Hanwha Eagles’ Ha Joo-seok has been added to the first team roster after completing his suspension for drunk driving. Upon joining the first team, Ha bowed to the fans and apologized.
Hanwha added Ha to its first-team roster on Nov. 11. Ha was suspended for 70 games by the KBO after being caught driving under the influence last November, but his suspension ended in June. This is his return to the first team 276 days after his suspension against Changwon NC on Oct. 8, 2022.
Ha held a press conference in front of reporters after the Hanwha-LG game was canceled due to rain on Oct. 11 at Jamsil Stadium.
Ha said, “I would like to apologize to everyone who was disappointed by my wrong behavior. I’ve been deeply reflecting on it, and I’ve vowed to myself that I will never make the same mistakes again,” he said.
“As a member of this society, I will try to do better and show you a changed person, and finally, I would like to say that I am truly sorry,” he continued.
Ha was caught driving under the influence in Daejeon during the off-season last year and was suspended with a blood alcohol level of 0.078%. The KBO held a punishment committee and handed down a 70-game suspension.
The suspension ended at the end of June. After his suspension was lifted, Ha played in the Futures League to get a feel for the game. In his first appearance against Goyang on May 5, he went 2-for-4 with a double, and the next day he went 4-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs.
Manager Choi Won-ho said he plans to use Ha as a pinch-hitter for now. Choi said, “If I’m going to use a pinch hitter for Lee Do-yoon once, I’m not sure about Lee Min-joon’s defense in tight games. When the last three games of the first half were tight, I felt that I needed a player with a stable defense to bat for Lee Do-yoon, so I brought up Ha Joo-seok,” Choi explained.메이저사이트
“We use him as a center fielder first. When a left-handed pitcher comes out, I use a right-handed hitter (instead of Lee Do-yoon) once, and then I need a player with a stable defense behind him to pinch-hit. Tin-yi’s defense is stable, so when we need a pinch-hitter in a tight game, it’s easier for us to use him.”
He has plenty of game experience. Ha played two games in the Futures League and four scrimmages in practice. “He’s played six games, and he’s adapted to the game faster than I thought. I don’t think there are any problems with the defense, and I was worried that I would have trouble with the batting, but it went better than I thought. My batting form has also improved as I’ve made a lot of adjustments.”