“That means that a lot of annual leave has accumulated.”
Kang Min-ho of the Samsung Lions played as catcher for the 4th hitter against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Eagles Park on the 9th. On this day, he recorded 1 hit, 1 home run and 5 RBIs in 5 at-bats. He presented Samsung with a 9-1 victory.
Kang Min-ho’s bat,안전놀이터 who had been silent throughout the game, exploded in the final attack in the ninth inning. When Lee Jae-hyeon’s walk, Jose Pirella’s hit, and Koo Ja-wook’s walk resulted in two outs, Kang Min-ho pulled opponent pitcher Kim Ki-joong’s first pitch 139km fastball and passed it over the left wall. The moment he hit it, it was a hit so big that he could intuit that it was a home run.
Kang Min-ho hit the 14th Grand Slam in his personal career. He was strong in the unique chance with full bases. After the game, Kang Min-ho said, “I’ve been thinking about it, but I think it’s because I’ve accumulated a lot of years. Koo Ja-wook asked me in the dugout how I could hit 14 even though I couldn’t hit a single one. As a result, the home run came out naturally,” he said, explaining the secret to hitting the home run.
Lee Beom-ho is the number one player in home run history. He hit 17 home runs in the regular season and ranked first in the category. Kang Min-ho is in a situation where he can break Lee Beom-ho’s record. Kang Min-ho smiled and said, “I’ll try to break his record by working hard.”
This season, Kang Min-ho recorded a batting average of 0.323 (30 hits in 93 at-bats, 4 homers), a slugging percentage of 0.516 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.904 in 25 games. He boasts of a hot blow feeling. He said, “I think I will find my place soon,” but “I still have the idea that I have to solve it when the chance comes as I am in charge of the 4th hitter. If Jae-il Oh’s sense of hitting rises, the team will run more smoothly. I think,” he said, promising to fulfill his role as a central hitter.
He has been struggling with a bad hamstring recently. Due to the rain cancellation, he was unable to play. In this game, it was difficult to improve his hitting feeling. Kang Min-ho said, “I definitely had no sense at bat. At the end, I said to empty my mind and swing. That’s why I got a good hit. The coach also told me to adjust my pace, so I was able to recharge comfortably.”