This is the overall record of Gong Min-gyu (26, Samsung Lions), who is entering his eighth year as a professional player. He has consistently displayed good batting performance in the Futures League, but has hardly been able to break his silence when he is in the top tier.

As soon as he thought of the word "giving up," he decided to start over. He even made an investment that is equivalent to his annual salary and started to make a turning point in his baseball career. Along with technological advances, he has gained confidence, which was the most important thing at "King Kang School."메이저사이트

Gong Min-gyu met Star News at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 14th and said, "I was very tired, and I thought a lot about giving up. Still, I went to the U.S. with the thought of 'Let's do something one last time, and if it doesn't work, let's admit it."

Gong Min-gyu, who joined Samsung in 2018 after graduating from Incheon High School, is considered to be an infield resource for right-handedness and left-handedness. There was nothing more to show in the second division, as he was also selected twice as a Futures All-Star (2019 and 2022). However, he rarely showed up in the first division. He had a batting average of 0.245 and three home runs in 28 games in 2019, his first season in the first division.

Gong Min-gyu, who looked back on his last professional career, said, "I was lucky to have a chance at first, but I think I've fallen behind the trend since I went to the military (Sangmu)," adding, "The time I did well in Futures but I didn't do it properly in the first team has been longer."

Gong Min-gyu, who made a critical defense mistake after the first-team call-up last year and went down to the second-team, began to think of the word "giving up." "After making a mistake in the first-team league, I put down a lot. I talked to my parents," he confessed. "That moment was so hard."

At a time when he was on the brink of collapse, he took on a challenge. He went to the so-called "King Kang School," a baseball academy run by former Major Leaguer Kang Jung-ho (38) in Los Angeles for a month. Considering travel expenses, tuition fees, and stay in the U.S., it could have been overwhelming for Gong, who was paid 41 million won (approx. However, he ventured to invest and returned to Korea satisfactorily.

Gong Min-gyu said, "I wanted to be good at baseball somehow, so after asking questions, I came to learn how to play baseball." It cost almost as much as a year's salary, but even my parents were able to come back without sparing any support. He said, "Of course, it's good if you do well in the second division, but you're not trying to play baseball in the second division. That's why I invested a year's salary and came back."

As it was a hard-won opportunity, Gong sweated a lot. "I worked out every day for a month without resting. A month didn't feel like a month because you continued to work out in the morning and afternoon," he said. On what he learned, he said, "He taught me a lot of details in hitting and the direction and movements that Major League players are making."

As a result, Gong had time to establish his batting theory. It was also a huge income that he gained confidence. "I've had a hard time going back and forth between the first and second teams, and I feel like I'm taking a back seat," he said. "This time, I've been able to change myself since I came back from the U.S. this time."

He also rearranged his defense in the U.S., which he hampered last season. "Kang Jeong-ho was the best defense player in Korea. He taught me defense in person and took good care of Major League Baseball's defense style," Gong said.

Kang has been constantly giving encouragement to Gong. "I think Min-gyu will do well," Kang said on his YouTube channel, "If he keeps playing games, he can hit 20 (homers)." Even after Gong's return to Korea, he communicates with Gong every day for feedback.

Encouragement from Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan), a senior at Incheon High School who trained together in the U.S., also played a major role. After spending time with Kang Jung-ho throughout the winter last year, Kim Jae-hwan had 10 home runs in 2023 and increased to 29 in 2024, which was effective. "Jae-hwan said, 'I blossomed at 27 years old, too. I hope I don't give up,' so it was a big help," Gong Min-gyu said. Kim Jae-hwan also advised him, "Don't think this is the last time, and you can do it again next year (2025), even if it doesn't work."

Gong Min-gyu is fully prepared, but unexpectedly, he said, "There is nothing I want to show you" about next season. He also said, "I've only been trying to show you so much, but I think I'll just have to do it as it is because I prepared in the U.S. this time." He was so motivated that he didn't want to go wrong.