Nick Williams, the new foreign hitter for the Hanwha Eagles, shared his impressions of making his KBO debut.

Williams made his debut on the Korean stage by starting as the left fielder and batter 4 in the home game against KT Wiz in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Eagles Park of Hanwha Life Insurance in Daejeon on the 27th. Williams, who entered every at-bat amid the cheers of the home fans that day, did not record a hit, but left a good impression with a push-off RBI and a great diving catch. The following is a Q&A with Williams.

– How do you feel about playing your first game in Korea?

“I’m very excited and happy. Whether it’s the cheering from the fans or the atmosphere in the stadium, it’s really unbelievable.”

-Compared to the atmosphere when you were in Philadelphia.

“In Philadelphia, if you win, the stadium often gets noisy, but here, whether you win or lose, the stadium seems to be noisy. I also saw the chee스포츠토토rleading culture when I was in Mexico, but it’s really fun. Keep blowing energy to the team. I like it.”

– How was starting pitcher Koh Young-pyo against you yesterday?

“Ko Young-pyo threw a lot of breaking balls in my at-bat, and it was definitely good. As a result, there were no hits, but I still think I made a good enough hit after striking out in the first at-bat. I think my confidence has been recharged a lot in that area.”

– He showed good form in defense too.

“(During the diving catch) I felt that the batted ball was slightly bent and hit, but after defending, I was very happy with the cheers from the fans.”

-The hitting stance was very wide.

“I talked to a hitting coach I met while playing as a rookie in 2017. After the 2nd strike, I tend to take a wide approach and a low center of gravity. I’m satisfied with the stance I’ve made, as it seems to be able to give the image of ‘it’s easy to attack’.”

– I heard that you were very happy to receive the recruitment offer from Hanwha.

“I first encountered Korean baseball during Corona 19. Since then, I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to play in Korea. Actually, I got a call from my agent at 6:00 am, but after I answered the phone and signed a contract, I couldn’t go back to sleep. Family I even talked about ‘is this real?’

-It wouldn’t have been easy to see because of the time difference.

“There was no particular problem because the season was suspended. Broadcasters such as ESPN continued to broadcast it, so I was able to get in touch with it. At that time, Aaron Altair was there, but I think the player I played with just a year ago came out and watched with more interest.”

-It’s short, but how did you feel about Korean culture?

“I felt it was a very warm and friendly culture. Everyone, from my teammates, treated me very warmly and gave me a great welcome. The food I ate in Korea was especially delicious.”

-What does the ‘love’ tattoo on your wrist mean?

“I am a big fan of ‘Naruto’, and among them there is a character named Gaara. Gaara’s forehead has ‘Love’ written on it, so I wrote it down. Underneath is her mother’s name. I engraved this tattoo with love. “

– What made you choose number 3?

“My older brother’s favorite number was number 3. He wore number 3 all the way through high school, then he wore number 5 in Philadelphia, and then went back to number 3.