Revival KIA Seo Geon-chang's driving force is comfortable

"I think I thought it too complicated."

Seo Geon-chang (KIA), the protagonist of the KBO League's first "single season 200 hits," self-diagnosed the cause of the long slump he suffered in the past. He stood as the league's best teaching hitter by becoming the Rookie of the Year in 2012 and the MVP of the 2014 regular season, when he was a member of the Nexen Heroes, but he took a sharp step down with a batting average of 0.216 OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.584 over the two years when he wore an LG uniform.

Seo Geon-chang, who met at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on the 20th, said, "I wish I had done it simply, but I had too many thoughts," and "It was a time when I realized once again that baseball was not working even though I knew it."

He sought to make a comeback by opting for the third free agent option but failed to recover from his prime time and asked LG to release him in person. He built a nest in Gwangju, where he spent his school days, but question marks still lingered over him as a "fourth grader." As if to mock such concerns, however, he has a batting average of 0.354 OPS of 0.992 this season. "I feel comfortable playing baseball in my hometown team. I play baseball in harmony with the players," Seo said. "I enjoy visiting the baseball stadium."

Technological changes have also taken place. "I trained to naturally move my body's center during the off-season," Seo said. "Through that process, heating points were created in the front." It's not just hitter Seo Kun-chang who has changed. A former second baseman for the Korean national team, Seo has been playing first base since this season. "Before I left the spring camp, my club told me (about the situation of first baseman)," Seo said. "That's why I took my first baseman's mitts with me." "Personally, I have more opportunities to participate in games. As the team has been able to cope with various variables that arise during the season, I think (the combination of first base) has helped the team to some extent."

In fact, one of the driving forces behind KIA's adherence to the No. 1 position in the league is the team's "multi-capability." For KIA, Na Sung-bum (right fielder) and Hwang Dae-in (first baseman) were injured, but Lee Woo-sung took turns seeing the right fielder and the first baseman, and Seo Geon-chang played the second baseman and the first baseman at the same time to minimize the gap. "All the players are playing with the mindset of faithfully performing their role rather than trying to do too well," Seo Geon-chang said. "I think we are minimizing the gap in power by accurately recognizing each team's strengths and weaknesses."

The leadership of Kia Tigers coach Lee Bum-ho is one of the secrets of Kia's dominance. "The coach has created an atmosphere of freedom," Seo Geon-chang said. "Actually, the team could lose due to players' mistakes, but since we don't have pressure (to deal with the situation), we can get out of it quickly (without blaming ourselves)." The team is also following the coach's stance. "Just because someone steps up and says 'Let's do well' or 'Let's do well' does not mean that the team is going to be successful. I think this atmosphere is over in a day or two," Seo Geon-chang said. "Right now, players are literally playing around in their freedom."

A case in point is the match against NC on Wednesday. KIA Park Chan-ho, who entered the batter's box with runners on first and second bases with no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, buntted, and second baseman Han Jun-su boldly rushed home while the opponent fielders' throws were twisted, leading to a dramatic 4-3 victory. It was a victory created by the runner's own judgment. Coach Lee Bum-ho praised the scene, saying, "Jun-su is very good at playing," and Seo Geon-chang emphasized, "The team does not have young players, and with this kind of experience, we will become a stronger team after the middle of the season."

As the team is on the rise, Seo is also focusing on his role as a team member, not as an individual. "It's fun to just look at the team's rankings these days," he said. "When a team wants to get on base from a game situation, I focus on getting on base and take the batter's box, and when I have to hit it boldly."

Finally, Seo expressed his deep gratitude to the fans of his hometown team. "Since I came to Gwangju as a member of KIA, there are so many people who recognize me on the street," Seo Geon-chang said. "I will return the energy I received from the fans with good performance."

BY: 스포츠토토