Austin Dean (31), a foreign-born hitter for the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization, became the first player in the league to reach 100 RBIs this season. More than the record, Austin’s “team first” mentality shines through. It’s amazing to see a foreign player who is so focused on individual performance. LG is truly blessed to have a player like Austin.
Against Hanwha in Daejeon on April 15, Austin started at third base and went 3-for-5 with three home runs, including his 27th home run of the season, five RBIs, four runs scored, and two walks to lead LG to a 17-3 victory. With the sweep of Hanwha, LG is in good spirits and will host first-place KIA, which trails them by four games, at home in Jamsil on April 16.
Austin was at the center of the 17-run mega-twinspot. After leading off the first inning with a single to right field on a five-pitch high fastball from Hanwha left-hander Kim Ki-joong, Austin doubled to center field in the second inning. Then, in the fourth inning, he blasted a two-run shot to left. He pulled a 115-kilometer-per-hour curveball from Kim Ki-jung’s five-pitch at-bat over the left-field wall. It traveled 120 meters, his 27th home run of the season.
With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning,
He drove a six-seam fastball from right-hander Han Seung-ju over the right-field wall for a two-run double. 100th RBI of the season. He surpassed last year’s 95 RBIs to lead the league with his first 100 RBIs. He is now seven points behind Kia’s Choi Hyung-woo and NC’s Matt Davidson (93 RBI), who are tied for second. At his current pace, he is on pace to become LG’s first ever batting champion.
After a single, a home run, and a double, Austin was one triple shy of the cycle hit record. However, after drawing a walk in the fifth inning, he was replaced by pinch-hitter Lee Young-bin. With LG’s 15-2 lead, the game was in hand, but there was still time for one more at-bat. 메이저사이트 A cycling hit would have been in order, but Austin was out of the game.
After the match, Austin said of the cycling hit, “I wanted the record, but I chose to do what was best for the team, not for myself. “I wanted the record, but I chose to help the team and not myself,” he said, adding, ”I don’t try to chase personal records because it can ruin you.
Austin’s decision to pass on the record attempt opened the door for fourth-year infield prospect Lee Young-bin, who had just returned from military service with the Commerce. In the top of the eighth inning, the pinch-hitter lined a single up the middle with runners on first and second base to record his first hit and RBI since leaving the military. It had been 681 days since he had a hit in the first team since Oct. 6, 2022, against Gwangju KIA.
For Austin, the team win was the most important thing:
“It’s great that the team won by a big margin. We were able to finish the series cleanly because we came together as a team,” he said, adding, ”I’m not too impressed with my individual performance, but it’s definitely something. I’ve always played baseball with the goal of contributing to the team’s victories and being a part of the team, not the individual record. I think these RBIs mean that I am a helpful teammate,” he said. LG manager Yoon Kyung-yup also congratulated Austin on his first 100 hits in the KBO. We look forward to his continued good performance.”
Last year, Austin batted .893 with 23 home runs, 95 RBIs, and an OPS of .893 in 139 games (163-for-520), helping LG end its foreign batting woes and win the title. After a successful re-signing, Austin has been even better this year, batting .308 (406-for-125) with 27 homers, 100 RBIs and a .959 OPS in 108 games. His power is getting better as the year goes on, with 10 home runs in 23 games in the second half.
“I don’t think about it too much,” he said of the increase in home runs. I go to the plate with a direction to hit strong pitches and help the team. I’m just lucky that it turned into home runs.” ”I’m thankful for the fans who always cheer and support me, my family and the team. I hope they will come out this weekend and give us a lot of support as we continue to chase first place against KIA in a three-game series this weekend.”