|
[이데일리 스타in 이석무 기자] Hanwha Eagles catcher Choi Jae-hoon (31) has always shown pride as a catcher in various official interviews. Part of that pride was the importance of growing with pitchers as a catcher.
On the 27th, the Hanwha Eagles signed a five-year maximum of 5.4 billion won (1.6 billion won in down payment, 3.3 billion won in annual salary, up to 500 million won in options) with starting catcher Choi Jae-hoon on the 27th.
After signing the free agent contract, Choi Jae-hoon said, “There are many young pitchers on our team, and helping them grow is the way for me to grow too,” he said.
Jaehoon Choi said, “It is a blessing and an honor for me to be able to join the team through a trade and even become a free agent. I would like to thank everyone at the Hanwha Eagles for making this such a glorious experience possible.” He said, “I will do my best to become a player aiming for the Golden Glove as a Hanwha catcher and to show steady performances for the next five years.” .
The following is Jae-Hoon Choi’s Q&A.
– My first FA contract impressions.
△ I didn’t feel it at first. Being able to sign an FA contract means a lot as a player and it’s a difficult task, but it’s an honor and a blessing to be able to do it this way. I am really happy and thankful that I came to our team as a trade and enjoyed the free agent. I would like to thank the Hanwha Eagles CEO Park Chan-hyeok, general manager Jung Min-cheol, and Subero coach, coaches, colleagues, and all the people at the front for making this glorious experience possible for me.
-You signed an early contract, but why did you stay with the club?
△First of all, I want to say thank you to the president and general manager for signing the FA No. 1 contract. I had a strong feeling that the club wanted to be with me, and I was very grateful for the parts that the general manager and the manager expressed without saying it back every interview. I want to live up to expectations because I know what they want from me.
-You were injured last time, but how is your body now?
△Currently, I was building my body through individual exercise and my body condition is very good. I also felt the importance of management so as not to get injured. As my sense of responsibility has grown, I will make and maintain the best possible physical condition to become a player who consistently helps the team.
-How you look at the team as a FA and your future role.
△ There are a lot of young players in our team, and good new players have also joined. My goal is to lead these players and help them grow, and I think the growth of these players is my growth. The coach emphasizes this kind of leadership for me as a catcher, so I want to take care of young players with a greater sense of responsibility and go up high together.
-You were given various roles in the first season with the manager. Along with the catcher, he played various roles, such as the role of a leader, catcher 2nd hitter, and 1st hitter. Wasn’t it hard
△ To be honest, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. However, baseball is not an easy place for any batting line or any position. I followed the guidance of the coaches and coaches with the mindset of always doing my best in the position I was in. Because it is a team that gave me many opportunities, what I could do was to do it with a grateful heart.
-Ahead of this season, it must have been influenced by the free agency part, but was there any influence on your mentality?
△ I didn’t want to be conscious of it, but it was the first time I felt the weight of being a free agent. As I was thinking that I should do better, the burden also increased and my mentality was shaken a lot. Then I took a break from the lineup for a while, and that time became a time to empty my mind. People around me advised me not to feel burdened and to do what I was doing, but it was an opportunity to lift the burden of being a free agent.
– You overcame such a situation and achieved a career high this season.
△When he came to the team as a trade in 2017, he said, ‘He’s a defensive type. There was a lot of talk about ‘It’s a glass body’, but I gradually improved my hitting and gained more confidence. Rather than being satisfied with this season’s performance, I’m trying to set ‘Hanwha Eagles Catcher Golden Gloves’ as my next goal. (Kang) Minho-hyung, (Yang) Ji-hyung (Yang) Ji-hyung (Yang) received too much, so I think another player should take it now. (Laughs)
– What are the areas and goals to focus on the most for next season?
△ The goal is to continue to grow without being satisfied and to keep it steady, and the first thing for consistent performance during the five-year contract is physical strength and body care, so I want to focus on that as well. The most important thing is that the team takes precedence over myself, so I want to play a role that helps the team. There is the captain (lower) Joo Suk, but it will be difficult alone, so I want to support and help from behind so that we can become a stronger team.
-As catcher Jae-Hoon Choi, what is the most rewarding moment?
△ Pitchers win, hold, and save, and I feel the most blissful seeing them.
-If there are any people that come to mind the most until you got here.
△ Coach Kang In-kwon, coach Ito, and player Eui-ji Yang come to mind. These are the people who strongly whipped me and raised me so that I could grow. I want to express my gratitude.
– A word to the fans.
△When I first came to Hanwha, I promised that I would be here with the fans for more than 10 years, but it was nice to be able to keep that part, and I was able to make a decision without hesitation because of the support of the fans. I am full of thoughts of doing better. I want to return to the fans with a better image and return to the fall baseball season. We ask for your support and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.
.
