“If you increase your hit rate, you will get more long hits”.
The KIA Tigers boasted the 1st place in offensive power in the 2022 season. He finished first in batting average (.272), runs scored (720), hits (1361), long runs (.398), and on-base percentage (.349). Although he was fourth in home runs with 113, he proudly took first place with 250 doubles. It was unfair that the final team ranking was 5th.
Compared to the 2021 season, it is at the level of an uphill battle. KIA suffered the humiliation of finishing last in home runs, runs scored, and slugging percentage, and ninth in batting average and on-base percentage. In just one year, it has risen from the lowest attack power to the best attack power. It was the result of the addition of free agents Na Seong-beom and Strates Brito, and the progress of mid-level players such as Lee Chang-jin, Ryu Ji-hyeok, Hwang Dae-in, and Park Chan-ho.
In the process of raising offense to the top spot, hitting coach Lee Beom-ho is sweating. He transformed from Futures coach to first-team hitting coach and played a big role in raising the batting ability of mid-level players. He gave customized instruction to each player and taught not only countermeasures such as the number of targets at bat, but also physical strength and mental management. It was a know-how created through the experience of a hitter with a total of 329 homers and 1127 RBIs.
That’s why the meeting between coach Lee Beom-ho and Hanwha’s promising giant Byun Woo-hyeok (22) in Arizona draws attention. When last year’s season ended, the KIA gave away two pitchers, Han Seung-hyuk and Jang Ji-su, and recruited Byeon Woo-hyuk through a trade. It was part of the effort to grow into a giant infield in the first or third base corner. Excluding the two-year military service, he is an unfinished stand-by with only 122 at-bats in 50 games for two years.
There are many weaknesses such as the ability to respond to breaking balls, but the long hitting ability is acceptable. In the 2022 season, he hit 16 hits in 61 at-bats in 21 games. Among them, there are 3 home runs and 3 doubles. He also hit a large home run over 130m against Barnes of Lotte. Raising this slugging power is Byun Woo-hyuk’s homework and coach Lee Bum-ho’s duty.
The two are butting heads together in Arizona spring camp. Coach Lee has already passed on important tips. Byun Woo-hyeok explained, “I had a tendency to just bring the bat to the ball that was moving away from my body. (Coach Lee Bum-ho) taught me how to move my arm, so now I think I can push the ball away from my body and push it away.”
This is the part where expectations are growing for Byun Woo-hyuk, who received the guidance of coach Lee Beom-ho. Byun Woo-hyuk is a geopo third baseman and is aiming for ‘post Lee Beom-ho’. During Hanwha days, Kim Tae-gyun But now, he has announced that he will use coach Lee Bum-ho as his role model. Coach Lee Bum-ho led the Tigers championship with a luxury third baseman and giant gun. His parents are the same as Hanwha, and they also have similar physiques. 카지노
Coach Lee Bum-ho said, “Basically, the swing form is soft and smooth. , He is a player with a good swing. He thinks he doesn’t need big changes, so he’s training to improve his batting average based on what he has. He has power, and if he focuses on improving his accuracy, he will be able to produce a lot of long hits.”
If Byun Woo-hyeok becomes the main hitter right away, it is the best gift for KIA. However, director Kim Jong-guk has a rough sketch of investing 1-2 years of maturation time without rushing. So, the meeting between Byun Woo-hyeok and coach Lee Beom-ho is meaningful. A young geopo’s dream of becoming Lee Beom-ho’s successor is starting in Arizona.