“I think my career as a player could be over…” Retirement crisis → Dramatic FA contract, Kwon Hee-dong speaks of his initial intention [Oh!Ssen Interview]

 “It seems that NC thought of me a lot.”

NC Dinos outfielder Kwon Hee-dong (33) escaped the retirement crisis. He was shunned from the free agent (FA) market, but eventually returned to the uniform before early spring. On the 27th, NC announced that it had signed a contract with FA Kwon Hee-dong for 1 year, up to 125 million won (annual salary of 90 million won, option of 35 million won).

With this, Kwon Hee-dong, who was an uncontracted player along with pitchers Jeong Chan-heon and Kang Ri-ho, dramatically escaped the crisis of retirement with FA Mia. 

Lim Seon-nam, general manager of NC, explained the background of the contract renewal, saying, “I am happy to renew the contract with Kwon Hee-dong, who has been with me since the beginning of the foundation.” did.

Kwon Hee-dong is a de facto founding member who has been with NC since entering the first team. He joined NC with the 84th overall pick in the 9th round of the 2013 rookie draft. For 10 seasons after his joining, he served as a salt-like player who lubricated the team by playing all outfield positions.

However, he was one of the members of the 2021 expedition accommodation quarantine rules violation case, and after returning after being disciplined by the KBO and the club last year, he could hardly recover his skills. In 82 games last year, he had a batting average of 2.2 7 Lee (54 hits in 238 at-bats), 5 home runs, 22 RBIs and 30 runs, and an OPS of .654. 

Eventually, after the season, he applied for free agency, but was turned away from his original team, NC, as well as other clubs, and he could not sign a contract until the end of spring camp. Talks seemed to come and go with clubs that lacked outfielders, such as Hanwha, but it was canceled, and eventually, he reached out again from his original club, NC, and continued his active life.

Right after the contract was announced, Kwon Hee-dong contacted OSEN and confessed his thoughts, “I am happy to be able to play baseball again. It was a time where I thought a lot and learned a lot. I also had a lot of time to look back on myself.” As I lost, I thought a lot, ‘This could be the end of my career.’ But I didn’t let go, I continued to train and asked for advice, “he explained the long winter.

In fact, NC initially had no intention of signing with Kwon Hee-dong and Lee Myung-gi, who wore a Hanwha uniform through a sign and trade. I left the door open for sign-and-trade, but the conditions weren’t right and the invincibility time was getting longer. 

Although he made his debut with the club for 10 years, he seemed to coolly turn around in business. However, in the end, NC reached out to Kwon Hee-dong again. Kwon Hee-dong said, “As the market itself went like this, I had to accept the situation. But in the end, in the end, NC thought of me a lot. I have no regrets.” It didn’t happen,” he explained.

I did not forget to thank the agency that worked hard on the contract. He said, “Since before, you have been more stressed and difficult than me. I am grateful that you did not give up on me and worked hard until the end,” he said.

Throughout the interview, Kwon Hee-dong said, ‘Now I have to do well’. I am not interested in the terms of the contract. It is to repay the people who endured the hard times together for him and to repay the debut team NC who reached out to him again. 토토사이트

He said, “Rather than coming here and discussing the terms of the contract, now I have to accept it and go back to the beginning and do really well. I trained individually in Changwon, but now I think I need to prepare harder.” “I am grateful that my wife has endured well. There are many people I am so grateful for. Now, in order to repay you at the baseball field, I really have to do well,” he said with strength. 

Kwon Hee-dong joins the C Team (Future Steam) training straight from the 28th with his contract. He said, “There are a lot of things I need to do to get my uniform back and train quickly.” I will try my best to become it,” he emphasized and promised a new start.