“Whether you are a famous player or a rookie, in the baseball field, you are a professional player.”
The KIA Tigers made changes to their starting lineup before the game against Hanwha on the 30th. To give the starting center fielder Choi Won-jun rest, rookie outfielder Park Jae-hyun (19) was placed in the number one batting order as the center fielder. This was Park Jae-hyun's first starting game. In a situation where they were not starting the season well with four consecutive losses, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho brought out the Park Jae-hyun number one card to change the mood.
Manager Lee Beom-ho said, “I want to try something different to break the ice. (Choi) Won-jun has played a lot, and I gave him a day off, so (Park) Jae-hyun was brought in. The team felt stagnant, but I thought it would be better if a young player could come out and move around a lot.” Park Jae-hyun, a 19-year-old rookie who signed with the team as the overall 25th pick in the third round this year, recorded a batting average in the .400 range (.417) during spring training and showed off his speed as he raced around the bases. There were hopes pinned on the rookie who brought new vitality to the team and made it into the opening roster.
Although it was his debut starting game, he happened to face Hyun-jin Ryu (38), a pitcher with 78 wins in Major League Baseball. At just 19 years old, he could have felt overwhelmed by the veteran with a 19-year age difference, but Park Jae-hyun was undaunted. From the first pitch in the first inning, he boldly swung his bat. Although he was a bit late on the timing of a 142 km/h fastball, it resulted in a hit that landed in front of the left fielder. He achieved his first professional hit against Hyun-jin Ryu, and it was on the very first pitch.
After reaching first base, Park Jae-hyun successfully stole second base when Na Sung-bum was at bat. Hyun-jin Ryu allowed only 11 stolen bases over 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, with a stolen base prevention rate of 42.1%, making him adept at holding base runners. Last year, during his return season to the KBO League, he allowed only two stolen bases among 34 pitchers who pitched over 100 innings. With four stolen base preventions, he had a prevention rate of 66.7%. As a left-handed pitcher who faces runners while looking at first base, he has an advantage in holding runners, but his slide step is quick, making it difficult to time a steal.
He skillfully handled timing battles against both batters and runners. It is difficult for a runner at first base to succeed or even attempt a steal against Hyun-jin Ryu. Yet, before the excitement of a rookie's first hit could fade, the 19-year-old stole second base by surprising Ryu. He made his presence felt by recording both his first hit and first stolen base against Hyun-jin.
In his next four at-bats, Park Jae-hyun struck out twice and got out each time, saying, “I did get my first hit, but overall my timing was late. I felt that I needed to bring my timing forward.” He added, “I was a bit nervous when I received the notice of my starting role today, but since I was about to play, I thought about what I needed to do rather than being nervous.”
Regarding facing Hyun-jin Ryu from his first at-bat, Park Jae-hyun said, “Of course, there was pressure, but whether you are a famous player or a rookie, you enter the baseball field as a professional player. I only thought about wanting to win.” He continued, “Getting a hit was just good luck. In the next at-bat, I could understand why (Hyun-jin) Ryu went to the Major League. In the 5th inning, when I struck out, the ball barely grazed the ABS edge. His control was excellent.” A fastball that came in low on the outside edge barely touched the ABS borderline.
Hyun-jin Ryu also allowed a hit and a stolen base in the first inning but tightened up his effort against Park Jae-hyun. In the third inning, after the lead runner was out on a ground ball to second base, Park Jae-hyun reached first base, and Ryu threw three pick-off throws, showing he was concerned. Park Jae-hyun explained the steal situation from the first inning, saying, “(Hyun-jin Ryu) seemed like he wasn’t really thinking about picking me off, so I thought I would just run as soon as he lifted his leg, and I was able to do it well. In the 3rd inning, I took a tighter lead than before, so it seems he was paying more attention.
Park Jae-hyun's presence also shone through his defense in center field. He made a significant defensive play that impacted the outcome. In the 7th inning, with KIA trailing 5-2 and no outs but runners on first and second, Hanwha's Ahn Chi-hong hit a ball likely to be a double into right-center. It appeared it would allow the runner on first to score, but Park Jae-hyun sprinted and stretched out his left arm to snag the ball. This critical defensive play prevented two runs and contributed to KIA's 5-3 victory. He played a key role in breaking the team's four-game losing streak in his debut starting game.
Park Jae-hyun mentioned about this defense, “I don’t know if it was coincidence, but before the ball came, I thought to myself, ‘I will run all out for any ball that comes.’ Suddenly, as soon as I had that thought, the ball came to me. I kept saying to myself to run all the way, whether I caught it or not, and as I kept running, I was able to get close enough to make the catch.”
In the 6th inning, he hit a game-tying solo home run, catching attention with a celebratory moment with foreign hitter Patrick Wisdom in the dugout. “I naturally talked a lot and got close to Wisdom while commuting together in Gwangju,” Park Jae-hyun said with a smile, adding, “I didn't expect to get a starting opportunity so soon. Today was a day of growth. It wasn’t perfect, but from the 1st to the 9th inning, I was able to understand what the problems were and what I need to fix.”
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