Mistakes happen. It’s how you respond afterward that matters.
LG Twins veteran shortstop Oh Ji-hwan showed us just that. After an error that led to the first run, he tied the game with a double 안전놀이터 in the seventh inning and hit a game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning to lead the Twins to a 2-1 victory.
The first game of the week against Samsung on the 13th at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Oh Ji-hwan, who started at shortstop, made a critical error in a tight game. With one out in the top of the fifth inning, he dropped a hard grounder by Lee Jae-hyun. The ball was too fast and irregularly bound, but it was unfortunate for the ‘best shortstop’ in the game.
The ominous feeling was realized. With two outs, Kim Young-woong singled and Lee Jae-hyun, who had reached on an error by Oh, came home. The defense was the key to the lead. We weren’t going to sit back and be disappointed. He wanted to actively change the situation.
“After the error, I was a little bit upset because I got a hit, but I was even more upset that the score stayed the same, so I had to do something. I was the leadoff hitter in the seventh inning, so I think I made my own calculations. I thought that if I got a hit here, I would have one more chance in the ninth inning. I thought (left-hander) Lee Seung-hyun was going to come out in the seventh inning, but when Kim Dae-woo came back out, it gave me a little bit of a chance, so I think it worked out well.”
Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Kim Min-sung led off with a walk and Kim Hyun-soo laid down a sacrifice bunt without hesitation on the first pitch. It was a rare sight. Everyone, including LG bench coach Yeom Kyung-yeop, honored Kim’s sacrifice with applause.
First and second base. The expected Austin walked. Park Dong-won intentionally hit four pitches. The decisive opportunity came to him, just like the ‘picture’ that Oh Ji-hwan had drawn. Kim Hyun-soo’s sacrifice bunt awakened Oh.
“When Austin died, I thought I had a chance, and I knew how Hyun-soo was feeling when he bunted, so I thought I had to take advantage of it. It could have gone to extra innings, but I thought it was my last chance to score, so I thought I had to take advantage of it.”
This is what it’s all about. Mistakes are just part of the process of making a great comeback.
The sense of “I’ll make it up to you” and accountability. It becomes a drama when the plan comes true. The proactive mindset of top shortstop Oh Ji-hwan. It’s a lesson for the younger players who are growing up in a world of trial and error.