“I’m sorry to the fans. You can lose if you don’t play baseball, but the game has passed to the winning point.”
‘Nastar’ KIA Na Seong-beom had a decent 2022 season. His first season with a six-year, 15 billion won free agent contract. Like Na Seong-beom, he gave the best performance in the league and won the Golden Glove. However, I can’t help but feel upset when I think of the wild card match against KT.
Aside from failing to hit a decisive shot in the batting line, he made crucial mistakes in defense. First of all, at the end of the 3rd inning, when the score was 0-0, Cho Yong-ho’s batted ball flew over his head with 1 out and 1st and 2nd basemen. Afterwards, Anthony Alford’s timely hit was an obvious mistake. He put on a glove to prepare for a rolling ball메이저놀이터, but the ball went behind the glove.
At this time, it is true that the first three points were a big burden on KIA as a result. They pursued one point in the 4th and 5th innings, but gave up 3 points in the 8th inning and lost 2-6, ending the season as it was. After four years, the postseason ended in vain with just one game.
On the 10th (hereafter Korean time), Na Seong-beom said at KIA’s spring camp, Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, USA, “I’m sorry to the fans. Baseball can lose if it doesn’t do its best, but the game went over to the game due to that mistake.”
He also expressed his apologies to his juniors. Na Seong-beom said, “I had to set an example for his juniors, but I was sorry. He had to experience fall baseball more, even if it was just one game, but his motivation was ahead. It was fall baseball for the first time in a long time, and it was my first fall baseball after moving teams. I guess I wasn’t in a hurry. The ball didn’t even come, but I was in a hurry to catch it and throw it.”
Na Seong-beom’s defense is far from the best in the league. However, his shoulder alone is a luxury item. Still, what I like about Seong-beom is that he remembers the painful scene vividly, but he is not conscious of it. He said, “A mistake was a mistake, and a new baseball season begins again this year. Reset. He is preparing for the season with a new mind.”
Like Na Seong-beom, he will serve as the leader of Team Ya Soo-jin this year as well. The batting pace is also increasing slightly faster than in previous years in line with the WBC, and he is also focusing on defense training. Even if Choi Won-joon joins the outfield in June, Na Seong-beom’s position will not be affected in any way.
Na Seong-beom’s goal is to lead the KIA to win the Korean Series at least once during the remaining five-year contract period at KIA. He should have that level of responsibility given the size of the contract and his position on the team. He said, “I have to win unconditionally for the remaining five years.”