Why did Doosan Bears first baseman Ahn Jae-seok, 22, choose to enlist in the military instead of applying for a job in commerce?

According to Doosan officials, Ahn will enlist in the 15th Division Recruit Training Center in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, on Aug. 8 and fulfill his military service obligation for one year and seven months. The decision to enlist came at the height of the cold snap, and he traveled to the unit in the bitter wind. The lowest temperature in Hwacheon-gun on the 8th was minus 14 degrees, and a cold wave warning was in effect.

Ahn Jae-seok said on the club’s official YouTube channel, “Bear Stevie,” “I went to fulfill my duty of national defense on January 8. My colleagues who have already enlisted in active duty say it’s good, but I don’t know if it’s really good.” “For three years after joining the team, I played below the expectations of the fans, 안전놀이터 coaching staff, and managers. I didn’t meet my expectations. I’m still in the military, but I’ll do a good job of preparing myself to do much better than expected.”

Ahn Jae-seok, from Seoul High School, is the first infielder selected by Doosan

In the 2021 rookie draft in 17 years since Kim Jae-ho (2004). He was dubbed the “next Kim Jae-ho” when he joined the team and was the only rookie to go to the first-team spring training camp and receive defensive instruction from his “role model” Kim Jae-ho. A solid showing in camp set the stage for a promising debut season, and he showed promise in his first year, batting .259 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 96 games.

Ahn suffered from the sophomore jinx that most rookies in the 2022 class suffer from, and while his batting average soared to 3 for 6 in mid-April, his hitting slump prolonged, starting with a 1 for 8 month in May. In addition, he made 15 errors in the field amid various trials and errors. After being dropped from the first team on September 2 against Lotte, Ahn Jae-seok suffered a wrist injury and finished his second year with a disappointing 2-for-1 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 99 games.

With the arrival of Lee Seung-yup, Ahn was once again touted as the successor to Kim Jae-ho. However, he regressed and had one of the toughest seasons of his career. In early June, he suffered a catastrophic back injury while running back to first base and underwent a lengthy rehabilitation, returning to the first team in August, only to be sent back to Icheon with a monthly batting average of 2 for 1. Eventually, he was sent back to fulfill defense duties after batting 1 for 8 with one home run and five RBIs in 27 games.

Manager Lee Seung-yeop, who met him at Doosan’s final camp last year,

“I think Ahn Jae-seok is a little bad. He was in the rehabilitation part, but his form is not as good as I thought. He injured his back and it got worse again while exercising. He’s struggling with himself,” he said.

When asked why he chose to join the army, Ahn Jae-seok said, “My grades were getting better again, and I wanted to do a little better, so I followed it hard, but I got a shock in my wrist. I worked hard last year with the intention of doing better, but this time I put a lot of pressure on my back. It was a vicious circle.” He added, “I was afraid that I would get hurt again if I went to the merchant marine. In my case, the feeling of emptiness when I was injured was very difficult.”

Ahn plans to take a year and seven months to reorganize his mind and body before returning. “I want to get peace of mind, and they told me to read a lot of books, so I want to read some books, build up my mind, and come back mentally strong,” he said, adding, “I also want to come back with a dwarf body.”

His colleagues at Doosan wished him a rewarding military life as he enlisted for active duty. 파워볼실시간 Yang Seok-hwan said, “It’s good that you’re going to the front. Go to a difficult place, arm yourself mentally, and come back stronger,” and Kim Jae-ho, who wanted to see Ahn Jae-seok grow more than anyone else, said, “If you are discharged, you will have no brother. Goodbye.” Kim Jae-ho, who wanted Ahn Jae-seok’s growth more than anyone, left a short greeting.