Heavy squad mood. The only way to save a team in crisis is to encourage each other and stick together.

After suffering their first sweep of the season and their fourth straight loss, Lotte travelled to Daegu. Lotte players gather in the outfield at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu ahead of a three-game weekend series against Samsung. The mood was unusually serious. It had to be. Lotte had just dropped all three games of their midweek series against KT at Sajik Stadium in Busan. It was their first sweep of the season and their fourth straight loss, especially in the third game on the 8th night, where they fell behind 0-5, rallied dramatically to 5-5, and then lost 6-7 in 12 extra innings. The loss was even worse because they used eight pitchers. Lotte’s ‘momentum’ was put to a halt.메이저놀이터

The players, led by captain Ahn Chi-hong, huddled in a circle in the outfield and talked for a long time, trying to turn around the sinking mood of the team. The team meeting was longer than usual, and the atmosphere was serious.

Rex, who had returned from a knee injury, also spoke to the players about his condition. Rex, who played for Samsung Electronics on the 6th, has been silent since his first at-bat. His defence is also a concern. He played left field on his first day back, but he was unable to sprint to the ball, so he played as a designated hitter in the second game. In Game 3, he came in as a pinch-hitter in the 12th inning and hit an outfield fly.

The serious and lengthy meeting was over. It remained to cheer up a teammate who might have been hurt. Jung-hoon opened his arms and hugged Lee Hak-joo, who had played poorly the day before. It was a heartfelt and encouraging hug.

Rex is unable to help the team due to a nagging injury. He can’t help but feel discouraged. Captain Ahn Chi-hong slapped his palm on Rex’s chest to say ‘cheer up’.

Noh Jin-hyuk, who had been substituted the day before due to wrist pain while batting, was absent from team training. The loss of Noh, a key part of the infield defence in a difficult team atmosphere, is devastating. Coach Jeon Jun-ho consoled Noh, who couldn’t hide his regret.

There was also time for celebration. Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an were included in the Hangzhou Asian Games roster. Ryu Joong-il, head coach of the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team, announced the 24-man roster for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games at 2pm on 9 September, and Lotte’s Park Se-woong was included alongside Na Kyun-ahn. As his teammates applauded his congratulations, Park bent down to show his gratitude. Na Gyun-ahn, who is scheduled to start on the mound, did not take part in the training session.

Long baseball season. There are always crises, and Lotte must overcome the first trials of early summer before they can enjoy autumn baseball. The good news is that the team is united. The players have reunited to repay the fans for their enthusiastic support.