Yasiel Puig (33), who played for Kiwoom Heroes, will try again in the Major League (ML).
The American media Sports Illustrated (SI) recently reported that “Puig is returning to the baseball world.” First of all, the destination is the Dominican Republic Winter League, not the major leagues.토토사이트
The media said, “Puig will play for Estrellas Orientalas in the winter league held in the Dominican Republic this winter.” It is a place where the level is so high that even promising players continue to participate every year.”
Among Korean players, Choi Ji-man (32, San Diego) participated in the league as a member of Estrellas after the regular season ended in the United States because of an injury in 2015 when he was a minor leaguer. Major League scouts often visit this place, as not only players looking for a comeback like Puig, but also many minor league prospects participate in the Winter League.
Puig, who escaped Cuba and made his major league debut with the Dodgers in June 2013, created a sensation from the start. He became the 2nd player in club history to hit 4 home runs in 5 games after his big league debut, and also set a tying record in this category by posting 10 RBIs in the same period. He also became the first player in major league history to record 34 hits and 7 home runs in 20 games since his debut, becoming one of the league’s most watched players. At the time, they were often caught playing around with teammate Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto), and the two were called ‘best friends’.
In his first year in the big leagues, Puig posted a batting average of .319 with 19 homers and 42 RBIs in 104 games. He also excelled with an OPS of 0.925, a combination of on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Puig, who established himself as the Dodgers’ main outfielder, has since hit double-digit home runs every year and has become a star representing the league beyond the team. However, as he accumulated years of experience in the major leagues, he began to gossip, revealing problems with his personality, such as being late for practice and discord with his colleagues.
The Dodgers traded him to Cincinnati after the 2018 season because of Puig’s unpredictable personality. Even after that, Puig’s problem was not easily fixed. He was also often seen triggering bench clearings with opponents. Because of this, he was also suspended for three matches. I heard that he was insincere in practice.
Traded to Cleveland at the end of July 2019, Puig posted a 0.267 batting average, 24 home runs, 84 RBIs and 19 steals in 149 games for the season. But no team was looking for him anymore. He admits his baseball skills, but considering the atmosphere within the team, it was because of the judgment that the recruitment of Puig had more losses than gains.
Puig started playing in the Dominican Winter League at this time. And last year, he played an active part in the Korean Professional Baseball (KBO) league as a member of Kiwoom Heroes. In 126 games, he batted .277 (131 hits in 473 at-bats) with 21 homers and 73 RBIs, contributing to the team’s runner-up finish.
Renewing the contract after the season seemed likely, but Kiwoom eventually gave up on renewing the contract when it was revealed that Puig was involved in illegal sports betting charges in the United States in 2019. After that, he spent the year unemployed. His career major league performance is a batting average of 0.277 (834 hits in 3015 at-bats), 132 home runs and 415 RBIs in 861 games.
Puig agreed to plead guilty with prosecutors in July of last year, but abruptly changed his position in November and insisted on his innocence. His defense attorney maintains Puig’s innocence, arguing that his admission of guilt was also due to a coercive investigation. When Puig refused to plead guilty, prosecutors charged him with making false statements. The related trial will be held in January next year.
It is known that Puig has a plan to return to the major leagues or the Asian stage based on his strong performance in the Dominican Winter League, which starts in October. To do so, he must first be cleared of charges of illegal gambling and false statements. It remains to be seen what the outcome of his actions will be.