‘Next Machado → I dreamed of the second Son Seung-rak… ‘ Unfortunate retirement at the age of 28, he was friendly even on the way

Lotte Giants’ long-time shortstop was expected to fill the void. He turned into a pitcher and even dreamed of becoming a ‘second Son Seung-rak’.

Ahead of the new season, Bae Seong-geun decided to take off the Lotte uniform he has been familiar with for nine years since joining in 2014. The Lotte club said on the 31st, “Bae Seong-geun has decided to retire.”

He went through years of endurance in the 2nd Army for a long time. He drew attention as the ‘next Machado’ as he supported Dixon Machado in 2020-2021. His quick feet, solid range defense and strong arm were praised. In 2021, he appeared in 79 games and was even heavily used as a shortstop to digest 162⅓ innings (262⅔ total). 안전놀이터

His blows were too weak. His first-team career record was a batting average of 1.8 (33 hits in 183 at-bats) and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of just 0.491. Last year, Lee Hak-joo was recruited, and Park Seung-wook, Kim Min-soo, and Lee Ho-yeon were pushed back in the competition. He spent more time playing second base than shortstop.

After the season, he challenged himself as a pitcher. Like his senior teammate Son Seung-rak, he turned from shortstop to pitcher and dreamed of a successful career. His fastball, which reached up to 148 km, was also recognized for his promise. He also revealed that on the 14th he got along with his wife, whom he had been seeing for over three years. The club offered Bae Seong-keun an annual salary of 40 million won, a cut of 2 million won, for this season.

However, it was more regrettable that his dream of becoming a shortstop, which he had dreamed of all his life, was frustrated. After graduating from Ulsan Technical High School, he decided to prepare for a second life instead of the life of a baseball player he had dreamed of since joining Lotte in the 2nd 4th round (40th overall) in 2014.

Bae Seong-geun is a player who spent much longer in the 2nd group than in the 1st group. He knows the pain of being a future leaguer better than anyone else. Prior to his departure, Bae Seong-geun donated 10 million won worth of money to the Lotte 2nd Army, adding his affection for his club, his heart for his teammates, and in return for the fans.