Heavy squad mood. The only way to save a team in crisis is to encourage each other and stick together.
After suffering their first sweep of the season and their fourth straight loss, Lotte traveled to Daegu. Lotte players gather in the outfield at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu ahead of a three-game weekend series against Samsung. The mood was unusually serious. It had to be. Lotte had just dropped all three games of a midweek series against KT at Sajik Stadium in Busan. It was their first sweep of the season and their fourth straight loss, especially in the third game on Monday night, where they fell behind 0-5, rallied dramatically to 5-5, and then lost 6-7 in 12 extra innings. The loss was even worse because they used eight pitchers. Lotte’s ‘momentum’ was put on hold.
The players, led by captain Ahn Chi-hong, gathered in a circle on the outfield field and talked for a long time, trying to turn the team’s mood around. The team meeting was longer than usual, and the atmosphere was serious.
Rex, who has returned from a knee injury, also talked about his condition in front of the players. Rex, who played for Samsung Electronics on June 6, has been silent since his first at-bat. His defense is also a concern. He played left field on the first day of his return, but was unable to sprint to the plate, so he played as a designated hitter in the second game. In Game 3, he came in as a pinch-hitter in the 12th inning and hit an outfield fly.
The serious and long meeting was over. It remained to cheer up a teammate who might have been hurt. After Lee Hak-joo’s disappointing defense the day before, Jung-hoon walked up to him with open arms and hugged him tightly. It was a heartfelt hug of encouragement.
Rex is not helping the team with his nagging injuries. He can’t help but feel discouraged. Captain Ahn Chi-hong slapped his palm on Rex’s chest to say, “Cheer up.
Noh Jin-hyuk, who had been substituted the day before due to wrist pain while batting, was absent from team training. The loss of Noh, a key part of the infield defense in a difficult team atmosphere, is devastating. Coach Jeon Jun-ho consoled Noh, who couldn’t hide his regret.
메이저놀이터 There was also time for celebration. Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an are among the 24 players on the roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Ryu Joong-il, head coach of the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team, announced the 24-man roster for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games at 2 p.m. on Sept. 9, and Lotte’s Park Se-woong was included alongside Na Kyun-ahn. As his teammates applauded his congratulations, Park bent down to show his gratitude. Na Gyun-ahn, who is scheduled to start the game, did not participate in training.
Long baseball season. There are always crises, and Lotte must overcome the first trials of early summer before they can enjoy fall baseball. The good news is that the team is united. The players have reunited to repay the fans for their enthusiastic support.