"I want to show you that it's not at the level that fans are worried about yet. I haven't said it out loud, but I'm really preparing a lot right now."

Doosan Bears third baseman Heo Gyeong-min (34) had a season where his pride was hurt in many ways last year. As he took on the important role of leading the team as captain for the first time since his professional debut, he had a great desire to have the best season not only for the team but also personally. The team took 5th place in the regular season and successfully advanced to the fall baseball season. Considering that the team ranked 9th in 2022, the club's lowest ever ranking, there was an achievement.

However, my personal performance was not satisfactory. Heo Gyeong-min played 130 games last season, recording a batting average of 0.268 (115 hits in 429 at-bats), 48 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.703. So far, the ideal batting order would have been table setters with same-age friends Soo-bin Jeong and Gyeong-min Heo, but as Gyeong-min Heo's bat got heavier as the season went on, it was difficult for him to be in the top lineup anymore. Heo Gyeong-min had to move between the 6th and 9th batting order depending on the opposing pitcher.

Heo Gyeong-min was clearly a hitter who could hit much better than last year. This is why Doosan gave Heo Gyeong-min, who was the biggest player in the free agent market, a 4+3 year contract worth a total of 8.5 billion won ahead of the 2021 season. Most people cite solid defense as the secret to Heo Gyeong-min's growth to the national team's third baseman, but because of his outstanding contact ability at the plate, he was able to be treated as the best third baseman in the league so far. When compared to existing top third basemen, he was a hitter with only a little less power, but was fully capable of producing good batted balls. But last year, his batting average fell to .266, so it was natural for his pride to be hurt.

Fans care for and support players more than anyone else, but when they are performing poorly, they criticize their weaknesses more calmly than anyone else. Last year, Heo Gyeong-min received more criticism than support. As his visible performance dropped, Heo Gyeong-min also humbly accepted criticism from fans. He used the criticism from fans as a driving force to work harder this year. I believed that if I prepared harder for the season and performed well on the field again, the fans would trust Heo Gyeong-min again and give them warm support.

Heo Gyeong-min, whom we recently met at the Blacktown Baseball Stadium in Blacktown, Sydney, Australia, said, “This year, I want to create a season where Doosan fans can say, ‘Heo Gyeong-min did really well.’ I think that alone will be enough for this year’s goal. "When I hear good stories, I get excited. I'm also human, so I read what fans write every once in a while, and I thought this season I should show them that I'm not at the level that fans are worried about," he said calmly.

This year, my top priority is to work as a table setter again with my friend Jeong Soo-bin and ignite the central batting lineup. Heo Gyeong-min said, "Honestly, I played in the lower batting lineup last year, but honestly, I really wanted to hit in the upper batting lineup. Of course, as a player, if you are in any batting lineup, you have to do that job, but as a player, of course I want to hit in a place where I can be more active. “I guess that’s because you need to have the skills to do that, so I’m working hard to be able to contribute more to my hitting this season.”

He continued, "Being the table setter with (Jeong) Subin is something I also want, and I think that if I do well in that position, the team can do a little better. Last year, I said I would do my best even in the lower-ranking lineup, but I was bubbling inside. "I was boiling over. Isn't it right for a player to feel that way? I'm going to show a lot of results this season so that I can prepare well so that when the manager draws up the lineup, he can put me in the top lineup without hesitation," he added.

We are also preparing with great care for defense, which is our specialty. Heo Gyeong-min was selected as the winner in the third baseman category at the newly established ‘KBO Defense Award’ last year. It was more meaningful because the winner was decided by adding up the voting scores of the 10 teams' managers, coaches, and general managers, as well as the defensive record scores.

Rather than praise, Heo Gyeong-min listened more to the evaluation that 'the defense range has become narrower than in the past.' He said, "I was a little stressed because I was evaluated as not being able to move as much as I did when I was younger. Now, rather than feeling that kind of stress, I'm making an effort to move a little more to suit my current body condition. Actually, I'm the type of person who makes things difficult for myself, so I'm stressed out as I try to be more perfect. "So this season, I'm trying to be more relaxed, not stressed, and show a solid defense like in the past," he explained.

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