“The funny character is gone.”
NC striker and captain Son A-seop made a ‘shock testimony’ waking up at the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport on the 8th. He said the above about Park Seok-min, the oldest. In addition, “The laughter is gone. He is upset as a junior.”
Park Seok-min has been a comical character since his days at Samsung. However, he himself has said that it was never an intentional character building since his Samsung days. In fact, Park Seok-min is more sincere and serious about baseball than anyone else. He’s a research pie, he’s an effort dig. He doesn’t like being called a ‘gag character’.
Park Seok-min has a difficult end of his baseball life. For the past 1-2 years, he has not been able to play baseball properly as the main character of the Corona 19 drinking wave. His hitting production has plummeted. The FA 2+1 year 3.4 billion contract also ended when the 2022 season ended.
His salary this season is only 50 million won. It was 650 million won from 700 million won last year, a whopping 93% cut. When the club proposes a cut of this extent, few players can accept it. However, Park Seok-min accepted. Money is not important, but the will to recover is strong. He lost weight in personal training in the Philippines, and spent the Tucson spring camp denser than anyone else.
Park Seok-min did not go to a practice game in Tucson. According to NC officials, it is a routine. Coach Kang In-kwon also said at Incheon Airport on the 8th, “I didn’t play, but I am preparing well for the season. He made a good body. He seems to be in about 80% condition.” 스포츠토토
He politely declined an interview with reporters in Tucson. Because of this, it is difficult to know exactly the direction of Park Seok-min this season. What is clear is that director Kang In-kwon’s trust is firm. He will start as the starting third baseman this season. He will challenge full-time at the age of 38. Although juniors such as Do Tae-hoon and Seo Ho-cheol are facing strong challenges, Director Kang plans to give Park Seok-min a chance. He said, “I will go out from the beginning of the exhibition game.”
Son Ah-seop and Park Seok-min often talked about baseball in Tucson. “If you talk to him, he is a genius type. There is an innate sense. As he talks he learns about baseball. Anyway, he is a player who knows how to play winning baseball. And he is a player who has won more championships than anyone else.” Park Seok-min’s values and experience are still needed by NC.
Park Seok-min is getting an injection in his finger this season as well, forgetting the pain and preparing for the season. Son Ah-seop said, “Seok-min hyung seems to have prepared well for this season. That’s why I hope he gets really good grades.”