“I’m 100% serious.” Yang Eui-ji and Kang Min-ho are the most respected catchers
“It’s an honor to set a meaningful record, but I still have a long way to go to catch up with (Kang) Minho.”
Doosan catcher Yang Eui-ji set a milestone with double-digit home runs for 10 consecutive years, the 15th time in KBO history, against the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on the 22nd. He returned two weeks after being removed from the first-tier entry due to a side muscle injury on the 8th, and announced a spectacular return with a thrilling touch on the ground. The team also started the week in a good mood with a 6-1 victory and a solo fifth place.
Yang Eui-ji mentioned Samsung Lions catcher Kang Min-ho before reporters’ questions in an interview with a famous player after the game. The two, close seniors and juniors, defended Korea’s home base together with the Taegeuk mark on the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 and 2021 Tokyo Olympics national team.
Yang Eui-ji expressed satisfaction, saying, “I personally played baseball for a long time and became a veteran, and records (double-digit home runs for 10 consecutive years) have been accumulated.”
Kang Min-ho and Yang Eui-ji are the two best catchers representing Korean baseball in the 2010s. Born in 1985, Kang Min-ho made his debut with Lotte and became a regular player since 2006. After the 2017 season, he moved to his current team, Samsung, and is still an irreplaceable catcher resource for the Lions.
Unable to explain the history of KBO League catchers without mentioning Kang Min-ho, he hit double-digit home runs for 14 consecutive years this season, breaking Park Kyung-wan (currently LG’s first-tier battery coach)’s record for the most home runs (314). As of the 23rd, he has 317 home runs in his career, setting a new record every time he crosses the fence.
For Yang Eui-ji, Kang Min-ho’s existence itself is a great motivation, and there are many things to imitate, including not only records but also his ability as a catcher and leadership that encompasses the team.
Kang Min-ho has had a brilliant career, including the Rookie of the Year award, winning the most Golden Glove in the catcher category (7 times, tied for 1st place with Kim Dong-soo), winning 3 Korean Series titles, and 2 Korean Series MVPs, but Kang Min-ho still raised his voice.
Yang Eui-ji has 238 home runs this season, showing a big gap in the number of home runs with Kang Min-ho, but he signed a free agent (FA) contract with Doosan for 4+2 years and a total of 15.2 billion won until 2028, so there is enough room to challenge the KBO record for the most home runs.
Yang Eui-ji said, “I’m 100% serious that I learn a lot from Min-ho.” “I thought I wanted to be such a player, and I want to be like Minho’s personality,” he said. I’m aiming for MINO, so I can maintain my skills for a long time
He also laughed, saying, “It will be difficult to follow Min-ho’s personality and break the cumulative record.” “But I still want to come in second (with a catcher record). What Minho envies the most is that he is healthy even though he has played more than 2,000 games as a catcher. The point is that he is still playing as a catcher. “I respect you and I want to play like Minho for a long time”
He showed off his unique wit. Asked what he wanted to follow or surpass Kang Min-ho, he smiled and said, “I wonder if his career will be longer because the contract period is a little longer than Min-ho.”
by: 안전놀이터