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| Lotte Hong Min-ki and Park Jae-yeop are talking to pitching coach Joo Hyung-kwang, who took the mound in the top of the third inning at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 18th. Busan = Reporter's book @sportschosun.com/2025.06.18/ |
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"We've prepared a lot."
Everything in the world, there's nothing you can just get results. Especially sports. Players who have worked hard and worked hard, come to fruition sweetly.
Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung could not hide his "daddy smile" when he saw a player during a game against the Hanwha Eagles at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 18th. I clapped and even gave him a high five. Who was the player who made coach Kim so soft.
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| Lotte-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 11th. Lotte came from behind to win 4-3. Director Kim Tae-hyung is smiling at the cheers of the fans. Suwon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.11/ |
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Left-hander Hong Min-ki. Hong Min-ki was the starting player for the game. The player who threw two first-team games this season, especially as a relief, suddenly got a chance to start. Someone had to fill the spot where Park Se-woong and Kim Jin-wook went down to the second division due to poor performance, and head coach Kim chose Hong Min-ki. Hong Min-ki was notified of the selection on the eve of the game." It was such an unconventional choice. Even in the second division, Hong Min-ki was playing as a bullpen, not a starter.
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| Lotte starter Hong Min-ki is pitching hard in a game between Hanwha and Lotte at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 18th. Busan = Reporter's book @sportschosun.com/2025.06.18/ |
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However, coach Kim didn't just take Hong Min-ki with 'gam'. In terms of ball power, he had his own confidence that he could be the best pitcher in the team. A left-hander fireballer who says he'll bring him even if he goes to hell. If this player's name was unfamiliar, there must have been a clear reason. Control. Hong Min-ki, who joined in 2020, has not made a remarkable record so far, but he has sharpened his skills in the second division ahead of this season. In the second division, there was also a report that "the ball control was caught", so we decided to give it a chance.
The first batter in the top of the first inning is Lee Won-seok. The first 153km fastball passed through the low strike zone. Hong Min-ki turned the game around saying, `Even if it wasn't a strike, I would have been satisfied with the low ball control.' In any case, he was confident in the first strike, and in the first inning, he showed very stable control and overwhelming ball power as rumored, creating a three-out inning. That's how the game began to unravel. On the day, the maximum speed of his fastball was 155 kilometers. It was a fastball-slider two-pitch, but Hanwha hitters who were unfamiliar with Hong Min-ki did not get the right timing. One run in four innings. The most important thing is that there was only one walk. It was no exaggeration to say that Hong Min-ki set the stage for victory.
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| Lotte Hong Min-ki is walking down the mound at the top of the fifth inning in a game between Hanwha and Lotte at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 18th. Busan = Reporter's book @sportschosun.com/2025.06.18/ |
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It wasn't my control that gave Hong Min-ki a hard time. It was physical strength and greed. Physical strength was foreseen. As mentioned above, he didn't throw as a starter this year, but suddenly took the mound as a starter. In addition, he was forced to throw with all his might from the beginning.
What's funny is greed. In fact, it was a successful card even if you stopped three to four innings. However, in the second inning, rookie catcher Park Jae-yeop hit a three-run home run and scored four runs at once. Hong Min-ki said, `When I see Park Jae-yeop's home run, I really like it. I think that's when I started thinking about winning," he said candidly.
He blocked well until the fourth inning. However, he had consecutive hits as soon as he started the fifth inning. Hong Min-ki said "I really wanted to stop it until the fifth inning. I wanted to throw it in the fifth inning. I think I got a hit because of that heart,' he said with an awkward smile.
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| The game between Hanwha and Lotte at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 18th, Lotte Hong Min-ki and Park Jae-yeop are looking at pitching coach Joo Hyung-kwang who is taking the mound to replace him in the top of the 5th inning. Busan = Reporter's book @sportschosun.com/2025.06.18/ |
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Hong Min-ki really prepared a lot in the 2nd Army. The second-tier coaches helped me a lot, and there was advice from seniors. I worked with confidence. Now I don't think I'm that nervous even if I play in the first team game. Really, we prepared a lot. The restraint follows on its own, and in the end, it was control. I think I gained confidence because I was able to control my ball, and I think that's why my ball speed went up", he explained.
Hong Min-ki's last goal is to throw as a starter. To do that, you also need to add a pitch bell. Today, Hanwha players don't have much information about me, so I think I was lucky to get a good result," he said modestly.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
