A determined resolution with a sleek chin...Lotte Yoo Kang-nam "Preparing thoroughly"
A determined resolution with a sleek chin...Lotte Yoo Kang-nam "Preparing thoroughly"
Blog Article
Lotte Giants catcher Yoo Kang-nam (32) of the professional baseball team lost the most this winter.스포츠토토
When this reporter met Yoo at Sajik Stadium in Busan on Sunday, he said, "I started losing weight right after knee surgery (in July last year). I couldn't move my body (because it was right after the surgery), so I decided on a diet," adding, "Maintaining a low weight is another effort. I am constantly controlling myself by dieting."
At one point, Yoo Kang-nam was the healthiest catcher in the league.
Yoo Kang-nam, who joined the LG Twins in 2011, has played more than 100 games for eight consecutive seasons until 2022 after establishing himself as the starting catcher in 2015.
In 2022, just before the free agent (FA), he played in 139 out of 144 games, despite being a catcher with a high physical burden.
Lotte can expect 20 home runs in a season, and gave Yoo Kang-nam, who has been consistently healthy, four years and 8 billion won to recruit him as an FA.
Yoo Kang-nam maintained his position with a batting average of 0.261, 10 homers and 55 RBIs in 121 games in 2023, the first year of Lotte's transfer.
However, due to knee injuries and slumps last year, he finished the season early with 52 games played, a batting average of 0.191, five home runs and 20 RBIs.
Yoo Kang-nam said, "It's heartbreaking and hard to look back on when I was sluggish. But I have to do it again. This is my job, and I have to get up again. I prepared it with great enthusiasm."
"I was under a lot of pressure. Of course, I'm upset, but I prepared it with desperation to make a turnaround. Now I have no choice but to show it at the ballpark," he said, expressing his determination to celebrate his third season at Lotte.
Yoo Kang-nam, who suffered a lot, realized that it was much better to have a hard body.
He said, "I moved one more step, and even if it was hard, I thought about it again and moved one more step. I took it for granted that I was tired and tired, and I did my best in any situation. That way, I won't regret it."
He also added, "I made a strong preparation by engraving the words 'If you fail to prepare, you will fail'. As I prepared for the season after the surgery, I prepared more so that my mental spirit would not falter."
Ahead of the 2023 season, Lotte challenged the fall baseball by recruiting Yoo Kang-nam, Han Hyun-hee, and Roh Jin-hyuk, the three FA generals.
Lotte, however, missed the postseason tickets for both 2023 and 2024.