▲ 손아섭 노시환 ⓒ곽혜미 기자
[SPOTV News = Reporter Yoon Uk-jae] Does "chemistry" exist in baseball? As recently as last season they were a dream duo — now they're on different paths.
On July 31 last year, just before the trade deadline, Hanwha completed a deal with NC to acquire veteran left-handed hitter Son Ah-seop (38). Hanwha was chasing a postseason spot and packaged draft picks and cash to make a bold move.
Hanwha slotted Son into the leadoff spot to spark the lineup, and the biggest beneficiary was No Si-hwan (26). Son's first plate appearance in a Hanwha uniform came on Aug. 7 against KT in Daejeon — and No's approach at the plate changed almost overnight.
From Aug. 7 through the rest of the season, No appeared in 42 games and hit .323 with a .418 on-base percentage, a .632 slugging percentage and a 1.050 OPS, totaling 50 hits, 12 homers, 34 RBIs and four steals. In the 102 games before Son arrived, No hit just .234 with a .327 OBP, .443 SLG and a .770 OPS, putting up 90 hits, 20 homers, 67 RBIs and 10 steals.
You can't credit Son alone for No's surge, but you also can't ignore the impact of their relationship. No looked up to Son like an older brother, and Son treated No like a younger brother.
Fueled by that hot streak, No hit .429 in five playoff games against Samsung, posting a .455 OBP, .905 SLG and a 1.360 OPS with nine hits, two homers and five RBIs. He carried momentum into the Korean Series against LG, hitting .333 with a .333 OBP, .524 SLG and a .857 OPS across five games, finishing with seven hits, one homer, two RBIs and a steal.
After No broke the 30-homer, 100-RBI barrier last season, Hanwha viewed him as a franchise slugger. Treating him like an impending free agent, the team pursued a multi-year non-FA deal and stunned the KBO by signing him to an 11-year contract worth 30.7 billion KRW (approximately 23.0 million USD). It went down as the longest and largest contract in KBO history at the time.
But the club took a much colder approach with Son when he reached free agency. Son ultimately signed a one-year deal with Hanwha for 100 million KRW (approximately 75,000 USD), effectively conceding the market.
Last season Son mostly served as Hanwha's designated hitter. With Hanwha having already signed FA slugger Kang Baek-ho and Kang's defensive role limited, Son became expendable.
▲ 노시환 손아섭 ⓒ곽혜미 기자
▲ 노시환 손아섭 ⓒ곽혜미 기자
Son made a one-appearance pinch-hit in the season opener against Kiwoom, then spent time in the second team. Not long after, Hanwha traded him and he landed with Doosan.
Coincidentally, No slipped into a deep slump after Son was removed from the lineup. Struggling at the plate from the start of the season, No was optioned to the second team after going 0-for-4 on April 12 in Daejeon against KIA. At that point his season average was just .145 with no homers.
It would be simplistic to blame No's struggles solely on Son's departure. Still, losing a teammate he leaned on likely left an emotional void.
Now wearing a Doosan uniform, Son sports No. 8 — the same number No wears. Son told No, "Even without me, let's both wear No. 8 and get back on our feet."
Son praised No without hesitation. "Every player goes through hard times. I'm going through a rough patch myself, but Si-hwan is the best third baseman in this country. I don't worry," Son said, predicting that No will overcome the slump and soar again.
No answered candidly: "You were traded suddenly. Honestly, I think it might be for the best — he could do even better there. Still, I'm disappointed we had so little time together," he said.
They now play in different uniforms, but their bond remains. No returned to the first team on April 23 at Jamsil against LG and celebrated his comeback with a home run. He followed that with a multi-hit game on April 25 in Daejeon against NC, regaining his feel at the plate. Now it's time for him to stand on his own without Son.
▲ 손아섭 노시환 ⓒ곽혜미 기자
▲ 손아섭 노시환 ⓒ곽혜미 기자
