멈춰 선 바람의 손자, 기록 너머의 과제와 메이저리그의 냉혹한 현실 > 뉴스

Lee Jeong-hoo's 18-game hitting streak unfortunately came to an end in the home game against the Chicago Cubs on the 13th. As the San Francisco Giants' fifth hitter and starting right fielder, he came to bat three times but failed to produce a hit. Opportunities arose at every key moment in the game, such as appearing as the leadoff hitter early in the game or coming to the plate at a scoring opportunity, but he was blocked by the Cubs pitching staff's elaborate strategy and had to retreat to ground balls and fly balls. In particular, in the bottom of the 4th inning when the team was down 0-2, with 2 outs and 3rd base, he hit a sharp ball that went directly toward the second baseman, showing that even the luck granted by the baseball gods did not help him today. In the end, he recorded no hits in three at-bats, causing his season batting average to drop slightly to 0.333, and his team also lost 1-5, missing out on both a record and a win.

Some believe that the reason for this recording interruption is ‘rest’. Since the 30th of last month, Lee Jeong-hoo has continued his march by participating in 13 consecutive games without missing a day. There is some analysis that the long-awaited day's rest may have actually disrupted the batting rhythm, but this is also an adaptation process that players must go through during the long season of the Major League. It is a common occurrence in the baseball world to feel numb during a game after relieving physical fatigue and recharging. However, Lee Jeong-hoo's impact over the past 18 games has value beyond records. The fact that he produced hits without giving in even in the face of new pitchers' pitches, unfamiliar environments, and power analysis that changes every day is enough to prove that he is a good hitter in the big leagues.

Meanwhile, the situation for Kim Ha-seong, another Korean hitter who was playing in the major leagues on the same day, was even worse. Ha-Seong Kim, who returned to the Atlanta Braves' starting lineup after 6 days, swallowed his disappointment by going 0 hits and 1 walk in 2 at-bats against the New York Mets. In the top of the second inning, he calmly drew a walk at a golden opportunity with no outs on first and third base, creating an opportunity for his team, but due to the silence of the subsequent batters, it did not result in a score. The 4th inning at-bat, where he retired with a ground ball after a tenacious battle that went all the way to 9 pitches, clearly shows how much his current batting condition is struggling. With his season batting average dropping to 0.093 and going through the humiliation of being replaced as a pinch hitter, Kim Ha-seong seems in dire need of a clear rebound to overcome his current slump.

These classics by Korean major leaguers once again make us realize the weight of the world's best stage. The reality facing our players is not easy, with Lee Jeong-hoo's 18-game hitting streak coming to an end, Kim Ha-seong going through a long tunnel of batting slump, and Song Seong-moon staying on the bench. However, all of these processes they go through can ultimately be seen as an essential rite of passage toward becoming a major leaguer. This is because the Major League is not a place where you compete solely on skill alone, but a stage where you must prove how to manage slumps and how to come back to the plate the day after your record stops. Future points to watch will be how Lee Jeong-hoo will resume producing hits after his record suspension, and whether Kim Ha-seong will be able to overcome his current batting slump and prove his presence as a shortstop again.