Kim Ha-seong ( San Diego Padres), the first Korean player to win the Major League Gold Glove, received a congratulatory call from manager Bob Melvin (62), who transferred to the San Francisco Giants after the season. In response, Ha-seong Kim personally wrote a long letter and delivered it to express his gratitude. He expressed his sincerity to the manager who left the team with a thank you message, saying, “You protected me for two years.”
‘Korean’s first big leaguer’ Park Chan-ho , a special advisor to San Diego, told this story. Advisor Park Chan-ho, who visited Jamsil Stadium where the second game of the Korean Series between KT and LG was held on the 8th, said, “When the manager first contacted Ha-seong, he said he was so grateful that he wrote a long letter and sent it. “He is a humble and grateful player,” he said. “When I got my first major league win, I called my minor league pitching coach (Bert Hooton) before my parents to thank him.” I think this is a culture that only we have and that comes from Korean sentiment. “It’s great that Ha-seong did that,” he said.
Advisor Park has played a direct and indirect role since Kim Ha-seong joined the San Diego Padres through a post in January 2021. We strongly recommended the club to recruit Kim Ha-seong, and even after joining the team, we met in the U.S. or talked on the phone to help him adapt. Ha-seong Kim, who went through hardships in the adaptation process in his first year, leapt to become the starting shortstop last year when Manager Melvin took office, and this year he moved to second base and rapidly grew into a top infielder in the league. He was recognized for his top-notch defense by winning the National League (NL) Utility Gold Glove Award. 안전놀이터
Advisor Park, who has been serving as a special advisor to the team since 2019 due to his relationship with the Peter O’Malley family, the San Diego team’s owner group, during his time with the LA Dodgers, said, “Ha-seong’s Gold Glove award leaves behind a tremendous history and record in Korean baseball. It is a great honor that has raised the status of Korean baseball, but it is also meaningful to the San Diego team. I consider it very important and valuable that the first foreign player to win a Gold Glove since Ichiro Suzuki. “The club recognizes Ha-seong’s sincerity, humility, and tenacity to work hard and not give up on anything,” he said.
Ha-seong Kim did not do well from the beginning. He realized the high ceiling of the big leagues in 2021, playing as a backup in his first year. Due to extreme stress, he suffered from alopecia areata and seriously considered returning to Korea. When Ha-seong Kim faltered, he also asked Advisor Park at the Sandie Club to take mental care of him. Advisor Park’s advice, which helped him overcome numerous hardships during his time as a player and rise again, had a big impact on Ha-seong Kim.
Advisor Park gave advice to Kim Ha-seong even after the season ended last year. Although Kim Ha-seong had a successful sophomore season, there was still pressure to move up. At this time last year, Kim Ha-seong, who attended the Park Chan-ho baseball scholarship award ceremony, said, “Don’t try to move up.” It’s not about going up, it’s about moving forward. It’s not going down, it’s just stopping for a moment. Moving forward is maturity, and stopping is an opportunity to think. “Don’t feel too pressured,” he said.
Kim Ha-seong, who returned to Korea on the 11th of last month after having the best season of the year, met with Advisor Park several times in Korea and had meals with him, expressing gratitude for the advice he gave him last year. Advisor Park said, “Hasung said he thought he would improve throughout the season. He said, “When I thought I should go up, when I didn’t, I lost confidence and became frustrated and thought, ‘This is a place I can’t go to.’” He added, “I felt that too when I was with the Texas Rangers. Moving forward is growing. “I was really grateful when Ha-seong told me that the story was helpful,” he said.
Advisor Park continued, “Ha-seong had difficulties in his first year, but he grew further through it. (AJ Preller) I talked to the general manager, but when I first went to the U.S., there were people who faltered and were disappointed when they went down to the minor leagues, but the team said, ‘There’s no need to worry.’ People who don’t give up when things get difficult have the tenacity to use that as an opportunity to create something stronger. The San Diego team also scouted Ha-seong after seeing that side of him. “That kind of belief is what created the Gold Glove,” he explained.
Ha-seong Kim is now a top Major League player in name and reality. I don’t have any more advice from a baseball perspective. The more this happens, the more Advisor Park emphasizes humility. Advisor Park said, “I also told Ha-seong, ‘You must be humble and fight from now on. “He said, ‘Keep humility closer and closer to you.’” He is still a player with good character and humility, but as he gets better, he lowers his attitude and hopes to continue working hard.
