"I don't get angry if I make a mistake, but if I get struck out, I get angry behind the scenes..." Ryu Hyun-jin's Painful Self-Reflection on Hanwha's Problems

"I don't get angry if I make a mistake, but if I get struck out, I get angry behind the scenes..." Ryu Hyun-jin's Painful Self-Reflection on Hanwha's Problems

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"Why? You thought you'd get angry even if you made a mistake in defense..."

If you look at the home dugout of most stadiums, there is a rear space where you can't see the fans. Some clubs bring sandbags here. If you don't get angry while playing baseball, the consideration is to not damage or get hurt and take it out on the sandbag.

Sometimes, there are players who vent their anger like that even during games. Too much anger is bad for mental health, so proper stress generation is also necessary. However, Ryu Hyun-jin (37, Hanwha Eagles), who has played in the Major League and KBO leagues for a long time, explained that he has never expressed his anger when he made an error even if he was struck out or out at a critical moment.

KBO League broadcast OTT TVing released "Perfect League 2024" on the 20th. It was a time for MBC Sports Plus commentator Jung Min-chul to comfortably exchange questions and answers with Ryu Hyun-jin. Naturally, there was a story that the Hanwha Eagles did not make it to the round of 5 this season. Hanwha did not have another fall baseball game this season with 66 wins, 76 losses, 2 draws, and 8th place. Some senior players obtained it off the coast of Taean as promised before the season.

Ryu said, "Players told me that I have to go to the top five. We thought that it would be the best to reach the top five. Some say that baseball is about playing pitchers, but I think defense is really more important than offense." In fact, Hanwha had a lot of unrecorded mistakes this season. Traditionally, teams with strong defense are not strong. Many outside view that this is an obstacle that prevents them from becoming a strong team.

Ryu said, "(A player) makes an error. So I lost a point. Then he doesn't get angry because he made an error. But he either struck out or failed at bat. Then there are many people who get angry later. I don't understand that. Why do you know how to get angry when you defend?"

I'm not saying that Hanwha players did this year, but that the overall fielders they've watched while playing baseball have been like that. I want Hanwha players to focus more on defense, and I think they need to feel bad when they don't defend properly. That way, there is an opportunity to reflect on themselves and get better.

"I think I've just watched this year. But I've told my kids that starting next year, I'll talk a lot," Ryu said. "Since you're a veteran and an experienced player, I think you need to catch up to a certain extent." Chung Min-chul, a member of the committee who is familiar with Ryu, was surprised and said, "You don't talk much by nature."

Of course, Ryu has not forgotten his self-reflection. This season, Ryu had 10-8 record with an ERA of 3.87 in 28 games. He overcame his initial slump to achieve the minimum value of his name. He said, "I was the problem. If I hadn't done it in the early days of the season, I would have played two to three games and three to four games. If I could just relax and catch it, I would be able to advance to the fifth round."

Chung Min-chul, 안전놀이터 a member of the committee, said, "If we can talk about the outcome after the season, let's console him. Still, Ryu couldn't hide his disappointment. Marking the first season of the new stadium in 2025 season, Ryu and Hanwha will try to advance to the top five teams for the first time in seven years since 2018. As Ryu pointed out, defense is the most important thing. Rumors say that he practiced defense a lot through the last round of training.