Can the potential of Kang Seung-ho (29, Doosan Bears), who is now in his 11th year as a professional player, burst?
Kang Seung-ho took first place in the team’s field goal last year. He posted a batting average of 0.264 and 10 home runs OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.709. He didn’t have a flashy performance, but he played the role of a solver by showing off his slugging power in the last minute. In his scoring opportunities, he also showed a stronger appearance with a batting average of 0.299. He scored 11 final strokes (first in the team and tied for 6th in the KBO League).
Kang Seung-ho said in a phone call with this magazine, “I didn’t know that I was ranked first in the high school. You talked about it around you. It is thanks to the help of former coach Kim Tae-hyung and coaches.”
Kang Seung-ho is from a large prospect. While attending Cheonan Bukil High School, he was the starting shortstop for the nation’s strongest team and the central hitter for the youth national team. In the 2012 rookie draft, he joined the LG Twins with the 3rd pick in the 1st round. He was the first named largest fish among wild beasts. He was considered the successor to Oh Ji-hwan, who had just established himself as LG’s main shortstop at the time.
However, that possibility never came to fruition. He came to Doosan after changing his uniform twice as a trade and free agent (free agent) compensation player. Doosan also actively employed him as a second baseman, but did not achieve significant growth over the past two years.
Although he seemed to be stagnant, Kang Seung-ho is showing a strong will to grow. Even though he is in his 11th year, he participated in finishing drills last year. In the training centered on junior and second-tier players, he and his colleague Kim In-tae were close to being the best. Kang Seung-ho said, “Even though I’m old, I still lack a lot. I participated in finishing training to fill it up. I wanted to learn new things from the new coach Lee Seung-yeop, head coach Kim Han-soo, and hitting coach Koji Goto.”
He earned as much money as he spent time with three hitting specialists. Manager Lee Seung-yeop ordered him to hit the ball in the middle right. Kang Seung-ho explained 안전놀이터, “If you hit the ball as it follows the course, you can hit the outside ball in the middle right and the inside ball in the middle left.
What Kang Seung-ho wants to achieve is consistency. Park Yong-taek, a KBSN sports commentator who has watched him as a senior since his LG days, said of him, “I really don’t know Seung-ho. He hits really difficult balls. He catches difficult hits. Then, he catches easy balls. ” He said, “I can’t attack and miss an easy hit.” It means that even with a sufficiently excellent talent, there were many ups and downs in each play and game.
In 2018, coach Goto, who developed Doosan’s lineup to the best in the league, is expected to be a strong supporter. Coach Goto has received overwhelming support from his players at the time. Heo Kyung-min said, “The person who was there when I was the best at baseball.” Yang Eui-ji expressed his joy by hugging when he reunited with Coach Goto at the club commemoration ceremony on the 16th.
Coach Goto is trusted because he is a leader who provides both technical guidance and mental support to the players. Kang Seung-ho said, “During the finishing training, the coach told me a lot about the mental aspect. He is a person who only points out the strengths of players rather than talking about their weaknesses. Still, I have faith that if I ask Coach Goto for advice, he can regain his pace.”
Kang Seung-ho dreams of participating in all games in the 2023 season. It is possible for him to have both skills and health to take root as a first-team player. He said his current physical condition was ‘100%’ and said, “This is what I said in every interview. This year, I want to play all games without injury. I missed 10 games last year. This year, I want to play all 144 games without injury.”