A person who fell ill due to bullying within the team appeared on ‘Ask Anything’.
On the broadcast of KBS Joy's entertainment program ‘Ask Anything’ on the 7th, the person, who is currently active as a baseball player in the Japanese independent league, appeared with a friend to share their concerns.
On that day, the person revealed, “I developed Crohn's disease due to the stress of being bullied in the team while playing baseball in Japan.” The friend who appeared with them introduced that they are currently active in a junior college baseball team.
Upon hearing the story of the bullying, Lee Soo-geun expressed anger, saying, “How could that happen?” The person shared, “They drank loudly until dawn the night before the game. During practice, they intentionally hit baseballs at me and pretended it was a mistake,” expressing their hardships.
They continued to say that after coming to Korea, they started playing badminton and found it so enjoyable that they are considering quitting baseball to become a badminton player. Upon hearing this, Seo Jang-hoon laughed and said, “That’s crazy.”
When Seo Jang-hoon asked, “When did you start playing baseball?” “Did you move to the Japanese independent league because you weren’t drafted professionally?” and “How many years have you been playing?”, the person explained, “I started playing baseball in the winter of 5th grade and moved to the Japanese independent league because I wasn’t drafted. I am currently in my second year and came to Korea after re-signing.”
Seo Jang-hoon then asked, “You re-signed and came back, but now you want to switch to badminton?” The friend who appeared with them burst into laughter.
When asked about their relationship, the friend replied, “We have been friends since middle school.” Then, when Lee Soo-geun asked, “As a fellow player, what do you think?” the friend said, “I want to tell him to keep playing baseball, but seeing him lose weight, I thought it must have been tough for him.”
When the mentors asked, “If you re-signed, doesn’t that mean you’re doing well?” and “Are you a starter?”, the person revealed, “I was a starter in my first season, but my health deteriorated, so I slowed down.”
Seo Jang-hoon, who played baseball for about four years when he was young, advised, “In basketball, due to the nature of the sport, your skills don’t dramatically change at your age. But in baseball, unlike basketball, your skills differ between being a student and an adult. I think it’s a waste to give up baseball after playing for 7-8 years. You can always become a badminton club coach later.”
Seeing the hesitant person, Lee Soo-geun said, “It seems like you don’t want to do it right now. You even got sick,” showing understanding of the person's situation.
Seo Jang-hoon then asked, “Can’t you talk to the coach or management?” and the person replied, “I talked to them and changed rooms.” When asked about the atmosphere and whether they are still being bullied, the person mentioned, “That player got cut,” referring to the improved atmosphere afterward.
Later, the person expressed a strong desire to play badminton, saying, “Badminton is so much fun,” to which Seo Jang-hoon showed frustration, saying, “Come on.”
Lee Soo-geun also offered realistic advice, saying, “It’s fun because it’s a hobby. If it becomes a job, you’ll face stress and have your own hardships.”
Seo Jang-hoon added, “There are many who quit being badminton players, and those people are likely coaching clubs, so it won’t be easy.” To this, Lee Soo-geun joked, “Do you want to go to Seo Jang-hoon’s basketball class or my basketball class?” bringing laughter.
Finally, Seo Jang-hoon, wanting to share a message as an athlete, said, “You don’t have many years left. Live your life,” and “Effort and desperation will lead you to the world of professionals. Honestly, if you don’t have that mindset, just quit now.”
Meanwhile, ‘Ask Anything’ airs every Monday at 8:30 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
