ethernetacademy.netKT Wiz veteran infielder Park Byung-ho is having a rough fall. In five games of the playoffs (PO), he’s batting .200 with one home run, four RBIs, and seven strikeouts. In the Korean Series (KS), which is two games in, he has yet to hit or walk (eight at-bats).
Not only has he been shaky at the plate, but also on defense. Park Byung-ho is a veteran player with one of the best first base defenses in the league. In the regular season, he only committed five errors in 92 games (730⅓ innings of defense). In fall ball, he made a number of spectacular plays. But the errors were too crucial. The throwing error that led to a run in Game 2 of the PO or the poor line defense that led to a run in Game 2 of the KS were not like that. He seems to be getting impatient on defense because his offense is frustrating.
With one out, it’s unlikely that opposing pitchers will give him good pitches. To make matters worse, Anthony Alford, the No. 3 hitter in the batting order in front of Park, is also not hitting well. Alford is also in a slump, going 0-for-8. Kang Baek-ho, who is supposed to be the center fielder, is also out of the KS roster due to injury, leaving the center of the order a bit thin. It’s a good environment for Park to get a lot of scrutiny. This, coupled with his own impatience at not being able to hit the ball on target, is causing his confidence and hitting to sink further.
Byung-ho Park joined the KT Wiz in 2021 in hopes of winning a championship, and while he has become one of the best home run hitters in the KBO with six home run titles and four RBI titles, he has yet to win a Korean Series ring. He made two trips to the KS with the Heroes from 2014-2019, but came up short each time. Park struggled in 2014, batting .143 with one home run and one RBI in six games, and in 2019, batting .250 with two RBI in four games. Through two games in KS, Park is batting .156. He’ll need a different look in Game 3.
KT is also in desperate need of a Park resurgence. While the bottom of the order has been playing well, and the top of the order has been getting better with each game, KT will have an easier time if the 3-4 center field bats explode. Park Byung-ho’s resurgence is desperately needed. 무지개토토 주소
Park Byung-ho is expected to bat fourth in the lineup for Game 3 in Suwon on Tuesday. KT manager Lee Kang-cheol said in a press conference after the second game that he would “think about changing the batting order,” but it seems that he had Alford’s batting order in mind rather than Park Byung-ho’s. Earlier, Lee had expressed his faith in Alford, saying, “I think he will make it clear when it’s important.”