Lotte Giants’ Hwang Sung-bin is having his best season since his professional debut. But his manager had a clear message.
Hwang Sung-bin was substituted early in the game against the SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 11. Hwang started the game at first base and center field. However, in the bottom of the third inning, the ‘problem defense’ came out. Lotte was down 0-3 after giving up the first and second runs. The struggling LOTTE starting pitcher, Aaron Wilkerson, struck out the leadoff batter, Choi Jung, on a wild pitch.
Guillermo Heredia, the No. 4 hitter in the order, hit a 2B1S pitch to center field. The ball cleared the infield but dropped in front of the center fielder. It was hard to catch the ball without overextending yourself, but then came the problem. Sung-bin Hwang’s glove didn’t have any directional read on the ball.
As he lunged to catch the ball, he made a mistake that caused the ball to fall backwards. His center of gravity collapsed as he stretched out his glove and let the ball fall backwards, and he hesitated for a moment as his legs gave out, before running back to catch it. 카지노사이트 The ball rolled in front of the fence, and Heredia made it to third base in the meantime.
Hwang’s split-second decision between no-bound and one-bound turned out to be a costly error.
The LOTTE bench and manager Kim Tae-hyung didn’t wait long, bringing in center fielder Hwang Sung-bin and center fielder Kim Dong-hyuk. It was a clear message for the wasted defense. Hwang Sung-bin returned to the bench with his head down, and the game continued.
Luckily, the inning ended with no further runs scored in the bases-loaded jam that followed the error, but Lotte fell to SSG with a final score of 4-5, starting the second half of the series with a 1-2 loss.
Hwang Sung-bin has been Lotte’s hit product this season, with his fighting spirit and gritty play, and Lotte fans have been applauding his offensive performance, as he is currently batting .335 in his first three games. The team believes that a fresh character like Hwang energizes the entire team.
In return, Hwang Sung-bin has also been performing well. At last week’s All-Star Game, he won the “Best Performance” award for his unabashed, all-out showmanship in his first ever participation.
However, the coach emphasized concentration once again. In the first three games of the second half, Hwang went just 1-for-11 with one home run and one stolen base, and his critical defensive errors were particularly disappointing. It was a stern message for Hwang, who is on his way to his first full-time first-team role as a professional and a surefire starter.