“(Song) Myung-ki is my dear brother, but…”
Kia Tigers captain Na Sung-beom (35) is slowly heating up. He started in right field at No. 3 against the NC Dinos at NC Park in Changwon on Aug. 28 and went 2-for-4 with two doubles (one home run) and two RBIs.
Prior to this game, Na had 998 career RBIs. With two outs in the first inning, he hit a two-run double to right field, giving him 999 career hits, and in the top of the sixth inning, he hit a solo shot to left field against Song Myung-ki for his 1,000th career hit. 25th on the all-time list.
A graduate of Yonsei University and the 10th overall pick in the second round of the 2012 rookie draft, Na made his professional debut as a founding member of the NC. He also scored his 1,000th career hit in Changwon after changing uniforms.
After the game, Na received a bouquet of flowers from manager Lee Bum-ho to celebrate his 1,000th hit. “Before the season starts, I always ask myself, ‘What kind of record can I achieve this year?’ This year, I was close to 100 RBIs and I wanted to do it quickly, but I was injured and thought I would do it quickly when I came back. The team is on a winning streak, so it feels good to be able to score runs and set a record.”
“It’s a little weird because it’s a good opportunity to show good things in front of the Gwangju home fans and to celebrate, but it just so happened to be against the team I was with,” he said of his first hit and 1,000th RBI in Changwon, where he made his debut.
After becoming a free agent at the end of the 2021 season, Na signed a six-year, 15 billion won contract with KIA and donned the colors of his hometown team. It’s been three years since he left Changwon.
However, he has been strong against Chin-Jung. He’s batting just 2-for-6 with 26 runs in 97 at-bats, but he’s hit eight home runs, including a very strong one against Song Myung-ki. His 1,000th RBI also 토토사이트 came against Song. He is 9-for-11 with four doubles (three home runs) and seven RBIs in 11 at-bats against Song. His batting average is 4-for-4.
Na spared Song a lot when he was in the NC, and Song followed him a lot. However, when they meet, Na doesn’t recognize him. “He and (Song) Myung-ki have been my dear brother since we were together, and although we were pitchers and batters, we often ate together,” Na said with a smile, “I ask him to be gentle whenever we meet, but the world of competition is cold, so I think a lot of good hits come to Myung-ki by accident. I’m not trying to hit him, but…” he laughed.
Na had a slow start to the season due to a hamstring injury, and his batting pace was slow to pick up. Only recently has his pace picked up again. “I think he should be higher up the order in June than he is now, and he’s confident. I think we need to hit hard so that the team can move up, so that the second, third, and fourth places can’t catch up,” he said encouragingly.