You have to know how to use your speed.”
Pittsburgh Pirates Bae Ji-hwan started at second base and batted eighth in the lineup against the Texas Rangers on April 24 (ET) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and went 2-for-3 with a double.
Bae is coming off a four-game hitting streak that began on April 18 against the Detroit Tigers, which saw him raise his average from .254 to .264. However, it was no laughing matter for Bae when he saw what happened in that game. He got into trouble twice, once at the plate and once at second base.
Bae’s first error came in the bottom of the third inning. Trailing 0-2, Bae led off the inning with a single against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi, only to be called out on a wild pitch. Bae couldn’t hide his embarrassment, and video review didn’t change the outcome.
There was another disappointing play. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, Bae completed his multi-hit game with his second hit of the day, stealing second base and advancing to third on Andrew McCutchen’s single to right. However, Bae, who was headed to third base, chose to return to second base and was called out again. Bae threw his hands up in frustration, but it didn’t change the outcome of the game 토토사이트.
On June 6, Bae was called out after attempting to steal third base against the Toronto Blue Jays. At the time, local media and fans in the United States criticized Bae’s play. That he was too greedy. Bae hasn’t stolen a single base since the Toronto game, and mistakes on the basepaths have become a common occurrence.
MLB.com in the United States also noted this. They wrote about Bae’s game on the 24th, saying, “Baserunning mistakes have added up for Bae in recent weeks. In addition to Tuesday’s (24th) jitters, Bae Yong-jun failed in four of his five stolen base attempts.” “Bae’s frustration is evident in his stolen base failures. For example, in the Toronto game on the 6th, Bae broke one of the rules and was called out trying to steal third base with no outs.”
However, he chalked it up to adjusting to the major leagues. “Bae created more confusion on the bases early this season than anyone else,” MLB.com wrote. Bae stole 11 bases in March and April, the second-most in the majors. With three multi-steal games, Bae was arguably the most exciting player in Pittsburgh. His speed is his best weapon. He’s not at the top of the league in stolen bases by accident.”
MLB.com continued, “Bae knows he has speed, but he’s learning that speed alone isn’t enough. He also needs to know how to use it,” and the message of development and growth was not lost on the media.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in the United States did the same. “Bae has made a name for himself as one of the fastest players in the majors, but his elite speed has left Pittsburgh in a bind,” they wrote, “Sure, the rookie is still learning the ropes, considering he only played in 10 games last year, but he’s trying too hard to make something of himself.” Manager Derek Shelton said.
Manager Derek Shelton said, “Bae has a real weapon. But if you use it too much, you get outs. He needs to slow down a little bit. He’s trying to do too much right now.” It will be interesting to see if Bae can cut down on his recurring mistakes and recapture the confident base running he had earlier in the season.