On June 9, Kang Baek-ho (23-photo), one of KT’s top hitters in the KBO, was removed from the first team roster due to a cold and took more than a month off. He shook off the cold early, but only to soothe his exhaustion. After being criticized for a “freak run” in March, when he was tagged out after hitting a double against Australia in the first game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Japan, Kang was once again in the news for a loose replay while playing right field against Jamsil LG on May 18. Kang Baek-ho, who was deeply hurt by the criticism, took more than a month off to rest his body and mind.
When he returned to the first team for the first game of the final three-game series against Kiwoom on Nov. 11, he appeared to have lost more than 10 kilograms in weight.Kang Baek-ho himself said, “My body is lighter and my swing speed is faster. I feel like I can hit at the right time.”메이저놀이터
The effect of the weight loss was immediately apparent from the first game of the second half. On May 21, Kang Baek-ho, who started as the No. 7 designated hitter for Daegu Samsung Electronics, hit a three-run home run over the left-center field fence with two outs in the second inning. It was his sixth home run of the season, two and a half months after the May 7 NC game.
The support of the fans who believed in him and waited for him is also something that keeps him going. Even when he was criticized for his poor play in May, fans sent him coffee tea to cheer him on and posted birthday messages on Suwon city buses for his 24th birthday on May 29.
Kang’s resurgence is also a big boost for KT, which is looking to make a mid-table run. After splitting the first three games of the second half of the season against Samsung with a 2-1 win-loss series, KT has 39 points and is half a game behind fifth-place Lotte (39 points and 42 draws). The return of Kang Baek-ho could add even more weight to the central batting lineup of Alford and Park Byung-ho. It will be interesting to see if Kang Baek-ho, who is back on the field after shaking off his troubles, can lead the Wizards’ fall baseball campaign with his trademark swing.