He is a foreigner who has no choice but to love.
Lions infielder David McKinnon recently visited Samsung General Manager Lee Jong-yeol. He wanted to take care of young players.
“I heard that if you break your bat while practicing before the game, not during the game, it’s not easy to compensate,” McKinnon told Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon. Other clubs say the same. “It’s not a big problem for me, but I thought it would be different for younger players,” he said.
He recalled his time in the U.S. Minor League. “I was married then and had a hard time financially at a time when I could not make as much money as I do now. I knew better than anyone how difficult this situation would come,” McKinnon said. “Players who go back and forth from the main league to the second tier of the pro league will probably spend a lot of money, including housing and living expenses. However, it can be difficult because they cannot make as much money as they do. I wanted to help him with that.”
“Young players will find it difficult to make such a request to the club. I am in a position to speak up a little bit more,” McKinnon said. “So I thought I should speak up. I thought it was my role, too.”
Wouldn’t it have been difficult to talk to the general manager? McKinnon smiled, saying, “The general manager is a nice guy.” “I know the general manager is the ultimate boss, but he is always kind and always approaches me first when I practice, so I was able to tell him without hesitation.”
McKinnon’s personality shines both on and off the field. “I always like to joke around. I tend to try to have fun with my players,” McKinnon said. “If I don’t get good results at the game, I naturally get angry, but I try to cut that emotion short for about five to 10 seconds. I will focus on preparing for the next play.”
“I’m telling these points to young players, too. All the veteran players seem to be doing well,” he said. “I’m trying to make sure the dugout is full of vitality.”
Lee Jong-yeol smiled at McKinnon’s request. Lee said, “It was amazing that a foreign player thinks like this. We are reviewing related information.” 유흥알바
He also introduced an anecdote. “McKinnon gave batting training with young players and even gave them one-on-one guidance. We were practicing together,” Lee said. “I think I have a lot of heart for my teammates.”
McKinnon also strengthened his team by playing in games. Having spent five seasons in the U.S. minor league, McKinnon played in 357 games, recording a batting average of 0.294, 367 hits, 36 homers and 210 RBIs. Last year, he played in 127 games for the Seibu Lions of the Japanese professional baseball league, with a batting average of 0.259, 15 homers and 50 RBIs.
He joined the KBO league as a member of the Samsung Lions this year. He played in a total of 19 games, posting a batting average of 0.360 (27 hits in 75 times at bat), three homers and 12 RBIs, a slugging percentage of 0.520, and a 0.442 on-base percentage. He ranked third in the league in batting average and second in on-base percentage. His batting average in the last 10 games was 0.378 (14 hits in 37 times at bat), which is even hotter.
In an away game against the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon on Sunday, he had three hits from three times at bat. Notably, he hit a double to the right field in the top of the fourth inning with two outs and no runners. He hit a home run on Kim Young-woong’s timely double to the right field. The score was 1-0. Samsung kept the score and secured its 1-0 victory.
Even McKinnon is good at first base defense. In a nutshell, he is a lucky guy.
