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Winning the batting title for the first time in his life Golden Glove Award for the first time in 6 years

 

This season was a meaningful year for NC Dinos veteran hitter Son Ah-seop (35).

 

Son Ah-seop, who became a free agent after the 2021 season, left Lotte Giants, where he had played for a long time, and signed a four-year contract with NC for a total of 6.4 billion won.

 

Son Ah-seop, who had somewhat disappointing results in his first year playing in NC with a batting average of 0.277 and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.714, performed well up to expectations this year. He appeared in 140 games and had a batting average of 0.339, 5 home runs, 65 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 97 runs, and an OPS of 0.836.

 

Son Ah-seop was crowned batting champion for the first time in his career, shaking off the disappointment of narrowly finishing in second place in batting average twice.

 

Son Ah-seop, who recorded a batting average of 0.345 in 2013 while playing for Lotte, fell behind by 3 leagues and lost the top spot in batting average to Lee Byeong-gyu (LG Twins at the time, 0.348). In 2020, he posted a high batting average of 0.352, but fell into second place, only two leagues behind Choi Hyung-woo (KIA Tigers), who recorded 0.354.

 

Son Ah-seop, who hit 187 hits, was also ranked first with the most hits. He won his fourth most hits title, following 2012, 2013, and 2017.

 

Son Ah-seop, who achieved "rejuvenation", was busy attending various award ceremonies this winter. The Korean Professional Baseball Retired Players Association (Korea Association) selected Son Ah-seop as the best player of the year. At the "2023 Professional Baseball of the Year Award" ceremony, he was selected as "Batter of the Year", and at the Joa Pharmaceutical Professional Baseball Awards, he became the protagonist of a comeback.

 

The peak of the awards ceremony was the Golden Glove Awards ceremony on the 11th. Son Ah-seop, who was nominated in the designated hitter category, succeeded in winning the award by receiving 255 votes out of 291 total valid votes.

 

Son Ah-seop, who won the Golden Glove in the outfield category in 2011-2014 and 2017 while playing for Lotte, received his 6th Golden Glove in his career.

 

Son Ah-seop said, “I have been playing baseball for 17 years since his professional debut, and this year is the most memorable year. Personally, I want to praise myself for being able to become the batting champion for the last time.” “I want to say thank you to myself for overcoming difficult training and mentally difficult situations without getting tired,” he said, looking back on the season.

 

The result was even more meaningful because he worked hard to achieve it after a disappointing season last year. In January of this year, Son Ah-seop visited former major leaguer Kang Jeong-ho, who runs a baseball academy in Los Angeles, California, and worked hard for a month.

 

Son Ah-seop said, “When I was young, even if I had a bad season, I thought it was temporary and that I had another chance. But I am not old anymore. “I felt a sense of crisis as I got older and performed poorly in one season,” he said. “I thought I should come back to my senses and show it again this season.” “(Kang) Jeong-ho and I prepared with a desperate heart,” he explained.

 

Son Ah-seop, who saw the results, plans to train with Kang Jung-ho next year as well. “As the captain of the team, I have a schedule to fulfill. So, he said, “I think I will go to the United States a little later than this year,” and “The training period will be shorter than this year, but I plan to prepare two or three times as much.”

 

Although he called this year his best year, Son Ah-seop has bigger dreams. It is the Korean Series victory.

 

Although he is now a veteran, Son Ah-seop has yet to stand on the Korean Series stage.

 

Son Ah-seop played for Lotte from 2007 to 2021, and the last time Lotte advanced to the Korean Series was in 1999. In 2022, when the team moved to NC, they finished in 6th place and were unable to play fall baseball, and were eliminated from the playoffs this season.

 

Son Ah-seop expressed his grand dream, saying, “This year is the best year so far, but that will change if we win the Korean Series.”

 

I have a desire to win a spot in the outfield again, but since winning the championship is my biggest goal, I plan to adapt to the team"s circumstances.

 

Son Ah-seop said, “I don’t think I’m old enough to receive the Golden Glove as a designated hitter yet. “Personally, I would like to receive another Golden Glove as an outfielder,” he said, “but we must go in a direction that will allow the team to achieve good results.” “He played as a designated hitter this year and was also the batting champion, so I will think positively,” he emphasized.

 

Son Ah-seop also dreams of becoming number one with the most hits in the KBO League.

 

Son Ah-seop is ranked second in career hits with 2,416 hits in his personal career. The first place was retired Park Yong-taek, who recorded 2,504 hits. He will surpass Park Yong-taek if he hits 89 more hits.

 

Son Ah-seop said, “I am motivated by the opportunity to put my name at the top in KBO League history next year. “I want to rise to first place as I have come this far,” he expressed his motivation.

NC recruited new foreign pitcher Daniel Castano. 

 

NC Dinos recruited new foreign pitcher Daniel Castano.

 

On the 13th, NC announced, “We signed a contract with Castano for a total of $850,000, including a contract deposit of $130,000, an annual salary of $520,000, and an option of $200,000.”

 

Castano, from Orlando, Florida, USA, is a left-handed pitcher with a body size of 190 cm and 104 kg. The club explained, “He throws a mix of fastballs of 148-152km and breaking balls such as two-seamers, sliders, cutters, and changeups, and his ability to operate a stable game based on a variety of pitches is considered an advantage.”

 

He began his professional career by being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2016 rookie draft. He went 2-7 with a 4.47 earned run average in 24 games (17 starts) over four seasons in the major leagues, and in the minor leagues he went 42-28 with a 3.91 earned run average in 120 games (88 starts) over seven seasons.

 

NC general manager Lim Seon-nam said, “Castano is a player the club has observed for a long time and is a pitcher with excellent ability to manage a stable game based on his strong fastball pitch. “I think he will add depth to the club’s starting lineup,” he said about the background to his recruitment.

 

Castano said, “I am honored to join the NC Dinos team. He is happy to get a new opportunity. He also expressed his thoughts through friends who experienced his career as a player in the KBO, saying, “I heard that Changwon fans give tremendous cheers and sincere support at the baseball stadium.”

 

He continued, “I have two goals for the upcoming 2024 season. The first is to do your best on the mound and the second is for NC to win. “We will work hard to achieve more victories thanks to the support of our fans,” he said.

 

Castano is scheduled to join the team during the Arizona camp in February next year. 

 

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KIA"s Jung Hae-young pitches in the sixth inning of the game between the KIA Tigers and SSG Landers in the "2023 Shinhan SOL KBO League" at SSG Landers Field in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on July 6. 

 

KIA Tigers closer Jeong Hae-young, 22, has been called up to the national team for the first time.

 

Jung is a franchise player who joined the Kia Tigers in 2020 after playing for Gwangju Dongseongjoong and Gwangju Jeilgo.

 

He started his rookie season as a setup man and quickly established himself as a first-team regular with double-digit holds (11).

 

In his second year, in 2021, he became a full-time closer. In 64 games that year, he went 5-4 with 34 saves and a 2.20 ERA.

 

In 2022, he was just as solid, going 3-7 with 32 saves and a 3.38 ERA in 55 games. This year, after a shaky start, he steadied himself to a 3-4 record with 23 saves and a 2.92 ERA in 52 games. In total, he has 90 saves in four professional seasons.

 

His performance earned him a spot on the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023 roster.

 

Until now, the Korean National Baseball Team had a built-in closer in Ko Woo-seok (LG), but when Ko was withdrawn for various reasons, including physical condition, the opportunity presented itself.

 

Initially, Jung was expected to serve as a set-up man to bridge the gap between starting and closing, but when Park Young-hyun (KT) was pulled from the roster for the Korean Series, Jung was immediately given the closer"s job.

 

Reliever Jung Hae-young greets the players after KIA"s 3-0 victory over SSG Landers during the baseball game between KIA Tigers and SSG Landers in the "2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League" at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on May 9. 

 

Speaking to reporters before heading to Japan on Thursday, head coach Ryu Joong-il named Jeong Hae-young as Park Young-hyun"s replacement.

 

For Jeong, wearing the Korean flag for the first time outside of her youth national team career was nerve-wracking enough, but the pressure was even greater when she was given the main task of finishing.

 

Especially at the APBC, the level of opposing batters is much higher than at the Asian Games, as professional players from various countries participate. This means that the pressure on pitchers is even greater.

 

Jung had to show her know-how and competitiveness as a closer in order to bring smiles to the faces of the team.

 

Arriving in Japan with a mixture of nerves and excitement, Jung said she would rather enjoy the situation than be overwhelmed by it.

 

"Since I was selected to the national team for the first time, I don"t have any control over my position, so I just throw hard whenever I"m given a task," she said.

 

"My physical condition is fine. I will continue to throw confidently as I have been doing without any pressure," she said.

 

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World Cup North America 2026 qualifies for second round in Asia

Eight goals lead Hangzhou AG to third straight gold medal

 

National soccer team member Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) has expressed his desire to play a starring role for the Korean A team at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, following his gold medal and top scoring performance.

 

"Through the Asian Games, I felt what a starring role is, and I want to be a starring role," Jung told reporters on Thursday at Mokdong Sports Complex in Yangcheon-gu.

 

At the Hangzhou Asian Games, which ended last month, South Korean soccer won the gold medal, becoming the first team to win three consecutive Asian Games titles. With eight goals, Jung Woo-young was the tournament"s top scorer and spearheaded the gold medal hunt.

 

He plays in the German professional soccer league, the Bundesliga, but is more of a supporting player for the A team.

 

Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Tsubena Zvezda), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) are the core of the A team. Competition is fierce, especially in the offensive line and positions.

 

Jung Woo-young also attended the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last year, but his only appearance was in the second group game against Ghana.

 

It"s a great start to their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup North America.

 

"I"m really enjoying (the call-up). It"s very fun and nice to play our first game at home and in front of our fans. It"s also nice to be able to play with my brothers in Korea after a long time."

 

Jürgen Klinsmann"s (GER) team will open the second leg of their North American World Cup Asia campaign against Singapore on April 16.

 

"After the World Cup in Qatar, I"m looking forward to being with the team for the first time in the qualifiers. I"m looking forward to helping the team do well from the sidelines, and I"ll do my best to put on a good show when we go out on the field."

 

On the fierce competition, he said, "I"m very motivated. Competition is more helpful for me than stress," he said.

 

"Through the Asian Games, I felt what it is to be a star, and I want to be a star again," he said, adding, "In order to be a star, I will prepare well from the first qualifying match and show a good performance so that I can be a star once again."

 

Meanwhile, Klinsmann is preparing for the Singapore match in Mokdong as his contract at the National Training Center (NFC) in Paju, Gyeonggi-do is about to expire. He is staying at his mother"s hotel in Seoul.

 

"I"ve been training in Paju, but it"s strange to go back and forth between the hotel and the (other) training center. Rice tastes better in Paju," he said, "but I will adapt well and produce good results."

 

The first match of the second qualifying round between South Korea and Singapore will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

 

 

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Less acceptable

 

Shohei Ohtani, 29, the biggest name in Major League Baseball (MLB) free agency, has received a qualifying offer (QO) from his former team, the Los Angeles Angels.

 

MLB.com and ESPN reported on Sunday that seven players received QOs from their original teams, including Ohtani.

 

Introduced in 2012, Major League Baseball"s QO program allows a team to offer a free agent a one-year contract at the average salary of the top 125 highest-paid players in the big leagues. A team that signs a free agent who receives a QO from his original club must surrender a rookie designation the following year.

 

This year"s QO is $20.32 million, up $675,000 from last year"s $19.65 million.

 

Teams offer QOs to big-name free agents because they have to pay them a modest salary.

 

It"s unlikely that Ohtani will accept a QO. Usually, players accept a QO from their original team when market conditions are unfavorable.

 

Of the 124 players who have received a QO in history, only 13 have accepted it.

 

Although he will not be able to pitch next season after undergoing right elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in September, Ohtani"s price tag is expected to break the all-time record. Some say he will sign a contract that exceeds $500 million for the first time ever.

 

As a hitter this year, Ohtani batted .304 with 44 home runs and 95 RBIs for an OPS of 1.066. He led all of MLB in OPS and the American League in home runs. ????????

 

On the mound, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts before suffering an elbow injury.

 

In addition to Ohtani, infielder Matt Chapman (Toronto Blue Jays), outfielder Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs), starting pitchers Blake Snell (San Diego Padres), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) and Sonny Gray (Minnesota Twins), and reliever Josh Hader (San Diego) received QOs.

 

Players have until 4 p.m. local time on April 14 to decide whether to accept them. ??