I wanted to disappear like this” Son A-seop, who found his way again, reloads toward 3,000 hits and golden gloves
“I thought I would become a player who quietly disappears like this.”
It was natural for him to have more than 150 hits with a batting average of 30% every year. With his extreme contact ability, 안전놀이터 he consistently hit balls in play and produced as many hits as possible. It was a hitting machine that could look up to 3,000 hits, surpassing the all-time record of 2,504 hits by KBS N commentator Park Yong-taek.
However, last year in a new uniform, he actually had a career-low season. The season ended with his batting average of .300, which was natural due to a struggle in the second half, dropped to 0.277. He felt threatened and started his own spring camp a month early. NC Son Ah-seop (35) gains confidence and is staring at the Golden Glove season again.
After struggling, I found a way. But the road was not far. He had to go back the way he walked in the past. As he ran nervously, he realized he had missed too much.
On the 18th (Korean time), Son Ah-seop smiled as if he had relieved his heavy worries after completing training at Enex Field Spring Camp in Tucson, Arizona, USA.
The beginning is self-reflection. Son A-seop said, “Last season was really difficult. I felt my limits clearly, and when the slump came, I had no idea how to get out of it.” The swing trajectory was reduced too much, and the pitcher was making a hit that could not be hit unless he threw a misfire in the middle,” recalled the nightmare of 2022.
“In the past, I was a hitter who could cover a wider area in the strike zone than average hitters. When the strike zone was divided into 9 zones, there was something like pride in being a hitter who could hit in all 9 zones. However, with last year’s swing trajectory, if the course was a little difficult, I couldn’t cope.” “I decided to find the previous swing trajectory again. I think the swing trajectories of 2013 and 2014 were the best. He explained that he was preparing for the new season with a clear direction.
I was greedy. There were so many changes. During his 16-year pro career, he once became greedy for long hits and changed to a more concise form with a bat. However, in this process, he lost his basics.
Son Ah-seop said, “I just did it with my senses. I just did it without knowing how to hit,” he said. At the time, it just leaked. Then, feeling the limitations, I decided to go to the academy where coach Heo Il and (Kang) Jung Ho-hyung work. As I studied in detail through the video, I realized that the path I had to go was the same swing I had done before.”
In early January, he left for LA, USA, and started his personal spring camp for a month longer than others. At the same time, he acquired a batting theory that could be confidently advised to his juniors.Son Ah-seop said, “I wanted to become a player who quietly disappears like last year. So on January 5th, he arrived in LA and trained at Jung Ho-hyung’s academy for about a month. As he trained and studied, he learned that there is no such thing as a home run swing and a swing that increases batting average. When he has a good swing, his batting average and slugging percentage go up together. If he maintains a good swing and the hitting point is in front, he will get a long hit. He said, “If it is done from behind, the hit will go to the left and the hit will come out.” He smiled broadly, saying, “It is a great income just to have set a direction like this.”
In addition, Son A-seop said, “In the past, when juniors asked for advice, I explained it according to me. My juniors are not Son A-seop, but I only talked about my feelings based on my standards. That’s why I always felt the limit in explaining,” he said. “Now I think I can be of help to my juniors. And if I become a leader later, I think the time I spent in LA will come in handy.”
As much as he found his way, he pledged to restore his honor. Son A-seop said, “The team goal will be the same for all teams. Aiming for the championship, isn’t that the process of fall baseball? First of all, it is to play baseball in the fall,” he said. “My personal goal is a title or Golden Glove. Last year, there were no title holders or Golden Glove winners on our team. I will set my goal to be the Golden Gloves,” he pictured in his head the scene of winning the Golden Gloves for the first time in six years since 2017.
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