“Asian Games? I don’t think at all.”
2023 is the year leading to major international competitions in baseball. In particular, the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games will be held. It is a great opportunity for young players. However, there are players who don’t even think of ‘1’. only sees the team I am determined to do well for the team’s performance. Hanwha Noh Si-hwan (23) is the main character.
Noh Si-hwan is Hanwha’s flagship gun. 1st round pick in the 2019 draft. Since his debut season, he has been consistently active in the first team. It grew every year, but in 2022 it fell sharply. Compared to the 2021 season, it is stark. In 2021 he had a batting average of 0.271 with 18 homers and 84 RBIs and an OPS of 0.852. In the 2022 season, he had a batting average of 0.281, 6 homers, 59 RBI, and an OPS of 0.737.
The loss of a home run was painful. This is the reason why Hanwha ranked last with 88 team homers. Naturally, the team performance was not good either. also the lowest. I was hurt as much as my pride was hurt. So, I prepared for the 2023 season ‘hardly’.
I lost weight off-season and built a good body. He did well in the 1st spring camp in Arizona, USA, and is spinning the bat coolly in the 2nd spring camp in Okinawa, Japan. In the match against Lotte on the 2nd, he hit a timely hit, and showed off his good luck at third base. After that, he hit home runs in succession against SSG on the 3rd and against Lotte on the 5th. There is an evaluation that “Noh Si-hwan is back”.
I met Noh Si-hwan at the Okinawa spring camp. “I am lifting weights consistently. I may be tired at this point, but I don’t think it’s hard yet. I also lost weight. I lost about 6-7kg. During last year’s finishing training, he even went up to 108-109 kg. Now it is about 99 kg. After losing weight and playing defense, I think my quickness has improved. The steps are the same, and the lower body seems to have improved.”
I also looked back at last year’s sluggishness. “The timing was too late. The point was caught behind, and the correct hit did not come out. Last year was a failed season. It was disappointing. I felt a lot. I got to look back on my baseball. The goal was to grow every year, but last year was not. I just think ‘I’m going to do well’. I prepared thoroughly,” he stressed. 메이저사이트
“I pay a lot of attention to pitchers and timing. If it becomes this way, the point will also go forward. Even in the practice match, there was a slight delay. Still, it seems to be going smoothly. I want to keep the pace right now. After all, training is the answer. I have to keep training and get my pace back.”
During the off-season, I also met ‘Legend’ Dae-ho Lee. A senior from Gyeongnam High School stepped out for his juniors. “I learned a lot. He said, ‘I wish I could lose my strength’. It’s not easy because it takes power. It’s late because the swing keeps coming from behind. He said that because he had the strength, he would overcome it once he got hit. If you try to hit hard, you will also develop bad habits. I learned the method from senior Lee Dae-ho. I’m going the way I think. This is important. I am satisfied,” he said confidently.
There is another reason why this season’s revival is necessary. It’s Asian Games. Along with Han Dong-hee (Lotte) and Moon Bo-kyung (LG), he is considered a candidate for third baseman. It’s not easy with last year’s grades. The military issue is also at stake. A gold medal in the Asian Games can ease your worries. It is also what many players want.
However, Noh Si-hwan had a different idea. “I don’t really think about the Asian Games at all. team comes first I’m really only thinking about the team’s performance,” he said firmly. “I was always in last place. Early spurts are important. Since it happened at the beginning of the season, there were times when I gave up midway through the second half. I think I only thought about my personal thoughts because I couldn’t rank. This season, I want to focus on winning in the early stages.”
For Hanwha to achieve good results, Noh Si-hwan’s performance is essential. If Hanwha wins a lot and produces good results, it should be seen as meaning that Noh Si-hwan is good. He has no reason not to be selected for the Asian Games if his grades are good. This is part of the external decision. Noh Si-hwan is just training hard for his team.