Where ‘autonomy’ left, ‘batting average’ arrived at Hanwha.
Hanwha Eagles head coach Choi Won-ho has been playing the “extra batting” card since last month. Recently, the team has been practicing extra batting practice at night after their home games against Daejeon. This practice has also been extended to away games. Since they can’t use the away stadiums at will, they have to find other venues to hold pre-game sessions. During the three-game series against the Doosan Bears from June 6-8 in Jamsil, Seoul, the team will hold special training sessions at Bae Myung High School.
“Rather than the immediate effect, the players can gain confidence and get a feel for the game through training,” Choi Won-ho told reporters ahead of the Doosan game on June 6. “If they don’t do anything when they don’t feel like hitting, where will they find that feeling?” He added, “The main players can improve through practice, but the non-main players don’t have a chance to get a feel other than training. “When it’s good, you have to take care of the physical part, but when it’s bad, you have to find a good feeling first,” he added. As time and space permit, he trains not only on specialties but also on defense.
Hanwha previously made headlines with its specialty in 2015 and 2016. At that time, players under the guidance of former coach Kim Sung-geun practiced before and after games. The difference this time around is the focus on younger players who lack experience.
There are also similarities. Choi Won-ho is a big proponent of batting practice. “The younger players need to do some (training),” Choi said. “The main players are tired (from playing), and who would like to be asked to come out and train (extra),” he said. “The main players move autonomously, but I think the non-main players, especially the younger players, need to do batting practice.”
Choi Won-ho said, “Young players are very susceptible to the atmosphere. “When they’re in a training mood, they’ll do it, but when they’re not in a mood, they won’t do it,” he said. “When I was the manager of the Futures (second team), 메이저사이트 I made it mandatory for players under 25 to train, because that’s the age where the process is important, not the result. I made them do (skill) training and weight training to make it a routine,” he said. “I made them do weight training in batches at 7 a.m., so they could go to bed early and eat breakfast regularly.”
“When he was a player, Bong Joong-geun said, ‘The United States is autonomous to say the least, but there are a lot of really good players who are neglected and ruined,'” Choi said. Players with contracts worth $3 million or more receive special management. On the other hand, players who signed for around $1 million were given a schedule and told to take care of themselves.” “Jung-geun also thought, ‘I want you to manage the players,'” he said.
The team also plans to intensify the final training session after the season. “We really need (intense training) like what Samsung coach Park Jin-man did last year,” Choi said.
Choi’s emphasis on grueling training is a reversal of former manager Carlos Subero’s “autonomous baseball” approach. Under Subero, Hanwha was criticized for its defense and batting inconsistency. However, even charismatic coaches like Kim Sung-geun have been unable to achieve results.