“Seongju, don’t look at the numbers.”
LG outfielder Moon Seong-ju (26) will challenge for a batting average of .300 for the second consecutive year. He hit 0.303 last year, but it will be even more meaningful if he hits .300 this year. That’s because he was a .300 player last year with 106 games played, and this year is essentially a full season.
The anecdote in which Moon Seong-ju surprised manager Yeom Kyung-yeop and hitting coach Lee Ho-jun last winter is famous. This is because, when he performed poorly at the end of last season, he mistakenly believed that competing only through contact would be uncompetitive, and declared that he would improve his slugging power by strengthening his body.먹튀검증
Coach Yeom and Coach Lee Ho-jun worked hard to make Moon Seong-ju understand why his thoughts were wrong and to correct them. Crucially, bulking up does not give you slugging power. Moon Seong-ju, who has good contact skills, was convinced that it was right for him to grow into a sharper hitter, and Moon Seong-ju accepted it.
There is definitely a strength in averaging. He also hit 0.349 in April, 0.295 in May, 0.286 in June, and 0.304 in July this season. However, in the second half of the season, he falters a bit again. He was 0.258 in August and 0.235 in September until Suwon KT on the 7th. Coach Yeom Kyeong-yeop ultimately diagnosed that the good mechanics and rhythm were faltering because he was conscious of .300.
He has yet to hit .300 consistently for 2-3 years. In other words, although he has hit .300, he cannot be considered a true .300 hitter. Of course, he is a hitter who has a very high chance of becoming a .300 hitter, but it is reasonable to say that he is having trouble in the process.
Coach Yeom Kyeong-yeop said ahead of the Gwangju KIA game on the 8th, “Isn’t Seongju holding on to .300? Then, you can see the (batting average) number printed on the electronic display board. So, ‘Don’t look at the numbers. He said, ‘Isn’t the salary going to go up just because I’m making 20.9%?’ Numbers are just numbers. “If he gets caught up in the numbers, he gets caught up in them and can’t hit .300.”
This means that the moment you get caught up in numbers, you rush to hit and your good posture breaks down. Coach Yeom said, “You can look at the numbers after the season. If he just keeps doing what he does, he will hit 30%. Then he will do his job even if it costs 20%. If he puts his mind to it, he has a high chance of rising to 30%. It’s a mental battle. If you look at the numbers, you chase the ball and end up in a slump. “I have to hit it because it goes up to 30%,” he said.
Director Yeom recently made Moon Seong-ju aware of this part, and what Director Yeom says is that Moon Seong-ju also understood. He said, “If you only chase the results, you will never succeed. “You can only succeed if you follow the process faithfully.” Moon Seong-ju failed to hit a hit in the game on the 8th and his batting average dropped to 0.299. Instead, he’s holding his own, picking up two walks. It’s a fight with yourself.