(Xports News Changwon, Reporter Choi Won-young) Every moment is valuable.
NC Dinos and Samsung Lions faced off in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Changwon NC Park on the 11th. There was also a special event. This is Park Seok-min’s retirement ceremony.
After graduating from Daegu High School, Park Seok-min was selected in the first round by Samsung in 2004 and took his first step into the professional ranks. After the 2015 season, he qualified as a free agent and transferred to NC. He signed a four-year contract worth a total of 9.6 billion won. After the end of the 2020 season, he became a free agent again and renewed his contract with NC for 2+1 years for up to 3.4 billion won. During his active years, he played as the league’s representative third baseman. He appeared in 1,697 career games, posting a batting average of 0.287, 1,537 hits, 269 home runs, and 1,041 RBI. In 2020, he contributed to NC’s first championship since its founding. He decided to retire at the end of last season.
Samsung catcher Kang Min-ho was born in 1985 and is the same age as Park Seok-min. He called Park Seok-min about a week ago and said, “Don’t cry during your retirement ceremony. What’s there to cry about? Just say your thoughts and come out,” and laughed.
Kang Min-ho said, “Today (the 11th), when I was training before the game, I was greeting (Park) Seok-min, and his eyes immediately turned red. He said, ‘Oh, are you crying already? Don’t cry.'” Seok-min said, ‘It’s a child~’ “They say you become more sensitive when you’re in your 40s,” he said.
The two have been close friends since elementary school. Kang Min-ho said, “We weren’t on the same team, but we saw each other often. We had a culture of forming an alliance between elementary schools and sleeping there when we went to each other’s areas. From then on, I became close with Seok-min.” He added, “When I was in high school, we played baseball together on the youth national team and we were motivated to join the pros. He also said, “I’ve never played on the same team, but I talk to him on the phone every time we play.”
He continued, “I knew I was retired, but when I heard that they were having a real retirement ceremony, I felt anxious. I spoke to Seokmin on the phone and told him that the future is more important than what we have done so far. From now on, I told him to come to his senses and that we are going through a second life. He said, “Seok-min is a player with a very good career, and I told him to pave the way and I will follow him.”
What was Park Seok-min’s reaction? Kang Min-ho said, “He said, ‘Hey, play baseball more when you can. You should play at least one more year. You don’t need a salary. Even if they don’t give you a salary, play at least one more year.'”
Park Seok-min expressed, “We are friends, but (Kang) Min-ho is amazing when I see him. It’s great that he has been active as a catcher for a long time.” Kang Min-ho emphasized, “Thanks to my innate health, I was able to participate in many games. It also means that I did not have any major injuries. As I always say, what I have done so far is not really important. What I do in the future, what is important is the present.” When asked about his tips for maintaining his body, he smiled and answered, “I just try to sleep a lot and eat a lot of good food.”
Kang Min-ho was a leading catcher in his 20s in the past. He said, “I think I played without fear at the time. I had no fear of the results. I enjoyed competing in itself and enjoyed being criticized. Since I had no data or experience, I played without fear. I received a lot of criticism from fans, and that made me feel bad.” I looked back and said, “I also received love.”
He continued, “At the time, I was the only one in my 20s, and most of the other teams’ starting catchers were in their 30s. I hope that the younger catchers, such as Kim Hyeong-jun (NC Dinos) and Han Jun-su (KIA Tigers), who are now in their 20s, will also play the game happily without fear. I hope to build up my career in the future. “Because you can just leave,” he added.
Kang Min-ho raised his voice, saying, “When I was young, going to games was fun. Now, each game is so precious. It was fun then, and it’s precious now.”
Have you ever thought about retirement? Kang Min-ho said, “Honestly, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it. I’m thinking about it, but I’m not sure.” He added, “First of all, the contract period is until next year. We have to see what happens after that.” He expressed his true feelings, saying, “If I decide that I am not competitive enough, I would boldly take off my uniform. On the other hand, if I am competitive, I think I would want to play more even if people around me tell me to retire.”
Photo = Changwon, Reporter Choi Won-young / NC Dinos
Reporter Choi Won-young yeong@xportsnews.com
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