“I missed Korean ramen.”
The player who deserves the most attention in Kiwoom’s lineup this season is Edison Russell (29), who returned after 3 years. The 2016 World Series winning shortstop of the Chicago Cubs is just the past, and in 2020 he joined as a substitute foreign hitter for Taylor Motor, batting average of 0.254, 2 homers, 31 RBIs, and 22 points in 65 games 메이저사이트.
The stability of the shortstop’s defense also declined as the game went on. Until Yasiel Puig went there, it was the most famous foreign player in Kiwoom in recent years, but it was only disappointing and withdrew. The relationship between Kiwoom and Russell seemed to be over.
It wasn’t. Kiwoom gave up on renewing his contract after Puig’s personal history became controversial after the 2022 season, and he took Russell’s hand again. In the meantime, Russell showed his growth in the Mexican League. Koh Hyeong-wook, general manager, judged that Russell’s body and skills had changed in Mexico.
In fact, Russell boasted a look reminiscent of Puig at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. While his upper and lower body muscles grew bigger than three years ago, his defense was stable. As his body grew, there were concerns that the agility of the defensive staff would decrease, but coach Hong Won-ki said, “There was nothing wrong at all.”
Rather, coach Hong finds it encouraging that Russell is with him from the beginning of the season, unlike three years ago, and is able to prepare for a dense season. Russell also said on the 3rd (Korean time), “This is my first KBO spring camp. It’s good to have more time to communicate and spend time with the players from the beginning.”
After leaving Kiwoom three years ago, Russell said, “I thought I might not be able to come back for five years.” “Thank you for calling Kiwoom again. I was 26 at the time, and I am confident that I will do better. 2020 has been a disappointing season. I will do well this season.”
When a foreign hitter hits a lot of home runs with power, there is nothing more to wish for. Even when Russell mentioned Puig hit 21 home runs last year, he said, “I’m going to hit 30 home runs beyond Puig.” He even confessed that he was not ready three years ago and that he was psychologically unstable.
Is there any Korean food that Russell has missed the most over the past three years? Surprisingly, it was ramen. He said, “There is sushi in the US, but there are fewer types of ramen than in Korea. I missed ramen.” He showed off his love for ‘K-Ramen’ by even mentioning a specific product of a company.
Proper weight management is essential for Russell to succeed in the KBO league. “My goal is to lose weight through spring camp. If you play baseball now, there is no discomfort. Rather, the body condition is the most comfortable. Still, he will enter the regular season after losing weight.”
When Russell returns to Korea after spring camp, he will naturally eat K-ramen. However, excessive consumption of ramen is not good for proper weight maintenance and health. How much influence will ramen have on Russell hitting 30 homers and leading the Kiwoom batting line? I am curious about the power of K-Food.