Don’t try to go up, move forward.”
This is the advice given by Park Chan-ho (50, a special advisor to the San Diego Padres), the first Korean big leaguer and pitcher with the most wins in Asia (124 wins)
to Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego), the first Korean to win the American Professional Baseball Major League Gold Glove.
These are also words deeply embedded in Kim Ha-seong’s heart.
Advisor Park Chan-ho, who met at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 8th, when the second game of the Korean Series between LG Twins and KT Wiz was held 지울프-토토
opened his face wide when ‘Kim Ha-seong’s Gold Glove Award’ became a hot topic.
Advisor Park began by saying, “After this season, I met Ha-sung Kim several times in Korea.
But Ha-sung Kim said, ‘What you said last year really touched me.’”
Last year, Ha-seong Kim attended the ‘Chan-ho Park Scholarship Presentation Ceremony’ and had a quite long conversation with advisor Chan-ho Park after the event.
Advisor Park recalled, “At that time, he told Kim Ha-seong, ‘Don’t just keep trying to go up. You just have to look forward, not up, and move forward.
That’s the way to become a mature player.'” The meaning was, ‘Don’t be caught up in numbers such as batting average, but improve your skills from a long-term perspective.’
Ha-seong Kim, who entered the Major League in 2021, appeared in 117 games in the first year and posted a batting average of 0.202, 8 home runs, 34 RBI, and 6 stolen bases.
In 2022, his performance improved to a batting average of 0.251, 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 150 games
but it was not at a level that satisfied Ha-seong Kim.
Advisor Chan-ho Park recalled, “After the 2022 season, Ha-seong Kim seemed to feel pressured to ‘do better’,” and “I was worried that Ha-seong Kim would lose confidence.”
This year, Ha-Seong Kim played in 152 games and played with a batting average of 0.260, 17 home runs, 60 RBI, and 38 stolen bases.
He performed so well in offense and defense that multiple local media outlets described him as “San Diego’s only harvest this year.”
He also won the Gold Glove Award, given to the best defender for each position in the two major leagues.
Ha-seong Kim was selected as the winner in the utility field category.
He is the first Korean to win the Gold Glove, and the second among Asian players after Ichiro Suzuki (won the award for 10 consecutive years from 2001 to 2010).
After finishing this season, Kim Ha-seong thanked advisor Park Chan-ho, saying, “The advice to move forward changed me. I was so moved.”
Advisor Park responded, “I was even more grateful that Kim Ha-seong said that.”
He added, “The San Diego team was also very pleased with Kim Ha-seong’s Gold Glove award and considered it a very meaningful event.”
Advisor Park Chan-ho also recalled his own past as he watched Kim Ha-seong, who overcame setbacks and emerged as a big leaguer attracting attention.
Advisor Park said, “I joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, but I stayed in the minor league longer until 1995.
At the time, I was very disappointed, but the club encouraged me by saying, ‘You just need time. Never give up or get frustrated.
He said, “Ha-Seong Kim must have had a very difficult time in his first year in the big league. However, the San Diego team believed in Ha-Seong Kim’s tenacity.
When I think of Ha-Seong Kim’s timeline of overcoming difficult times and becoming a Gold Glove winner, I feel many emotions.”
Now, Advisor Park Chan-ho emphasizes ‘humility’ to Kim Ha-seong.
He said, “Recently, I told Kim Ha-seong, ‘Now you need to be more humble. Surround yourself with good friends and learn from them.'” He added, “However, Kim Ha-seong is already a humble player. The San Diego team also knows Kim Ha-seong’s personality well. The reason for recruiting Kim Ha-seong is. “One of them is character,” he said.
Advisor Park also told a story that revealed ‘Kim Ha-seong’s personality.’
Advisor Chan-ho Park said, “Ha-seong Kim wrote a long letter to former San Diego coach Bob Melvin (current manager of the San Francisco Giants) who left the team, thanking him,” adding, “I also thanked my minor league coach when I moved up to the big league.” Ha-seong Kim also said, “He has a good personality that pays attention to his surroundings and says thank you to people who help him,” he said with satisfaction.