“I heard that Director Lee Seung-yeop is praying. It shouldn’t hurt.”
Will Yang Eui-ji (36, Doosan Bears) help manager Lee Seung-yeop smile in the second half?
Yang Eui-ji played in 75 games during the first half of the 2023 KBO League, recording a batting average of 0.335 (83 hits in 248 bats), 8 homers, 40 RBIs, 31 points, an on-base percentage of 0.438 and a slugging percentage of 0.496 for an OPS of 0.934. He is keeping the center of Doosan’s batting line with balanced performances such as 2nd in batting average, 3rd in OPS and 2nd in on-base percentage.
In fact, it is a report card that is not surprising. Since 2015, Yang Eui-ji has been the best catcher in the KBO League. In particular, he has reigned as the best hitter in the KBO League since 2018. In 2021, the season immediately before reacquisition of free agent (FA) status, his batting average of 0.283 was so steady that his batting average seemed sluggish. It was for this reason that Doosan, his home team, awarded him a contract worth up to 15.2 billion won (duration 4 + 2 years) to him, who was in his late 30s. Since the franchise star who returned to the team has good grades, it is only natural that he joined the All-Star team.
Yang Eui-ji, who met with the reporters with a fan signing event prior to the All-Star Game on the 15th, said, “I feel good every time I come to the All-Star Game. He said he did it. Thank you. So I wonder if I could have worked harder (this season).”
Yang Eui-ji this season is not only good at hitting. He boasts a strong dog with a stealing rate of 66.7% and a stealing success rate of 100% (6). He is a veteran of many years as a catcher. He’s not ‘obviously’ fast. He’s so slow that he admits to himself, “I’ve seen two catchers slower than me,” with 52 career steals. He is close to the results obtained by following the team’s operational situation and closely observing the opposing pitcher and infield defense. Of course, luck also played a big part.
Yang Eui-ji laughed, saying, “I have high expectations because it has a 100% success rate. If I do one more, it will be a career high.” He also joked, “The players who steal fewer bases than me should reflect.”
As a team leader, what brings me more joy than individual performance is the team performance. Yang Eui-ji said, “Some of them ended with winning streaks, and I’m in the middle of winning streaks, but I’m worried that the atmosphere will stop because of a break like this. If I win, I feel less tired even if I play the next day, but if I lose, I think there will be damage.” He continued, “The opponent for the next match is the KIA Tigers. KIA is also in good spirits like us. I think we need to prepare well.” If Doosan adds 2 consecutive wins in the KIA game, it can achieve 11 consecutive wins, the club’s all-time record and the most tied record for a new manager.안전놀이터
Yang Eui-ji also thanked coach Lee Seung-yeop, the command tower. When asked how he felt after returning to Doosan in the first half of the year, Yang Eui-ji said, “I thought, ‘I’m playing baseball with manager Lee Seung-yeop.’ “I thought he was the person who should be the manager someday. He became the manager and I am honored to be able to play with him on the team,” he looked back.
Yang Eui-ji said, “When things go bad, he takes care of me. He makes adjustments, such as going out as a designated hitter. I think I can go on a business trip in good condition while playing enough.” I have to hug him” and laughed. He said he wanted to wear a mask more in the second half. He said, “I said I would play all the last six games in Pohang as a catcher, but I only played one game. I will keep my promise so that I can play more in the second half.”