Doosan Bears first baseman Yang Suk-hwan, he of three 20-homer seasons under his belt, found himself in an unfamiliar place in the lineup last Thursday versus the NC Dinos: the No. 8 spot.
He responded to that demotion in the best way possible, by hitting his first home run of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season.
Manager Lee Seung-yuop then moved Yang up to the sixth spot for the next two games against the Kia Tigers, and Yang went a combined 4-for-7 with a home run, two doubles and two RBIs. On Sunday, Yang batted third and launched his third home run in four games to take the sole possession of the league lead.
Did the constant shuffling motivate him? Did he have to swallow his pride at all when he batted eighth?
"Out of respect for my manager and his decision making, I will not comment on the situation," Yang told Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, before the Bears beat the Kiwoom Heroes 6-4. Yang went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to six games.
"I don't really think about where I hit in the lineup," Yang added. "I've been putting up some good numbers of late, and I just hope I can maintain this form for as long as I can."
Immediately after Sunday's game, though, Yang had admitted that he'd rather be batting sixth than eighth, and third rather than sixth. He had also said he only had himself to blame for the drop in the batting order, and he didn't want to hit that low in the lineup again.
For the record, the last time Yang batted eighth in a start came in September 2020 for the LG Twins. Yang, 31, claimed he didn't remember the occasion.
At that time, he had just completed his mandatory military service but had been struggling to regain the stroke that saw him hit 22 home runs and drive in 82 runs in 2018. Yang ended up playing only 40 games in 2020 and batted .246 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
Yang was traded to the Bears just before the start of the 2021 season and had a strong bounceback campaign. He set career highs with 28 home runs, 96 RBIs and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .827 in 133 games.
Yang, however, came back down to earth a bit in 2022, putting up 20 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 107 games.
After taking over the Bears last offseason, manager Lee has often spoken of the importance of getting consistent production from the heart of the order. With slugger Kim Jae-hwan firmly entrenched as the cleanup hitter, the Bears would need Yang and new foreign hitter Jose Rojas to put up numbers around Kim, the manager has said.
And to get both Yang and Rojas going and foster some internal competition, Lee has been pushing different buttons. Everyone other than Kim has been moved up and down the order.
The strategy might just have lit a fire under Yang, who insisted he is still the same, aggressive hitter that he has always been.
"Even on the first pitch, if I see something in my swing zone, I will go after it. That's always my mindset," Yang said. "I never worry about taking pitches to draw walks. I just want to swing the bat the way I always have."
Regardless of the mindset, having Lee, the greatest home run hitter in KBO history with 467, as manager can be a boon for power hitters like Yang.
"He is not too hands-on, as far as giving technical tips. But whenever he spots something, he will pull you aside and talk to you," Yang said. "During spring training, he told me a few things about rotating my right wrist properly so that I can drive the ball to the opposite field with more authority."
Lee has mostly left detailed instruction to his hitting coach, Koji Goto, a former player and coach with the Yomiuri Giants now on his second tour of duty with the Bears.
"He's someone that pumps our tires with a lot of positive feedback," Yang said of the Japanese coach. "Rather than getting too technical with us, he focuses on our mental approach. I think he has been especially helpful for some younger guys, and I also enjoy having him around."
Even though Yang only batted .147 with zero home runs and RBIs in a dozen preseason games, Goto kept telling the hitter that he wasn't worried at all.
"He said I shouldn't try to do too much, and I shouldn't get too down on myself," Yang said. "He said I'd be fine as long as I stuck to my approach."
Yang also plans to do the same when it comes to his impending free agency.
Putting up huge numbers in a walk year can go a long way toward helping free agents land a lucrative deal. While some may thrive under the pressure of trying to secure life-changing money, many others simply perform to their career norms or, in worse cases, crumble under that burden.
Yang, for his part, said the thought of free agency hasn't occupied him yet, and it likely never will until he gets there.
"I don't think players try extra hard just because they're about to become free agents. We always want to do well, regardless of free agency," he said. "And once I get into games, I just don't have enough space in my head to think about free agency. Maybe I am subconsciously trying not to think about it too much, but either way, it hasn't entered my mind."
Source: Yonhap News Agency