Unlikely offensive hero enjoys rare outburst for Bears

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SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- Stuck in a protracted hitting slump, Doosan Bears shortstop Park Chan-ho had been beating himself up for the past couple of months.

Playing for the new team after signing as a free agent last winter, Park wanted to justify his four-year, 8 billion-won (US$5.2 million) contract. But the 31-year-old felt like, in his own words, he was giving opposing pitchers "free outs."

Park then broke out in a big way Tuesday, smoking his fourth home run of the season and driving in four runs to help the Bears beat the Lotte Giants 5-0 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

Park Chan-ho of the Doosan Bears celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Lotte Giants during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on June 30, 2026. (Yonhap)

The homer, Park's first since May 6, felt especially cathartic for the player hardly known for his power.

"It lifted so much weight off my shoulders," said Park, who admired his towering shot into the left field stands and tossed his bat away with abandon. "It felt amazing."

But the first half of his first season with the Bears has been anything but amazing, at least not by Park's lofty standards for himself. He was batting .303 through April, but the number dropped to .267 by the end of May. He came into Tuesday's game hitting .264, with one hit in his past 15 at-bats.

"Before I became a free agent, I thought I could really feel content and comfortable once I signed my deal. I figured I could just have fun playing baseball for the rest of my career," Park said. "But it has been the exact opposite. The stress level has been unreal. I never believed some of my older teammates in the past when they said these things, but they have proven to be right. I am dealing with so much pressure that it is really hard to describe."

Park Chan-ho of the Doosan Bears (L) is congratulated by teammates Kim Min-suk (C) and Yang Eui-ji after hitting a three-run home run against the Lotte Giants during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on June 30, 2026. (Yonhap)

With four home runs, Park sits one shy of his career high. He had five dingers in 134 games in 2024 and again in 2025, while playing for the Kia Tigers.

"Even before the season began, I felt pretty confident I would hit more than five home runs," Park said. "I trusted in the work I put in during the offseason, but I never thought I would get into a slum