“I want to give you 80 points last year. I want to fill the remaining 20 points with fall baseball.”
2023 was an unforgettable year for Noh Si-hwan (24) of the Hanwha Eagles. After his professional debut, he completely removed his name as a rising star and stood as the greatest powerhouse in the Korean pro baseball.
Last year, Noh displayed his best performance. He played 131 games and recorded a batting average of .298 with 31 homers and 101 RBIs, heating the field. He won two home runs and RBIs, and also received a Golden Glove (third baseman category).
If it wasn’t for Eric Peddy (former NC Dinos), who won three pitchers, it would have been a good performance to win the MVP of the regular season. 2023 was the year of Noh Si-hwan, to the point where he said, “I didn’t count how many trophies I received, but I think I went to a lot of award ceremonies.”
In terms of scores, 120 out of 100 points is enough. In fact, he was stingy in evaluating himself. He gave himself 80 points.
In a New Year’s interview with IDEILY, Roh Si-hwan said, “It was a good season, but I can’t help but feel sorry for it,” adding, “I think there are still a lot of things that we haven’t been able to show, including things that haven’t reached a .300 batting average.”
“My goal is to grow more every year,” he said, stressing, “If I reach all my remaining potential, I think 100 points will be filled then.”
Noh Si-hwan said, “There is another reason why 2023 is meaningful. As the fourth hitter of the Korean national team, he led the team to the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the runner-up at the Asian Baseball Championship (APBC). Baseball fans could not hide their joy at the emergence of a new “No. 4 hitter for international use” who will lead the Korean baseball.헤라카지노주소
“I don’t think I really became the fourth hitter for the national team because I went to the competition where young players played,” Noh Si-hwan said, lowering himself, “If seniors who are greater than me go out as national players, it will be difficult to be the fourth hitter.”
At the same time, he said, “I realized how honored it is to go out and play in the national team uniform,” adding, “It’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time, but experiencing it in person gives me more pride and responsibility.”
The year of Gapjin in 2024, when the blue dragon will ascend, will be the year of Noh Si-hwan. Noh, who was born in 2000, is sharpening his sword to ascend to a higher place while biting a yamju. He is currently sweating profusely as he moves back and forth from his hometown of Busan to his alma mater and training center.
Noh Si-hwan said, “I’m focusing on physical training such as weight training right now,” adding, “I’m planning to prepare for the technical part in the spring camp in earnest.”
Noh’s biggest goal in 2024 is to play baseball in the fall. Since his debut as a pro in 2019, Noh has never experienced a postseason. Since his team’s performance in an objective manner was inferior, autumn baseball was always someone else’s story.
2024 is different. Hanwha, which has been steadily rebuilding in recent years, is already drawing attention as a candidate for the best five teams in this season. The team has also been investing heavily to reinforce its power by recruiting Ahn Chi-hong this year after Chae Eun-sung last year.
Roh Si-hwan said, “I felt sorry for the fans as I stayed at the bottom every year,” adding, “I’m very excited for myself this year and I think I have to show a different side.”
In addition, he added, “After Chae Eun-sung came last year, I was able to enter the batter’s box with a more comfortable mind,” adding, “If Ahn Chi-hong joins, I think he will be more reliable.”
He asked Roh what his goal is for 2024. “I honestly don’t have a personal goal,” he said flatly.
“Last year, I started with the thought of just wanting to hit a lot of long balls without a personal goal,” he said. “I didn’t know and didn’t expect to become the home run king, but I think it went well because I gave up my greed.”
“We will prepare for the season with the goal of going to fall baseball with the team again this year,” he said, stressing, “I want to spend an unforgettable year with my fans at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon.”