SSG, which held its first practice game in Florida camp on the 18th (Korea time), evaluated that the fielders were in better condition than expected. In fact, it was a time when it was the first time to see the pitchers' live balls, so of course, they couldn't hit well. Nevertheless, SSG coach Lee Sung-yong's satisfactory assessment was that quite a few fielders hit good hits and showed good physical movement. And one of the players that caught Lee's eyes was Ha Jae-hoon (34). 토토사이트먹튀
Lee says he likes aggressive and rough baseball. And Ha Jae-hoon was the fielder who met those standards most accurately. However, he showed the drawing from the first practice game, which made him receive compliments. On the day, Ha Jae-hoon had a walk in his first at bat and a hit in his second at bat. He successfully attempted to steal second base boldly when he got on base two times. "He has power in both at-bats and power in base running," Lee said, adding, "His style itself is so attractive. It kind of feels like Yasiel Puig."
Ha Jae-hoon is also selected as the best athlete in the SSG squad in terms of his innate athletic ability. It is also one of the best bodies selected by the conditioning and stress part. Not to mention his shoulder, which can hit far, run well here, and hit more than 150 kilometers per hour when he was a pitcher. It was not only the Korean leader who paid attention to his talent and physical conditions. The U.S. also recognized him. Unfortunately, he did not make it to the Major League, but after graduating from high school, he signed a contract with a major league club and crossed the Pacific Ocean to Triple-A stage. Even on a stage full of monsters, his athletic ability was never lagging behind.
However, it took time to prove his talent as a fielder. There was a slight gap after he failed to advance to the Major League. After returning to Korea, he first became a pitcher. In 2019, his debut season, he recorded 36 saves to become a relief pitcher. It was a scene that proved Ha's baseball talent, but his DNA gradually disappeared. However, shoulder pain rather opened up an opportunity. He turned into a fielder and is sweating it out ahead of the 2022 season.
It was such an arduous process that people all felt sorry for. Even before the start of the 2022 season, he firmly resolved to engage in training. Ha Jae-hoon was the MVP of the first camp at SSG in 2022. It was his poison that he had to admit. After adapting to the 60-game season in 2022, he started to speed up. He continued his tireless schedule, including playing in the Australian league after the 2022 season. He spent his baseball life so much that he suffered from skin disease due to lack of immunity following such a hard process.
Although his plans for the season were ruined last year due to two injuries, he surprised everyone by posting a batting average of 0.303, seven homers, 35 RBIs and 0.842 on-base plus slugging (OPS) in 77 games. He also did nothing silly to kill the momentum that he received just once. He practiced almost nonstop after the season. He took a few days off after the season's end and worked out at Incheon SSG Landers Field every day. In January, he moved to Texas where Choo Shin-soo lives to train. He entered Florida with assessments that his performance was even better than last year.
Ha Jae-hoon believes in sweat. And he also believes in his efforts over the past two or three years. Although we can't see clearly yet, he continues his murderous schedule with the hope that he will get rewarded someday. "Shouldn't it be worthwhile as much as the hard work? If I exercised this much, honestly, it was a time for me to get the hang of it and get my body right," Ha said, smiling, "I think this year is the best year for me, given the recent three years. However, the problem is the future. I have to work harder." "I am not proud. I am a professional, but I have to show what I have as a result. I want to be on track to some extent, but I still haven't changed when I come out at 5 a.m. and train.
The SSG has a basic plan to increase Ha's portion of his team's power compared to last year. "I will make the most of Ha Jae-hoon," the coach said. "Ha can play when Choo Shin-soo or Han Yu-seom are resting, and Ha Jae-hoon can also play when he is designated hitter. Given the current team's plan to rest, Ha Jae-hoon can be utilized a lot." He did not hide his expectations, saying, "For now, I am focusing on the left-hander, but when the key players are sluggish, Ha Jae-hoon comes next (against the right-hander), so get ready."
In the past two years, Ha Jae-hoon was trying to wake up the cells of the beast that he had been asleep for a long time. After training diligently, it is about time that the true face of "beast ha Jae-hoon" came out. Then, how sensitively did all the cells become? "This season's performance will answer," Ha said. "It is important to wake up old things, but since the league is different, there are many things to do here. I think I will know when I bump into it," Ha said. "If I smile, the cells wake up well. If I cry… No, I want to stop crying." It is a spring camp where all the players and the club hope, but the hope of this huge bowl seemed a little more special.