“The coach always believes in me.”
NC’s two-hit cycle hit rock bottom in late June. It started with a shaky starting lineup from the beginning of the season. The bullpen, which had been performing above expectations, was overloaded, and the offense hit a low point. They finished the nine-game series against the Seoul Metropolitan Area with a 2-6 record. In the meantime, the Park Geon-woo situation unfolded. They even ended a shocking two-game losing streak without earning a single point against last-place Samseong on August 8-9.
However, NC took a breath of fresh air in the final home three-game series of the first half with two wins against Lotte, who were also in poor form. They finished the first half with 39 wins, 38 losses, and one draw, in fourth place. They’ve regained their 5% winning percentage. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for a team that once threatened the top two, LG and SSG, to fall to just two games ahead of sixth-place KIA. Still, it’s a blessing in disguise that we’re out of the worst of the doldrums.토토사이트
To put it bluntly, NC started this year without much expectation. They lost Yang Ji (Doosan) in the 2022-2023 free agent market, and they lost their surefire starter for years in Drew Ruchinski (Oakland Athletics). The loss of mainstay infielder Noh Jin-hyuk (Lotte) was also a concern.
Considering the power minus, it was a strong first half. On the mound, Eric Peddy made Ruchinski completely forget about him. He’s been the best pitcher in the KBO this season. Park Se-hyuk doesn’t stand out at the plate, but he’s had a huge impact on the team’s second-best ERA (3.67). Shin Min-hyuk and Yoo Yong-joon have exceeded expectations in the fourth and fifth spots, and Choi Sung-young has split time between starting and middling. The bullpen, including Ryu Jin-wook, Kim Jin-ho, Kim Si-hoon, Kim Young-kyu, and Lim Jung-ho, exceeded expectations, and the injured Koo Chang-mo was an asset.
In the batting order, Seo Ho-cheol and Do Tae-hoon fully established themselves as the new dynamos of the infield. Captains Son As-seop and Park Min-woo also did their part. Foreign hitter Jason Martin has had his ups and downs with injuries, but overall he’s been solid. Kim Joo-won, Yoon Hyung-joon, and Jae-hwan Jeon also showed promise in the infield and outfield. Park Gun-woo was the only odd man out.
In the end, it was the leadership of manager Kang Myung-hyun that held them together, and he surpassed the 100-win mark with a win against Changwon Lotte on the 12th. The win on the 13th gave him 101. It’s a testament to Kang’s success as an acting manager in the 2022 season and his predecessor’s suspension.
Kang led the team with discipline, communication, and faith. His experience as a longtime coach at Doosan, Hanwha, and NC helped him calmly navigate through the crisis at the end of the first half. The Park Geon-woo situation, in retrospect, proved Kang’s strong leadership again. After all, managers and players can’t play power games.
After the All-Star break, the biggest question is when Park will return. He needs to come back, and he needs to be the centerpiece of the batting order. Also, despite winning two straight games against Lotte at the end of the first half, the mound instability remains. The timing and performance of players who need to return, such as Koo Chang-mo’s rehabilitation, is also a checkpoint.
Captain Son As-seop said, “The coach always believes in the players, so I think we need to reciprocate as a team. I would like to sincerely congratulate the coach on his 100th victory, and I hope to share many victories with him in the future, up to 200 and 300. As the captain, I will support him from the sidelines.”
“I think we were able to win 100 games thanks to the players. I think it’s more important for the team to play a little better than 100 wins. I will do my best to get together with the players as a team and win more games in the future.”