Replacement second baseman with a .053 batting average…”definitely an energizer bunny for the team”

“When a player who has been waiting in the wings comes in as a substitute starter and performs well, it’s definitely energizing.”

Acting NC Dinos manager Kang Myung-ho has lavished praise on infielder Choi Jung-won ahead of the team’s game against the Lotte Giants in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Sajik Stadium on Wednesday.

Choi started at second base in the ninth inning of the last game (against the Changwon Lotte on Oct. 10). He replaced Park Min-woo, who was out with a right hip impingement.

Prior to that game, Choi was batting .053 (1-for-19) with two RBIs in 21 games this year. As a backup, he was used as a late-game catcher and pinch-hitter.

Even with fewer opportunities, Choi made her presence felt. In her first at-bat, a leadoff triple in the bottom of the third inning, Choi took advantage of a 139 mph cutter from starter Aaron Wilkerson and smashed it into the right field seats. Choi led off the inning with a triple and scored on Son’s grounder to second base to give NC a 1-0 lead. The final score was 1-for-3 with one RBI.

The score was significant. NC defeated Lotte 3-1 on the day, and Choi Jung-won scored the game-winning run. It was a game where every point was important, especially because of the tight score and the fact that Eric Peddie, who was trying to win the game with a perfect pitch in the top of the ninth inning, faltered sharply and the game was unknown until the end.

Coach Kang expressed his gratitude, saying, “When a player who was waiting in the wings comes in as a substitute and performs well, it definitely energizes the team in terms of atmosphere and influence on the main players.”

Choi Jeong-won performed well, but Park Min-woo’s return to the starting lineup means he’s back on the bench. Kang said, “(Park Min-woo) is not fully recovered yet. He has some discomfort, but he’s in good enough shape to play today (Dec. 12),” Kang said.바카라

NC has been on the rise since the beginning of the season and currently sits third in the league (63 wins, 2 draws, 52 losses). They are only 0.5 games behind KT Wiz (65 wins, 3 draws, 53 losses), who are one place above them.

However, Kang tries to focus on one game at a time: “The standings change when you go to bed and wake up, so I don’t want to read too much into it (at this point), and I’m not looking for a ride. I focused on the bottom rather than the top, and by the time I realized that we had caught up to KT by half a game, I didn’t even realize it was that close. I think it’s more important to play one game at a time rather than rankings and wins.”

Meanwhile, the NC Dinos made changes to their roster. Outfielder Lee Jae-hwan (11th) headed to the Future League, while Han Seok-hyun (12th) joined the first team for the first time since May 4.

Coach Kang said, “There was an overlap between Jae-hwan and Kim Sung-wook in the outfield. We received a report that Han Seok-hyun was in good shape in the Futures League,” Kang said, explaining the roster change.

“When a player who has been waiting in the wings comes in as a substitute starter and performs well, it’s definitely energizing.” Acting NC Dinos manager Kang Myung-ho has lavished praise on infielder Choi Jung-won ahead of the team’s game against the Lotte Giants in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Sajik Stadium…