Samsung Lions veteran catcher Kang Min-ho (38) was surprised by his unusual mindset while going through the toughest camp ever in his career.
Kang Min-ho is preparing for his 20th professional season by sweating every day at the team’s spring camp in Onna Village, Okinawa, Japan.
The topic of Samsung’s spring camp this time is the amount of training. Until last year, the training pattern, which was 3 days of training and 1 day of rest, was changed to 4 days of training and 1 day of rest. The training timetable is also tight. After moving from the accommodation to the baseball field at 8:30 am, they are divided into fielders and pitchers to complete a tight schedule. There is also night training from 6pm. Both young players and veterans engage in night training.
Kang Min-ho is recognized as the best catcher in the league. He won the catcher’s Golden Glove a whopping six times.
It is such a hellish training that even Kang Min-ho of the world sticks out his tongue. Kang Min-ho said, “It’s almost the best. I really did a lot of exercise when coach Kang Byeong-cheol was there. It’s almost as good as that,” he said.
Last year, Samsung operated a three-man catcher system, including Kang Min-ho, Kim Tae-gun, and Kim Jae-seong. Although Kim Tae-gun returned to Korea with an injury, Lee Byung-hun, who was discharged last year, is training at the 1st Army camp. It’s a 3 catcher system again.
In response, Kang Min-ho said, “I don’t think there is a clear starting catcher in our team. I also think that I have to compete. Ever since I was at Lotte, and even when I came to Samsung as a free agent, I thought, ‘I am the main player’.” It’s not now. It’s different from back then. I have to compete with my juniors and show my own competitiveness. I think I’m going with the 3rd catcher system because there is no clear main catcher.”
As he is heading towards the end of his career as a player looking at Bulguk, the motivation for extending his active career, such as the Taegeuk mark as well as the FA jackpot, must have decreased. Kang Min-ho, who has been active as a national representative from 2006 to 2021, will not appear in this WBC. Yang Eui-ji and Lee Ji-young were selected.
Then, what does Minho Kang use as his motivation? that’s the record He is challenging the record for the most home runs by a catcher and the most appearances in the KBO League this year. 토토사이트
The current catcher’s home run number one is Park Gyeong-wan, head coach of the LG Twins. Coach Park is recording 314 home runs in his career, while Kang Min-ho has 303 home runs until last year. If you add 12 now, you will exceed Coach Park’s record.
Park Yong-taek retired after playing 2237 games. Kang Min-ho, who participated in 2108 games in total, can set the record for the most appearances if he plays only 130 games.
Kang Min-ho said, “It’s really good to have a clear motivation. It was a vague thought and dream, ‘Will I be able to follow the careers set by the great seniors?’ It motivates me a lot,” he said.
While Samsung is being evaluated as a low-ranking team this season, Kang Min-ho said, “I honestly think I would be angry if I exercised like this to go to the top 5. I really got a lot of exercise. We have to stick together. If the atmosphere burns out, we won’t know again,” he said, fueling his motivation even more.
