SSG U.S. Spring Camp New Vitality... Military trio "Make it an All-Han Leap Year"
SSG manager Lee Sung-yong, who "transitioned" from a professional baseball manager to a manager, emphasizes unity, which is why the spring training camp in Vero Beach, Florida, USA, is often characterized by a friendly atmosphere. In particular, infielders Kim Chang-pyeong (24) and Kim Seong-min (23) and pitcher Cho Byung-heon (22) are considered to be the lifeblood of SSG's spring camp. What they all have in common is that they are returnees who returned from military service last year. Spring camp is a stage of fierce competition for survival. "We will definitely survive the competition," the trio said.
Kim was considered a highly touted infield resource in high school, where he was the starting shortstop for the youth national team. But the barrier to the professional ranks was high. After joining the organization in 2019, Kim played primarily at second base for two years and posted a dismal .187 batting average. He played two more seasons, but in three seasons, his batting average remained at .169. Kim decided to address his military issues first. He began his military career as a social service worker in January 2022 and was discharged in October last year.
After joining the first team camp for the first time in a long time, Kim said, "I didn't do any technical training for a year while I was a social service worker. Instead, I focused on weight training to build strength. The biggest difference between before and after enlisting is the change in my body. My strength has improved," he emphasized.
Cho Byung-hyun is a pitching resource that manager Lee Sung-yong has taken a shine to. Ahead of the camp, Lee said, "There are a lot of praises around me. The managing director also praised Cho Byung-hyun very much. I'm looking forward to seeing him this year." Cho Byung-hyun was the Futures League's save king last year. His Futures League record 사설토토 last year was 2-2 in 43 games, with four shutouts and 17 saves. He had a 2.25 ERA. Before joining the organization, his fastball barely touched 145 kilometers per hour, but he found his balance in commerce. His fastball is now up to 151 kilometers per hour. Cho was also selected to the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) team last November. "As my velocity increases, I feel more confident and trust my pitches," he said. "But even if I have a fastball, it's useless if it doesn't work. I will pay more attention to my pitches during the camp," he explained.
Kim Sung-min has completed his active military service. He was evaluated as a big infielder in his high school days, but he was unable to use his power in the pros. He spent a lot of time in the Futures League and decided to enlist in active duty. He improved his body during his military service and was recognized by the coaching staff at the team's final camp last year. "When I was in the army, I was very desperate to play baseball. When I was discharged from the army, I told myself to be eager, but I was 3 centimeters taller. I became more serious about baseball," he said.
Lee, who emphasized 'communication' as well as unity, is pleased with the three returnees' training attitude. Lee spends a lot of time praising their strengths rather than pointing out their weaknesses. Praise makes even whales dance. Kim Chang-pyeong vowed to become a player who can steal bases at any time while getting a lot of runs this year. Cho Byung-hyun vowed to "become the mainstay of the team regardless of my role on the team." Kim Sung-min said, "My confidence has increased a lot. I will definitely take a leap forward this year."
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