“It was my first time wearing a uniform. It is very new.”
The Eagles uniform is still a little awkward for Chae Eun-seong (33), a hard hitter whom Hanwha has recruited as an outside free agent for the first time in seven years. His uniform number 22 is also unfamiliar. Chae Eun-seong, who changed both his uniform and number, embarks on a new start as a Hanwha man.
Chae Eun-seong, who was given Hanwha club supplies in Daejeon on the 19th and took a profile picture of the team, said, “It was my first time wearing a uniform. It’s very new,” he said with a laugh, “It’s fresh and fun to start in a new environment.”
His uniform number was also changed from the number 55 he used during his LG days to number 22. Chae Eun-seong, who joined LG as a foster player in 2009, wrote a three-digit uniform number in 2013 with number 102. After he became a regular player in 2014, he was given number 54, and in 2015 he changed to number 00. He used number 55 for 7 years from 2016, when he became the main player in the first team, to last year, but after transferring to Hanwha, he made a fresh start with number 22.
Chae Eun-seong said, “When I first joined, it was a three-digit number. He has worn number 55 since he was good at baseball, but it is not a single number from the beginning. (Kang) Jae-min, who wears number 55 (in Hanwha), didn’t want to take it away because it was his number from the time he joined. He chose number 22, the best of the remaining numbers.” Pitcher Kang Jae-min, who joined in 2020, used number 62 the first year, and has been using number 55 since the following year.
There is another reason why Chae Eun-seong chose number 22. Chae Eun-seong said, “I like numbers with the same number attached to them. Number 22 was just empty. Number 22 is the number that (Kim) Hyun-soo hyung wrote after coming to LG.”
Kim Hyun-soo, who wore number 50 during Doosan days, went through the major leagues and transferred to LG in 2018 as a free agent and wore number 22. Chae Eun-seong, who has been with Kim Hyun-soo for 5 years, said, “I worked out together for a long time by sticking next to Hyun-soo hyung. He taught me so many things, and he is an older brother who helped me both physically and mentally.”
Chae Eun-seong said, “Hyun-soo-hyung is a great person. If he’s watching, he can’t help but be good at baseball. He has risen to that level, and seeing that he does not settle down even though he has wealth and fame, he is an older brother who has a lot to learn. He doesn’t want to show off to anyone, he practices a lot and studies a lot because he really wants to do well. He expressed his gratitude to the senior who enlightened him, saying, “I learned a lot while watching him get stressed to play baseball better.” 헤라카지노
After Kim Hyun-soo joined LG, the culture and atmosphere of the team completely changed. From his inactive period to spring camp, he continued intensive weight training with his juniors, earning him the nickname ‘Kwanjang Kim’. While making bitter noises that usually stimulate juniors, he spared no support for supplies from behind. He didn’t just talk, he set an example with his actions first and showed them sexually.
Chae Eun-seong, who grew up as an LG center hitter while enjoying the effect of Kim Hyun-soo, told Hanwha general manager Sohn Hyuk about the influence Kim Hyun-soo had at LG during FA negotiations. Director Son Hyuk said, “Chae Eun-seong said that he learned a lot from Kim Hyun-soo by seeing what a senior officer should do. Our team, which has many young players, also needs such seniors.” This is the expected influence from Chae Eun-seong, who uses Kim Hyun-soo’s number 22 at Hanwha.