After a frustrating second half, the SSG Landers batting lineup has been revitalized. ‘Lefty’ Jeon Eui-san is the man.
SSG wrapped up a three-game weekend series with a sweep of the Doosan Bears of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League with an 8-5 win in game 11 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Sunday. After losing the first game of the series despite starting Kim Kwang-hyun, SSG hit two home runs each on the second day to give the away fans a valuable victory.
Jeon Ui-san, who was the hero of the series, cemented the victory with a walk-off solo shot in the eighth inning and a push-button single in the ninth, and contributed to the team’s victory the next day by going 2-for-5 with a home run, one RBI, and two runs scored.
In the top of the 10th inning of extra innings, Jeon pushed a two-pitch fastball from Chung Chul-won into left-center field with a 1-0 count, bringing home Kim Chan-hyung from third base. Kim then came home on Kim Sung-hyun’s single with the bases loaded to seal the game. SSG coach Kim Won-hyung also praised Jeon’s multi-hit performance, saying, “His multi-hit performance, including the game-winning hit, was crucial to the victory,” directly mentioning Jeon’s name.
After the game, Jeon said, “I don’t think it was bad. I think I was just ‘seeing the ball and hitting the ball’ without thinking about it,” he said. “All the pitchers that came out had good and fast pitches, so I think it was good to see the ball high and not be late with the timing of the fastball. I think winning like this in the last game of the (series) will give me another day off. The one I hit at the end was honestly more lucky than good,” he smiled.
Jeon has been plagued by injuries and poor form all season. He was named to the opening roster for the regular season, then dropped to the second team in early May, and after returning at the end of May, he stayed with the first team for a month before being sidelined in June with a left hamstring injury. It was an unexpected setback for him.
“My right (shoulder) was open a lot, so I worked a lot with the coaches in the second team, focusing on that part of my game. I think it led to better results because I was just relaxed and simple and kept hitting rather than being technical.” “I went down once, reorganized, and came back up again, and it wasn’t good because I was injured, but the coaches and trainers in the second team paid a lot of attention to me, so I think I was able to come back in a good shape,” he reflected.
While it’s a small sample size, Jeon is slowly picking up the pace, batting .429 with six doubles, one home run, and three RBIs in 14 at-bats over six games in August, giving the offense a boost. Before the game, Kim Won-hyung talked about Jeon’s performance and mentioned the name of Yang Joon-hyuk, an MBC Sports Plus commentator with similar physical attributes, and praised Jeon’s ability to pick out balls, just as Yang did during his playing days.
“I watched Yang Jun-hyuk’s batting form, but I don’t watch just one person, I watch a lot of videos of people who hit well in the league,” Jeon said, adding, “(But) when I was bad, I watched a lot of videos, but now I feel good (hitting), so I think I’m trying to find only my good videos. When I look at my good shots, it’s not just me, it’s all the players hitting at good times and at good hitting points, and that’s what I pay attention to.”
Another factor that has fueled his rise is his mindset. Jeon, who has a strong ‘big gun’ image, has put aside his desire for ‘one shot’ and focused on producing in-play hits.토토사이트
“In the beginning, I was really greedy (for a home run or a long ball). I think I did a good job because I didn’t really know anything (last year), so I hit the ball when I saw it and caught the ball when I saw it, but I think I struggled a lot at the beginning of this year because I wanted to do well, so I put a lot of effort into it.” “Now I want to make a lot of in-play hits, so I’m focusing on that, and if it goes well, I think I’ll move on. I don’t think I’m greedy for a home run or a long ball right now,” he shared his thoughts.