Song Chan-eui (24, LG Twins), who is highly anticipated this season, is fully prepared to show off his potential. Yeom Gyeong-yeop (55), the LG coach, intends to follow Chan-eui Song so that he can wield it without worry.
Manager Yeom Gyeong-yeop said at the Giants Complex in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA on the 24th (Korean time), “I hope Song Chan-eui will definitely get a place this year. Whether it’s right or not, I plan to keep him in the first team and give him a chance.”안전놀이터
It was because he was judged to have the skills to trust and push him as a manager. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said, “Personally, I believe that experience in the first team is meaningful only when a player reaches a level where he can grow. Until then, he will never grow if he is given a chance in the first team. Rather, he will only accumulate bad experiences. At least the chance of success is 50%. “You have to give them a chance when it’s judged that you’ve surpassed that level. The players who have risen to that level now are Son Ho-young, Song Chan-eui, and Lee Jae-won. The answer is to give these players a chance to play the full season consistently. Kim Ha-seong was also that great.” told
Manager Pyo Yeom’s baseball of faith had already begun at the time of his appointment. Song Chan-eui, who met after training, said to the manager, “Hearing such words makes me feel stable. Last year, I had a strong desire to show something from the demonstration game. Then, when the pace fell, the regular season began. After that, the results I looked back on the 2022 season, saying, “I became impatient because I didn’t come out, changed my form, and continued my own fight.”
“The coach always told me, ‘Never change your batting form, don’t be shaken no matter what anyone says, and keep that batting form,’ and then I felt something. Rather than writing, I am going to take my time at bat and focus on the pitcher and the timing battle.”
Song Chan-eui, who joined LG with a total of 67 in the 2nd 7th round of the 2018 rookie draft, stood out by recording 6 home runs in 12 games in last year’s demonstration game. However, in the regular season, he fell short of expectations with a batting average of 0.236, 3 homers, 10 RBIs and an OPS of 0.699 in 33 games. Then, he prepared an opportunity for a rebound in Geelong Korea this winter. In Australian professional baseball, he showed off a fierce bat with a batting average of 0.324, 7 home runs, 24 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.979 in 28 games, and behind that was advice from Lee Byeong-gyu (49), then coach of Geelong Korea and current head coach of the Samsung Lions.
Song Chan-eui said, “Director Lee Byeong-gyu gave more advice on timing than batting form. He gave advice tailored to each player, but he always told me that it should never be too late for the bat to go out. He said it came out well,” he recalled.
As a result of absorbing the advice of a top coach without changing the batting form, it became the best hit product of this spring camp, which many LG officials, including coach Yeom, consider the best. Song Chan-eui’s trademark is a strong hitting ball that comes from his fast bat speed, which he considers his greatest strength. According to an official from a KBO club, Song Chan-eui’s hitting speed is comparable to that of Jose Pirella (34, Samsung).
Song Chan-eui said, “I think batted ball speed is important in making hits, so I always check the rapsodo and ask the coaches when batting. During batting training, the average speed in the upper half of 160 km/h is steadily coming out, and when it comes out best, it is even in the second half of 170 km.” But he laughed, saying, “I’m not the best on the team because I have (Lee) Jae-won, who overwhelmingly hits 180km.”
It is evaluated that he has improved a lot in terms of defense. Although his primary position is second base, he also plays first base and outfield defense at the same time. Song Chan-eui said, “I am mainly practicing second base. Defensive coach Kim Il-kyung teaches me very carefully and in an easy-to-understand way. I think both batting and defense are lacking, but I am working a little harder on defense. At the stage of doing it, the defense side is strengthening step by step from the basics with the mindset of starting again from the beginning.”
As always, the goal of this year for prospects who have shown potential is to do better than in previous years. LG’s top prospects are no different. Song Chan-eui said, “I feel that I have to do better than last year, and I have the confidence that I can do well. Numerically, I am aiming for a double-digit home run.” I will try my best this year so that I can live up to those expectations,” he said with strong aspirations.