The Korean baseball team confirmed the possibility of a generational change through the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. While several players showed their presence, Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles), who added weight to the batting lineup, was one of them.
Noh Si-hwan had his best season since his professional debut, recording 153 hits in 514 at-bats in 131 regular season games, a batting average of 0.298, 31 home runs, 101 RBI, and an OPS of 0.929. Noh Si-hwan, who was unable to play in the regular season during the Asian Games, maintained the lead in home runs despite the absence, and ultimately maintained his position until the end of the season. It has been 15 years since Kim Tae-gyun in 2008 that a home run king was born at Hanwha.
Noh Si-hwan, who clearly made his presence known to his team, was named to the Asian Games entry list. And he proved that expectation sexually. He played in 6 games in the Asian Games, including the group stage, and recorded 7 hits in 16 at-bats, a batting average of 0.438, 6 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.140, contributing greatly to the national team’s 4th consecutive victory in the tournament. Although he was limited to no hits in the final against Chinese Taipei, he showed concentration by hitting a hit in each of the previous five games.굿모닝토토
Following the Asian Games, Noh Si-hwan will also participate in the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023, which is dominated by young players.
After completing the first convocation training held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 6th, he said, “I have no fear. To be honest, I am not burdened. I just want to go and win. Of course, my first desire is to win and come back. Of course, I will do well. “It would be great to make my name known, but even if I can’t, I hope the team wins. If I try to show off too much, it can take a toll on me, so I’ll try to focus on winning rather than thinking about home runs,” he said, expressing his determination heading into the competition.
In addition, Noh Si-hwan emphasized the importance of defense, saying, “The feeling of hitting may not be good, so if that happens, shouldn’t we focus on defense? Since defense is important in such a big game, I will try to focus on those things.”
Of course, achieving meaningful results at the Hangzhou Asian Games was a good feeling for both the team and the players, but at the same time, the sense of responsibility became heavier. Noh Si-hwan said, “I still think that winning the gold medal in Hangzhou was not a coincidence but a result of skill, but if I perform poorly in this competition, wouldn’t it be seen as not working hard? Also, if I perform well, I will be seen as a true player in the eyes of fans and the public.” “They think they are doing their best and working hard, so I think they should somehow prove it with their grades,” he said emphatically.
Noh Si-hwan, who looked into the distant future, said, “The national team will undergo a generational change and there are a lot of young players, so if they perform well at the Asian Games and the APBC, wouldn’t those players be able to be called to the national team on a consistent basis? (Further) generational change will occur. “If done well, I think our country can become a ‘baseball powerhouse,’” he said.
Noh Si-hwan achieved his dream of becoming the home run king for the first time in his life, but he was dissatisfied with finishing the Asian Games without a home run. Noh Si-hwan, who wants to make up for the disappointment of Hangzhou in Tokyo, said, “The thing I heard the most was that the batted ball spreads well (at the Tokyo Dome). That’s why I heard that home run hitters have an advantage.” He added, “We won the Asian Games, but we didn’t hit a home run. “Personally, I was a little disappointed. As the home run king of the KBO League, I want to hit a home run in APBC. I will hit a great home run and come back with a win,” he pledged to do his best.