Hanwha Eagles manager Choi Won-ho defended Roh Si-hwan’s 노시환 up-and-down season by saying, “It’s his first year of college.”

Roh is batting .308 with a team-high 19 home runs in 80 games this season, but his ups and downs are one of his weaknesses.

His 43-game hitting streak in May is a prime example. Since the start of the second half of the season on June 21, he has been silent, going 0-for-9 in two games.

“When you’re in scoring position, there’s a lot of pressure or stress on you to get hits,” Choi Won-ho told reporters at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Friday, analyzing the situation, “so you might reach for bad balls.”

“It’s unfortunate, but he’s doing well enough,” he said, adding, “If you’re tied for first in home runs as a freshman, you’re doing very well.”

Although Roh is in his fifth season with the team after joining as a high school graduate in 2019, he is doing well enough for his young age of 23.

He predicts that he can reach the next level at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.

“If you look at the past, there are many cases of players who improved after their first national team,” Choi said. “There are not many long-hitting players on the national team roster, so the role of players like Sihwan will increase.”

Meanwhile, the batting order for foreigner Nick Williams dropped one spot to No. 8.

Williams, who made his KBO debut on March 27, is batting just .176 (9-for-51) in 12 games.

“I don’t have any more places to go down,” Choi said with a bitter smile, adding, “I keep talking to the hitting part because the timing (of hitting the ball) is late.” 안전카지노사이트