More than just a Lotte Giants discovery. In the history of the KBO, there have been few youngsters like Yoon Dong-hee (20).
Yoon has made history for Lotte. He recorded his first career triple-digit hit against the Changwon NC Dinos on Tuesday, the first time in the franchise’s 42-year history that a hitter under the age of 20 has recorded triple-digit hits in a season (he was 19 years, 12 months, and 3 days old at the time). It’s a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by any of the franchise’s previous top hitters, including Kim Joo-chan (2001-94), Lee Dae-ho (2002-71), Kim Min-jae (1993), Son Ah-seop (2008-over 66), and Kang Min-ho (2005-52).
Including this season, there have been a total of 18 players under the age of 20 who have hit triple digits in a season before Yoon in the 42-year history of the KBO. Yoon has a head start not only on his club, but also on some of the league’s biggest stars. It’s comparable to 2001 Rookie of the Year Kim Tae-kyun (82 hits) and Jang Sung-ho (1997-84 hits), who laid the groundwork for his eventual 2,000-hit season in his second year as a professional.
“I was aware of (the record),” Yoon said, “but it’s nice to think that I made a mark in our team’s history. Usually, when things don’t go well, you think negatively, but I felt it was unnecessary during the exhibition games this year. I tried to force myself to think positively. Before, if I didn’t get one hit, I would beat myself up and think, ‘Why didn’t I get one,’ but now I’m thinking differently, ‘If I don’t get one (hit) today, I’ll get two tomorrow,’ so I have more energy.”
It’s often said that batting has a cycle, but Yoon is determined that his results should always be the same regardless of his condition. “I don’t know how I can be in good shape every day,” he says, “and there are many times when I don’t achieve my goals even though I set them every day. In such cases, I think, ‘Today, I don’t feel as good as usual, so I’ll try this,'” he said. “Of course, on a bad day, you’re going to hit a few more shots that are going to be missed or eaten. However, if you send the ball where you want it to go, you’ve accomplished the goal you set for the day, and you can feel less stressed if you think about it that way.”메이저사이트
Yoon’s goal is to reach 120 hits. Until the Daegu Samsung Lions game on July 17, he had 103 hits this season. Considering the frequency of his appearances this season and the number of hits per at-bat, he can easily reach 120 hits by simple calculation. If he achieves it, he will surpass the likes of Jung Sung-hoon (2000-119 hits), Kim Hye-sung (2018-116 hits), Lee Yong-kyu (2005-110 hits), and Choi Jung (2007-109 hits).
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