“There was also a desire to remain a franchise player in our team for a long time. They know the color and culture of the team.” 메이저사이트
Doosan Bears succeeded in simultaneously catching third baseman Huh Kyung-min (34) and center fielder Jung Soo-bin (34), who were on the FA market ahead of the 2021 season. Heo Kyung-min and Jung Soo-bin were the main players who led Doosan’s golden age along with outfielder Park Gun-woo (34, current NC Dinos) and were like the mascot of the team as a “Trio born in 1990.” Fans’ affection for the three players was even greater because Doosan was also the first player to advance to the Korean Series for seven consecutive years from 2015 to 2021.
Doosan succeeded in maintaining the 1990-born trio by giving Heo Kyung-min a total of 8.5 billion won for 4+3 years and 6.5 billion won for 6 years and Jung Soo-bin four years ago. An official from Doosan said at the time, “It was young players who offered Heo Kyung-min and Jung Soo-bin a multi-year contract, and there was also a desire to remain a franchise player on our team for a long time. They are players who know the team’s color and culture well, so I wanted them to keep it, and the players agreed.”
He added, “I can’t always maintain my winning power, but I wanted these players to deliver well to my juniors. There are more senior players now, but I wanted (Jung) Soo-bin to lead the team with Kyung-min because (Huh) Kyung-min is a burden on his own.”
However, nothing was eternal in the professional world. With the end of the 2021 season, Doosan’s golden age has also come to an end, and its trio born in 1990 have also been disbanded. Park Kun-woo, who became a free agent ahead of the 2022 season, left the team first by signing a six-year, 10 billion won contract with NC. While proposing an amount that was less than the 10 billion won suggested by NC, Doosan failed to actively hold onto the team. In addition, Doosan invested 11.5 billion won for four years in Kim Jae-hwan, 36, the fourth batter who was also on the market at the time.
Throughout the past four years, Hur and Jung have maintained their respective positions. No juniors would threaten them. However, they failed to display performance that can be said to have been the best in each position in the league, as they did during their prime time when the two players were leading the golden age. In the past four seasons, Huh had 502 games, a batting average of 0.286 (499 hits in 1,746) with 27 homers, 228 RBIs, 233 runs scored, OPS of 0.743, and Jung had a batting average of 0.275 (474 hits in 1,726) with 12 homers, 118 steals, 158 RBIs, 278 runs scored, and OPS of 0.714.
Doosan did not offer more than the reasonable amount set by the club when Huh Kyung-min gave up the remaining three-year, 2 billion won contract and came to the FA market this winter. Doosan reportedly offered a contract worth 3+1 years and 3 billion won. By giving meaning to the one-club man, he tried to persuade him with additional conditions such as retirement ceremony and leader training. Doosan already has many high-value FA contractors, including Yang Eui-ji, Yang Seok-hwan, Jung Soo-bin and Kim Jae-hwan, but it was difficult to come up with a justification to spend a lot of money on Huh Kyung-min because he has been moving around in the middle.
Heo Kyung-min told his fans during this season that he was crazy about money, but he said, “Don’t worry because I will continue to play for Doosan.” It is something he cannot say unless he is serious, and he is clearly that much affectionate in Doosan.
However, in the end, Huh Kyung-min changed his mind to take on a new challenge thanks to KT’s aggressive suggestion. Heo signed a four-year contract worth 4 billion won (approx. With this contract, the cumulative total of Heo’s FA contracts has risen to 10.5 billion won (approx. KT desperately needed reinforcement as it lost both infielder Shim Woo-joon and pitcher Um Sang-baek, who were key internal free agents, to the Hanwha Eagles. Shim signed a four-year contract worth 5 billion won (approx. The aftermath of 12.8 billion won (approx. However, KT put out the urgent fire by using the live ammunition it had prepared to catch Shim Woo-jun to Heo Kyung-min.
Doosan is now in a situation where it has to get out of the memories of its golden age and go to a complete generational change. Yang Eui-ji, Kim Jae-hwan, and Jung Soo-bin, who remain among the main players of the golden age, are now looking at their late 30s. A leader who should lead the dugout atmosphere in a younger generation must come out, and in order to do so, young fielders besides Kang Seung-ho are desperate. Park Ji-hoon is the prospect of the third baseman without Huh Kyung-min, and although he prepared for the season as the main shortstop this year, Park Joon-young is also a player who considers the third baseman more comfortable. It is time for a player who can walk right after Heo Kyung-min’s path.
Heo visited Doosan’s office in Jamsil Baseball Stadium as soon as he finished his contract in Suwon on Tuesday. Rumors say that they greeted all the staff at the office and cheered for each other’s future. Doosan and Huh Kyung-min are starting new challenges in their own places.
