He was a natural when it came to intelligence. ‘Free Agent Mia’ Kook Hae-sung, 34, has finally become a professional athlete again after about a year and a half of hardship.
The Lotte Giants announced the signing of outfielder Kook Hae-sung on March 22. Lotte said, “Kook Hae-sung, who joined Doosan as a developmental player in 2008, made his first-team debut in 2012 and batted .214 with a 2.33 RBI in eight seasons. As a switch-hitter who can produce long balls, the club believes he will help strengthen the outfield depth and utilize pinch-hitting resources,” the team said in a statement.
When contacted by OSEN after signing, Kook Hae-sung said, “I’m starting over. I’m not excited, but I’m happy. Now that I’m in a professional team, I have to work hard to prepare again and show a good performance. I will do my best to adapt to the new team and work hard,” he said of joining Lotte.
After leaving Incheon High School and joining Doosan in 2008, Kook Hae-sung was labeled as an ‘unfulfilled promise’. He was expected to be a switch-hitter with one-hit power, but various injuries to his elbows, ankles, knees, and fingers prevented him from reaching his potential. Since making his first team debut in 2012, he has a career line of 2-for-33 with eight doubles, 99 runs, 11 home runs, and 66 RBIs in 214 games. He was eligible for free agency in the Futures League after the 2021 season, but was unable to find a team and spent a year and a half with the independent Seongnam MacPies looking for a second chance.
That’s when Lotte came to his rescue. “They originally contacted me last winter, but I told them I would get in shape and get back to them,” he said. “On the 20th, I went to Sajik Stadium to work out with Lotte players, and things went well, so I immediately signed a contract for the lowest annual salary. They looked at me favorably even though I only trained for one day,” he said.메이저사이트
As for what the past year and a half has been like for Kook Hae-sung, he says, “It’s been a new experience. I saw that there are young players here who are also preparing hard, and I trained with them while feeling a lot of things. It was fun and gave me good energy.” “Above all, coach Shin Shin-sik has given me so much consideration. I’m grateful. The batting coach Kim Hyung-seok and pitching coach Lee Hee-sung were also very considerate. I am very grateful to them for helping me focus on my training.”