The quiet and silent captain’s time has begun. Lotte Giants captain Ahn Chi-hong (33) is preparing to lead his team to a big turnaround in August with a five-figure batting average.
Starting at second base against the KIA Tigers at Sajik Stadium in Busan on August 11, Ahn went 3-for-4 with one home run, one RBI and one run scored to lead the Giants to a 7-1 victory and their second straight win.
With the bases loaded in the first inning, Ahn took a 144-kilometer fastball off KIA starter Thomas Pannoni for a solo shot to left field. It was a leadoff solo shot and the second consecutive home run after the previous day’s game. The home run gave LOTTE the lead in the first inning and they never looked back. In the third inning, she continued her chances with a two-out double. In the fifth inning, she hit a single to left-center field and reached first on an error. In the sixth inning, he put runners on first and second with an automatic double play, giving KIA a scare.
Ahn Chi-hong was a bit quiet and up and down until July. Although he was fulfilling his role as a silent captain, his role as a key hitter was somewhat disappointing. As a veteran, he had a role to play in the overall stagnation of the batting lineup. But once August rolled around, it was Ahn’s time to shine.
Ahn didn’t have a game in August where he didn’t get a hit. He is 5-for-8 in August. He already has three three-hit games, including this one. Ahn is coming back to life.
Ahn Chi-hong said, “First of all, the players are only talking about ‘we have to win’. “Of course, we don’t talk to each other about the fact that I, Jun-woo (Jeon), and Hoon-i (Chung) didn’t do our part, but I know that, and they know that,” he said, adding, “Because we have such feelings, we have continued to train silently and try to survive, and I hope that we will continue to show that in the future.
In addition to playing a role in the batting order, he also plays a role as a captain and is not afraid to be bitter. The day before (Oct. 10), he gave some stinging advice in the dugout about rookie center fielder Kim Min-seok’s throwing error in the sixth inning against Gochuk Kiwoom, when he missed Lee Yong-kyu’s grounder to first base. He said, “There were a few runners on first base. Kim Min-seok came in and saw the runners. But I told him that there was no point in catching the runner, that he should have just caught it, but he was in a hurry. I told him that I wanted him to make the right play in the right situation.”
For the fall baseball season, the team really needs to win now. For now, the win reduces the gap to 1.5 games over sixth-place KIA. “Literally, all we talk about is ‘we have to win.’ We have to win every single game. We’re not going to give up because all we talk about is winning each game,” he said. “The impact of the nine-game winning streak in the first half was strong, so the streak didn’t go well, and the players were tired and the pace dropped a lot, but everyone has been working hard and the pace is picking up a little bit. I think we’re going to start playing well again.” 먹튀검증