The Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) kept their top-five hopes alive until the end of the season, but ultimately failed to make the postseason this year.
Former coach Choi Won-ho resigned in mid-May, and Kim Kyung-moon took over in early June. The team, which was in the bottom half of the standings, went on a winning streak during the summer heat wave, wearing the “Blue Summer Uniforms” and creating a “Blue Hanwha” trend.
However, their hopes of a top-five finish were dashed in early September when starter Moon Dong-ju was sidelined with an injury and they lost five straight games. Hanwha’s elimination from the top five was confirmed on Sept. 24 when they lost to Kiwoom.
Coach Kim Kyung-moon said ahead of the game against LG at Jamsil Stadium on Sept. 25, “We lost five games in a row and collapsed with about 20 games left at the end. Losing means that we have been given a homework assignment that we need to strengthen something, so I thought that we need to prepare more solidly from the final training session, and we will do so.”
Hanwha plans to hold its final training session in Miyazaki, Japan.
Coach Kim Kyung-moon recently said, “We will have a final camp in Miyazaki. We know the players in the first team, but we need to see the players in the second team, who we haven’t seen in person, in the final camp,” said Kim.
Hanwha won 4-2 against LG on the 25th. LG’s lineup was dominated by backups, and after taking an early lead against LG starter Choi Won-tae, the bullpen pitched a scoreless inning to preserve the win. Veteran Ahn Chi-hong was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Hanwha got on the board first in the second inning when Noh Si-hwan led off with a double down the left field line, followed by Ahn Chi-hong’s RBI single to left. Kim In-hwan followed with a single to right to put runners on first and third, 파워볼실시간 and Lee Jin-young’s grounder to the second baseman scored a run for a 2-0 lead.
Ahn Chi-hong made it 3-1 in the third inning with runners on first and third off Choi Won-tae with an RBI single to left center. Leading 3-2 in the seventh, Ha Ju-seok tripled to right-center and Choi Jae-hoon singled to make it 4-2.
Cho Dong-wook was replaced after three innings of two-run ball, followed by Lee Min-woo in the fourth, Park Sang-won in the sixth, Han Seung-hyuk in the eighth, and Joo Hyun-sang in the ninth to preserve the win.
After the game,
Ahn Chi-hong said, “Our chances of advancing to fall baseball are over, but there were a lot of fans at the ballpark today. The third base side was full, and seeing so many people come to the ballpark and always fill the stadium even at home games makes me feel like I have to do my best as long as I’m out there,” he said.
Ahn signed a 4+2-year, $7.2 billion free agent contract with Hanwha last winter. “There are a lot of good things and a lot of regrets, but it’s very unfortunate that the team’s performance was like this. Personally, it was an important time for me when I was injured, and I was also very disappointed.”
Since Kim Kyung-moon took over the team, Ahn has been playing a lot of second base again. “Honestly, I didn’t prepare to play second base at first after coming to Hanwha. I was given the opportunity to play second base, which is my original position, so I will do my best to prepare well and show a good performance if I go out there in the future.”
In response to Kim’s hint of a hell of a wrap-up training, Ahn Chi-hong said, “The season is just around the corner, and as soon as it’s over, we’ll start wrap-up training. As soon as the season is over, we will prepare for next year, and if we prepare well, we will definitely be stronger next year.” ‘I have never prepared for next year’s season so quickly,’ he said.
