2024-07-04 14:35:50
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop is famous for being very talkative. During the manager’s briefing before the game, he can easily talk for 20 minutes while sitting down. However, there is a player in LG who threatens manager Yeom’s right to speak. His name is foreign hitter Austin.
LG’s starting first baseman Austin spoke to the press while waiting for Manager Yeom’s briefing ahead of the away game against Kiwoom held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 2nd. Manager Yeom, who came out at the briefing time and found Austin talking to the press, smiled and said, “You do the briefing instead of me today.” Austin then answered questions from the manager’s desk for over 5 minutes before handing over his seat to Manager Yeom.
Every opposing player who steps on first base in the LG game becomes Austin’s conversation partner. Austin said, “When an opposing player gets a hit, I say ‘nice batting’ or try to say something that the opposing players can understand as easily as possible. Since I don’t know Korean well, I just say whatever I know, like ‘tasty.'” He added, “What makes baseball fun is that you can understand what someone is saying even if you don’t use the same words. I think that’s the charm of sports.”
He added, “(When I first came to Korea last year) I tried to be as friendly as possible to the players. When I first came to this league as a foreign player, I wanted to be recognized by the players and I also respected the Korean culture and league.”
The opposing players also know this feeling. Last year, in the All-Star voting for first basemen, Austin received the most votes from the players. He extended this record for the second year in a row. Austin said, “It is meaningful that the players gave me so many votes because it means they accepted me as a member of the league. I feel so blessed.”
Austin is a cheerleader for the team even in the dugout. But when he gets up to bat, his eyes change. Austin said, “My teammates called me ‘Crazy Guy’ all my baseball career. I try to have fun with my teammates and ease their tension. But batting is a battle between me and the pitcher. And there are many times when the results are disappointing, so I try to give it my all every time I get up to bat.”
Austin helped the team win the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years last year by hitting 23 home runs (3rd) and 95 RBIs (2nd). He also received the Gold Glove for first baseman. In LG, which had been repeating the ‘cruel history of foreign hitters’ due to not benefiting from foreign hitters, he became the first foreign hitter to solve all the team’s long-standing desires from his debut year.
As of the 3rd of this year, Austin is currently recording 17 home runs (8th) and 69 RBIs (2nd). He is on pace to become the first LG hitter to reach 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a season. Austin said, “In terms of numbers, it’s definitely better than last year. It would be nice if I could achieve it, but my biggest goal is for the team to go to the Korean Series this year. If I do my part in RBIs and defense and my teammates do their own part, I think we’ll get good results.”
Austin’s fan service has also been upgraded as he takes on the Korean stage for the second year. Austin, who ordered a cowboy costume, the symbol of his hometown of Texas, before the All-Star Game last year, but went to the All-Star Game wearing only a cowboy hat due to a delivery error, said, “This year, the costumes have already been delivered. The club’s marketing team has also helped a lot. Please look forward to it.”
Reporter Im Bo-mi [email protected]
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2024-07-04 14:35:50