Recently, Park Kun-woo (NC Dinos), who had his criticism withdrawn, had an ‘awkward encounter’ with NC coach Kang In-Kwon at the KBO All-Star Game.
Park Kun-woo, selected as an outfielder for the All-Star Charity Game, delivered a left-field single in the bottom of the 1st inning with no runners on and two outs, making his way to first base. The person who approached Park Kun-woo to receive his equipment was none other than coach Kang In-Kwon.
As Park Kun-woo handed over the equipment, he belatedly recognized Coach Kang and bowed to greet him.
In the 4th inning, during his second at-bat, when Park Kun-woo hit a single to center field, Coach Kang also received his equipment.
Considering the recent situation with Park Kun-woo, the encounter felt somewhat awkward.
On the 3rd of this month, Park Kun-woo was removed from the 1st team entry, not due to any specific injury but for disrupting the team atmosphere by requesting a substitution during a game.
At the time, Coach Kang explained the background of Park Kun-woo’s removal, saying, “I hoped he wouldn’t take actions that would separate him from the team, so I felt disappointed about that” and added, “I hope he takes this time to mature.”
During a signing event held before the All-Star Game, Park Kun-woo avoided making direct remarks when asked by reporters, simply saying, “As this is a position the fans have chosen for me today, I hope to enjoy it.” He mentioned that he would rather speak about related matters when the time is right.
When asked about his physical condition, he briefly replied, “I’m fine.”
He also shared that he had a conversation with Coach Kang on the 7th of this month when the game against Changwon Samsung Lions was canceled due to rain.
While the specific details of the conversation were not disclosed, given the unusual intensity of Coach Kang’s reprimand, there is a possibility that Park Kun-woo may have approached him with an apologetic intent.
Since Park Kun-woo’s removal, NC Dinos managed to secure 3 wins and 4 losses in 7 games, finishing the first half of the season in a tied 4th place (39 wins, 38 losses, 1 tie).
Although they achieved two consecutive victories against the Lotte Giants in the final three games of the first half, surviving the intense competition in the mid-table during the second half will realistically require the presence of Park Kun-woo, their third-place hitter.
It remains to be seen whether Coach Kang’s feelings have changed after the meeting with Park Kun-woo, especially considering they didn’t have a separate discussion during the decision-making process for his removal. 토토사이트