Yang Seok-hwan targeted opposing pitcher Noh Geon-woo’s 143km fastball and fired a three-run over the center wall. This is the moment when Yang Seok-hwan’s 19th home run of the season was recorded.
Yang Seok-hwan now has only one home run left until his 20th home run. Seok-Hwan Yang, who moved from the LG Twins to Doosan through a trade in 2021, hit 28 home runs in the first year of the move and 20 home runs in 2022. If he hits just one more home run this year, he will achieve the 20 home run record for three consecutive years and prove once again that he is a ‘Jamsil slugger.’
After the game, Seok-Hwan Yang said, “I have only one home run left to reach 20 home runs, but I am not very impressed. I have to hit a home run. From the beginning of the season, I have always said, ‘If I cannot hit 20 home runs, I am a player with no merit.’ At least 20 home runs.” “I think I need to hit ,” he said, pledging to achieve the 20 home run mark.
Considering his recent pace, it doesn’t seem difficult to achieve 20 home runs for three consecutive years. Seok-Hwan Yang has been performing well with 2 home runs and a batting average of 0.343 (12 hits in 35 at-bats) in the last 10 games. He said, “The batting cycle has good and bad times throughout the season. It hasn’t been good so far, but the pace is picking up again.”
However, you cannot let your guard down. Yang Seok-hwan said, “It took three days for the 19th home run to come out from the 18th home run. When a home run comes out, it tends to come out often. Conversely, when it doesn’t hit, it doesn’t come out again. I think (someday) 20 home runs will come out,” he said. He expressed his hope that a home run would hit.
I also have a great desire for fall baseball. Seok-Hwan Yang played in the Korean Series in the first year of his transfer, but swallowed his disappointment last year as Doosan ended the season in 9th place. This season, it ranked second at one point, but fell back to mid-tier. As of the 10th, Doosan ranked 6th with 59 wins, 1 draw, and 57 losses and a winning percentage of 0.509. They have 3 games to go with the 5th placed SSG Landers and the 4th placed KIA Tigers ahead of their winning percentage. Doosan is also in a position to compete for the top five until the end of the season.
So the results of the remaining games are important. Doosan will play a two-game series against SSG in Jamsil starting on the 13th. Also, starting on the 15th, they will play a three-game series against KIA. Looking further ahead, Doosan has three games remaining against SSG, including a double header from the 26th to the 27th. Depending on the results, there remains a possibility that Doosan could overturn its ranking.
Yang Seok-hwan said, “The players haven’t talked about the remaining game schedule in particular. But even if they don’t say anything, they know that there are still important games. That’s why the players don’t want to miss the game even if they are a little tired and in pain.” “I think these performances will definitely be of great help to the team,” he said, expressing his desire to advance to the postseason.
If Yang Seok-hwan adds weight to the central batting lineup, Doosan can also occupy a higher ranking. He expressed his determination, saying, “Home runs are important to win more games. During a winning streak, a lot of home runs were hit. During a losing streak, there were not many home runs. As there are many important games left, I think I need to hit better.”