“My wife is tired and tears…” The first home run finally hit, LG Austin is starting now
It’s just the beginning. LG Twins’ new foreign hitter, Austin Dean (30), finally fired his first cannon. After the game, he remembered his struggling wife and revealed his sincerity toward baseball.
The LG Twins won 6-2 in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO demonstration game against KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 23rd.
The performance of LG’s new foreign hitter, Austin Dean, left a strong impression on LG fans. On this day, he started as a right fielder and third hitter, and flew wildly with two hits, three RBIs, and one run, including one home run.안전놀이터
Austin retired with a grounder on third base in the first inning, then struck out in the third inning and bowed his head. However, he started to show his true value from the third at-bat.
In the top of the 5th inning, with LG leading 2-1, a chance to secure second and third base. Austin hit a clean left-field double at the right time against the changed pitcher, Park Young-hyun, and brought both runners home. It was Austin’s first RBI in an exhibition game.
Then, in the 7th inning, he finally hit his first home run. A situation where there is no one runner. The KT pitcher was Kim Min. The ball count is 1-0. Then, Kim Min’s 2nd high fastball (148 km) was hit and the solo gun exploded over the left wall. The flying distance was 115m.
It was Austin’s first home run in an exhibition game. In response, LG colleagues celebrated his first home run by holding a ‘silent ceremony’ to avoid Austin, who had entered the dugout. After LG’s attack in the top of the 7th inning ended, LG colleagues smiled brightly at Austin and congratulated him.
Austin is a new foreign hitter signed by LG in December last year for a total of $700,000 (about 890 million won, a down payment of 100,000, an annual salary of 400,000, and an incentive of $200,000).
Austin, a right-hander of American nationality, boasts a physique of 183cm and 97kg. He was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 4th round of the 2012 draft. He made his big league debut in Miami in 2018, then went through St. Louis and San Francisco. He appeared in 126 games over five seasons and marked a batting average of 0.228, 11 homers and 42 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.676.
In the 2022 season, he appeared in 3 major league games (3 hits in 8 at-bats). On the Triple A stage, he participated in 289 games in total, marking a batting average of 0.301, 45 homers, 174 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.883.
At the time of his signing, the LG club highly valued his sophisticated contact, long hitting power, and ability to handle multiple positions. And on this day, he even hit a home run and showed his potential.
After the game, LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop, the command tower, said of Austin, “In the demonstration games, the timing of the fastball has been slow. However, in today’s game, he showed good timing on fastballs and breaking balls. I think,” he praised.
Austin met with reporters after the game and said, “It was good that the ball went over the fence. The moment it hit, I felt it go over.” I was also mixed with the thought of congratulating him,” he said with a laugh.
He said, “I think that baseball is all one in Korea, the United States, and Japan. I’m adapting well to a certain extent. I’m relatively good at adapting. I try to get along well with my teammates and make them laugh. After a good performance, I will aim for the championship.”
Regarding the feeling of hitting, he said, “It’s been improving to some extent, but there were some bad aspects. It’s an exhibition game now. I think I’m adapting. I’m not too worried. I want to prepare as quickly as possible and show my skills. The team is doing well together. I’m doing it, and I’m seeing it well,” he explained.
In the fifth inning, he was shown sprinting to second base with active base running after hitting. He said, “The baseball philosophy that the coach pursues matches my baseball philosophy well. “he said.
Currently, Austin is with his family in Korea. He said, “As soon as I came to Korea, I played an away game. There are language problems, and my wife, who went abroad for the first time, had a hard time adjusting. But she is a strong woman and mother. She is enduring well. After finishing her first expedition the day before yesterday, she returned to Seoul. When he came, he even showed tears. Still, I have to play baseball, so I’m trying to overcome it.”
