Yang Ji (36, Doosan Bears) and Na Seong-beom (34, KIA Tigers) are out. That’s why the Dinosaurs looked so precarious, but as one pillar falls, another rises.
The NC Dinos weren’t considered a top-five team by anyone at the start of this season. There was a lot of talk about them being a bottom-feeder. They lost Na Sung-beom in the 2021-2022 free agency and Yang Ji in the 2022-2023 free agency. It didn’t just mean a weakened center field, it meant the loss of a pillar of the team, a focal point that could affect chemistry.
However, NC defied expectations this season and pushed KT Wiz to the brink. While the LG Twins and KT Wiz are currently in the midst of the Korean Series, NC has also been a mainstay of fall baseball. Essentially, it was Eric Peddy, who not only filled the void left by Drew Ruchinski perfectly, but did the work of two or three starters, and was responsible for the team’s 20 wins.
Add to that the free agent trio of Son Ah-seop (35), Park Min-woo (30), and Park Gun-woo (33), and the national team’s No. 1-3 lineup eventually did its job on and off the field. For the second year in a row, Park Gun-woo played his part, while Son and Park Min-woo led the batting lineup to the playoffs after last year’s struggles.
Their impact was felt off the field as well. The captain was a constant source of energy for the younger players, spreading positive messages, while Park Min-woo was the first to approach the mound to calm Pedi down when he was upset.
They are so good at baseball that they are the so-called “horses’ feet. But more than that, it is said that his loyalty to the team was considerable. Not to mention founding member Park Min-woo, Son Ah-seop has always been a great first mound player for the team. He led by example and the team ran well. There’s a reason why coach Kang Shin-ho said “thank you so much” to Son after the playoff loss. 무지개토토
Park Gun-woo had a controversial walk-off at the end of the first half. It was a major blow to team chemistry. However, even at that time, the team was surprisingly calm even though their performance was up and down. Even though there was a “big deal” vibe from the outside, the team was determined to continue the season as normally as possible, and there wasn’t much agitation.
According to the club’s public relations team, Park Gun-woo expressed his gratitude and apology by sharing his sponsored products with the team after his return. After this incident, Park Gun-woo’s expression changed dramatically, as he greeted the press with a bright smile, and the outside world was once again reminded of Coach Kang Myung-hwon’s lectures and principles.