Hanwha Eagles’ second-year right-hander Moon Dong-ju, 20, has been in the spotlight this season.
On April 12, Moon threw a 160.1-kilometer fastball against the Gwangju KIA Tigers. The 160 kilometers per hour barrier, which had never been broken by a Korean pitcher before, was broken by a rookie who had just entered the professional ranks.안전놀이터
After a brief lull, Moon has found his groove again and is a stalwart in Hanwha’s starting rotation. He was even named to the Korean national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games, showing that he has the potential to lead Korean baseball in the future.
He has received a lot of attention for his skills early on, so he may have a lot on his shoulders, but he also has a great personality. Club officials and fellow players who have seen him up close all agree that he is a “really good player.”
In addition to his baseball skills and good character, Moon’s English has recently become a hot topic.
Felix Peña (Dominican Republic), a foreign ace who serves as the de facto first baseman for Hanwha, was recently asked by a reporter if he was close to any of his teammates, and he mentioned Moon Dong-ju without hesitation.
“He speaks the best English among the players, so I feel comfortable talking to him often,” Peña said. Nick Williams (USA), who made his first appearance in a Hanwha uniform on the 27th, also said, “Moon Dong-ju talked to me first, which helped me adjust.”
It is thanks to his English language skills that Moon has been able to take care of foreign players. “He went to an English kindergarten when he was younger,” said a Hanwha official.
In general, it is not common for Korean athletes to speak English well in their professional careers. Occasionally, some athletes who have lived abroad as children do well, but the vast majority of Korean athletes are so focused on their athletic endeavors that they don’t have time to learn English. Similarly, it is very rare for athletes to have attended an English-language kindergarten as a child.
Naturally, it was interesting to hear that Moon attended an English kindergarten.
“When I was a kid, there weren’t many English kindergartens around, but my parents sent me to an English kindergarten because they said, ‘It will definitely help you when you grow up,’” he laughs, “so I could communicate in English a little bit.”
“I didn’t continue to study English, but I’m not very good at it. When I talk to Williams, I can listen, but I can’t say what I’m thinking, so I ask my brothers to translate for me.” “I feel like I’m naturally practicing my English by talking to foreign players a lot,” he said.
“I am grateful to my parents for giving me the opportunity to learn English, even though it would have been a financial burden,” said Moon, who also greets Peña and Ricardo Sanchez (Venezuela), both from South America, in Spanish.
Meanwhile, Hanwha is on a six-game winning streak, starting with a victory over the KIA Tigers on Nov. 21 and ending with a victory over the KT Wiz on Nov. 28. This is the longest winning streak in 1371 days.
Peña (2 wins), Sanchez (1 win), and Moon Dong-joo (1 win) were responsible for the four wins. Williams also had two hits in his second KBO game, a double against KT on Aug. 28.
While we shouldn’t read too much into Moon’s English skills, it’s clear that he’s helped the team, as Peña and Williams both cited him as a player who helped them adjust to life in Korea.