Doosan admitted on the 9th that Park Yoo-yeon was suspended from driving under the influence of alcohol. Park Yoo-yeon was caught driving under the influence of alcohol while driving near her home in late September. The problem was that she was behind the wheel the morning after she drank. Park Yoo-yeon was suspended from her license but hid it in the club, and an anonymous tipster was found out after informing the club of the above three months later. The club received Park Yoo-yeon’s confession after its own investigation, and reported it to the KBO Clean Baseball Center immediately after the investigation.
Even drunk driving with a hangover is difficult to avoid. According to the KBO’s DUI punishment regulations, the first detection of a driver’s license suspension is a suspension of 70 games. The first detection of a driver’s license revocation is a one-year disqualification, the second DUI is a five-year disqualification, and the third or more is a permanent disqualification. Park cannot avoid the suspension of his driver’s license in 70 games, and Doosan will not have the capacity until at least the first half of next season.
Based on Doosan’s own disciplinary actions, Park will likely be determined. Doosan plans to hold Park responsible for hiding the fact when she is caught drunk driving for the first time. Doosan will hold its own disciplinary committee meeting early next week to determine the level of disciplinary action. Doosan is also expected to impose heavy punishment on former Lotte Giants infielder Bae Young-bin, who was recently released after hiding his drunk driving from his club.
Doosan strengthened only one catcher in the second draft last month. Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop called for a “back-up catcher competition” in preparation for next season, and the front desk moved to meet the request of the site. When Doosan nominated Kim Ki-yeon in the first round, it decided to transfer 400 million won to its original team, the LG Twins.
Immediately after the second draft, a Doosan source said, “We need to make sure that Yang does not have the next main catcher. I will try to nurture him,” adding, “Kim Ki-yeon nominated him as a young catcher who has completed his military service with high potential. He has strong shoulders and stable management skills. As he has good talent, he will contribute to his team if he gets more experience.”
Jang Seung-hyun (29) and Ahn Seung-han (31) competed for the backup catcher this year, but failed to meet Lee’s expectations. Jang is well-received as a defense, but he was disappointed in his offense. He hit 0.208 (20 hits in 96 at-bats) in 60 games last year and 0.158 (22 hits in 139 at-bats) in 76 games this year. Ahn Seung-han has ups and downs in offense and defense due to his lack of chances to play, but he is old enough to prepare for the next generation of Yang Eui-ji.
Although Park Yoo-yeon was slow to grow due to a chronic knee injury, he was a promising prospect as an offensive catcher. The age was also suitable for Yang Eui-ji’s next generation. It was no exaggeration to say that the next generation of Yang Eui-ji is drawing around Park Yoo-yeon, which caused great disappointment to the club as he committed a drunk driving accident following knee surgery this year.
Kim Ki-yeon seems to be the No. 1 candidate to erase Park Yeon-woo’s absence in terms of age and potential. After graduating from Gwangju Jinheung High School, Kim Ki-yeon wore the LG uniform as the 34th pick in the fourth round of the second round of the 2016 rookie draft. LG was once a promising player, but it took some time to nurture him as the No. 2 catcher. Lee hopes that Kim Ki-yeon will shake up the existing competition for backup catchers, as he has invested a considerable amount of 400 million won. 온라인경마
Kim Ki-yeon is also highly motivated. Immediately after his move to Doosan, Kim said, “I have been with LG for eight years, and I feel sorry for the fans and the club that have looked forward to me. Since I came to Doosan. I have to do well here. I feel like I have returned to my mind as a rookie,” expressing his commitment to enter the battlefield with a new mindset.
While playing for LG for eight years until this year, Kim only played in 42 games in the first division. He had a batting average of 0.140 (six hits in 43 times at bat) and three RBIs. “I was not as good as you expected. That’s why I think I came out in the second draft. I was given the opportunity early this year, but I didn’t make the most of it. I want to learn a lot from Yang Eui-ji and make it my own. As a catcher, I need to learn how to run the game in general, but I also want to ask about ball combination. As a catcher, I am also the best hitter, so I want to learn how to bat a lot.”
Park Yoo-yeon’s departure is painful, but fortunately, Doosan has prepared well. If Kim Ki-yeon bursts her potential, the risk of drunk driving is expected to decrease a little.