The team took the fall stage but was not called. The fall of NC Park Seok-min (38) and Doosan Jang Won-jun (38) and two veterans of the same age born in 1985 are lonely.
Park Seok-min and Jang Won were not on the list of 30 players who played in the wild card (WC) match, which NC and Doosan started on the 19th. There were two more spots compared to the regular season entry, but as expected, there were no positions for the two veterans.
Park Seok-min has not played in the first team game since July 25. The Futures record is also all about seven games played this season. Jang Won-jun took the mound against SSG, the last game of the season, on the 17th. When the fifth place of the season was confirmed by the defeat the previous day, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop started Jang Won-jun instead of Choi Seung-yong, who was previously predicted. It was calculated to save power ahead of the WC match. They were at the crossroads of retirement ahead of this season. 토토사이트
Park Seok-min, who was controversial due to the COVID-19 quarantine wave, played in 16 games last season and had a batting average of only 0.149. It was predicted that the professional life could end as it is. However, Park Seok-min chose to extend his active career at the expense of 50 million won in annual salary, which was cut by 93%. NC manager Kang In-kwon also nominated Park Seok-min as the starting third baseman and expressed expectations for a veteran’s shot.
Jang Won-jun was not much different. Injuries and sluggishness continued in 2017, when he ranked second overall in the league with an ERA of 3.14. Last season, he played only 17 innings. Although the prospect of retirement was promising, the newly appointed coach Lee Seung-yeop accepted Jang Won-joon’s intention to extend his active duty after the meeting.
He started the new season with a lot of pride, but failed to meet expectations. Park Seok-min played in 30 games and finished the 2023 season with a batting average of 0.193. He injured his hamstring in April, and neck and toe injuries followed in June. Jang Won-jun also played 41 innings in 11 games, including 10 starts, with a 5.27 ERA and 3 wins and 5 losses. He reached 130 wins for the 11th time in the KBO, and in the final game of the season, he played 4.1 innings and filled 2,000 innings for the eighth time ever, but it was also not easy to endure the season as a first-tier starting pitcher. He has completed only five innings in three out of 10 starts.
Park Seok-min and Jang Won-jun have built heavy careers that can be counted in KBO history. However, it is unclear how their baseball lives will flow after the WC match. It’s not easy to look away from the weight of time.