NC Dinos’ Park Gun-woo is arguably one of the best ‘right-handed outfielders’ in the KBO. He is considered one of the most important players for his team and the national team.
But with that comes responsibility. NC head coach Kang Myung-ho said something similar.
Before the seventh game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League season against the Kiwoom Heroes at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 4, he said, “I’m sure you’re all wondering, but I hope you don’t read too much into it.” “It’s true that Park Gun-woo complained of discomfort here and there during the game last week. The decisive moment was Sunday (against the Suwon KT Wiz on the 2nd),” he said, revealing the reason for Park’s expulsion.
In 69 games this season, Park’s stats are 255 hits, 73 doubles, a .286 batting average, seven home runs, and 41 RBIs. He’s also playing one of the best outfield defenses in the league, as he hasn’t made a single error.
So, what happened to Park and NC on the day the commander mentioned? Park batted third and started in right field in game two, going 2-for-4 with a double, making up for two straight days of going hitless with a multi-hit performance.
However, Park did not finish the game. Trailing 0-1, NC called Park to the bench before the bottom of the eighth inning.
Jae-hwan Jae-hwan, who had been substituted as a pinch hitter, was brought in as a right fielder, and outfielder Choi Jung-won, who had been on the bench, was brought in. As the game remained close until late in the game, there was no reason for the team to change the starting outfielders unless there was an injury. In fact, off-field reasons were the reason for the change.
“As a senior, I think there are not only skills but also virtues that you should have, so as a coach, as I always said, I don’t want him to do anything that would take him away from the original team, and I had that direction, so I was a little disappointed in Park Gun-woo in that regard.” “I felt that Park Gun-woo needed some time to mature, so I thought he might need to go to (the second team) and think about it by himself, and that’s why I adjusted the roster,” Kang explained.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time this has happened. Back in June 2021, when he was with the Doosan Bears, Park Gun-woo was also sent to the second team for reasons other than injury.
At the time, former coach Kim Tae-hyung (now a commentator for SBS Sports) explained, “Recently, he was tired and wanted to rest. This is a team, so whenever there’s a situation like that where he’s causing a bad atmosphere with the other players or something like that, the coach is the one who has to make a decision, and I thought it was time to make a decision.”
Park’s departure came just two years later in a similar situation. While NC had to play the remainder of the first half of the season without their star outfielder, they couldn’t let the team off the hook for their behavior. It’s not just Park Gun-woo, but all the players who are given the opportunity to play, that coach Kang Shin-ho wants them to have this mindset.메이저사이트
“You don’t always have to be in good shape to continue playing, and you don’t always have to be on the sidelines if you’re not feeling well. The existing principles are important,” he said, once again emphasizing the responsibility of the players.
After Park’s decision to move to the second team, there was no meeting between the coach and the player. “It’s not about ‘taming the players’ or ‘disciplining them,’ but it’s a message that they shouldn’t deviate from the principles they’ve always had,” Kang said. “Park Gun-woo is a player who represents Korea, and he has friends who play baseball because of him. Obviously, I would like to wish him well in that regard.”
Park could return on the 13th if he fulfills the full 10 days, but the exact timing of his call-up is not set. Kang will decide on the timing of his call-up after watching the Futures League matches and listening to the players’ opinions. Kang hopes that Park will return with a mature mindset.