Translation result
[mdtoday = Reporter Kim Gyo-sik] Doosan Bears outfielder Son Ah-seop, 38, is spending a quiet May on the club’s second-team field. Traded from the Hanwha Eagles on April 14, Son looked poised for a fresh start, but an ongoing slump led Doosan to remove him from the first-team roster on April 29.
His Futures League outings haven’t helped his case. Son went 0-for-3 on April 30 vs. Goyang, 0-for-2 on May 1 vs. Goyang and 0-for-1 on May 2 vs. Hanwha — a combined 0-for-6 over three games. He drew two walks and produced one run and one RBI in that span.
The KBO’s all-time hits lead has also slipped away. Veteran Choi Hyung-woo (43) of the Samsung Lions collected four hits on May 3 in Daegu against Hanwha to reach 2,623 career hits, moving one ahead of Son’s 2,622. Through last season Son had 2,618 hits and Choi 2,586 — a 32-hit gap — but this season Choi has surged with 37 hits in 29 games while Son added just four.
There’s no guarantee Son will return to regular first-team at-bats. Doosan’s offense, which struggled early, has rebounded and the club sits in a tie for fifth as hitters regain form. Doosan poured in 32 runs during a three-game set with the Kiwoom Heroes last weekend. Young bats like Park Jun-sun, Ahn Jae-seok and Kim Min-seok have energized the lineup, and Yang Eui-ji and Cameron look more comfortable at the plate. With steady production from Park Chan-ho and Jung Soo-bin and depth additions Kim Ki-yeon and Oh Myung-jin, competition for the corner outfield and designated hitter spots has tightened.
Son’s stat line this season stands at 12 games and 36 at-bats with four hits (.111), one home run, four RBIs and nine strikeouts — the total includes one appearance with Hanwha. He homered for his first hit of the season in his Doosan debut against the SSG Landers and added a hit the next day, but after that managed only one hit each against the KIA Tigers and the Lotte Giants.
Doosan manager Kim Won-hyung (52) framed the move to the second team as a mental reset. “He’s a veteran who was traded here, and because things haven’t gone well the pressure is intense,” Kim said. “He’s feeling he has to perform, and that’s chasing him mentally. He needs consistent reps in the second team to get his feel back.”
On the day he was traded, Son said the No. 8 jersey represents a tumbler’s spirit — resilience — and he told teammates, “Let’s wear No. 8 and get back up together.” He added that the homer brought relief and that the urge to play on the first-team stage surged again in a short burst.
Since his 2007 debut, Son has worn uniforms for Lotte, NC, Hanwha and Doosan, building a reputation for nearly two decades of professionalism. Like the resilience his number symbolizes, he still has a chance to bounce back — his May is far from over.
Most read
- Hanwha Eagles fall to ninth…pitching collapse stalls comeback
- Shohei Ohtani records his fourth straight hitless game for the first time in four years
- Ko Woo-seok strings together sixth straight scoreless outing in Double-A
Most Commented