“Even in high school, I didn’t play at a baseball field like this” Kang Min-ho criticizes Pohang’s home game for ‘the worst ground condition’
Kang Min-ho, catcher of the Samsung Lions, has a special affection for Pohang. Born in Jeju Island, Kang Min-ho grew up dreaming of becoming a professional baseball player at Pocheol Middle School and Pocheol Technical High School. For him, Pohang is another hometown. In December 2017, he donated 100 million won to help the Pohang earthquake and practiced noblesse oblige.
However, Kang Min-ho is not happy about the Pohang home game. This is because the risk of injury is high due to poor ground management. Heavy rain was pouring ahead of the game on the 4th, and the rain cancellation seemed likely. There was a high risk of injury to the players because the ground was in a mess, but Pohang Vice Mayor Kim Nam-il and Pohang City Mayor Baek In-kyu were scheduled to throw and hit the ball, so Pohang City demanded that the game be held. The condition of the ground reminded me of rice paddies. There was even a skit of servicing the mound during the game.
On the 5th, ahead of the match against Doosan, Kang Min-ho met with a reporter and poured out remarks. He said, “I know that the city of Pohang is asking me to come here and play, but there is something I want to ask you. The ground must be properly managed so that professional players can play, but only injuries occur while playing baseball in such a place. Asking them to come without preparing for a professional baseball game is inconsistent,” he said.
Kang Min-ho continued, “Even in high school, I didn’t play at a baseball field like this. When I entered the plate, it was like mud. It went all the way to the ankle. It’s nice to come to Pohang, but it’s such a pity. He raised his voice, saying, “The risk of injury is high and it is a baseball field that does not help the performance at all.”
It’s not just Kang Min-ho’s thoughts. Samsung has been using Pohang Stadium as its second home stadium since 2012 to expand the base of local baseball. However, voices say that the losses far outweigh the gains. For Samsung, if they play their home games in Pohang at the Daegu Samsung Lions Park, a state-of-the-art stadium, they suffer losses such as reduced income from spectators and various expenses. That’s not to say players don’t like it. It is better than the past Daegu Citizen Baseball Stadium, but the rest area is also poor. It is even described as a ‘home game like an away game’. 메이저놀이터
Doosan uses a hotel in Daegu, an hour away, as there are no suitable accommodations in the Pohang area. It costs more than an away game in Daegu and adversely affects the performance of the players. There is a lot of dissatisfaction because there is less space to rest than the home team.
It might be much better to offer discounts on some seats to Pohang citizens who visit Daegu Samsung Lions Park instead of the controversial and controversial Pohang home games.