"I'll definitely go to the top 5 this year." Hanwha's legendary home run king's confident words in 1992, 1999, and 2025
"I'll definitely go to the top 5 this year." Hanwha's legendary home run king's confident words in 1992, 1999, and 2025
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Jang Jong-hoon, the legendary home run king of the Hanwha Eagles, was confident in Hanwha's fall baseball this year.안전놀이터
Hanwha is enjoying an amazing season this year. It is tied with Lotte for second place in the league with 28 wins and 18 losses and a .609 winning rate. It is only two games behind the top-ranked LG (30 wins and 16 losses and a .652 winning rate).
Hanwha, which failed to advance to the postseason for six years after advancing to the semi-playoff league in 2018, did not have a good start this season either. Until April 9, it was ranked 10th in the league (5 wins and 10 losses, winning percentage of .333). However, it had eight consecutive wins from April 13 to 23, jumping to the top at once, and after two consecutive losses, it grabbed 12 straight wins from April 26 to May 11, displaying tremendous potential and power.
It is the third time in the history that Hanwha has recorded 10 consecutive wins in 1992, 1999 and this year. In the previous 10 consecutive seasons, they all advanced to the Korean Series, and in 1999, they won the Korean Series for the first time and the last time.
Coach Jang Jong-hoon, a Hanwha One Club man, experienced both the regular season win in 1992 and the Korean Series in 1999. Coach Jang Jong-hoon, who celebrated Hanwha's third 10th consecutive win, said, "It's fun to watch baseball recently. People around me say that Hanwha is good, and fans like it, so I can't help watching it," adding, "I think it's best for fans to be happy. You've worked so hard so far."
Coach Jang Jong-hoon, who played a leading role when he won the 1999 Korean Series, said, "Compared to then and this year, many people say that 1999 is better for a batter and this year is better for a pitcher. For now, I think baseball is a pitcher. Although the fifth starter (Thumbs up) was a little strained, the starting rotation is going well and I feel a sense of stability. "This seems to have given fielders a sense of stability in defense. I think I will be able to play baseball that I keep now. In that sense, I think I will be able to reach the end of my current pace," Hanwha said in an analysis of this season's Hanwha Eagles.
Not only Ryu Hyun-jin but also Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss played a major role in Hanwha's stellar performance this season. "In fact, Hanwha has benefited from foreign hitters, but not many from pitchers," smiling coach Jang Jong-hoon said. "We have really good pitchers this year. Up to the fourth starting pitcher, I think I can be comfortable with this kind of pitching staff."
Unlike 1999 when veteran players such as Jang Jong-hoon, Song Jin-woo, Jung Min-cheol, and Koo Dae-sung were at the center, young players such as Noh Si-hwan, Kim Seo-hyun, and Jung Woo-joo are contributing to the Hanwha team's advancement this year. "When I see rookie Jung Woo-joo throw on the mound, I think he is very brave and calm," coach Jang Jong-hoon said, praising young pitchers' performance.
Of course, Hanwha is not the perfect team for this year. Coach Jang Jong-hoon said, "The unfortunate thing is that the outfielders are still not in position. What more can we do now? The players at the moment are doing well. It is regrettable that the outfielders' growth seems to have slowed down a bit," expecting them to grow further.
The Hanwha Eagles opened its new home stadium, Hanwha Life Ball Park, this year. Coach Jang Jong-hoon, who said, "I've been there twice," said, "I went there once at the opening ceremony and once at the opening ceremony, but the atmosphere was not good at the opening ceremony. Fortunately, we won, and the team started to do well afterwards," adding, "Now I can't even get tickets because it's so popular." I just want to go to the ballpark once and feel the atmosphere even if there are no seats," he said with a smile.
"The most worrisome is the physical strength and injury of the players. Of course, the coaching staff will prepare well. I think Hanwha can continue to advance to the next round if it manages those areas well," said coach Jang Jong-hoon. "It might be a flurry of excitement, but I think Hanwha can definitely advance to the fifth round. Even if we fail to win this year's championship, I hope we will give our fans as much joy as possible for the rest of the season."