Seoul: Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyong admits he had some reservations about Daz Cameron earlier in the season, when the new American outfielder was struggling to string together hits against Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) pitchers. The former major leaguer was batting .211 through April 11 and didn't have a hit with runners in scoring position until snapping a 0-for-20 drought in that situation on April 25.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cameron has been one of the hottest hitters in the KBO in recent days. He closed April on a 10-game hitting streak that pushed his average up to .287, and he has gone 7-for-14 with four doubles and six RBIs in four games so far in May. Kim is now glad he remained patient with Cameron.
"He had a great spring training. Balls were flying off his bat and he showed good discipline at the plate, too. But once the season started, he had some problems against breaking balls," Kim looked back before playing the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "But I felt we had to give a new player like him at least 100 plate appearances. Our analysts and coaches said he was still trending in the right direction, and he has been able to make his adjustments."
Kim said Cameron, as good a baseball player as he may be, is an even better person. "You always want to help a player that nice," Kim said. "And we all wanted to instill some confidence in him along the way. We didn't want to make him feel like he was an outsider here. He is not necessarily an outgoing type but we've tried to bring him out of his shell a little. The mental side of baseball is just as important as technical things."
Cameron has been all over the lineup so far, batting third, cleanup, fifth, and even seventh. But he has batted second in the past eight games and will do so again Wednesday. And manager Kim is happy with the current situation. "I have some players that I want to see in the cleanup or No. 5 spots," Kim said. "Cameron has been swinging the bat well from the No. 2 spot and we will keep him there for now."