LG Twins' catcher Park Dong-won / Korea Times photo by Ryu Ki-chan
LG Twins catcher Park Dong-won is on pace for his least productive offensive season since 2018, but his manager Youm Kyoung-youb believes the 36-year-old backstop is still a valuable member of his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club thanks to his defense and game-calling chops.
After matching his career high with 22 home runs and 25 doubles last year, Park is stuck at just three homers and five doubles after 43 games so far this season. He may fail to reach double figures in home runs for the first time since hitting only six in 2018, though he played just 39 games then. Park's slugging percentage is .347, which would be his lowest for a full season.
Youm said Wednesday, though, Park is still the most trusted backstop for his pitching staff. With the exception of Song Seung-ki, who has developed a strong partnership with backup catcher Lee Ju-heon, all the other starters prefer to pitch to Park, Youm added.
"That's why he keeps getting into our lineup even when he's struggling at the plate," Youm said in his media availability before a road game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium in the southeastern city of Busan. "He is just a steady presence back there and it's crucial for our pitchers psychologically. And Dong-won knows he has to play even when he's not feeling 100 percent."
Youm cited Park's in-game adjustments with starter Anders Tolhurst during Tuesday's game against the Giants. With Tolhurst struggling with his fastball command early, Park began calling for more secondary pitches, including cutter and forkball.
"Tolhurst's fastballs were all over the place, and Dong-won wanted more cutters and other breaking balls," Youm said. "He really managed the game well."
Source: Korea Times News
