Deoksu High School’s Joo Jeong-hwan celebrates after hitting a double in the ninth inning in the 49th Phoenix Grand Final held at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on the 16th. By Hong In-ki
“After listening to the coach’s words, I didn’t feel any pressure and went to the plate without feeling burdened.”
Deoksu High School’s Joo Jeong-hwan (2 years) became the MVP of the tournament by hitting the final blow in the final of the 49th Phoenix Grand National High School Baseball Tournament.
Joo Jeong-hwan led the team to victory by scoring two hits, three RBIs, and one goal in four at-bats, including one triple, in the match against Yu Shin-go in the final of the Phoenix Stand at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on the 16th. After the match, Joo Jung-hwan said, “I still can’t believe it. “I am very happy to even win the first national championship with my first-year teammates,” he said.
He continued, “Even though it was the finals, I wasn’t nervous. I didn’t think everyone would make it this far. It seems that good results came from playing happily with the team members in this tournament with one heart and one mind.”
Joo Jung-hwan hit a double to bring in both second and third base runners in a 5-5 tie in the beginning of the ninth inning, and tripled in the previous eighth to add a score. In the bottom of the 7th inning, the ball handed to pitcher Jun-seok Shim passed the pitcher and fell behind the catcher, making up for the mistake of letting the runner in. Joo Jung-hwan said, “The ball I threw at Shim Jun-seok suddenly bent and made an unintentional mistake. I was very embarrassed at the time, but in the next at-bat, the coach advised me not to forget and not feel burdened. Maybe it was because he entered the plate with a relaxed mind, and good bats came out one after another.”
Joo Jung-hwan played a key shortstop in defense from the preliminary round to the final, but also played an active part in the attack with a batting average of 0.400 (8 hits in 20 at bats), 6 runs, 5 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. He said, “The shortstop who catches the ball with a quick foot and throws with a strong shoulder is attractive.
Joo Jung-hwan also expressed his aspiration to become a shortstop with a thick line like Lee Jong-beom (retired) by training faithfully this winter. He emphasized, “I want to develop my strength and become a shortstop who dominates the game like coach Lee Jong-beom.
Park Kwan-gyu reporter ace@hankookilbo.com
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