There was a reason why the general manager, director, and fellow seniors praised him unanimously. The evaluation of Hanwha’s rookie infielder Moon Hyun-bin (19) was not just a matter of raising his spirits.
Hyunbin Mun,스포츠토토 who graduated from Bukil High School in Cheonan and served as the captain of the youth team, joined Hanwha in the 11th overall in the second round of this year. There was a surprising look at the appointment of Hyunbin Moon by Hanwha, which had undergone some degree of rebuilding of the infield with young players, but the Hanwha scout team, which had been watching him for a long time in the Chungcheong region, did not worry. In the rookie draft held in September of last year, Moon Hyun-bin’s name was called first in the second round.
Hanwha general manager Sohn Hyuk, who was at the scene as a power reinforcement coordinator at the time, said, “I never gave up on my intentions, saying that the scout team had to nominate Moon Hyun-bin unconditionally. When we nominated Moon Hyun-bin, I looked at the reactions of other teams, and I could see something was missing. At that time, I felt that we had made a really good choice.”
Hanwha coach Carlos Subero also fell in love with Moon Hyun-bin at first sight from last November’s Daejeon finish camp. He said, “He is a player who is all about hitting, defense and running. He has baseball talent and intelligence that is superior to that of his peers. Be sure to watch him.” He was the only rookie beast to take to spring camp and used the expression “19-year-old veteran.”
Seniors in the same position also stood together from camp and praised this young rookie. Golden Glove second baseman Jeong Eun-won said, “The skills are good, but I like the attitude towards baseball that is not like a rookie. Although I am a senior, I have a mindset that makes me feel and learn from Hyunbin once more.” Oh Seon-jin, the oldest infield veteran, also said, “Unlike his age, he is well prepared for baseball. I do it while watching and learning.”
The true value of Moon Hyun-bin is revealed more and more clearly as he goes through the actual battle. In particular, on the 14th, before Daejeon KIA, as a second baseman with a second batter, her first start in an exhibition game, 2 hits and 2 points in 4 at-bats, she flew in airlift. In the first at-bat in the first inning, KIA foreign pitcher Adonis Medina hit a 150km two-seam fastball and hit the ball with a heavy hit. KIA shortstop Kim Do-young jumped and caught the ball, but could not block the hit. Shortstop infield hit. In the third inning, he accurately pulled Medina’s 130km breaking ball and connected it with a right-handed hit. He showed his ability to make contact with both fastballs and breaking pitches. In the 5th and 7th innings, he got a fly ball out, but sent a powerful bat to the outfield.
He went out on base and played a concentrated base run. He ran to the next base as soon as the ball bounced off the side of home plate. From the first inning, after advancing to 2nd and 3rd base at once with opponent’s wild throw and foil, Chae Eun-seong stepped on the groove when shortstop grounder and raised the first point. He harassed the opponent’s defense with a quick start without his eyes falling off the ball. In defense of second base, in the 5th inning, Kim Seon-bin made a jump catch by accurately chasing a missed ball that seemed to land in front of the center fielder.
SBS Sports commentator Kim Tae-hyeong, who won the Korean Series three times, was also in charge of the broadcast that day, and whenever Moon Hyun-bin came out, he said, “Seeing that a rookie makes contact like this, he is good at batting. When picking the ball, there is not much movement of the body, and it is calm. He said, “I want to stop praising him, but I can’t help but do it. Even the expression on her face doesn’t feel like a rookie with a poker face,” he praised her mouth dry.
Director Subero said, “We are giving Moon Hyun-bin a chance to survive. Jung Eun-won is also doing very well at second base, so I’m thinking about how Moon Hyun-bin can help her team. Being a shortstop is not unfamiliar to me because I had some experience (during high school). He is also good at defending center field. I also caught the left and right middle batting balls well,” she said, hinting at the idea of putting them in the first team in various positions. He is a resource that can intensify internal competition no matter which position he enters.
She is not tall at 174cm and 82kg, but Park Chan-hyeok (Kiwoom), a 1-year senior at Bukil High School, gave her the nickname ‘stone’ over the firm Hyunbin Moon. In Hanwha, where internal competition was blurred due to the absence of check forces to threaten the main players during the long dark period, a small but solid stone called Moon Hyun-bin started to cause quite a big wave.