The Doosan Hwasoo field was not dry. The player who completed the three-game sweep of Hanwha was 26-year-old outfielder Hong Seong-ho, fresh from the second team.
Doosan won the ninth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against Hanwha 2-1 on April 8 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. With the result, Doosan swept a three-game midweek series to improve to 27 wins, one draw, and 24 losses on the season. It was the second sweep of the season for Lee Seung-yeop-ho’s team, which also swept the Jamsil KIA from December 12-14.
A key player in the victory was Hong Seong-ho, who made the first team roster and started in left field at No. 7. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, including the game-winning hit. Starting with the on-field interview with the fans, Hong was happy to take the microphone for the broadcasters and reporters.
From the very first at-bat, the bat was fierce. With runners on first and second in the second inning, he broke the 0-0 tie with a single to right 먹튀검증 field against Hanwha starter Kim Min-woo. After watching the first pitch for a forkball, he pulled the second pitch without missing it for his first RBI. It was the final hit of the day.
In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and the score 2-0, he doubled to center field for his second career multi-hit game. The ball was high and center fielder Moon Hyun-bin was unable to catch the falling ball, making it a lucky hit.
After the game, Hong said, “I never expected my first day of the call-up to be like this. I just wanted it to go smoothly, but I’m glad it worked out.” “From my first at-bat, I didn’t hesitate and swung at the ball as soon as I saw it, so it was a good result. Honestly, I thought the second one was going to go over the center fielder, but I was disappointed that it didn’t. Thank you for taking care of my first hit,” he said after the victory.
Hong is a left-handed outfield prospect who was drafted by Doosan with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2016 KBO Draft out of Sunlin Internet High School. However, contrary to expectations, it took him a long time to make his first-team debut, and he finally got a taste of the first team last year after serving on active duty, batting 1-for-6 in 12 games. This year, he bombed through the Futures League with a .355 average, eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 36 games, earning himself a first-team call-up, and lived up to manager Lee’s faith in him with a strong performance on his first day of enrollment.
“I went into the Futures League with the mindset of, ‘If I do well, they’ll call me up,'” Hong said. I focused only on the game and tried to do well no matter what,” he said, reflecting on his time in the second team. “The second team manager and batting coach both took care of me intensively. Whether I was playing well or not, I kept training and I think it paid off today, so I want to thank them.”
It was his first first-team call-up of the season, but he was able to keep his mental game under control thanks to the advice of his coaches and teammates. “As soon as I came to the first team, the manager and the coaches told me to think of it as the second team and to relax,” Hong said. “The juniors knew that my mental state was bad and told me not to give up. I hadn’t seen my older brothers for a long time, but they told me to take it easy this time,” he said.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop said after the game, “Hong Seong-ho must have been under a lot of pressure as soon as he was called up, but he got a valuable RBI. Congratulations on your first hit in your debut,” he said with a satisfied smile.
“Today I only had a short at-bat, but next time I want to hit a big one and showcase baseball that is pleasing to the eyes of the fans,” said Hong-seong-ho. “At first, I will take it easy, thinking of the first team as the second team, but if things go well after that, I hope to stay in the first team. I’ll do my best to earn a spot,” he said.