“I understand the direction of the club. I think it’s a new turning point.”
Park Min-ho, a sidearm pitcher from Incheon, was recently informed of his release by his team SSG Landers. He will leave the team with Ko Hyo-joon, Kang Jin-sung, and Choi Kyung-mo.
He graduated from Incheon to college and was a fan of the SK Wyverns (current SSG) even before joining the team. He grew up here and played professionally for his team, which made him even more affectionate. When he was announced to be released, however, he thought, “It’s here.”
In a telephone interview with Sports Chosun, he said, “I had a chance to play in the first division early this season. I think I pitched well myself. I came down to the second division in mid-June due to sluggish performance, and time passed while preparing for the second half, but it was already October. I pitched well in the second division and the ball was good (I didn’t have a chance),” expressing regret.
Park Min-ho’s Futures League performance this season was also selected as the MVP of the team’s selection game several times, preventing a 6-hold ERA of 2.67.2-3 innings in 19 games.
However, it was not easy to give Park Min-ho many opportunities as SSG entered the rebuilding mode as a whole, including the bullpen. At the end of the season, Shin Heon-min, Park Si-hoo, Park Sung-bin, and Jung Dong-yoon gained experience by taking the mound in a situation where the score gap widened. Park Min-ho was born in 1992 in his early 30s, but he had no choice but to give up a chance to his relatively young juniors.
Park said he understood the club. “I know the direction of the club. I have been with this team for a long time, and I can see how they are making the team. I was informed that I would not have a chance. I thought that the club is also trying to start the next season properly. I naturally respect the club’s opinion,” Park said. 메이저사이트
After a long time together, Park had a good relationship with senior and junior players and front office staff, and said goodbye with a smile. “President, general manager, and all the front office team leaders hugged me,” Park said. “They sent me a message as if they were letting me go, not saying, ‘You should leave.’ I didn’t feel bad about it. However, I was going to pack up and go (on the day I was notified of the release), but the players stopped me from leaving the car. Hurry up and go work out,” he said with a smile. “I was grateful, but I was sad to say goodbye.
I was always desperate about baseball, but now I have a new desperate need. Being the breadwinner of a family after getting married in December last year, just because he is the breadwinner of a family cannot just let go of baseball. Even after his release, he has continued his personal training by throwing balls at baseball academies run by his “best friend” Kim Tae-hoon.
Park Min-ho said, “My ball is still worth using. I have started, finished and played in the middle. I don’t think everyone can be a fastball pitcher who throws 150 kilometers. Obviously, I think there is still a role that a pitcher like me can play. He is not sick at all right now, and he pitched 2-3 innings every time he took the mound until the end of the season in the Futures League. I think my competitiveness is still to be able to effectively block long throws and one inning with fewer pitches. I think this year’s ball was the best compared to the past two to three years. So I was released, but I made up my mind to make a good body and throw it again.”
Of course, it’s too bad to leave an affectionate team. Park called himself a “forever SSG fan.” He said, “Even if I end up with another team, I’m still an SSG fan. However, up until now, I’ve lived in Incheon and just played baseball since joining SK. Now that I’m trying to find a way to live, I need to do better. I still have a role that I can play, and I have confidence that I can do well enough. I will not give up and try.”
