Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Park Joo-hong challenges first baseman this year.
Park Joo-hong, who joined Kiwoom as the first pick in 2020, left for Australia after last season and spent a season with Geelong Korea. Park Ju-hong appeared in 27 games and recorded 19 hits in 83 at-bats (3 home runs), 13 RBIs, 10 runs, 1 steal, and a batting average of 0.229 OPS of 0.755.
For Park Ju-hong, who had 57 at-bats in 21 matches in the first team last year, Geelong Korea was an arena where he could freely play the baseball he wanted to try. Geelong Korea coach Lee Byeong-gyu also said, “There are many players who do not have a chance to play in the first team, so I told them to do whatever they want to do.”
Park Joo-hong, who returned home through Incheon International Airport on the 23rd after the Australian League ended, said, “I think I gained a lot from what I initially thought was good at the beginning. The end was not good, but I felt good from the end of last year. I wanted to. More than anything, I was satisfied with the process rather than the result.”
Park Joo-hong said, “I wanted to go from the beginning, but the team recommended it first. 안전놀이터 I thought it was time to have more experience than taking a break without playing baseball for about three months. I saw that kind of process. I think this season can be different, “he looked forward to the 2023 season.
What draws attention is that Kiwoom put Park Joo-hong as an infielder when announcing the roster for the Arizona spring camp on the 21st. Park Joo-hong served as first baseman for a short time in Team Cheongbaekjeon in March 2021 and in June of that year, but he was never registered as an infielder on the roster. This seems to be the result of outfielder Lee Hyeong-jong’s transfer to the team as a free agent for the Futures.
Park Joo-hong said, “I didn’t know, but (Kim Chang-hyun) head coach told me to prepare a mitt for first base. In Geelong Korea, first base got punctured, so I went out wearing an outfield glove instead. He said he would do it together,” revealing the story behind participating in the camp as an infielder.
Whether in the infield or the outfield, Park Ju-hong must first occupy a place in the team’s batting power. After deliberately gaining 5kg in Australia and growing her body, she said, “I plan to do it with confidence as I did in Geelong Korea.