“I will aim for fall baseball until the end of the last game (of the season).”
NC Dinos captain Park Min-woo started as the first batter and second baseman in the first of three consecutive weekend games against the KIA Tigers in the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at NC Park in Changwon on Sunday. He recorded one hit, two RBIs and one run from four times at bat on the day. He led his team to a landslide 17-4 victory.
Park was active in offense and defense. With NC leading 4-1 at the top of the sixth inning with two outs, relief pitcher Kim Si-hoon was shaken up and allowed Na Sung-bum to throw four outs and Lee Woo-sung to have a hit in the middle, putting him at the first and second bases with two outs. Later, he was hit hard by Byun Woo-hyuk, but second baseman park Min-woo spread his powerful defense to catch the hit. Afterwards, he threw accurately to the first base to prevent additional runs.
After Park Min-woo’s stellar defense, C succeeded in scoring a large number of points. He scored 10 points in the bottom of the sixth inning, effectively driving the team to a 14-1 victory. Park Min-woo also contributed to the team’s offense. He hit a two-run double to target the KIA mound.
Recalling the crucial defense scene after the game, Park said, “It was a difficult bound. Of course, I’m not very proud of myself in defense, but my diving catch was the ultimate goal today (23rd). KIA had a really good batting lineup, so it could have come from behind. I ventured to just try to block it because the bound was ambiguous, but I luckily caught it. I was very fortunate.”
Recently, NC has escaped 11 consecutive losses. It won 8-2 against the Hanwha Eagles in Cheongju on the 21st, escaping from a long losing streak. With the victory, it has recorded consecutive wins in 28 days since the game against the Lotte Giants in Changwon on the 26th of last month. Currently, the team ranks ninth in the league with 51 wins, two draws and 62 losses. Having lost 11 consecutive games, not only the mood but also the team’s performance has deteriorated a lot. Park Min-woo, who wore the captain’s armband following Son Ah-seop’s long-term injury, was anxious during the losing streak.
Park Min-woo said, “I play and sometimes talk to the players, but how hard it must have been for the coach to watch from afar… Coach Kang In-kwon must have been more troubled than me,” adding, “It’s not easy to tell who and how much of the players are, but I think they’ll still be at the top.”
Still, we can’t give up on the 2024 season. Just as we never expected to have a long losing streak, there is no law that bans us from winning consecutive games. This season, the KBO league is engaged in an all-time ranking battle. NC has a 4.5 game gap with the KT Wiz (58 wins, two draws and 60 losses), which ranks fifth in the league, the most advanced to the postseason. It is too early to give up. 메이저놀이터
Park Min-woo said, “As the No. 1 team in the league, we won a big match between the ace pitchers. We lost consecutive games, but there is no rule against them that bans us from winning consecutive games. It might be tough, but I think it is possible. We have 29 games left, and we may win 10 consecutive games. We will aim for fall baseball until the end of the last game (of the season).”
Finally, Park expressed her longing for veterans Son Ah-seop and Park Geon-woo, who have been out for a long time due to injuries. “I keep in touch with my brothers often. I miss them a lot, but they never come to the baseball stadium (laughs). But I understand why they say so. I don’t think they come because they feel sorry for the players,” Park said, expressing his strong sense of responsibility to lead the team as captain.
