Hanwha Eagle’s former captain Ha Joo-seok has returned to the first team after 277 days.
Ha was unhappy with a strike call in June last year, and while protesting, he threw his helmet at head coach Wes Klimentz while shouting profanities and hitting him in the back of the head. As a senior and team captain, he was expected to lead by example, and the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) punished him with a 10-game suspension, a 3 million won fine, and 40 hours of volunteer work in youth baseball, in accordance with Articles 1 and 7 of the KBO’s Penalty Code.
But in December, there was another incident. He was caught driving a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.078% and was suspended for 70 games under Article 151 of the KBO League’s Penalty Code for impairing dignity. He was reinstated to the first team on Dec. 12, 277 days after completing his suspension.
However, a lot has changed at Hanwha in the nine months since Ha was suspended. Subero was fired, Choi Won-ho was hired, and new faces like Lee Do-yoon, Oh Sun-jin, and Park Jung-hyun emerged at shortstop. In previous years, Hanwha had practically one shortstop, Ha Ju-seok, but that has changed.메이저사이트
Coach Choi Won-ho said, “Do-yoon Lee has been playing well at shortstop and the team has been on a good run. There’s no reason to break the momentum.” “Even if Ha returns, he’s a backup, not a starter. It is a role to support Lee Do-yoon, who has been playing as the main shortstop recently,” and drew a clear line.
This was the case in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 12th. Ha Joo-seok was back, but he wasn’t on the field. So what is Ha’s role in the first team?
Coach Choi Won-ho said, “We plan to use him as a late-game defensive resource,” but Ha Joo-seok asked to be a dugout atmosphere creator rather than a player. He was the loudest player in the dugout that day. He was the loudest in the dugout when his teammates hit, and he applauded and encouraged them when they walked. After every inning, he would come to the front of the dugout to high-five his teammates and cheer them on. The busiest player in the dugout was Ha Joo-seok.
That’s right. Ha’s current role is that of an atmosphere maker, responsible for the atmosphere in the dugout. He was the captain of the team last year, but he didn’t fulfill his role as captain. As a captain, you have to excel and set an example for your teammates, and I didn’t do that. Now that he’s hung up his captain’s hat, he’s trying to make a positive impact on the team from the dugout.
Even though Ha hasn’t been able to play, he has started playing baseball anew with the mindset of dedicating himself to the team. It’s time for a change, not a reflection.