Ahn Chi-hong (inner) has only one goal as he joined the Hanwha Eagles on the condition of up to 7.2 billion won (6.37 million U.S. dollars) in total for four plus two years. He will help his team advance to a higher position.
An Chi-hong, who met at the Gochida Baseball Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, where Hanwha’s second spring camp is held, said, “My physical condition is not bad. I am not done yet, but I need to make it. Practice matches, including the Cheongbaek match, will begin now, and I think I will be fine as long as I don’t get injured.”
Ryu returned to the Hanwha Eagles in 12 years. His contract terms are up to 17 billion won (approx. With Ryu’s return, the Hanwha Eagles will have more than five strongest teams. Ahn Chi-hong said, “I thought it would come (to Hanwha) when rumors continue to spread that Ryu will return. I’m sure it will be a plus for the team. I’ve talked a lot about the players I played with Hyun-jin. I’m also looking forward to those things.”
What would be the effect of Ryu’s return from the batter’s perspective? An Chi-hong replied, “First of all, Ryu Hyun-jin has power. Shouldn’t we win on the day he takes the mound?”
Choi Won-ho predicted that the recruitment of An Chi-hong would give good motivation to the existing players. “Of course, it would be a good thing if I come here and make such an impact on the existing players. That’s how responsible I should be and work hard,” An Chi-hong said.
Hanwha, which finished ninth last year, has intensified its efforts to strengthen its power throughout the winter. Starting with An Chi-hong, Ryu Hyun-jin also embraced him, following Kim Kang-min (outfielder), Lee Jae-won (catcher). After hovering at the bottom of the list for 10,000 years, Hanwha is evaluated as a top-five player in this season.
Ahn Chi-hong said, “It never went as I thought during the season. There are many variables. I don’t think I’m in a position to feel pressured to perform well because I’ve improved my performance. Since I’ve been at the bottom of the list, all players should think that I’m good at baseball.”
“Baseball is a sport in which a team’s performance is achieved only when the team plays well. That’s what I learned when I was young. I emphasize this to my juniors as well. All the young players in the team are good, but I was under the impression that they lacked concentration in important situations, and I talked about this to some players,” he said.
In this season’s KBO League, there is a strong wind of change, with the introduction of an automatic ball judgment system called “robot referee.” Ahn Chi-hong said, “I don’t know who will be advantageous or disadvantageous between pitchers and hitters, but it seems that we need time to adapt. Fortunately, all players do it under the same conditions.”
Ahn Chi-hong, who said it doesn’t matter where the defensive position is, said, “Honestly, I don’t insist on a position. There are many players who have a wider range of defense and are faster than me. However, I will work hard if the coach writes me when I need an important match or a stable situation.” 여우알바
I asked him what he wanted to achieve at Hanwha, his third club. “As I always tell you, personal performance is important, but all players must have good team performance in order to see the light of day,” he said. “The reason Hanwha recruited me is to show good performance. I really want to play fall baseball. My biggest goal is to play baseball.”
