“I have no regrets”
Lim Byung-wook (28, Kiwoom Heroes) went back and forth between ‘hell’ and ‘heaven’ during the home game against the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 20th.
It was the defense that made him dizzy. In the top of the first inning, Lotte’s Ahn Chi-hong hit a ball toward right field. Lim Byung-wook, who was playing right field, sprinted and threw at the last second, but the catch failed and the ball dropped, allowing the first baseman to score and Ahn to reach second base. It was a bad call that could have been avoided with a single. Ahn was credited with a double.
He made up for it with his bat. Lim Byung-wook, who drew a leadoff walk in the third inning and came around to score, hit a two-run home run in the fourth. It was his first home run in two months since June 11.
He added a single in the seventh and drew a walk again in the eighth. A two-hit (one home run), four-strikeout game.
Kiwoom won 7-6 to sweep a three-game series against Lotte, extending their winning streak to three games.
After the game, Lim Byung-wook commented on his defense in the first inning, saying, “I sprinted and did my best as a player. It would be disappointing if it came out of complacency, but I did my best and have no regrets. I thought about not pushing myself too hard next time, so I didn’t stress too much about that part.”
However, he did apologize to rookie Oh Sang-won, who was on the mound at the time. “I’m very sorry,” Lim said. (I’m sure he wanted to come up from the second team and pitch well, so I’m sorry, but I think I was able to get four outs because of that. During the game, I couldn’t say sorry because I was concentrating, but I’m going to talk to him now.”
A home run and four-strikeout game. “In the second team, I was talking to coach Kang Byung-sik and coach Kim Tae-wan, and we were practicing hitting the middle of the strike zone, so I think the curveball from the middle got caught. I didn’t think it would go over. “It felt good,” he said, “but I didn’t celebrate because it wasn’t a game-winner. I wanted to focus more on the game.”
Lim Byung-wook, who was drafted in 2014, is now in his 10th year. He is still considered an ‘unfinished business’. Even for him, the need to show something was strong.
“I had a strong desire to do something, and I think that’s why the first inning defense came out. I would say it’s determination. I made that play because I wanted to hold the ball. I think it’s okay if the fans or people watching can see that he’s really trying his best and that he’s trying to be a player.”
Recently, Kiwoom has been active in trades and transfers. “I hope today’s game shows that the remaining franchise players are still strong,” said Lim Byung-wook. 먹튀검증