“If you’re a pro, you can’t afford to make complacent mistakes. You have to be more focused.”
When I asked Hanwha catcher Noh Si-hwan (23) about Choi (SSG) before the Changwon NC game on the 17th, he spoke his mind. The story of visiting Choi for advice last year, when he hadn’t played baseball for a long time, was definitely impressive, especially Choi’s steady home run production. It’s something to learn from.
But that’s not all. Choi is also one of the best defenders in the KBO at third base. At 36 years old, he’s getting to be a bit of a physical liability as an offensive player. However, Choi has consistently shown good defense. In 85 games and 695⅓ innings, he’s 19th in the league and fourth among third basemen. There are no players over the age of 35 in the top 20 in defensive innings pitched.
Choi has committed just nine errors this season. His 0.953 fielding percentage ranks third in WAA (0.116) among third basemen with at least 500 innings per Baseball-Reference.com. In contrast, Noh, who has played 842.2 innings in 95 games, is third in the league with 16 errors. His fielding percentage is 0.944.
In other words, Choi is a true offensive third baseman. To truly follow in Choi’s footsteps, Noh will need to be more solid on defense. That’s not to say that Noh’s defense is shaky or poor. Sometimes he makes mistakes that he shouldn’t. He said to himself, “If you’re a professional, you can’t make complacent mistakes. I need to be more focused. I need to reduce my errors.”
Against the Changwon NC on the 15th, defense was crucial in the bottom of the sixth inning as Nick Williams hit an off-balance two-run shot. However, the leadoff hitter, Park Min-woo, hit a deep ball first, and the throw from the right fielder was not received and spilled, allowing Park to score. 메이저사이트
Noh said, “Mistakes are not a matter of physical strength. There’s nothing tough about it. When you run from first base to home in the previous at-bat, it’s hard to play defense right away. But if you have a lapse in defense, you have to overcome it. I need to reduce my errors.”
Noh made no excuses and vowed to play better defense. Choi Jung also had a lot of trial and error in the field when he was Noh’s age. He worked as much on his defense as he did on his batting to stay at third base. While defensive-minded infielders such as third baseman and shortstop can move to designated hitter or change positions as they age, Choi doesn’t want to give up his spot at third base.
Noh has become the league’s best third baseman and top home run hitter this season. He is the fourth third baseman for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Noh will be remembered as an “international” player, especially if he leads South Korea to the gold medal with a solid offensive performance while wearing the Taeguk-mark. Another chance at a lifetime in baseball.