“I’d be so happy to think of the ‘hustle’ when you remember me.”
Jake Cave, who perfectly lived up to the coach’s belief, delivered a word as a member of the Doosan Bears.
Doosan, led by acting manager Cho Sung-hwan, defeated manager Kim Kyung-moon’s Hanwha Eagles 13-2 in the home game of the 2025 professional baseball KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 23rd. As a result, Doosan, ranked 9th, which avenged its 1-2 defeat the previous day (22nd) and blocked Hanwha’s 11th consecutive win, recorded 39 wins, 3 draws and 50 losses. The leading Hanwha Eagles have 56 wins, two draws and 34 losses.
Cave’s performance as the third batter and right fielder was brilliant. He took the lead in Doosan’s victory by showing off his good batting sense all the time.
From the bottom of the first inning, Cave swung his bat fiercely. With one out and runners on the first base, Hwang Jun-seo, a left-handed starter, hit a 125-km fork on four pitches to draw a two-point arch with a flying distance of 120 meters. It was Cave’s ninth shot of the season and the moment when the game’s winning shot came out.
Cave, who returned to center field fly in the bottom of the third inning, showed his presence again in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the absence of a runner with two outs, he targeted Hanwha right-handed submarine pitcher Um Sang-baek’s four-pitch 146km fastball and fired a superior solo shot with a distance of 135m. It was his second home run and 10th cannon of the season following a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning. Later, he hit a left-handed hit in the bottom of the sixth inning, and his performance was three hits, two homers and three RBIs in four at-bats.
After the game, Cave said, “It was a really fun game. I’m happy to have a good result against the No. 1 team. Above all, it was a game that had a good batting meaning, he said. “I think hitting is contagious. All of our team’s batters showed good trends, leading to good results even for me,” he said with a bright smile.
Cave, who joined hands with Doosan ahead of this season, posted a batting average of 0.310 (103 hits in 332 times at bat) with 10 homers, 51 RBIs, and 13 steals (on-base plus slugging) of 0.827 in 84 games, including the Hanwha match. In addition to his outstanding skills, he is always showing “hustle play,” which is a great example for players.
The coach also has strong trust in him. “[Cave’s play] is a textbook,” said acting coach Cho Sung-hwan, who met ahead of the match against Hanwha on the 23rd. I have a life book in front of my eyes “I want to tell the players,” he said. “I shouldn’t miss every single play. I hope you can remember it in your eyes,” he said with a thumbs-up. And Cave responded with multiple shots to this belief of the head coach.
Cave said, “Records are important in baseball, of course, but I think one more important thing is ‘hustle’. “I would be very happy to think of the ‘hustle’ when my teammates and fans remember me,” he said, nodding, “If I think my family is always watching, I will do my best to be an unashamed player.”
Finally, he said, “Our young players are doing so well right now. There are many players who are looking forward to the future, he said. “Baseball is always a difficult and exhausting sport, so it is difficult for young players to show their best every time. But I hope you don’t get lost too much and solve it well. I would be very happy if my baseball could be an example to those players,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
[Jamsil (Seoul) = Lee Han-joo, MK Sports Reporter]
