Doosan's Cho, who is in touch with Lotte's 'Ma Huang'...I'll work harder for college graduates
Doosan's Cho, who is in touch with Lotte's 'Ma Huang'...I'll work harder for college graduates
Blog Article
Hwang Sung-bin, the head of the Lotte Giants' charge, reached the 30th base for the first time since his debut in the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes match on the 26th of last month. While naturally being asked about Doosan Bears' Cho Soo-haeng and the stolen base king race, Hwang Sung-bin gave great meaning to the competition between the unexpected "college graduates."
"We still have a lot of games to play," Hwang said. "Since Cho is also an excellent baserunning player, I personally don't know who will be the stealer king," he said. "However, I personally think it is more meaningful that the same college graduates are competing in this competition."
Hwang Sung-bin graduated from Kyungnam University in 2020 and joined Lotte in the second round, fifth round, and 44th overall in the rookie draft. He was the only player wearing the understanding Lotte uniform, and there were only 17 college graduates, including Hwang Sung-bin, in the entire league.
The number of college graduates is decreasing recently in the KBO League. Although there are differences every year, the ratio of college graduates among 100 players who join the pro league through a rookie draft every year is around 10 percent. Most high school players prefer going to the pro league even if they are selected in the lower round, rather than going to prestigious universities.
It is not easy to get a higher evaluation than high school players even if they choose to retake the KBO League at a university after failing to go straight to the professional league in high school. Hwang Sung-bin also said that since he has gone through this process in person, there is a lot of homogeneity that other team players feel as "college graduates."
The number of scouts from the 10 KBO League teams visiting amateur baseball stadiums is also quite different between high school and college competitions. College players often play games in environments where scouts do not watch at all.
Hwang Seong-bin said, "Every player must have a story after playing baseball desperately, but high school players joined the professional league first amid a lot of interest. In fact, college players often doubt that if I invest four more years, I will be able to become a professional," adding, "A high school graduate has two more years than a college graduate even after he finishes his military service. So I personally hope that college graduates will do better."
Cho and Hwang had similar opinions. Hwang did not have an interview in which he gave significant meaning to the competition among college graduates to steal the bases, but they nodded to him immediately after hearing explanations from reporters.
After graduating from Konkuk University in 2016, Cho joined Doosan in the second round and the first round as the fifth overall pick. As evidenced by the order of nomination, Cho was a top-rated prospect in any of the 10 teams. However, seeing the number of college graduates decreasing recently, he doesn't feel very comfortable.
"Since last year, there has been an early system in the KBO League where second-year college players can also apply for the draft, but there was no time for me and Hwang Sung-bin," Cho said. "The four years spent in college are by no means short. Since I'm also a college graduate, I always wish good luck when I see rookies who came to the profession after finishing college."
He also promised to play more responsibly, saying, "It is unfortunate that college baseball's popularity has fallen a little, but if college players do well and show good performance, I think it will have a positive impact on college players' professional careers in the future."
As of July 2, Cho is ranking No. 1 in stolen bases in the 2024 season with 39 steals. As Hwang Seong-bin is trailing Cho with 32 steals, a competition of good faith is underway. Another interesting point to watch will be which of the two will be the crown prince who will follow the lineage of the king of stolen bases from college graduates in the 2024 season. 퀸알바